9LiveZ by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Firebird Creative LLC
Published: 2022-06-04T18:52:31+00:00

William came back to Holder Park just once more, ten years later. He'd got sent home from a tour in the desert and the VA hospital was not too far from the park. He'd remembered the trolls during his stay at the hospital and he thought he'd pay them a visit. They were the only unfinished business he had in town; his few friends moved on, Mom dead of cancer while he was on deployment and Dad, well. William didn't know and didn't care.

When he got to the park he saw that the ice cream shop, that whole strip next to the park, was torn down, the dozers trundling back and forth, hardhats shouting to each other. From the billboard out front it looked like they were replacing the shops with a new mall. William didn't care one way or the other, the ice cream had never been that good anyway. William went on past and around to the lake side where the footbridge still arched over the brook.

A fence strung with "Beware of Trolls" signs cut off access to this section of the park and confirmed he'd found the right place. He pried the chain link aside with his cane and scrambled awkwardly under the fence, moving slow. His pant leg tore on the wire and tugged him to a wincing stop. The rusted wire had only scratched up the stainless steel rod but twinged his stump.

Autumn had left a year of leaves scattered, unraked, under the trees. Along the paths, a thin wind stirred the trash and sent plastic bottles scuttling across the algae-scummed lake. The narrow paths shushed and crackled underfoot as he limped toward the brook and its crossing.

His heavy boots shook the small footbridge and his cane added a lighter beat. Thud-thud-tap, thud-thud-tap.

"Hey trolls!" he said, and set one hand on his holster. The brown leather shone in the fading light.

There was silence from under the footbridge. William stomped on the bridge again with his good leg. "Trolls! I know you're all down there. Come out!" He unsnapped his holster and drew, holding his old service weapon by his side. He'd cleaned it just this morning and the evening light glinted blue-black from the barrel.

There was a rattle under the bridge, the sound of trash stirring around as something shuffled through it. Then a troll scrambled over the side of the bridge and crouched by the railing.

"Who, who's that tromping on my bridge?" it said, panting. Its tail hung limply to the side, a dirty rope unraveling. Its skin was pitted and yellow-green and stretched taut over its ribs. One eye leaked pus, wandered toward him then away. Scarred sockets showed where the other two had been.

"It's me, William. Bill. Billy."

"Billy? Oh, you brought me troll treats once. Did you bring treats?" The troll tried to wipe puss from his eye but only smeared a yellow streak down a flaking cheek.

"Not this time," William clenched a hand on his weapon. "Where is the other one? Yellow-horn?"

"Slobber? He died, got sick after they sprayed the park with troll repellant.

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