The Red Lands 1

by ForestRage

  He glanced at her, but his eyes froze on her face.

  He had seen this expression before.

  At that time, she had shouted to him from the top of a tree in the forest. Today, her other hand clamped down over her mouth, to stifle the screams. Chu followed the wide-open blue eyes, out towards the forest…

  Stepping out of the trees, came a beast from the legends. It casually walked out on two feet, as it raised its head while looking in the direction of the fleeing man. Long hairy arms hung down on its side ending in clawed fingers.

  It raised its head and howled, as it stared at the escaping man. In the blink of an eye it then lunged forward, sprinting on all four limbs, closing the distance in a flash.

  A flash.

  The man turned his head, only to see the creature towering behind him. It dwarfed its prey, in both height and girth. The head of the tall man, only managed to reach the creature’s chest.

  The following scene played out like a script from a horror movie. The fight ended as soon as it started, resulting in the fastest beat down. Chu had ever witnessed.

  The man never found the opportunity to voice his grievances, before his throat was ripped out by sharp, wicked fangs lurking inside that terrifying mouth.

  In a split second it ended, no begging, dodging or counterattacks. Within that short time-frame, the overwhelming disparity between the two combatants hence became abundantly clear.

  No, it was a lie to say combatants.

  This was akin to a tiger fighting a baby chicken.

  The beast raised itself on its hind legs, using a clawed 'hand ' to grab the victim by the leg, and slowly begin its trek into the forest. If not for the horrifying scene from before, Chu could swear it was like a farmer trotting out to kill a chicken for dinner, and casually strolling back to the house with it.

  Resisting the exploding fear, Chu turned to Lucy. The cellar, they had to hide in the cellar. Later he would find some way to escape to the village. This forest, this place, as far as possible. Chu struggled for words...

  "No! I was sure I counted the money correct! You guys are cheating me!"

  The shouts came from the idiot, down below as the sound rippled outwards.

  Chu and Lucy who had just locked eyes, saw the same fearful expression being reflected in their open pupils. Creaking, their heads turned towards that horrifying sight. If they could, both would close their eyes hoping to become invisible.

  In the snowy white plains in front of the forest, a black as night figure paused. A trail of bright red blood, desecrated the pristine mantle of white behind the fresh corpse.

  The beast raised its head, turning in the direction of the barn. Maybe it was his mind playing tricks with the heightened fear. Chu envisioned the deadly face, breaking out into a vicious grin.

  Chu didn't wait to see the wolf like creature lunge on all fours and race towards the barn. He had long scuttled already.

  Stupid Flag!

  Chapter 26

  Where fantasy becomes real

  "Hurry Lucy, get the others to the cellar!"

  Chu reminded her, in a voice just below a shout. He was grateful Lucy had been the one with him in the lookout, since among all of them she possessed the fastest response time. It required all his willpower to tear his frozen legs and flee. Her ability to act, was commendable given the situation.

  When they first moved to the barn, Chu embarked on a series of drill practice. These dry runs were geared towards handling different scenarios. Three major dangers affected this household living in near isolation. Attacks by wolves, a visit by an adventuring party, and a raid from climbing predators.

  The one he placed in action was the latter. The demonstrated speed, effortless means of switching from four to two legs, and those deadly hands convinced Chu this approaching devil could climb.

  Glancing at the two children scrambling down the ladder in haste, Ming signaled to the others. When Lucy whispered the instructions, they scattered. As far as Chu could tell, the beast only approached because of the noise from Ming’s yell. Keeping silent while hiding might sate the curiosity of the animal.

  Their sluggish movements swiftly built to a rush, as they hauled Sue and Clod away. The wave swept all of them into the cellar, sealing the trapdoor.

  In less than a few seconds the barn became deserted, the oven coals, and scattered coppers on the platform, remnants of the previous inhabitants. On the sliding trapdoor lay stacks of useless dried herbs and twigs, giving the impression of an unused corner.

  In the cellar, Chu stood on the constructed wooden steps under the sealed trapdoor. A small hole created deliberately, linked him to the outside world inside the barn. He positioned himself at the peephole, while stifling his breath.

  The trapdoor was barred from the inside, by solid wooden planks and reinforced during their period of construction. As the final barrier in most scenarios, Chu had given it top priority, in strength and in concealment. At the top it appeared no more than part of the floor.

  Lucy whispered her tale to the others within the passageway, leading to hushed breaths. Ming overturned a small table, ready to block the passageway. The others crouched behind him, straining their ears for any little sound. Clod hand trembled, as his knuckles turned white over the spear. Lucy and Miki squatted in the middle, waiting to arm the crossbows.

  Chu fared no better than the children, since he had seen the terror. He closed his eyes, to acclimatize to the darkness of the cellar. This solid door he prided himself on, now changed into nothing less than a thin sheet of paper, waiting to be ripped apart by brute strength.

  His nose twitched from the smell of the highly scented herbs and roots, as he placed his ear near the door. The floor around, had dry grass scattered around. Sue soaked this grass in highly scented herbs and roots. It gave the barn a fresh herb smell, but more importantly masked their scent.

