The Gamekeeper by J. Porteous

Author:J. Porteous [Porteous, J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Event Horizon Publishing
Published: 2019-05-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

We clambered up the hill in the nigh-on pitch darkness, with only the increasing brightness of the glow to guide our way. By the time we scrabbled our way to the top of the hill, everything was illuminated in a dull orange. On the other side of the hill was a scene of madness.

My mouth went dry as I took in what I saw. In the valley below us was a colossal pyre, its flames reaching high into the darkened sky. There were people around it, their figures dwarfed by the size of the pyre, their long shadows stretching out over the surrounding camp.

‘Holy shit,’ Prism muttered. ‘How many of them do you think there are?’

My gaze wandered across the figures who writhed and danced around the flames, their chorus of voices drifting up the hill towards us. It was hard to tell how many there were in the hellish light. ‘Too many.’

I scanned the fireside area, looking for any sign of Jessica. She just had to be down there somewhere. I’m coming for you, Jessica.

Prism tapped my arm. ‘Hey, over there.’

I followed where her finger pointed. A row of flaming torches advanced through the darkness, illuminating a group of figures and the rows of makeshift tents they passed. They snaked a route through the camp, making a heading towards the central pyre.

Others came in their wake. It was hard to make them out at first, but soon they all entered the light of the fire, their bodies forming a circle on the edge of the darkness. A couple of bodies entered the circle, a larger form leading a smaller one. Much smaller. Jessica.

I scrambled to my feet, only to find Prism grasping at me.

‘Keep it slow,’ Prism hissed. ‘We’re no use to her if we’re caught.’

I shrugged her off. ‘I know.’

We descended the hill towards the pyre, running into thorny undergrowth and dense bracken. I kept my arms in front of me, deflecting the worst of the scratches into my thick coat. We broke out of the gorse and into a much clearer area, nearer to the base of the pyre.

From our new location, the heat on top of my winter clothing caused me to sweat. My back was uncomfortably damp, my eyes stinging from the heat. I rubbed my eyes, hoping to clear them.

The large figure was now revealed to be a tall-set man. His face was obscured by a mask; it was full-face, with two large eyes and what looked like a beak protruding from the front of it. As much as his features stood out, I could not help but place my attention on Jessica.

In the flickering light, I could make out her frightened face. Her head darted about, looking at the bodies which surrounded the pair of them. The tall man’s hand kept a firm grip on her shoulder, his fingers digging into her collarbone. I realised that I had absent-mindedly reached for my hunting knife. I kept a tight grip of it, venting my frustration against its handle.

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.