LOT'S MOUNTAIN

CHAPTER TWO: The Things in the Dark

I want to start yelling, but I can't. You always think you'll scream your head off when somebody jumps you. I open my mouth, but only a few squeaks come out. Even if I could make tons of noise, no one would get to me in time. I'm on my own.

"I've been looking for you, Dylan Caid." He says my name like it's a cuss word.

"Dylan Caid? Never heard of him," I lie as I cradle the kitten in my jacket.

Not saying another damn thing, the nut-job jabs forward with his knife. The tip swings wide, barely missing me.

A sharp rumble shakes everything, and the rain picks up even more. It keeps falling harder and harder, soaking through my clothes. Each raindrop digs into my skin, like a cold needle.

Then he sobs, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to do this," I say real soft. Then I stutter out something, trying to distract the guy or at least talk him down, "What happened ... that guy on Carver Street ... my brother—"

"This isn't about your brother, Dylan Caid. This is about you."

Me?

None of this is making sense. Who is this nut? You get some crazies around here, but what is this guy's deal and what the hell is he talking about? Not sure what to do, I mumble something about how I have to go. The more I back up, the more he's practically on top of me, still waving the knife around.

"Yes, it's all because of you," the crazy guy screeches. "There are two sides to this."

Huh? Two sides to what?

Not waiting for me to say anything, he yells, "There is Glass and there is Stone!"

"What are you talking about?" I say. If I run, this weirdo'll be on me fast. If I don't panic, then I still have a chance to get him calm.

He adds, "I know what happens to ones like you."

Ones like me? Does he know about how I can find things? How could he?

"I have to do this, but you'll forgive me. I know you will." He smiles this one hundred percent crazy smile. "If I don't, Stone will come for you tonight. And then so will Glass."

What? Am I going to be attacked by a rock and then a window?

The wind blows even harder, jerking the trees back and forth, like they're blades of grass. Some of the tall pines bend to the point they're almost touching the ground.

I want to look the guy in the eye, but I can't take my eyes off the knife. It's smooth and silver and sharp. He drags it through the air in front of him in a long lazy arc.

As the crazy guy pushes the knife closer, the wind knocks over a tree like it's a toothpick. The roots are yanked out of the ground, and dirt shoots up into the air, stinging across my face. Pushing past the downed tree, he grabs me before I can move.

My mind is spinning as the nut-job stabs forward with the knife. I try to get out of the way, but the knife slices through my jacket sleeve and pain streaks down my arm.

Before I can take a swing at him, he's on top of me, pinning my arms to my sides as he sits on me. The kitten digs her claws into me, trying to get out of my jacket, but she's as trapped as I am.

Leaning closer, he whispers, "The eyes of Stone know no mercy, and the eyes of Glass cut straight to the soul. They're both looking for you. This is the only way."

There's nothing I can do. I can't move ... can't ...

Shhh shhh shhh. I'm gonna die and I'm still having to listen to that stupid sound—

This freak didn't make that noise. This time it's muffled and sounds more like claws digging into a tree trunk. And now something's growling. Hell, it's all around us.

"I took too long. I've ..." he mutters. Raising the knife above his head, he then wheezes, "Tonight this ends for one of us."

As the knife comes whipping down, there's another flash of lightning. In that burst of light, I see that something's behind the guy.

Red eyes.

And teeth.

Then there's an awful ripping sound. The guy's too-round eyes get even rounder and roll back like a shark's before it kills something. But he's not lunging at me. Instead, his hand opens up, and the knife falls. Something warm sprays across my face.

It isn't rain. Rain isn't red.

And then there's more darkness.

It takes me a bit, but I come to my senses and scramble to my feet. Gotta run. Just gotta ...

Another flash lights up everything for several seconds, and I see four huge dog-things. I only catch a hint of them — red eyes, too-sharp angles on the jaws and cheekbones, and thick black fur — before everything plunges into darkness again.

And then they're on top of me.

Teeth sink into my shoulder as claws dig at my legs. My whole body's on fire. Just as jaws start to close around my throat, another one of the things jumps on me, shoving the first one away. Suddenly, the others back away. A different one lopes forward but hesitates, like it's scared of something.

The reluctant one growls as it backs away from me and starts talking in a low voice, like it gargles with gravel, "The Stone Men will be angry."

Am I in shock or something?

Now the rest of them talk at once.

"Blood."

"Meat."

"We will find it elsewhere tonight. Remember, this is the one the Stone Men seek, the one they told of."

The others nod and hiss.

That crazy guy had talked about eyes of Stone, and now these dog-things are saying stuff about Stone Men. Is there something else out there looking for me—

Before I can finish my thought, one lunges and snaps at me, its teeth just missing my face. One of its eyes is gone. Snarling, it then stalks back into the shadows with the others.

Still staring at the things, I stumble back out of the woods and into the street, bouncing onto the pavement. Tires squeal as a car screeches to a stop, its bumper inches away from my head. I want to run away, to just take off, but my legs feel like jelly.

Those things didn't kill me. Why?

Shivering, I just sit in the cold yellow of thecar's headlights. The rain is now only a little mist around me. Thestorm's moved on, and the street is full of shredded leaves.