The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1) by Gwyndolyn Russell (100 best novels of all time .txt) 📗

hell, if such a thing existed. I had no idea what I was looking at. A mangled mess of flesh and machine. Whatever attacked me was indiscernible. I had no idea what it was, only that I was glad it was dead. Though it looked like it could jump back to life at any second.

The creature kicked the body into the other room, then turned to me. I instinctively lowered the rifle. I had not felt this way in almost five years. Not since the war. I was defeated, trembling worse than an old man with Parkinson's. I looked down at myself. In part because I thought I may have lost control of my bladder, and it felt wrong to look at that thing. Like I'd go crazy if I kept staring, or it would tear me to shreds.

Soft thumps made me look up. The creature had the little fleebeeron by the ankle, high off the ground. She was kicking and throwing fists. I felt powerless to do anything to help.

"Stop." I choked out.

It paid me no mind. It stepped over me and headed down the hall.

"Stop!" I repeated.

"Jackal! Jackal!" Reaper dropped to his knees next to me. He grabbed me, yanked his helmet off.

He looked me dead in the eyes and I knew exactly what he was thinking. I had not seen that look in those blue eyes since our last stand in the war. When we were both injured, cornered, and surrounded by eldiravan thirsty for our blood. We thought we were going to die. We had been fighting for days. We were out of ammunition and we were too weak to keep fighting.

He grabbed my helmet, turned my head around to inspect the damage.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

He sighed then with relief.

That actually made me relax.

"Shut the fuck up and get your helmet on." I pushed my fist into his shoulder.

He stared at me for a few seconds more, before sliding his helmet over his head.

He helped me up to my feet and pushed my rifle into my chest.

"I see you drop it again and I'll superglue it to your hands."

I grinned, even though he couldn't see it.

"Damn, LT!" Ruby looked at me. "You got fucked up."

"That thing picked up a kid. Went that way." I pointed with my rifle.

"A kid? Out here?" Reaper was surprised.

"Must've been hiding."

"Why would it take it? Why not just kill it like everything else?" Sparrow piped up.

I stared into the other room. Why would it hide that body? "Maybe to lure us?"

"Well, it's working whatever its plan. Let's go before it gets hungry." Reaper started down the hall.

The others started moving, but I stared into the darkness of that room.

"Hey!" Reaper called. "Move your ass! You're leaking oxygen."

I jogged to catch up, or more like limped. A burning sensation rushed up my leg with any weight. I had to bite my lip just to keep from crying out. I was sure one of those things stepped on me. Reaper stuck close to me now at the lead right within his reach. Probably to stop me from running off again.

The creature did not make it far. We could catch up in minutes to its leisurely pace. It still carried the little fleebeeron like a freshly caught rabbit. She continued flailing about, but the creature paid her no mind.

It stopped ahead of us. Turned as a door gave way to a bright light. A quick glance to my HUD showed we made it to the bridge, and that creature was there first.

Birds squawked. The fleebeeron was let go of and rushed into the room. We hauled ass to the creature, ready to shoot if it dared to enter.

It turned to face us and stood like a statue. Not a sound from it. We stopped. The creature looked into the room.

The sight of it didn't disgust me, but it was one ugly thing. A skull similar to a wolf's with teeth so large and haphazardly grown in, the creature couldn't possibly close its mouth completely. Most of its body was shrouded in shadows by a thick, furry cloak that was wrapped tight around its collar. The red lights that dotted its body breathed upwards calmly.

"Is that a dog?" Sparrow asked.

"I think it's a wolf. Too big to be a dog." Ruby corrected her.

"What? It's neither. It's a person." I shook my head.

When I looked at the creature again, I saw what they did. A giant, black wolf with a cloak of shadows.

I blinked a few times as if it would clear my vision, but it remained a wolf.

No one approached it. They were too scared to. Fuck, I was too scared! I had no idea what I was looking at. A wolf, or some sort of alien creature? Its form changed whenever I blinked.

It rolled its shoulders, rustling its cloak. It looked at us, or rather into our souls. An unwavering gaze that pierced through my body. For a second, I thought there truly was another plane beyond this physical one we inhabited. I could hear a call somewhere in the back of my mind. A call to approach. Something tugged my body forward. My soul wanted to go, but my body was frozen in place.

I couldn't take my eyes off it, no matter how wrong it felt.

I let the tug take control. My body moved on its own, towards that monstrous creature. I swallowed hard. Hoped my faith would not lead me to my death.

When I was well within the wolf's reach, its head turned to the room. It reeked of death. I looked inside.

Six people, including the child. Four fleebeeron, two humans. They were shocked, staring at me.

"It's safe." I called. "Everything's gonna be okay." It didn't sound like me.

Reaper joined me. Eyed the foul creature, then stepped into the room. The others joined us. The creature, however, stayed in the doorway.

"Oh, thank goodness!" A beautiful cockatoo squawked. The blossoming flower the bird perched upon jumped up in glee. "Our saviors