OK, so. . . the next chapter is, uh, more of a joke than a part of the story that adds to plot and character development. The whole scenario was conjured up by me and some of the readers back when it was first written, and we laughed over our joke so much that I decided to add a not-subtle reference in the story. While it was made to be canon to the storyline, it adds little-to-nothing to the plot and is pretty wacky; thus, you are more than welcome to mentally disregard it as canon to Runaway and consider it as a mere deleted scene or something.
Liana kept close to Aquilla's side, though Cole wasn't sure how the horse, who was as scared as they were, was supposed to bring comfort. Probably a girl thing.
For the umpteenth time they turned a corner and found themselves staring bleakly into the mouths of yet two more tunnel entrances, jagged openings yawning across the dark gray rock.
Cole growled in frustration. "Ugh, this is ridiculous! I feel like we're going in circles!" He waved the flashlight about the tunnel, as if the flickering glow would reveal a way out.
"Should we call for Matilda and Phillip? They could be nearby." Said Liana.
He chewed his lip. "I dunno...Remember that skeleton? Something attacked that guy, and I for one do not want that thing hearing us yell and following us." Liana grimaced, clutching the reins of her horse. "Maybe we should--"
A blood-curdling screech echoing faintly made them freeze. Cole felt a chill like an ice-cold finger run down his spine. Whatever just made that noise didn't sound happy. It didn't sound human, but he thought it sounded something like 'baggins'. Or maybe it was 'higgins'. It was hard to tell.
They stood still, not daring to breathe. Even the horses were silent, flicking their ears warily and flaring their soft nostrils. For a full minute they stood frozen, straining their ears trying to hear more. No longer running, the chill of the tunnels crept into their skin, numbing their fingers and faces. All was still.
Cole gripped the reins so hard his knuckles turned white. "I think...We need to be quiet. There's something in these tunnels..And I think it's close."
He was about to tug Shauntel away when the cold, deafening silence was broken by a peculiar, pitter-patter sound. It was rather heavy, as if big, large feet were running on the stone.
"Liana..." Cole rasped, but he couldn't get the rest out of his mouth. His throat felt clogged.
The sound of large, running feet sounded closer. It was coming down the tunnel on the left. Cole shined the light down the tunnel, but saw only rocks. Yet, the sound came closer.
Heavy footsteps drew closer and closer, running quickly down a tunnel. Was it coming from the tunnel to the right? He shone his light down that one, but nothing was there. Behind them? The heart-chilling sound drew nearer rapidly, until it was the only thing he could hear, reverberating throughout the caverns like a trumpet. Cole spun the flashlight toward the tunnel they came out of, but again, nothing was seen.
The sound came from the tunnel on the left. Again Cole stared intently down the corridor, but he still couldn't see anything, but he could sure hear it. Whatever it was it was right on top of them. Cole grasped the scythe strapped to Shauntel's saddle.
Something short, and warm ran into Cole, making stumble. "Wha--?!" As he fell he saw that nothing was there, but he could hear heavy breathing. The thing that ran into him didn't stop, but continued down another tunnel, gasping for breath. The sound of its footsteps faded away.
Cole stared down the tunnel in which the invisible thing had dissapeared. "What...What was that?!"
"Did you see it?" He turned to see Liana gripping Aquilla's reins tightly, jaw clenched. She looked pale, as if the invisible creature had drained away the last of her courage.
"No," He muttered, noting the tremor in his voice. "I didn't see anything. Whatever it was, it was invisible."
"How is that possible?" She asked.
He shrugged. "Magic?"
"Do you believe in magic?"
"I don't know what to believe. I--" He was interrupted by another screech. This cry was closer than before.
Cole gulped. "Whatever that invisible thing was, I think it made that other creature really mad."
OK, so. . . the next chapter is, uh, more of a joke than a part of the story that adds to plot and character development. The whole scenario was conjured up by me and some of the readers back when it was first written, and we laughed over our joke so much that I decided to add a not-subtle reference in the story. While it was made to be canon to the storyline, it adds little-to-nothing to the plot and is pretty wacky; thus, you are more than welcome to mentally disregard it as canon to Runaway and consider it as a mere deleted scene or something.
Liana kept close to Aquilla's side, though Cole wasn't sure how the horse, who was as scared as they were, was supposed to bring comfort. Probably a girl thing.
For the umpteenth time they turned a corner and found themselves staring bleakly into the mouths of yet two more tunnel entrances, jagged openings yawning across the dark gray rock.
Cole growled in frustration. "Ugh, this is ridiculous! I feel like we're going in circles!" He waved the flashlight about the tunnel, as if the flickering glow would reveal a way out.
"Should we call for Matilda and Phillip? They could be nearby." Said Liana.
