A few moments later and Maria was falling again. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest as the realisation that she wasn’t going to wake up from this nightmare finally hit her.
And then without warning something long, black and leather like wrapped its self around her waist and she stopped falling again. This time she noticed that she was actually beginning to move upwards.
The smile returned to her face as she looked up at the clouds. They were getting closer and closer and even though she knew she wasn’t close enough to touch them she certainly hoped she would be able to someday.
Eventually, Maria found herself being plopped down on the gravelled rooftop of the apartment building. Her eyes followed the snake like object as it unwound itself from her waist and a large shadow fell over her.
She noticed that the snake was actually a tail, and as she looked up she could feel her heart begin to fill with terror as she saw what it belonged to.
The creature towering over the little girl with pink hair was like something from her nightmares. It was muscular and black; it’s skin more like leather than her own or even her fathers. Huge wings flapped lazily behind its back and when her eyes finally landed on its face she desperately wanted to scream.
The creatures face was pure bone with a very fine layer of leathery black skin covering it. Huge fangs straddled either side of its jaw, and two equally lethal looking horns protruded from its forehead. It’s eyes where nothing but flames sitting inside their sockets.
Tears quickly welled in Maria’s eyes. She tried her best to be brave and show the creature that she had no fear, but it just wasn’t happening for her. She was six and she had something from her bad dreams standing over her and more than ever the cupboard seemed like the best place in the world to be.
‘Don’t be afraid little one. I’m not here to hurt,’ said the winged, demonic creature. ‘My name is Halon. What is your name?’
Its voice was disarmingly smooth; quiet even. Not the screeching noise Maria imagined it would have been. Her tears continued to flood down her flushed cheeks but she could feel her heartbeat begin to slow to a more steady pace.
Trying to keep what little courage she had, the little girl looked up at the monster and tried to speak her name. Nothing; not even a squeak came from her throat.
Like lighting Halon’s tail snaked towards the little girl once again but this time its tip stopped dead under her chin and then pushed upwards just enough to tilt her head. The creature eyed the ragged scar across the little ones throat and slowly shook its head with what looked like sadness to Maria.
‘I see you cannot talk little one. Your father has taken your beautiful voice,’ he said eventually, still examining the scar tissue.
Maria was curious, she wanted to know why such a horrific creature had stopped her from falling all the way to the streets below. Why had he saved her from what would still have been a better fate than going in to her father’s living room.
She pointed towards the edge of the roof, noting that the creature watched every move she made, and then up at him before finally turning her finger towards herself. She doubted he would understand what she was trying to ask, but in her mind it didn’t seem like they were going a place any time soon.
The air filled with a kind of other-worldly crackling sound, much like electricity but only out of sight and untouchable. Halon studied the little girl intently, the flames in his eyes seeming to grow larger for that brief moment before returning to a smaller size.
‘You want to know why I saved you from falling.’ Halon said eventually.
Maria nodded her head excitedly, amazed that he understood what she was trying to say.
‘Ah, that is something I can’t fully explain while we are both here. If you want the answer to that you will have to come with me.’
Maria thought about what he had just said. Even at just six years old she understood that the creature in front of her, despite saving her life, did not look to be in the business of helping someone out of the kindness of his heart.
But then again her father preferred to keep her locked away in a cupboard all day, every day, so she couldn’t imagine that this creature known as Halon would do much worse to her.
‘If you choose to come with me, you must understand that you will never be able to come back to this world. But I can promise you that if you do come with me, you will find all the happiness and love you have ever dreamed of,’ said Halon, as he slowly hunkered down in front of the little girl, his wings spread wide awaiting her decision. ‘All you have to do is nod your head if you want to come with me Maria.’
There was no real need to think much more about the creatures offer. In Maria’s young eyes there was nothing but a dark cupboard waiting for her if she choose to stay behind, and even if she found just a little bit of happiness with the strange and scary creature known as Halon it would still be worth it.
So it took just a few seconds before she nodded her head and offered him the best smile she could. Her tears where now dry but her face still felt hot and flushed from all that had happened in the last few minutes.
‘You have made the right choice little one,’ said Halon, and without hesitation he began to close his wings around Maria until she was engulfed in them.
Although her fear was not as strong now as it had been just a few seconds ago, she still instinctively closed her eyes. There was a brief gust of wind which sent her long pink hair flying in all direction and then there was nothing.
