3 views
IS THIS CAN BE TRUE
She waited for 15 minutes after the sliver of light beneath her bedroom door disappeared. Once she was sure her parents were asleep, Sadie slid the window up and stole down the trellis. The autumnal air swished down into her lungs — crisp, chilly, and delicious. She landed like a cat, crouched, hands on the floor. Sadie didn’t need to jump the last of the way to the ground, but where would the fun be in not doing that?
Her ten-speed leaned next to the bins — where she’d left it. With a glance up at the droopy eyes of the house, she hopped on her bike and cycled off into the night. After half a minute, she clicked her torch on and plopped it into the basket. The beam sliced through the evening’s ink.
The streets were empty at this time of night, save for the high school kids. They drove around, windows obscured with pot smoke, beers in one hand, steering wheels in the other. Sadie didn’t bother to hide from these, but she did take caution to avoid collisions. If only her father — who grumbled about their poor driving skills — could see them now.
It didn’t take her long to reach Lisa’s house. Google Maps told her it was an 11-minute journey, but she always raced to beat the time. She usually made it in seven minutes or less. Not that she had her phone with her now. Her parents had installed a tracking app a few months back. Sadie left the blasted thing plugged in on her nightstand. Should they check in the morning, it’d seem she’d slept the night through? It never occurred to them that their modern child would leave the house without it. As far as they were aware, they’d succeeded in their attempts to curb their daughter’s night time excursions.
She flashed her light at Lisa’s window. On, off. On, off. On, off.
Then, the curtains stirred and the window clunked open. Sadie caught wind of a sigh. The voice that whispered down to her was thick with drowsiness. “I thought you were joking about tonight, Sadie.”
“I never joke about a hunt! Besides, your mom’s working the night shift tonight, is she not?”
Lisa groaned. “Can’t we just sleep? I’m tired!”
Sadie shone the light across Lisa’s form. “Evil never sleeps, Lisa!” Sadie grinned. Lisa had not yet gotten into her pink pajamas. “
Moore has been found dead in his home!”
Oh, God. Fine Just get that light outtalk my face, will yak? I’ll be down in a moment.”
Sadie clicked the torch off and waited. After a spell, the front door of the Brown’s house opened and closed. Lisa wrapped her cardigan around her and shivered. “Mr. Moore is dead?”
“Sade?”
“Well, not dead…”
Lisa threw her head back and growled. “You always do this.”
“But he did say that a bat tried to enter his home last night! A specter of the macabre, I’ve no doubt. We should ensure the foul beast does not find any more prey.”
Lisa watched her breath float away. “Why’d we have to go out again this week, Sade? We went out on Sunday.”
Sadie sniffed the air. “Darkness lurks these streets, Lies. I can smell it.”
“All I can smell is your bull—”
Sadie silenced her with an upraised hand.
My senses are tingling. We must head off the leech before he leaves his enclosure!”
Lisa’s shoulders slumped. “Fine, but no more than an hour, yeah? It’s a school night.”
Sadie nodded, hand over her heart.
You got the stake?”
Lisa rolled her eyes.
She patted her rucksack. “Don’t know why I’ve got to be the one to store all this crap. If I get caught with it, people will think I’m a loony.”
“‘Cos your mom doesn’t search your room, lies. Now, hop on.”
Lisa did as Sadie told her, but grumbled as she did so. “Maybe there’s a reason your parents search your room, Sade. You’re mental.”
“If being labeled mental is the price I have to pay to ensure the safety of the citizens of Bridge moss,” Sadie said as she began to pedal with a grunt, “then so be it!”
Lisa took a deep breath. “You got to grow up at some point, Sade. We’ll be in high school next year. We don’t want to be labeled as the weird girls. Those chicks never get dates.”
“And still you doubt my gifts! You should have learned by now that this world is darker and more mysterious than the grownups would have you believe.”
“So you keep saying.”
“Do you not remember The Wolf of St Wines?”
“…that was a stray dog.”
“Ah, but did we not help the pound in catching a most evasive beast?”
I’ll agree we did some good there. We helped a homeless dog find shelter. I think Katy’s family adopted him.”
“You mean the broken
Andrews had in her porch? That sounded like wailing?”
“And did we not put an end to such ghastly choruses?”
“We stole them, fixed them, then hung ‘
.”
Sadie sighed. “Ah, another citizen protected!”
Lisa chuckled.
So, where is it we’re heading tonight? I don’t
My
I wreck another pair of trainers.”
“Tonight, my fellow protector, we must head the destroyer off before he even leaves his lair!”
I hate the cemetery.”
*
A thick mist clung to the ground. It seemed to seep from the very pores of the earth itself and offered the place a pale illumination. The tombstones pointed this way and that, drunkards who leaned against doorframes.
The only sounds were their own ragged breaths and their footsteps as they squelched in the mud.
“I don’t like this, Sade. It’s creepy.”
“But have we not sworn an oath to brave the creeps of this world?”
“An oath is an oath, my fellow guardian. Aren’t all oaths made up, at some point or another? At what point do they start to mean something?”
Lisa hesitated.
But I still don’t like this.”
