Chapter 3
Cocking his bow silently, Skye got ready for the hunt. He was the swiftest, the most careful, absolutely silent hunter in the village. And he was failing spectacularly. In the woods, underneath the tree bows, he had once been invincible. Now he stumbled and cracked twigs and sneezed at the worst moments possible.
The young buck was a little ahead of him. It was lame, probably attacked by a wolf the earlier night. You’re not the only one, thought Skye dryly. He drew back the string and held it, tense and ready, at his chin. His aim was true, right for the buck’s heart. It wouldn’t hurt so much. A quick death. He wished the same would happen to him.
He loosed the arrow… and missed. He swore and kicked the leaves, making them scatter, as the deer was frightened away by the arrow, which had imbedded itself in the ground at its feet. He knelt down and tugged at the arrow. It wouldn’t budge. Why was he so weak now? Surely Aleera hadn’t drained him so much, he couldn’t pull an arrow from the soft ground. In a fit of desperation, he yanked so hard, the shaft snapped cleanly in two.
He thrust his head to the sky. “Why me, God?” he whispered. “What have I done to deserve this? I’ve been a good kid. I’ve done all that you have asked. I love my Pa and I love my neighbour. I don’t steal or kill needlessly. Why is this happening to me?”
He was crying now, tears falling thick and fast. He curled up between the roots of an old oak tree and sobbed his heart out. When he had finished he was as hard as steel. Never would he wallow is his own self-pity again. He would be strong, ruthless if he had to.
Suddenly, voices to his left. He swirled around. The jerky movement provoked one of the many headaches he got as a result of the blood loss he was suffering. He blinked it away and started forward, following the urgent voices. He stopped behind a forlorn looking spruce and listened.
“You cant be frightened, Phantom?” sneered a voice Skye didn’t recognise. For a split second, he thought they had spotted him and were addressing him. But then he heard his Pa answering.
“No! I am not. I just… I don’t think this is right…”
“What makes you think that this is supposed to be right,” laughed the other voice mockingly. Skye risked a glance at the scene. His Pa was standing with his back to him and Skye could clearly see the man standing opposite him. A tall brutal looking man. He was somehow animal, in the way he twitched and spoke. He was lean and powerful looking, like a wolf. His blonde hair was strangely streaked with grey yet he seemed quite young. He had a horrible sneery face, with sharp teeth. Skye immediately hated him, even though he had no reason to.
“You’re a sick twisted freak!” snarled Pa and Skye felt a sudden rush of affection for him.
“Don’t talk you me that way!” hissed the other man. “Apologise now!”
Skye raised his eyebrows. Nobody talked to Pa this way. He was respected and well known. The man would get a beating for that, and it would serve him right. He was treating Pa like an ignorant student. But to his great surprise, Pa bit back his anger and bowed rigidly.
“Forgive me… Master… I spoke out of turn…”
“Good boy. That’s quite alright. It’s your first time. I can expect you to be nervous.”
The man didn’t look like he cared much.
What was this? Master…? What was going on? Good boy!? Why was this guy talking to Pa like this. The sun had set long ago and Skye shivered in the night air. There was to be a full moon that night, but it was hidden behind the clouds at the moment.
The man looked at the sky, licking his lips, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He was waiting for something. What…? They didn’t have long to wait.
Three things happened
First, the moon was revealed, spilling forth light and turning everything to blue marble. It wasn’t warm light. It was ghostly, cold, unfeeling light. The kind that makes the night that much colder. The man’s face was illuminated, filled with ecstasy and triumph. Pa’s face was fearful and deathly pale.
Second, the two figures in the forest began to change. Skye didn’t see. He couldn’t look but he heard Pa’s screams of pain. So loud and terrible that he wanted to poke out his eardrums with a sharp stick. He screwed up his face and covered his ears with his hands, but the damage was done. Those screams would haunt us for the rest of his life.
Third, the forest fell silent, though the trees rang with echoes. Somebody must have heard. Somebody must be coming. No, he was alone. He knew that as he knew his own name. The lowered his hands. There was a curious rasping behind him. Then the soft sound of padded feet galloping away. It became dimmer until it died completely.
But the strange rasping breath continued behind him. It was getting closer. Skye couldn’t move, he was petrified with fear. He could feel the things breath on his neck. That pushed him into action. He wheeling round and faced a… monster.
“What is it?” asked Kitty frantically.
“Pa!” Skye sputtered. He couldn’t breathe. He had run so hard, so fast, so long. He was drenched in cold sweat and shaking uncontrollably.
“What about him?” insisted Kitty. “Tell me! Has something happened?”
“No! I…! A wolf…! It was a wolf!”
“Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Never better,” he laughed. He was hysterical, beside himself with fear. “I’m telling you! With great bulging yellow eyes and jaws that could crush a carthorse. Teeth like razors and greasy thick black fur and paws the size of dinner plates! It was Pa, Kitty!” He was yelling now, shouting at her. “He was the wolf. He couldn’t control himself. He was going to kill me!! Kitty! He was going to kill me!!” His voice rose to such a pitch in his fear.
Kitty stared at him. They had both heard tales of Wolf Men who roamed the hills, killing villagers and stealing babies, but Pa…? Not Pa!
Heavy breathing behind him. Skye turns only to be met with a face and snout covered in black spiky fur. Two yellow murderous eyes rolling with madness. A drooling snout full to bursting with knife-edge fangs, snarling with the utter hatred of all living things.
Yelling frantically, he runs, tripping over branches and tree roots in his haste to escape. The wolf snags his tunic collar and yanks him back forcefully, knocking the wind out of him, and making his head spin.
“Help me!” He calls. But nobody can hear his cries and screams. “No!” he shrieks as Pa fixes his unstoppable jaws over his neck…
“Skye? Skye! Wake up!”
“No! Please! Help me! Help!”
“Skye, you’re dreaming. Wake up.”
It was his sister. He had been having a night-mare.
“Is Pa back yet…?”
“Yes… He looks weird… But that’s not the point. Aleera sent you a message. She says you are to go to her house. She says it’s urgent…”
Skye sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was see Aleera’s sneering beautiful face. But what could he do?
“Well, if it’s “urgent”, I’d better go.”
“Please, Skye. Don’t go. I can’t bear to see the way she affects you. You are so weak, so defeated! She’s killing you!”
“I know that!” he snapped irritably. Kitty shrank back and let him pass.
There you go. That'd be the 3rd chapter of the stpry of skye phantom, posted especially for seigfried (who actually doesn't like skye but then... what can you do?) anyway, it's quite short and a bit of a break from the vampires. I hope you like this. Again this is a first draft. I will be rewriting this apon your comments.
