Chapter 10: Kidnapper

Something appears in front of him and makes him speechless. It has a big size for animals, is black, and also has thick fur. Red eyes with sharp canines slowly dripping saliva and its head turns around followed by a weird sound.

"What the hell is that?"

Bradley hits his head repeatedly. It looks very strange and not from this place and he thinks it's just his imagination. However, several times he looks, it is still the same. The monster is real and suddenly goes nowhere.

"Where does the monster go?"

Bradley keeps looking through the gaps in the boxes as his heart continues to beat rapidly. He does not see the existence of the creature now, however, someone from behind shut his mouth which makes his eyes widen.

He slowly turns his head and unfortunately, it is just a child. She looks the same age as Jacqueline. Bradley sees there is a scratch-like scar on her face and he is curious about the little girl, so he asks the girl what she is doing here alone. She explains that the creature has been looking for her.

"Wait for a minute. You're Dorothy, aren't you?" said Bradley curiously.

"Yes. My name is Dorothy." The little black-haired girl replied to Bradley's words with a small nodded. "But, how do you know my name?" she asked curiously.

"Jacqueline told me about you." Bradley snapped his finger. "She also tells me to search for you here."

"Okay, but how's Jacqueline?" asked Dorothy curiously. "Is she fine?"

"Don't worry, she's with Madam Nigera now." Bradley patted the girl's shoulder. "Now, we must get out of this creepy place."

Bradley looks again at the creature's movements through the gap in the wooden box, but he is suddenly startled by the monster's red eyes.

"Good grief!"

Bradley steps back and grabs Dorothy's hand. The monster jumps to the top of the wooden box and it has quite large for a normal human size. No hands or feet, but so many tentacles seemed used to support the main body. The tip of the tentacles have claws and look very sharp and it makes a sound that's quite terrifying.

"Goodness! We have to escape from here!"

Both of them move quickly pace with cold sweat non-stop flowing. Their breaths begin breathlessly and the monster still follows them from behind. It moves so fast like a real predator looking for its prey.

"It will catch us!" Dorothy frantically. "What should we do?"

Bradley tries to think about how to widen their distance from the monster. His eyes suddenly focus on the pile of wood boxes that seems not far from their position. His hands quickly drop it until all the boxes close the way.

"Thank God, I think we save for a while now," asked Dorothy taking a deep breath. "Jeez, I'm getting tired." She wiped her sweat over and over again.

"Yeah, you're right. That's a good idea." Bradley sat for a moment on the floor. He can feel the muscles in his legs getting tired. "We need to take a rest."

"Yeah." Dorothy immediately leaned her body on the wall and slowly drops her body to the floor. "I'm so tired."

"Wait, but how do you get to this place?" Bradley asked as he looked around to make sure the creature didn't know where they were.

Dorothy said after they delivered Madam Theresa's belongings, Jacqueline said there was a shortcut to the orphanage. They decided to go there, yet the monsters suddenly came from nowhere and attacked them. Dorothy tried to lure the monster away from Jacqueline so she could find someone to help them.

"Dorothy, I feel you are a bold child." Bradley smiled to hear it. "You care about your friend, don't you?"

"Yeah, I just want my friend to save me." Dorothy nodded faster. "Okay, so what will do now?" Dorothy asked him, trying to change the subject. "I don't see the monster now, how about you?"

"Negative." Bradley walked out from their hideout "Come on we must move, we cannot stay in here for a long time."

"Yes, indeed."

The two of them slowly walk out and they don't want to make any sound that will interact monster coming back. Dorothy holds Bradley's hand tightly and Bradley keeps looking around, making sure everything is safe.

Luckily they finally get out of the place and arrive at the door of the orphanage. Bradley slowly turns the door handle.

"I believe, now we are safe." Dorothy sighed this terrible is done. "Thank God, everything is safe now."

"Yes Dorothy, I feel ...."

Suddenly Bradley feels something wrap around his leg. He is looking down at his feet and his body instantly froze because tentacles successfully attach his leg.

"No way, it can't be."

He tries to remove it, but the tentacles immediately pull him away from the orphanage door.

"No!" Dorothy screamed so loud and run toward Bradley.

Dorothy immediately grabs Bradley's hand, but their position is far enough apart. She even cannot touch his fingertips. Bradley's body directly hit the ground and his consciousness begins to decline.

"Argh!"

Bradley's body continues to hit the uneven ground. He cannot move at all, but suddenly his eyes see a piece of glass lying nearby, and quickly grabs and stabs it into the tentacles.

"Eat this monster!"

A few seconds later, the monster screams and the tentacle's grip finally releases his leg. He immediately stands up and runs away as fast as he can without turning back. He quickens his pace and finally reaches the front door of the orphanage and immediately closes the door tightly.

"Gosh, I'm still alive!" Bradley leaned his body against the door, takes a deep breath, and wipes his sweat.

A few meters in front of him, Dorothy sits on the ground and cries, so Bradley walks toward her.

"Thank God. I think … I will lose you." Dorothy quickly hugged Bradley tightly as she saw him. "That monster scares me," she starts crying, and following tears continued falling down her cheek. 'God, I'm really scared."

A few minutes later, someone's footstep comes down the stairs not long after and it turns out to be Madam Nigera.

"Good grief! What happened to you guys."Madam Nigera saw Dorothy and Bradley directly run and hug them. "Oh, my God what happen to your face?"

"It's a long story to tell, Madam." Bradley tried to stand up, yet his leg feels pain. "Argh! dammit!" He felt the pain was getting worse.

His body slowly falls to the ground, but unfortunately, Madam Nigera quickly helps him and brings both of them to her room.

"Wait, what exactly happened to you guys?" asked Madam Nigera as she took her red medicine box.

"We were attacked by a large creature," said Bradley, enduring his pain. "just like a monster."

"Yeah and it has thick fur, is black, and many tentacles," Dorothy clarified. "It's also quite tall for a human size."

"Kids, I'm not in the mood to play," said Madam Nigeria opened her medicine box and start pouring the liquid medicine on the cotton. "You're not kidding, are you?" she asked while putting the cotton on Dorothy's lips and Bradley's face.

"Madam, we are not joking. I see it with my own eyes." Bradley tried to convince Doroth's word. "I swear I'm not lying."

"Yes, I see it by myself too," said Dorothy, trying to reassure Madam Nigera.

Madam Nigera nods at their words and rolls up Bradley's pants to check on his wound. However, her hands begin trembling because she sees something so horrifying that it causes her eyes to widen.

"Madam, what's wrong?" asked Bradley curiously.

***