The Shadow of Eons

Chapter 4

 "What shall we cook for dinner tonight?" mused the monster. "Perhaps some fingers, an eyeball or two? We have some rats' livers we could use for flavoring, do we not, my dear? What do you think? Or perhaps some frog spawn? They're tasty this time of year, I think. . ."

Jonas awoke painfully. He hoped this was not Heaven and that he had not died, for he thought that he could still hear Volsemuth speaking.

"Oh, don't mind me, Timmy," said the thing, with something that amounted to almost sadness. "Just go on saying nothing. I know you don't have much to say. They never have much to say in the end."

Volsemuth was speaking madness, but Jonas did not much care. It was already maddening to have been struck by so many spears of rock that one did not know how many pieces one had been cut up into. Jonas was just thinking of escape, any means of escape. And it was then that he felt the cool air on his cheek.

He turned in its direction and found himself staring at blackness, an area of the cave which was not reached by the moonlight pouring in from the entrance. An escape, he blearily thought as he struggled to get himself up from the ground. His legs didn't seem to be responding. Feeling around, he found that there was a large stone weighted on top of each of them. He hastened to push them aside and did so with difficulty, sweating and panting against the boulders like they were live men who were trying to wrestle him to the ground.

"I feel sleepy," Jonas heard the little boy murmur.

"Don't worry," came the voice of the monster, grating and evil. "You're almost there. You're home now. You can let it all out. Feel the warmth of the cave, and let. . .yourself. . .come. . .out!"

There was a hissing sound, as if a kettle had been left too long on a fire. Jonas turned from his labors soon enough to see a yellow steam of . . . something, which was escaping from the boy's body somehow, as if he was being sublimated into his primary gases and released into the air.

Volsemuth inhaled. There was a whooshing sound as the gaseous vapors entered its lungs, and then a long gurgle as the monster let the breath out. "Ah," the creature said with satisfaction. "That was good." Then there was a low rumble, as a snore emerged from its nostrils and it slumped to the floor.

Jonas rushed up to the monster and shook it. It didn't stir from its slumber, and only rolled over, moaning softly.

He put his hands around the monster's throat and squeezed. It was to no avail; the monster's hide was simply too thick, and he could not get a fix on the windpipe. He let his hold go and turned to the boy.

Timmy was sitting in the circle of the monster's loose grip, staring straight ahead at nothing. Jonas passed his hand in front of his face, but there was no reaction. "Boy!" Jonas shouted at him, practically screaming in his ear. "Do you hear me! We have to go now, we must leave while the monster still sleeps!"

The boy stood up, seemingly startled into submission. He began walking forward, away from the monster and toward the interior of the cave.

"No, no!" Jonas told him, blocking the boy's path with his body. "The entrance to the cave is the other way!" But the boy simply walked around him and continued on. Jonas snatched at him, but his hands just bounced off the boy's flesh and couldn't find any purchase. His hands wouldn't form a grip.

"I must join the others," Timmy said, and continued walking into the dark depths of the cave. Jonas hastily followed.

He bumped against sharp edges and walked headfirst into rocks jutting out from the cave walls, but Timmy seemed to know where he was going and did not slow his pace. Eventually, they came out into a large cavern, which was well-lit by torches ensconced into the crevices in the rock walls.