Respite

In the near total darkness, using her sword would be too risky. So she charged forward, and bent down to grab the dimly-seen figure where it wrestled with her sister on the ground.

Only to find her arms closing around Carola! As she had grabbed the beast, it had somehow vanished into thin air. Had it really been there at all, or was it some illusion, capable of fooling both eye and ear?

"Are you all right?" she anxiously asked Carola, as she helped her to her feet.

"Nothing worse than a few scratches, I think. And I've lost most of the skirt of my gown. But you intervened just in time."

"It was no illusion then. I heard it, but I couldn't see it clearly, so I didn't dare use my sword. When I tackled it, it seemed to just disappear."

"Oh it was real enough. An illusion couldn't have torn my dress. I could feel and smell its rank breath. And when I grappled with it I could feel its...

1. "Fur. But in spite of that fur, it seemed to have hands that could grasp like a man's."
2. "Bones." "Bones?!" "Yes, it seemed to be an animated skeleton."
3. "Clothes." "It was human, then?" "Maybe. Or perhaps it was a demon."
4. But before Carola could say any more, the attack was renewed.

Add New Option

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree