As a setting star goes down in our elegant cotton candy-colored sky, Abe and Leddy take a stance on the front porch of my family's home. My eyes get caught up above in the clouds, silently thanking the universe that something is going my way for once. It feels so positively surreal living these past few days. Every day there's something breathtaking in the sky; colors, clouds, moons, stars, and beauty.
Standing on the porch and staring at the siblings like I've seen a ghost, I'm unsure what to say. A matter of seconds go by of me staring until Koda comes up from behind and asks how it went. They respond quickly by saying they're not allowed to tell just yet but hint at the fact that the Councils and Elders are getting involved.
Koda doesn't question anything more, only replying as if he already knew the answer. He'd been talking about them to Lynn since they'd left. And for some reason, I'm confused why he doesn't pester them for more information.
Even though my brother interrupted me from asking the twins to escort Perry and I to Dibbley, I'm not too upset realizing that I has no plan on what to ask them anyway. I spin around to hint to Koda but before I can part my lips he's starting that conversation for me, "Ellie is planning to bring Perry back to his home kingdom to be freed-"
Leddy cuts him off, "Oh good, that fanged creature needs to get out of here before he gets thirsty for one of you."
I'm taken aback instantly, feeling sick at her disrespectful words. Of course, Leddy has to disturb our well beings with any chance she can get.
"Shut up, Leddy," Abe smacks her shoulder and then gestures towards my brother, "What were you saying Koda?"
My brother discusses the issue at hand that I would leave whether it was safe or not and how the family doesn't want us to go without someone to protect us. He just doesn't know the part where it's more dangerous if Perry stays here with me, and that the risk of walking to Dibbley is nothing compared to what I'm facing alone. Little does everyone know vampire territory sounds safer than Earth, our non-magical planet.
Before our family friends can even enter our home they're agreeing to safely escort Perry and I to his home kingdom. Easily, they cut to the chase and tell us tonight is our only option and we should leave immediately. I'd been so set on leaving since yesterday morning that my things have been packed and placed beside the front door, which I'd clumsily tripped over when I'd rushed to address Abe and Leddy on the porch. So, our quick greeting has instantly turned into a goodbye within a matter of minutes as I'm rushing inside to get Perry and my bag in the entryway.
The rest of my family gathers around, causing background arguments, sad tears, and waving hands. Jane tries preventing me from leaving, becoming physically emotional with grief. Our uncle holds her back but she tries fighting against him, "Please, Ellie! Don't leave!"
She gasps trying not to succumb to the pooling tears in her eyes. I look away, feeling more than just guilty. As she cries I hop down onto the sidewalk, "Let me come with you, please!"
I don't turn back to the house, or look at my family gathered on the front lawn, though I know many of them run down the front steps. I imagine the expressions on their faces, saddening, disbelief, anger, and fear. They shouldn't have to go through this, but I let it happen.
Our surveillants jump right to our task heald for them and before I know it we've already made our way out of the city, the opposite direction of the sea. I follow Leddy, the head of the group as usual; our incredibly snarky know it all. She says nothing as we go through a mud-filled field between the outskirts of the countryside.
"What if this is somebody's farmland?" I question, noticing how she'd ignored the road a while back and decided to bring us into this empty field.
She groans, "I know a shortcut, doesn't that matter to you?"
But walking towards an ominous forest is not what I thought we'd be doing tonight. There's not a road, only an opening in the trees that look like they'd eat somebody whole. We were told the risks of leaving but I didn't know that it could be an incredibly dangerous hike through this forest.
The trees are fluffy, almost like pine but taller and similar to redwood. As we approach, they make the forest look somewhat empty because the branches go straight up, outstretching into the sky. Only a few desert-like bushes and small mushrooms layer the ground, including dead leaves, pine needles, and very few branches.
I stand at the edge of the woods where it meets the field, frozen, staring up to where the treetops meet the sky. Leddy goes onward with confidence as if she's walked through here hundreds of times. She starts leaving the three of us behind but then Abe passes me and then promptly Perry snatches my hand and drags me forward carefully.
My heart pounds hard enough for me to feel it in my head. The memories I've had inside forests in the past few weeks have been nothing but horrifying. Every time I've ended up running for my life or fearing that someone will snatch me. I have to be cautious in a forest, and now I'm always going to be timid near one.
My breathing becomes quite heavy, even though I find that this forest is not pitch black as it looks from a distance. Soon though, the lighting could be a huge concern for our group.
Ahead Leddy stops, but not to wait for us. She holds a strange hexagon device in her palm. It makes clicking noises with a turning dial, that's what makes me assume it's a type of compass.
Once I'm closer and able to observe it from a safe distance I find that it's made from a foreign orange wood and bright green copper. The woman takes a slight turn to the right and resumes her expedition.
