Page 31 of Splintered Shadow
Placed strategically, stone benches offered a seat in a shade and an opportunity to appreciate the view. She paused to sit and take inventory. Other than stiffness, she didn’t hurt. Chalk it up to advanced alien medicine.
The garden had once been something spectacular. Even in its neglected state, it remained stunning. Rather compact, the garden sat near the house. On the north side, the lawn gently sloped away toward the dense forest.
Sweat collected in the small of her back. Despite the heat, she carried on exploring. After all, she’d be just as hot inside as she was out. When Vekele locked her back in, she’d take a bath.
The south lawn held a pond and a small domed pavilion. In the center of the pond, the remains of a disused fountain sat partially submerged. Intrigued, Sarah skirted around the pond and made her way to the structure.
The pavilion sat right at the water’s edge. The stone structure was cool, even in the summer heat. Just beyond, the forest crowded close. This must have been near the boundary of the property. Not wanting to test the ankle band or the security system, she was perfectly content to sit in the pavilion. If Vekele was watching —and she absolutely believed he was—she wanted to prove that she was trustworthy.
“Totally not escaping,” she said, just in case the ankle band had a mic as well as a tracker.
Something shifting in the shadows of the trees caught her attention. A glint of light? The hint of another forgotten building? Rich people did that, right? Built life-size dollhouses simply for the aesthetics and called them follies.
The shadows moved again. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She took a self-defense class a long, long time ago. The only thing she remembered was that the instructor said to listen to your gut. If something felt wrong, it was wrong. Her brain hadn’t processed what her subconscious already knew.
It was too quiet, with a complete lack of birdsong or insects buzzing by.
This was wrong. She needed to get out of here.
A growl came from the tree line. The shadows under the trees elongated and grew denser, like they drained the day of sunlight.
Sarah carefully climbed down the pavilion steps, facing the forest. Turning her back to whatever was out there seemed like a seriously bad idea.
A beast stepped forward. The form had the same familiar shape as the monster that attacked her in the temple. Smoke rolled off its back.
No, not smoke. Shadows. They boiled and writhed, pitch black and snaking across the lawn toward her.
Her palms itched. Sarah flexed her fingers, wanting to run, but all she could do was stare at the beast. Triangular ears stood tall over its head, proving that the game pieces had not been stylized.
A tendril brushed against her leg, like a question.Yes? Yes, yes, yes.
The light dimmed.
A shiver went through her, breaking whatever hold the creature had.
She ran.
It chased.
Sure, in retrospect, running from monsters seemed like a bad idea. They lived with the hunt and she did not do cardio. At all. Ever. Cutting across the lawn toward the house seemed like the fastest way to get herself eaten. In the trees, she had a chance of hiding.
She veered to the left, toward the trees. The band at her ankle vibrated in warning. It started as a gentle hum, growing stronger once she reached the trees.
Good. Let the security system snitch on her to Vekele.
She tripped over a root, falling to her knees, but picked herself back up and kept running. Branches whipped against her skin. She held up her arms to protect her face. Fabric snagged and tore. A small part of her brain—the part not screaming in terror—wondered why she wasn’t puking her guts up right now. She panted and her legs burned, but it was a mild discomfort. She should have sidestitches and be wheezing. The last time she ran for anything had been in high school, a decade ago.
The light gradually increased, even under the canopy of the trees. She darted from one puddle of light to another, just in case the creature was averse to sunlight like a vampire. Yes, that made no sense, but whatever. Her gut said to aim for the light, and she wasn’t going to second-guess instinct. That luxury could wait until she wasn’t running for her life.
She glanced over her shoulder, not spotting the beast.
She stopped, panting, with her hands on her hips. Her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out any other sounds. She needed to be quiet, but it was so hard when she gasped for breath.
She waited for the beast to catch up, but nothing happened. As the seconds rolled by and nothing happened, she relaxed.
It worked. She lost the—
Something grabbed her by the ankle, knocking her off her feet. A yelp slipped from her lips. An unseen force pulled her roughly along the forest floor. She twisted and kicked, trying to break free. Her shirt snagged on a rock, ripping the fabric, and slicing into her. Her back burned as she was scraped raw, and she shouted in pain. She felt every stick, rock, and tree root.