He chewed his lip. "I dunno...Remember that skeleton? Something attacked that guy, and I for one do not want that thing hearing us yell and following us." Liana grimaced, clutching the reins of her horse. "Maybe we should--"
A blood-curdling screech echoing faintly made them freeze. Cole felt a chill like an ice-cold finger run down his spine. Whatever just made that noise didn't sound happy. It didn't sound human, but he thought it sounded something like 'baggins'. Or maybe it was 'higgins'. It was hard to tell.
They stood still, not daring to breathe. Even the horses were silent, flicking their ears warily and flaring their soft nostrils. For a full minute they stood frozen, straining their ears trying to hear more. No longer running, the chill of the tunnels crept into their skin, numbing their fingers and faces. All was still.
Cole gripped the reins so hard his knuckles turned white. "I think...We need to be quiet. There's something in these tunnels..And I think it's close."
He was about to tug Shauntel away when the cold, deafening silence was broken by a peculiar, pitter-patter sound. It was rather heavy, as if big, large feet were running on the stone.
"Liana..." Cole rasped, but he couldn't get the rest out of his mouth. His throat felt clogged.
The sound of large, running feet sounded closer. It was coming down the tunnel on the left. Cole shined the light down the tunnel, but saw only rocks. Yet, the sound came closer.
Heavy footsteps drew closer and closer, running quickly down a tunnel. Was it coming from the tunnel to the right? He shone his light down that one, but nothing was there. Behind them? The heart-chilling sound drew nearer rapidly, until it was the only thing he could hear, reverberating throughout the caverns like a trumpet. Cole spun the flashlight toward the tunnel they came out of, but again, nothing was seen.
The sound came from the tunnel on the left. Again Cole stared intently down the corridor, but he still couldn't see anything, but he could sure hear it. Whatever it was it was right on top of them. Cole grasped the scythe strapped to Shauntel's saddle.
Something short, and warm ran into Cole, making stumble. "Wha--?!" As he fell he saw that nothing was there, but he could hear heavy breathing. The thing that ran into him didn't stop, but continued down another tunnel, gasping for breath. The sound of its footsteps faded away.
Cole stared down the tunnel in which the invisible thing had dissapeared. "What...What was that?!"
"Did you see it?" He turned to see Liana gripping Aquilla's reins tightly, jaw clenched. She looked pale, as if the invisible creature had drained away the last of her courage.
"No," He muttered, noting the tremor in his voice. "I didn't see anything. Whatever it was, it was invisible."
"How is that possible?" She asked.
He shrugged. "Magic?"
"Do you believe in magic?"
"I don't know what to believe. I--" He was interrupted by another screech. This cry was closer than before.
Cole gulped. "Whatever that invisible thing was, I think it made that other creature really mad."
Is this...what I think it is? This is brilliant, Tigress. Canon™.
OK, so. . . the next chapter is, uh, more of a joke than a part of the story that adds to plot and character development. The whole scenario was conjured up by me and some of the readers back when it was first written, and we laughed over our joke so much that I decided to add a not-subtle reference in the story. While it was made to be canon to the storyline, it adds little-to-nothing to the plot and is pretty wacky; thus, you are more than welcome to mentally disregard it as canon to Runaway and consider it as a mere deleted scene or something.
Liana kept close to Aquilla's side, though Cole wasn't sure how the horse, who was as scared as they were, was supposed to bring comfort. Probably a girl thing.
For the umpteenth time they turned a corner and found themselves staring bleakly into the mouths of yet two more tunnel entrances, jagged openings yawning across the dark gray rock.
Cole growled in frustration. "Ugh, this is ridiculous! I feel like we're going in circles!" He waved the flashlight about the tunnel, as if the flickering glow would reveal a way out.
"Should we call for Matilda and Phillip? They could be nearby." Said Liana.
He chewed his lip. "I dunno...Remember that skeleton? Something attacked that guy, and I for one do not want that thing hearing us yell and following us." Liana grimaced, clutching the reins of her horse. "Maybe we should--"
A blood-curdling screech echoing faintly made them freeze. Cole felt a chill like an ice-cold finger run down his spine. Whatever just made that noise didn't sound happy. It didn't sound human, but he thought it sounded something like 'baggins'. Or maybe it was 'higgins'. It was hard to tell.
They stood still, not daring to breathe. Even the horses were silent, flicking their ears warily and flaring their soft nostrils. For a full minute they stood frozen, straining their ears trying to hear more. No longer running, the chill of the tunnels crept into their skin, numbing their fingers and faces. All was still.
Cole gripped the reins so hard his knuckles turned white. "I think...We need to be quiet. There's something in these tunnels..And I think it's close."
