The Legend of the Firewalker

by Steve Bevil [paranormal/YA]

  “What?” Nathan was confused, but followed his gaze over to the wall.

  “The first night at camp,” continued Jonathan. “We discovered the firewalker symbol on the wall along with other symbols. We had planned to wait until morning to try and decipher them, but I was so excited. I just couldn’t wait.”

  Nathan squinted. He could see the firewalker symbol on the wall outside the chamber along with some other symbols.

  “I figured since there were a few more hours before nightfall I would come back and start deciphering the symbols,” Jonathan said. He pointed with his free hand. “When I touched that one, the Cahokia symbol for teacher – that’s when I became the black fox.”

  Nathan looked to see where Jonathan was pointing; around the firewalker symbol were several smaller symbols. “So how did you end up on the road?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure. I have a hunch, but it’s just a theory at this point.” He paused for a moment as if he was about to say something, but then looked away. “But I do know for certain that I was drawn there. Before I knew it, I was in that place I was talking about the night of the first bonfire.”

  “Oh,” responded Nathan. “You mean The Space in Between or the Spirit Realm.”

  Jonathan looked surprised. “How did you…?”

  “You know,” said Nathan, with a nervous chuckle. “I’ve been doing my research.”

  Jonathan looked at him skeptically for a moment, but then nodded. “Well, since that night,” he said. “I’ve been doing my own research. I’ve been trying to figure out what happened to me and what it has to do with the firewalker symbol and The Order. That’s when I discovered the other strange occurrences happening in town and that there were others probably like me.”

  Nathan looked confused. “I’m not sure I’m following you.”

  Dr. Helmsley moaned; she was out of it, but surprisingly was still standing. Jonathan looked like he was getting weary of allowing her body weight to rest upon his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he said, after repositioning himself. “See, I found this article about a student that claimed to be attacked by several small creatures in the IUCF newspaper.”

  “Leah,” said Nathan.

  “Yes, you are correct,” said Jonathan, looking surprised. “Based on her account of what happened to her, it sounded like she had been in The Space In Between.”

  “And that’s why you had a copy of the IUCF Yearbook,” responded Nathan, confidently.

  “Yes,” said Jonathan. “I remembered hearing, while I was attending Lafonda’s birthday party, about a girl named Leah who was attacked on campus. After I got her last name from Alan, I looked her up and that’s when I discovered that she lived in Lawrence Hall; in the same room that…”

  “Jonas is staying in for the summer,” finished Nathan.

  “Yes,” responded Jonathan, still surprised. “And that’s when I learned something even more interesting, but equally disturbing. I discovered that Leah’s roommate was found dead not too far from where they found the body of Bartholomew Riley.”

  “Jonas’ father,” muttered Nathan.

  Jonathan nodded. “They found both their bodies out on Route 7,” he continued. “Which is right outside of…”

  “Grimm Cemetery,” said Nathan.

  “Yes,” said Jonathan. “And I believe they are all connected. After reading in the newspaper about what Leah said happened to her, I am certain whatever happened to her occurred in The Space in Between. And if Leah was there, then it’s highly plausible that she has a power as well. I suspect that whatever was after Leah was probably after her roommate and maybe even…”

  “Jonas’ father,” said Nathan.

  “Now if it turned out that Jonas had an ability,” said Jonathan. “Then we would definitely know we were on to something. But for now, I am almost certain that after we decipher the rest of the Firewalker Legend we’ll be closer to discovering how everything is connected; our powers, the symbols, the Order, and the strange occurrences.”

  “We have to go,” said Nathan, there was a hint of panic in his voice. “Like right now!”

  Jonathan was confused by the sudden urgency, but nodded and they slowly started helping Dr. Helmsley out of the cave. “Nathan,” he said. “When did you find out you had an ability?”

  Nathan chuckled. “It’s a long story,” he said. “But it wasn’t as magical as touching a symbol on the wall.”

  Jonathan smiled.

  “Let’s just say I sort of had a premonition about it and then was forced to use it,” he said. “It didn’t turn out how I expected, but it pretty much was either eat or be eaten.”

