The Hunted Time

Living in a small city had its gratuities. Everyone knew everyone like a grandma knew her fashions. Yeah, people talked and scented around in each other’s business, but there was a sense of security knowing I was familiar with everyone around me. It was nearly as if our city was an entire earth itself, amiss from other worlds and fully independent. Stumbleton was home; it always had been. Yet, commodity stuck out like a slapdash hair on a stubborn sprat’s head.This.this was the earth on our city’s affable face. A dying rose in a field of flourishing flowers.

The Shatter Tooth Residence.

It’s not an magnification – at least it was n’t when I was a sprat. It was the early nineties. kiddies stayed outdoors riding bikes and playing endless games of label while ignoring the cluster of scabs covering our knees. Sweat covered our shirts. Water hoses were our source of water. The outside world was great on Jinn Beth Street. But only until someone rode to the end of the road and stifled a rustle. Only until the sun stopped shining and came ever swallowed by evil murk and altitudinous malignant trees with decaying branches. The Shatter Tooth Residence had that effect.Somehow.someway, it defied the rules that Stumbleton followed. Especially after this one summer. I ’ll noway forget it.

I ’m riding my bike. My stylish friend Pike is pedaling a many bases down from me. I ’m only nine times old, and Pike is eleven. Outflow, cruel shafts from the sun reach around my neck and beget sweat to burn my eyes. Suddenly, we stop, watching from the sidewalk as the Shatter Tooth Residence comes into view.

“ Well? ” asks Pike.

“ Well? ”

He turns to face me. “ Are ya ’ gon na do it or what? ”

My stomach turns. “ No. ”

“ No? ” He wipes sweat from his buzzed head. “ Ya ’ really believe it, huh? ”

“ You know I do. ”

And I did. Times and times ago a sprat was bold enough to jump the hedge girding Shatter Tooth’s vicinity. Just seconds latterly he was heard screaming as if he were being maltreated by a murder of ravens. But he was n’t. rather, nearly all his teeth were shattered – nearly all of them. People said someone attacked him in the blink of an eye, destroying his mouth with ease. No bone

just made stuff like that up. They could n’t.

“ Well, I ’m goin ’. Ya ’d be a recreant if ya ’ do n’t come. ”

I huff in frustration. Being called a recreant was cruel. It pierced every sprat’s tone- regard. No bone

, if they were stable, could just be called a recreant and not try to prove the blameworthiness wrong.

I look at the road ahead. It’s straight upwardly until you reach Shatter Tooth. Only a couple of slipup houses with slanted roofs enthrall spots along the way. “ Fine. ”

“ Fine? ”

“ Yeah, fine. ” I grip my bars. “ I ai n’t a recreant, Pike. ” That’s a taradiddle . I was a recreant.

He smiles. Only the right side of his mouth turns. A many teeth peep out. “ Ya ’ sure, recreant? I do n’t want ya ’ to pee ya’self ’ or somethin’. ”

“ I said I ai n’t a recreant, Pike. ” Gashes try to sneak out but I force them to stay put.

“ Alright. Ya ’ ai n’t a recreant. ”

We continue to gawk ahead. Neither one of us moves. My heart feels like there’s a drummer in my casket, pounding and pounding as if it wants the whole world to hear. I suppose I ’m safe. I suppose he’s about to change his mind and say it’s a bad idea.

“ Ya ’ ready? ” he asks.

“ I — ”

Before I can respond, Pike takes off down the hill, his legs a blur as they pedal with the moxie only an eleven- time-old can retain. I scream for him to stop, but he does n’t feel to hear me. Frustrated, my legs find the pedals and I zoom after him, cursing him for calling me a recreant. Everything inside me screams to stop – to just slam the breaks and go back home. But I could n’t leave Pike. And I surely could n’t be a recreant. noway.

I descend the hill and stop beside Pike who’s formerly off his bike and walking towards the driveway.

“ Are you insane? ” I spear, jumping from my bike and planting my skinny tone in front of him.

“ What do ya mean? ”

My fists ball at the confusion covering his face. “ We ca n’tjust.just walk in there. ”

“ Why not? ” he asks.

Why not? He knew about the sprat who came back with the shattered teeth! No bone

could just walk over without a plan. That was common sense. But this was Pike. He was different.

