Three Omens: The Hollow Galaxy: Book I

by Jeremy J. Hayes

  With a large gust of wind, the door slammed violently. The loud bang made Godric jump out of his skin. He crawled across the hardwood floor―rifle and lockbox in his hands―making his way to the closet door.

  He reached up, fingers shaking, twisting the door’s handle. With a flick of his wrist, the door cracked open slowly, but no one stood there.

  His eyes darted around the tight space of the closet. On the ground was a thick black handle at the floor's center with odd etchings and markings around the wood.

  A secret hatch.

  The grounded door was potentially a way out for the three young hunters.

  Godric’s excited hands flinched, trying to gain a solid grip on the handle. He grasped it tight and raised the hatch open. It squeaked open as though it hadn’t been open for years. He came face-to-face with what appeared to be a dark abyss below, a potential escape tunnel underneath the woman’s house. He assumed the old woman already fled the home.

  “Guys, I think I found a way out,” Godric said, turning to his friends, who were too preoccupied with the ongoing firefight. An abnormal flash of lightning struck through the night sky, shaking the home.

  Godric faced the opened hatch once again while the lightning continued to illuminate the whole house.

  The endless hole of darkness was no more, but instead, a three foot ditch. Cobwebs covered a rotted corpse from head to toe, crammed at the cellar's bottom. It held a familiar box close to its chest.

  The aged skeletal remains were unidentifiable to the stunned young man. The only thing he recognized staring back at him was a familiar glass eye and a sinister mouth of decayed teeth.

  He flew back in terror, falling to the floor as the closet door slammed shut once again in his face.

  Outside, energy blasts continued to stream through the open window and door. The firefight did not cease for a moment, but Godric was too fixated on the terror he witnessed.

  “Godric?” Luna called out from the other room. “Godric, can you hear me?”

  Godric turned his wide-eyed gaze to his friends, who both avoided the incoming energy shots by staying low to the floor. Byrd fired through the window without raising his head. Luna crawled toward the front door to get closer to Godric.

  “What do we do now?” Godric asked, the lockbox shaking in his grasp.

  Luna's eyes focused on the home's main hallway. “When we get the chance, we make a run for it through the back. Where’s the old woman?”

  “I-um-I,” Godric said, stuttering to find the right words. “I’m not sure.”

  Across the room, Byrd continued firing shots at the attackers. “We need to get moving,” he said, crawling behind his sister. “I’ll check if there's a backdoor. Cover me.”

  Byrd lifted himself from the ground, squatting beside his sister. In the room adjacent, Godric flailed his free hand around in panic, looking for his rifle. He dropped it when he saw the closet hatch. Nearly tripping on the weapon at his feet, he lifted the rifle from the hardwood with the lockbox in his other hand.

  The sound of energy blasts and rain continued while Luna peaked forward into the front door. She fired shots through the open doorway to cover for her brother, who lunged forward. Byrd ran full speed into the darkness of the home.

  Luna and Godric stayed at the front of the house amidst the chaos.

  “There's a way out!” Byrd’s voice yelled from the darkness. There was indeed a backdoor for the three to escape, but they still needed to deal with the Hazard gang.

  Luna's eyes trailed to the lockbox in Godric's hand. She gave him a subtle nod. He understood she wanted him to go first to secure the precious, but dangerous, cargo.

  Without thinking twice, Godric hopped to his feet and charged into the darkness. He heard energy blasts zip by his head, but none hit their target. At the end of the pitch black home, he saw the outline of the backdoor. Through the door, Byrd examined his surroundings with his rifle raised.

  It appeared Kit did indeed lie about the home being surrounded.

  Godric’s feet were bricks. He tried to lift his exhausted legs, moving through the dark. His heart skipped a beat as he felt another presence in the room with him. He could not be sure, but out of the corner of his eye, the old woman stood frozen… staring at him from the corner of the room.

  He did not slow his quickened pace to find out if the darkness was playing tricks on him. With one last burst, he zipped out the home into the pouring rain. He joined Byrd, already soaking wet again from the storm.

