Lair of the Swamp Witch by David Wood

Author:David Wood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Adrenaline Press
Published: 2023-01-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

The coven member was named Ryan. He was a twitchy fellow. Bones doubted he was dangerous, but he kept a close eye on him as he guided them through the village. The swamp had overgrown much of the old settlement. Only glimpses of the old structures were visible. They came to a huge barn. Unlike the dilapidated shacks that stood nearby, the barn appeared to be in good condition. The door was barred by a heavy beam.

“I thought you were taking us to the tree,” Bones said.

“The tree is inside. The barn was built around it for its protection.”

Bones frowned. From somewhere inside came low, muttering sounds. The ritual must have already begun. Still, there was something about this that felt wrong.

“Why is the door locked from the outside?” he asked.

“This is the back door. It stays like this.” It is a barn, after all.” He shrugged one shoulder. “The front door is not an option. You would never get past the guards.” Ryan moved to one side and put his hands on the heavy bar. “Once I open the door, you’ll need to move quickly. They will outnumber you, but you’ve got the element of surprise on your side.”

“Why are you so eager to help us?” Kendra asked.

“The Witch has changed since I first met her. I’ve been looking for a way out. Maybe this is it.” Ryan didn’t quite meet Bones’ eye as he spoke. Carefully, he slid the bar free, then grabbed the door handle. Good luck, he mouthed, then counted to three before swinging the door open. Bones and Kendra dashed inside.

There was no tree.

Bones froze, turned to see the door slam behind him.

“Hey!” he shouted. He made a run for the door, threw his shoulder into it, but he bounced off. A burst of pain shooting down his arm told him Ryan had managed to secure the bar just in time.

“What just happened?” Kendra said.

“He locked us in here. I’ve got to admit, I didn’t think the guy had it in him.” Bones couldn’t believe he’d been duped. He felt like punching something or someone.

“We’ll just have to look around for another way out. Maybe there’s a door on the other side.”

Electric lights hung from cables high above them. They cast rheumy light on two tiers of rafters.

“This is a huge barn,” Kendra said. “Why would they build it so large? And what is that smell?”

A pungent odor filled Bones’ nostrils. It was so strong he couldn’t believe he hadn’t smelled it before. They were in trouble.

“Holy crap.”

The barn was filled with the beastly, humanlike creatures the coven called their familiars. They fixed their eyes on the two intruders and began creeping forward.

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.