Young Writers Society

Kamria's body (ghost)

How could I have been so stupid? June caught me and now I think she is on my case. I walk back inside my room. I don't want to just sit here forever until a week is up. I sigh and just sit on the big couch I had. I heard someone trudging down the hall but I didn't worry about it. I might just go sit in my dungeon, but, that would suck since now I am inside a body.

Another ghost appeared before me, I froze. "Abigail?" I ask but immediately cover my mouth. "Hi Kamria." She sat beside me, I was happy she did not realize it was me. After all she was my cousin. "Yes?" I ask. She looked at me a little weird and just sat in silence.

"You have been acting weird, what is on your mind?" Abigail asked. "How am I acting weird? I mean I'm fine. Couldn't be better." I replied. "Your not as hyper as normal." she said then vanished. That was my favorite part about being a ghost, you could just vanish.

Kamria

"I'm so sorry Sarge!" I tell him as I see him on the leash. I immediately went to June's room. She is a good friend of mine maybe she will see me. When I got there she looked as though she was almost in tears. "I wonder what is wrong with her. It's like I can feel her sadness. I wait a minute and just think. ITS IVAN! I thought to myself.

I seen a red headed girl appear in front of her. "Kamria is weird today." she told June. I made this chance to try and get inside June's body without hurting her soul.

I pushed my way through. "Abigail. Help. Kamria." Is all I could say before I was shot back out. Dammit to hell. Abigail looked confused and she went towards my room. I sighed, I was really getting agitated. I could see June didn't realize what exactly just happened.

I sat beside her a while and was just talking my heart out even though she couldn't see or hear me. "I hate being a ghost." I tell her. "It sucks, and no one can see me." I groan. "Please June, if you can really hear me, It's me Kamria, I need your help." I tell her.

I wait a minute and flash out of the room.

Cal Jenson

"Sire I heard two people went into those woods in the back of your plantation." my maid had told me. My eyes widened. "What?!" I yell. I didn't mean to be rude to her but it just so surprised me. "I need to get out there as soon as possible, I must find them!" I say and get my keys then run to my car.

I had to stand there a minute and catch my breath for running so fast. I had told them to help me in the plantation not back in the woods, there is something in there, way to big for two people to handle. I had a sneaky suspicion that it was the guys who had went out there. "Damn you Nick! I had put you in charge for a reason!" I yell while driving.

I got to the plantation an hour later and jumped out of the car. I ran inside. "Where is Nick and Ivan?" I yell. No one is in the main hall. "Get down here everyone." I scream. I guess I scared them because they all came into the main room at once. "Where the hell is Nick and Ivan?" I ask politely as I could.

"They went to solve a mystery in the woods." June replied. I rolled my eyes I just didn't know what to think or do. "I told yall to solve the plantation not go into the woods, there is a force way bigger than any of yall out there." I told them. Everyone gasped and I could tell June and Meg were the ones worried the most.

"What do we do now?" Meg asked. I shrugged my shoulders, "I will be going to get them." I tell her. "Yall stay here and if I hear anyone go out there after today, I will have consequences." I say. Then I trudge outside, heading towards the woods.

I could feel the heaviness already. I didn't expect people to be so stupid as to go out there, it even looked dangerous. Thankfully I know my way around this place. "Nick!!!! Ivan!!!!" I yell. No one answered and I just went deeper into it. I knew they had to be somewhere near me.

I was about an hour into the woods, I seen footsteps in the grass, I followed every inch, I even ran some. Finally I found them. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" I yell at both of them. "We are out here following something we saw earlier if you don't mind." Ivan replied. I took a breath so I wouldn't yell. "This is dangerous territory, yall should not be here." I tell them.

Before either of them can say a word I start to tell them a story.

"I would like to tell yall a short story." I say. "We don't have time for a story." Nick replies. I can tell he is getting annoyed but that didn't matter. "Long story short, there is something bad out here, I'm not exactly sure what it is. But, It can kill you. I've seen it. Luckily it doesn't bother the plantation house up there."

