NaNo Day 3

Current word count: 4,286 (I haven't written yet today)

Here's the next part of chapter 2 for anyone who's still interested. Enjoy!

"On with you, then." Corten gave him a light shove into the darkness.

Through the darkness was more like it. Kale experienced a brief flash of it before his feet hit the ground in a densely wooded area shaded with almost pastel greens and browns. The trees looked chalky, but the grass beneath his feet was soft as if there were springs below the turf.

He saw a break in the trees and slowly walked through it. There was a path that continued for a little while, winding tightly and almost fully enclosed with thick leaves, branches, and vines. Kale almost had to bend over to stay on it. After a few minutes of walking at a less-than-brisk pace, he glanced backwards and saw that Corten was following closely, surely keeping an eye on me, Kale thought. The next step he took led him around a corner to a clearing in the woods. There, he saw standing in a semi-circle were the five men, all with their hands clasped behind their backs. I need to come up with a group nickname for these guys if they’re gonna be around. Dream Team? Not even close. I’ll come up with something.

Kale nodded at the men, and only Alexander nodded back with a brief smile. The rest looked at their feet. No one spoke. Corten simply completed the circle the men had begun to form and clasped his hands as well. Kale paced around the small clearing waiting for something to happen. He was used to the strange locations at this point, which was shocking enough as he thought about the short amount of time that had passed since he met these men. What was more shocking was when they began to retreat, looking at him one final time before turning back toward the trees and walking away until they were no longer visible in the thick brush.

Soon Corten was the only one of the men still with Kale. He began to follow the path of Kale’s pacing, mirroring his actions unintentionally as they circled the small patch of previously untouched grass. They continued like this for what seemed like an hour until Corten stopped walking all of a sudden. They both spoke at once—

“Shouldn’t we leave, too?”

“It’s time for me to go.”

They looked at each other from where they stood, Corten’s hands put behind his back once more and Kale’s head turning in confusion.

“Why are you going?” Kale questioned, again.

“You really do ask a lot of questions.”

“I just want to know what’s going on!”

“We have all told you—you will find out in time. For now, I must go. You will stay here, and we’ll be back in the morning.”

“In the MORNING? And WHERE do you think you will be going?”

“Stop asking questions! I have told you this countless times and I will NOT say it AGAIN.” Silence fell. They stood several feet from each other breathing heavily. “Now,” Corten continued with a large breath. “Here is what will happen. I will walk away. You will not attempt to follow me out of the woods. You will remain here, preferably in the clearing, though—trust me—I understand if you stray. Do what you need to do, and we will come back in the morning.”

“You have no power over me. You barely know me.”

“I know you better than yourself, Kale.” It was the first time Corten had used Kale’s name in a long time. The shock passed quickly, however. “I just find it so amusing sometimes to watch you try to be a man. I mean, all things considered.”

“What is THAT supposed to mean?”

“You’re not a man, Kale. You’re not even human.”

“What in the world are you talking about?”

“This is your life now.”

“What is?”

“You’ll have to find that out… Alone. We cannot go with you, just like no one went with us. Think of it as a type of hazing.”

“What is it?”

“I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you, but even I know it’s easier this way. I’ll see you on the other side. My advice: don’t run. You better come back with your shield, or on it, as they say.”

Corten walked away, glancing back once to throw out a small salute and a sympathetic smirk. Kale stood in the clearing and gaped at Corten’s back until he disappeared between the trees.

“So you’re just gonna LEAVE ME HERE?” he shouted. There was no response from the solemn forest. Kale continued to stare as he sank to his knees and allowed his bottom lip to quiver. Less than a day before, none of this had happened. He had known his life better than anyone. Now, dropped in the middle of what couldn’t possibly be a normal forest, based on Corten’s warning, he had no idea where he was, what he was, or what he was expected to do. He had the feeling something was about to happen, and he could only hope it would help him answer some of those questions he dared to ask at the basement closet poker game.

The ground shook, and Kale jumped to his feet. Just as he was about to find a place to duck and cover, a machete sped to the ground beside him, narrowly missing his left foot. It did not startle him one bit. There was sureness in the way he bent down and gripped the handle. Returning to an upright position with the weapon in hand, the shaking ceased. Kale looked around, wondering where he could be. He no longer believed he was on the third floor of an apartment building.

He wasn’t even sure he was in the real world anymore. It felt like hours, but it was only a minute between the end of the shaking and the trees around him starting to collapse. One by one, they began to fall into the clearing. It was easy enough for Kale to avoid them until there were enough stacked on top of each other that he could hide underneath them.

Maybe I play too many video games, he thought, questioning the instinct that told him to do these things and kept him from what he thought was the end of everything. I don’t even know what’s going on here. What if I can’t survive until the morning? Will I never know what or where I am? And why?

A few minutes passed after the last tree had fallen, and Kale began to climb out from under the branches. When he was on top of the pile, he could see to all sides, but after a hundred yards or so of fallen trees, there was nothing but blank whiteness. It was supposed to be dark outside. Kale checked his watch, which was ticking at its normal speed toward 9 p.m.

This does not look like 9 p.m.

The entire sky was white as well. The only color anywhere around besides Kale’s clothing was in the bland trees lying beneath his feet, and whatever he saw beginning to crawl out from between them 20 yards or so to his right. It was not human. It was not small. It was possibly not anything he’d ever seen before. Not that that would be unusual. I’m seeing a lot of new things lately.

Kale judged that the creature was about three feet tall and a few more long. It somewhat resembled a lion, but it was mane-less, and its body moved like a lizard. Golden fur moved with the invisible wind. It approached Kale slowly, as if ready to pounce on prey. He held his ground for a moment, watching the thing almost slither toward him. It moved fluidly from one tree to another, up and down like water over hills and into valleys.

Suspicion grew in Kale’s mind with every step the creature took. By the time it was several yards away, it was moving much quicker, and Kale was reminded almost too late of Corten’s words.

Don’t run.