Sadie turned to face her, a toothy grin on her face. “So you admit that there is something out here tonight? You feel it too!” She clenched a fist. “I knew under my tutelage you’d soon hone your senses.”
Lisa pulled her cardigan ever higher around her chest — any further, and she’d risk ripping the damn thing. “I-I don’t know. But I know that if we get stabbed and mugged, my how’ll be more pissed than upset.
“We need not worry about being impaled by the drinker of
It is he who should worry about us doing so to him!”
Lisa frowned. “Sometimes, Sade, you get so wrapped up in your theatrics that you make no goddamn sense.”
Sadie shrugged. “We
’ stab the vampire.”
But, still, can we go home? This is creepy. And I legit don’t
.”
Sadie pointed forward with the stake. “Hush, now!” The moss-covered stones — features softened by the weather — gave way to the maze of the vaults. “We draw near to the crypts, my sweet, poor, innocent, Lisa.”
Pointed
Steps led up or down to the entrances — all smothered in decayed leaves, wet with moisture. Thin, barely-passable alleys wove between the stone tombs. The way ahead was impossible to see.
“Oh, I hate this place,” said Lisa. Her voice rustled like the leaves beneath their feet.
“Fear not, young Palawan
Lisa stopped a few steps short of the labyrinth. “Ten minutes. That’s all you get, Sade. Ten minutes, and then we’re back out and heading home.
“But we only just got here!”
“Sadie, this is insane. I want to be back at home.
Sadie lamented. “All right,
. But if the winged bringer of doom takes another life—”
“
Moore is still alive and kicking.”
Lisa eyed the first row sepulchers and chewed her lip. “Ten minutes, Sade.”
Sadie thrust the stake forward.
*
“Okay, Sade. You’ve had 13 minutes—”
“An evil number, if I ever heard one. Let’s stay another minute.”
They were deep in the crypts, had walked nonstop — ears pricked, eyes peeled. They’d not found anything out of place, much to Lisa’s prediction and to Sadie’s chagrin.
“Sadie.” Lisa’s voice hardened. It startled Sadie. It was the type of tone her mother would use on her. They weren’t little kids any more, and her heart ached to see her childhood now in the rearview mirror.
“All right, all right, let’s go.
” She handed Lisa the stake. “
Next time, you get to pick what we do.”
Lisa smiled. “Thanks, Sade.”
“No, but no eighties horror movies that—” Lisa’s eyes darted to the point over Sadie’s shoulder. She frowned.
Sadie snatched the stake from Lisa’s hands and twisted around.
But there was no denizen of the night there.
A foul breath gasped through the crack.
“Aha! The beast has not hidden his abode well,” Sadie said, voice a whisper. She gripped the stake tighter, knuckles white, teeth visible in her ..............
CHAPTER 2
COMING SOON
© Harsh
Her ten-speed leaned next to the bins — where she’d left it. With a glance up at the droopy eyes of the house, she hopped on her bike and cycled off into the night. After half a minute, she clicked her torch on and plopped it into the basket. The beam sliced through the evening’s ink.
The streets were empty at this time of night, save for the high school kids. They drove around, windows obscured with pot smoke, beers in one hand, steering wheels in the other. Sadie didn’t bother to hide from these, but she did take caution to avoid collisions. If only her father — who grumbled about their poor driving skills — could see them now.
It didn’t take her long to reach Lisa’s house. Google Maps told her it was an 11-minute journey, but she always raced to beat the time. She usually made it in seven minutes or less. Not that she had her phone with her now. Her parents had installed a tracking app a few months back. Sadie left the blasted thing plugged in on her nightstand. Should they check in the morning, it’d seem she’d slept the night through? It never occurred to them that their modern child would leave the house without it. As far as they were aware, they’d succeeded in their attempts to curb their daughter’s night time excursions.
She flashed her light at Lisa’s window. On, off. On, off. On, off.
Then, the curtains stirred and the window clunked open. Sadie caught wind of a sigh. The voice that whispered down to her was thick with drowsiness. “I thought you were joking about tonight, Sadie.”
“I never joke about a hunt! Besides, your mom’s working the night shift tonight, is she not?”
Lisa groaned. “Can’t we just sleep? I’m tired!”
Sadie shone the light across Lisa’s form. “Evil never sleeps, Lisa!” Sadie grinned. Lisa had not yet gotten into her pink pajamas. “
Moore has been found dead in his home!”
Oh, God. Fine Just get that light outtalk my face, will yak? I’ll be down in a moment.”
Sadie clicked the torch off and waited. After a spell, the front door of the Brown’s house opened and closed. Lisa wrapped her cardigan around her and shivered. “Mr. Moore is dead?”
“Sade?”
“Well, not dead…”
Lisa threw her head back and growled. “You always do this.”
“But he did say that a bat tried to enter his home last night! A specter of the macabre, I’ve no doubt. We should ensure the foul beast does not find any more prey.”
Lisa watched her breath float away. “Why’d we have to go out again this week, Sade? We went out on Sunday.”
Sadie sniffed the air. “Darkness lurks these streets, Lies. I can smell it.”
“All I can smell is your bull—”
Sadie silenced her with an upraised hand.
