feel it, sure as I’m standing here.”
I chuckled and then sighed. “I’m not sure you really are.”
Bobby looked down at his feet and then at me. “Where do you think we’re standing?”
Ignoring his Storyteller’s question, Archie stepped forward. “It’s us, Oz…”
I stepped back. The gnawing in my stomach was stronger than it had ever been before. “Stop.”
“What…” Archie was annoyed by my request. “Gotta say I thought you’d be a little bit happier to see us.”
I shook my head. “Yeah, well I would be, but… I’m kind of dealing with something myself here.”
“What?” he snickered.
“The urge to eat you.”
TEN
“You want to explain yourself?” Archie asked.
We had made our way down the spiral staircase. I positioned myself as far away from him and Bobby as I could. Every time they approached, I insisted that they not get any closer. I didn’t just feel hunger pains when I got near him and Bobby. I actually started to salivate. I could practically taste their flesh as the longing to eat them grew stronger and stronger.
Tall Boy had not revealed himself yet. He had drifted back into a dark corner and stood as still as a statue. With his milky-white complexion, it was easy to mistake him for just that.
“It’s not safe for you to be here,” I said.
He chuckled. “Safe ain’t something I’ve felt in a long, long time, Oz. Round here you got to pick and choose between what can get you killed and what can get you almost killed. Kavi seemed to think what was out there could get us killed, which means we’re right where we need to be.”
I rubbed my belly to try to soothe it. “I’ve got a feeling there isn’t much of a choice this time.”
He shrugged. “Appears the choice has been made. Now, you gonna get to talking or what?”
I hesitated. How do you tell someone that you’ve been possessed by an evil ghost? He’d believe it. There’s not much you don’t believe in this world. But still…
As I was about to explain the situation to Archie, I noticed a shadow move in the corridor outside the room. It startled me enough that I flinched and let out a quick yelp without even realizing it.
Archie wheeled around in the direction I was facing and drew his fists into balls. He grunted and gritted his teeth. “I hate this!”
Tall Boy moved ever so slightly and Archie saw him for the first time. He let out a savage scream and barreled toward the Throwaway.
“Stop!” I yelled, but it was too late. Archie viciously tackled Tall Boy to the ground.
Little Bobby skulked back into a dark corner.
I ran to Archie and Tall Boy. “Stop, Archie! He’s with me!” I grabbed him by the back of his collar.
Archie pulled away from Tall Boy. He was breathing heavily and staring down at the strange pale Throwaway. “This is with you?”
“Yeah.”
He stood, still staring at Tall Boy. “I don’t understand… what got you all freaked a second ago?”
I stepped away from him as my stomach grumbled. “I… saw something.” I clamped my hand on my gut and fought the hunger.
“Saw what?”
Before I could answer, the dark figure I had seen in the corridor showed itself. It was the Flish. The gray man glared and snarled.
“He with you?” Archie asked looking as uneasy as I felt.
I shook my head.
The Flish sniffed the air. “I smell a little one. Meat so tender. Meat so sweat.”
“Old man,” Archie said, “you come any closer and I’ll plant my foot right up that bony ass of yours.”
The gray man focused on Archie. “My meat! My meat! My meat to eat! That be Storyteller meat! I gnaw on Creyshaw bones after I eat the Storyteller boy!”
Archie shivered and stomped his foot. “This one of them things… the destruction things?”
“Destroyer,” I corrected. “And yes.”
The Flish moved toward the corner where Bobby was hiding. Archie turned and placed himself between Bobby and the gray man. I couldn’t move. It was as if I was stuck in a time
I chuckled and then sighed. “I’m not sure you really are.”
Bobby looked down at his feet and then at me. “Where do you think we’re standing?”
Ignoring his Storyteller’s question, Archie stepped forward. “It’s us, Oz…”
I stepped back. The gnawing in my stomach was stronger than it had ever been before. “Stop.”
“What…” Archie was annoyed by my request. “Gotta say I thought you’d be a little bit happier to see us.”
I shook my head. “Yeah, well I would be, but… I’m kind of dealing with something myself here.”
“What?” he snickered.
“The urge to eat you.”
TEN
“You want to explain yourself?” Archie asked.
We had made our way down the spiral staircase. I positioned myself as far away from him and Bobby as I could. Every time they approached, I insisted that they not get any closer. I didn’t just feel hunger pains when I got near him and Bobby. I actually started to salivate. I could practically taste their flesh as the longing to eat them grew stronger and stronger.
Tall Boy had not revealed himself yet. He had drifted back into a dark corner and stood as still as a statue. With his milky-white complexion, it was easy to mistake him for just that.
“It’s not safe for you to be here,” I said.
He chuckled. “Safe ain’t something I’ve felt in a long, long time, Oz. Round here you got to pick and choose between what can get you killed and what can get you almost killed. Kavi seemed to think what was out there could get us killed, which means we’re right where we need to be.”
I rubbed my belly to try to soothe it. “I’ve got a feeling there isn’t much of a choice this time.”
He shrugged. “Appears the choice has been made. Now, you gonna get to talking or what?”
I hesitated. How do you tell someone that you’ve been possessed by an evil ghost? He’d believe it. There’s not much you don’t believe in this world. But still…
As I was about to explain the situation to Archie, I noticed a shadow move in the corridor outside the room. It startled me enough that I flinched and let out a quick yelp without even realizing it.
Archie wheeled around in the direction I was facing and drew his fists into balls. He grunted and gritted his teeth. “I hate this!”
Tall Boy moved ever so slightly and Archie saw him for the first time. He let out a savage scream and barreled toward the Throwaway.
“Stop!” I yelled, but it was too late. Archie viciously tackled Tall Boy to the ground.
Little Bobby skulked back into a dark corner.
I ran to Archie and Tall Boy. “Stop, Archie! He’s with me!” I grabbed him by the back of his collar.
Archie pulled away from Tall Boy. He was breathing heavily and staring down at the strange pale Throwaway. “This is with you?”
“Yeah.”
He stood, still staring at Tall Boy. “I don’t understand… what got you all freaked a second ago?”
I stepped away from him as my stomach grumbled. “I… saw something.” I clamped my hand on my gut and fought the hunger.
“Saw what?”
Before I could answer, the dark figure I had seen in the corridor showed itself. It was the Flish. The gray man glared and snarled.
“He with you?” Archie asked looking as uneasy as I felt.
I shook my head.
The Flish sniffed the air. “I smell a little one. Meat so tender. Meat so sweat.”
“Old man,” Archie said, “you come any closer and I’ll plant my foot right up that bony ass of yours.”
The gray man focused on Archie. “My meat! My meat! My meat to eat! That be Storyteller meat! I gnaw on Creyshaw bones after I eat the Storyteller boy!”
Archie shivered and stomped his foot. “This one of them things… the destruction things?”
“Destroyer,” I corrected. “And yes.”
The Flish moved toward the corner where Bobby was hiding. Archie turned and placed himself between Bobby and the gray man. I couldn’t move. It was as if I was stuck in a time
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