  “Where is she?” Byrd said, annoyed with his friend. “Why wouldn’t you cover for her?”

  “She-she told me to go first,” Godric said, worried the taller brother would knock him out cold.

  The two remained quiet, gawking in the dark home, waiting for Luna to emerge. With each passing second, Godric’s heart beat a little faster, fearing for his friend. Byrd moved forward toward back porch steps, looking prepared to reenter the home.

  Before he took another step, Luna burst out the doorway, nearly slipping on the wet porch wood. “Go,” she said, her voice low but urgent.

  The three spun around to the woods and charged into the stormy night.

  Something held Godric back.

  His eyes returned to the old wooden cabin. In the dark doorway, the old lady stood with her arms holding a black box to her chest. Her blank expression did not change, but she raised a single finger to her lips. Her elderly face seemed transparent through the thick rain. The old woman’s dead eyes did not stare at Godric, but at the lockbox in his hand.

  Her similar box, in large letters, read: SUNNY MOON.

  Frightened, Godric turned away, running faster to catch up with his friends. He knew he'd question for the rest of his life if the old woman he saw even existed.

  ***

  The rising sun peaked over the treeline a bit more with each exhausted step the three teenagers made.

  Godric’s heavy steps trailed behind Luna and Byrd, his grip on the lockbox loose. He questioned the cost of three lives for one rock.

  An endless fortune was worth the risk... until now.

  Part of him wanted to open his palm and let the box fall to the muddy earth beneath him.

  His gaze returned to the road ahead, where he met Byrd's eyes. The brother charged him. He yanked the lockbox from Godric’s tired grasp and flung it off the path.

  “Hey!” Godric said, outraged.

  He gave Byrd a weak shove. The two locked arms, fell backward, and tussled in the mud.

  “Quit it!” Luna said, racing to separate the two from their scrum. No punches were thrown, but Byrd’s rough grasp showed malicious intent.

  “We don’t need that rock!” Byrd said angered, releasing his grip. Luna pulled him away while he peered at his friend. “It’s not our fault your family can’t provide for themselves, Godric. It isn’t worth our lives to become thieves. Hazard will kill us all if he finds out who we are. Even if we flee Jeden, he’ll find us one way or another.”

  Godric’s heart dropped to his stomach. The insult about his family stung him with an unbearable pain. Byrd never mentioned Godric’s indigent background, never mind disparaging him.

  “Back off and calm down,” Luna said to her brother, pushing him away. She leaned down, extended her hand to offer Godric assistance. For once, Godric took her hand. His eyes were clenched tight, fighting back tears. Byrd was the closest thing to a brother he had, and his cruel words made his skin thinner.

  He rose to his feet to Luna’s pitied stare. She moved away off the path without another word.

  Off the trail, she retrieved the lockbox. She returned to the path and extended the box to him.

  Godric grabbed it by the handle without another word spoken. He gawked at her brother who refused to meet with his gaze again, keeping his eyes on the road.

  For once in his life, Godric hated Byrd.

  “Let's go,” Byrd said, his tone low, as though he didn’t physically abuse his friend.

  “We shou
ld get some rest,” Luna said, not moving from Godric’s side. “Byrd, we need to get off the trail if we don’t want to get caught.”

  “There's no time,” Byrd replied. He stopped and refaced his sister. “Hazard’s men could be right behind us. If we slow down… we die.”

  “They won’t find us if we cover our tracks beyond the paths. We can find our way to the shipyards through the wild. I’ve tracked every animal in Jeden. We can cover our own tracks with ease.”

  “No.”

  “No?” Luna said, charging forward at her brother. “Last I checked, I am still the oldest in the Prometheus family. I’m going off trail with Godric, and if you care about our lives, you will join us. Otherwise, you’ll lead the gang right to us.”

  A long silence stood between the three teenagers. Byrd spit on the ground in disapproval and said, “Fine.”

  “Follow me,” Luna said. She turned and marched away into the thick brush off the trail.

  Godric went to follow but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to face Byrd who whispered, “Sorry.”

