Page 7 of Dead Air
“It was probably nothing or I’m being paranoid, but I got a weird vibe from him,” Niall admitted and was glad they hadn’t lingered.
“I think you should stay away from Roger.” Chance said before he brightened. “Enough about him. We were on our way to see the salamanders. I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.”
Five
Niall might have forgotten about Roger but the salamanders had done little to distract or to ease Cenn’s mind. He had heard vile, violent thoughts and sensed Roger’s hatred as soon as they heard the other hikers’ footsteps. The girls in the visitors’ center had been gossiping about their hopes for Niall and the “hot biologist” and Roger had overheard them while waiting on his party. Cenn had kept Niall busy all afternoon until they parted ways in front of his cabin.
Over at Blue Sky Vista, Roger was being just as gloomy and disgusting as earlier. It hadn’t been hard to find their campsite, all Cenn had to do was follow the slurs and sick jokes ricocheting inside Roger’s pea-sized brain. His thoughts were few but they were loud and ugly, daring Cenn to come and get him.
He had yet to vocalize the worst of his thoughts but his sister and her boyfriend were nearly out of patience with his foul mood and tasteless comments.
“You know what, I think I’ll see if I can find that fruity forest ranger and ask him if he wants to suck my dick.”
“Ew, Rog!” Amanda’s face twisted and she shot him a glare. “Don’t start with that. You don’t even know if he’s still up here.”
His smirk was calculating and wicked as he pulled a rumpled trail map from his back pocket. “I overheard one of the chicks at the visitor center say he’s permanent crew and that his cabin’s about half an hour that way,” he said, hitching a thumb over his shoulder, making the other man groan.
“Good luck finding it in the dark. I’m not rescuing you if you roll down a ravine or get attacked by a bear.”
“I’ll take my chances,” Roger stated as he rose. “You two are about to call it a night and start fucking like bunnies. I’d rather risk running into a bear than listen to that for the next hour.”
“We’re going to be extra loud, just because you’re an asshole,” she said and Kyle held up his hand so she could slap it.
“You’d better run before your sister starts screaming.”
Roger ignored them as he opened the cooler and retrieved another beer. “See you in the mornin’, fuckers.”
He aimed his phone’s light around until he found the trail, then set off. His steps dragged and he tripped over the occasional root, stumbling along like an oaf. Roger took one last look over his shoulder to make sure he was alone and no one could hear him.
“He’s gonna suck my dick and get me off or he’ll be spittin’ out his teeth,” he vowed, grinning at the darkened trail ahead of him. “Almost killed the last one but his mouth felt real nice before he fainted.”
Is that so?
“Can’t get carried away this time or it’ll get back to me,” Roger noted, nodding at himself as he planned his encounter with Niall.
Cenn heard wisps of brutal, gory scenarios: Niall bleeding and begging on his knees, crying as he was kicked in the stomach, crawling in the dirt…
Rage was in abundance as Cenn trailed the monster but there was a rush of anticipation, a giddy sense of impending justice asthey approached Niall’s secret salamander spot. This time, the predator was about to meet his match and experience the terror his victims had felt. Tonight, the victim would be victorious and his would-be assailant would suffer at the hands of a far more fearsome monster.
“Hold on,” Roger mumbled when the trail split. He pulled the map from his pocket and pointed the phone’s light at it. “Think he’s that way and there’s a drop over there,” he said and squinted to his left.
The outcropping and the steep drop off was to Roger’s left and Niall’s cabin was just a few minutes away. Roger hadn’t detected it yet, but Cenn could hear music faintly. Thankfully, Roger would never get any closer and Cenn was certain he’d never see Heaven either.
Cenn tapped on Roger’s shoulder and waited for the human to jump and turn before revealing his true, ancient form. The beer and the phone dropped but Cenn could see the whites of Roger’s eyes, so big and trembling as they took in a horror of smoke and glowing sulfur.
“Boo!” Cenn whispered, causing Roger to shriek. He turned to flee towards Niall’s cabin but Cenn moved faster, blocking his path. “Oh no, you don’t. He’smine,” he said, glowing brighter and looming larger.
“No! Get away!” Roger staggered back then swung around, attempting to run to his camp and his sister. Once again, Cenn moved and blocked his path.
“You should have listened to them.”
Roger shielded his face, cowering. “Please! Leave me alone!”
“Is that what the last one said?” Cenn growled and pretended to dive at Roger, making him bolt toward the cliff.
“Help!” Roger screamed as he fled. “Somebody help me!”
Cenn smiled as he followed, sure that Roger’s companions were indeed fucking as loud as they possibly could and Niallwas dancing his happy little heart out. “No one can hear you and no one will help you, Rog.” Cenn called after him, becoming invisible again. They broke through the trees and Cenn grinned at the wide, open air ahead of them.