“ hear. ” He grabs both my shoulders. Pike was always a head high than me and always stalwart. “ We can do this. All we got ta do is jump the hedge. ”

“ But what about the sprat with the — ”

He shoves a cutlet to my lips, hushing my coming words. I gawk into his brown eyes as if he holds all the answers. He sounded like he always did. “ That shit ai n’t real and ya ’ know it. There’s nothin ’ back there – nothin ’. Stop believin ’ all them rumors and stuff. It makes ya ’ look like a recreant. ”

That word again. Damn. “ But I believe them, Pike. ”

His eyes outrage to the place behind me – the agony of a house. I do n’t turn as he says, “ also let’s prove em ’ all wrong right now. Me and you. ”

I jolt without meaning to. The Shatter Tooth Residence. The place where agonies are made. The house of wicked secrets and perpetual murk.

“ Okay, ” I bruit , now shocked I indeed said it.

Pike’s weird smile takes form again. “ Okay. ”

He lets go of me and begins walking towards the house. This was my last chance to run. It would be so easy to just pick up my bike and storm down, but I could n’t. Pike said we could prove everyone wrong about this place. I demanded to believe him. He was intrepid.

The house threatens to swallow me as I hesitantly turn to face it. It’s big, and towering, and has a death-black slanted roof ready to cut any raspberry stupid enough to land upon it. Faded argentine cases the outside walls. Light from the sun no longer touches the asphalt road or cement driveway leading to the house.

“ Come on, ” says Pike. He swells me towards the side of the house. I swallow and trudge towards him, not daring to take my eyes off the curtained windows. Anything could pop out.

“ Faster, ” he says, his voice getting irked.

Crap. “ What about my parents? ” They would lose their minds if I came back home with no teeth. Hell, I could die. What also?

“ They wo n’t know. All we ’re doin ’ is proven these damn rumors wrong and nothin ’ more. ”

I suck

my lingo and nod.

We walk by the side of the house. A deep gutter full of jagged jewels, dead branches, and murky water takes up utmost of the path toward the vicinity. I concentrate on keeping my footing through the slim bumpy trail so I do n’t fall into the gutter. Sweat continues to pour. Pike pushes in front of me like some type of expert gemstone rambler, noway losing his balance or footing.

I huff.

Why could n’t I be like him? Pike sounded intrepid. Every sprat on Jinn Beth Street knew about Pike and his crazy feats. Holding the record for the longest willie – getting the most girls to kiss him – walking on his hands like they were his bases. Pike was untouchable, and I wanted to be like him.

“ Stop. ”

I break, chancing his hand just elevation from my face. “ What's it? ”

He does n’t respond. My eyes outrage to the gutter below, looking for commodity that did n’t belong. Pike must have seen commodity if he just stopped.

“ Pike? ” I tap his shoulder.

“ hear, ” he whispers.

I hold my breath. The only thing I hear is the soft teardrop of water from the gutter below. A black raspberry with wide bodies soars above, ignorant of our dilemma. I concentrate harder nothing.

“ I do n’t hear anything, Pike. ”

“ Exactly. ” He turns and smiles at me. “ I do n’t hear nothin ’ moreover. No monsters or manslayers choppin ’ people up. I told ya ’ them people’s talk is just gibberish. ”

“So.you wan na leave? I mean, since we did n’t hear anything? ”

As if to answer my question, he continues forward and grasps the top of the hedge. It’s altitudinous and old with splintered wood, yet there are no holes. He jumps and pulls himself to the top before breaking.

“ What do you see? ”

“ Oh shit! ” he screams. “ Oh shit, sis! ”

“ What's it, Pike ” I maintain, doubtful if I can hold back the gashes. “ What do you see? ”

I ’m about to pull him down and run but he begins laughing. “ I told ya formerly, recreant. ”

A gash escapes but I snappily wipe it down. I force my voice not to quake. “ You were joking? ”

“ Well, yeah, recreant. ” He laughs again also adds, “ Ya ’ looked like ya ’ shit ya’self ’, recreant. ”

“ I ’m not a recreant! ” Indeed though I said I was n’t, inside I knew I was. Pike sounded to know, too.

“ Get up then. ” He pats the rough wood beside him.

I oblige and snare his staying hand. I struggle with my ascent but soon find myself sitting beside him, gaping at the vicinity of the Shatter Tooth Residence.

“ What do ya suppose, huh? Enough scary if ya ask me. ”

My throat was suddenly dry as if the desert suddenly covered it. far and wide trees, both altitudinous and short and thick, covered the huge vicinity. The hedge came indistinguishable and the yard stretched and stretched. Anything could be back there,waiting.lurking. But it was just trees. It was just a yard. either, Pike was n’t spooked.

“ I got an idea. ”

Oh no. “ What? ”

“ Let’s go back there. ”

I nearly fall off the hedge, but Pike catches me.

