A moment later, Levi was beside her, he laid his arm around her shoulder. Kit leaned her head against him, wanting to just stay there forever. Anything to make her not face the beast, anything to slow the minutes away she is from dying.
Levi had been the only one who has ever seen her cry and that was the other night after everything crumpled before her. That was the day Kit woke up to reality and realized that she would never get what she had always wanted…to be normal. She had thought about it all the time. On the days that she was cooped up on the window seal, staring at the drops of thick rain that fell from the sky.
Right now, though, when she was with Levi, everything felt normal and that’s what she always wanted to happen. “Thank you,’ Whispered Kit into his ear.
“Anytime.” His voice brushed her across the cheek, she felt a flutter in her stomach, not the type she got when she was about to do something dangerous, but something else…what was it though?
As they reached two different paths, one going on the right and one go down the left.
“What way?” Someone asked from behind them, Kit spun around; Levi placed his arm back down on his side. Kit saw Stacy snicker at her. She was jealous, no doubt about it.
“How about…right?” She asked, her hand coming to the sword by her waist.
Everyone agreed, except for Stacy, who stayed with Shelly and the other girl at the back of the group. The three whispered to each other as they walked down the right side of the cave.
“We’re almost there, I can feel it.” Levi raised his head at the cave. Kit continued with looking at the ground as though there would be watchful shadows beneath her very feet.
“Yeah me as well.” She said, searching her eyes around. After a while of walking, she began to hear a noise…no, a scream!
She spun on Levi, but he was already aware as well. His hand came to the sword at his waist and Kit’s hands clamped around her bow and arrows. Everyone else began copying them, and then they all sneaked through the cave again.
As Kit began to realize that there was light up ahead, she was able to see some lines, all filled with cages. There were girls in them, screaming and bloody, their faces were white with shock and some were staring at the ground as if in a trance.
Levi and Kit took and scarce step back, pinning themselves against the wall, feeling the cool rock on her bare skin. She peaked at Levi and shook her head, mouthing, ‘What do we do?’ Levi breathed in silently.
He signalled to start to go. “I’ll make sure that we are out of danger.” He had already started to sneak through the open passage leading towards where the cages were. He scanned below as he pulled his black hood forwards, taking one stern look at Kit, he smiled and leaped into the room with the cages.
Kit gaped, following almost like she was programmed to do so. She stayed against the wall and peeped only her head into the room of cages, searching the captives for Debra; however, she couldn’t find her.
At the top of the roof of the cave had a whole and it filtered the moons shine through it; something seemed very strange about the way the room was set up. The cages were perfectly line, two on one side of the cave and two on the other.
In every cage that Kit could see were the girls that were attacked and taken…except Debra. Kit didn’t quite understand why that was, she put a heap of thinking into it, when she came up with the only explanation.
Debra was the sacrifice! It made perfect sense tonight was the final eclipse. She could tell by the way that the moon was a weird colour, it had this golden circle only behind it and it was unbearably bright. Kit could tell it wasn’t in full power and probably wouldn’t be for quite some time, maybe at least four- thirty minutes, which is enough time for her to get all the girls out of here.
Kit worried about Debra; she worried about the girls, about Levi and the others. Either everything succeeds tonight or falls apart; she could live or die, go up or fall. Whatever happens, she will not back down.
She sneaked out against the wall towards where Levi was, hidden in a corner, watching the girls.
“I’ve been watching them for a while; they are all doing the same thing. Sitting there on the ground, screaming or they are completely impassive. It wouldn’t be right for them to be showing no emotion, they have to be under some sort of trance or spell,” Levi whispered.
“Yeah, that’s true. I have two observations,” She said and launched into what she was thinking about before about the moon and the girls. She told him about Debra’s absence and the eclipse.
“That’s very true. So, you’re saying that the beast will be at its fullest power tonight? And that whilst it’s in transformation, it will be in so much pain that it will be too weak, but after it fully transforms it will be far too powerful for us to kill?” Levi asked, and Kit was nodding the whole time.
“Precisely, we must find Debra as well and get these girls out, except they might be tricked into worshipping the beast now.” Kit shook her head, “I can’t believe any of this.”
Levi put his arm around her, “Same here, we better start making a move really quick or else it will be too late.”
“I bet the beast is out looking for some more girls, so let’s get them out first.” Kit said, sliding up the wall, she turned around and motioned to the others to quietly follow. As they did, Levi walked down the stone stairs towards the cages.
“Stand back from them, they could have bit.” He said, taking his sword out of his sheath. They both walked towards the first cage and as they were about two metres’ away, Kit realized that her eyes were black.
She couldn’t remember the girl’s name, only that she was thirteen and the first to be taken. She had bite marks on her neck; it stretched its way almost to her chin and dripped blood the colour of scarlet.
She hissed at Kit and Levi and scampered back as far as she could in her small cage.
Kit could barely breathe, for this girl was taken over by the darkness. When darkness takes over, death is the only cure, everyone knew it.
“Levi, what do we do?” She asked him, clinging onto his wrist.
Levi stood frozen in his spot, his voice muffled by a few screams, “The only thing we can do…kill.” He came up to the cage, the girl practically barked at him.
