The Mighty Hook by Mark Tarrant

Author:Mark Tarrant
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: 4 Horsemen Publications, Inc.
Published: 2022-10-16T04:31:07+00:00

Every new dimly lit cave room and turn chipped away at James’ heart. The candle he had tied to his bloody stump was withering to a smolder, and the sounds of small, quick feet echoed around him as he trudged on. The small cracks in the ceiling that allowed sunlight to cut through were few and far between. He kept his blade in front of him and spun around slowly every few steps, knowing there were things in these caves that man or beast would rather not see again.

He continued to another fork in the caverns. Right or left, life or death? The question burrowed deep in his mind, but he knew if he did not choose, death would come faster. One foot in front of the other, James, he thought, turning left. There was a burst of childlike laughter, then screaming. He quickened his pace down the tunnel, looking back over his shoulder. Those things, the little beasts, were closing in. Were they hungry or were they hunting him as a game? In the shadows, Edward continued to track and study. He was not like the others.

Hook moved on, and then a smell hit him; it was water, the ocean. He walked faster, and suddenly, his boots became wet. He had walked into a large lagoon in the cavern. The water became deeper with each step. It was a dead end. Small holes in the cracked ceiling showed the sun was going down, and the remaining light sparkled off the dark water. He looked down at the water; there must be a tunnel out towards the ocean. He could smell the salt in the air and the pounding of the surf; he was close. He began to walk faster, and the water rose past his knees. Suddenly, the laughter grew louder. He turned, and there were half a dozen small, pale looking children with fanged teeth, black eyes, and tattered clothing. Their staggered walk and monstrous faces showed that if they were once human, that part of them had died long ago.

The children hissed and ran into the water. Two of them jumped, knocking James back into the shallow pool. The candle went out, and Hook swung his blade in a fury. The closest child felt the sting of the blade first and sank into the water. The others fell back momentarily, allowing James to get to his feet. The salt water dripped on his shaggy face; the sea was close. It was behind him, or at least behind the rock walls of the cave behind him. The remaining children ran into the water with their hands reaching, hissing and splashing angrily.

James tightened the grip on his sword and advanced with several quick strikes. Three more of the creatures fell back, screaming and bleeding into the water. One of the children grabbed a small, bloody limb from the water and ran off with it, holding it in its hands and teeth like a stray dog with a fresh bone from the butcher shop.

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