{"id":560,"date":"2011-08-29T00:00:31","date_gmt":"2011-08-29T04:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=560"},"modified":"2011-08-29T00:00:31","modified_gmt":"2011-08-29T04:00:31","slug":"day-10-chapter-9-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=560","title":{"rendered":"Day 10 – Chapter 9 – 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Drew had never actually seen<\/em> one of them before.\u00a0 He\u2019d sensed them, sometimes heard them, but never seen one\u2014they\u2019d always been beyond his ability to see.\u00a0 After seeing the creature once, he never wanted to see it again.\u00a0 The black creature was nearly seven feet tall, cloaked in tattered shadows, but it had been crouched behind them when they\u2019d turned, when they\u2019d started to run, its ink wings half curled around its muscled form, two inch claws scraping against the concrete.\u00a0 He\u2019d never heard them make a sound like that before.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The creature had actually left gouges<\/em> in the pavement.\u00a0 In a normal world, in the world they\u2019d all known, that shouldn\u2019t have been possible.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As if the Grays didn\u2019t tip us off to things being messed up something royal.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Breath burned in his lungs as they ran.\u00a0 We might be able to outrun it to the ward lines.\u00a0 If we make it, we\u2019ll be safe.\u00a0 We just have to make it there.<\/em>\u00a0 They\u2019d have to go the long way around, though.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cCut left,\u201d he barked.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLittle Mac\u2019s faster!\u201d\u00a0 Carolyn shouted back.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou want to risk that?\u201d\u00a0 Drew asked.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not stable, if it\u2019s even still there..\u201d\u00a0 He grasped for her arm and spun her to the left, toward the path that dipped between the library and a finger of the ravine that curled around half the Lakes plaza, ending just shy of the library.\u00a0 Carolyn stumbled a few steps before she caught her balance again, running down into the dip and then up, toward the clocktower plaza beyond.\u00a0 Drew pitched after her, J.T. bringing up the rear.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Drew heard the beating of wings off to their right, over the tendril of the ravine on that side.\u00a0 He looked up, seeing the dark shape not twenty feet above them\u2014a second of the creatures to join the first already chasing them.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They smell blood in the water.\u00a0 Shit.\u00a0 How many of them are going to show up?<\/em>\u00a0 A glance to the left answered his question.\u00a0 At least two more.\u00a0 Damn!<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cFaster!\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Then Carolyn went down, catching her foot on a crack in the pavement.\u00a0 Drew tumbled over her.\u00a0 J.T. somehow managed to vault them both, stumbling a few steps after landing.\u00a0 He scrambled back to pull both of them to their feet.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The predators closed in on their prey.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There were five of them, Drew realized\u2014five of the \u2018black winged things\u2019 as Marin described them.\u00a0 He\u2019d only been this close once, just once, nine months ago with Thom and Marin, and he\u2019d been certain then that they\u2019d only narrowly escaped that encounter intact.\u00a0 Marin said that pendant of hers was a small price to pay for our hides\u2026but I\u2019ve got nothing in this situation of equal protective quality.<\/em>\u00a0 He could taste his own fear, and the malice and hunger of the shadows beat against him, making his head throb with each heartbeat.\u00a0 It was hard to breathe, facing that kind of hate.\u00a0 Somewhere beneath the malice, though, there was joy mixed with their rage\u2014the joy of the hunt, maybe.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Or revenge.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Revenge?\u00a0 Revenge for what?<\/em>\u00a0 Drew swallowed, watching the circle close as he got his feet underneath him again.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A strange, translucent white mist blew up around J.T., swirling briefly and dissipating rapidly.\u00a0 Drew saw J.T. blink once, then twice, freezing in the process of pulling Carolyn upright.\u00a0 His eyes widened.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cFuck,\u201d he breathed.\u00a0 \u201cThose are some ugly<\/em> bastards.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou can see them?\u201d\u00a0 Drew asked without thinking as he made it to his feet and pressed closer to J.T. and Carolyn.\u00a0 The five shadow creatures had encircled them and were easing closer, bloody, dark fangs gleaming in the sun.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNot until a second ago,\u201d J.T. said, slowly looking around, wrapping one arm protectively against Carolyn and pulling her against his chest.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t protest, leaning against him and favoring a twisted ankle.\u00a0 \u201cGot any ideas?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I ran out of ideas once I realized there were five of them.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what we can do\u2014how can we fight these things?\u00a0 <\/em>Can we fight these things?<\/em>\u00a0 Drew shook his head slowly.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 No, I think I\u2019m fresh out.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGreat,\u201d J.T. said grimly.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it was great knowing you two.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A shrieking rose, like the wind between the trees and buildings, but everything was still except for the three of them, except for the creatures coming at them.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The lead creature dove toward them.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Drew closed his eyes and prayed that it would be over quickly.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Drew had never actually seen one of them before.\u00a0 He\u2019d sensed them, sometimes heard them, but never seen one\u2014they\u2019d always been beyond his ability to see.\u00a0 After seeing the creature once, he never wanted to see it again.\u00a0 The … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-9","category-day-10"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-92","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=560"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}