Volume One: The Road Out
Chapter Three
Verse Five: Exit, Pursued by
Hound
"Sorry, I know
I've heard that term before, but what was the Witch Road?"
Harley asked, listening to Fitzroy. The goblin rattled along old
pasture trails that had more in common with well worn ruts in the
grass than they did with actual roads.
"The
Witchdoctor said it was like a secret path that wizards and witches
used to find the story and be where they needed to be and stuff like
that." Maia answered.
"He said it
wasn't a physical road, because it didn't exist in this world. It
existed in all worlds, because it spread out like spider webs from
the Shadow lands." Fitzroy added.
"And what are
the Shadow Lands? Have I heard that before? Or is that new mythology,
I have to add to the growing list of things I need to know and fear?"
"I don't know.
The Witch Doctor said that the Shadow lands were where all gods and
demons and magic lived, where it all came from, because he said that
the Shadow Lands and the story were the same thing. I didn't
understand everything he said though."
"I hear you. I
don't understand most of this." Harley agreed, "But
whatever it is, you can see it. Right? So I'm listening to you. Where
do I go?"
"Follow this
trail for a while. I think we're safe right now. The Witchdoctor said
that the men of black and white couldn't see the witch road. Maybe
they can't see us when we're on it."
"Did you see
that Fitz?" Maia asked.
"See what? I
was talking to Harley?" Fitzroy answered.
"I thought I
saw that shadow dog thing again." Maia answered.
"Do you see
him now?" Harley asked.
"No."
Maia said.
"Then let's
hope it was just a mirage. It almost certainly wasn't, but let's hope
a little longer until the next crisis hits."
"Don't fear
the black," Marion whispered from the passenger seat, "Even
the blackest heart is made of black earth, made from the mother. Fear
is the test, don't go grey in the face of black."
"Marion, can
you hear me?" Harley said as soon as there was a pause in
Marion's ramblings.
"Don't be
taken hostage by fear, don't be used by fear. Fear cannot win. No
good comes from submitting to fear. When the black heart is tempted
by fear, when the blackness comes for you, stand strong and act
without fear."
"I don't think
he can here any of the stuff happening to us, Mr. Walker." Maia
said.
"Even the Lion
can be corrupted if it falls victim to fear. Fear springs from
separation. Trust the tribe, trust your allies. We do not fight
alone."
"Is he talking
to us do you think?" Fitzroy asked.
"I can't tell
just from hearing what he's saying. It's classic prophecy, vague and
full of portent. He could just be having another of the alternate
world visions, and maybe this is what he does in magic land. I
haven't seen him have a proper vision before. He could be trying to
warn us, but with prophecy, you almost always recognize what it's
talking about too late."
Fitz grabbed his
had and groaned in pain, closing his eyes.
"Fitz, are you
okay?" Maia asked.
"The Witch
Road is shifting. Let me focus, because this isn't easy. I think I
could fall out of this world like Marion if I don't focus."
"Quiet then
Maia, give him silence so he can focus." Harley said.
"To the right,
towards that stand of trees, the dead ones, There is a dry river bed
that locals use as an off road trail. Can the Goblin handle a river
bed?"
"Cricket built
tough vehicles, that's why they went out of business, a cricket van
will never stop working if you have even the slightest bit of
automotive know how. They don't know how to die."
Harley slowed the
goblin and the vehicle descended into the dry river bed. River rocks
grinding loudly together echoes like gnashing teeth through the
goblin's steel frame body. Harley found his best position and began
to slowly guide the goblin along the river bed, and found himself
noting that the sparse trees provided pretty good cover for them as
they made their way down Fitzroy's invisible witch road.
They drove all day
without incident, travelling along a series of winding back roads
without apparent rhyme or reason. They saw no more white vans and no
men in suits and sunglasses. Eventually Fitzroy led them back onto
paved roads, but these were still badly maintained rural roads and
not the highway. When evening arrived, they set up camp at a nearly
empty public camp ground. Harley was bent over the fire pit. he had
just succeeded in lighting a fire when they heard the howl, long and
echoing as though funnelled through a pipe organ.
"I heard the."
Harley said, looking up. "That can't be good."
Harley scanned
around. Marion was sitting where they had left him, slumped on the
picnic table. They had at least been able to lead him around, and
hadn't needed to carry him. Maia and Fitzroy were crouched behind
Harley, watching him expectantly.
"We need to
get Marion to the Goblin and go." Harley said. The children
nodded and Harley was just starting to stand, when the fire suddenly
sputtered and then died.
It emerged from the
shadows, like a dog, but not, dark or black or worse. Harley kept the
children behind him as the thing approached.
"Well, I guess
this is the hound." He whispered.
The Hound circled
them, orbiting like a predatory black hole. The Hound was darkness
but not dark. Beyond blackness, the Hound was the absence of light,
hard to look at and hard to see. The Hound was void, shaped vaguely
like a wolf or a dog. The air around the hound grew cold. Noise
silenced around the hound. All motion or sound disappeared in
proximity to the hound. Frost formed on vegetation as it passed, not
walking precisely, occupying the void that it had created ahead of
itself by silencing all motion. A singularity of nothing. A point of
void moving across the page like a hungry rip tearing open reality.