"I told yall to come to the plantation to solve a ghostly mystery, nothing I don't think yall couldn't handle." I say. They both roll their eyes. "You know what, I'll give yall until midnight tonight to be back at the plantation. If yall find what yall are looking for, good. If you don't then you still have to come back. I will be there waiting, and if yall aren't back when I say but yall come back after, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to send ya'll home." I tell them.

I walk off back to the plantation. "Deal." Nick and Ivan finally say. I smile and go back up to the house.

Rheyalyn Creatrix

Everything is so confusing, and happening so fast.

I don't even know where I am right now.

I was wandering around, and I had been keeping to the border of the plantation. Somewhere in time I had sat down on the ground and stared up at the sky, my mind blank, before standing back up and walking into the field itself.

Again, at some point, I had stopped and sat down among the plants, before getting up. Now, I was trying to find my way back out of the field and to my cabin. I gasped sharply as I tripped over a tangle of plants, then growled in disgust.

Losing my way was one of the things I hated most. I looked up at the sky and hoped I wouldn't totally lose my way.

---

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, I reached the edge of field and grinned. Thank God I'd found my way back! I searched for the mansion, tiny in the distance, then started running towards it, growling again as I tripped over yet again another stick. I fell into the dirt, and sighed with displeasure as I inspected my palms, which were scraped and full of dirt.

I wondered if that Cal dude would let me back out of the deal. I was starting to have my doubts of this place, and really wanted back my cozy hotel room and art stall at the weekly farmer's market.

I picked myself up, my face set in a frown that deepened as I heard laughing. I straightened and glared at the person behind me, my deep blue eyes turning a stormy gray.

(Anyone's welcome to reply to this. I really need to get more active, so...)

The confrontation-if you could call it that, he had just yelled at us while we stood there-that we had had with Cal about going into the forest. When he had originally approached me about coming here, he had said nothing about boundaries, so I had no intention of following his new rules, consequences or no.

I was back in my room cleaning of the rust from my new weapon, of course I had no idea how to use it, but that wouldn't deter me from trying it out. I strapped it back around my waist and was about to walk out of the room, when for no reason, I scooped up my bag with toe shoes in it.

I made my way into the front room and started to walk out the front door, when I thought better of it, I should try my best to get out unseen, so I decided to try and use the hidden room that I had happened upon earlier that day.

I suck into the kitchen and into the hidden hall. One by one I started to explore the passages. I was looking for one that led into the forest so that no one would see me entering it, because it was obvious that Cal had the house watched.

After several dozen tries, I finally found the one. I climbed up the ladder and lifted up the wooden hatch and blinked into the bright sunlight after the darkness of the tunnels. I looked like I was fairly deep into the woods, so I lifted myself up out of the hole and covered the hatch with the leaves that looked like they had been covering the hatch.

As soon as it looked reasonable, I started to look around for what was so bad that we were told to stay out of here.

I wandered around for about an hour, and after a while, I started to lose my sense of urgency and basked in the dappled glow from the sun. I laughed and hopped up onto a tree stump, I felt on top of the world right now.

Out of the shadows there came a low grumble, and I whirled around, my hand going to the handle of my sword. A huge black mass jumped out at me, and I fumbled with the sword, unable to get it out of the sheath in time.

It jumped on top of me, knocking me off the stump and onto the leaf covered ground, knocking the wind out of me, and freeing my sword from my body into the leaves. In a desperate attempt to save my neck, I kicked the monster in the stomach and screamed with everything I was worth. It rolled away from me and I reached for the one thing that was within reach, my toe shoes.

I grabbed one out of the bag and raised it above my head, prepared to bludgeon it to the best of my ability, but it seemed distracted. There was crashing around in the forest and I realized that Ivan and Nick must have heard and come looking. It started to move away from me, and i realized that I had just put them in some very serious trouble. I couldn't have their blood on my hands, so I threw the shoe at the monster's head.

It turned it's glowing eyes back to me, and I threw the other shoe. It resumed it's advance on me.

"I did not think that through." I said to myself. I turned around and started to run for all I was worth, only slowing for a second to scoop up my sword before continuing to run for my life, deeper and deeper into the forest

Dayna Thorion

I find Hanorah in our room, crying her eyes out and in shock. I try to pursuade an explaination out of her, but she only spits out some gibberish about blood on her hands, and something coming out of the woods. I put her in bed with a mild sedative, to let her sleep off the shock. When I'm sure she's comfortable, I strap on the arsenal. Every weapon I have goes somewhere on me. Sarge comes off the leash, and his focus is sharper than ever now. He knows it when he sees it.