“Levi!” Kit shouted sharply.
He turned around, “What? We must kill her, I’m sorry Kit. You know the rules.” Levi turned away, so Kit ran up and pushed his sword down.
“I know the rules, but we need to see if there is a chance we can maybe save this girl.” Kit spoke to him as if he were a child. He may be starting to slightly loose it with all the things going on, but never in Kit’s mind would she picture this girl dying at Levi’s hand.
After a few hesitant pauses, Levi rephrased himself from his stance and turned back. “I’m sorry, I know, and I wasn’t going to hurt her, I just…the rules.” He sighed and put his sword back in its sheath.
“I know Levi.” She bit her lip and started to walk past the other cages, all of them were full of girls, it only went up to fifteen because the only sixteen-year-old who was taken was Debra and she wasn’t here.
“Great…now what?” Kit blew a heavy sigh, brushing her brown hair from her face.
“I’ve got no idea, let’s keep walking around and try to see if we can get these cages open…actually!” Levi had begun to realize what he had just said. Why would he want to open the cages to girls who have black eyes!!
Kit laughed, “I was about to say, now come on, let’s kick this stupid beast’s ass why don’t we.” She said and lead the group further into the cave.
There were channels of rooms, mainly empty and dark, but some had a circle of lightened candles, flickering in the room.
“Whatever is doing this must be trying to do a spell, let’s investigate further.” She walked into some of the other rooms, preparing for what might be her very last battle. She knew there was so much more to life, yet she could never live it. This was her life, this was what she was born to
do, she now knew this.
Her fate rested solemnly in her own hands, not the academy's she had chosen to come to this place, not to have the academy decide.
"Good idea, we should be able to find out a lot more, because I'm really confused." Said Sally from the back. Kit spun around and nodded.
"Yes, there could be a lot more undiscovered thing out there. I know we may not want to know what they are." Kit said, as she walked on, Levi, as always, right beside her.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
They had looked everywhere, as many places as their eyes could find. Kit had searched through everything that looked unnatural to her.
“Levi.” She finally said, nudging his arm slightly. He looked over at her and nodded his head, questioningly. “I think we’ve been set up…what do you think?”
Levi poised himself on his toes and looked around the cave, as he came and rested his feet firmly on the ground, he shrugged. “I think so too, we have to make a move, quick!” He turned around, as if something was watching him.
Kit sighed and pushed her pale fingers through her dark hair, “This suck!” She kicked the side of the cave wall, feeling a slight slab of pain curse through her left foot, but she flipped it off and leaned against the wall.
“Are you kidding me!?” Stacy said viciously, marching up to them. “We have been walking around this hellhole for almost a full hour!” Stacy growled and cursed, putting her hands into fists.
Kit’s long finger nails dug into her palm until she was sure there was blood. “Well I’m sorry Stacy, but I think we’ve been tricked. This place was too…coincidental.” Kit shuddered and wrapped her hands around herself.
“Oh, don’t give me that!” Stacy shook her head in rage, “You’ve been leading us through here and no one else got a say in anything.” Stacy gestured to the other people in the back row; they all stood there, staring at the ground.
“It’s not Kit’s fault Stacy!” Shelly finally said, coming to stand beside Kit, “What would have happened if we had gone somewhere else and not investigated?”
Stacy shrugged again, “then we would have more time to find the beast and therefore could have killed it!’ Stacy prompted, glaring at Kit with those evil eyes if hers.
“I’m in no position to have a fight with you Stacy, after all, I’m just trying to get my best friend back, “Kit said and walked past her without meeting her eyes. She heard Levi’s laugh erupt from beside her.
“You’re awesome Stone!” He smiled.
“Say no more, my mission is about to end.” She came into a clearing room, where the darkness only spread in the corners, near where the spiders crawled and watched them. She avoided the need to spin around every three seconds to see what that watching feeling that she kept getting was.
“So…what now- “She was about to say, but it was cut off with a massive roar that shook the cave. Levi was knocked back a tiny bit, along with the Kit. The others filtered in through the doors and the same thing happened to them.
"What the f- “And it happened again a second time, a piercing sound that echoed so loudly that Kit had to block her ears. It was unbearable, she could practically hear the girls in the cages screaming, some even laughing hysterically.
“Run!” Kit whispered loudly to everyone. The people at the door turned around and ran, trying to go the way they had come, but they were trapped as the place soon became a labyrinth. Kit looked around in every single way possible. But they were all rooms with nothing in it, but a circle of candles.
“What now?” Stacy snapped.
Kit stared at the ground, keep looking for a way out. Does anyone know the time?” Kit asked, looking around to everyone.
“Are you serious, you want to know the time?” Stacy shook her head, not seeming to get what Kit was hinting.
“Yes, so we know when the moon is at its fullest!” Kit finally seemed to have lost it. She threw a piercing glare at Stacy.
Stacy shied backwards into the wall, probably wishing she could melt into it or something.
“I do.” Shelly muttered, checking her watch, “It’s 5:45!” She looked at Kit, her expression shocked. Kit swore beneath her breath and turned around, about to walk out the door. A guy stopped her though.