“ Are ya okay there, sis? ”

No. “ I do n’t. ”

He breathes a knowing shriek. “ Ya ’ prolly ’ right there, sis. We ’ve formerly went further than everyone differently, huh? More not push it. ”

Eventually. commodity we could agree on. “ Yeah, you ’re right. ” I nudge his shoulder. “ Looks like we proved the rumors wrong. ”

I take a final regard at the vicinity. This place I stressed for so numerous times is just normal, kind of. Well, not completely ordinary; it still felt creepy and looked like a secret family of cannibals lived outside. But thankfully, nothing was back then. No critter staying to shatter a mouth full of someone’s teeth. Just dead lawn and ancient- looking trees.

“ What’s that? ” he suddenly blurts.

“ What’s what? ”

“ That. ” He points towards the huddle of trees in the aft corner of the yard.

I strain my eyes to find what he’s pointing towards. “ What do you. ”

And also I see it; the corner of a chalet. He seems to read the shift in my posture because, “ What do ya ’ suppose is in there, huh? I mean, it could be somethin’ worth sniffin ’ into. We ’re formerly out then. ”

“ No. ” No. No. No! We ’re supposed to leave. Leave!

“ I ’m goin ’, sis. ”

“ What about — ”

He jumps – jumps! Straight off the hedge and into the dead lawn below. I try to yell for him to stop, but he walks toward the corner as if he lacks care for the world. Nothing scares Pike.

“ stay! ” I eventually manage, awkwardly scooting off the hedge and wharf with a jolt. “ stay, Pike. ”

“ Accelerate up. This chalet ai n’t goin ’ to explore itself, huh? ”

I jog up to him. Now, I ’m paranoid. It was different to just look at the vicinity’s contents. Actually being then, now, was intimidating. Being alone, still, without Pike, sounded worse.

“ Ya ’ spooked, sis? Ya ’ suppose notoriety will just pop on out still? ”

I look around again. The reverse of the house is bare except for a survived door and curtained windows. “ Does anybody live then? ” I ask.

“ I do n’t know. ”

Hmm. “Well.somebody has to, do n’t they? ” I push down branches like they ’re a foreigner’s arms. The trees start getting thicker. “ You hear me, Pike ”

He remains quiet.

“ Pike? ” I say again. He quickens his pace. Odd.

Still, he muscles through the branches like a frenetic man on a death charge. Why would n’t he answer me? I know he heard me; Pike wasjust.just walking and shoving branches down. He must ’ve seen commodity that I did n’t. But what could it be? And how long had we formerly been gone? I knew my parents were presumably upset. They had to be. I should leave.

I stopped in the midst of the trees. “ Pike. ”

Still nothing. Sweat traced down my forepart. “ Pike! I ’m leaving! Thisis.is weird or wrong. My parents are presumably upset, Pike. ” Still nothing. “ Pike, damn it! ”

He stopped. Yes, he stopped. I feel my shoulders loosen. scrapes line his tan arms from the sharp branches. “ We need to go, ” I try to reason. “ Please, Pike. Please. ”

“ Fine, ” he blurts, snappily turning to face me. “ Damn, sis. Ya ’ said ya ’ would explore it, did n’t ya ’? Why ca n’t ya ’ just be quiet for formerly? All we need ta ’ do is ”

commodity stirs.

We both snap our heads like deer.

“ Pike? ”

“ Shh, ” he orders.

Again. I heard it again. A soft thud like wood tapping a wall, but it’s supple and subtle. My heart quickens – fills my cognizance. Shatter Teeth; this noise was Shatter Teeth shifting. I could n’t move.

“ Pike — ”

And also a wail. A cry for help. Or perhaps a trap. Pike and I meet eyes, shortly confused and spooked. Oh shit. Oh god, I saw it, only for a moment like a gemstone fleetly glistering before getting formerly again cast into darkness. Pike had a regard of fear in his eyes, but it was gone, too presto I nearly allowed

it was n’t real.

Pike crouches and moves forward.

“ What are you — ”

I ’m interrupted again. “ Help, ” someone says. “ Please. ” The voice is old and frail, nearly on the point of not being. Pike rushes through the trees. He rushes through the trees and towards the chalet like the stalwart soul he is. Indeed though there was fear, and I know there was.

My branches move on their own accord. I push forward also. Sticks cut my arms and neck. I ignore them, eventually leaving the trees before. I too ignore the fear outside like Pike. Just like Pike.

“ Get over then. ”

Pike is kneeled by the entrance of the chalet, a dark brown structure abused by time and rainfall. But Pike is n’t alone. At his bases is an old man with shallow slate skin and white hair analogous to feathers.

“ What’s wrong with him? ” Did this old man live then? What ifhe.what if.

