In which our heroes battle their nemesis; injuries suffered; separation occurs.
Billy’s world went black.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the sounds of the forest crept back into his conscious, like someone slowly turning up the volume on a Discovery channel nature show.
It was ethereal, like he was dreaming. It was peaceful. But not everything was alright. There were monsters lurking in the darkness. He could sense it.
Slowly the darkness began to take shape, and it was an angry looking shape. Getting larger. Getting closer.
Billy’s subconscious began to scream in terror.
Billy opened his eyes with a start, and suddenly all the memories of recent events came flooding back. Then the memories were replaced with an intense wave of pain. Every part of his body ached. A sharp pain grew from his right ankle.
He squeezed his eyes tight, trying to regain control of his mental faculties. It took a few minutes, but he was able to calm himself a little. He reopened his eyes and started to accept the outside world into his consciousness.
The first thing he noticed was that it was dark. The sun had completely set. He was getting cold. He had no idea where he was.
He squeezed his eyes tight, trying to regain control of his mental faculties. It took a few minutes, but he was able to calm himself a little. He reopened his eyes and started to accept the outside world into his consciousness.
The first thing he noticed was that it was dark. The sun had completely set. He was getting cold. He had no idea where he was.
He slowly sat up, wincing with the sharp pain from his leg. He could still see nothing. The tree cover was too thick to let any moon or starlight through.
He tried listening. He took small comfort in the fact that he didn’t hear anything that sounded like Angus. On the other hand, he didn’t hear anything that sounded like Ted either.
He was alone.
He had to get out of here.
He was alone.
He had to get out of here.
Billy slowly rolled over onto his side, and finally onto his back. Then he pushed up with his arms, and pulled his good leg under him. Slowly, and using the log as leverage, he got to his feet.
He was dizzy, and his head hurt and started to spin. He sat down on the log.
He tried to take stock of his situation, but his head was fuzzy.
He was dizzy, and his head hurt and started to spin. He sat down on the log.
He tried to take stock of his situation, but his head was fuzzy.
He still couldn’t see anything.
Almost instinctively he reached into his pack, which fortunately was not knocked off of him when he was tackled, and pulled out his flashlight.
His fingers fumbled to turn it on. When he finally managed to click the switch, the brightness of the flashlight almost blinded him.
Slowly his eyes got used to the light and he could start to see shapes in the shadows. They were awfully blurry, and he got dizzy when he moved his head. He moved the flashlight all around, looking for something familiar. Something he could use as reference.
Almost instinctively he reached into his pack, which fortunately was not knocked off of him when he was tackled, and pulled out his flashlight.
His fingers fumbled to turn it on. When he finally managed to click the switch, the brightness of the flashlight almost blinded him.
Slowly his eyes got used to the light and he could start to see shapes in the shadows. They were awfully blurry, and he got dizzy when he moved his head. He moved the flashlight all around, looking for something familiar. Something he could use as reference.
He noticed a familiar looking stick leaning on the log. He reached for it. It was smooth, and straight. Slowly it occurred to him that this stick was his trusty hiking stick. He gripped it tightly.
He looked around some more, shining the flashlight into the darkness between the trees.
He looked around some more, shining the flashlight into the darkness between the trees.
Everything was grey and blurry.
Everything hurt.
He was in danger.
He could not stay here. He had to get moving.
Billy tried to get up. He put his weight on his left foot and rose. He tried to take a step with his right, and he screamed in pain.
Billy tried to get up. He put his weight on his left foot and rose. He tried to take a step with his right, and he screamed in pain.
He leaned on his hiking stick, and slowly started to hobble away. One slow step at a time he stumbled awkwardly through the forest.
He didn’t have a direction. His head hurt. He just wanted desperately to get away from the monsters in these woods. To get away from Angus Dawson.
For what seemed like hours of anguish he stumbled forward. Leaning on trees for support; crashing thru branches; tripping over rocks; stifling cries of pain.
He didn’t have a direction. His head hurt. He just wanted desperately to get away from the monsters in these woods. To get away from Angus Dawson.
For what seemed like hours of anguish he stumbled forward. Leaning on trees for support; crashing thru branches; tripping over rocks; stifling cries of pain.
He had to find shelter. He had to get away from the monsters.
He was in danger.
Suddenly he quite literally hit a wall.
He shined his light against it. He stood before a large natural wall of moss covered rock, with trees growing out of it.
There was no going forward. He looked up and down the wall, left and right.
Everything was still so blurry. His brain was fuzzy. He was getting desperate. He was exhausted. He was in danger. He had to get away.
The way to the left looked clearer, so he started to stumble in that direction. After a few feet the wall beside him opened up.
A cave? He could be safe in a cave.
He crouched down to enter the cave. The sides were smooth, cool, damp. He kept crouch walking farther into the cave until he ran into another wall.
He was in danger.
Suddenly he quite literally hit a wall.
He shined his light against it. He stood before a large natural wall of moss covered rock, with trees growing out of it.
There was no going forward. He looked up and down the wall, left and right.
