Fearlings Two (The Fearlings Series Book 2) (8 page)

CHAPTER 12 - CAR

Rob drives fast as he turns the car down a road. The inside light is on so no Fearlings are present. He knows that Ann is defenseless and that he has to get to his wife as quick as he can. It is one of the reasons Rick sits beside him. Rick has
Sevol
and he is a powerful
Molawner
. Rob knows that with his Fearling
Kynar
and Rick’s
Sevol
, they should be able to protect everyone. He doesn’t like the idea that they left James at the gathering but to be around all those
Vauns
with their Fearlings and with Rachel and Jeff’s
Molawners
, Rob believes that it is the safest place for his son right now.

Rick sits in the passenger side next to Rob. The Professor sits in the middle of the back seat talking the entire time. “We will get there in time. Do not wreck us.”

“I’m not going to wreck Professor.”

“James will be fine with the others,” Professor says.

“I know,” Rob says. His current worry is about what he is going to do in a minute. The road that he must take is on the backside of an unfinished neighborhood. There are no streetlights for two miles but it is the fastest way to get there.

Rick looks ahead and sees the road Rob fears. He is aware of the lack of streetlights too. “We’ll be fine.”

“You worry about what you cannot control,” Professor says, “There is no reason to worry about that.” He watches as Rob turns the car down the street. He feels the vehicle accelerate and knows the father’s fear. “Worry about only what we can control.”

“Professor I know that,” Rob says. His grip on the wheel tightens as he increases the car’s speed. “We should be there in a few minutes.”

“Oh I know,” Professor says. He continues to speak with purpose of distraction but also to keep them focused.
 
“When we get there what are we going to do? Are we going to rush out of there or are we going to pin them and try to get more information?”

“No,” Rob says. “We are going to leave and get back to the cafeteria. I know he is safe but I don’t like James being there without us. We get back to James then we figure out what we are going to do next.”

The professor smiles as Rob turns the car off the dark road and onto a street that is well lit.

“We’re five minutes away,” Rob says.

CHAPTER 13 - CAFETERIA

There are fifteen
Vauns
; most are standing around talking about the current situation. James sits at the end of a table. He is nervous and scared but not for himself. He is scared for his mom, Julie and his friend Stewart.

Rachel is standing beside Jeff and Nancy a few feet away from James. She sees the distant look of fear on the eight year olds face.

“You ok James?” Rachel asks as she approaches the boy. He nods yes to her as she sits beside him. “Your dad is just going to get your mom and bring them back here. It will not take long.”

“What if they attack him before he can get to her?”

“Well,” Rachel says. She and the others have had the same thought. She speaks what she believes is the truth. “
Kynar
and
Sevol
will protect them. They are very powerful.”

“I know they are,” James says. That wasn’t his thought. His thought is something different. “But if the attack could stop Dad from reaching Mom.”

“Rachel is amazed at how deep James’ thoughts are,” She reaches out and hugs the boy as she talks. “Your dad will do everything he can. I promise you that.”

Jeff and Nancy see Rachel talking to James at the table. They know the reasons why Rob did not take his son. “He’s a brave little boy,” Jeff says.

“Yes he is,” Nancy says. She has known Rob and his family for a few years. “That’s how Rob is. He is always trying to be prepared and is always trying to think of everything. But that’s how we all are. That’s how we live, how we survive. If it wasn’t for you coming tonight we would not have known that they can attack a Vaun prior to his birth.”

“I…” Jeff says. His thoughts are moving fast and are hard for him to focus, “…should we have gone with them? Should there be more of us with them? There’s only two?”

“Yes,” Nancy says. She shakes her head in dislike of her words. “But Rob wanted you and Rachel here because of your
Molawners
and as far as the other
Vauns
here, they are not all as brave as you.”

“They wouldn’t help?”

“It’s not like that,” Nancy says. She defends the
Vauns
because she knows their stories, the reason for their hesitations and fears. “They do what they must. As far as me, my Fearling
Lelah
is resting. I cannot help. I can only bring
Culav
with me.” She stops. Quick images of memories of her sister being taken years ago flash throughout her thoughts and distract her for a second. She takes a breath then finishes her thought. “And his intentions are to take who he can. I do not go near darkness and will not until
Lelah
returns.”

“When is that?”

“Six months,” Nancy says. “It has been four and a half years since I have seen
Lelah
.” She shakes her head and takes a breath to focus. “I was close. Six months.”

