Hadagery, Book of Canaan (Chapter 3) Read online

enenra had torn chunks out of the walls. Hadlin couldn't stop. As the floorboards rippled beneath his backside. Conveying him straight through the opening. During which the curtain slid over his body. Disabling his vision up till he was smack dab in the center of the room.

  The ceiling above him was oozing in blackness. As long thread like stringers dangled from above. That same blackness stained the papered walls, and railings. Right down to the mismatched floorboards. Shades vanished into every dark space. Oddly the furnishings had ran back into place too. There was a huge fireplace opposite the curtained door. The crackling glow from the embers lighting the room orange. While something was cooking in an enormous pot. Two shelves stood on either side of the fireplace. Each filled with jars of eyes, tongues, black ooze and other terrible things. More shelves set on either side of the curtained doorway. A table sat close to the fireplace. It was covered in books, melted candles, and more black ooze. To his left the front door. Then to his right stood a coat rack. The same coat rack from the witch's home on Elysium. What are the odds of two similar coat racks? He could almost bet Churl caused it all.

  Hadlin had scrambled upright against the tilt. Curious where the child had gone. Just as the shadowy furniture settled into their places. However there was no sign of the babasova, or Churl for that matter. Where had the thing gone? Hadlins eyes halted on the front door. It was the only thing that resembled his home. Coming to the conclusion that the monster must've gone out the door. Deep down he wasn't quite so sure of that. Even as his mind couldn't help but echo what he'd just seen, "The furniture had feet." He was amazed, "They were running." They had to be made of magical khadver trees. Though in all his lifetimes he'd never seen anything made of khadaver wood move on its own. How could this be? The floor began to tilt him back in the direction from which he'd come. While the table and shelves tilted on their legs. Keeping a perfect balance. Never spilling or knocking any jars to the floor.

  Hadlin stumbled against the wall next to the curtained door. As the floral patterns transfigured into hands. The Hands grabbed him. Each hand passing him to the next one over. Hadlin pulled at one of the hands. The hand turned to goo in his palm. Then another hand took its place. What are they? How are they growing back? Then he tried to use his inner light, but nothing happened. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he use the light? He was helpless to do much of anything. As the hands pulled him towards the shelf. Maybe he could use something on the shelf to combat the hands. Hadlin reached out to grab a jar from the shelf. Just as a hand came out of the wall, and slapped his hand away. Then the shelf took several steps away from the wall. Allowing the hands to continue pulling him towards the wall with the coat rack. Pulling him towards a dark corner. Why is it pulling me here?

  That's when he sees shades dragging themselves from out of the cracks in the floorboards. Each one wriggling around like a newborn calf. All seeming to be searching for something. The floor tilted hard once more. Just as something shifted in the darkness. It was hanging by one of the stringers from the ceiling. It was a body strung by the neck. The bodily fluids dripping right where the shades were growing. Even as something larger fell from the body. Every shade ran for the fallen object. One snatches it up, and takes a bite out of it. Then it was apparent what the object in fact was. A dried up finger. Forthwith knowing why he was being pulled towards this dark corner. Hadlin frantically struggled against the hands. He had no plans on going in that corner. Soon after a stringer snaked its way from the ceiling. Coiling its way above him. Horror raced through his brain. How would he escape this? Praying Eidolon would help him.

  At some point the sounds of a commotion doffed his horrorstricken body. What? Where? The sounds were coming from the coat rack. Just as a boy screamed, "Emme!" Hadlin thought it odd, because it was the name of the girl from his dreams. Straightaway the stringer above moved to the coat rack. Joining several other stringers. Hadlin saw that now was his chance to escape. Redoubling his efforts against the hands. At last they released him. Though he landed squarely amid a pile of children's shoes. Now hearing screams coming from the coat rack. Even as several of the stringers were probing the inside of the mirror. Within seconds the stringers were pulling a child out by his foot. The red haired boy was kicking and screaming. He couldn't have been no more than six or seven. The boy burst into tears. Thereupon childlike laughter came from around the room. Hadlin gave the room a once over, hissing, "Who's there?" Demanding, "Come out where I can see you." There was no answer. The only things seeming out of place were the khadaver dolls. Two of them were sitting on the table covered in black ooze. Eerily the dolls were grinning. Nervously Hadlin wondered if they were like the dolls in his dream? Despite his worries the dolls didn't move.

