Grace Collins - Creatures of the Night

Aside from mealtimes, nobody likes being in the tunnels during the day, so when I appear belowground with a bucket and cloth, Darius and I are surprised to see each other. With a smile, I hold up my bucket to answer his question about what Im doing down there today. Cleaning duty. Shouldnt you be at school?

There are only around thirty kids in the village, but until the day they turn sixteen, theyre stuck here like me. They spend most of the morning at school, where theyre taught writing and reading in the tunnels, or if its a nice day, in the patch of grass before the kitchen. I was never given that luxury. When I was a kid, Charles made me learn to cook while other kids were taught to write. He said I was good at it, and itd be a waste not to take advantage of that.

Moms mad at me again. He sighs. You know what that meanscleaning duty.

Whatd you do this time?

He shrugs. Arent you usually on gardening?

I wanted a change of scenery.

He shrugs and wipes down the table. Ive always liked Darius.

Hes only thirteen, so he hasnt hunted yet, and doesnt look down on me because I havent either. Hunting is a rite of passage in the villageeveryone, even Cynthia, participates every now and again. And it always happens the same way: When theyre young, theyre kind to me; and then they go on their first hunt.

The next day, Im a distant memory and lucky to receive a smile, as if being a hunter makes them so much better than me. The only one whos stuck around is Flo.

Darius smiles at me. So, the creature.... Is that why you wanted to clean?

No. I look at the wall again and focus on the distant dripping of water.

Dont worry, I wont tell anyone.

I keep my head down. Seeing the creature wont be worth it if Charles finds out.

You wanna see it? Darius asks.

Really?

Yeah. They came down a while ago to attach the new chains.

The new chains?

It broke through the old ones. These ones are silver, though.

They seem to have an effect on it. Charles said I have to give it this medicine every hour to keep it alive, otherwise the silver will kill it. He shows me a syringe filled with a dark-red liquid. I eye it warily. This is why I came down here, but now that the offer is right in front of me Im struck with hesitation. Come on, Millie.

Darius leans closer and the edges of his mouth tilt up. Live a little.

Okay.

Lets go, he says, dropping the syringe in the bucket and turning down the hall. Taking a deep breath, I follow him. With the absence of people, the tunnels feel colder, darker. The glow from Dariuss lantern crawls along the damp, narrow halls as we move. Sweat beads at the back of my neck; the farther we get from the entrance, the thicker the moisture in the air gets.

It doesnt talk, Darius warns. I dont even know if it can.

Each step feels like Im breaking an invisible string that Charles has tied me to. The deeper we venture into the tunnels, the more my shoulders tense, and the more I want to turn around. Nobody goes this deep unless theres something wrong with the pipes, and theres only two people in the whole village who work on the pipes. Ill be punished if Im found down here, but I cant ignore my nagging curiosity. These are the creatures that murdered my parents. Theyre horrendous, bloodthirsty beasts hell-bent on killing innocent humans, but Ive never seen one. And though the idea terrifies me, I cant stop myself from following Darius around the corner.

Youll see, Darius says, his voice a mere whisper. Its nothing like I expected.

I grip his sleeve as if he can protect me from the dark shape forming in the corner of the room. My fists clench as I take a step forward. When were young, were told stories of the creaturescontorted bodies, pointed teeth, claws for hands, matted hair, and spiraled horns that point toward the moon. The creature faces us, hunched in the corner and crouched on its haunches.

Dark, thick fur covers its framea large wolf-like creature with red eyes glowing like fireflies in the darkness. The air is thick with the taste of iron; scarlet blood coats the thick metal chains attached to the creatures neck.

Its huge. When I speak, the creature looks at me.

Ugly, isnt it?

It looks stealthy and graceful and strong. The only savage thing about it are the bald patches of skin rubbed raw around its limbs. Its nothing like I expected. Darius moves toward it but I grab his wrist. Whatre you doing? Dont get too close.

I have to give it the injection. He pries my hand from his wrist and creeps forward. The creature follows Darius with his eyes, terrifyingly still. I shiver.

Are you sure this is safe?

Ive done it before. It wont hurt me. It knows it will die without this. He reaches the creature and presses the needle into the mangled skin of its shoulder. See?

Before I can respond, a low growl echoes off the walls and suddenly the creature flies at Darius. I yank his arm and fall back, scrambling across the floor until my back is pressed against the wall. The creature strains against the chains as it reaches for us, its breathing ragged and heavy. It stands taller than either of us, with broad shoulders and an intimidating stature. It looks unworldly.

Dont worry. Darius brushes his hands on his pants and helps me up. It does that every so often. Its trying to scare us.

I shouldnt have come down here.

We can go, Darius says.

The creature makes a low, guttural sound. It unsettles me, and it has nothing to do with how it makes me want to run away. I think that would be best.

I leave first, desperate to be aboveground, away from the frigid air and the stench of blood. Dariuss hand slips into mine and he squeezes.

Hell come for me.

A chill creeps up my spine. The words come from behind us, low and gravelly. I dont stop myself from looking back. The creature still stands, an animal with a glowing glare. Darius, did you hear that?

Hear what?

My entire body goes rigid.

Milena! Milena!

Charles. The hunters were supposed to leave an hour ago, and Charles never stays behind. We need to get out of here. I tug on Dariuss arm. Now.

But its too late. Charles stands at the end of the tunnel wearing a murderous expression. He marches toward me and rips my hand from Dariuss.

What do you think youre doing?

For the first time in my entire life, Im afraid of Charles. He has scolded me plenty but never with such venom.

Charles! Dariuss voice is excited. She said it spoke but I heard nothing

My wrists sting where Charless nails dig in. What did you hear?

It said Hell come for me.

Charles shoves me aside and strides over to the creature. He picks up a long, metal pole with a sharp point and stands in front of it, a snarl on his face. Whos coming?

The growl emanating from the creature makes my hair stand on end, and I press myself farther into the wall. Charles jerks forward and shoves the metal pole into the creatures abdomen. It convulses around the pole and the room erupts with a body-shaking roar.

Answer me! Charles retracts the pole and the creatures lips lift to reveal sharp teeth.

The one who rules the night. It looks at me, abdomen dripping with blood and voice filling my head. And when he comes, youll wish you were never born.

~

The inside of Charless quarters reminds me of my bedroombarren and void of personality. While bigger than my own, they consist of a small bed, a wooden desk, and a dresser with a missing knob. Standing in front of him with Darius, I wish there was something to look at to distract myself from Charless wrath.

Do you understand how stupid you were today? he scolds.