Into the Dark

Chapter 40

He tried to breathe, he tried to kick, and he tried to scream. Nothing worked out for him, it only seemed to steal more of his oxygen.

The ugly creatures around him continued to bellow, although it sounded as if they were cheering about him dying. The ones that had them raised their torches into the air in excitement and jumped around wildly, waving the fire like flags.

"What's going on here?" I asked Darwin.

"This is the hanging tree. They must be hanging another human," he said.

"A human?!" I exclaimed.

"Yes. The creatures of this forest aren't very fond of newcomers, especially humans. They despise them the most. So, if any of them get their hands on one wandering in here, they either kill them instantly or bring them to the hanging tree to show off their discovery. The others find it entertaining to watch and it's the one moment where all the creatures get along. That is... until the hanging is over. Nothing here is allied with the other, they're all enemies. So traditionally, fights break out afterward."

"If it's so dangerous, why do they come together?" Odis asked. Darwin looked at him and frowned.

"That's how much they hate humans. They're willing to gather and tear each other apart just to watch them die," he answered.

"What did he do?" I asked. Darwin didn't answer for awhile. It was like he knew I didn't want to know, and when his brown eyes widened and he looked at me seriously, I knew I probably didn't want to hear his response either.

"Nothing," he said. "They never do."

I became so angry that my cheeks most likely turned noticeably red. These creatures were obviously nuts, especially if this was how they acted toward a simple, innocent human.

"That's so stupid! He didn't bother them so why should he have to suffer?" I snapped. The goblin stayed silent for another long moment.

"He's already dead, Lady Bella. But there are three others in line," he eventually mumbled. I followed his gaze to realize that the once struggling man was now lifeless and limp, hanging from his neck with his chin to his chest and his arms at his sides.

Next to the tree were two more men and a woman, dressed properly for an outside occasion, though I was sure this was not what they were expecting. They shook violently and stared out at the mob, tears streaming down their dirty and bloody faces. Their hands were tied at the front with thick rope, and they were guarded by two human-looking supernatural men who continued to scowl and snap at them.

I literally started to get jittery because I was so mad. "We have to stop this!" I barked. When I tried to shove into the crowd, Kade pulled my back to his chest and kept me there by wrapping his arm securely around my shoulders.

"That would probably be the dumbest thing you ever did. Do you know how many of these creatures would tear into you if you interrupted their little party?" he scolded in my ear. When I didn't answer, he pointed at the tree again and told me to look.

I audibly gasped when I saw some creature clinging to the hanging man, ripping into his shoulder and pulling away chunks of meat. It was skinny, bones digging so far into the thing's pasty white skin, I was surprised they hadn't torn through yet. It had long arms and legs like a human, except for the long claws equipped on the fingers and toes. Its head was round, white, cloudy eyes bulging from the skull and a huge set of razor sharp teeth taking up the lower half of its face. There were no lips to cover them, though I'm sure there was no possible way to do so.

When I trembled while watching the blood drip from its mouth, Kade tightened his arm around me. "That's a wendigo, a deranged creature that feeds on flesh, whether it be human or supernatural. I'm not gonna lose you to that thing so I suggest you hold off on the heroic rescue."