The Ghoul of Windydown Vale by Jake Burt

Author:Jake Burt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Chapter Twenty

I launch myself backward. The roots and dirt break apart under my hands, and I fall on the trunk hard. It blasts the wind out of me, cutting my hollering short. I’ve got no breath to run, so I roll to the ground and crawl beneath the trunk, wedging myself in.

The creature comes around.

I can see only its legs, spindly and pale. The moonlight reveals hundreds of little cuts across its skin, like it’s been creeping through groundbriar. The stink of the deer corpse follows it, and I have to cover my mouth to keep from retching. At first I think it’s going to shamble on by, but it stops, grimy, bloody feet kicking at the leaf cover as it hunts for me. There’s a moment when a plan forms in my mind—I could burst free, tackle it at the knees, maybe get in a fist or two while it’s down.

Of course, I don’t know how strong it is.

Or how fast.

Or if it can even be hurt at all.

Still, it beats getting clawed to death just lying here.

So I get ready to attack.

“Copper! Copper, boy! Where are you?” Shumpeter’s voice echoes through the trees, and I give up my plan. The creature’s legs draw in like it’s getting ready to spring, and I see Shumpeter storming toward us, blunderbuss in one hand and a fiery branch in the other. When he spots the thing, he squints through the dark, holding his makeshift torch up.

“Copper? Is that you?” he asks.

“That’s not me!” I shout from my hiding place. The creature’s feet pivot, its long, spidery toes curling and uncurling in the leaves. I can tell it’s looking right at me, even though I can’t see its face. Behind it, Shumpeter drops the torch and raises his blunderbuss.

The creature runs.

Shumpeter fires.

And the world turns to thunder and ash.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.