The Caterpillarian

Chapter 8

Was it over? Was it really over?

Amatoshi was as dead as . . . well, as a skeleton. But was this nightmare over? Had he been the one setting us these tasks? Were we free to leave?

Before I could confirm anything, I glanced over at Alison, who was leaning on the bed with her elbow, her hand on her—more than likely throbbing—cheek.

"Are you alright?" I asked, my breaths loud and heavy.

"Yeah, not bad," she said with a tint of sarcasm.

"What about you?" I asked Jasper, who was still on his back, head down and eyes shut.

He opened them. "Please tell me he's dead."

"Looks like it."

He got up to his feet, climbed over the bed, and leaned against the wall on the other side. "Just in case he's not."

I sighed. I really hoped this was the end.

"Jasper, try the light," I said, pointing to the switch on the wall.

He did.

The darkness remained. Anxiety hit me in the stomach. Did that mean it wasn't over?

"Let's just go back to my room," I said, deflated. All we could do was wait. Would another moth appear?

Alison made sure to take the beehive with her.

As I entered the hall, the muffled sound of the piano hit my ears. Well, that moth was still here. Was that the confirmation it wasn't over?

We stepped into my room, each of us taking a seat on my bed. Again, the music was a source of comfort. It was the only thing I looked forward to right now.

For a while, it was the only sound. My friends must've felt the same.

"Well, if there are more tasks," Jasper started, "at least we don't have to worry about Amatoshi anymore."

That was true. Though, I wouldn't have been surprised if something new started stalking us.

"I wish I was the one who'd finished him off," Alison said, still cupping her cheek. She punched the bed in anger.

"I almost got finished off," Jasper said before looking at me. "Thanks." And then he turned away, his face almost bright enough to light the room.

He would've done the same for me. But it felt good to know I'd saved a friend's life.

I gazed down at the sword. Now that I had the time, I could really admire how cool this thing was. And I'd actually used it to defeat a monster.

"You looked so cool when you were flying through the air with that thing," Alison said with a grin, looking over at me.

"Can I have a go?" Jasper asked.

Technically, it wasn't even mine.

I handed it to him and he stood up. "Ah! Leg's still a bit sore." Once he'd limped over to the middle of the room, he started swinging and posing with it. "We should get the thing that holds it, later."

"It's a sheath," Alison informed him.

"Sucks I'm out of sunrinkens," he said, lowering the sword and his eyes. "Suppose we don't need them, anymore."

"We've still got the beehive," I shrugged. It was currently in the corner of my room, shining its light on us.

"That's not quite as cool," he said and then turned to it. "No offence."

The moths on the floor caught my eyes. I finally got up, scooped them into my hands, and dropped them into my bin.

That felt good.