We leave quietly out the back door and cross the fields, going towards the woods. I am startled when I trip over a form laying in the grass in a ditch. My god! It's a person! I kneel down beside him and check for a pulse. There's blood everywhere in the ditch, a gory mess. At first I believe he's dead, for his skin is cold. But then I feel a heartbeat, so faint and fluttery that at first I can't believe it. But then I realize that he's only cold because of the mud in the ditch, which is cold and slippery. He's covered in it, along with what I assume is his own blood, and it makes identification impossible. I am about to send Sarge back for help when a scream echoes from the hills. His ruff stands up and he barks to raise the dead. I climb out of the ditch and unhook my handgun from the hip holster. Locked and loaded.

But what I see almost makes me drop the damn thing. Rowan comes tearing out of the woods, screaming her head off. Ivan and Nick follow close at her heels. Nick is limping, and Ivan half-drags him along. Then chasing them from the trees comes a nightmare beast. It is twice the size of a bear. It looks like a black-furred timber wolf, but it's eyes glow red. It's teeth are long and sharp as knives, its claws like scimitars.

I know, at this range, I might as well throw the gun. But I run towards them, firing the gun at the monster. But I run towards them, firing at the beast as I go. Nick is lagging, and Ivan can't keep him going fast enough. Rowan's screams have stopped because she is gasping for breath as she runs. I need to get the beast's attention away from them, if only for a moment.

I finally distract it when my bullet strikes home. I get it in the shoulder. Though the wound is by no means fatal, but it changes directions. I run.

Nick

"Did you hear that?" Ivan asked. We stood quiet for a moment and It sounded like a long as rawr. We ran towards the scream. It was a big black thing trying to attack Rowan. I took out my knife, and stuck my knife inside it. The thing let out a rawr, "Run girl!" Ivan yelled. She didn't hesitate to run.

The monster turned toward us and we started taking off. It got its claws into my leg. I fell to the ground, "Come on man!" Ivan yelled and pulled me back up. My leg hurt bad. We kept running, finally we weren't far from Rowan, she was screaming bloody murder.

We passed Dayna as she was headed this way. I fell again. "Lord, this is not my day." I say and jump back up. "I cant keep going man, it's cut deep." I said talking to Ivan. He pulled me. It hurt like hell.

I managed to get into the house, and fall onto a couch.

**Sorry it is short, I am a little busy, someone can take it from here.

Meg

I was sitting in my bed, stitching myself up from what that stupid ghost. I was very worried about Nick because he was out there. After what Cal told us, I just could not get him out of my mind.

I begin to hear cries and screams and get a really bad feeling. I get up and force myself to run into the living room, despite to horrible pain in my side. I see Nick laying on the couch, blood all over the couch. I rush over to him. "What happened to you?" He asks me.

"Nick, I am not the important one here. What do you want me to do?" I ask him.

"Clean it and stitch it up." He tells me.

I nod and rush to get all the things I need. Rushing back to him, I open the bottle to cleans his wound. "This might sting a little." I tell him. I pour it on to his leg and he winces. He was holding one of my hands and he squeezes it hard. I bite down on my lip, but let him. June come in and helps me stitches while the others helped everyone else. I keep a grip on Nick's hand and do not take my eyes off of him.

He brings my head to his chest and rests his chin on top in my head. "What." I begin to ask him, but he cut me off.

"I will tell you later, just not now." He says. I nod and wrap my arms around him, glad he is safe.

A few minutes later he tells me that he wants to go back to the room. I help him up and act as a crutch when I take him back to the room. I help him to his bed and sit on the edge of it, holding his hand.

When we get to the building, I collapse against an outside wall. I slowly release mt death my grip on my sword sheath and think to myself, I'm just like Clara.

The irony that this thought brings to me makes me laugh, just a giggle at first, but then I start to shake with the hilarity of it.

I threw my to shoe at the plantation's equivalent of the rat king!