My senses are tingling. We must head off the leech before he leaves his enclosure!”
Lisa’s shoulders slumped. “Fine, but no more than an hour, yeah? It’s a school night.”
Sadie nodded, hand over her heart.
You got the stake?”
Lisa rolled her eyes.
She patted her rucksack. “Don’t know why I’ve got to be the one to store all this crap. If I get caught with it, people will think I’m a loony.”
“‘Cos your mom doesn’t search your room, lies. Now, hop on.”
Lisa did as Sadie told her, but grumbled as she did so. “Maybe there’s a reason your parents search your room, Sade. You’re mental.”
“If being labeled mental is the price I have to pay to ensure the safety of the citizens of Bridge moss,” Sadie said as she began to pedal with a grunt, “then so be it!”
Lisa took a deep breath. “You got to grow up at some point, Sade. We’ll be in high school next year. We don’t want to be labeled as the weird girls. Those chicks never get dates.”
“And still you doubt my gifts! You should have learned by now that this world is darker and more mysterious than the grownups would have you believe.”
“So you keep saying.”
“Do you not remember The Wolf of St Wines?”
“…that was a stray dog.”
“Ah, but did we not help the pound in catching a most evasive beast?”
I’ll agree we did some good there. We helped a homeless dog find shelter. I think Katy’s family adopted him.”
“You mean the broken
Andrews had in her porch? That sounded like wailing?”
“And did we not put an end to such ghastly choruses?”
“We stole them, fixed them, then hung ‘
.”
Sadie sighed. “Ah, another citizen protected!”
Lisa chuckled.
So, where is it we’re heading tonight? I don’t
My
I wreck another pair of trainers.”
“Tonight, my fellow protector, we must head the destroyer off before he even leaves his lair!”
I hate the cemetery.”
*
A thick mist clung to the ground. It seemed to seep from the very pores of the earth itself and offered the place a pale illumination. The tombstones pointed this way and that, drunkards who leaned against doorframes.
The only sounds were their own ragged breaths and their footsteps as they squelched in the mud.
“I don’t like this, Sade. It’s creepy.”
“But have we not sworn an oath to brave the creeps of this world?”
“An oath is an oath, my fellow guardian. Aren’t all oaths made up, at some point or another? At what point do they start to mean something?”
Lisa hesitated.
But I still don’t like this.”
Sadie turned to face her, a toothy grin on her face. “So you admit that there is something out here tonight? You feel it too!” She clenched a fist. “I knew under my tutelage you’d soon hone your senses.”
Lisa pulled her cardigan ever higher around her chest — any further, and she’d risk ripping the damn thing. “I-I don’t know. But I know that if we get stabbed and mugged, my how’ll be more pissed than upset.
“We need not worry about being impaled by the drinker of
It is he who should worry about us doing so to him!”
Lisa frowned. “Sometimes, Sade, you get so wrapped up in your theatrics that you make no goddamn sense.”
Sadie shrugged. “We
’ stab the vampire.”
But, still, can we go home? This is creepy. And I legit don’t
.”
Sadie pointed forward with the stake. “Hush, now!” The moss-covered stones — features softened by the weather — gave way to the maze of the vaults. “We draw near to the crypts, my sweet, poor, innocent, Lisa.”
Pointed
Steps led up or down to the entrances — all smothered in decayed leaves, wet with moisture. Thin, barely-passable alleys wove between the stone tombs. The way ahead was impossible to see.
“Oh, I hate this place,” said Lisa. Her voice rustled like the leaves beneath their feet.
“Fear not, young Palawan
Lisa stopped a few steps short of the labyrinth. “Ten minutes. That’s all you get, Sade. Ten minutes, and then we’re back out and heading home.
“But we only just got here!”
“Sadie, this is insane. I want to be back at home.
Sadie lamented. “All right,
. But if the winged bringer of doom takes another life—”
“
Moore is still alive and kicking.”
Lisa eyed the first row sepulchers and chewed her lip. “Ten minutes, Sade.”
Sadie thrust the stake forward.
*
“Okay, Sade. You’ve had 13 minutes—”
“An evil number, if I ever heard one. Let’s stay another minute.”
They were deep in the crypts, had walked nonstop — ears pricked, eyes peeled. They’d not found anything out of place, much to Lisa’s prediction and to Sadie’s chagrin.
“Sadie.” Lisa’s voice hardened. It startled Sadie. It was the type of tone her mother would use on her. They weren’t little kids any more, and her heart ached to see her childhood now in the rearview mirror.
“All right, all right, let’s go.
” She handed Lisa the stake. “
Next time, you get to pick what we do.”
Lisa smiled. “Thanks, Sade.”
“No, but no eighties horror movies that—” Lisa’s eyes darted to the point over Sadie’s shoulder. She frowned.
Sadie snatched the stake from Lisa’s hands and twisted around.
But there was no denizen of the night there.
A foul breath gasped through the crack.
“Aha! The beast has not hidden his abode well,” Sadie said, voice a whisper. She gripped the stake tighter, knuckles white, teeth visible in her ..............
CHAPTER 2
COMING SOON
© Harsh