  Hadlins attention was drawn back to the boy. He was dangling in front of the huge fireplace. Whilst the table scuttled out of the way. In it place shades began to gather. All lingering under the dangling boy. What were they waiting for? Then the boy was slowly being lowered amid the tiny dark creatures. The child started screaming to the top of his lungs. Even as more and more shades gathered below him. Surely as if they were awaiting some feast. "Oh no!" Hadlin was horrified. This can't be happening. He tried to reach the boy before he was lowered to the floor. However the floor tilted in the opposing direction. Preventing him from making it in time. Hadlin could only watch as the shades attack the screaming child. "NO!" Hadlin screamed to the top of his lungs, "Get away from him!" Before long the screams began to die away. Then the floor tilted towards the boy once again. Seeing that Hadlin was there in a matter of seconds. The shades scattered off, but surely not gone. Still the shades kept trying to attack. Hadlin kept driving them away one right after another. Sadly not soon enough for the red haired boy. Hadlin had gathered the boy in his arms. He cried out loud to Eidolon, "Save him!" That's when he heard a muffled sound. The sound came from the child. He wasn't dead. Hadlin leaned closer. He could hear the muffled warning, "It comes for you asleep or awake." Hadlin surprised to hear a line from the verse, "What?" Asking, "What's coming?" At first he couldn't make out the muted words, "............at your side." Hadlin fretfully glanced at his shadow on the floor. As he was asking again, "What's at my side?" Hearing the faint word, "Monster..." Seeing an even larger shade standing in his shadow. Horrified he kicked the beast hard. Just as it scattered into numerous tiny fragments. Then all the fragments got up and ran back at him. "NOoooooo!" Hadlin shrieked. Kicking furiously at the monsters. Scarcely noticing the bluish light escaping the boy. A light no bigger than a pebble. Hadlin knew exactly what the light was. It was a soul. Then the boys body exhaled into death.

  Thereupon the light fell to the floor. Just as the floor tilted once more. The light was caught fully in the tilt, and rolled under the coat rack. Hadlin had leapt out to catch it, but it was too late. He too skidded across the floor on his stomach. His hand halting under the coat rack. Gathering a handful of lint along with the boys soul. Even as a ethereal voice came from his hand. It was repeating the child's verse, "There is a darkness that hides in the night, like all monstrous things just out of sight. Its just a nightmare you start to shake, still it comes for you asleep or awake. Nowhere to run or hide, from the night monster always at your side." Hadlin couldn't believe what he was hearing, "What?" Jerking his hand out from the dark space. Slowly revealing the ball of fuzz infused with the boys soul. It had one red fiber across its head, and black beady eyes. The dust bunny trembled in his hand. Incredibly the dust bunny was alive. But how? This whole room was filled with anomalies. Only Eidolon can give life. Even knowing that, this creature was alive in his hand. Hadlin whispered, "Don't be afraid." He stroked the dust bunny and started to say, "Whatsit..." Realizing he didn't know the boys name, "You need a name." The fuzz ball still looked worried. Hadlin tried to laugh it off, uttering incoherently, "What?..not." Then repeated it faster, "Whatnot." That was a suitable name. "I will call you Whatnot."

  Without warning something hit the floor hard. Hadlin looked up from Whatno
t. All he could see were the ghostly amber sparks wafting about the room. Just like in his dream. He half expected babasova to be standing at the door covered in ooze. However the body hanging in the corner rapt his attention. What in the world? It wasn't shifting with the tilting floor. Some other force was making it move. Certain it had to be shades. What else could it be? Meanwhile Whatnot wildly yanked at his fingers. The dust bunny acting as if he were afraid. Hadlin tried to assure him, "Its o...k." When another tilt of the floor reeled him towards the hanged man. As he tried to keep Whatnot from any further harm. Hadlin landed on his knees with one arm extended outward. Almost too fearful to look at the body. However he had to know what was there. Nearly holding his breath as he looked into the dark space. Something stirred in the shadows. It was half hidden behind the body. Something about the height of that dwarf. Although this was unquestionably no dwarf. Hadlin found he couldn't even move. His mind entranced with the monstrous thing. This had to be the elusive babasova. A gray