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Excerpt from Stolen
Red eyes appeared in the growing darkness. It looked as if thousands of
them were watching them.
“What are they?” Joseph whispered.
Instead of answering, Drizzle crouched down and an angry rumble emitted
from his throat. He but did not stay there long.
Leaping to his feet, he yelled, “RUN!”
Joseph watched as the leaves shook and little shapes dropped from the
trees so fast he was not able to see what kind of creature they were. He did not
have to though; Drizzles response was enough for him. He turned and ran as fast
as he could, trying to stay ahead of what ever followed them.
Drizzle looked over his shoulder to make sure Joseph followed. He was, but
the movement in the grass behind him was catching up fast. Too fast. He knew
the man was not going to make it unless he helped. The cat spun around and
started back.
As he passed the fleeing man, he yelled, “Keep going, I heard the sound of
running water ahead. It will slow these creatures down long enough for you to get
away.”
Joseph hesitated. He was not going to leave the cat alone. His stride became
shorter and he would have stopped. A yell from Drizzle made him speed up again.
“You stupid fool! Do you want to see your son again? Get moving—NOW!”
Joseph increased his stride to a full out run. The fear in Drizzles voice told
him that whatever was behind them scared even something as strong as the cat.
The silence of the creatures was unnerving. Of all the animals he
encountered in his travels since the death of his town and his mother, none was
like this. All had made some kind of noise to drive paralyzing fear into their prey.
He hoped Drizzle knew what he was doing.
A high-pitched squeal sounded, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to
rise. It was followed by a high-pitched yowl from Drizzle. The sounds continued
back and forth until a sudden fury of noise arose. Joseph pulled up sharply,
turning around to see what was happening. He could not see a thing; it was too
dark. The sounds stopped abruptly. Several pairs of red eyes appeared in the
distance. The fear caused by those eyes returned full force. He started running
again.
The stream, or what appeared instead to be a river, came into view. It was
wide and he could not see the other side. Joseph hoped it was not too deep or
strong because he was exhausted after his sprint across the field. He knew he
would have a hard time with the current if it were.
Joseph stopped at the bank to recover some of his wind and faced inland to
look for Drizzle. The cat was nowhere in sight. The red eyes of the mysterious
creatures were closing the gap between him quickly. He was turning around to
jump into the river when a solid object hit him square in the chest, knocking him
backwards into the water.
Claws sank into his shirt, dragging him under. He fought to get free from
whatever clung to him. Water ran into his nose. He started to panic. He needed
air. What little air he was able to take in before going under was all but used up
with his struggles.
The weight on his chest kept the much needed air out of reach. The weight
of the sword on his back did not help matters either.
The river’s undercurrent grabbed him, taking him further offshore into
deeper waters. His feet were no longer able to touch the bottom. All sense of
reason disappeared. He tried to knock loose whatever had ahold of him so he
could surface before the enveloping blackness swallowed him completely.
In what felt like hours but was only a couple of minutes, Joseph felt a tugging
on the front of his shirt. His face broke the surface and the wonderful stuff his
lungs screamed for was there.
Air—beautiful air.
Joseph breathed the sweet fresh air in deep and started coughing. The
water that had run into his nose was now exiting, abruptly. He felt something
move next to him and clung to it like a life raft while he vomited.
“I told you to run, not stop and gawk.”
them were watching them.
“What are they?” Joseph whispered.
Instead of answering, Drizzle crouched down and an angry rumble emitted
from his throat. He but did not stay there long.
Leaping to his feet, he yelled, “RUN!”
Joseph watched as the leaves shook and little shapes dropped from the
trees so fast he was not able to see what kind of creature they were. He did not
have to though; Drizzles response was enough for him. He turned and ran as fast
as he could, trying to stay ahead of what ever followed them.
Drizzle looked over his shoulder to make sure Joseph followed. He was, but
the movement in the grass behind him was catching up fast. Too fast. He knew
the man was not going to make it unless he helped. The cat spun around and
started back.
As he passed the fleeing man, he yelled, “Keep going, I heard the sound of
running water ahead. It will slow these creatures down long enough for you to get
away.”
Joseph hesitated. He was not going to leave the cat alone. His stride became
shorter and he would have stopped. A yell from Drizzle made him speed up again.
“You stupid fool! Do you want to see your son again? Get moving—NOW!”
Joseph increased his stride to a full out run. The fear in Drizzles voice told
him that whatever was behind them scared even something as strong as the cat.
The silence of the creatures was unnerving. Of all the animals he
encountered in his travels since the death of his town and his mother, none was
like this. All had made some kind of noise to drive paralyzing fear into their prey.
He hoped Drizzle knew what he was doing.
A high-pitched squeal sounded, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to
rise. It was followed by a high-pitched yowl from Drizzle. The sounds continued
back and forth until a sudden fury of noise arose. Joseph pulled up sharply,
turning around to see what was happening. He could not see a thing; it was too
dark. The sounds stopped abruptly. Several pairs of red eyes appeared in the
distance. The fear caused by those eyes returned full force. He started running
again.
The stream, or what appeared instead to be a river, came into view. It was
wide and he could not see the other side. Joseph hoped it was not too deep or
strong because he was exhausted after his sprint across the field. He knew he
would have a hard time with the current if it were.
Joseph stopped at the bank to recover some of his wind and faced inland to
look for Drizzle. The cat was nowhere in sight. The red eyes of the mysterious
creatures were closing the gap between him quickly. He was turning around to
jump into the river when a solid object hit him square in the chest, knocking him
backwards into the water.
Claws sank into his shirt, dragging him under. He fought to get free from
whatever clung to him. Water ran into his nose. He started to panic. He needed
air. What little air he was able to take in before going under was all but used up
with his struggles.
The weight on his chest kept the much needed air out of reach. The weight
of the sword on his back did not help matters either.
The river’s undercurrent grabbed him, taking him further offshore into
deeper waters. His feet were no longer able to touch the bottom. All sense of
reason disappeared. He tried to knock loose whatever had ahold of him so he
could surface before the enveloping blackness swallowed him completely.
In what felt like hours but was only a couple of minutes, Joseph felt a tugging
on the front of his shirt. His face broke the surface and the wonderful stuff his
lungs screamed for was there.
Air—beautiful air.
Joseph breathed the sweet fresh air in deep and started coughing. The
water that had run into his nose was now exiting, abruptly. He felt something
move next to him and clung to it like a life raft while he vomited.
“I told you to run, not stop and gawk.”
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