  Jonathan’s eyebrows frowned inward beneath his glasses. He looked confused again. “How long ago was this? And how did you know how to use it?” His pupils were dilated and he suddenly looked really inquisitive. “And what brought you to the caves tonight?”

  “It really is a long story,” said Nathan, feeling slightly uncomfortable. “I just happened to be on the trail tonight when I saw you transform into a fox. After that, I pretty much decided to follow you.”

  “I usually don’t do that so out in the open,” said Jonathan, with a chuckle. “I’m usually a little more discreet.”

  Nathan grinned and then nodded. “I promise to explain more later.”

  “Well, now you know why I kept asking you to come out here. After the car incident, I just knew somehow you were connected.”

  The torches near the entrance to the cave had been blown out, but with it being a full moon, Nathan and Jonathan could still find their way out. Dr. Helmsley was semi-conscious and silent the entire way, so they both were surprised when she actually said something. “What’s going on?” she stuttered, slightly in a panic. “Where is she?”

  “She’s gone,” Jonathan responded, raising his free hand to calm her. “Everything is okay.”

  Her eyes still looked dazed when she glanced over to Nathan. “Who are you?” she asked.

  They both turned to look at each other and Nathan removed the broken glasses that now dangled from her face. “Just a friend of Jonathan’s, Dr. Helmsley,” he replied. “I’m here to help you.”

  She opened her eyes wide and her head gradually fell from side to side before stopping in his face. “What a nice young man,” she said, groggily. “You may call me Janet.” She lifted her arms from their shoulders and attempted to walk forward, but quickly passed out.

  Jonathan reached out to grab her, but wasn’t fast enough. She hit the ground with a thud. “Ouch,” he said, while wincing. “That’s going to hurt.”

  Nathan and Jonathan both bent over to prop Dr. Helmsley against the entrance to the cave. A trickle of blood ran from the crest of her head and Jonathan attempted to stop the bleeding with the bottom of his shirt. Nathan stood up and wiped his forearm across his brow. “It will take forever to get back to campus at this rate,” he said.

  “I agree,” said Jonathan. “And it appears Dr. Helmsley needs immediate medical attention. I fear she may be suffering from a slight concussion.”

  “Crap,” said Nathan. “Check your cell phone. My phone keeps dropping the signal.”

  Jonathan opened his cell phone revealing once again the green light Nathan saw earlier while following him in the forest. “My phone isn’t working either,” he said.

  Nathan noticed the ground was soft beneath his feet. He looked up and a few raindrops landed on his forehead. In the distance, past the meadow, a deep rumbling sound echoed at them somewhere above the trees. He glanced over at Jonathan; the bottom of his shirt was soaked with Dr. Helmsley’s blood. He thought about what Jonathan had said about Leah’s roommate and Jonas’s father and how whatever attacked Leah could be the cause of their deaths. He also thought about what Jonathan didn’t know; that Jonas did have an ability and that the same creatures that attacked Leah had attacked Jonas. “It would be quicker if you stayed here with Dr. Helmsley and I went back for help,” he said.

  Jonathan stood up and gazed upward
at the sky. “Yes,” he said. “I agree with your conclusion. It doesn’t look like the storm is over however; you should leave before it starts raining again.”

  Nathan nodded and started to trot off. “I’ll call for help as soon as I can,” he said. “I probably will get a signal when I am close to campus.”

  “Nathan,” called Jonathan. “I’m glad you were here tonight.”

  Nathan smiled and then ran as fast as he could up the meadow. The grass was wet and he almost fell a few times, but soon he entered the forest. He thought about what Jonathan had said about his transformation as he passed the two yellow-ribboned trees. “Malick said our powers were hereditary. Did Jonathan really become a black fox just because he touched some symbol?”

  He stepped out onto the black asphalt just in time to see the last parking lot lamp flicker out. “Great,” he mumbled. “And I still have no signal.” He was relieved he didn’t have to worry about bumping into anything because the lot was empty. He could feel mud stuck beneath his shoes and tried to clean them in the grass before continuing down the trail. The path leading out of the forest and on to Lawrence Road was darker than normal because the streetlights were out. Before crossing the road he could see that most of campus still had electricity including Lawrence Hall.

