This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or places is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by Andy Skrzynski. All rights reserved.
For information, query [email protected]
First Edition, November of 2018
Cover Design by Fiona Jayde Media
Contents
CHAPTER 1: Terror’s Crimson Sheen
CHAPTER 2: Haunting Nightmares
CHAPTER 3: Facing Your Demon
CHAPTER 4: Probing the Mind
CHAPTER 5: Heinous Mutations
CHAPTER 6: Halo Chat
CHAPTER 7: Hunting the Beast
CHAPTER 8: Outflanked
CHAPTER 9: Winged Havoc
CHAPTER 10: Ominous Premonitions
CHAPTER 11: CRINKTs
CHAPTER 12: Six-Legged Horror
CHAPTER 13: Stirrings
CHAPTER 14: Andralec
CHAPTER 15: Robo Protector
CHAPTER 16: Stinger Whip
CHAPTER 17: Angered Throng
CHAPTER 18: Grizzly Creek
CHAPTER 19: Howls Within Erik the Red
CHAPTER 20: Vanished
CHAPTER 21: This is Nuts!
CHAPTER 22: Creepy Crawlers
CHAPTER 23: Chirps of Torment
CHAPTER 24: Terror Within China
CHAPTER 25: How Could He?
CHAPTER 26: Dire Memories
CHAPTER 27: Confronting the Enemy
CHAPTER 28: Morphing of a Butterfly
CHAPTER 29: Misgivings
CHAPTER 30: Brain Food
CHAPTER 31: Spurned Hate
CHAPTER 32: Birth of Bertha
CHAPTER 33: AI Madness
CHAPTER 34: The BAT Pack
CHAPTER 35: Mayhem Looms
CHAPTER 36: A Drink of Havoc
CHAPTER 37: Dazzling Moletrans
CHAPTER 38: Predator Bait
CHAPTER 39: Reapers Blacken the Sky
CHAPTER 40: Copper Wave
CHAPTER 41: Denamods Feast
CHAPTER 42: Quaker Blaster
CHAPTER 43: Annihilation
CHAPTER 44: Water’s Gift
CHAPTER 45: Messing with a Hornet’s Nest
CHAPTER 46: Prehistoric Intrusion
CHAPTER 47: Touch of Fire Juice
CHAPTER 48: Lake of Dreams
CHAPTER 49: Hope
There is More!
Acknowledgments
Preview First Book of the Series, The New World: A Step Backward
Preview Second Book of the Series, The New World: Blue Moon Generation
Reach Out to the Author
Dedication
In addition to my caring family, who has meant so much to me throughout the past 30 years, I dedicate this sequel to our newest member, Sydney (Hoot). Bonnie and I have been blessed with our first grandchild and are thrilled for Colleen and Justin as they begin their journey with their beautiful daughter.
I also dedicate this book to two wonderful people, Dan Kiser and Ben Hargrave, who’ve joined all of my great friends in heaven. I’m happy knowing that your souls are in a better place — close to God.
CHAPTER ONE
Terror’s Crimson Sheen
October 17, 2105
Twelve Years After the Second Battle with the Skalags
Stone-cold, every bone in Bartuk’s body trembled. His sullen gaze slowly panned the crimson soil of his pasture, splattered with blood and raw flesh.
The putrid stench of death invaded his nostrils and roiled his gut. He gagged once, then again, before puke exploded from his nose and mouth.
While he wiped his chin, visions of the slaughter of his neighbor’s stock more than a decade ago haunted him. He squeezed his eyes shut. Was it possible? Could that thing be the same beast that killed the cattle back then?
He hoped it was all a nightmare as he gingerly opened his lids and drew a deep breath. Mutilated animals with slashed hides and gaping holes blanketed the barnyard around him. The carcasses of his prized Jerseys eerily resembled the disgusting remains from the massacre that dreadful day, long ago.
The horrific scene knifed his heart. Covering his crusty face, he dropped to his knees in the cold mud. My cows! Why?
