Page 38 of The Fifth Soul

“What is happening?”

I grip Brandon’s arm like a vise. We hold our breaths as the footsteps approach until they finally stop at the edge of the row we are standing in. A long, skinny, tall creature crocks his head as little black dotted eyes take us in.

“What is the Crown Prince doing, sneaking around like a sewer rat?” A chilling, crisp voice asks.

The creature begins to smile, and a chill runs down my spine. I’ve never seen anything so terrifying in my life. It’s something out of a nightmare, with skinny, white, long, pointy teeth.

“Are you planning to steal from me?” The creature growls.

“We are not here to steal anything,” Brandon denies.

“I do not believe you,” the creature snarls. “No one comes in without me knowing. Your trick faltered this time. What magic do you possess to bypass me?”

It takes a step forward, and we take one back.

Brandon leans closer to me. “When I say run, you run toward the door. Got it?”

I tighten my grip on his forearm.

“Thief, thief, thief,” the creature chants, moving his head from side to side after each word. “Tell me where you left my stolen treasure!”

“Run!” Brandon shouts as he moves toward the creature.

I turn back without hesitation. Rounding the corner to the next row, I sprint down the next shelf. The door comes into view as a bright white light blinds me momentarily. A loud, agonizing scream comes from the creature at the same time. Since I can’t see, I don’t stop in time and run headfirst into the closed door. I bounce back with a huff and land on my bottom.

“You didn’t hesitate when I said to run,” Brandon chuckles behind me.

I look up with squinted eyes. Everything looks blurry. “What was that, and where did it go?”

“Come on.”

Brandon helps me up and rushes me through the door, quickly shutting it behind us. I watch as the light under the door slowly winces out. As soon as the last snip of it dies, the door begins to bang and shake. The sinister voice raging behind it.

“Oh, hell no,” I say.

I push away from the door and run back the way we entered the building. I’m still a little dizzy and partly blind, but I find my way.

Brandon calls after me, but I’m on a mission to put as much space as possible between me and whatever that thing was. Brandon calls after me again, closing the distance between us. I make it out the back door into a grass area before he finally reaches me.

“Won’t it follow us?” I pant, looking behind me to see if it’s closing on us.

“No.”

Brandon lifts me by the waist. My feet keep running for a second before I realize they’re in the air.

“Did it let us go?” I ask as I’m placed back on the ground. I pull my shirt down and push my hair out of my face.

“We took nothing.” He pats my hair, helping me smooth it out. “It was a guarding creature. They stick to the premises they guard.”

“Did it know the watch was stolen?” I ask, reflecting on the interaction. The sound of its voice makes my skin crawl, even now. Just thinking about it, it’s enough to make me shudder. “Do you know what the watch does?”

“Tells time?” Brandon smirks at my scowl.

“Be serious,” I chastise him.

“Okay.” He clears his throat. “Let’s assess.”

“A watch is missing,” I say.

---