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ONCE WE HAD COMPLETED our conversation Calvin and I set out through the forest. There was a small winding dirt trail that snaked through the trees, and we followed it carefully, keeping a sharp lookout out to our left and right. The trees loomed in on us, so much so that I felt almost claustrophobic! I felt as if they were watching our every move, and reporting it to someone up ahead, waiting in ambush. I wondered what we would see first, skeletons or wizards. Or perhaps some other denizen of the deep that Calvin had not bothered to warn me about.
We finally came to the edge of the forest after what felt like hours of walking. It was now the twilight hour, and even though we had been traveling for ages we hadn't seen a soul. There was a massive open valley ahead of us and I was about to burst out in relief of escaping the forest when Cal grabbed my shoulder.
“Don't go out there!” he hissed, pulling me away from the tree line.
“What? What did you see?” I asked, a little irritated at the force of his grip on my shoulder.
“Look. A few hundred feet out into the center of the valley.”
I squinted my eyes in an attempt to see better in the gathering gloom of dusk. After a few seconds, I saw what Calvin was pointing out. There was a group of creatures milling about aimlessly in the center of the field.
“Skeletons?” I asked.
“Yes. We'll have to go around them. They're too dangerous to fight like this. We don't have any weapons.”
“Do we have to go through this open field?” I asked.
“I'm afraid so. There's a small village on the other side that we must reach. But as long as we're quiet and keep to the edge of the field, they shouldn't bother us.”
With Cal taking the lead we began to skirt our way around the edge of the grassy field. It was a large area and by hugging the treeline we were able to keep a good distance between us and the skeletons. They didn't seem to notice us creeping by.
We were about three-quarters of the way past, and I could see the flickering lights of the town ahead when things went all wrong. An ugly, gnarled root stretched out from the forest and grabbed my ankle. I went sprawling to the ground in a loud crash! Instantly, every skeleton in the grassy valley whirled to look at us! I could see glowing red orbs shining in their hollow eye sockets!
“Quickly,” Cal shouted to me. “Run!”
I didn't have to be told twice. I scrambled to my feet, cursing the tree that I think intentionally tripped me, and began sprinting for the town up ahead. As I made the mad dash I saw that there was a fence ringing the town, and a large wooden gate, presumably to keep skeletons and other creatures out. But would they let us in?
“Hey! Open up! We're in danger!” Cal was screaming at the top of his lungs as we approached.
I could hear the gate slowly creaking open as we close in, but I could also hear the skeletons closing in on us too! They were moving at an inhuman speed, and would be upon us in just a few more seconds! Cal was shouting at the gatekeeper again.
“Now! Start shutting the gate now! Alex!! Run as fast as you can!!
I ran like I'd never run before, and then leaped for the gate as it was sliding shut! I landed on the other side just as the gate slammed back closed, blocking the skeletons outside once more!