Crown of Vengeance

by Stephen Zimmer

  Erin set one end of the branch in the ground and straightened up, feeling another wave of dizziness and nausea pass over her. She leaned some of her weight upon the staff that she now held, closing her eyes and taking another couple of long, careful breaths.

  Erin plodded over to where Lynn stood, her legs heavy and drained. As their eyes met, Erin could see a reflection of the fear that she was still wrestling with.

  “Just relax yourself Erin, as much as you can,” urged Lynn, glancing downward.

  Erin followed her friend’s gaze, and noticed the whitened knuckles of her own right hand where she tightly gripped the wood staff.

  Erin nodded slowly to Lynn, willing herself to relax her grip a little. “I’ll try … but I don’t know the first thing about what we’re gonna do.”

  “And neither do I,” Lynn replied. “We’re both scared, just about out of our minds. We have to hope that this will all explain itself soon, and that we can somehow get out of here.”

  “Not very comforting,” Erin said morosely. “And what if we can’t?”

  Lynn shook her head. “Don’t think about that, Erin.”

  Erin looked downward, unable to meet her friend’s eyes. She feared that Lynn would somehow be able to see inside her, as she slid further towards a state of sheer hopelessness.

  They were completely lost, in the midst of an area that had already demonstrated that it held creatures of an inexplicable and terrifying nature within it. Erin did not have the first idea as to their whereabouts, and their lives had been threatened less than five minutes after becoming aware of their strange predicament.

  “Come on, Erin, let’s at least get moving,” Lynn said. Branch in hand, her friend started off, following a path that ran atop the embankment, proceeding along the border of the creek.

  Glancing down at the water, Erin saw that Lynn was heading upstream.

  “Hey, wait up,” Erin said, jogging hastily to catch up to her friend. “Why go this way? We don’t know where we are, so we can’t know where we are heading.”

  Lynn looked Erin in the eye as she continued her purposeful strides. “No … we don’t know what is happening. But if the creature that put a stop to our pursuit is territorial, I want to keep moving away from it. As a matter of fact …”

  Lynn’s words trailed off as she turned aside, maneuvering back down the embankment and into the creek’s bed.

  “Let’s keep our wits a little, and not leave any scent for anything to follow,” Lynn stated.

  Erin scrambled down the embankment, stepping into the water and feeling the cold chill as it soaked into her shoes. That was the least of her worries as she strolled alongside Lynn, continuing their arduous trek upstream.

  After just a few moments, Lynn seemed engrossed in studying the rocks of the creek bed. Seeing a few that rose out of the water, she moved over towards one in particular, laying the end of her branch-staff upon the rock’s edge.

  She looked to Erin. “We can obscure our scents, and we can improve our weapons.”

  Lynn began to scrape the end of her crude staff against the rock edge, and Erin quickly realized what her friend was doing. Seeing another similar rock, she got started on the improvements to her own.

  MERSHAD

  Mershad and Erika continued walking at a comfortable pace, having already traveled for what certainly had to be several miles by then. Mershad had never walked so far in one single jaunt.

  The scenery around them remained fairly constant. There was only a little fluctuation in elevation, as they wended their way around the bases of the encompassing hills. The plants, trees, and even animals remained largely familiar as well.

  Yet twice more, they came upon more of the odd, tree-dwelling creatures that they had encountered shortly after their arrival within the strange locale. As before, there were no indications of threat from the unusual creatures, but the sightings reminded Mershad to not lapse in his focus.

  “I believe that this forest could go on forever,” Mershad remarked ruefully.

  Though they had not pushed themselves overly hard, his legs were feeling entirely leaden. He was beginning to brace himself a little more with each step upon the stout branch that Erika had procured for him.

  “I wish I was in your condition,” he said through a tired grin.

  “Need a break?” Erika asked him, looking at Mershad with care and concern. Her condition appeared to be holding strong. Her breath still came easy, and she was yet limber of step. She had since found herself another branch that she had deemed more suitable for her height, and was carrying it loosely at her side.

  It came as no surprise to Mershad. He was well aware that she was accustomed to a regimen of regular exercise and activity. Mershad was not foolish enough to entertain any notions of sharing her endurance, honed and developed as it was through considerable exertion over a long period of time.

  Mershad felt no loss of pride in being completely honest with her. He had no desire to quietly allow himself to sink into a completely exhausted state, especially not when they still lacked any clues as to their whereabouts. Neither could they afford to be lax regarding possible wilderness threats.

  “Not just yet, but I promise that I will tell you, Erika, before I get into too much trouble. Who knows? Maybe we’re just a little short of finding something that will let us know where we are,” he replied.

  “You’d better tell me,” she replied firmly, still eyeing him carefully, before adding in a softer tone, “and I do hope that we find something soon, anything at all.”

  The two trekked onward for a couple more miles, sweat beading upon both of their foreheads. The late-afternoon weather was warm and mildly humid, broken up by the occasional breezes wafting through the trees. By the light of the sky above, Mershad judged that it was now just a few hours before evening arrived.