My eyes continue up, finding high above that the branches are twisted together and curled in ringlets. They have bright-colored green leaf-like strings, which hang down like strands of a willow tree, but the long leaves have pine needle bunches.
Once we shuffle through the needle-littered forest floor, I start to observe how dense this forest is. The trees are much closer together than the forest on Earth I know so well. What's truly overwhelming is that everywhere I look there are red trees, unlike a regular forest that has more variation.
"What are these called?" I whisper, gesturing to the treetops that cover us from the pink sky.
Perry replies, "Curled redbark thickets."
"That's a mouthful..."
"There's nothing else like them, but we just call them thickets for short."
We head along the edge of the mountainside, where Perry determines we'll be entering vampire territory quite soon, "There's a small strip of vampire land that is alongside the mountain, just like this."
So far we haven't encountered anything except for a small animal I'm not familiar with and those bizarre colorful birds I've seen glimpses of in the city, who must be skittish. These birds fly in flocks above us. Their exotic songs and calls are nothing I recognize or can familiarize with Earthen birds. Other than that we see no signs of people or creatures at all.
Eventually, we stumble across a path but it's nothing like the brick roads of Province City, is it even considered a road? Not in my eyes. Maybe large stone was laid for people to walk upon, but that had to be hundreds of years ago. The stone below our feet is mostly covered with forest debris and overgrown with fresh moss.
Perry points ahead, "This looks vaguely familiar, but if it is the road I'm thinking of it was not this worn last I was here."
I can't imagine what it looks like during the summer months. Will it be overgrown and difficult to trek through?
Not much longer into our adventure the terrain begins to change and we're going uphill. The part of Elyria I've been in is mostly flat because the ocean is nearby but the countryside here consists of small hills, steep overhangs, and mountainous inclines.
We have approximately an hour more to go, and I'm feeling the pressure on my leg already. The hills are way too much for me after we've gone up some steep slopes. Not only this but it gets denser and darker the deeper we get into this forest. Soon the sky will be dark enough to where we can't see with a thick canopy of vines above. I hope the small lantern Perry holds will be enough light.
Abruptly something off from the left of the path catches my ears, making me stop in my tracks to listen. With no ability to see very far because of the closeness of the trees and the dim lighting we have left, I'm uncomfortable knowing something is near. It comes straight in our direction, every one of its four feet making soft crunching noises-tiptoeing?
Perry tries comforting me, claiming, "You have nothing to worry about Ellie, the three of us are here to protect you."
He for sure has night vision but my ears can top his eyes in a situation like this. He for sure can't see through trees, but my ears can. The creature starts moving faster, its feet hitting the ground loud enough to make me understand it is a larger animal.
Ahead of us, Leddy groans, "Let's go, I'm not going to stand for this bullshit of crying wolf when you didn't see anything." She apparently is not in the mood for me being paranoid. I don't want to run into a dangerous creature here, so I listen to my surroundings.
"I don't know what roams these woods in the evening," I sign.
"What is it?" Abe questions.
"I heard something behind us." I point to the left, "It sounds big."
"I don't see anything," Perry assures me once more.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of a small round figure.
"It's fine, it's just a rabbit." Perry sighs.
My stomach falls, knowing first off the rabbit is not what I was hearing and secondly, it better not be a mysterious talking rabbit who somehow traveled to Elyria from Earth. Of course, I expect him to be from my home planet, there's no way he'd be talking if he wasn't.
Leddy stops ahead crossing her arms over her chest, "Come on, I can't see now. Keep up."
That's what she gets for being a princess and not wanting to hold one of the two lanterns we have forcing Perry and Abe to hold them. Her shoe stomps on the ground with a thump. She mumbles cuss words under her breath, "Light that, why don't you, Perry."
She becomes impatient and works on leaving us behind again as Abe helps us light the second lantern. It's only a small handheld glass bottle, with a textured top and a metal ring wrapped in horsehair-looking material that Abe lights.
Afterward, Perry pulls me along once more, this time not letting go of my hand. I glance over my shoulder, almost afraid to see the rabbit. My stomach drops finding that he's not there. I wonder if he's following us?
An overwhelmingly loud set of feet continue to follow us, every crunch, every bone movement, breath, bodily function, I can hear. It sounds like it's right behind me, teasing me. After minutes of excruciating sound, my senses get the best of me. I release Perry's hand, spinning around and walking in the direction of the noise.
A slight growl stops me and this time I run back toward the group, "There's something out here!"
"Elenor, come on-" Leddy spins around, but when her face meets mine her expression changes, and her mouth falls open.
A huff is heard from behind, and slowly I turn my head to peek nervously over my shoulder. I catch a glimpse of massive yellowed fangs and a hound-like snout before Perry is intervening with another blink of my eyes. Leddy comes beside me ready for blood, pulling a knife out of a holster in her pants. She's unable to get to the animal before Perry has it pinned on the ground.
