| ~ Chapter Two ~ | |
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The tribe didn�t mourn the passing of Geric. Burgolf explained to the tribe, that Geric had been responsible for the missing tribesmen. The night passed with no more missing people. The next morning a few members of the tribe inspect the wreckage of Geric�s home. They searched long into the day, but no one could find any remains. It was decided that the next time a holy man was in the area, they would have him bless the whole area. Burgolf asked for the title of tribe elder, no one challenged him. Burgolf stepped in with ease, and began directing the tribe back to getting ready for the winter.
The months passed without any further incidences. A few people claimed they heard noises a kin to wolves fighting in the night. Burgolf would go on hunts to find these wolves, but he never found anything. After a few nights the wolf voices seamed to disappear into the night they came from.
Winter moved in, the nights grew longer, and darker. A quiet grew over the land that no one questioned. The birds grew song-less; the bugs all but stopped their cries, the local game fled before the winter arrived. The wind carried in the snow. It began to fall in slow even amounts. At night the fog mixed with the snow, to create a thick veil over the land. People wouldn�t leave their homes after dark.
Engera laid in bed, listening to the wind howl, fearing to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Hubert laughing at her. He looked different, and she couldn�t understand what was wrong. He looked thinner, and she could see thorough him. His laughing face was streaked with red, as if his veins were trying to escape his skin. She didn�t think his laughter was the fun kind.
He would follow her, always mocking her. She would start to run, and he would be right behind her. Her running would go on, until she collapsed of exhaustion. She would cry, and he would laugh at her. She felt like hours had past, but he would just circle her and laugh. He never tried to talk to her, or help her in anyway. Before she woke up, the fog would slowly move in, her bother would fade into it. She would wake with an uneasy feeling, and feel more tired when she went to bed.
She once tried to tell her mother about the dreams, but Ada just gave her a hug, and set her to a chore. Energa felt as if something was wrong with her. She would jump at shadows, and hear things when they weren�t there. She began to fall asleep as she stood. Her sister, Gisla, was constantly waking her up. Her family tried to make her smile, but she felt herself fading from exhaustion.
She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, forcing herself to stay awake. Gisla lay next to her asleep. Energa tried not to wake her. The wind started howling, actually shrieking. Energa huddled lower in her bed, trying to warm herself. The howling grew so loud she couldn�t stay still anymore. She got out of bed and began to pace the room. Trying to decide if she should wake her parents. She stopped in front of the door, and tried not to run away. The howling stopped. She stared at the door, growing with dread. She heard light footsteps leading away from the door. She reached out and opened the door.
The fog moved slowly, thicker then soup. She concentrated till her little brow wrinkled up. She couldn�t see or hear anything moving. She felt herself being pulled into the fog. Two yellow eyes appeared, a few feet off of the ground, in front of her. The eyes moved a few feet back. She felt her heart jump. Minutes seamed to pass, and she did not move. She felt herself relaxing, as she stared at the strange yellow eyes. Slowly her heartbeat slowed, she felt herself turn around and return to her bed. She slept. Gisla had to shake her awake the next morning. Her bother had not visit her dreams. Instead she found herself dreaming of yellow eyes. Energa went about her chores with a clam heart; the shadows would not scare her today.
That night Energa lay in bed, waiting to hear footsteps in front of the door, she didn�t have to wait long. She hurried to the door and opened it. The eyes waited for her. She sat down at the edge of the door not sure what she should do. She felt herself being pulled into the eyes again. She woke up the next morning, with Gisla giggling at her. She had fallen asleep at the door. Someone had closed it sometime in the night. After a few nights of waking up at the door, she moved a small amount of her bedding by the door. She began to forget about her laughing bother. The months past and Energa still slept by the door, under yellow eyes.
One night she tried to step out of the house into the fog, but the eyes disappeared, and she was left alone. She cried herself to sleep that night, and vowed not to do anything to chase off the eyes. The next day she picked flowers and laid them outside her door. The eyes visited her again the next night. When she awoke the flowers were lying next to her, and the door was closed. She slept like this for the next five years.
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| Chapter One Chapter Three | |