I am positive that I wold look insane to a random stranger, laughing and babbling, but right now, I don't care in the slightest.

Hanorah

I woke up in a cold sweat,it was the middle of the day,I didn't even remember when I went to sleep.
I jumped out of bed,knowing I had to do anything to distract myself,I didn't want to think about anything.
I rushed down the stairs,seeing Nick on the couch,blood everywhere,Meg was nursing him.

'Where's Dayna?'I ask them.

'She was outside,with the beast'He replyed.

'What?' I thought,all her weapons were gone I couldent help her.

I stepped outside the front door to see if they were in sight,but all i saw was that Rowan girl,againist the wall laughing.

'Did you see Dayna?'

'Yeah,the beast was running after her'she replyed calmly,like nothing was wrong.

I turned to leave her with her crazy laughing fits when I saw a sword attached to her waist,I asked where she got it and she gave me the directions.

I ran back into the house,finding a sword attached to a leather belt,I grabbed it and pulled it around my waist in a second.There was a large selection of daggers,but I just took a random one and attached the seath to my ankle.

I ran out of the room and to the front door.

'What are you doing?' someone said behind me,but I didn't turn around.

'Daynas out with the beast alone'

'Your not going on your own,I'm coming with you'They replyed.

I ran out and heard them close at my heels.

"Shit! I did not think that out!" I shout as I tear off as fast as my legs will carry me. Sarge is just as fast, if faster. Over the hills I led it on a wild goose chase, though I always kept the house in sight. My sides were heaving and there was a killer stitch in my ribs. My breath came in ragged gasps, my legs pumped like pistons and still it was gaining ground. Slowly, inch by inch, it drew closer. Suddenly, Sarge barks at me sharply. He is going crazy as he runs! Shit. Oh, shit. This is not the time to have a grande mal! My head slowly begins to pound. I only run faster, despite the shivers running through my body. If only I can get to the house fast enough... Wait a second! I can't go there. I'll lead it to them!

Then I get this feeling. A sinking in the pit of my stomach, and an absence of fear. Total serenity and resignation. I am going to die. "I am going to die" I think. "Sarge, go to the house." I command him. He hesitates, indecisive. His training to care for me is warring with his training to follow my commands. "Go. GO!" I shout at him, and he peels off towards the house. Hanorah needs him. I won't, in about two minutes.

I turn in a different direction, to lead the monster away. My ears are ringing with the force of the migraine, and my breath is faltering. My legs are seized in fits of shaking, and I am not far from stumbling. I am about to give out when...

I stop laughing after a few minuets and realize that two epileptic girls are out there with a monster, and I'm sitting here. I slowly rise to my feet, trying to form a battle plan, but all I can think about is Clara throwing her shoe at the rat king.

Finally I give up and run up to my room with for my dance bag with all of my shoes in it, the least I can do is distract the monster again.

I race back outside, ignoring the curious gazes that everyone is giving me, and start running in the direction that I last saw Dayna running in. After a few seconds, I see her being chased by the beast, and she is starting to slow down. I don't know what's wrong with her, but I pick up my pace, driving myself to run faster that I have ever run before. i run past her dog, Sarge, but I don't give it a second thought.

When I am within a few feet of it, I take out one of my clogging shoes and aim it at the monster. At that same instant, she falls on her face and it looks like she is shivering. The beast is about to pounced on her when i throw my shoe. The hard double metal of the heal hits it in the eye as it jumps, knocking it slightly of kilter.

"Come at me!" I shouted at him. I knew I must look ridiculous, but as long as I was keeping the monster's attention away from Dayna, I didn't care.

I threw one of my tap shoes at it, then grabbed my other clogging shoe, dropped the bag, and started to advance on it. It growled threateningly as I came even closer to it, but I continued to advance.

Out of the corner of my eye i could see movement, but I ignored it. When I was within three feet of it, I threw the other shoe, this one nailed him in the head. Now it's attention was fully fixed on me.

I started to back up, and my sword bumped my hip. I had completely forgotten that I still had it strapped around my waist. I drew it out of the sheath and it glittered menacingly in the fading light.