“ Help me. ”

I drop to my knees. Pike’s forepart is bunched with wrinkles. “ Who's he? ” I ask.

“ I do n’t know. ”

“Well.didn’t he just talk? ”

“ I suppose so, ” he mumbles. I look closer at the old man. He looksdead.However, also near, If not. What could I do? All he wore was a thin mask with branches slimmer than sticks. Wrinkles enveloped his skin, far and wide. Really, what could I do?

“ We need to take him outside. ”

I jump to my bases. “ What? ”

Pike’s voice becomes irked. “ Damn it, sis. This ai n’t the time for all them rumors! Help me get em ’ up before he dies. ”

Suddenly, my body becomes heavy. No, I was n’t stalwart like Pike; this was n’t for me. The rumors were real, and this was a trap! Pike was falling into it like an ignorant fish smelling a hook. I demanded to save him.

“ Please, ” the old man suddenly croaks. The word jolts me with fear. His sharp fingernails trail through the lawn.

“ I ’m leaving, ” I say.

“ No ya ’ ai n’t, ” spits Pike, now getting in my face. He smells like dirt and sweat. I know he’s pissed because he noway does this unless I ’m being stupid. “ We're stayin ’, and we're helpin ’ him. Stop bein ’ a damn recreant and let’s just — ”

My eyes suddenly open wide with complete fear, acting to cut off Pike’s coming words. His brows crinkle. He turns to where the old man was.

No bone

. nothing. Just nothing.

Pike rubs his lip with the reverse of his hand. “ Where. ”

Out of instinct, I take a step back. Everything around me becomes indeed more threatening. My eyes bat the chalet and the old dying trees and shrubs. Pike looks stupefied; color left the tan skin covering his face; he too did n’t know what happed. No bone

can just vanish, especially someoneold.frail at that.

“ I suppose we should go. Now. ”

I ever nod despite my muscles buckling as if cement unexpectantly jammed them. Pike pushes me back through the trees. We shove our way back. We ’re both quiet. Only the beat of my heart and branches aimlessly smacking my branches fill the void. Yet, I ’m looking at everything. checking every pierce of wind – harkening to Pike’s heavy breathing behind me. I knew commodity was n’t right. The old man could be anywhere, patiently staying to jump like a demon and kill us. I shiver at the study of his nails.

“ Faster, ” ushers Pike. He gently pushes my shoulders, so I quicken my pace until we leave the trees before and both sprint towards the hedge. I ’d noway felt similar relief seeing such a mundane object.

Pike jumps to the top first like the pro he is. I snare his hand and join him. Both of us are breathing hard as we break there.

“ What do ya ’ suppose happed? ”

I regard over at him, suddenly jealous because of the fearlessness on his face. My hands shake on their own accord. Goosebumps trail my neck and shoulders. “ I do n’t know, Pike. He wasjust.just t- there and dying, or nearly dying. But also he was g- gone, Pike. Just gone. ”

“ That do n’t make any sense, huh, sis? None at all. ”

“ I saw you, Pike. I saw it. ”

He looks at me, easily confused. I continue, “ It was presto, but I saw it. You were spooked, Pike. Do n’t lie and say you were n’t. ” My cutlet still shakes as I point towards him. “ It was in your eyes. ”

Pike releases a shriek. “ Everyone gets spooked, sis. Indeed me. ”

He jumps from the hedge, back to the girding gutter and slim trail. I jump after him, still shocked about my discovery – the discovery thatPike.this person who was intrepid and the champion of Jenn Beth Street could sweat. It was like learning humans could fly or the sky was actually green. It felt unfathomable, but it was real; Pike suddenly came real to me; Pike was a mortal just like me and everyone differently in our small city.

“ Do n’t tell anybody about this, sis. ”

We continue back towards our bikes. “ Why? ”

“ Because nothing will believe us. All it ’ll do is make us look dumb and nothin ’ differently. ”

I did n’t respond. Pike, to his credit, was n’t wrong. So, it stayed between us. Everything. Neither one of us told anyone of our trip. Not our parents or the other kiddies on Jenn Beth Street. To this day, it remains between us, an agreement we ’ll noway break like the love a mama holds for her child. Indeed though I still wonder what could have actually happed that one summer day.

But that day, as I look back, tutored me commodity – Pike tutored me commodity. Every man is fearful. No bone

is imperishable. And most importantly, occasionally you have to gawk fear in the face and push forward.

The verity that day was Pike. I ’ll noway forget Pike. Especially Shatter Tooth residers. Indeed if no bone

knows what happed. occasionally that’s better.

-- The End--