Hadagery, Book of Canaan

Chapter 6: Penumbra

Chapter 6: Penumbra

The rain come to an end. Puddles were left behind. Whilst clouds spread athwart the land. A thick silver-gray mist. So thick Hadlin could barely see his hands. Likewise the nine foot fence had been lost from sight. However his fear of the carib festered and boiled. Where had it gone? It was just there. Cursing all his luck, because he couldn't see a thing.

Whatnot kept whining, ''Lets go..." Jerking Hadlins ear when he didn't answer, "Lets go..." Hadlin shushed the drowned fuzz ball. He'd thought he heard something. Something coming from the vicinity of the fence. His thoughts weighing heavily on the fact that the carib may have made its way here. Hadlin strained to listen. Hearing a noise here and there. Still no carib. By then he started to relax a bit. Telling himself, "I'm jumping to conclusions." If the carib had been here he would've seen it by now. He retracted the idea of seeing, given that he was in the midst of fog.

That's when he heard the water. As if it were spilling over something. Followed by the waves of the water crashing along the sides. Hadlin was beyond alarmed. Something was coming out of the puddle. Hearing each splashing step it made. It sounded quite big. Whatnot even sounded worried, "Lets go...I don't like this place." Hadlin felt the same way, maybe more so considering the loud splashing. The first thing that had come to mind was, "Carib." Terrified Hadlin inched his way backwards. His heartbeat increasing with every step. He couldn't see in front of him, nor could he see behind. The carib could approach from any side. He was basically a sitting duck. Hadlin clutched the book tighter. Nearly jumping out of his wooden body every time leaves or twigs crunched under his feet. Where did the creature go? He didn't hear anymore sounds.

The silence seemed more deadly than any sound. Hadlin continued to back up. Whatnot started to yank at his ear again, making a whimpering sound. Hadlin noted the fuzz ball was pointing behind them. Despite the warning Hadlin had backed up against something large. His arms restricted to his sides. His heart feeling as if it burst from his chest. That's if a wooden heart can do such a thing. Hadlin tried to twist around to see his enemy, and fell backwards to the ground. Expecting to see the carib on his way down. Whatnot was howling in his ear. Just as two dark limbs passed over him. The limbs making a wide pass back and forth. However the sounds reminded him of a bush. Hadlin murmered, "What in Canaan?" He grabbed one of the limbs. It was a limb of a pine tree. He got on his hands and knees. Taking a closer look. When even more limbs came into sight. Discovering that two pines were sitting side by side. The greatest thing was there was no fog at ground level. He released the limb. Watching the limbs collide against others. The motion unearthing a hidey-hole beneath the two trees. Which would've been otherwise hidden by the tree limbs.

Leaves crunched somewhere behind him. Terrified he had no time to think. He had to find somewhere to hide. Withal the hidey-hole was the obvious spot. In he crawled under the pines. Slithering into the hollowed space. Realizing for the first time Whatnot had been yanking on his ear. The sounds drew closer. Hadlin turned just in time to see the shadow of something pass the pines. Soon thereafter the sounds faded away. Then he breathed a sigh of relief. Whatnot was whining, "I want to go home." Hadlin wanted the very same thing.

Truly looking at the hidey-hole for the first time. It was a child's stronghold. A place to protect them against bad things. It had succeeded in saving him. The hole was lined with a dirty old quilt. A musical tin crank carousel, a wooden heart, and people made out of sticks. Hadlin dared to crank on the music tin. It no longer could play music, nor could the horses scarcely make the turn around. In spite of its other defects a door opened on the centerpiece.

Inside the door was a candle. The candle glowed with a bluish flame. Hadlin by all means was confused, "How can a candle still be lit?" His first thoughts were that someone was still close by. He warily glanced through the fringe of the tree limbs. Sure if they were out there he would see them. A new thought occurred to him, "Could've the shadow been the owner of this stronghold?" That would mean he scared them away. Looking back at the candle it was curious how the wax didn't seem to melt. How odd? Hadlin reached in the carousel half expecting to get burned from the flame. However he never caught fire, nor was it really a flame.