Ch. 4

Billy, Jean and David, completely oblivious to their friend's warning screams, continued on into the cave. Enthralled and mesmerized by thought...]]>  

Ch. 4

Billy, Jean and David, completely oblivious to their friend's warning screams, continued on into the cave. Enthralled and mesmerized by thoughts of some long forgotten treasure. They excitedly raced each other through the passageway. Dim lights bobbed left and right as their flashlights tried to break through the darkness. They eventually came to the end of the passage – a large, damp cavern that was filled with a mist that curled and twisted in the flashlight's narrow beams of light.

They explored the cavern but found nothing. Absolutely nothing. Disgusted, they sat in the center of the cavern, angry and disappointed.

“It's not fair!,” shouted Billy.

“Yeah! What a total waste of time!! I can't believe we wasted the whole day on this shit!,” yelled David as he threw a small stone he had picked up.

“Well, I could have been babysitting and making some money so I lost money coming on this wild goose chase!,” Jean said angrily.

None of the children noticed that their voices went no further than their immediate space. A cavern this large should have echoed, but it didn't. Blinded by their anger and disappointment at their dreams of wealth slipping away, none of them noticed the tendrils of mist getting closer to them. The mist that seemed to thicken with each passing moment, swallowing their voices and the light from their flashlights.

In their anger, they could not feel the chill that touched their skin as the tendrils of mist swirled at their feet and wrapped around their ankles. They were oblivious to the mist and that which lived within it – Curakan. Too late would they notice the danger that surrounded them.

Curakan waited for the humans to enter the chamber. Watched the lights bobb back and forth as they approached. When they entered, he did not immediately attack. Instead, he waited and savored the moment.

They were angry. They shouted and screamed in their anger. This exhilerated Curakan, empowered him. He fed on the anger, felt course through him. It had been so many years since he had fed on human anger and he savored every moment.

Slowly, he moved toward them. His hunger would not be satiated with simple human anger, that is but a snack.