Claude's eyes snapped open as he was jolted awake by a cacophony of distant shouts and cries piercing the quiet of the night.
Confused and concerned, he sat up, rubbing his eyes to ward off sleep's tight grip on him.
Yet, it did not take long for Claude to realise that what he was hearing wasn't a remnant of his dreams. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Claude threw off his blankets and stepped out of his bedroom.
The house was silent and dimly lit by the moonlight seeping through the windows. As he moved through the hallway, the echoes of commotion from outside only grew louder.
Passing the dining room, Claude noticed Raymond sitting rigidly in a chair by the table. His usual calm demeanour was replaced by a look of deep concern that immediately drew Claude's attention.
"Old man, have any idea what this is about?" Claude asked as he gestured toward the source of the noise outside.
Raymond, twirling his narrow, grey beard thoughtfully, looked up with a start. "I'm not too sure, kid," he replied in a steady voice.
However, what he kept to himself, was his intuition that these were not mere shouts of irritation or the typical quarrels they occasionally heard from the village. No, these screams were different—they were desperate, filled with pain and terror.
Raymond stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the wood floor. "Claude, just wait here. I'll go and see what's going on," said Raymond.
As Raymond hurriedly draped his sheepskin cloak over his shoulders and grabbed his walking cane, whilst Claude watched him, puzzled.
Raymond's brisk movements belied his usual pace, prompting more questions to spring into Claude's mind.
'When did he become so agile? And why has he always made me do all those chores if he can move like that?' Claude thought to himself as a wry smile stretched across his face despite him finding the current situation rather peculiar.
Shaking off his thoughts, Claude approached the window and gazed out into the night. The sky was drowned in thick, heavy clouds, concealing the stars, like a vast canvas drenched in ink. 'Were nights always this dark?' he wondered silently.
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Outside, Raymond's steps quickened as he approached the heart of the village, guided by the increasing volume of the chaos. Clutching his cane for support, he navigated the familiar paths with an urgency he hadn't felt in years.
'What on earth could be causing such a commotion?' he thought, his mind racing as he tried to prepare himself for what he might find.
The village square was normally a place of laughter and lively chatter. Now? A scene of utter panic. Villagers were scattering in every direction, some clutching children or belongings as they fled.
At this point, Raymond was already wary of the source of this chaos like never before. To cause chaos and mayhem like that it shouldn't simply be something like thieves or some neighbourhood spat.
'Are there bandits?' That was the only thing Raymond could come up with to explain the current situation.
Raymond's eyes searched the crowd for any sign of what was driving this terror. His gaze fell on Tom whose face was now contorted in pain as he tried to limp away from the chaos behind him.
"Tom! What's happening? How did you get hurt?" Raymond called out as he reached him, placing a supportive hand under his arm.
Tom looked up, his face pale and sweating. "Raymond... Just run... You can't fight them... They—" His words were cut off as he stumbled, unable to maintain his balance. Raymond caught him just as he collapsed, the life seemingly draining out of him in an instant.
Shocked, Raymond gently lowered Tom to the ground, checking for any sign of life. A cold realisation washed over him as he understood that Tom was beyond help. He stood up, a deep sense of dread settling in his stomach.
Clop! Clop!
A distinct sound cut through the noise—a sound that seemed to be getting closer. Raymond turned toward it, his heart pounding.
Clop! Clop!
With each beat, the sound grew louder, more ominous. Raymond felt the hairs on his neck stand up as he finally saw the source of the sound.
"Oh! Merciful queen of stars above... How is this thing here?!"
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Snapping Claude out of his stupor was Raymond who rushed inside, panting heavily. His eyes bulging, his face pale and sweaty.
Seeing the worn-out appearance of his teacher, Claude hopped off his chair and rushed to help Raymond stand.
"Old man, are you okay? What happened out there?"
Questions shot out of Claude's mouth as he finally began to worry, he realised that this might not be a slightly out-of-control village squabble but something else entirely.
"I- I'm fine"
Amidst his rapid breathing, Raymond mustered enough energy to spit out a few words. After calming down his breathing, he looked at Claude in front of him.
"We're leaving..." Raymond looked as if he had aged a few years as he uttered those words. "What do you mean leave?"
Claude felt bewildered by Raymond's words.
Why were they leaving?
What about everyone else?
Are they in some sort of danger?
However, Raymond just ignored the questions bombarding him and dragged Claude by his arm outside of the house.
Claude, still confused by what was going on, didn't resist as he understood that his teacher wouldn't go about harming him.
Nevertheless, his mind was still wandering about the others in the village and how they were doing.
This worry wasn't exactly sated once he glanced behind and saw a rather sizable inferno engulfing some parts of the village.
'Was it just a fire? If so what are we doing coming here?'
Time soon passed as the duo trudged their way through the forest. 'Aren't we heading over to where we collected those flowers?'
The field Claude was thinking of was where he and the other kids from the village collected the dandelions earlier today as well as where they usually hang around to play.
But, before he could sort out his chaotic thoughts, Claude soon heard a sound that sent chills down his spine.
Neigh! Neigh!
From behind him and Raymond, a strange screeching echoed. It sounded similar to a horse's cry, but yet so... strange and unfamiliar?
Compared to a normal horse, this one sounded much lower in pitch with a distinct ferocity within it, if Claude hadn't seen a few horses in the village stable he would have thought that was the sound a predator made.
Neigh! Neigh!
As the creature cried out again, Claude could feel the grip of Raymond's hand on his arm tighten ever so slightly; yet, Raymond still adamantly kept dragging Claude forward as if he was trying to pretend the sound had never existed.
Claude, unable to resist his unending curiosity, turned his head around to see what was behind him. As he twisted his head back, he soon saw something. Something he dearly wished he hadn't seen.
Vaguely illuminated by the dim moonlight was the silhouette of a horse, which could slowly be seen trotting towards them.
Every time its hooves smashed against the grass, a soft thud could be heard, each time sending a cold shiver down his spine.
A pair of red eyes glowed in the darkness, moving closer with a menacing gait. The creature that emerged from the shadows was like something out of a nightmare.
Claude stared in horror as the details became clearer—a horse, but not just any horse. This one was monstrous, towering over any grown man by no small amount, its presence alone enough to instil a primal fear in Claude's mind and body.
Its skin seemed to have been stripped away, exposing pulsating muscles and veins that throbbed with a sickening rhythm. A foul stench filled the air around it, and the ground where it trod seemed to decay instantaneously.
But it was the eyes that truly terrified Claude—the empty sockets glowed with an unnatural red light, casting an eerie glow that seemed to pierce straight through him.
Beside Claude, seeing the creature before them, Raymond clenched his teeth, bulging green veins appearing by his temples.
"How...How did a subspace anomaly get here?!" His voice, laden with frustration and dread, sounded in the still forest air.