The Parker Trilogy by Tony Faggioli

Author:Tony Faggioli [Faggioli, Tony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atticus Creative, Inc.
Published: 2019-10-24T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

“What’s the matter?” Ikuro asked, evidently seeing the look of concern that had crossed Father Soltera’s face.

“Nothing,” Father Soltera replied. “It’s just that—”

“We are still trying to get acclimated to this place,” Michiko interrupted.

“Yes. Well, I’m afraid this is not a place you want to be if you don’t have to be. Neither of you seem to belong.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You’re too alive,” Ikuro replied sadly, before looking to the ground.

“So, what happened next, after the line broke?” Father Soltera asked.

“I awoke, in the forest you just fled, and stumbled my way here.”

There was a misty fog growing in this forest now, too. When they’d first arrived, it had been only a few inches off the ground, but now it was almost a foot high. The smell of damp wood and foliage filtered through the air and Father Soltera could’ve sworn that he’d caught a waft of mint. Thinking of the cats, Father Soltera asked, “You weren’t . . . bothered by anyone?”

“You mean the cats?” Ikuro said with a chuckle.

“We did not find them to be very humorous,” Michiko said with surprise.

“Why not?”

“They attacked us.”

“Really? They did not bother me so much. They were not friendly, but they did not seek to harm me. They stayed in the trees and bushes mainly and let me pass.”

“Did you see anyone else?”

“No. Perhaps they bothered you because you don’t belong here?” Ikuro said, scratching at his chin, his eyes earnest with curiosity.

“Yes. That must be it,” Father Soltera replied, sensing full well that it was more than that, at least when it came to Michiko. This place was evil, or at best, undecided in the universal scale of things. As a human being, Father Soltera was probably foreigner enough to be unwanted here. But Michiko . . . she was an agent of God. Somehow. Someway. He didn’t know why he was so sure of that, but he was. Just as he knew the same about Napoleon Villa.

“Would either of you like some tea?” Ikuro asked.

Michiko smiled politely. “Thank you, but no. We’re just passing through.”

This seemed to amuse Ikuro even more. “Through? Through to where?”

The mist was lifting even higher now, three feet off the ground and climbing. Creeping up Father Soltera’s pant legs, it seemed to sting a bit. An echo rang through the forest, the sound of wood knocking against wood, like an elk rutting against a tree trunk.

Father Soltera looked at Michiko and saw a look of concern on her face. “Do you . . . ?”

She nodded. “Ikuro? What is this mist?”

Ikuro looked around as if he’d just been awoken from a daze. “Oh. This is not good. We must get moving.”

“Why? What is it?”

“It is the mist from The Hanging Forest,” he answered. He turned suddenly and began rushing down the path. He motioned for them to follow.

“Are we now in The Whiting Woods?” Father Soltera asked.

Ikuro looked back with a face of shock. “What? No. The Whiting Woods are miles from here.”

The path was uneven and muddy.

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.