“Tell us what’s going to happen!” He said his voice shaky like he knew it was something bad.
“If you don’t get out of my way, this entire cave will fall. It’s part of the prophecy. Don’t you all see, we have learnt this for our whole life? We’re meant to kill things, we’re meant to die! The best is part of that, if we can kill it along with ourselves we will have completed out duty.” Everyone was starting at her with shocked expressions, except Levi, who was the only one who was aware of this.
“It’s true. We were made for this, we are the guardians of humanity, and we are made to protect, not to have a normal life like we’ve always dreamed of doing. We guard the humans who do things right and kill the ones who don’t! We were made to make this planet balanced.” Levi looked at them all as he spoke. “If you don’t come with us and hold up our chance, your whole life that you’ve had spent, training and killing will be for nothing.”
Kit and Levi walked out the door, her face was pale, and she knew it was as fell. So, she swallowed and didn’t think of anything except the beast, she didn’t turn around to see whether the other were following, she just walked away.
They all took off into a run as the roaring got louder; she sprinted as fast as she could, the sound of their footsteps barely audible. Finally, after what had seemed like forever, Kit found her in a place that was familiar. They were close to where the girls in the cages were, they were close to where the beast may be.
Beside Kit was another room, filled with candles all spread out to make a circle? A star was drawn and carved into the ground, just like the…witch simple!
“Oh no!” Kit shrieked, but it was too late, suddenly ashes came to life, twirling around and ar5ound over the candles, they created a figure. Kit could hear the sounds coming from every room, the witches were being brought back, the beast was contacting them from the dead to fight by it’ side.
There was pink and purple light that came from the illuminate room as a body started to form, Kit shrunk back, along with the others. First a face emerged from the figure, and then tattered of clothes. Her face was dry like chalk, with pale lips and black eyes; she had to snap her back into place from her century long rest.
Her neck cracked, and she stared at them, an evil smile playing on her lips, “Tired as the songs I am. Weak as your moon I’m not, I am as bright as the sun on the inside, but I am strong unlike your hearts. For they will soon be in the arms of Master Claudius!” The witch shrieked. Master Claudius? Kit thought…that must either be the beast to the beast’s puppet? She wasn’t sure which. From down the hallway, all the rooms they had passed now had witches streaming out of them, creeping out towards all of them.
Every step they took, Kit and the others stepped back. They cackled and twitched. Chanting words over and over. Kit understood none, they were all in some sort of foreign language.
“Hundreds of centuries we have been asleep, but our master has woken us from our eternal slumber. And now with anguish do we once kill, our masters sworn enemies, the thing they call us to do once more, to slay and kill them again. But your race still stands, even after millions of years on this earth!” They all said to them.
“Run!” Levi screeched and they all hammered down the hall, their swords were drawn, Kit turned around and aimed the arrow over one’s heart, she shot it and it hit a witch and sent her sprawling to the ground.
They kept on cackling as more and more spread out around them. They all slashed their viper swords at them, some shrieked and fell to the ground; others hissed and laughed, like it was some sick game.
Kit made it into the main place where the girls in all the cages were. The girls had gone completely mad, they were trashing against the cage bars, the look in their eyes shining like fire. It made K
it go all frightened inside.
Levi drew his sword back out from a witch’s heart and watched as she crumpled to the ground and turned to ash. Kit took her sword from its sheath and cut off a witch’s head, she didn’t man to, but it had its talented fingers around her throat.
The other people were going crazy, slashing the air around them until they hit a witch.
“Stop!” A voice boomed from somewhere. Kit focused her eyes around, as did all the witches. “What are you doing to my precious witches?” It growled.
Kit finally understood who the voice belonged to. It was Claudius, the name in which the witch has spoken of.
The beast was just like a man, but his eyes were black, he had on a wolfish smile and his trousers were tattered and bloody, like he was just out of transformation.
“Who-who are you?” Levi said shakily.
The man smiled, “My name is Claudius, how funny it is that I didn’t introduce myself. I am your esteemed beast. I am in other words…your worst nightmare.” The man looked up at them. Or down in other words, because he stood on a little dais that Kit could have sworn wasn't there before.
The room was silent, and then suddenly, the witches stared to cheer him on, they all looked so happy and proud of their master. It sent Kit wanting to kill him even more.
"What are you here for then and what have you done with Debra?" Kit challenged, wanting Claudius to know just how much she was into finding her friend.
"Ah yes, that girl I taught a lesson to!" He smiled again, it was starting to get on Kit's nerves.
"What have you done to her?" Kit poised her bow and aimed an arrow right over his heart.
"I would love to see you try, but only one thing kills me, and I am in no position to tell you what that certain thing is." He shook his head and clicked his fingers.
Two witches came out of a hidden room in the stone walls, carrying an unconscious Debra in their hands.
"What are you doing!?" Kit screamed at him.
"Well, let me just tell you this, your friend is as good as gone. The only treatment for her is death. If you really want to do that, be my guest." He grinned and pulled Debra's chin up with her finger.
The Night Walkers Page 13