He was about to tug Shauntel away when the cold, deafening silence was broken by a peculiar, pitter-patter sound. It was rather heavy, as if big, large feet were running on the stone.
"Liana..." Cole rasped, but he couldn't get the rest out of his mouth. His throat felt clogged.
The sound of large, running feet sounded closer. It was coming down the tunnel on the left. Cole shined the light down the tunnel, but saw only rocks. Yet, the sound came closer.
Heavy footsteps drew closer and closer, running quickly down a tunnel. Was it coming from the tunnel to the right? He shone his light down that one, but nothing was there. Behind them? The heart-chilling sound drew nearer rapidly, until it was the only thing he could hear, reverberating throughout the caverns like a trumpet. Cole spun the flashlight toward the tunnel they came out of, but again, nothing was seen.
The sound came from the tunnel on the left. Again Cole stared intently down the corridor, but he still couldn't see anything, but he could sure hear it. Whatever it was it was right on top of them. Cole grasped the scythe strapped to Shauntel's saddle.
Something short, and warm ran into Cole, making stumble. "Wha--?!" As he fell he saw that nothing was there, but he could hear heavy breathing. The thing that ran into him didn't stop, but continued down another tunnel, gasping for breath. The sound of its footsteps faded away.
Cole stared down the tunnel in which the invisible thing had dissapeared. "What...What was that?!"
"Did you see it?" He turned to see Liana gripping Aquilla's reins tightly, jaw clenched. She looked pale, as if the invisible creature had drained away the last of her courage.
"No," He muttered, noting the tremor in his voice. "I didn't see anything. Whatever it was, it was invisible."
"How is that possible?" She asked.
He shrugged. "Magic?"
"Do you believe in magic?"
"I don't know what to believe. I--" He was interrupted by another screech. This cry was closer than before.
Cole gulped. "Whatever that invisible thing was, I think it made that other creature really mad."
Is this...what I think it is? This is brilliant, Tigress. Canon™.
"Thief, theif, theif! Baggins! We hates it, we hates it, we hates it forever!" An unearthly howl reverberated throughout the tunnel, making Cole's ears ring and his blood turn cold. He gripped Shauntel's reins and the scythe while Liana's fists clenched tightly around Aquilla's reins and she fingered a small dagger Phillip had loaned her.
As the high-pitched noise ebbed away, a new sound took its place; the soft, uneven pad of clammy feet, and a strange, guttural noise. Something growled, like a kid with a sore throat.
Cole hesitated, then shone the flashlight down the tunnel where the sound was coming from. The light fell on something, and he cried out in horror.
Limping along on all fours was a small creature reduced to a horribly thin, wiry thing, its stretched skin a pasty, gray color. The creature was nearly completely naked, save for a ragged loincloth wrapped around its tiny waist. It had a scrawny neck, flat feet, long, thin hands with clammy fingers. Most eerily of all, its large, bulging eyes seemed to glow like the eyes of a ghost.
The Thing screeched when the light hit him, recoiling as if burned. "Hssss...the light, precious, it burns!" Its round, pale face twisted grotesquely, flinching away from the flashlight's glow. It drew back from Cole, hissing and whining. "No more, no more...My precious...."
Cole let the reins loose and gripped the scythe with both hands. Heart pounding, he forced himself to speak. "What--What are you?"
The creature flinched away from Cole and suddenly began to weep, a weird, whistling, gurgling noise. He stared at the spectacle as the thing began to mutter to itself. "Curse it! Curse it! Curse the Baggins! What has it gots in its pocketesess? We guess, precious, we guess it my birthday present!"
Cole blinked. "Uh...Are you talking to me?"
The creature suddenly noticed Cole, it's huge, bulging eyes inspecting the boy eerily.
"Thief, theif, theif! Baggins! We hates it, we hates it, we hates it forever!" An unearthly howl reverberated throughout the tunnel, making Cole's ears ring and his blood turn cold. He gripped Shauntel's reins and the scythe while Liana's fists clenched tightly around Aquilla's reins and she fingered a small dagger Phillip had loaned her.
As the high-pitched noise ebbed away, a new sound took its place; the soft, uneven pad of clammy feet, and a strange, guttural noise. Something growled, like a kid with a sore throat.
Cole hesitated, then shone the flashlight down the tunnel where the sound was coming from. The light fell on something, and he cried out in horror.
Limping along on all fours was a small creature reduced to a horribly thin, wiry thing, its stretched skin a pasty, gray color. The creature was nearly completely naked, save for a ragged loincloth wrapped around its tiny waist. It had a scrawny neck, flat feet, long, thin hands with clammy fingers. Most eerily of all, its large, bulging eyes seemed to glow like the eyes of a ghost.