It jumped at me and I swung my sword, hopping to cut it in half, but the blade was dull from it's years of disuse. I could see my blade cutting into the beast, but it didn't go as far as I had planned for it to go. It landed on top of me and I could feel it's claws cutting deep into the mussel of my shoulder.

Suddenly, there was another blade coming down on it's head, this one much sharper than mine had been. It sliced through the neck, severing it clean off. I brought my hands up to shield my face from the rush of blood brought on from the decapitation and rolled out from under the dead animal.

I got up slowly, my shoulder searing with pain, and stared straight into the face of Hanorah.

"Thanks." I managed, before turning around throwing up my meager lunch.

"Are you OK?" Hanorah asked me, but I just waved my hand to where Dayna lay. I could hear her run over to the unconscious girl, and I wished there was something I could do.

Then I saw sarge running through the grass, with what looked like a bottle of medicine in his mouth.

"Sarge." I choked out, trying to get her to see the dog.

"Sarge!" She yelled after a few seconds and she ran to him. She grabbed the bottle out of his mouth and raced back to Dayna.

Hanorah

'Open her mouth,Open her mouth!'I yelled.

Rowan struggled for a while,Dayna had her mouth clenched shut.As soon as it was open I poured to slimy medicine down her throat.

The fit lasted less than two minutes,she slowly slowed down at the end.We waited a few more minutes for her to return to consciousness.

'Wheres the beast?'She said I an instant,eyes focused.

'Dont worry its gone'

She bent her head slightly so she could see behind me,her eyes widening in shock.

'You beheaded it?'She asked,looking at the severed head in disgust.She sniffed her nose,the smell was vile.

'He was about to kill Rowan what was I supposed to do?'I asked.

'Fair enough,let's go to the house'She whistled sarge over,he looked completely focused now.

We walked back to the house slowly,it was getting dark now,the sun was setting over the mountains,it was a nice sight,one I may have cherished any other day.

When we got inside Nick was still on the couch,and Meg was beside him,holding his hand.

'Nobodys hurt this time,that's a change'Nick said 'Wheres the beast?'

'Which part of the beast,if I may ask?I smiled.

Their eyes opened in shock 'What?'

'She sliced its head off'Rowan said,she reminded me of someone from a movie,who was it?

'I wonder what Cal will say to that'Ivan came it gracefully.

I raised my eyebrow.

'He was yelling at Nick and I to get back to the house,he said we wouldent be able to stop it.

'Did you know if you cut off the head of a Hydra,two more come back'Thats it,now I remember,Rowan reminded me of Luna from Harry potter.

'That wasnt a Hydra'Dayna looked at her weirdly.

'Just a fun fact'She said and walked away.

'Ok...'I said slowly.

'Did anyone else get hurt by this beast?'Meg asked

That reminded me,I had completely forgot about James,I felt bad for forgetting him so easily,I hated myself for that.

'The boy James died'I replyed solemnly.'That reminds me,maybe we should have a funeral or something?'
They nodded in agreement.

'Ill go get the body,and start digging the grave'I said,I needed to do something for him,maybe it'll put my mind a rest.

I walked outside,and began my search for the body.

|Ivan Summers|


Ivan was hardly out of the front door of the mansion, Dayna's pack slung over his shoulder, and Dayna's gun firmly in his pocket, when he heard Nick call him.

“Hey, where you goin'” he called, running up behind him.

Ivan sighed and turned slowly,” I'm off to solve the mystery in the woods,” he said dryly, hoping that Nick would take the hint and leave him be.

But he did no such thing, he nodded seriously instead,” I'm going with you, you can't go alone! Besides, I'm good at hunting down things. Wait here, just give me three minutes.”

Turning, he rushed back inside.

For a moment he played with the idea of just leaving without Nick, but decided that would be a bad idea seeing as Nick would follow him, helpless.

It was a good five minutes before Nick jumped back out of the house and ran up to him,” okay, maybe a bit more than three minutes.”

Ivan narrowed his eyes,” yeah, a bit more,” his features hardened,” look here: If you mess up and get eaten then I will personally shoot you!”

Nick frowned,” uh . . .”

Ivan sighed,” you get what I mean.”

“I guess.”