Still shivering, he ground his teeth and scowled. What on Earth was that thing?
Earlier That Morning
Dawn’s lingering shadows stretched across a cluster of wildflowers as Bartuk trudged toward his barn a couple of miles northeast of the village of Ukkiville. Along the way, several monarch butterflies fluttered with the cool breeze.
Winter’s near. Won’t be long before they migrat….
A blur caught the corner of his eye, and a chill shot through his body. He squinted toward the right of the path ahead. Nothing there.
He buttoned his tawny cowhide vest and groaned. His rickety knees still ached from stacking hay the previous day.
Bartuk glanced to the left, then to the right. Something had tweaked his soul from the time he rolled out of bed.
He blinked and mumbled. “Just these old eyes playing tricks again.”
After entering the weathered barn, he leaned his quiver and finely-crafted bow against a post. He grabbed an ax and plopped on a stump next to a grinding stone.
Bartuk relished chopping firewood for the colder weeks ahead — a welcome reprieve from his usual ranch chores.
While his weary legs pumped, and the sharpening stone whirred, a spattering of moos broke his concentration.
Lifting his blade, he turned and surveyed the barnyard. His herd of Jerseys stirred near the trees.
Mmm. He scratched his beard and scanned the fence line. They seem spooked.
He rolled his eyes. Ah, stop making something of nothing!
After returning to the task at hand, sparks flew in all directions as he honed the shiny edge. The clamor of moos heightened. Growing more concerned, he ignored his painful knees and jumped to his feet.
He set the ax aside and snatched his weapon. The hairs on the back of his neck stiffened while he rushed toward the cattle.
Squinting, he searched the area. The livestock bunched together as if agitated along the fence by the forest. A throaty bawl resonated across the pasture.
“Something’s definitely wrong.” He raced faster.
Blood sprayed high, and the cattle near a cluster of pines scattered as he approached. After they dispersed, two of his prized Jerseys remained sprawled across the crimson soil next to a bellowing cow.
A grisly beast of at least 500 pounds straddled one of the carcasses lying flat on its belly. The six-legged attacker uncurled its four-foot trunk and pressed it against the base of the Jersey’s skull.
With adrenaline rushing through his veins, Bartuk ducked behind a wagon. His chest pounded while he retrieved an arrow and drew back on the string. What is that thing? What’s it doing?
Just as he located his mark, the creature released its hold and charged another fleeing cow. He tracked the beast’s movement and let go of the shaft.
The projectile ricocheted off a boulder behind the galloping monster. Never had he witnessed an animal move so fast.
When the strange beast neared its prey, it whipped its long, thick tail striking the Jersey’s hindquarter. The cow bawled louder, and within seconds, its back legs weakened. Helpless, the animal drug its limp torso in a relentless attempt to escape.
The fierce attacker slowly circled toward the front of the struggling victim, rose to its hind legs, and walked closer. Fearing for his life, Bartuk froze, not knowing what to make of the beast. It was mo
re terrifying than any muclone he’d seen before.
In a flash, the creature forepaws slashed through the Jersey’s chest. Blood squirted everywhere.
Shivers shot across Bartuk’s body as his stomach churned. What could do such a thing?
The tenacious monster reached into the carcass, ripped the heart from its cavity, and chomped into the gory muscle. Disgusted and unable to bear the horror, Bartuk closed his eyes for a moment and whispered. “Be quiet. If it spots me, I’ll be next!”
A large knot swelled in his throat. Still trembling, he peeked through the spokes of the wheel and gasped. The creature’s innards were visible through its translucent hide.
Bartuk rubbed his eyes and gulped. How’s that possible?
He inched forward but paused. Can I kill this thing by myself?
Rage swelled within him as the slaughter continued and more blood spewed to the ground. Casting all doubts aside, he sprang from behind the buckboard, positioned the arrow, and drew the string taut. He shouted as loud as he could. “Get away from my cattle!”
Holding his breath, he steadied his aim as the creature spun and charged. The beast’s jaws snapped incessantly as it approached.
