The Dark

            Hod took several deep breaths to calm himself down. He then used several meditative and concentration techniques to further calm himself and to become in tuned with his surroundings. Slowly he got back on his feet and put a hand on David’s shoulder.

            “Can you see it?” Hod asked. He had no doubt that it was the creature that he had fought.

            “No. It’s staying in the shadows.” David answered.

            “Okay let’s see if we can draw it out.” Hod said and then in a louder voice. “Where is the girl? What have you done with Clair?”

            “I knew you’s came for my pretty. But you can’t have her, she’s mine. I keep her forever and ever and she will stay pretty. If she don’t, well then I eats her.” The monsters voice kept circling the two boys. The thing continued to talk. “Mother will have your hearts. It’s the power she needs. Power to open your world to us. And then my brothers and sisters will feast on all your flesh. Then I will have all the pretties I want. Then I might not need your Clair thing. Maybe then I eat her two.”

            The troll giggled after this and kept circling the boys. Hod supposed that he was looking for an opening. He could hear David grip his bat. David still hadn’t given him the signal so he still didn’t know where the beast was either. But the more the thing talked the more Hod was able to map out the room.

            Hod had never really thought of it as a super power. Not like how he could make things freeze. He had only been working on it for the last couple of years. The only one he had told was his sparring partner Autumn, and she said she had never heard of someone that could do it as well as Hod. It was a type of echo location. Hod would just listen and pay attention to his surroundings. Everything made a noise when hit by sound. Hod would just gather it all up and use it to make a map. Almost the same way I bat did.

            Suddenly a scream echoed around the chamber they were in. it reverberated of the walls and sliced there soul. Hod and David tensed at the same time. It sounded like Clair.

            “Hod it came form that opening over there. But as soon as we go through it that thing will attack us.” Hod felt the need to go. The need to just run and find her, he almost did. But this was a game and if you didn’t play this one right everyone would die. Hod took a couple of deep breaths and then had to pull his heart out of his stomach.

            “David you go. Find her and save her.” Hod said. It was one of the heardest decisions he had ever made. Not being the one to go after Clair. But hear in the dark he had the best chance against the beast.

“Hod I can’t leave you. Remember we are in this together” David said.

            “We are, and together is how we will win this.” Hod said. “Trust me David. Walk slowly to the entrance and then go. But remember don’t trust your eyes.”

            “But Hod I cant leave you how will you be able to see…’

            “David, if you don’t go right now I swear that if we both live through this I will beat the crap out of you!”

            “Fine!” David finally agreed. “But you better be right about this. Your step mom will kill me if I don’t bring you home.” With that David was off. Hod followed close behind until he was at the entrance to the tunnel. Hod stopped letting David go on by himself and turned and waited.

            Hod knew it was Dark. He couldn’t say how he knew. He could tell the deference really. But dark just had a feel to it. Almost like the feel of water. For some reason the darker it was the more at home Hod felt. The more relaxed he was. The more it felt like he could see. He stod there waiting for the moment he knew would come.

            “Stupid fleshling.” The troll said. Circling, getting closer. “The Gold one gone, your eyes is now gone. What you do now?” the thing moved softly across the floor coming closer now Hod could smell it again. His map got clearer. Now Hod could feel the things breath. “I will eat you. Suck the marrow from your bones. Give your head to my pretty.” It was so close now Hod could feel the moisture from its breath. “You lost, you cannot see. Its dark and I see you.”

            Hod spun for leverage. He didn’t have to touch the thing to know where it was now. Like he had to in the woods. He grabbed the clawed hand that was coming for his head. Thrusting his fist, as hard as he could, into the things shoulder. If Hod concentrated he could freeze a cup of water in less than a second. Hod was concentrating really hard now. Quickly he struck again and the monster screamed in pain. Hod let the monsters now useless arm drop to the ground.

            “My name is Hod, and darkness is my Home.”