I sat up a little confused and saw that the campfire was almost completely out. I squinted my eyes, trying to see through the dim light and after several seconds, I could make out the sleeping silhouettes of my friends. There was a strange buzzing sound that sounded like a radio on a station that had a low frequency.
"Sheesh, we make the worst lookouts," I muttered, sitting up straighter to work out the kink in my back. Shawn sat up next to me looking puzzled.
"Sorry, I fell asleep too," he mumbled, looking down at Sam who had fallen asleep with her head resting on his knees.
"I guess we all did," I said, standing up to throw another stick onto the fire and watched as the flames reignited and lit up the area. I gasped when I noticed that the net was gone and blackness surrounded our campsite. It was as if someone had snuffed out the moon and the stars.
"Hey where's the net?" I asked my friends, taking a groggy step forward. I reached out my hand, confused that the entire net had disappeared on us. I went to take another tentative step forward when I was jerked backward by a hand grasping my arm.
"What the heck?" I asked , aggravated at my brother who had gripped my arm so tightly. I turned to see his horrified expression as he peered out into the darkness beyond me.
Unease flooded through me like I had been doused in ice water. I turned around cautiously, scared that the eyes of a Daemon or something would greet me. I squinted in the darkness, trying to understand what had alarmed my brother. My eyes finally began to adjust and I was puzzled to see that the blackness around us seemed to pulsate as if it was alive. I took a terrified step backwards, finally realizing that thousands and thousands of bugs had filled the night sky around us.
My terror induced scream filled the night air when I realized that the net wasn't gone, but was completely covered with the squirming bodies of every bug imaginable. The weight of their bodies made the netting bow in around us.
Shawn grasped me by the shoulders, pivoting me around to face him as my scream continued to slice through the night like a banshee.
My nightmare had somehow seeped into reality.
Chapter 6
"Krista, Krista it's okay! They can't get in!" Shawn said, shaking my shoulders.
My scream cut off and I looked at him, too scared to look anywhere else.
"A-r-re y-you sure?" I asked in a trembling voice.
"It looks like the net is holding them at bay," John said, coming over to give me a quick pat on the arm as he and the others joined our group.
"Why are they crowding the net?" Sam asked, voicing the question all of us were afraid to ask.
"Victor," I said clearly, knowing without a shadow of a doubt we were facing one of the obstacles Haniel had warned us about.
John nodded his head looking at me.
"They're so disgusting," Kieran said, standing as close to John as she could get without climbing into his arms, which looked like a distinct possibility.
"I know babe, but they're out there and you're safe from them in here."
John and Shawn's confidence in our shelter reassured me and I finally worked up the nerve to scan the perimeter of our camp. I let out a pent up breath when I saw that they were right. The ground beneath our feet was clear of anything that crept or crawled. I glanced up above our heads and an involuntary shudder raced down my spine. It was freaky as crap to see the netting bowing under the weight of what looked like millions of bugs. Their chattering and chirping had swelled to a deafening pitch, making it hard to hear what the others were now saying.
I turned to Robert and Shawn who both look concerned, studying the area behind our tent. "What's the matter?" I asked, stepping closer to them.
They exchanged looks, obviously contemplating whether to tell me or not. Finally, Robert shrugged his shoulders in defeat.
"We think they found a way in," Shawn said, pointing to the darkness behind our tents.
I peered into the
"Sheesh, we make the worst lookouts," I muttered, sitting up straighter to work out the kink in my back. Shawn sat up next to me looking puzzled.
"Sorry, I fell asleep too," he mumbled, looking down at Sam who had fallen asleep with her head resting on his knees.
"I guess we all did," I said, standing up to throw another stick onto the fire and watched as the flames reignited and lit up the area. I gasped when I noticed that the net was gone and blackness surrounded our campsite. It was as if someone had snuffed out the moon and the stars.
"Hey where's the net?" I asked my friends, taking a groggy step forward. I reached out my hand, confused that the entire net had disappeared on us. I went to take another tentative step forward when I was jerked backward by a hand grasping my arm.
"What the heck?" I asked , aggravated at my brother who had gripped my arm so tightly. I turned to see his horrified expression as he peered out into the darkness beyond me.
Unease flooded through me like I had been doused in ice water. I turned around cautiously, scared that the eyes of a Daemon or something would greet me. I squinted in the darkness, trying to understand what had alarmed my brother. My eyes finally began to adjust and I was puzzled to see that the blackness around us seemed to pulsate as if it was alive. I took a terrified step backwards, finally realizing that thousands and thousands of bugs had filled the night sky around us.
My terror induced scream filled the night air when I realized that the net wasn't gone, but was completely covered with the squirming bodies of every bug imaginable. The weight of their bodies made the netting bow in around us.
Shawn grasped me by the shoulders, pivoting me around to face him as my scream continued to slice through the night like a banshee.
My nightmare had somehow seeped into reality.
Chapter 6
"Krista, Krista it's okay! They can't get in!" Shawn said, shaking my shoulders.
My scream cut off and I looked at him, too scared to look anywhere else.
"A-r-re y-you sure?" I asked in a trembling voice.
"It looks like the net is holding them at bay," John said, coming over to give me a quick pat on the arm as he and the others joined our group.
"Why are they crowding the net?" Sam asked, voicing the question all of us were afraid to ask.
"Victor," I said clearly, knowing without a shadow of a doubt we were facing one of the obstacles Haniel had warned us about.
John nodded his head looking at me.
"They're so disgusting," Kieran said, standing as close to John as she could get without climbing into his arms, which looked like a distinct possibility.
"I know babe, but they're out there and you're safe from them in here."
John and Shawn's confidence in our shelter reassured me and I finally worked up the nerve to scan the perimeter of our camp. I let out a pent up breath when I saw that they were right. The ground beneath our feet was clear of anything that crept or crawled. I glanced up above our heads and an involuntary shudder raced down my spine. It was freaky as crap to see the netting bowing under the weight of what looked like millions of bugs. Their chattering and chirping had swelled to a deafening pitch, making it hard to hear what the others were now saying.
I turned to Robert and Shawn who both look concerned, studying the area behind our tent. "What's the matter?" I asked, stepping closer to them.
They exchanged looks, obviously contemplating whether to tell me or not. Finally, Robert shrugged his shoulders in defeat.
"We think they found a way in," Shawn said, pointing to the darkness behind our tents.
I peered into the
Similar Books