“Good,” he said firmly, turning back toward the gloomy forest, lit only by the light of the stars. Still.” We need go get to the forest quick before it gets too light, I have a feeling these critters aren't gonna be hunting during the day.”

“Forest?” Ivan spun around and saw June, a soaking wet girl dragging along beside her, pacing towards him.” You guys are going to the forest? Are you insane, Van, you should have at least told me!”

Ivan raised an eyebrow in reply, glancing curiously at the soaked and shivering girl,” Yes, and how exactly was I to do that? What with you missing the whole night?”

She looked slightly deflated, but not put out.

He took a step closer to her, causing her to take a step back,” what? Are you worried?” he asked, smirking.

“Of course not! Why would I be?” she replied instantly. Almost convincingly.

Right.

She stared up at him for a few moments, daring him to back down . . . he didn't. Finally she lowered her eyes and took another step back.” Don't get hurt. You too Nick.” She said, still looking down. The two of then turned and headed back toward the house.

They'd hardly been going for half an hour when they ran into Cal. Literally. The thickly built man stepped out of the bushes right in front of Ivan and got shoved backwards violently. Ivan jumped back with a surprised yelp and reached for his gun, only to realize who it was.

“What the hell do you think you're doing!” he yelled at them.

“We're out here following something we saw earlier. If you don't mind.” Ivan said, his voice cold.

“This is dangerous territory!” Cal hissed, his voice controlled now,” ya'll shouldn't be here! Look, I'd like to tell ya'll a short story-”

Nick cut him off,” we don't have time for a story. Short or long.” Ivan flashed a quick grin at him. They didn't.

Cal glared at him,” Fine! Long story short, there's something bad out here! I'm not exactly sure what it is, but it can kill you. I've seen it! Luckily it doesn't bother the plantation house, but this forest is it's territory!” He glanced nervously about the ominously dark trees surrounding them.

"I told ya'll to come to the plantation to solve a ghost mystery, nothing I don't think ya'll couldn't handle." Ivan rolled his eyes. Suddenly Cal stopped, and started to take a different approach." You know what, I'll give ya'll until midnight tonight to be back at the plantation. If ya find what you're looking for then I won't expect you to ever be back! But if you don't, which you better pray you do, then I expect you back at the plantation house by midnight! I will be there waiting, and if you aren't back when I said, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to send ya'll home."

Ivan shrugged, they had no option,” deal.”

Cal nodded tersely and turning, headed back for the plantation house. He hadn't gone but a few steps when Ivan stopped him.

“Cal!” he said,” let's just get one thing straight. If anyone here gets killed then I'll be holding you personally responsible. If that happens, then I'll be calling in some people qualified for this kind of thing: Not a bunch of kids! I can assure you only one thing if that happens: You'll lose your incredibly precious land! Watch what you do.”

Cal looked ready to spit fire, but he left without another word. Ivan shook his head. He'd meant it. This mission would pass a line if deaths were introduced. Slowly he loaded his pistol. That line wasn't going to be passed, not if he could help it.


“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!”

Ivan almost fell over at the sound of the screeching, horror-filled cry. Out of the bushes burst a girl, her eyes filled with terror. She tripped and fell forward, landing on the forest floor.

Right out after her jumped a monster of nightmares. A massive, glossy black, red eyed, fang slashing ball of fur, twice the size of a bear, and as agile as a cat: Death itself to anything that wasn't heavily armed.

Nick leaped at it, seemingly without thinking, and slammed a knife into its side. Brave. But in return for the strike the monster batted him off of his feet and slashed open his leg with razor sharp claws.

Ivan spun to the girl who had tripped,” Run!” He yelled. Without looking to see if she did, he jumped forward and fired his pistol point blank into the monsters face. It roared and leaped backwards, giving him just the time he needed to lean down and heave Nick to his feet,” Come on man!”

They ran into the forest, the monster crashing through the trees as it pursued them, but Nick was dragging them down. Suddenly they burst out of the trees and there stood the person they needed to see most at the moment: Dayna.

She levelled her larger pistol and shot at the monster, but all it did was turn and charge for her. Unharmed, but now enraged. She cried out and ran the other way.