She couldn’t hear or smell anything.
‘You can open your eyes now little one,’ came the creature’s voice.
Maria could hear the creaking of his wings as they unfolded around her. Slowly she opened her eyes and felt overwhelming sadness that brought fresh tears to her eyes.
Halon stood next to her as she took in the bleak landscape which seemed to stretch far beyond her sight. The moon was high in a cloudless sky and it lit the bare trees dotted around them with an eerie glow.
As she studied the trees she noted that they were shaking, much like she had shaken the first time her father hit her across the back of her legs with his belt.
She glanced up at Halon and was surprised to see that he was looking down at her too, the flames in his eyes tainted with a blueish hue which she thought was quite magical in a strange and scary way.
‘Try not to worry. I promised you would find happiness and love if you came with me and I stick by that promise,’ said Halon, inhaling deeply and then exhaling loudly towards one of the nearby trees.
Maria could feel the gust of air brush across her face and she followed its direction as one of the trees exploded into a cloud of dust. It took a few seconds before the black dust eventually settled enough to reveal the quivering form of a man hunched down with his arms covering his head as if he was trying to block the world out.
‘This is the land of hopelessness. A place where souls that believed in nothing but material things in your world come to spend their eternity.’
Maria looked up at the winged creature who was now her guardian, and then back at the man who had tried to disguise himself as a tree. It was that last part Maria could not fully understand, and Halon sensed her confusion.
‘In their desperation to go unpunished, souls like the one you see before you try to disguise themselves as something other than what they really area. It never works and they serve no purpose so they are simply ignored and left here for their eternity.’ Explained Halon, turning his attention away from the girl and towards the distance.
Maria turned, bewildered, and followed the creatures gaze towards the distance. At first she could see nothing but endless fields dotted with the strange, dead trees, which she now knew where actually bad people hiding. Eventually her eyes began to pick out the shape of a massive building.
A building that looked much like a castle.
Sensing that the little girl was looking up at him, Halon looked down and met her gaze as he said: ‘That’s where I live, and that’s where we are going.’
Without saying another word he beckoned the little girl with long pink hair and no voice to follow after him.
They walked across the fields for what felt like an eternity to Maria. She couldn’t help but want to stay close to her new protector as she watched the trees, their branches devoid of any foliage, shivering uncontrollably as they passed by.
The building in the distance, she was delighted note, was indeed a castle. It didn’t look like the kind she had seen in her story books but it was still a castle. Huge in its construction with great big turrets and ringed off by a massive brick wall.
As far as Maria could understand from her books, there was a princess who lived in the castle, but as she looked at the one they were approaching, as it sat under a cold and forbidding night sky, she seriously doubted there was anyone like a princess living there.
She was just starting to wonder how they would get inside as they approached an arched metal gate built into the wall. Halon took the lead and pushed it open, and soon they were making their way along a dank corridor which seemed to be even darker than the cupboard her father would keep her in.
Thankfully, the corridor wasn’t very long and it took just a few minutes for them to reach yet another arched gate which once opened by Halon, would lead them out into a massive courtyard. Maria started to become unsettled as she realized that she could not pick out any other signs of life except for her and the huge winged creature next to her.
‘Welcome to my home,’ said Halon as he motioned for her to continue up a set of stairs which led inside.
Maria offered the creature a forced smile as she climbed each step slowly and deliberately just in case she lost her balance and fell.
As they reached the top of the stairs the huge wooden doors which blocked their way began to creek and then swing open as if some invisible hands had pushed them. Maria couldn’t help but watch in awe as they opened to reveal a massive reception room, in the centre of which stood a large cauldron.
Obediently, she followed after Halon as he led her over to the cauldron and stopped next to it. She looked up at him as he turned and dropped to one knee in-front of her.
Maria instinctively took a step back as one of Halon’s huge claws reached out towards her. Although she felt certain that he was going to grab her and throw her into the cauldron of boiling water like a witch would do, she was instead surprised as his claw turned and he gently stroked the scar across her throat.
‘Before we continue your journey, there are some things you must understand,’ he said, pulling back his claw but still keeping his flame filled eyes on Maria. ‘I don’t have the energy needed to bring your voice back, but the good news is I do know someone who can.’If you enjoy this story and would like me to write more, please consider buying the ebook from Amazon using the link below. Thank you =)
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