Chapter 3: Hunted
Wolfboy charged his big brother. His mad eyes twisted in rage and anger. Being only three feet tall prevented him from getting within striking distance of Andrew. The older and well-trained brother swatted Brandon aside with ease. He wanted to stop his little brother without harming him.
“See if you can grab his mask,” Andrew ordered.
Ellen managed to overcome her fear and grab the boy’s head. She twisted and turned with him to avoid the snapping muzzle. After a heartbeat’s length of inspecting him, she realized there were no seams on the mask. His increased fury shoved her away and sliced open her arm. The werewolf ignored her and attacked Andrew.
The soldier rolled out of the way. He regained his feet on the run and scooped Ellen into his arms. They bolted through the corn and rounded a corner before stopping. Andrew produced his sword and held it firmly as if considering his options.
“It’s still your brother inside,” Ellen reminded him.
“Maybe, just try to grab his mask when I ambush him,” Andrew said.
“But he isn’t wearing a mask,” Ellen protested.
“Maybe,” Andrew responded.
He swiped with the flat edge of his sword as the wolfboy chased after them. The steel blade cracked Brandon on the back of the head with a loud thud. Ellen caught the falling boy and quickly began pulling where the mask should have been. Andrew joined her and together they pulled the cursed mask off the little boy. Brandon fell down on the spot, exhausted.
“At least he’s not hurt,” Ellen said.
“But you are,” Andrew noticed the open wound on her arm.
The corn came alive again and shuffled around them. Their little path sealed up on both ends and an exit opened just beside them. A shambling mass of bristling vines lurched towards them. Andrew reached for his sword just as Ellen dodged the mossy creature’s reaching arms. They grabbed Brandon and ran through another series of turns.
Their pursuer was unhindered by the walls. Its mass tore through them with ease. Despite their speed, it caught up to them quickly and blocked their only way. Andrew handed the boy to Ellen and stood ready to defend his family.
He flinched as the creature melted into the maze wall. Suddenly, two arms reached through the wall behind him and snatched Brandon. The monster dragged the boy into the wall and disappeared. Ellen screamed again but Andrew kept his head. He slashed at the maze wall angrily, hoping the speed of his blows might overtake the new growth. His outburst served only to tire his already aching muscles. The square room containing them opened into another long corridor. At the end of the hallway, the moss creature waited for them.
“What did you do with my brother?” Andrew shouted at the monster.
He raised his sword high and charged at the thing. It shimmied away from his blade each time he swung. His wild strokes lacked precision but made up for it with sheer power. When he finally connected with the beast, the blade lopped off one arm without slowing. Fueled by anger and pain, Andrew continued his attack. Ellen watched wide-eyed as the moss creature grabbed Andrew and pulled him into the wall of corn. His shouts and protests quickly silenced as the last hint of him disappeared.
She called out to him, pleading with the creature to return him. Her fingers bled from raking at the immovable wall of greenery. Tears and sweat poured down her face until she could cry no more. Ellen collapsed in an exhausted heap wondering how anything could be more terrible than this night. What happened to the dreamy moment when Andrew proposed to her just hours ago?
With a rush of terrified adrenaline coursing through her veins, Ellen pushed herself to go on. She rose to her feet and ran down the pathways as quickly as possible. Running at top speed blinded her to all sound and thought. Only split second decisions crossed her mind on which way to turn at each intersection. Monsters, mazes, and men all faded from her mind.
Until she crashed headlong into a soft body. The recoil sent her stumbling to the ground. She spat out a mouthful of straw and wondered where it came from. Her mysterious assailant stared down at her with two empty eyes. The pumpkin sat at an odd angle atop the man made of straw. His overalls spilled the stuff from every conceivable area.
Half crazed with terror, Ellen did not question the malevolent intentions of the scarecrow. She screamed at the top of her lungs, turned, and fled. It laughed with delight at her fear and began to chase her. Ellen’s ripped dress gave her more agility than she expected. She hoped to outpace the strange monster. It proved just as adept at running as she was.
“Flee,” it screamed with delight.
Ellen found herself backed into a corner. Razor sharp plants blocked her path while a homicidal stuffed man closed in on her. She bent over and grabbed a handful of the churned soil where the corn once grew. The semisoft dirt formed fist sized clumps heavy enough for her to throw. Her aim landed the first few directly in the face of the terrifying monster.
Angered by her retaliation, pumpkin head raised both hands to the sky. A flock of dark winged birds answered him. Their zealous beaks pecked at Ellen’s hair while their sharp talons raked against her arms. She swatted and batted at them wildly until they dissipated enough for her to open her eyes. Her only option did not appeal to her but she ceased caring about pain an hour ago.
Razor sharp or not, she dove into the plant wall. Her shoving hands pushed the corn apart as if she were swimming in an ocean of green. The maze wanted to keep her and it made every second of breathless fighting a struggle. Ellen pressed on and eventually came to the edge of the malicious corn. Fresh air and open space greeted her coldly.
She fell flat on the ground and breathed deeply. She screamed and cried, burying her face in her hands. The sound of pounding footsteps rushing towards her startled her. Uncle Mark wrapped her in his broad arms and gently rocked her as everyone quickly joined them. Ellen’s hysteria shocked them badly.
