D'Angelo's day began like any other, with the sun casting its golden rays over the tranquil river near his house. With a skip in his step and a gleam of excitement in his eyes, he made his way down to the water's edge dressed in rags. The sound of rushing water filling his ears like a familiar melody.
The forest around D’Angelo’s house was a dense, tangled expanse of wilderness that seemed to stretch on forever. The river near the house was a lifeline winding through the dense forest, its clear waters a stark contrast to the wild, tangled surroundings. The river’s banks were dotted with smooth stones and patches of soft, green grass, making it an inviting spot for D’Angelo to play and explore.Towering trees with gnarled, twisted trunks formed a natural canopy overhead, their thick, interlocking branches creating a labyrinth of shadows and light.
As he dipped his toes into the cool, refreshing water, he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy bubble up inside him. This was his favorite place in the world, a sanctuary of sorts where he could escape the worries of the outside world and lose himself in the simple pleasures of nature.
He still remembered the talk his parents had given him when he expressed his desire to leave home and explore the outside world.
“D’Angelo, listen carefully,” his mom said, her voice gentle but firm as she knelt down to her son’s level. Her eyes, usually so warm and comforting, were filled with concern. “You can play by the river, but you mustn’t go too far into the forest.”
His dad nodded in agreement, his hand resting on the boy’s shoulder. “The forest might seem like a big playground, son, but it’s not safe beyond the tree line. There are monsters that lurk deeper within, creatures from the rifts that you don’t want to meet.”
From the stories of his parents, he learned rift monsters were dangerous beasts that literally just appeared from the sky or the ground or water or straight out of thin air. As soon as they come into existence, the environment around them changes. They can form instant deserts in populated cities, start an inferno in a rainforest, Or completely freeze over a park in the middle of summer. According to his parents, no one truly understands why these monsters or environmental effects happen, but the effects have been documented since they showed up 13 years ago.
The idea of monsters hiding in the shadows of the forest was both thrilling and terrifying. He promised them he would stay close, the gravity of their warning clear in their serious expressions. his parents were the only thing he had ever known. D’Angelo was only eight years old and for those eight years he had lived in the small house at the top of the hill surrounded by forest with no other visitors other than the occasional bird, squirrel, and deer.
Trying to take his mind off his thoughts, and with a mischievous grin, D'Angelo reached down and picked up a smooth, flat stone from the riverbank. With practiced precision, he drew back his arm and let the stone fly, watching with delight as it skipped across the water's surface, leaving behind a trail of ripples in its wake.
Again and again, he threw rocks into the river, making a song of their splashing.
Splash!, Plop! Plop! Splash! Splash!, Plop! Plop!
He laughed as he watched the stones dance across the water, their fleeting moments of flight a testament to his skill.
But as the afternoon wore on, D'Angelo's attention began to wander. He glanced up at the abandoned house perched on the hill above, a silent sentinel watching over the river below. Something didn't feel right, a nagging sense of unease tugging at the corners of his mind.
As D'Angelo was contemplating his concerns, he spotted a little girl who appeared to be around his age, her ebony curls framing her round face like a halo of midnight. Her eyes, dark pools of curiosity and innocence, sparkled with a hint of mischief as she watched D'Angelo from across the water. Despite the tattered rags that hung loosely from her slender frame, she gave a shy smile that lit up her face and waved to D'Angelo, her laughter carrying on the breeze like a song of peace.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
The wave went unanswered as D’Angelo stared at the little girl in confusion. Where did she come from? Why was she here? How did she get here? Was she alone? Are there more people in the forest? Why did she look so happy to see me? D’Angelo had a lot of questions to ask this mysterious girl Who suddenly appeared on the other side of the river. But before he could get to one of his questions an ear piercing scream filled the air.
Right as D’Angelo turned to the source of the scream, he heard a large boom from that same direction. It was his house on top of the hill. The questions in the back of D’Angelo‘s mind faded away as the worry and concern built up in his chest. His unease doubled as he took off in a full sprint towards his home.
His breath ragged and heart pounding in his chest, D'Angelo ran through the overgrown forest, he couldn't shake the image of the little girl he spotted by the river. Part of him wanted to talk to her . But another part of him is consumed by worry for his parents, their screams echoing in his mind like a haunting melody. With each step, his thoughts are consumed by a whirlwind of fear and uncertainty, his sole focus on finding his way back to the rundown house where his parents had taken refuge.
Breathless and with his heart pounding like a drum, D’Angelo reached the top of the hill. The sight before him made his stomach drop. The house, their little sanctuary, was in ruins. The front wall had collapsed inward, debris scattered everywhere. Dust and splintered wood littered the ground, and the once-cozy home now looked like a war zone.
Amidst the wreckage, he spotted it—a monster. It was a hideous toad like monster, unlike anything he’d ever seen. Its slimy, warty skin glistened in the dim light, a sickly green that seemed to pulse with every movement. The creature’s bulging eyes roamed the room, and its massive, gaping mouth revealed rows of jagged teeth. It let out a low, guttural croak that sent chills down his spine.
The monster moved with a slow, deliberate menace, its enormous webbed feet crushing the remains of their furniture. Acidic drool dripped from its mouth, sizzling as it hit the floor. D’Angelo stood frozen at the top of the hill, his mind racing with fear and disbelief. The place he called home was gone, and in its place was this nightmarish beast. His heart ached with worry for his parents, hoping against hope that they had somehow escaped the horror that now lurked inside their home.
D’Angelo had little time to hope because as he took a step backwards, the toad monster turned towards him. They locked eyes in a stare down between predator and prey. D’Angelo had a premonition that if he moved an inch toad monster with lunge at him. But he also realized that the toad monster was slowly crawling towards him with its huge slimy appendages. His body may have been paralyzed, but his brain was working overtime to try and figure out a way for him to survive in this situation.
He thought about just running, but he could see it in the huge toads eyes, if he moved an inch, it would attack. In what way D’Angelo had no idea, but he could see it in its eyes, it wanted blood. His blood.
Chills went down D’Angelo spine as the realization of the situation that he walked into hit him. Still, even as his body was paralyzed D’Angelo‘s mind frantically looked for a solution to his predicament. And the answer that it provided was gonna hurt. But there is nothing more time to waste on more planning. The toad monster was getting closer with slow, deliberate steps. D’Angelo was maybe 50 feet from the monster now. He took a breath and acted.
D’Angelo took a step right, just as he moved the monster opened his mouth wide, showing his jagged teeth, a pink blur whipped out towards him. He could barely see the attack that was headed in his direction.
Instead of taking another step in that direction, D’Angelo let gravity take him and fell backwards down the hill towards the river.
He heard the whoosh of a powerful wind pass just to the right of him as he fell. He felt the power in the attack. His worry doubled again.
He curled up into a ball and let himself roll down the patchy grass and dirt hill.
Every impact with the ground left him bruised and caused him to bounce even more across the sloped forest four. But it was better than death, he told himself.
Halfway through his tumble, D’Angelo heard a shrieking roar that came from the top of the hill. He didn’t have time to check But he now had the feeling that the monster was in hot pursuit, and the chase was on in Ernest.
