by Z. M. Wilmot
Chapter Fourteen
The next day, both of them slept in, and upon awakening, Reinhouer went out to obtain three more cauldrons and a large pot for the small bit of extra powder. When he returned, Henry was awake and waiting for him. He helped his older companion carry in the cauldrons and pot, and then spent a half hour or so making three more cauldron’s worth, saving the moonlight step to be undertaken that very same night. The two then began to move their completed creations up the stairs – a difficult and strenuous task that took well over an hour, but rewarded the two men with immense satisfaction once completed. The plan was to hole up in the room with the device, using the dagger and powder to keep any attackers at bay until the moon waxed enough that it was no longer a crescent, and the danger had passed.
Following the move of the cauldrons of powder, the two transported a supply of food up the stairs. The waxing crescent – or what could be classified as a waxing crescent – would last about three days, possibly a little more, and nourishment would be required for that time. Water came after the food, contained in the pots and pans used previously to hold the powder.
As the pair rested for a few minutes downstairs, they noticed a police cruiser go slowly down the road by the window. Reinhouer cursed. “I really hope they didn’t identify me or track you to here… ending up in police custody could be fatal.” Fortunately, the police did not inspect the house.
That night, the pair exposed the remainder of the cauldrons to the moonlight and dragged them up the stairs. Before sleeping that night, Reinhouer reported to his young friend a disturbing trend; all of the bridges were moving towards the house with a terrifying speed. The professor permitted Henry to don the viewing device so that the young man could see what was coming. “It looks like they’ll be here on the morrow,” the professor remarked worriedly. “Hopefully that will not make the beings coming tomorrow night more powerful…”
Neither of them slept well that night, and upon awakening both were groggy and cranky. They argued over every small detail, any sense of camaraderie vanishing until the early afternoon, when they both came to their senses. They double-checked then all of their preparations, ensuring that enough food and water had been stored, that the powder was within easy reach, and that the walls and windows had been reinforced with Parallax-touched wood from downstairs. As night approached, the two took turns watching the Parallax through the device.
Reinhouer was wearing the device as darkness fell and the crescent finally became truly visible in the night sky. In the Parallax, it appeared as if the moon’s size had increased fivefold, and it was shining a disturbing light down upon the plains below. A chill went down Reinhouer’s spine as he watched the moon grow larger, and then on the ground below he saw an army appear on the horizon. His skin grew pale, and Henry shook him, asking him what was the matter. He took off the helmet and stared at his young charge with frightened eyes. “The crescent is here.”
There was a knock on the door, and a shout. "Police!"