Marysvale by Jared Southwick Read Free Book Online

clearing.
Whatever was back there terrified me. It would be getting light
soon, and I promised Smoke we’d stop then.
    After a short rest, I took Smoke by the
reins and led him away. I wouldn’t make him carry me any farther
without a longer respite if possible. In the meantime, I kept the
crossbow gripped tightly in my free hand.
    Eventually, morning came and, as
promised, we stopped. With the growing light came some unwelcome
news.
    “ Rain,” I muttered to
myself.
    Dark clouds gathered, blocking out what
I had hoped would have been the welcoming warmth of the sun. The
clouds weren’t even the gigantic, puffy thunder clouds I loved so
much. Instead, they were thin and gray and went on forever,
covering the whole sky and sucking the life out of everything,
including me.
    I unloaded the packs and gloomily
thought of my cozy cottage in Syre, with its warm little stove and,
more importantly, its roof. Stripping Smoke of his gear, I let him
wander around, feeding on whatever he found palatable. I selected a
tree that looked a bit more comfortable and a little less
moss-covered than the rest, and slumped down to the ground using it
as a backrest.
    Opening my packs, I checked my food
supply and found it exactly as expected: enough for one meal, maybe
two if I could exercise some self-control. Most of the supplies I’d
planned on taking were still waiting for me back at my cottage,
ready to be loaded onto another packhorse. Also, I hadn’t intended
to go in this direction. Fleeing to the south and meeting up with
the hunting party had been my original, hasty exit plan; or, if
that went awry, perhaps on to another settlement, where I could
miserably exist until they, too, learned what I was. I thought of
the irony and wished I really were a warlock and could magically
pull a steaming roast from my pack. Instead, I ate dried fruit and
a few pieces of dried meat. As it turned out, I didn’t have the
self-control I’d hoped for—I only got one meal. I made a mental
reminder to kill the first thing that moved for dinner. Smoke
wandered past… other than him, of course.
    During our long journey through the
night, I gave some thought as to where I should go. I came up with
four options: I could continue up north and live off the land; but
with winter around the corner, that choice didn’t really sound too
practical. I could return south and try finding the hunting party;
but then I’d have to travel close to the clearing and the creature
that lived there. I shivered involuntarily. Plus, the riders may
think of the same thing and start watching the surrounding country.
Thirdly, I could travel east; but there I ran the risk of meeting
those from previous settlements I’d fled. The fourth possible
choice seemed the best: travel west for a few days and then turn
south. I would find a town where I could get news of Syre, or
perhaps someone who would deliver a message to Mr. Shepherd for me.
While in the midst of pondering the last option, I allowed my head
to droop; and I gave in to sleep.
    While I slept, I dreamed of a strange
cabin lost deep in the forest—a forest much like the one I found
myself in now. For some reason, I knew I was supposed to go in, but
found the prospect frightening, and I didn’t know why. Hesitantly,
I walked up the stairs, across the porch, and slipped inside. At
first I thought there was no one home; but after a moment, I heard
the faint sound of women talking. As silently as possible, I crept
through the cabin, toward the soft whispers. Stopping outside a
door, I listened, straining to make out what they were saying. I
heard my name and realized they were talking about me. Curious, I
warily pushed the door open, unsure of what to expect. As I peeked
inside, the hushed voices suddenly changed to screams of terror.
The door burst into pieces and I was greeted by a gigantic, dark,
shadowy monster staring at me with silvery eyes. Stumbling back in
fear, the house erupted around me into flame and