  Not knowing how to respond, Godric simply nodded. The apology in no way seemed sincere and he feared his friend was no more than a stranger now. In silence, the two followed Luna into the wild.

  5

  Godric leaned against the tree behind him, his body upright.

  He kept watch while the other two slept under their make-shift tent made of branches. Hours passed since he fought with Byrd.

  The group found a spot beyond the trail thanks to Luna’s wildlife skills. They hid in a small abandoned burrow between two trees. A leafy arch overhead covered the two sleeping siblings.

  Is this worth it? Godric thought. His job was to keep watch, but couldn’t help his gaze from fleeing back to the lockbox between his crossed legs. This will help mom and dad, but it'll also help Luna and Byrd. There is more out there than shooting vrocs and just getting by in life. I want this for all of us.

  A deep pain stung his chest. He coughed, but did his best to muzzle it in his cupped elbow. The pain came and went throughout the day. He worried dehydration and starvation was getting the best of him. With one heavy inhale, the coughing fit fled once again.

  Something else became audible in the wild. A set of footsteps stomped in the distance.

  Godric rolled over to the two sleeping siblings. “Luna… Byrd… someone’s coming,” he whispered, shaking both of them. “Wake up. Quick.”

  The distant footsteps were louder, leaves snapping under an unknown set of boots. Whoever it was, they were not discreet about their presence. Godric moved toward the archway, with the lockbox tight in his grasp, the two siblings awoken.

  “What is it?” Luna whispered. She released a small cough and covered her mouth. “Do you think it’s the gang?”

  Byrd grabbed his rifle. “I doubt they know we’re off road. We covered every track we made.”

  The three teens kept their eyes on the thick group of trees ahead of them, each an eerie white oak. The footsteps came to a halt, but the rustle of movement continued.

  Oh no. Have they spotted us? Why did they stop?

  Godric reached back for his rifle, but he felt the weapon shoved into his grip. Luna forced the weapon into his hand, a step ahead of him as always.

  A new sound rang through the air, a high pitch ring. The unfamiliar buzz came from the direction they focused on, but nothing entered their view.

  Byrd aimed his rifle toward the bundle of oak trees.“What is that?”

  “Quiet,” Luna said, her voice low, but concentrated.

  The buzz grew louder and louder, but nothing came into the scopes of their rifles. Each teen held their breath, and for a moment, dead silence overtook the forest.

  Over their heads, above their self-made hideout, the buzz became deafening. A small craft lowered ahead of the frightened faces of the three teens. It hovered with three horizontal propellers on in a triangle formation.

  Byrd swung the butt of his rifle forward, knocking the device backward onto the ground. “It’s a drone! Run!”

  Luna, Byrd, and Godric hopped to their feet, knocking over the branches of their hideout. The two siblings raced away while Godric shouldered his rifle, gripping the lockbox with both hands. The high-pitched drone rose from the ground and charged at them. On the strange craft, sharp knives sprung out from every direction.

  Godric fled, following the brother and sister, the drone in toe.

  “Come on, Godric!” Luna yelled far ahead.

  Over his shoulder, Godric watched the sharp blades on the drone spin wildly. His legs kicked up faster, trying to keep space between him and the deadly device. A bright red light shined on the fierce drone. It stared at the panic-stricken young man, who tried running faster.

  The three kids bobbed and weaved through the aged trees, cracking branches with every step. Godric listened to the drone. It cut through the branches with its sharp blades, making him feel like prey to the mechanical terror.

  “Shoot it down!” Luna yelled to her brother.

  “I don’t want to hit Godric!” Byrd responded. He looked back at his friend, his eyes widened.

  Godric heard the drone gain ground on him, chopping at bark and wood. Think, Godric, think. It can’t hit you if it can’t see you.

  Without hesitating, Godric fell forward, diving to the dirt. The drone buzzed over his head, past his body. It paused in midair, rotated back to the young hunter who jumped to his feet. He slipped his rifle from his shoulder, dropped the lockbox, and aimed at the humming device.

