Trembling I heard the sound of boots scraping like chalk on the ancient worn stone steps and I quickly hid behind one of the odd humanlike statues that graced the mansion's terrace.
Breathlessly I waited as the footsteps drew closer, echoing on the unforgiving marble tiles. Then...there was utter silence.
Without warning, a heavy arm slid around my throat choking me, pulling me to the ground. I screamed, spinning violently to free myself from the strangling grasp.
I gasped as I was met with Pudge's mischievous, chubby face.
"Boo!" My friends yelled as they surrounded me.
"Gotcha, you big dope, serves you right for leaving us behind!" Pig-faced Charlie teased good-naturedly as Tim ever the clown shoved his dark handsome face into mine with a twisted grimace.
I looked at them, all killing themselves laughing, acting as if nothing had happened. I wanted to wipe the silly grins off their faces, especially those dopes, Charlie and Tim, who were mimicking me as they pranced around like idiots.
"Enough you guys. Who put you up to acting like Zombies back there? You really had me freaked out!" I demanded angrily.
"What are you raving about Hunk?' Tim replied defiantly with a confused look on his face. "Zombies? Yeah right you big baboon...as if!"
"Yeah, don't be a pain in the arse Hunk" exclaimed Charlie. "We didn't do anything! You're the one who did the dirty on us. You and Swasie and the other gang members just upped and left us."
I scrutinized their earnest faces; I could see that they were telling the truth. Swasie must have placed a spell on them...but why?
I looked around there were no other gang members in sight. I began to sweat, I knew my cousin he'd maneuvered us here for a reason.
I could hear rustling in the bushes nearby and an odious smell wafted over the terrace.
"Okay guys drop it, let's get out of here." I commanded urgently as I saw the bushes beside us move.
"Yeah Nick move that butt of yours before I move it for you!" Squirrel laughed scornfully his nose twitching in anticipation of Nick's rebuttal.
Nick glared at him. It drove him crazy how Squirrels nose always twitched. He was such an annoying hairy little squirt!
"Give it a rest you weasel", Nick retaliated. "And while you're at it you jerk. Get your tail from between your legs and climb a tree!"
Squirrel looked at Nick with contempt; he'd never forgiven him for naming him Squirrel! The name had stuck, and he hated it. No one called him Ronnie anymore, and he was fed up with being told that he looked like a squirrel. It had caused him no end of grief, especially with girls. He detested Nick; he was everything that he wanted to be...muscular, dark haired, and good-looking with girls swooning at his feet. How could he hope to compete, he was little and skinny, and had a weird twitching hairy nose like his Dads.
Nick smirked watching Squirrel fume. The mere mention of a tail rankled Squirrel and Nick knew it; it worked every time! He laughed to himself. He just loved getting Squirrel riled.
Nick fondled his army knife in his pocket, waiting for the opportunity to menace Squirrel with it. Nicks knife was his prized possession and he carried it everywhere. And lately flicking it at the kids at school had become his favorite pastime. Nick loved the power it gave him and no kid outside of the gang dared to cross 'Nick the Flick'!
"Okay you guys...cool it!" I whispered urgently as I heard the sounds of twigs breaking close by.
Listening intently to those ominous sounds I broke out in a nervous sweat. Soon my black T. shirt stuck uncomfortably to my prized leather jacket and my feet squelched in my tight black leather boots.
Had Swasie cleverly maneuvered us into the hunting ground of the carnivorous Basliks where for centuries he'd told me they had hunted the helpless creatures that inhabited the estate's vast land.... were these hideous mutants now hunting us?
That odious smell was growing stronger triggering my fears that the gory tales Swasie had told me of the Basliks unspeakable acts of depravity before unmercifully devouring their victims may be our fate.
Squirrels nose began to twitch nervously as faint guttural growls came from the bushes beside him. I stood frozen unable to move as those unearthly growls grew louder.
Suddenly, huge hairy human like creatures smashed through the bushes, snarling at us with ferocious intent. I yelled at my friends to run, but my warning came too late. Those terrifying creatures had already blocked our path, their yellow sunken eyes glowing devilishly in the darkness, sucking away any will we had to resist.
Enraged the Basliks shook their ugly humanlike heads as they circled us. I cringed in terror as their leader stood tall on his hairy haunches and let out a bloodcurdling howl.
The nocturnal Baslik's eyes glowed and baring its pointed fangs still dripping from the blood of its freshly devoured prey proceeded to perform a strange ritualistic dance. Chanting invocations of evil, this hideous creature invoked the last foul breaths of its forebear's death throes; inviting them to come forth and unite the stench of their trillion dying breaths, into the hateful wind of cadaverous gases.
At once an odious vapor streamed forth from the Basliks mouth and with the demonic gesture of a thousand curses it commanded this stinking, swirling mass to implode its abhorrent message upon us.
Haplessly we fell about trying not to breathe, choking on the sickening stench as the clumsy, snarling Basliks circled for the kill. Closer they came, their huge hairy bodies reeking from the smell of rotting flesh. Their slobbering mouths drooling in anticipation as they bared their jagged fangs in readiness
I shuddered and ducked as a huge hairy claw reached out for me. I screamed a warning as a sea of stinking slobber, excreted from the mouths of the repulsive Basliks headed our way.
It was too late, covered in smelly revolting saliva all we could do was shiver in fright. Closer those sharp fangs came poised to tear us into a million pieces.
Then suddenly the Basliks retreated and Swasie mysteriously appeared his arrogant swagger unmistakable as he walked toward us.
"Stop shivering like cowards imbeciles I have saved you from a fate worse than death, now bow at my feet!" Swasie demanded contemptuously knowing full well that it had been the mysterious entity who'd he'd seen following Hunk who had controlled the Basliks.
Swasie was infuriated that these mere slaves, spawned from the flesh of mutants living in the catacombs of Tuloosa's underground kingdom had not obeyed him and consumed those idiot friends of Hunks. He had looked forward to watching Hunk see his friends torn to shreds.
However his ploy had worked, he thought smugly. Hunk had been the perfect bait to entice the Entity to reveal itself. By placing Hunk in the path of the Basliks it had inadvertently materialized as it intervened to save him. At last he had seen its human form...it was that of an old man. An old man who fitted the description of the Crines mortal enemy, the one known as Asa! But why was he protecting Hunk? What was so special about his cousin? This he was determined to find out.
Disgusted, I watched Swasie gloating, relishing my friend's subjugation to him. I knew my cousin well he was lying. Someone or something else had caused the Basliks to retreat.
"Hunk, Hunk! Snap out of it, you're not listening to me!" Pudge whispered frantically
I felt my jacket being tugged and looked down at Pudge's terrified face.
"Hunk you've got to convince Swasie to let us go home. He won't listen to us! He is going to make us go through that passageway over there. We'll all be killed if we don't get out of here!" Pudge pleaded.