The Thing screeched when the light hit him, recoiling as if burned. "Hssss...the light, precious, it burns!" Its round, pale face twisted grotesquely, flinching away from the flashlight's glow. It drew back from Cole, hissing and whining. "No more, no more...My precious...."
Cole let the reins loose and gripped the scythe with both hands. Heart pounding, he forced himself to speak. "What--What are you?"
The creature flinched away from Cole and suddenly began to weep, a weird, whistling, gurgling noise. He stared at the spectacle as the thing began to mutter to itself. "Curse it! Curse it! Curse the Baggins! What has it gots in its pocketesess? We guess, precious, we guess it my birthday present!"
Cole blinked. "Uh...Are you talking to me?"
The creature suddenly noticed Cole, it's huge, bulging eyes inspecting the boy eerily.
Is it okay that I'm totally loving this? Also, imagine how CREEPY this would be IRL?!?!
"Thief, theif, theif! Baggins! We hates it, we hates it, we hates it forever!" An unearthly howl reverberated throughout the tunnel, making Cole's ears ring and his blood turn cold. He gripped Shauntel's reins and the scythe while Liana's fists clenched tightly around Aquilla's reins and she fingered a small dagger Phillip had loaned her.
As the high-pitched noise ebbed away, a new sound took its place; the soft, uneven pad of clammy feet, and a strange, guttural noise. Something growled, like a kid with a sore throat.
Cole hesitated, then shone the flashlight down the tunnel where the sound was coming from. The light fell on something, and he cried out in horror.
Limping along on all fours was a small creature reduced to a horribly thin, wiry thing, its stretched skin a pasty, gray color. The creature was nearly completely naked, save for a ragged loincloth wrapped around its tiny waist. It had a scrawny neck, flat feet, long, thin hands with clammy fingers. Most eerily of all, its large, bulging eyes seemed to glow like the eyes of a ghost.
The Thing screeched when the light hit him, recoiling as if burned. "Hssss...the light, precious, it burns!" Its round, pale face twisted grotesquely, flinching away from the flashlight's glow. It drew back from Cole, hissing and whining. "No more, no more...My precious...."
Cole let the reins loose and gripped the scythe with both hands. Heart pounding, he forced himself to speak. "What--What are you?"
The creature flinched away from Cole and suddenly began to weep, a weird, whistling, gurgling noise. He stared at the spectacle as the thing began to mutter to itself. "Curse it! Curse it! Curse the Baggins! What has it gots in its pocketesess? We guess, precious, we guess it my birthday present!"
Cole blinked. "Uh...Are you talking to me?"
The creature suddenly noticed Cole, it's huge, bulging eyes inspecting the boy eerily.
Is it okay that I'm totally loving this? Also, imagine how CREEPY this would be IRL?!?!
He flinched when the creature's glowing eyes ran over him greedily, like a kid at a candy store. "Bless us and splash us, preciousss, another feast! A tasty morsel, is it? It'd make us, gollum!" At the last bit it made a horrible swallowing noise in its throat.
Cole kept the light on the creature, making it blink and hiss. "The light, preciouss, it burns! It burns the eyes! Nasty, shining, glowing light!"
"What are you?" Cole repeated, brandishing the scythe.
The thing ignored his question, instead hissing through sharp, jagged teeth. "What iss it, my precious? Another hobbitses, is it? Dirty, nasty, thieving hobbitses...it takeses precious, my precious....lost it, lost it, lost it!"
"I'll say you've lost it." Cole muttered.
The scrawny, short creature whimpered, then suddenly snatched the flashlight out of Cole's hand and flung it away, sneering. "Nasty light, burning light, we hates it!" The torch clattered away brashly, sending to group in darkness.
"Don't come any closer!" He held the slender scythe at a threatening angle, shielding himself and Liana, who had drawn her short dagger out of its sheath. Now that the creature was no longer in the light, all Cole could see was a wiry, dark hulking shape slouching in front of him, its eyes glowing in the dark eerily.
It flinched from the movement of the scythe, watching the blade with bulging eyes. "What is it, preciouss? What does it cal itself? Iss it a hobbitses?"
He swallowed. "Look, I don't know what a 'hobbitses' is, but I'm pretty sure I'm not one if them."
The creature took a step forward, cocking its pale head. "Is it a Baggins, preciouss--?"
"Stay back!" He jabbed the curved blade in the thing's direction. "Get any closer and you'll pay for it!"
"Where is Baggins, preciouss? It ran toward the goblinss, it did!" Its huge eyes narrowed slightly. "Does it know where Baggins iss? My preciouss...Baggins took my preciousss!"
Cole didn't like the way it looked at him and Liana.
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