Ivan sighed, and gave Nick a shove,” Nick! Get to the plantation! I've gotta help Dayna!”

Nick nodded, his face pale and began to hobble for the plantation house, towering in the distance. He looked like he was in a lot of pain.

Slowly Ivan turned and readied his pistol. A couple hundred bullets left. Time to see how much that monster can REALLY take.

Throwing every ounce of strength he had left into his legs, he charged forward, rushing across the field in the direction Dayna and the beast had gone. In the distance he heard a scream, hurry up! Now would be a really bad time to be late.

Suddenly his eyes fell to the gun, held firmly in his grasp . . . it was tiny, painted black, hardly six inches long, but as he glanced at it, his eyes strayed to something he hadn't noticed before . . . a notch, with the words Single, Semi, and Auto written opposite three tiny little marks around it.

Suddenly he skidded to a halt. This thing would be no match for that monster. Not now, not ever. Not unless . . . tearing Dayna's backpack off of his shoulders he pulled it open. Lying there, on top of a long coil of rope was exactly what he'd hoped to see, a long black cartridge, holding at least seventy bullets. YES!

Quickly he pulled the pistol's old cartridge out, tossed it to the side, and then replaced it with the new one,” why didn't you tell me your pistol was automatic!” he hissed to himself, turning his eyes back in the direction Dayna had gone.

But just at that moment the forest seemed to explode. Out of the trees burst another monster, and this one was, if possible, even bigger than the first one. It towered twelve feet in the air, standing on it's back feet like a grizzly, roaring down at him. Oh, hell!

Frantically he stumbled backwards, desperately trying to get the gun into the 'Auto' position, but the dial wouldn't budge, Dayna! If he didn't get to her she'd be dead! Suddenly the gun clicked, the notch went into position, and without hesitation he leveled the weapon at the beasts head.

His lessons using pistols paid off during the next five seconds. The air was filled with the sound of bullet after bullet exploding and sending little balls of lead slamming into the monster's body. For a moment the beast tottered there over him, roaring in pain, and then it fell forward.

Oh, da-, his thoughts were smothered as the beasts dead body smashed into him, knocking him off his feet and sending the pistol spinning out of his grip.

Suddenly he noticed something. He wasn't dead! Desperately he took a deep breath through the monsters thick fur, and then, getting his arms under his chest, he shoved with all his might. Slowly, inch by inch, he lifted himself up, then, with a final heave, he threw the two ton body off of him and rolled out into the early morning light.

Reaching down, he picked up his pistol, and was about to head in the direction Dayna had gone when he saw her, and two other people, staggering toward the plantation house, she made it out!

He smiled, the feeling so foreign on his face, and fed the dead monster a few final bullets, nobody messes with my friends!

Slowly he turned his gaze back to the dark forest behind him. In the shadows he saw movement . . . massive shapes moving through the trees, faster than any animal should be able to move.

He took a deep breath, and turning, ran after Dayna and the others. He couldn't take on another one of those things.

"She sliced its head off" Rowan was saying as he entered the sitting room of the house, staring up at Hanorah.

He glanced apraisingly at Hanorah. She had killed one of those monsters! . . . not quite the type of thing I expected of you.

"I wonder what Cal will say to that" he muttered, shoving his way in.

Hanorah glanced at him, an eyebrow raised.

"He was yelling at Nick and I to get back to the house earlier" Ivan explained," Kept saying we wouldn't be able to stop it."

"Did you know if you cut off the head of a Hydra, two more come back. That's it,now I remember" the Rowan girl said. Ivan raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, there are plenty of them to go around." He muttered, but didn't think anyone heard him.

"That wasn't a Hydra" Dayna said, looking at her weirdly.

"Just a fun fact" She said and walked away.

"Did anyone else get hurt by this beast?" Meg asked worriedly.

"The boy James died" Hanorah replied, looking pale." That reminds me,maybe we should have a funeral or something?"

Ivan froze. Somebody had died. Everyone filed solemnly out the door. He had to take care of this, he had to call help. When people started dying then the adventure turned into a nightmare. People. Would. Die.

He couldn't let that happen.