  He fired an energy shot straight into the red eye of the drone, sending it fluttering to the ground with an audible CRACK.

  Ahead of him, Byrd and Luna stopped running to gawk back at the downed drone.

  “First shot you’ve hit in a while,” Luna mocked.

  They made their way back to Godric, who stared at his feet where the lockbox rested. A shimmer of light came from the box, taunting him for his greed.

  A hand lifted the box for Godric and held it forward. He looked up to Byrd holding the box. “I’m sorry,” Godric said, upset he put his friends in danger. “I never should have taken this thing.”

  His friend shoved the lockbox into his grasp. “No time for that now,” Byrd said. “That was a camera on the drone. My guess is they're trying to track our location. They could be here any second, so let's move.”

  Godric felt Byrd’s stare, his dear friend moved closer. “Godric, we're too deep into this now to quit now. Judging by this drone they sent, Hazard is more powerful than we can imagine. The gang's not afraid to get their hands dirty. This is some advanced weaponry for a simple lockbox. We cannot allow them to get a hold of this rock. You and Luna are right... he's too dangerous.”

  Byrd’s sister moved next to him, an odd vibe of positivity around her. “If we are in the wild sector near Hurt-Foot, we should be close to the shipping yard,” Luna said. “If we hurry, we’ll be off this world before we even cross paths with the gang.”

  Each teen nodded, charging onward through the dense woods.

  Their fast footsteps echoed through trees. Godric’s legs were sluggish, but he pushed forward to follow his friends. He noticed the echo of their footsteps were not the only disturbance in the air.

  A herd of steps followed them.

  They're here.

  He peaked over his shoulder. A hundred yards away, the Hazard gang, in greater numbers, charged ahead with their guns drawn.

  “Move!” Godric shouted to his friends.

  The siblings did the opposite. They paused to gawk at the incoming gang. The gang fired energy blasts, each beam racing toward the teens.

  Luna led the way, ducking through the thicket. With each blast that sailed past her, she ducked lower to the ground. Like rats, they scurried through the dead woods.

  I hope the shipyard’s near.

  Luna climbed over a small lip of bark. Byrd followed, but paused atop the natural structure. He rotated around to face Godric,
his eyes widened.

  The younger brother shoved Godric to the ground.

  Flustered, Godric gawked up from the dirt where three energy shots penetrated Byrd's legs. The same spot where Godric's body would have been if he wasn't pushed away.

  “NOOOOO!” Godric shouted, his voice cracking.

  Byrd fell forward, landing next to Godric on the ground. He winced in pain. “Get her out of here,” he said, teeth gritted together. “I'll only slow you down.”

  Luna peaked over the wooden perch where Byrd was shot. “Byrd!?”

  Two more energy blasts smashed into the wooden perch, missing Luna's head by a foot. She ducked back on the other side of the structure.

  Byrd grabbed Godric by the shoulder of the same arm he carried the lockbox. “Please, get her out of here. I can talk my way out of this.”

  Godric stared at his friend's significant wounds, which were not fatal. But if he left him behind to the mercy of the Hazard gang, he feared this was Byrd's end.

  “I'm sorry.”

  “Just go.”

  Godric eyed the wooden structure ahead. Beneath was a small opening and he saw Luna's extended hand. He crawled through the muck, meeting her on the other side.

  “Help me get him,” she said, diving back under the wooden perch.

  “No,” Godric said, yanking her away from the bark. “He wants us to leave him behind.”

  “Yeah, like hell.”

  More gunfire screeched in their direction. She dove forward again, but Godric grabbed her once more.

  “Luna, listen, they will kill us all... please trust me. We need to run.”

  “Luna!” Byrd's voice shouted over barrage of blasts. “You need to go! I'll be fine... Just go!”

  “Byrd―”

  “Go!”

  Godric pulled Luna to her feet with his free hand, and the two darted away from the scene. A feeling of nudity came over him, something missing.

  Oh no.

  When he crawled under the thick wooden perch, he left his rifle behind in the mud. The only weapon he had left was the stolen revolver tucked in the back of his pants, There was no time to turn back.