“What?” Jeff asks. He doesn’t understand at first then he thinks for a second. “You, you what… You think they will attack us here, tonight. Even with all the
Vauns
and protection we have?”

“Yes,” Nancy says. “I always think that they are going to attack.”

“Me too, normally,” Jeff says. He looks around the room as he realizes something. “Here though I felt safe. For the first time that I can remember I felt safe.”

“That is a feeling that I do not allow.”

At the table, Rachel gives James a comforting smile then she looks to the others around the room. She doesn’t like how they are all standing around. The way lights are set up, if the main lights go out then the backup lights shine down onto the tables. She decides not to say anything. She doesn’t want to increase the fear or cause panic but she will keep the boy at the table.

“Do you think my Dad is there yet?” James asks. His words break Rachel from deep thought. She looks at him and smiles.

“Let’s call him and see where they are at,” Rachel says. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a cell phone. “Let’s do that.”

James nods yes. He watches as Rachel uses the phone.

“Hey,” Rachel says on the phone. “Rob, I have your son here and he wants to know how far away you are from his mother.”

HOUSE

Ann, Julie and Stewart sit on the floor in the living room. They have a tall skinny lamp in between them as they wait for Rob and the others. They have been quiet but Julie breaks the silence. She tries to distract with happy talk.

“If it’s a girl what are you going to name her?”

Ann is startled by the question and welcomes the distraction. She thinks for a few seconds then answers. “Carol.”

“Carol? Why?”

“Just like the name. Always have.”

“What do we do if he attacks?” Stewart asks. He can’t stop thinking about
Nanlar
.

Before they can answer the boy’s question, the four lamps on the backside wall shatter. A small gust of wind blows out the candles on the coffee table and the several that hang from the ceiling. All three jump back and turn to face the shadow of the darkness several feet away from them. The two moms stare at each other. They know what to do. They aim their flashlights ready to turn them on.

The shadowy figure of
Nanlar
fades into vision along the dark wall. He turns his head to the three humans in the middle of the room.

“No!” Ann yells. She aims the flashlight.

“You,”
Nanlar
says. He reaches his hand out but stops an inch from the light barrier provided from the lamp in the middle of the room.

“You can’t get any closer!” Ann yells.

“Yes I can,”
Nanlar
says. He raises his arms and points his hands to the corner at the other side of the room. A second later, the lamps shatter and the candles fade out.

Ann turns the flashlight on and strikes the
Molawner
with the beam. He raises his arms then vanishes from vision. A second later, he fades into the darkness of the other corner. Ann, Julie and Stewart are startled and turn to him as he talks.

“Your lights cannot prevent me from taking you,”
Nanlar
says. He raises his left arm and the lights from the hall and the kitchen shatter. The area he stands in grows in darkness as he points his shadowy arm to Ann. “You. You have value. You will be mine.”

Julie and Ann shine their lights on
Nanlar
and he raises his arms vanishing from sight.

“Stewart when you see him shine your flashlight on him and stay close to us,” Julie says. Her son stands beside her and Ann in the middle of the room. The rest of the candles along the outer wall fade leaving only the lamp in the middle of the room, he has pinned them in. “Stay close to us Stewart!”

“Do you see him?” Ann asks as she scans the darkness all around them. “Do you?”

“No!” Julie says with panic in her tone as she looks back to the stairs. “I don’t see anything!”

CAR

The car Rob drives is only a mile away from the house. The three passengers are readying themselves to get out of the car running. They are not ready for the loud thump on the vehicle’s roof. It startles the three men as they look up.

“What the…!” Rob yells as the vehicle swerves but he maintains control. Then the silky black arm of
Ekabar
smashes down through the middle shattering the vehicle’s light darkening the inside of the car. A second later, the shadowy image of
Kynar
appears in the back on one side of the Professor and the larger shadowy image of
Sevol
appears on the other side.

“Prepare,”
Kynar
says.

Smash!
Ekabar’s
arm pierces through the roof again this time reaching down and grabbing the wheel.

“
Aaaaagh
!” Rob yells as he fails to keep the wheel straight. The car swerves off the road and into a nearby light pole. The light pole shatters upon impact and the car comes to a crashing halt, slamming the three men forward. The front two airbags explode out preventing Rob and Rick from slamming into the front dash. In the backseat,
Sevol
and
Kynar
disappear as the Professor bounces into the back of the passenger side seat.

A couple seconds pass before Rick regains focus. He looks to his friend beside him. “Rob?” His friend nods yes and he turns to the Professor in the back. “Professor…?”