He reached for his pocket, but then froze. But what if he did call help. What then . . . then he would go back home. No. He wouldn't. If he called in the law then the problem would be solved, nobody else would have to die, all these kids could go home . . . but the whole adventure, the change, and the thrill, would end.

He stood there, unsure of what to do. I can protect them, he said to himself. I can keep them safe. Me and Dayna and June . . . we can do it. We can solve this mystery. We can do something real. I can do something real, for once in my life.

Slowly he replaced his phone. One more death, he promised himself, and I'll call in help.

Now they had a funeral to take care of. And then. Then it was time to get serious about this.

But first he had to talk to Cal.

Stepping into the study he found the thickly built, black-haired man sitting worriedly on a couch, flipping through an old book. As he entered he looked up, surprised, and slipped the book out of sight." Ah, Ivan," he said, rather oddly," glad to see you alive."

Ivan raised an eyebrow," I'm glad to be alive. Cal, I need to talk to you."

Cal licked his lips nervously and nodded," okay, about what"

Ivan dropped into a chair facing him and began to speak," Cal, someone died today. Some guy, just a kid, got torn apart," he raised a hand, keeping the other man from speaking," now! I'm not going to be calling in the law and police and all that. I think we can handle this, but I need to let you know that if we're going to do this then we've got to have no bounds. We have to be able to hunt those monsters. Follow the secret tunnels. And turn this house inside out."

Cal frowned for a moment and then nodded," okay," he said," do what you have to. Just . . . be careful. I've got things I want here, things that I need. Don't delve too deeply into the forest either. There are a lot of things in there that I don't understand, not just the bear monsters."

Ivan nodded solemnly," also, if possible, I could use some weapons to solve this. I get a feeling that I'm giving you a lot of help in clearing this whole thing up. You owe me."

Cal shook his head," you're under-age. It's against the law for you to carry a firearm."

Ivan chuckled," well that didn't stop me today, did it! And who cares about the law anyway, I don't think you do! If you did then you'd call in the police to solve this!"

Cal shrugged," fine, but if you start shooting each other, don't say I didn't warn you!"

Ivan nodded, satisfied," get us some heavier caliber stuff please. 22. pistols don't do enough."

Cal stood, the book tucked under his arm, and nodded," I'll send one of my men in with some weapons tomorrow. But be careful."

Ivan nodded," I will be."

Once my stomach had settled, I ventured back out to grab my dance bag from where I had dropped it. There was blood everywhere and I almost threw up again thanks to the smell. I grabbed the shoes I had thrown-thankfully they had nothing on them-grabbed my bag and ran back to the house. I was unarmed and I didn't trust myself to be out here in the dark with whatever lived in the forest.

When I made it back, I dropped my bag in my room, scooped up my sword, and went over to Dayna and Hanorah's room.

Dayna opened the door when I knocked and I shifted to the side to let her have a better view of what I was carrying.

"Could you help me learn how to use it?" I asked her. She gave me a stern look before nodding her head and admitting me into her room.

A broadsword is different than a machete, but I modify my style to accommodate the change. Rowan and Hanorah pay close attention as I demonstrate with my weapon, which Ivan had returned.

One doesn't just walk off a grand mal seizure, though. I feel like I've been run over by a semi. So I tell them more than I show them. Hanorah is doing very well, though Rowan seems timid. After a few hours of the rudimentary basics, I am comfortable with giving Hanorah some second-level exercises. Still mild, of course, for her neck is still in a loose bandage. Rowan is a bit timid, and still shaken. I help her clean and sharpen the blade, and she seems a bit more confident after that.

Downstairs, the others are making as little fuss as possible with burying James. Hanorah I keep up here, to spare her the mental anguish. I am also sparing myself, for he was alive when I got there, wasn't he? I'm sure I could have done something more. I could've saved him in the nick of time.

Rowan calls it quits later in the evening, and I take the welcome chance to rest. Too much strain and I could have a relapse. Hanorah, too, is tired from swinging the heavy broadsword with two hands. I talk to Nick and Ivan before I go to sleep. What a relief it is to hear that we're getting some bigger weapons tomorrow! I am smiling as I go to sleep, for I am thinking of having an AK-47 in my hands. Now we're talking!