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Three Warriors and Leoma

1492 words

Chapter 4

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Galinn, Kallisto and Alexios reappear in the woods. They stood there mesmerized just as the Alp had by the colors, sounds, and the surrounding air. It had been so long since they had felt the cool air.

“I’m not going back. I promise my brothers... I will not leave again. Even if it means dying here," Kallisto whispered to himself. Breathing in the cool air with his eyes closed, Kallisto slowly shook his head at the thought of the forbidden world.

“I’ve forgotten how beautiful it was.” Galinn turned in a circle trying to take everything in surrounding him.

“There has to be a way to get out of serving the Queen, we must find a way.” Alexios said, while raising his fist he shook it in the air as he pulled his lips back in anger. He was determined to find a way out from under the Queen. “Even if it means to give up my immortality and die also, so be it.”

Kallisto looked down at the three futuristic rifles. Bending down, he picked up the rifles, handing Galinn and Alexios each one. The rifles had leather shoulder straps, they each pulled their arms through, swinging them on their shoulders.

“She only sent one weapon each.” Shaking his head, Galinn couldn’t believe it, she had the power to send a whole army. They got a fancy gun.

Sniffing the air, Kallisto faintly smelled the rancid smell of the Alp, The warriors lived with them long enough that they could detect the faintest Alp smell. “We needed to head north, then. The scent is going north for right now.

The three walked, taking their time looking at the fauna, insects and the sky. Remembering their past and their family that they left behind.

"I still can't figure out why she wants the heart instead of the Alp itself." Galinn questioned to the others.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's to make sure we return?". Alexios said. Shrugging his shoulders at trying to think of why the heart."

"Shhhh be quiet." Galinn said with his finger to his mouth. Pointing to a rabbit. He took his rifle and pointed it towards the small animal. Aimed it and shot.

The rabbit blew up, the rifle wasn't a normal one, it. It was meant to kill Alp's not small animals.

"I guess we will have to trap our food, since these r are too strong for animals." Galinn bent his head back, closed his eyes." Not going to be easy brothers."

Following the scent, they picked up another smell, one that they recognized but had been a very long time since the last time they smelled a human.

Kallisto stopped, looked at the other two with his nose in the air. "Do you smell that? Humans....he's heading towards humans."

Picking up their pace, they started to run, following the scent. Hoping they are not to late.

Leoma loved living in Chapel. She owned a small second-hand store that made just enough to pay her bills. The store didn’t have a very good day, probably because it was Wednesday. Wednesdays were always slow, so she decided to close up shop.

She turned to look at herself in an old mirror that hung on the wall. Her thick brown hair hung just past her shoulders, her big blue eyes with thick black lashes stared back at her, standing around five feet six inches. She always thought of herself as a curvy woman. Slightly overweight, she obviously wasn’t model material.

Most people considered her chubby, but she was happy with her looks. She preferred fluffy rather than overweight. Leoma didn’t really care what anyone else thought.

Opening the door, she stepped outside. Turning to lock it she sensed something staring at her, looking behind her with her hand still holding the key, she didn’t see anyone. Shaking her head, she started to walk down the old sidewalk toward her small houseboat that she called home.

The houseboat had been in her family for a long time. Leoma bought it from her Cousin Levi. When she took possession of it the place was considered a fixer-upper. She was surprised it still floated. It took her a few years, and the houseboat was actually fixed pretty cute. Needing to live in it year round to save her from paying rent, she parked it along the Kentucky River with some other local houseboats.

Fifteen minutes later she finally reached her floating home. Remembering the promise she made to her cousin Levi that she would come over to visit. Levi mentioned she hadn’t visited him in a while.

After freshening up, she grabbed a sandwich on her way out. Stepping into her beat up car, and drove up the mountain to Levi’s.

She noticed Rachel’s car was parked in the driveway, something didn’t seem right. Walking up to the front door, she saw the door was open while the screen was locked. Knocking on the door, no one came to answer it. A scared feeling tingled in her lower stomach, something just wasn’t right. Leoma took her finger, pushed it through a hole in the screen, then down till it became big enough for her small hand to slip through. She reached in and unlocked the door. Slowly the door opened, she noticed Rachel sleeping on the couch.

She walked through the house and out the back door. She walked over to where Levi was standing in the middle of his backyard, holding his gun in front of him, watching for something she couldn’t see.

He turned his head to look at her, still holding his gun in his hand. She could tell by his expression that something wasn’t right. “What’s wrong, Levi, why is Rachel asleep on the couch?”

Well hell, how was he going to explain this without her thinking he was crazy? “We were on the back porch sitting when I heard something, so I thought I’d go check it out. After I walked out in the woods, I heard Rachel scream, so I ran back. I saw this huge black creature leaning over her. She wasn’t moving, so I shot at it, and then it took off running in the woods.” He looked at her with his jaw clenched tight, his lips pressed thin.

“Oh my God Levi, is she OK?”

“I guess she’s fine, whatever it did, it took everything out of her. She’s sleeping, her breathing is really shallow. I don’t know what the hell is going on.” Exhaling, Levi looked tired. He turned around, carefully walked up to Leoma while he still scanned the yard.

“Let’s get back in with Rachel, I haven’t seen anything, the damn thing is probably across the county by now.” Levi put his hand behind Leoma’s back to push her toward the backdoor where they both walked back in.“I think the mountains are haunted,…I heard stories from mommy and daddy. Grandpa use to tell Daddy these stories.” Trying to remembering the stories her father told her when she was little.

“Those are just stories, Leoma, it’s not haunted." Rolling his eyes.

Leoma was concerned about Rachel from what Levi just told her. “I can take her to the hospital.”

“They’ll ask questions. What am I supposed to tell them all? A monster was on my back porch and did something to her? Hell no, she’ll be fine after she sleeps it off.” He just hoped she would be, knowing that if Rachel’s condition didn’t change soon he will take her to the hospital himself.

"I called Jed to come over, going hunting for that thing." As Levi was talking he heard Jed's truck drive up

Jed walked in with his rifle. Standing over Rachel was Levi, looking down at her.

Seeing Leoma standing there, Jed said "Hey Leona.. looking good." Winking at her.

Turning his head back to Rachel, "What the fuck happened to her"? Jed asked.

"I can't really explain it, except there is some tall animal that I have never seen before hurt her. We need to track it. I don't know what it is, and I don't know what it did to her." Still watching Rachel.

"It doesn't look like she's going anywhere, let's go get that fucking thing before it hurts someone else." Jed raised his gun, pointing it to the back door.

"OK, I'm ready Jed". They both walked out of the back door and into the forest.

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