  Chu heard a scrape, followed by some taps. He closed his eyes and jammed his ear to the door. Straining his ears, he heard nothing.

  An eternity of silence.

  Chu open his eyes and squinted through the peephole.

  THUD!

  Dust fell from the vibration, as the deck groaned and buckled on impact. He stifled a gasp at the unexpected entrance. Chu clutched his chest, to keep the pounding heart at bay. He dropped his head, blinking and wiping his eye.

  An eerie silence greeted him. The long period of anticipation, after the scary arrival placed pressure on his lungs. He shivered, finding it hard to breathe.

  A low growl cut through the silence. A casual step, had the floorboard creaking. A long pause, followed by another. Chu witnessed the flickering of a shadow passing between the upper floorboards.

  CLACK!

  “…..”

  CLACK!

  He envisioned the power behind those curved claws, rattling on the floor. The clacking moved further away from him.

  A loud thump, like a heavy log falling on muffled ground. The steps grew closer, as he realized the beast had jumped through the open hole into the kitchen. In their haste to hide, the trapdoor to the deck remained open.

  A fearsome myth, materialized out of the shadows, looming over the trapdoor. Chu instinctively closed his eyes. He didn't know if he did it out of fear the creature might glimpse his eye, or the hope of turning invisible.

  With another thump, the beast dropped on all fours. The action caused the front paws, to land on the solid earth adjacent to the planks. Chu opened his eye by impulse, only to see a side view of some merciless looking teeth.

  Chu had the pleasure of being the first person to come within a foot of a demon wolf in this world and live.

  For now.

  The boy shut his eyes, and struggled to control his bladder and bowels. Fear demanded a release, but rationality maintained the beast might track the smell. The creature sniffed the ground, but then began snorting and blowing its nose. The pattering, led to the fence.

  The stout construct that withstood the pressure of
the wolf pack, splintered like matchsticks in the presence of this foe.

  Chu heard the rattling sounds pacing back and forth, accompanied by some snorts and growls. Twice the beast ventured into the kitchen area, only to leave snorting as it sniffed the ground. Each time it ventured closer, and remained longer near the entrance.

  After what seemed like an eternity, the noises gave way to silence.

  Chu had remained rooted to the ground in fear. Released by the silence, he made a retreat. Slowly he made his way on all fours, creeping towards the passageway. Only when he crawled far inside, and close to the well exit did he breathe in a sigh of relief.

  He never ever believed he would see something so dreadful. A figment of imagination, a legend in his former life becoming real.

  Werewolf!

  Those were the words that matched the picture stamped in his mind.

  Shit! Just like that?

  Where did this thing come from? Was it the norm?

  He was doomed if this was the norm.

  The group remained silent, nibbling on the emergency rations and drinking cold water. For the entire night Chu remained in the passageway, fearing a surprise attack that refused to come. In the morning, the haggard looking children showed him with pitiful gazes.

  Chu chanced another look near the peephole. Listening into the barn for over half an hour proved futile. The beast had probably gone. A rational though in his mind, yet his heart screamed otherwise.

  He listened but there was no sound, only deathly quiet from up above.

  Maybe it already left? It had the body of the dead soldier, so why remain? As a beast, why linger in a deserted place? Chu prayed the beast might be somewhere deep in the forest munching on a leg or something.

  For an entire day, Chu monitored the entrance, but to no avail. In the evening he convinced himself the beast had returned to the forest. A mocking grin kept him from proceeding, a condescending look that treated him like some bug.

  Chu decided to use the knotted rope hanging over the well to investigate. A quick peep to see if the corpse of the guard had been spirited away. If so, he would forget the barn, and hightail it towards the village.

  Chu signal his plan. Shimming up the rope, he scanned the surroundings before popping out his head. Readying to climb out, the plop of some falling snow from the roof of the barn startled him. Gripping the rope, he turned his eyes to the direction.

  The sight nearly caused him to fall off the rope.

  On the roof of the barn, the beast laid down as if casually resting. Like a person tanning on a beach in the tropics, it lay on its stomach, with its head patiently gazing inside the barn. If the snow had not fallen, Chu would never have paid it much attention.

  He stifled a mixture of curses and screams.

  "It’s still here! The damn bastard is still here, stalking us from the roof!"

  Chu spoke to the others grinding his teeth.

  "That thing is not normal. Crap!"

  What could they possibly do?

  This thing possessed high intelligence. Its actions indicated a status as a natural born predator. Fighting it, led to suicide and it seemed hell bent on finding them. A beast that patiently stalked them for so long was not normal.

  They chew on pieces of dried meat jerky, in fear and despair.

  "That thing, does it look like a wolf on two legs?"

  Clod mumbled the question, looking at Chu. The fear was obvious in his eyes.

  Wolf on two legs, Chu thought. What a simple way to describe it. Seeing it in real life and up close however, he would never have the courage to describe that terrifying beast as such. He felt those belittling words would only invite the ire of such a creature.

  "Yes"

  Clod let out a sigh, like a man giving up on life at the answer.

  "I… I... I’ve seen it before."

  All the others looked at him in shock. No one was expecting him, of all people to say something like that.