  He could tell from the sidewalk that the lobby to Lawrence Hall was empty. While on the trail, he figured it would be best just to tell everyone there had been an accident and that part of the cave had collapsed, injuring Dr. Helmsley. He had intended on providing this story to the front desk attendants so they could call and ask for emergency medical assistance, but their area was vacant as well. Nathan thought it was odd, but proceeded to the elevators and pulled out his cell phone.

  The elevator doors opened and he pushed the number eight button for the eighth floor. He was surprised that he finally had a signal, considering he was riding in an elevator. His cell phone vibrated, reporting he had six missed calls and four unheard messages. “My goodness Lafonda,” he mumbled as he dialed 911.

  Nathan felt a little strange calling the number because he had never had a reason to do so before. He waited as the phone rang on the other end while the elevator bell rang between floors. He watched patiently as each elevator number lit-up, but soon it slowed as the elevator approached the seventh floor.

  He was a little surprised because the seventh floor was Lafonda’s, and everyone would normally be in their rooms for the night.

  Nathan jumped; a high-pitched scream had pierced the elevator. The doors to the elevator opened and in ran Samantha Darding; her nightgown tattered and her hands stained with blood. “Nathan!” she screamed. “They took her; Eva Marie – and I can’t find Christina!” Her hands trembled as she clung to her shirt. Her eyes filled with horror. “They were like shadows,” she continued frantically. “And Angela! Oh my God, they took Angela!”

  20

  911

  “911 dispatch,” said the voice over the phone. “Please state your emergency.”

  A cold shiver shot down Nathan’s back and his mind was suddenly flooded with images of Leah as she tried to defend herself from an unseen attacker. He quickly closed his cell phone and placed it into his pocket. “What happened?” he asked. “Who took them?”

  He attempted to exit the elevator, but Samantha pushed him back. “We can’t,” she said, anxiously. “We have to get out of here. They move so quickly, they’re everywhere!”

  “Who’s everywhere?” he asked, peering out of the elevator. The common area was in disarray; the round tables once set upright were now toppled over. From what he could tell, there were several scratch marks on the walls.

  “I don’t see anyone,” he said.

  He turned to look at her. She was clutching her arm and her entire body was shaking. Nathan noticed the rips in her nightgown and her blood soaked hands. Instantly, he was reminded of Leah again. “Are you hurt?” he asked.

  Samantha leaned against the elevator wall and raised her sleeve revealing a deep cut on her shoulder. She placed her hand on the wound and winced in pain. “I don’t think it’s that bad,” she said. “It probably would have been worse if it wasn’t for Angela.”

  “Angela?” he asked, while inspecting the wound.

  A loose strand of hair dangled in her face. With the back of her hand she attempted to move it out of the way, but ended up smearing blood on her forehead and face. “They were all around me,” she said. “I didn’t know where to run.” She paused to wipe the tears that swelled in her eyes. “One second they were in front of me, but then they were gone. After they cut me, I fell to the ground; that’s when Angela showed up. She saved me, but then they took her.”

  He took a moment to look at the slashes on the walls again. “Where did the creatures come from?” he asked. “Did they come out of the stairway; the bathrooms?”

  “Creatures?” she muttered.

  “Yeah,” he responded, after peering out of the elevator again. “How many creatures were there?”

  Samantha shook her head. She looked confused.

  “You know,” he said, pointing to her injured shoulder. “The black and grey furry things with long claws and sharp teeth…”

  Her body shook again, but this time her eyes trembled. “No, no, no!” she shouted. “There were no claws or furry creatures; just black empty faces and shiny silver swords!”

  Nathan’s heart instantly kicked into overdrive as if it was trying to leap out of his chest. “Shadow Guards,” he muttered. “Jonas!”

  Defensively, he stepped out of the elevator with his hand poised to fire. “Stay here,” he said and Samantha nodded.