“Honey, it was just a joke,” Charles emerged from the corn, pumpkin head in hand.
“That was totally awesome,” Brandon bragged, wolf mask still on.
“She’s completely lost it,” Mark said. “We should get her inside.”
Many apologies and cool drinks later, Ellen began to calm down. They sat on the porch with Ellen lying on a wide bench. The men shuffled guiltily while Brandon continued his role as a werewolf. Even the magic candles burned low on this horribly long night. Ellen fanned herself with one hand as she glared at her tormentors.
“That was outrageous,” she accused. “How could you do something like that?”
“It was only a joke, pumpkin,” Charles said.
“Don’t even call me that!” She spat. “You, your mother would be ashamed of you.”
She pointed at the wolf boy. Brandon feigned innocence and hid behind the large frame of Charles’ body. Ellen was furious at them for frightening her so. Her dress cost an entire month’s allowance and they ruined it. Not to mention their antics forever spoiled her engagement to Andrew.
“Where did you run off to after Uncle Mark grabbed you?” She asked.
“Eh?” The three males shared confused glances.
“I came out right after you went in,” Brandon explained.
“And I was never inside the maze,” Mark shook his head.
“Of course you were,” Ellen continued. “You were in the moss costume and you grabbed Brandon to frighten us. Oh, what have you done with Andrew anyway?”
She looked all around the yard for her fiancé but the young man was nowhere.
“Honey, I swear I was never in the maze,” Mark said again. “I stayed out here to make the walls move.”
“And they wouldn’t let me stay in the maze because they thought I would get lost,” Brandon sighed. “Totally unfair.”
“But I saw you,” Ellen gasped. “Who else was in there?”
“I’m the only one who went in,” Charles said. “You were taking so long that I thought I might scare you towards the exit. I never imagined you would take it so hard.”
“But, Andrew?” She asked.
“We haven’t seen him,” Charles answered. “He wasn’t with you in the maze?”
“We got separated,” She said. “We have to look for him.”
“I’ll open the maze up,” Mark said.
He demonstrated his mastery over the plants by waving his hands. They responded by picking up roots and walking far apart. Fresh dirt and upturned rocks populated the vacated space. No sign of Andrew or any of their pursuers existed. The little garden with the plant animals vanished too. The only thing reminiscent of her nightmare was the scarecrow hanging in the middle of the field. It very closely resembled Charles’ costume with the pumpkin head and overstuffed outfit.
The family returned to the mansion for the night wondering where young Andrew disappeared. Ellen blamed them for all of it. Her husband-to-be probably ran screaming into the forest after their inane antics. Tomorrow they would resume their search for him and she expected everyone to continue searching until they found him.
In the fields, the scarecrow wanted to move. He tried screaming but no words escaped his twisted mouth. His eyes darted around as Ellen inspected him and moved on. Light ropes held his body to the pole but strong magic prevented the slightest movement. Andrew did not believe they would leave him hanging there.
“And there you will hang forever, my captive,” the other scarecrow laughed. “As long as you are bound, I shall remain free to hunt.”
His captor cackled with a strange rasping noise. It barely caught the rolling pumpkin before it fell off its flimsy shoulders. Those burning eyes looked him over one more time before disappearing into the fields. Andrew wanted to cry but the magic prevented him from doing even that much.
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A few words about the author:
Gilbert Peppers is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy author with too many stories in his head and not enough time to finish writing them. Calling himself Peppyroni online, his eccentricities know no bound. He likes anything dealing with mysticism and fairytales especially cats, gnomes, and explosions. His works of fiction are as far flung and farfetched as he is. He lives in a modest home belonging to three cats atop Lookout Mountain.
Fantasy Creature Spotlight: Prepare for adventure and fall into a realm of magic alongside amazing creatures. The Veil is a magical land, home to a veritable garden of paradise where many wondrous animals and people live. The most mundane of events becomes spectacular in this sylvan glade. Marvel at their beauty, courage, and adventures and bear witness to the wilder side of magic and fey creatures.
Cattails are Made for Swatting: Discover life as seen through the eyes of a little tabby kitten! The Cattails series is based on real observation of cat behavior with some slight exaggerations. Girl finds new ways of causing mischief for her cantankerous roommate, Spot, and her master all at the same time. These short stories are for everyone’s enjoyment, written so that all ages may find the delights of cat life.
Tales From the Void: Dare to embark on a haunting journey deep into the heart of the Void. From its dark abyss come unspeakable nightmares. Terrible creatures haunt dreams and tempt souls as the maelstrom of chaos and entropy spreads darkness over all. Horror tales of the most frightening monsters imaginable bring to you the thrill of the hunt, desperate survival, and lust for blood. Werewolves, Vampires, and Ghosts are but the surface of what lurks inside… the Void.
Connect with Gilbert Online:
www.twitter.com/Peppyroni009 for updates from the wildest corners of his imagination.
www.facebook.com/Peppy-Roni where he plays Gnome Town and Farmville….
https://thegnomehome.wordpress.com/ a weblog written by his spastic gnome cohort.
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