Parabitiuq

• Ella Cross, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2017

A flicker of light caught the corner of my eye. I whirled around, my sweaty hands bundled into fists held out in front of me in a defensive position in hope to offer me some sort of protection. What I met though wasn’t another one of those creatures, it was a dagger. I cautiously squatted down to snatch the rusted piece of metal off the ground. The cool metal felt so alien in my hand, but yet, it gave me a sense of confidence. I ran my finger along the blade, it was as rusted as it was sharp. Hopefully, I won’t have to use it but if so, it would still be effective.
A rustle from a grove of bushes to my right snatched my attention. I whirled around pouncing up as I did so to where the sound came from. I crept towards the bushes, peering into them in hope to catch the perpetrator. Nothing. I came to a dead stop. My heart excelled from its already pacing speed. Something is wrong. I began to back away holding the dagger out in front of me, my hand unable to remain still. Then I heard the screaming. They have come, they’re here. The monsters that tormented my dreams that have driven me mad, they have arrived, and now they are going to kill me.
Although instead of collapsing to the ground as the whimpering pathetic baby that I am, I ran. Not away from the sound, but towards it. To where I could still hear the voices of innocents praying to be spared. To where a city of vulnerable people lays completely oblivious to what is happening. I channelled the adrenaline pumping through my veins into my legs urging them to move faster. Then I saw them. They were almost exactly like how I had seen them in my dreams. Their impossibly large bodies were coated in scales that were darker than a child’s nightmare. Arms like a man’s stretched out each ending in pointed claws. Their faces resembled something to a pig's except there was nothing where a nose should be. The one closest to me opened his mouth revealing an array of razor sharp fangs and a tongue as of a snake's flicked over them. When I looked into his eyes all I saw was death. I tried to speak but my words had betrayed me. My whole body had been locked by such an intensified fear. Forcing the words to come out of my mouth I spoke.
“l-leave them a-alone” I stammered
The monsters continued to approach me and I embraced my death.
“I’m the one you want”. Something that could have been courage or stupidity took control of my arm, I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt revealing the mark. The monsters hissed, casting their eyes away from my arm.
“We have found the parabitiuq” one hissed. Before I could tell he grabbed my arm, the world around me vanishing.