  Mershad did not have any other options for estimating the time. Both his and Erika’s watches were now useless, little more than decorative accessories, after the transfer through the fog. Both watches had come to a stop, and with the unexpected shift from night to day, he knew that trying to estimate a time would be largely futile.

  Mershad was also feeling the initial pangs of thirst and hunger, a foreboding development that Mershad began to fear as it raised several new dangers to light. He had spoken about his concerns a little already to Erika, and found that her own worries were not much different.

  Neither of them wanted to blindly sample just any sort of berry or nut, not even ones that they might deem to be edible, as they were not experts in woodland growths. Furthermore, they both had little experience with hunting, and did not have any ideas on making efficient netting or rigging poles for fishing.

  Still, the inevitable had to be faced, whether they were prepared or not.

  As he was worrying about the approaching difficulties, Mershad perked his head up as his ears took in the distinct sounds of running water. A few moments later, they came upon its source, a wide, deep creek whose current flowed at a mild pace.

  “I hope that it’s good water, because we are going to need it sooner or later. We’ve got nothing to boil it in, and I don’t know how to start a fire,” Mershad commented. “I …”

  “Shhh!” Erika warned abruptly, gesturing urgently for him to be completely quiet.

  Her eyes widened as she stared ahead, her posture rigidly still. Mershad felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck at her clear aura of alarm.

  “Something is moving near,” she whispered, indicating for him to lie down quietly upon the ground.

  They both lowered themselves to the forest floor, and Mershad’s heart began to pound rapidly in anxiety.

  He listened intently, and it only took a moment for him to hear what had prompted Erika’s sudden concern. It was the distant sounds of voices, moving through the brush and growing slowly louder. They were still faint, and he could not yet make out any of the words, but the voices were perhaps the most welcome sounds that Mershad had ever hea
rd in his entire life.

  The sky above them, though, was still of the unique, blue-green hue, and one glance at it served as a stark reminder to maintain caution. They could not afford to make any quick assumptions. If anything, the sudden upheaval in their personal worlds had instilled a strong sense of prudence in Mershad.

  He glanced over at Erika. She nodded back at him, and gave him a slight smile, clearly looking pleased to hear other human voices.

  Both of them strained their eyes to gain a better look at the approaching beings, and their ears to discern their specific words. After a few moments, the figures responsible for the voices came into view among the distant trees, accompanied by the crunches and snaps of their footsteps upon the debris on the ground. They were two men, walking at a slow pace.

  One was a stocky male, with dark brown skin. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties. His short, coal black hair was shaved high on the sides of his head, and he sported a dark shadow of growth upon his face that would become a very dense beard if given time. He was dressed in dark khaki pants and a collared, short-sleeved shirt, with a single logo of some type over the left breast.

  The other male, a light-skinned man, looked to be of approximately the same age. He was a little taller than the first, modest of build with a narrow waist, and had angular facial features with a strong jawline. He had dark eyebrows, and long, even locks of jet-black hair that descended to the top of his shoulders.

  He was wearing gray jeans and a solid blue, long-sleeved shirt. His face was also covered with the stubble of a few days’ growth.

  One of the first things that Mershad noticed about them was that neither of the men looked to be very comfortable, as they were constantly looking around. They were talking in low voices, and it appeared as if they were keeping alert for an imminent danger. Their hands were empty, which surprised Mershad a little, given their obvious tension.

  Mershad glanced over at Erika, and could see that they were both puzzled by the strange sight. The two men were clearly of a contemporary nature to their own, and their obvious discomfort strongly reflected the wary state of being that Mershad and Erika were in.

  Yet despite the familiar signs, there was also the possibility that the men were yet another danger to be faced in this unpredictable and unknown place. The pair were headed right in their direction, and there was no real place to run to without being seen. A decision was being forced upon Erika and Mershad, which he knew that neither of them relished.

  He gripped his branch-staff a little tighter, steeling his nerves as he looked back to Erika again. She quietly indicated her ears, then pointed towards the oncoming men, and proceeded to touch her mouth, as she silently mouthed some words.

  Lip-reading as best as he possibly could, and using the gestures to augment the communication, he came to understand her intentions. She wanted them to remain quiet, and to try and listen to what the approaching males were saying before taking any action.

  Nodding in agreement with her, he returned his attentions back to the two oncoming men to see what he could glean.

  In the next few moments, he hoped that something could be learned from the men’s conversation regarding their identity, or the circumstances that Mershad and Erika found themselves in. Enduring a few more tense moments would hopefully secure the knowledge that they needed to make a decision; to portray hostility, or to offer friendship.

  LOGAN

  “This is completely insane,” Antonio said in a low, tense voice. “We’ll have to figure out food shortly. There’s the stream that we heard. I just hope that it’s water fit for drinking. Last thing we need is to get sick.”

  “This is all insane, Antonio. Completely insane,” Logan replied emphatically.

  He looked over towards the stream that had just come into sight. It appeared to be ordinary water, but the way that things had been going, Logan feared that nothing could be taken for granted.

  “I’m getting a little thirsty, and we do need water,” Logan said. “Do you think there’s anything to worry about? How could we even test it out anyway?”

