How to Slay a Beast (Book 1)

Chapter 13

"He ran off."

"What?" I sat up in bed, fumbling with the phone as I tried to put on a sweatshirt.

"Enoch ran off into the woods---Matthew was yelling at him---" Jade was sobbing, "We're trying to find him."

"What is it?" Merry walked into my room, her hair mussed from sleep.

"Enoch ran off---okay we're coming, we're going to help you look," I said, getting out of bed, "Don't go far----- do you have Matthew's gun?"

"That won't help," Merry said, just standing in the doorway, shaking.

"Stay here---stay here," I said, squeezing Merry, "Wait here---I'm just going to drive over there."

"Don't go in the woods," Merry said.

"I won't—honey," I lied, picking up my backpack of explosives. Very, very carefully. "Just wait here."

**

"I hear it," Del stopped. We were just walking, staring up at the pines. "It's hunting."

"I don't hear anything," I said, stopping as well.

"You won't until it's too late," he said, his voice shaking.

"If it comes after you I'll shoot it."

"I don't think that's going to work."

"I'm going to try."

There is a scream.

"That's coming from the lake," I said, spinning in the direction of the scream.

"Let's go," he said, and we ran.

**

"Enoch---come back here, right now!" Matthew shouted. He was carrying his gun.

"Baby---come back, please come back," I said, I was close to crying, "Just come on back we don't want you hurt that's all."

"Enoch come back here and I won't be angry with you if you come back right now!" Matthew called.

"I'm calling the police," I said, starting to dial my cellphone.

"NO! No don't do that," Matthew said, taking his phone, "He's here, he's right here he's got to be right here."

"But that thing is still out there—"

"It's a bear, okay? Bears are out there, and they are more of afraid of us then we are them, we're making noise, and he's little, he won't have gone far."

"Give me my phone back---I am calling the cops they'll help us find him," I said, lunging for my phone.

"No, now come on, just help me find him," Matthew said, putting the phone in his pocket.

"Enoch!" I shouted, turning. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to run back to the house, get the landline---but my baby was out here.

"En, come on now boy, I'm not angry with you, just come on back," Matthew shouted.

**

As soon as my mom was gone I ran to my room to get dressed. Enoch was out there alone to face it. I couldn't let him do that. I had the sword, it was in his room at the old house, hidden under the bed. The gun wouldn't do any good I found that out the other night. Only the cold metal could slay the beast.

**

There were more screams. My feet slipped on the rocks as I made my way down towards the lake. I couldn't see anything, the moon was behind a cloud. Del was with me then he ran past me. always running too fast, away, into the other space and time that bound him now.