Chapter 14: The Farmhouse Raid (Part 2)
A young boy looked fearfully around his surroundings. The smell of burning wood was abundant in the air, and flames were consuming the surrounding houses. Many people rushed about, scurrying to put out the fires, others gathering supplies. Their words were urgent and frightened, adding to the already intensifying atmosphere.
"We need more water!"
"Grab as much as you can!"
"Take only what you can carry!"
"A Skinwalker attack right under our noses?! How?!"
"W-what's going on?" A younger boy asked him, huddling fearfully.
"I…I don't know…" The older boy pulled a hood over his face.
"I'm…" the younger boy pulled his hood tighter over his face. "I'm scared! What should we do?!!"
"It's okay," the older boy assured him. "I'm here. I'll make sure nothing bad ever happens to you-"
His sentence was cut off by the sound of an explosion. A huge army of men in silver, bloodstained armor, carrying swords and spear, rushed off towards the source of the sound.
"What now?"
"They've broken through!"
"Hurry! Take the children!"
A giant pair of hands picked up the pair of quivering boys and carried them towards a carriage.
"My sons!" the man cried. "We must go. Now."
"Dad?" the younger boy asked. "What's happening?"
"There's no time to explain.' The man hopped onto the back of the carriage. "We must go! Now!"
The carriage began to move at high speed. Both boys started crying.
"Now, now my sons," a gentle feminine voice assured them. "All shall be fine."
The two boys looked up. A young woman in a hood embraced them gently.
"Mom," the younger boy sobbed. "What's happening?"
"I cannot tell you yet," The woman said. "We must go now."
"Mordecai!" a distant voice echoed.
"Huh?" the older boy looked outside the covered wagon. The night sky was obscured by a pale white face, with dark brown eyes and pointy ears.
"Mordecai, wake up! We have a problem!"
Mordecai opened his eyes. He was back in the real world in the farmhouse, lying in his bed. Imala stood next to him, holding up a small candle.
"Imala?" Mordecai asked. "What's going on?"
"The farmhouse is surrounded! Now come on! Gran'pa Ken and the others are waiting for us in the basement" Imala quickly walked out the room.
Mordecai leapt out the bed and scurried down to the basement. The dark room was now lit with candles and a lamp.
"What's going on?" Mordecai asked.
"We're surrounded," Gran'pa Ken said. "Skinwalkers."
Mordecai's eyes widened. "That can't be."
"Skinwalkers?" Avaron asked. "What's that?"
"Vicious little things, that's what." Gran'pa Ken growled.
"Wait, so if we're surrounded, should we turn off the lights?" Bella asked.
"No, no." Gran'pa Ken pressed an ear up against the earth wall. "The lights are keeping them away; making them think we're still awake."
"So what should we do then, Ken?" Imala asked. "We can't just run out of here."
"I have a plan." Gran'pa Ken cracked his knuckles. "Okay everyone, when I say 'run', you run."
"What?" Avaron asked.
Gran'pa Ken's hands broke through the walls, and pulled two, fuzzy, mangled creatures through the stone. The stone collapsed on top of them, rendering them unconscious.
"Okay, run!" Gran'pa Ken commanded.
"You expect us to just…run out into the open?!" Avaron said, shocked.
"Yes, now hurry!" Gran'pa Ken stepped out of the hole in the wall.
"Gran'pa! We can't just leave you here!" Menard cried.
"Don't worry, I've fought these vicious brutes before. Now run!" Gran'pa Ken ran out head-on towards the creatures waiting to ambush them.
The group ran away into the night. Menard looked back at the farmhouse as he ran. "Gran'pa…"
"Nothing we can do now!" Avaron pointed out. "We've got company!"
Two skinwalkers hissed and growled at them, and began full pursuit of them.
"Scatter!" Imala yelled. "We can shake them more easily!"
The group members split in different directions. But Imala and Mordecai stayed together, running straight.
The skinwalkers had also split into separate pairs as well to keep the chase going.
"What now?!" Mordecai ran as fast as his legs could take him.
"Just keep running!" Imala huffed.