The animal has no room for reaction or instinct at the pace its vampire opponent moves. Only a whine comes from its mouth, a cry sounding exactly like a hyena cry. Perry grabs its neck and holds its muzzled closed, choking the animal and watching it squirm.
From a distance, a louder hyena call echoes throughout the forest. The animal is walking the forest floor carefully, possibly searching for a scent to follow. I come to conclusion the animal is many yards away.
"Shit!" Leddy mouths, "They're coming."
With that Abe pulls out his weapon, ready for another to emerge from anywhere. I point in the direction I heard the animal, "From that way."
"Shhhh!" Leddy hushes me. She speaks under her breath, "They have incredible hearing."
I smile, "I do too."
Perry gazes around slowly, scanning the area for more enemies. I watch him tighten his grip on his newly found prey and then lower his head to it. This time, it is more intense. I can't remove my eyes, knowing what he is going to do. His body movements are slow this time like he is getting ready to savor the moment.
The lantern placed beside them is just enough light for me to see everything; his mouth opening and biting ahold of the animal's neck. The creature's legs move, scratching its claws against Perry's arm, though he doesn't slip. His muscled arms only flex harder, securing the animal under his body. I hear the sound of ripping flesh and right away Perry is spitting out a chunk of hair and skin onto the ground beside them. As he takes a breath I see the fist-sized hole in the thing's neck, blood spilling down the side of Perry's arm.
Its bushy tail spins around in a circle aggressively as Perry goes back, not caring about the crimson-colored liquid dripping from his chin. This time I watch closely, interested in the vampire's mouth on the animal. His victim flails around, and its nostrils let out huffs of agony.
Perry's neck starts to convulse as he gulps the animal's blood down his throat. I'm slightly sickened by this but at the same time, I'm intrigued. I can't look away, suprisingly enjoying the gruesome scene.
His green sapphires are clouded by the darkness, appearing black but still reflecting the glowing flame of the lantern beside him. This causes a fear to arise inside of me, something I want to explore more.
A thump is heard off to my right, telling me another animal is on its way prepared to pounce at the appropriate time. Even if these things know how to strategize, they can't hide from us. I gesture in the direction of the second beast understanding I can't speak or I'll irritate the animal.
Leddy sneaks off and before I know it a third one is heard from the same direction. I move to Abe, pointing to Leddy and signing two with my fingers. He reacts immediately by following close behind his sister, gripping his large knife that appears it could be built for a grizzly bear.
Knowing the twins will handle themselves fine, I divert my attention back to Perry who continues his killing slowly. When Perry lifts up for a breath I notice the gaping hole to be much larger and bloodier than before. I cover my mouth, trying not to gasp from utter shock and fear. The animal has not stopped moving in the man's arms but hasn't untangled itself from him one bit.
I hear Leddy and Abe a few yards away, greeting the second animal with their weapons. I only hear one whine before its flesh is split open and there's a thud on the ground. Gurgling prevents the animal from calling for backup, and thankfully its heart stops beating soon after.
In front of me, Perry watches his injured animal struggle for a second but then goes down to rip the rest of its throat out. When a sudden pain appears in my chest I'm unable to contain my emotions or the tears welling in my eyes. The man in front of me now has a blood-covered face and a twitching animal in his lap.
I hear Abe and Leddy in the background after the third animal, this one howls louder than the first. And as it rings in my ears I stare at the bloody corpse of one that Perry lays on the ground. The animal doesn't look like a werewolf, but it is similarly fluffy with a bushy tail, almost like a big fox. I see odd spines or whiskers sticking out of its back and its large ears that stick up like a donkey.
Perry gets to his feet, spitting a chunk of flesh out of his mouth. It splats on a rock besides our feet. His lips are stained red, and a streak of blood still runs down his chin and arm. He licks his lips slowly, making steady eye contact with me as if I'm next.
I take a step back, watching Perry quickly wipe his pale face. He gazes around slowly, checking to see if we're alone, then swiftly breaks the distance between us by holding me in his arms. Immediately it's like a breath of fresh air, but he smells like blood. His touch makes my body release that tenseness, and I realize I was biting my lower lip.
His clean hand brushes my cheek, rubbing his thumb along my flesh gently, "Please don't be afraid, I've got you."
A screech interrupts our quick conversation and instantly I know it's not the third animal Abe and Leddy are actively taking care of right now. More sounds respond, similar to the hyena yelps but longer and louder. It sounds like a whole pack.
We have to leave!
My mouth falls open, knowing the vampire's lips didn't move. His voice was so clear in my head, just like the last time. But I can't come to terms with how it's possible. Am I crazy?
He scoops me up in his arms like I'm as light as a kitten, smearing animal blood on my arm. Once we grab the lantern on the ground and meet up with Abe and Leddy, we go on the move.
"What are those?" I whisper.
"Chupacabras."
I gasp in horror, "They're real?"