Sweat dripped down his cheek as he let go. Whistling along its path, the projectile pierced the monster’s chest.
The beast screeched and veered to the right. It leapt over the fence and raced into Wolverine Forest.
Sucking staggered breaths, Bartuk stared at the devastation.
CHAPTER TWO
Haunting Nightmares
Near a Glade in Wolverine Forest
Now that Mother Nature had tucked the heat of summer in her back pocket, Hoot enjoyed her favorite time of year. She drew a deep breath of the crisp autumn air during a break from her sparring session.
She slowly rose with her arms outstretched as she balanced herself on a thick oak limb and gingerly looked around from her precarious perch. Her heart warmed to the beauty emanating from the brilliant-colored maples and other hardwoods dotting the landscape.
A wispy breeze whipped her long black hair and scattered goose bumps down her back. She shivered. Gotta keep moving.
She glanced at her four friends sitting on the grass below. They busily unlaced their protective guards and removed them from around their forearms and legs.
Hoot smiled. It’s time to mess with their minds.
Springing from the branch, she somersaulted and landed squarely on her feet next to her companions. “Come on, you guys, let’s start the head games. You all seem pretty worn out. I’ll take it easier on you next time.”
Caru chuckled and hopped to her feet. “Yeah, sure, you whooped us good.” A wry smile creased her mentor’s lips.
Shaking his head, Proto’s curly, blond hair swept across his freckled shoulders as he gawked at Hoot in disbelief. “That’s not how I saw it. You were defending yourself from your backside most of the time.”
Proto’s wife rose and put her arm around his waist. “Sorry, Hoot. I have to agree with the others, but you’re getting a lot better with a sword. You bested Teli a couple of times.” Teerha’s tentative tone revealed her lingering concern about her friend’s sometimes dangerous gift.
Caru’s twin brother appeared annoyed to be the scapegoat to appease Hoot’s temperament. The redness spreading along Teli’s neck radiated from behind his wavy, mahogany-brown hair. “Leave me out of this!”
Hoot shot a glare at her lifelong buddies from the corner of her patented evil eye. “Just because you’re older than me means nothing. Won’t be long before you’re cowering whenever I approach.”
Caru winked. “Probably. You’re a quick learner and getting better with each scrimmage. Best of all, you haven’t been cheating lately by using your powers against us. I’ll admit, you might even be better than me when I was your age, but don’t let that go to your head.”
Pausing, Caru tied her thick bronze-red hair in a knot. “I can’t believe you’re 19 already.” She pursed her lips. “You’ve still got much to learn.”
Hoot shrugged. “I know, and I am glad you’ve been patient with me. By the way, thanks for the archery lessons.”
She looked at the others, then back at her instructor and whispered. “Hey, let’s show them that trick from yesterday.”
“Which one?”
“You know. The one where you fire a reaper at my head.”
“Are you sure?”
“Never a doubt.” While Hoot ran to the nearest pine, she hollered. “Hey, you guys. Watch this!”
After reaching the tree, she spun around and stared at Caru. “You ready?”
Her friend chuckled. “The question is: are you?”
“Yep. Fire away.”
“Okaaay.” Caru grabbed her bow and quiver from the crotch of a walnut tree. “Here goes.”
She nocked the arrow and drew back on the string until it grazed her cheek. Knowing there was absolutely no room for error, Hoot concentrated on her companion.
When her mentor lifted the bow and aimed at her, Teli yelled. “What are you doin…?” Before he finished, Caru let the reaper fly.
Hoot focused on the reaper as it whizzed through the air. At the last moment, she tilted her head and snatched the shaft mid-flight.
Everybody but Caru gasped. Teerha’s hazel-green eyes grew huge. “How’d you do that?”
Hoot smiled. “Easy.”
Holding the arrow out, she slowly moved the honed end toward her. “As I followed the reaper’s path, I used my telekinetic power to slow its approach when it got closer to my noggin. My biggest problem is that I can’t seem to keep from ducking — just in case.”
