Remnant Of The Gods

Chapter 11

Thumping to the ground, I had to contain a small victory dance at my success and, feeling more than a little giddy, I headed off towards the road. I knew it was too far to my destination, especially at this hour of the night- morning? - and on the way to the home, I had spotted a phone booth not too far away. I should have remembered to bring my old mobile but when Mary had taken it from me for messaging my friends too often, I hadn't fought her.

I called from the payphone and when the taxi pulled up to the gates of the cemetery, I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, especially when the driver hesitated at leaving me in this eerie place. I knew I had to face this... This thing. There was no other person I could go to, and I just had to know what it was and more importantly- why I am the only one that could see it.

It surprised me that even in the dark, I could see. I saw the dull wavering solar lights placed sporadically throughout the cemetery. This was going to be easy. It was just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. I had no idea where the shadow could be but, as I was here, I might as well visit Mary once more. It was comforting to talk to them regardless of the creepy shadows that surround me. The minute I set foot into the cemetery I felt the same eerie calm I had when we came to see Tony's resting place. I figured it was the influence of having Mary, or even her spirit so close to me and that comforted me some.

I found Mary first and told her everything that had happened lately, I might be crazy but it felt better to just talk about it with her. Next was Tony's now overturned soil. It was a little harder to find as it was part of the private burial positions. I apologised profusely to him, pretending to myself that he was able to hear me wherever he had gone. I told him all about what his parents had done, and updated him as I had done with Mary previously.

As the first hints of light pierced the trees, I hadn't realised how much time had passed. If I had thought about my drooping eyelids, I supposed it would have registered earlier that I had been here for hours, yet still the shadow was yet to show itself. Giving up hope for today I picked up my backpack and headed for the gate feeling a little foolish for thinking a figment of my imagination would simply appear because I had wanted it to. I hadn't realised what had happened until it was too late as I found myself landing on my backside, feet splayed in front of me. My head spun as I cursed my clumsiness when I realised that I was on top of a mass of black- fur? Arms? Something? It took me a moment register two things simultaneously. The first was that the shadow had finally shown itself and second, that I had literally tripped over it on my way out. And it was solid. Oaky, three things.

It thankfully took less time for me to comprehend that it was lunging for my face. I scrambled backwards desperately trying to get away from its hulking form and still having almost no time to process what had happened when two jaws snapped shut not a foot from my nose.

I stared into its red eyes and the fire within them seemed to dim. In that moment it was as if we had connected, its attack forgotten as we looked at each other. My gaze travelled down its body now that I could see it. It was- well it looked like a dog. It was like its coat was made of a constantly moving shadows, its four legs stood firm, unmoving and yet its fur rippled like wisps of smoke. My head cocked to try and see all of the form as it had a canine looking face, features and - yep - a tail. I was transfixed at its huge form, it would easily stand at least a head, or three taller than the largest dog I had ever seen.

It's ears pinned themselves back as it stamped its feet in what looked like agitation, moving slowly into the pale light from the moon, revealing itself in all its glory. It was a beautiful morning to die, I thought. The terrifying creature elicited images of death that I was able to push back, placing a mental barrier between my sanity and those images. I hadn't come here to die and I started to look a little more closely at it, was it somehow wanting me to think about death?