Antiquities: A Short Story Collection

Wolf Rider Pt. I

Seth hiked through the tall grass. It swayed in the mellow evening wind. He knew his mother hated it when he strayed off, especially when the forest is where he strayed. The air became nippy as the sun began to set. His mother became distressed. He stopped at the edge of the woods. The smell of smoke tickled his nose.

He dashed into the clearing as the sun cast its crowning rays across the grass. The fire was everywhere. It danced on houses and slithered along the grass dismantling everything in its path. Seth stood, suspended at the edge of his town, watching his neighbor's house collapse into a charred heap. The crashing of falling buildings and savage screaming was as deafening as it as chaotic. Seth sprinted for his house dodging terrified people and freed livestock.

"Mom!" he shrieked.Everyone's faces blurred in the dangerous light of the flickering fires. "Mom!" He searched for her through crowds of scattering people. His heart pounded and his breath caught in his throat. A monstrous creature emerged through the fire and smoke.

The dust kicked up and the only thing Seth could make out were its eyes, reflecting off the fire light and far too high up. They hovered there, high above the ground and brimming with hunger. Seth's body became paralyzed. His terror sent tremors through his entire body, but he couldn't look away.

The monster looked as if it was emerging from hell, a devil, a reckoning. Never had he imagined he'd ever live to see this creature let alone face one. They were larger than any story he'd ever heard. It was larger than Killon, his neighbor's enormous draft horse. Soot dusted fur bristled and its muzzle bunched up into a pert snarl. Fangs hung from its huge gums like icicles, ivory and ready to be red. Each daring bone was longer and thicker than Seth's limbs. A rumble built up deep in the beasts belly and sounded like rolling thunder. Seth took it in with awe and terror as it lumbered in his direction. 

"Seth!" his mother's voice was sharp and frantic. "Seth, run!" breaking his trance, panic overtook him and he flew for his mother. He glanced behind to see if the beast would pursue him. It looked after him with interest before pursuing.

"Mom!" Seth leapt into his mother's arms and buried his face into her neck. He clung to her as she ran. The once calm breeze was now laced with smoke and ash. He trembled like earthquakes were erupting under his skin. His mother ran up the front stairs to their house, slamming the door. The snarls drown out all other sounds. The house shook.

"Mom, when will it go away?" Seth cried.

"Shh, honey we'll be okay." His mother rubbed his back and tried to stifle her sobs. The beast scrambled against the building, tearing at the side of their house. Seth clenched his eyes shut. In an instant, all the crashing stopped.

The eerie silence hung in the air like a dense fog. Seth held his breath. As he hoped the worst was over, a large paw came through the wooden siding of the house. Seth let out a yelp so loud he felt as if his voice would give out. Mora shoved him out of the way of the creatures massive claws. They curled, extending as far as they could to reach them. Mora scrambled to her feet and hauled Seth along with her.

"Okay, honey." She looked him over. He was covered in small scraps and ash from the fires. She gripped his shoulders too hard, trying to talk over the thundering of splintering wood. "When I say go, we're going to run. I want you to run as fast as you can." Seth clung to his mother's hand.

"But where do I run?" he cried. His eyes darted all around them.

"I'll be right beside you, don't worry." Ushering Seth to the door, she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Ready? Go!" she flung the door open and dashed as fast as she could with Seth beside her, desperately trying to keep up.

"Faster, honey!" she panted. Seth's legs faltered, small and undeveloped. They came to the edge of the forest and Mora stopped short, nearly throwing Seth off his feet.

"Mom?" Mora stood, torn between the possibility of more danger and temporary safety. "Mom!" Seth yelled to her. "Come on, we're safe here." Giving in to her panic, Mora followed her son into the forest. The animal was swift. Agile for its size. Its paws carried it without a sound, at an alarming speed.

"We've got to climb!" Mora halted in front of a large maple with low hanging branches and lifted Seth off the ground and over her head. "Climb higher sweetheart." she instructed.

"Are you coming too?" he reached for her, willing her to follow.

"Yes, keep climbing. I'm right behind you." she assured him. Seth wiped tears away and climbed higher. His hands shook as he tried to reach higher branches. He clung to the branch and laid on his stomach. Looking down, he saw his mother struggling up the first few branches. He cried out as the beast closed in. It made a leap, catching her leg and ripping her down into the darkness below. 

"Mom!" Seth cried.

"Don't come down!" Mora wailed. The wind died down. Sparks still floated in the air and the dull glow of fire in the distance was all Seth could make out.

"Mom!" She didn't reply. "Mom?" Darkness dug in further could scarcely see the branch he was clinging to. By the light of the new day, Seth worked up the courage to shimmy down the tree and scramble for home.