Teli blurted. “You might think it’s easy, but I won’t be trying it anytime soon.”
The others laughed as Hoot joined them. She pointed at the pets in the distance. “Look at those two.”
Twin polar bears tumbled in the leaves. Ice yelped as Chili’s massive jaws clutched the weaker bear’s throat.
Spinning, Caru scowled. “Chili! Release her! Stop playing so rough!”
Hoot tugged her best friend’s sleeve. “They’re still upset that Ghost died. That dog was like their sibling.”
Caru pulled leggings of wolf fur over her deerskin shorts. “Yeah, that’s probably it.” Swinging a calfskin cape over her shoulder, she tied it around her neck. “I’m a little chilled after our workout.”
“Know what you mean.” Hoot glanced at the treetops. While the canopies still sported autumn’s spectacular brush-strokes, many of the leaves had already fallen. “Winter’s around the corner.”
She waved her arm. “Come on! Let’s get going. It’s time to probe each other’s minds.”
Caru grinned. “Alright, but before we do that, what’s been bothering you? You seemed upset when you snapped that branch over your knee earlier.”
“Ooh, nothing really. Been having nightmares — horrible ones.”
Caru put her arm around her. “What do you mean?”
“Every night for the past week, I wake up to the same monster chasing me. It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced; even worse than the dire wolf that killed my kitten during the battle when I was little.”
Hoot sighed. “I’m soaking wet every morning.”
She shook her head. “What bothers me most is that my dreams always come true — usually sooner than later. I just want it to end.”
Proto’s sky-blue eyes grew large. “What’s the monster look like?”
Caru glared. “Leave her alone.”
Strapping her sword around her waist, Hoot smiled. “He’s okay. Sometimes I feel better talking about it. Then, I’m not the only one with this stupid thing in my head.”
She sat on a log. “At first, I thought it was another muclone, but Angrokt’s dead. If those Skalags somehow cloned this mutant, they used combinations of animals and insects I’ve never seen or heard of before.”
Teerha flicked her hand. “Go on; spit out the seeds.”
“The hideou
s thing was huge, and it could stand upright or run on all six legs — faster than anything I’ve ever seen. It was much bigger than a lion and uglier than sin — worse than any demon I could imagine.” Her friends inched closer.
“What’s really weird is that I could see different-colored fluids flowing through its body as if its hide was invisible. Most of the time, it’s attacking other things in my dreams, but every so often, it turns, stares at me, and then charges.”
She sucked a quick breath. “Believe me, my heart’s pounding like crazy when I finally snap out of it. The dreams keep getting worse. I hate it!”
Lowering her head, she bit her lip. Suddenly, she lifted her brow. “I’ve got an idea! Forget the head games. Let’s find that monster! Maybe if we kill the stupid thing, it won’t haunt me anymore.”
Teli squirmed. “You sure? Sounds like that thing has a better chance of killing us.”
Hoot spread her arms. “If we fight together, it doesn’t stand a chance. Besides, nothing will get past Chili and Ice! What do you say?”
Proto and Caru immediately blurted in unison. “I’m in!”
Teerha and Teli looked at each other and shrugged. Teli reluctantly mumbled. “Alright, we’ll go.”
“Great! Let’s kill this thing!” Jumping to her feet, Hoot tightened the brown vambrace covering her right forearm.
Between the crisscrossed laces, three reddened scars marked the one and only time she’d forgotten the thick, leather guard. She shuddered.
The sound of talons grating across her bone that fateful day still sent shivers down her spine. After that painful experience, she wore her father’s gift whenever she ventured with her pet.
She looked skyward and yelled. “Slasher!”
Recognizing his screech in the distance, she smiled and extended her arm. Seconds later, a swoosh preceded the flapping of powerful wings as a bald eagle landed on her welcoming perch.
Hoot reached into a cowhide pouch on her belt and retrieved a scrap of venison left over from her dad’s hunt the previous day. As she extended her palm, Slasher snatched the morsel, and with one gulp, swallowed it whole.
The New World: Crimson Winter Page 1