A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO TIME TRAVEL
CHAPTER 10 (Part 2)
Something told me these were more than just simple men.
I came across the first one as I came around a long bend. He was standing with his back to me, unaware. I slipped my blade through his back, placing my hand over his mouth to prevent the death rattle from escaping. I say him, because whatever it was, was standing on two feet. It’s face was unlike a man, and more like one of the Great Apes I’d seen in the forests of the Wastelands. Of course, those were wild predators, and not the least bit human. This thing was more of a hybrid. Not quite ape, and not quite human, it had bowed legs and a strong physique. It was hairy, and at least it is
hair, I told myself. It was armed, carrying a small club that was hanging from a belt around its large waist. I took it, thinking it might come in handy.
I made my way down the tunnel again, seeing a faint glow ahead. It struck me that it was natural light, and I thought perhaps the tunnels all ended at the same place, which would not be good as far as a rescue was concerned. If there was natural light ahead, that meant the ground was open and the chances of getting captured would increase. For one thing, whatever they were, would see me.
I followed the light until I came around a bend and saw a large circular opening. There were tiered seats, and it looked like everyone was climbing up small steps that were cut into the ground, their voice a babble of excitement. There was a circular stone on the ground, sitting on a pedestal, and I could see the woman tied to it, her clothes all but ripped off of her. She was bleeding from where long taloned claws had ripped at her flesh.
I could smell the fear on her; I could smell her blood.
I took the longbow into my hands, notching an arrow and waited. The crowd seemed to grow even larger as I waited, and I wondered what exactly they were waiting for. There was the sound of a drum in the distance, and an expectant hush fell over the crowd. The sound of the drum picked up and I knew whatever was going to happen, we’d be lucky to make it out alive.
I had to decide whether the first arrow I shot was in defence of her, or to put her out of her misery. I heard footsteps behind me and quickly moved to the tunnel across from me. Had they found their dead companion? I couldn’t see how they hadn’t. I’d made no effort to hide him; I saw no need to.
I saw four of the creatures carrying the dead one between them. They stepped out into the light, screaming in rage as they dropped the body on the ground. One of them jumped onto the stone where the woman lay, using it as a podium, screaming to the crowd and pointing at the body of their dead companion. He squatted down over the woman’s face, screaming at her as he reached for his club, lifting it over his head.
It was now or never. I had to decide whether I was going to kill the creature, or the woman. His body was completely blocking whatever shot I might have had, so I stepped out of the tunnel and moved into the light. No one seemed to notice me, that’s how involved with the creature they were.
I let the arrow go, and it caught the man in the left side of his chest, under his upraised arms, coming out of the right side of his chest. I quickly notched three more arrows in a row, killing the other three creatures closest to me. I had only a moment to take advantage of the panic and commotion. I leaped onto the stone and sliced at the ropes holding her down.
“I don’t know if this is going to work, but you’re going to have to run. Now!” I screamed, and notching another arrow to my bow, let it fly, taking down the first creature who came running down the stairs. I turned and followed her.
The thing about not having a plan, is that you don’t have a plan.
I paused just long enough to cut into the ceiling of dirt above me. Soil, rocks and earth rained down on me from above. I stabbed at the dirt, driving my sword as hard as I was able to, and then twisting it. A large clod of dirt fell, and I climbed on top of it, hacking at the dirt again. I looked over my shoulder and saw the woman up ahead scowling down to take a look at me.
The creatures were coming fast. I hacked at the dirt, sawing at it with my sword, jumping up and pulling at large clods until a large section of the ceiling fell and blocked the tunnel.
I turned and ran again, quickly catching her up.
I could see the roots of a tree above me and started hacking at the dirt. I moved as far ahead as I dared, cutting the ground until a steady cascade of dirt fell on me from above. I poked up through the soil with my sword, watching the light breaking through the holes. I poked and sliced at the roots above me, hacking at the dry soil until it gave way and the tree came crashing down, blocking off the tunnel.
We made it back to the hole the creatures had cut into the earth, and I clasped my hands together, all but throwing her through the opening. She reached down with her hands, and I grabbed onto her, climbing up her arms as she lay, trying not to let me pull her back down.
I ran back to the makeshift camp as fast as I could, taking the tusker hide I used for the bottom of the raft. I paused long enough to roll it up and tie it tight, having it over my shoulder as we started of across the open plain at a steady trot.
“I was so afraid,” she finally said.
“There’s no time to be afraid,” I answered, “We’ve got to keep moving. There’s no telling how far those tunnels go. It looks like they’ve been there for a while.”
“I can’t go any farther,” she said.
“Yes you can!” I screamed at her. “We’re going to die here if you don’t keep moving. Now move!” I said, pushing her forward.
I kept looking over my shoulder, thinking how a creature was going to burst out of the ground in front of us, or even behind us, and then we’d be trapped. We needed a place to hide. I looked at the rocks ahead of us and thought how they seemed to be subterranean creatures behind us. For some reason, I didn’t think they were going to follow us up into the rocks, and told her to make her way toward them. They were probably a hundred paces away.
That was the moment the ground burst open in front of her. I pushed her to the side, swinging my sword as one of the creatures tried to climb out of the hole. I took its head off, and then kicked it in the torso, sending it back down into the hole.
“Get up higher!” I yelled.
“And how high is that?”
“Until I say stop!”