  Antonio shook his head with a nervous grin. “Drinking it straight? Not me. You can be the first.”

  Logan chuckled. “Thanks, but you better not be so flippant about this sort of thing. If I suddenly keel over and fall dead, you’ll be in a world of hurt. Maybe we should save the taste testing as a very last resort.”

  Antonio stared towards the clear, gently flowing water. He slowed down and sighed, shaking his head.

  “Sooner or later, if we are here for a while, we are going to have to take a risk and try it,” Antonio said.

  Logan stared down at the water as well, watching a few minnows darting about in its mild depths. He found that he was in a state of sheer disbelief, that something as simple as drinking water could unsettle him to such a tremendous degree.

  His mind was getting the best of him in the wake of the dense fog and ensuing turmoil in his life. The realization annoyed him greatly, as he resolved himself to keep his reason intact.

  “Well, at least we can keep close, until we absolutely need it. We can follow the course of the stream for a while,” Logan suggested, looking back to Antonio. “And if we are going to be in these woods tonight, we need to begin coming up with some kind of plan.”

  “Where are we?” Antonio said, exasperated, in a raised voice that carried farther through the trees. “Can you tell me even that?”

  Logan shot his friend an angry glare as he hissed, “Did you forget already what we agreed on when we entered the woods? Keep your voice down, Antonio. Even talking low like we have been might be too much of a risk.”

  It was almost as if Antonio was not listening to him. He saw a look of surprise and agitation spread abruptly across Antonio’s face. He swiftly turned his head to share Antonio’s angle of view.

  His own heart skipped a beat.

  Two human figures stood in plain sight about thirty feet away, almost directly in their path.

  One was a young female of around twenty years of age. He was relieved to see that she was dressed simply in dark jeans and a yellow, long-sleeved t-shirt, the familiar attire giving him some hope. He was very thankful for the contemporary look, fathoming that she might possibly have some answers as to their whereabouts.

  The other person was a shorter, thinner man with dark, olive-shaded skin. He was also clad in everyday clothing, wearing a collared shirt and jeans. The vestiges of extreme apprehension were stretched all over his face, though his mouth was turned up in the beginnings of a nervous smile.

  Though both of them held sturdy branches in their hands, Logan felt no sense of threat coming from either. “Hi there … I didn’t think we would find anyone out here,” Logan said, breaking the momentary impasse. “Who are you?”

  The icy tension that had risen upon their appearance quickly melted away in the wake of his words. He could see their postures relaxing just a little.

  “My name is Erika, and this is my friend, Mershad,” the woman replied, gesturing towards the male at her side. Her voice was steady and confident, and the look in her eye remained imbued with scrutiny.

  There was a little awkwardness to the atmosphere. Logan got the distinct impression that, while both pairs were unsure of exactly how to proceed, they were both greatly relieved to have encountered the other. But, the guarded caution in the others strongly suggested that they were not entirely native to the local area. Their apparent discomfort was not a very encouraging aspect of their demeanors.

  “I’m Logan, and this is Antonio,” Logan responded. He ventured a little further with his words, deciding to take some light risks. “I suppose that you are not from around here, am I right?”

  “No, and I would bet that you aren’t either, correct?” Erika asked him.

  She took a few deliberate steps forward. As if following her cue, the one named Mershad started forward, keeping close by her side.

  “No, we aren’t,” Antonio answered, before blurting out, �
��and do you know anything about where we are right now?”

  A discernable flicker of discouragement crossed through Erika’s eyes at that moment, and Logan could see that she had been hoping to ask them the same thing.

  “I’m not really sure,” she responded, with a tinge of unease.

  “And neither are we,” Logan said, starting to see that the other two shared his and Antonio’s predicament in some way. He then decided to say one more word. “Fog?”

  He immediately saw the tidal wave of relief and recognition that hit their faces.

  “So, have you two been in this place for very long?” Erika queried, somewhat hesitantly.

  “Not really very long at all,” Logan stated. “And we are totally out of place. If you know what I mean.”

  “The fog?” Mershad inquired cautiously.

  Antonio nodded, as he replied, “Yes. One minute we were in fog, thicker than anything I’ve seen before, and the next minute we were here, just outside this forest. We didn’t plan it.”

  “No, we certainly didn’t. And yet here we are,” Logan added, with a bitter edge to his tone.

  “What were you all doing when the fog rolled in?” Antonio asked the newcomers.

  “Just sitting and talking on our campus, at night, at the University of Lexington,” Erika said. “The fog came in, and then night was day … and here we were.”

  “University of Lexington? Both of us are from Lexington,” Logan replied, finding the increasing familiarity a welcome feast to his starved psyche. “Maybe there is something about that, unless you have any idea as to where this place is.”

  “No idea. Whatever has happened, we should stay together,” Erika said. After a pause, she continued, “So, have you two discussed any plans for handling all of this?”

  “Really … no,” Antonio admitted. “We’ve just been walking for a little while. Haven’t even tried to drink the water. What have you found out?”

  “We’ve seen some rather unusual animals. And you already know about the strange color of the sky, but other than that, it seems enough like a normal forest,” Erika remarked.