  Slowly, he proceeded down the hall with his hand stretched out in front of him. Up close he could see the marks on the walls weren’t scratches, but deep slashes made by either a big knife or a sword.

  He turned around and faced the elevator, sadness began to wash over him. He realized those same marks were on Sam. “Sam,” he said, sliding his cell phone over to her. “Call the police. Tell them you are enrolled in leadership camp on campus and that you need immediate medical attention.” He then remembered Jonathan and Dr. Helmsley. “Also, tell them there has been an accident at the caves behind the cliffs overlooking Lake Charleston,” he said. “It’s the cave closest to the archeological dig site.”

  Sam stood in between the elevator doors so they wouldn’t close and picked up the cell phone. He wasn’t sure if she had got it all because her face was still in shock.

  He recalled what happened last time with the Necrocritters and carefully peered into the bathroom. It appeared empty, so he slowly crept forward. He quickly froze after he heard crunching noises beneath his feet. He looked down and inspected the shattered pieces of glass. “At least now, I know what happened to the lights,” he said to himself.

  It was night, so the hallway was extremely dark. His heart continued to pound; he expected someone to jump out or ambush him at any second. A faint creaking noise came from somewhere in front of him, followed by low shuffling noises. He was practically tiptoeing now as he eased forward. Muffled voices emanated from one of the dorm rooms on his right. With his palm open and his arm stretched down to his side he prepared to throw an energy ball. The energy pulsated in his arm as he slowly turned the door knob.

  The door opened and he heard a gasp. Standing in front of him with a wooden desk chair over his head, that looked rather small compared to his size, was Hugo. Crouched behind him were Christina Williams and several other campers. “Nathan,” he yelled. “Thank God it’s you!”

  Nathan put down his hand and placed it behind him. “Hugo,” he said, his heart still racing. “What are you doing down here and on the girls’ floor?”

  “Oh my God, Nathan,” he responded. “There were these guys, these hoodlums! I thought it was a prank or a joke at first, but then they grabbed Jonas…”

  “Jonas,” he interrupted. “Where is he? Where did they take him?”

  Nathan turned around as other doors ope
ned. Other campers started to appear out of their rooms. “Christina?” asked a familiar voice. He turned to find Samantha standing next to him.

  Christina hurriedly embraced her. “I thought they took you,” she said. Samantha recoiled; quickly placing her hand on her shoulder. “You’re hurt!” she shouted. “Sam you’re bleeding!”

  “I don’t know,” said Hugo, his voice sounding more husky than usual. “It was dark and I couldn’t see their faces. They moved so fast and they had weapons – swords! We followed them down the stairway, but we just couldn’t keep up with them and that’s when we heard the screaming.” He paused to eye the scratches on his hands. “In the midst of it all I lost track of Andy,” he continued. “They were everywhere and they just kept coming!”

  “They took him,” said Christina while attending to Samantha. “I saw them carry Andy down the stairwell.”

  “Hugo,” he said. “Watch after Samantha and move everyone that is injured to the lobby downstairs; stay off the stairwell and use the elevator. I’m going to check the stairs.” Nathan’s eyes softened as he turned his attention to Sam. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She nodded and tried to muster a smile. “The 911 dispatcher said the police are on their way and they are sending an ambulance,” she said, while handing him his phone. “I tried not to get any blood on it. Oh, and I told them there had been an accident at the caves.”

  He smiled reassuringly. “Thanks,” he said.

  Nathan headed down the stairwell fast, but based on what Hugo told him, he figured he was probably too late. He thought Jonas might have gotten away or could be on the stairs, injured.

  The stairwell echoed as each swift footstep caused the metal stairs to rattle and shake. When he approached the next landing, he saw something purple with gold stars on it, on the floor. “Angela’s cell phone,” he said. His stomach, already spiraling, began to twist.

  He heard footsteps fast approaching from the landing down below, peered over the railing, and caught a glimpse of Alan coming up the stairs. He immediately picked up Angela’s cell phone and placed it into his back pocket.