Cerulean Found

Chapter 76 - Creatures That Go Bump in the Night

Josh's hand remains covering my mouth, preventing me from speaking. For a very brief moment, I wonder if he is just playing around about a possible attack. Could this whole thing be an elaborate attempt to scare me from continuing with my quest, I wonder. This has to be fake. There's no way this is real.

Josh stares off in the distance for a moment and I instantly know by the look on his face, that not only is he telling the truth about an ambush, but that he's worried too.

"They're tiny creatures and fear anything larger than them. When they feel threatened they usually win because they have so many fighting on their side," Josh quietly explains.

I instantly panic as my heart beats feverishly in my chest. Why did I have to scream? I silently curse myself. Me and my big mouth.

The whole forest grows quiet. It is eerily silent. And then a blanket of darkness engulfs the vicinity. It's so black, I can't even see Josh who is standing next to me, with his hand still cusped on my mouth. I can feel his heavy breathing on my neck. He is just as terrified as I am.

We stand there in the darkness for what feels like an eternity, as we wait for something, anything. But nothing ever happens. My mind draws the only logical conclusion, the Rapturives have left.

But Josh keeps his firm grip on my mouth, which I don't understand if they are gone. I push his hand away. "Josh, stop being silly, they're gone," I say.

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize what that actually means. "Oh great, now how are we ever going to catch..."

I stop mid sentence, as a loud rattle echoes through the trees. I turn trying to determine where the deafening sound is coming from. Then another loud noise roars through the forest. This time the noise is coming from behind us. A moment later, a high pitched screech joins in with the other sounds. As the moments tick by, the louder the forest becomes. The sounds coming from all around us, surrounding Josh and I in a painful symphony of chaotic noise.

It is a steady hum of competing sounds. Cackling, buzzing, hissing and howling. The crescendo grows in speed and gets more pronounced. Louder and faster it grows, until finally it reaches the climax.

All of the noises that moments ago were competing against each other, now begin to produce one singular sound. It is a long continuous hum that is actually sort of pleasant, as compared to the chaos from before. I'm starting to relax a little, coming undone by the hypnotic music of the forest. But then it just stops, without any warning, leaving me wanting more.

"Josh, what was that?" I whisper.

He doesn't answer me, though. He doesn't have a chance.

All of a sudden the forest is illuminated by the familiar incandescent yellow light, which can only mean one thing, the Rapturives are still here. And by the looks of the bright light that floods the land, it appears that they have summoned for back up.

Josh steps in front of me and holds his arm out in a protective stance, attempting to shield me from danger. I begin to think of the perils that are still ahead of us. My imagination runs wild with different dangerous scenarios, none of which end favorably for us. I peer around Josh's body. I cannot see anything but the beaming light. It is so bright, I have to squint just to focus my eyesight back on Josh.

"What are they doing?" I whisper.

"Right now, it seems like they're staring us down."

"Why?" I ask.

"Well, that's..." Josh stops suddenly.

"That's what?" I urge him on.

"Isn't that standard procedure... before an attack."