Thirteen Chairs by Dave Shelton Page B

off. Is only jagged sharp stump that stick out from trunk, then next branch up is long way and hard to reach. He take off pack, and jam into forked branch at feet, then he jump up. Is brave thing. Is very high up now and if he fall, is killing him. He grab branch above with both hands, but one slip off, and he swing and he nearly fall. Leg bash into sharp stump of broken branch and he cry out painful. But he hang on, and hegrab on with other hand and pull up himself. He look at leg. Is cut all bloody, but not so bad.
    He look up again. Flashy metal shining is easier to see now, but still not see what is. And now, also above, he see dark shapes in branches, maybe like nests or some other something like? But big nests. He climb some more. His leg hurt little bit and he go slower and have to concentrate quite hard, but he go up and up OK, and eventually he reach the shiny metal thing and is medallion. Is pretty thing. Maybe is good gift for chamberlain’s daughter. He wonder how is getting there up tree. Maybe bird carry it up and it fall from nest. He look up now at nests.
    Is not nests.
    Is raggedy cloth, all torn up and tangled, rags swaying in breeze. And in rags is bones. Is human bones. Woodcutter, he see ribcage first, then other thing else. Maybe arm, maybe leg. And is more nests than one. Is five or six, all same, all rags and bone bodies. He make no cry, but his breath go all fast and loud, and his heart same. He think he is far enough high up tree now. He think now he go down.
    But he look down and see no way. Branches is all wrong now. He try to see way he come up, but is not what he remember. Is very strange. He trying to reach leg down one way and he scrape cut against knot on trunk and, oh, it hurt very much! He howl all loud, then he try to pull leg back up, but somehow is stuck. Foot is caught between two branches somehow, andpain is hot and wet. He reach down left hand to feel, bring back up to face. Fingers dripping very red. Is bad cut. And foot still stuck.
    He reach up high and take hold of branch above head, ready to pull leg free with strong pull. With bloody hand he grip branch tight and he see blood drip onto bark, run into grooves in bark. Blood is drawing red lines on branch and he is watching.
    And blood disappear.
    Is like blood evaporate. Or is like blood is sucked into pale bark. Is very scary strange, even to brave woodcutter. And seeing is making woodcutter all stiff and still, and he is feel like leg is stuck more tight now. He try to pull up, but only more pain. Is not moving. If only he have axe! But is below with pack. He tell himself when back down to ground, he is making revenge and chopping tree down. Is good practice before he chop also down red tree. And he smile one second.
    Then he scream.
    Is new pain now in right hand. He twist his head and look up and he see impossible thing. Is new twigs grown from branch this second. Is like fingers grasping hand. Is crushing hand. He try to pull it free but is no good. Twigs go more thick and more tight and hand is gripped very, very strong. So now is one leg and one hand trapped and is much pain. Woodcutter pull and twist and kick, wild and all panic, but is no good. More twigs grow, and they go thicker and they grip free hand and leg and they pull them and make still.
    So now woodcutter all still all over. He cannot move one thing except to twist his head a little. And he call out to empty forest for help. He cry and scream. But only for just little while, because is new branch growing, wrapping round chest like is big snake, and it go tight, and more tight, and is squeezing air out of lungs. Is crushing big strong hero, Yan Haval, like is eggshell.
    Breath of woodcutter is just tiny thing now. In, out, just little bit. Is little gasps. All he do now is watch and feel. Even to cry out, now he cannot do. And he feel chest all very so tight, and all pains is everywhere.
    Very slow and all agony he twist neck and look up, up into highest