It was clear that the hound did not devour prey. The hound deleted
prey.
"When I say,
run for the goblin. I'll get Marion. Fitzroy, you take the front
seat, we'll stuff Marion in the back."
"I'm afraid."
Maia said.
"It's okay to
be afraid, just make sure you aren't frozen by it. Go!"
Harley bolted
towards Marion and grabbed his friend by both wrists. Wrestling the
semi-cooperative Marion from the picnic table was difficult, but
Harley noted that the children were running to the goblin and the
Hound seemed indecisive as to whom to chase. Harley wrestled Marion
to a standing position and then dragged him towards the car as the
Hound slowly turned towards the two of them. Harley yanked open the
back of the van and pushed Marion bodily into the rear of the
vehicle. Slamming the door shut Harley glanced back and saw the hound
silently trotting towards them. Harley scrambled around to the
driver's side and heaved the door open before climbing into the
driver's seat.
"Seat belts
This is going to be unpleasant." Harley said as he turned the
key in the ignition and the goblin gasped to life. Harley watched the
hound slowly approach, the thing was barely moving at an amble now.
Harley shifted the goblin into gear and began to press the gas pedal.
The goblin started to move forward and harley began to maneuver the
van out of the parking space.
The Hound reached
the goblin and a web of frost spread out across the body work of the
old van. The goblin's engine sputtered and then went abruptly silent
and Harley found the van without power, slowly coasting to a stop.
"That doesn't
sound good." Harley Muttered to himself.
He turned the
ignition again, no sound emerged. The engine did not even try to turn
over. The goblin was silent. Harley heard Maia gasp and turned to
look back. The frost had penetrated the body and was spreading across
the interior of the vehicle as well. Harley looked out the window to
see the hound sitting on its haunches, waiting. The thing even seemed
to yawn, perhaps in boredom and gave Harley a brief, faceless glance
through the side view mirror.
"That thing is
playing with us." Harley said, "Fitzroy, which way to the
witch road? i think we may have to run."
Fitzroy didn't
answer and Harley looked back at the children through the rear view
mirror. Fitzroy was curled into a fetal position on the seat, his
seatbelt not in place.
"Fitzroy, can
you hear me? Are you still with us?" Harley asked as Maia
cradled her brother and looked up helplessly at Harley.
Fitz held his head
with both hands and shook, "I can't see a way past it. it's too
powerful It can just swallow the whole witch road! It hurts. Make it
stop! It's so cold!"
The frost reached
the front window and began its spiderweb climb across the wind
shield. Harley shook his head and then unbuckled his seatbelt.
"Mr. Walker,
what are you doing?" Maia asked.
"Something
stupid. Something Marion would do." Harley said as he climbed
out of the vehicle. He closed the driver side door and stepped
forward. As he passed the back window he looked in at Marion, "If
you can hear me Marion, I need you help. We need a miracle, and I
don't know how to call up the axes of yours, so I'm probably going to
die. I don't want to die, and I could really use your help."
Marion shuddered in
the back. He was covered in frost from head to sneakers, and Harley
couldn't tell if his friend were reacting to him or the frost. Harley
faced the hound, who stood and began to circle Harley. Frost formed
as circle around him as the hound walked and the frost began creeping
inward towards Harley as he stood at the centre of the circle.
"You're big
scary ghost dog, I get it. But so what. I don't care that you're
scary."
The hound stopped
and cocked its head. Then it tilted it's head back and howled it's
pip organ howl. The frost reach Harley's shoes.
"Stop trying
to scare me and just try to kill me. Because apparently, I'm part of
the story. I don't know how to do any of the story things that Marion
can do. So I'm just going to hope that you bleed. Faint hope, I know.
But I don't see any options."
"We do not
fight alone!" Harley turned in shock to see Marion roll from the
back of the goblin. he landed in a heap in the packed earth of the
camp ground, spraying frost everywhere. "Trust your allies! Call
for aid! I call for aid!"
The air whirled
between the hound and Marion. Harley watched as a translucent red cat
appeared on the road, back arched teeth barred for combat.
"Mercer?"
Harley said in astonishment.
The ghostly form of
Mercer faced the hound and began to grow quickly reaching the size of
a cougar. The Hound's posture changed, and it actually seemed
interested. Marion was still yelling about how they had allies.
Harley noticed, then, that the frost had melted, from his feet, from
Marion and from the goblin.
"Marion if you
can hear me, get in the van!" Harley bolted for the driver's
seat, "Maia, get Marion in the back!"
Harley hauled
himself into the driver's seat. behind them Mercer launched himself
at the Hound with a hiss and shriek. Harley didn't look back.
"Is Marion
in?"
"Yes sir!"
Harley turned the
ignition and the goblin returned to life. Harley hit the gas pedal
and the goblin peeled out of the camp ground.