  "Because of that.... because of that thing I turned homeless."

  Chapter 27

  An Ignorant Fool makes a Dangerous Adversary

  They huddled together in silence. Chu digested this newfound threat, while the others remained stiff from fear. In their minds, something that worried Chu deserved to be feared. The plopping sounds of water, dripping in the well, echoed loudly in the dismal tunnel.

  The atmosphere remained heavy until late evening. Chu realized that even as children who had experienced much, this was something way beyond them.

  “Chu, I have to go.”

  Ming leaned forward and whispered in his ear. Chu frowned at the words. Was this guy thinking about going down in a blaze of glory?

  “Go where?”

  “Go. I must go now… But you said I shouldn’t do it near the water.”

  Damn, this idiot couldn’t hold it in?

  Like a domino effect, Chu felt the call of nature. Sighing, he crawled to the cellar. After a brief spell, listening at the door, he emptied the contents from a wooden bucket and placed it in the corner.

  In an adventure by itself, Chu lived through the private acts not recorded in the usual classics. One by one, the children relieved themselves in the portable toilet. How many months had he remained trapped in this world? A surreal adventure indeed.

  Chu left them covered in the passageway, and rested on the small step at the cellar trapdoor. The scent from their activities did not concentrate as much in the cellar, so hopefully the beast may not notice.

  The cellar was originally planned by him, as a retreat against a situation such as this. It served as a well-stocked base, with no shortage of food or warmth. This problem was something he did not think about, never considering a long-term siege.

  Given the intelligence posed by the creature, sooner or later it would find them. This thing did not act like a common wild animal. It hunted and relished in the pleasure of the hunt. He had witness how it treated the guard, playing and tormenting its food.

  The chills that created shivers, didn't originate from the cold.

  The barn above, continued to be as quiet as a mouse. He leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes trying to think.

  He woke on hearing a shuffle coming from above. The faint light from the passageway had turned to darkness. Standing, he listened to the floorboards creaking. He swore he heard a sniff, followed by the tinkering of something being broken.

  He strained his ears to listen, but the noise died down into silence. With the knowledge of only a wooden trapdoor separating him from a sure death, Chu remained cautious as he listened and peered into the darkness above from the peephole.

  It seemed like days, but only a few hours had passed when he heard grunts coming from above. Listening carefully, the grunts came more frequent, until he heard a solid bang like a huge rock being thrown off the platform.

  Chu perked up his ears as the adrenaline began flowing. The creature had begun to move.

  Something strange was happening above! Did some other party approach the barn?

  The grunts turned to satisfied low sighs, and then switched back into grunts. Lewd thoughts began to seep into his fear-stricken mind.

  Did another beast appear?

  Eventually those grunts and well-meaning sighs, changed into raging growls that escalated into howls. After one such ear-splitting howl, the crunching of wood splintering like dry branches sounded from above.

  Not long came the booming sound, as if a car had crashed through the side of the barn, followed by an eerie silence.

  No matter how he listened only faint sounds like 'a cry from far away' came. He found no other way to describe it. As Chu digested this latest development, he ascertained the monster had left the barn.

  If it intended to draw them out like this, then tough luck. Chu had no plans for running, and escaping like headless chickens. He would not die on the open plains like a wild animal. Especially, not under the claws of this brute.

  Fatigue washed over him as the adrena
line rush of the night died. Slumping on the steps, Chu had no idea when he nodded off to sleep.

  ***

  "Chu. Hey Chu..."

  Chu woke up groggy, with the accompanying pain from sleeping in a bad position. The recent memories flashed across his mind, jolting him up and making his already stiff body moan in agony. He slowly sat, grimacing from the pulled muscles.

  In between his pain, he signaled for Ming to be quiet. Light streamed from the passageway, indicating the sun had returned. He could barely make out Ming in the partial darkness.

  "Am, the thing is Chu, the demon is not in the barn anymore."

  Chu retracted his hand, ready to clamp the boy’s mouth.

  "What?"

  "Last night we heard growls and roars coming from the outside the well. I came looking for you but found you sleeping. Me and Clod listened for the rest of the night till early this morning. The roars keep coming from the outside on the plains and not in the barn."

  He followed Ming, as they squeezed across the others to the well entrance. Clod skimmed down the rope to meet them. With those strong arms of his, rope climbing seemed child’s play.

  "The whimpers keep coming from outside, but it's fainter now."

  Chu looked at the puzzled look on Clod’s face.

  "What’s the problem?"

  Clod shook his head helplessly as he replied.

  "I can't place it but its seems to be cries of pain?! As if in agony?"

  They looked at him as he tried to explain.

  "I know it sounds crazy, but I worked at a farm, animals in pain tend to have a general sound to them."

  Chu took the ropes and climbed up to listen. He returned after some time with a puzzled look on his face.

  "I think Clod is right. Something is wrong. Ming and I will go up to investigate. The rest of you will remain here."

  Lucy simply gave him a pathetic look, and grabbed a crossbow to make her way to the trapdoor. The others slowly did the same, while still shivering in fear. After having survived by a thread in the slums, these companions valued loyalty like a miser embracing his gold.