First Soul

Chapter Seventeen

We ran, our feet stomping hard against the clay like ground as our lungs quivered with fear. We seemed to do this an awful lot, running away from things that wanted to eat us. We hadn't done anything except follow the stupid map. Maybe the map was the problem? Maybe we should just stop? But then, every time we stopped, we were pushed to move on by beasts like wolves, giant eagles and these rubber-like dogs.

I could hear the dogs, gathering speed. I was also sure the things could see in the night. Lester sparkled past us, the fireworks creating light spots in my vision. Lester was leading the way. I latched onto the little fireworks that were the only way of knowing which direction to head in. Lester would lead us to safety because wherever we were going, Lester needed us. I'd deduced that much from this quest otherwise why would Lester go to such lengths to help?

I also knew that the puppet master was enjoying this game.

We'd experienced different amounts of pain and fear since entering this place. The man in charge didn't want us to die, he just liked the game, he fed off our emotions. I wasn't about to test the limits and succumb to the dogs. I'd felt enough pain when the talons of the giant eagle had speared through me.

It may be a game, but it was a dangerous one.

The fireworks allowed me to see that we'd entered what look like a dark cave. Large stalactites hung precariously from the ceiling of it. Great, just one jolt, one wrong movement, and I sensed the entire lot would rain down. The tips gleamed in Lester's light. Lester had stopped up ahead.

Oh God.

What now.

I abruptly stopped as Lester turned and blocked our path. This was bad. "What it is?" I panted.

"It's a bridge.

A bridge spooked Lester? Seriously, a ghost was afraid of heights?

"Well, have you never seen a bridge before?!" Phillip said, clearly exasperated as he came to a stop beside us.

"Of course I have, young man! Do not talk to me like that!"

"Well, you're just floating there gawping at the thing!" Phillip argued.

"Do you have no respect for your elders?" Lester stormed.

Phillip fisted his arms across his chest defensively. "Sure, I do. I have plenty of respect, but not at the moment when we are being chased by rabid dogs and you're stood staring at a bridge."

The growl from the dogs kicked me into action. Okay, show time was over.

"Sorry to break up the chit chat folks, but we have a pack of dogs barrelling towards us and we are discussing the fact that there is a bridge right in front of us. It's a bridge, it helps you get across large gaps. Can we at least get a move on," I said, pushing at Lester before remembering he was a ghost.

The cool ice enveloped my hand as it slid straight through his body. I held back the shudder as I pulled my hand from where Lester stomach should have been.

"How do we know if it's safe?" Lester stormed. "I know what a bridge looks like, but this bridge is placed here."

I stopped pushing because Lester had a point. The room of doom, the eagles, nothing about this place was safe.

"We don't know if it's safe so we just have to trust that we can get across it and I for one would much rather test the bridge than get mauled by those dogs."

"Lester, move! I'm not about to get bitten by one of those things."

Lester moved, allowing me to start the journey across the bridge. The wooden slats creaked under my weight. I tested it again by placing another foot forward. Deyna remained stood on the hard ground with Lester and Phillip. Okay, this was going to be like a lucky dip but which one of us would get the broken slat? At the end of the day, we would have to risk it, we were out of options, yet again.

"Come on, you are going to have come on this thing, the dogs are coming!"

Deyna took her first cautious step. Phillip followed whilst Lester floated behind him. I continued moving slowly across the bridge not knowing how long it was with complete darkness lay ahead of them.

The next wooden slat shifted beneath my feet, it creaked like it wasn't sure whether it could withstand my weight. I tested it, it stuck. I moved onto the next step when a sudden, sharp gust of wind billowed around us. Deyna squealed and held onto me. The bridge started to sway, knocking us off balance. Tornados didn't form that quickly and never in a place like this.

The puppet master.

I growled at the precise moment another growl erupted behind us. I turned, as did Phillip, and looked behind. We were only about twenty slats into the bridge and those red eyes glared from a short distance. Ignoring the wind that swirled making our journey difficult, I pulled Deyna with me. I grasped a small part of the rope and quickened my pace until the bridge gave way.

Well, not the actual bridge.

The wood beneath my feet simply disappeared.

Deyna screamed and then I felt arms grip my shoulders. I hissed as pain shot through my entire body. She pulled me, straining with my weight, as I tried to help her, pushing myself up.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," she panted.

I grabbed Deyna's hand again, luckily, the wind had died down, obviously the master had grown bored with that, but I felt the vibrations from the dogs who were bounding across the bridge like there was no tomorrow. I continued to guide everyone at a faster pace. Lester was calling behind us, telling us how far away the dogs were, this wasn't helping my palpitating heart and the fear of snapping wood which was a regular occurrence now that the dogs were running.

A loud snap sounded behind us.

A strangled cry followed, which made me stop.

I turned and could see the faint outline of the dogs in the distance. I could see the dogs because Phillip was no longer there. I moved Deyna aside and placed her hands on the rope as I slid around her. "Hold on to the rope."

She didn't argue as I raced to Phillip's aid. Phillip's head was the only thing visible where a large hole was, below him was the darkness that made my skin crawl.

"Thing just fell away below my feet," Phillip panted. "I couldn't grab the rope in time."

"It's okay, give me your hand."

Phillip gave me a look. I bit my lip, smiling was not appropriate at a time like this but the look on Phillip's face was priceless.

The bridge moved beneath us as angry growls echoed.

"Come on, Pip!"

Phillip's shocked face turned into a grin, despite the situation we were in, the use of the nickname had made him smile. I hadn't used this nickname since we were kids. Male ego and fighting had taken away the foundation of our friendship. Phillip pushed his hand into my strong and steady one. Sweat was beading on his face, but I held my cool.

"Stephen, you must hurry, they are gaining ground!" Lester shouted before the fireworks flew in the air showing me that the dogs were in fact closer than I first thought.

Christ, the cool dropped as quickly as my stomach. "Pip, I'm going to pull you up but you have to work with me, okay?"

Phillip nodded, his lips pulled into a thin line showing his grim determination.

I pulled with every bit of strength I had. It felt my bad shoulder pop, but I held on to my best friend. I heard the wooden slat beneath me groan. Phillip wasn't moving. God, was he wedged into that hole?

"Stephen!!"

Lester's worried voice kicked my heart into a faster rhythm. I shot a quick glance up, the dogs were nearly upon us, the leader's teeth snapping.

"Pip, do you trust me?"

Phillip nodded without a hint of hesitation. A look passed between the two of us and then I took a deep breath and let Phillip fall.