Flight of an Untamed Beast

Spence startled awake. His mind struggled to catch up with his racing heart. When he settled his breathing he could hear it: Outside, something growled deep in the night.

He worked to even his breaths. Beyond their bedroom, a field of sheep bleated urgently.

He leaned over the edge of the bed and pulled his small dagger off of the end table. On his other side, Hannah stirred. He turned to her, his ear fixated on the window at his back.

“Did you hear that?” Hannah whispered. She looked out the window, into the thick fog of night.

Spence growled, a mockery of the sound he’d heard earlier. The sheep continued to bleat outside.

Hannah laughed, at least. “Did you?

Spence exhaled. “Yes. But I don’t want to address it.” He reached back over the edge of the bed and grabbed his pants off the floor. He pulled them on, under the protection of the thick wool blanket.

Before he left the bed, Hannah wrapped her arm around his waist.

“I’m coming with you,” Hannah announced.

Spence groaned. She could handle herself, but he didn’t want her out there, with the kids inside.

“Look at you,” She argued. “I have more muscles than you do.” She grabbed her own dagger and, by the door, an axe.

Spence sheathed his sword. He stopped before the door, one eyebrow raised. “If you stay behind me, I’ll protect you, my lady.”

“Talking to your pants?” Hannah barged past him.

Spence trailed after her, her confidence, her strength. “Is last night how a lady behaves?” He countered.

“You would know.” Hannah stopped at the door. She opened it slowly. When it creaked, she paused. 

In the distance, the sheep changed from a terrified bleat to a chorus of sounds that were more calm, but still loud.

Hannah’s hand plunged into Spence. She charged outside first, Spence in tow.

They progressed across the field quietly. The sheep made frantic panicked noises over the hillside. Ahead, something stirred in the mist.

Spence squeezed Hannah’s hand. She glanced back at him, and together they progressed up the hillside. It was the kind of fog that accompanies a frost, the mist hung over the fields in cold clingy air. At the crest of the hill a black figure oozed across the grass. In the folds of black fabric a sheep lay, its blood a thin river.

“Oh, my baby,” Hannah whisper-gasped.

The monster stood and whipped around to face them. Against the moonlight, Spence could see it’s blood red eyes. It had a triangle head and slits for a nose. Red dripped from a wide thin mouth.

Spence took a step back toward the house.

The beast stalked toward them.

Beside him, Hannah froze. She looked around the hillside at the sheep.

“Hannah,” Spence whispered. “Come on.”

He drew his sword. The beast kept moving toward them. Hannah ordered the sheep to the barn. They began their march in a straight line. She must have ordered them louder, with her Pixie magic and her mind, because they stampeded across the meadow.

The thing kept its procession toward Spence and Hannah. Its eyes flickered but it’s hands rose.

With the sheep headed toward safety, Spence glanced at Hannah.

“What do you want?” Hannah yelled at the beast. She held her dagger up.

The monster’s breath came in icy blue wisps of smoke. It growled.

Spence closed the distance, sword first. The blade passed through the body and Spence slammed into it. His sword clattered to the ground behind the beast. Its long arms wrapped around him and crushed his arm. The bones threatened to snap as the claws cut through flesh.

It lifted Spence and breathed ice onto his face. Crystals caked like roots across his cheek. The beast tasted the air, then tossed Spence aside.

His head smashed against a rock. He blinked through the ache. The thing toppled Hannah over. She crashed into the ground as long, jagged teeth emerged from the mouth. 

The glint of her blade sliced toward the beast but it fell through like Spence’s sword. 

“Spence!” Hannah screamed.

Spence let his fire magic flare outward. The grass turned to ash as the fire spread from his body to Hannah. It locked at the beast’s form and ignited it. The creature screached as it crumbled to dust.

Spence crawled to Hannah’s side, his throbbing head already beginning to heal. “Hey. Are you okay?”

Hannah wrapped her hand behind his neck, below where it ached. She kissed him lightly. “I saved you.”

Spence fell back onto the grass laughing. “No, I saved you.“

“Well, you’re welcome anyway,” she teased. She laid back and looked at the starry sky. “Thank you.”

Spence leaned over her and kissed her again. He pulled her into his arms. “There might be more.”

“Shh,” Hannah pressed her fingers to his lips. “We’ll fix the fences tomorrow. Make fire fences.”

Spence looked around. They were alone. For now.