Minstrel

Chapter #14 ~ Creak

It was nearly invisible against the grey sky. A ghostly woman of some kind, but not a completely whole one. Half the skin on her face was gone, revealing the bone and muscle beneath it. She wore a faded dress just as ratty as Creak's old one had been. The woman's eyes were the only thing that seemed clear. They were a bright, sickly yellow color with thin black slits for pupils.

The thing just floated in the air right above her and when they made eye contact it screamed again. Expect Creak didn't hear anything. It's mouth just opened, but no sound came out.

Cocking her head in curiousity, Creak tried to say something aloud, only she didn't hear her voice. She was sure that words had been formed and she had spoken, but she hadn't heard anything.

"You've gone deaf you idiot." Gorgos yelled in her head.

'Yes.' Creak thought. 'It's as if the world has gone silent.'

She looked up at the floating woman, whose eyes stared right at her. 'Can I name it?'

"Really!" Gorgos spat. "Are you a child?"

Creak was fifteen years old, so technically she wasn't a child anymore by Florencian standards. 'I still feel like one.' She told Gorgos. 'I think I'll call it a Silent Siren.'

She didn't wait for Gorgos to reply because suddenly her hearing came back and with it came horrific screams. The festival had been crowded and now people ran in every direction trampling each other in the process.

"This is chaos." She mumbled and looked at the terror in the faces of the people running. They were so scared, but Creak didn't know why. The silent siren wasn't moving so what harm could it cause?

"Why'd you take your eyes off of it!" Gorgos screamed so loud, Creak gripped her head in pain. Realization hit her hard and she whipped her head to where the silent siren had been.

It was so close now. They were almost noses to nose. She could feel it's breath on her face, air stale with the scent of death. It's eyes looked right into hers and Creak found herself just as paralyzed as the beast in front of her.

It couldn't move, so it couldn't get her. But she also couldn't move, so she couldn't get away.

'I'm trapped!' Creak didn't even realize she had been screaming until her voice gave out. Breathing hard, Creak could do nothing but stare into the eyes of death. In them she saw things... things she would never unsee.

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Pain! So much pain. Her stomach throbbed, but she was too scared to look at the damage. Something had cut her and it wasn't good. Rip crouched above her, his hands pressed against her stomach. "It's okay, Creak." He sounded desperate though Creak couldn't begin to understand why. Maybe she had to be alive when he brought her to the King.

"Creak! Look at me!" He pressed against her wound hard, sending a new wave of pain through her. Blood bubbled over her lips and she coughed, choking. "You have to look at me!"

"I'm tired." She managed to mumble around the red liquid. "I just want to go to sleep."

Rip looked down at her with pleading eyes. Oh how lovely his eyes were. So many different colors. Always a mystery. "You have to stay awake!"

"Why? Why won't you just let me sleep?" Creak's head hurt and her stomach shot pain through every inch of her.

Looking up at Rip, Creak saw something that intrigued her. His eyes were red... he was crying. Why?