Book of Curses (The Renning Chronicles) by L.D. Hutchinson Read Free Book Online

the panic grow stronger; suddenly I heard a sound I never thought I'd be so happy to hear - Tom groaning.
     
    "Tom!" I screamed, practically in tears of joy. I felt the panic starting to ebb away.
     
    "Ugh, Ra-Raine?" He asked, lifting his head slowly he stared at me for a while obviously waiting for his eyes to adjust, soon he was giving me an 'Are you real?' look. "Where are we? Where's Christie?"
     
    "I don't know." I began quickly, all I knew was that I was freaked out, and I wanted him to know that. "I think; I think it's all a REALLY bad dream, or maybe we're dea-" I was cut off mid-sentence . Letting out a short scream from the sharp pang that bloomed into white- hot pain in my right arm, I glared daggers at Tom realizing what he'd just done.
     
    "Feel that?" He asked me as he arched one of his eyebrows in a questioning way, he cocked his head to the side slowly trying his best to look innocent.
     
    "Yes, I fucking felt that!" I snapped at him, letting the venom in my voice seep out as much as possible. I wanted to tear his head off.
     
    "Not a dream then, I think we need to find a building or some people... Something." He told me, standing up as slowly as he could, as if his body was starting to hurt. I was more interested in what was going on behind him. I was frozen in fear as I looked, I mean yeah, I wanted to find people… but these weren't normal people, or they didn't look the part at least.
     
    “I think; people found us.” I said to him in a hushed whispering voice, my eyes glued behind him still.
     
    Tom turned slowly to focus on the group of men who stood behind him. I stood up quickly, nearly falling over in my haste and rushed over to Tom, who was still looking them over.
     
    “Halt! Who are you?” A male voice boomed; it was like he was speaking through a loud speaker.
     
    “R-Raine Renning.” I managed to get out. My eyes were wide as I studied them all for a moment.
     
    “Thomas Renning.” Tom put his hands on me to help steady me when I stumbled over my own two feet for a moment. His attention returned to the men and we both heard murmurs spring from all of them. They kept glancing towards us; I was beginning to wonder what they were talking about, but I was definitely too scared to ask.
     
    “Are you… Human?” The one who'd first spoken, asked looking us both over again.
     
    “Yes, are you?” Tom arched his eyebrow as he asked the question.
     
    “No, I am of Lycanthrope blood.” He announced, keeping eye contact with Tom before carrying on. “You must be the humans of legend. We've all been told your arrival would be soon, and no sane human would wander in our lands.”
     
    “What?” I asked loudly, that wasn't something you hear every day. “Listen you need to see a doctor. Lycanthrope’s do not exist, well possibly in children’s books, or perhaps Hollywood, but not reality.”
     
    “Hollywood? What is that?” Another one of the men snapped their heads up, looking at me as if I was the alien.
     
    “No time, follow us quickly; we’re on our monthly hunt.” The first one stated. No sooner did the words leave his lips than he was walking off with the others following him. I looked at Tom, and he nodded his head and starting to follow. I took a breath and followed after him, trying to keep calm.
     
    I got my first glimpse then of exactly how many men were standing there, around twenty of them, and four had stayed behind to follow us. I didn't understand what was going on, and I was seriously feeling paranoid about the ones who were behind us.
     
    We didn't walk very far though, before we heard an ear- splitting howl that seemed to be coming closer and closer. Every hair on my arms and neck rose on end; all of the men froze in place when the one in the lead stopped and grunted...
     
    “Looks like they've moved closer, just up ahead boys.” The man shouted so loudly I thought I felt the ground vibrate for a moment.
     
    Glancing over at Thomas uncertainly,