Everything was still so blurry. His brain was fuzzy. He was getting desperate. He was exhausted. He was in danger. He had to get away.
The way to the left looked clearer, so he started to stumble in that direction. After a few feet the wall beside him opened up.
A cave? He could be safe in a cave.
He crouched down to enter the cave. The sides were smooth, cool, damp. He kept crouch walking farther into the cave until he ran into another wall.
His legs finally gave out on him, and he collapsed against the wall, and slid down it until he rested on the uneven cave floor.
With a last burst of energy he played his flashlight around him.
The beam of light fell on a carving in the rock. He squinted at it, looked like a 5 and a 0. 50? What does that mean?
Billy’s last thought was: I am safe here. I am so tired. I’ll figure out 50 in the mor-.
Billy passed out.
With a last burst of energy he played his flashlight around him.
The beam of light fell on a carving in the rock. He squinted at it, looked like a 5 and a 0. 50? What does that mean?
Billy’s last thought was: I am safe here. I am so tired. I’ll figure out 50 in the mor-.
Billy passed out.
---
With his hiking stick in one hand, Ted ran as fast as he could into the darkness. There was just enough moonlight shining thru the trees to give Ted a sense of the rocks and trees that lined the path. Still, he tripped and stumbled many times.
He ran as tho the devil himself was chasing him. As far as Ted was concerned, he was.
He ran as tho the devil himself was chasing him. As far as Ted was concerned, he was.
His brother was missing. A mad man was chasing him. He had to get to the top of Cockney’s Knob so he could get cell signal and call for help.
Though his body was bruised, and every part of him ached, he raced on into the darkness.
Ted was not an athlete. After a mile his lungs were burning from lack of air. He desperately needed to stop to catch his breath, but he didn’t know how close Angus was.
Ted was not an athlete. After a mile his lungs were burning from lack of air. He desperately needed to stop to catch his breath, but he didn’t know how close Angus was.
He decided to take the risk. Ted gripped his hiking stick with both hands, stopped running, and turned around. He held the stick in front of him in a defensive posture, and scanned the darkness for signs of his pursuer.
He saw nothing.
He saw nothing.
He tried to listen for footsteps, but it was not possible to hear much of anything over the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.
He remained vigilant as he struggled to catch his breath. He was only half way to the peak of Cockney’s Knob. He had to regain his strength. His brothers life, heck, his own life, depended on it.
He was just starting to relax and regain his breath when he saw his worst fear. At the top of the hill, he could see a dark shape lumbering towards him.
He was just starting to relax and regain his breath when he saw his worst fear. At the top of the hill, he could see a dark shape lumbering towards him.
“Billy!” He called out. No response. “Billy?” He called out again. He heard grunting in return.
That wasn’t Billy.
“Angus!” He thought to himself in alarm.
“Crap.”
Ted considered his options desperately.
“Stand and fight, or run.” he thought to himself frantically. “Angus is stronger than me. I have a 200 foot lead, and I am faster. I need to call for help.”
“Run.” his unconscious quickly concluded.
“RUN!”
Ted turned and started to run again. This time more motivated, he pushed on thru the pain in his legs, and his lungs.
Occasionally he heard the harsh footsteps of Angus Dawson behind him. He looked back and saw he was giving chase but not getting much closer.
Ted rushed on. Step after step, breath after breath, he strained himself. Stopping meant a fight he may not win.
He kept running until he was well within the clearing on top of Cockney’s Knob. He finally slowed down and looked around cautiously. He no longer could see Angus. He could no longer hear Angus.
“I must have outran him,” he thought to himself.
Ted turned and started to run again. This time more motivated, he pushed on thru the pain in his legs, and his lungs.
Occasionally he heard the harsh footsteps of Angus Dawson behind him. He looked back and saw he was giving chase but not getting much closer.
Ted rushed on. Step after step, breath after breath, he strained himself. Stopping meant a fight he may not win.
He kept running until he was well within the clearing on top of Cockney’s Knob. He finally slowed down and looked around cautiously. He no longer could see Angus. He could no longer hear Angus.
“I must have outran him,” he thought to himself.
Ted wandered closer to the top of Cockney’s Knob and stood just above the rock wall where the geocache was hidden. He pulled out his cell phone. The brightness of the screen was almost blinding in the darkness.
He blinked to give his eyes time to adjust. He looked at the screen. Bars. He had bars!
He blinked to give his eyes time to adjust. He looked at the screen. Bars. He had bars!
“Thank God!” he muttered to himself as he pulled up the number pad and dialed 9 - 1 - 1. He hit send.
As he was bringing the phone up to his ear, the dark form of Angus Dawson lept from the darkness and slammed into Teds body. The momentum drove both of them over the side of the rock wall into the murky darkness.
Ted felt his body hit the rock floor 7 feet below with a painful thud, and then the air from his lungs being forced from his body. Then he felt nothing but darkness.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. Copyright 2015 by Dave DeBaeremaeker. All Rights Reserved.
