The Golden Key

7. THE CREATURES (3)

    Getting to Laura's granny's house, Klein's phone rang. He answered on loudspeaker, "Hello, Jace. It's been long. How's Lizzy?"
  
Jace replied, "she's fine, she's here with me. Where's Laura?"

Laura moved closer to Klein's phone, "I'm here"
Jace invited, "where are you guys? You should come join us"

Klein hesitated, "I don't know, we're kinda in the middle of something."

Lizzy pleaded, "please don't say no, Klein I want to see you and Laura."

Klein agrees, "okay, we'll come to your house soon."

Jace exclaimed, "No way, we're at Du-Locke park!"

Klein warned, "No, no, no. Please leave there and go home. It's not safe outside."

Jace scoffed, "Not safe outside? What do you mean? Come on, dude. What's wrong with you? Have you forgotten our date nights here with our girlfriends?"

Laura urged, "please, Jace, take Lizzy out of there. It's getting late"

Jace hung up, and Lizzy asked, "what do you think, Jace? Should we go? There's no one here and they aren't coming."

Jace laughed, "Don't tell me you're actually buying that."

Lizzy stood up, offering jace her hand, "I just feel we should go home. Stop being an asshole."

As they strolled hand in hand through the park, the fading light casting long shadows, Jace's head jerked up, his eyes fixed on a figure in the distance -a tall, imposing form wielding an axe. Lizzy's voice trembled "what's that?"

The figure, dressed in a tattered black cloak, it's face hidden behind a grotesque mask, began to move closer, the axe gleaming in the fading light. Lizzy's eyes widened in terror. "Is it Halloween?" She whispered, her voice barely audible.

*****************************

    Meanwhile, Klein and Laura were getting worried. "We need to go to them, now! "Klein urged, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios. Laura nodded, and together they rushed towards Du-Locke park, their hearts pounding with anticipation.

As they approached, they saw Jace being held by the troll. The troll angrily lifted him off the ground, choking him. Lizzy was shocked "oh my God, what is that?"

Dalai warned, "A troll, one of Xanthous's creatures. Very dangerous and brutal. We have to act fast, or Jace will die."

Klein watched in horror as Jace struggled to breathe. Laura gasped her eyes fixed on the troll.

Dalai stepped forward, "let him go," he said firmly. The troll threw Jace aside, and he coughed, gasping for air. Dalai asked the troll, "what do you want?"
 
The troll growled, "The Golden Key." Lizzy was surprised, "Did that thing just speak?" Klein whispered, Trust me, there's more to see."

The troll demanded, "where is it?"
Dalai replied, "We don't have it." The troll snarled "Wrong answer." Meddy protested, "it disappeared when I touched it!"

The troll turned to Meddy, it's eyes blazing with anger. "So it's you, human. How is it even possible. Last chance, where is it?"

The troll dragged Meddy, holding her neck, "If you don't have the key, you will have to die. "Just as the troll raised its axe, a gunshot rang out, and the axe fell from its hand. The troll disappeared, leaving Meddy shaken.

A figure emerged from the shadows, gun in hand
"Who are you?"  Laura asked curiously.

"My name is Kiara Sunshine," she said, her eyes gleaming with a hint of mystery.