Chapter 3: Free Fall

"Where is she? What happened?!?" Martin, Kara's father demanded, shaking Kendra off. He has been looking for the children who were playing in the rest house's yard. After what seems to be forever, Kendra emerged from the woods, crying.

"Martin, be careful with the child. You're hurting her!" Klarisse tore Kendra away from Martin's heavy grip. Her face agonized.

"We were just playing hide and seek when she got tired of it." Kendra explained in between her sobs, wiping her tears and mucus. "She asked me to go exploring in the woods, I told her no because Daddy won't be happy if we go there." she added, still crying.

"Then we came near an old wall. It is filled with vines and moss and it's damp. While we're playing there she tripped and fell back to the wall. Then, then… "

Martin and Klarisse are listening intently to Kendra's tale.

"Then the wall crumbled with Kara… " Kendra finished her story and cried even more.

"You see it was your daughter's idea!" Klarisse emphasized, her lips tight. She held Kendra closer to her. "Shhh baby, don't cry. Don't you worry, it was an accident, Kara will be okay. Daddy will get her. Now" she consoled her crying daughter and looked at Martin, her eyes commanding him to go and fetch his daughter. He immediately went to where Kendra said Kara met the accident. He knows this place too well, and what Kendra was saying was the ruin of an old gate of what looks like a temple built a long time ago. Nothing much stood from the old structure but the gate's wall, a mossy 5 feet tall stone wall.

***

It was dark when Kara awakened, even the surroundings were silent. She lay there very still, feeling the world around her. Thankfully, she could still feel her body too well. And she was not hurt anywhere which was good. When her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she stood up and blindly walked.

"Hello… anybody?? Daddy?" she called but her voice vanished as fast as she spoke it. Nothing replied.

"Where am I?" she thought. She felt the ground, it was full of dried leaves, crunching in her every step. The air was chilly and damp. In the distance, she could hear the soft bubbling of a brook.

"Kendra? Daddy?? Anybody? Helppp!!" she called once more, a little louder. Again, nothing.

She was scared, her little mind was filled with images she didn't like. This place is definitely scaring her.

And then the wind blew, so cold she trembled, yet she remained still. Out in not far a distance, she could hear something walking towards her, the crunching of leaves getting louder as it crushed the dried leaves with its heavy footsteps. Kara's heart beats wildly. The atmosphere gets colder and heavier, almost suffocating. She knows that thing is just behind her. And she dashed, not caring whether she'll bump or slip amidst the blindness that the dark is causing her. She ran, as fast as she could, yet the thing ran after her, and it was swift. Suddenly, a cold, grimy, rough hand pulled her feet. She immediately fell on her stomach and pulled herself away.

"No!!!" she screamed as she kicked the ugly hands that kept her from moving. The thing laughed maniacally and said something enough to give her goosebumps.

"What a frail tiny thing my dinner is. But you will do… " it said.

Kara screamed as the thing lifted her up, feet first so that she's upside down.

"Let go!!! Let go!! Aaaahhh!!!" she wildly screamed and resisted. Kicking her free feet and flailing her arms to punch, if only she could hit one.

And then a brilliant light sparked and lighted the dark, it hurt her eyes at first, but from it emerged a boy with a glowing dagger.

"Leave her alone…" the boy said, his voice light and warm.

She now sees her captor. It was a large and gruesome being, it was black and covered with grime and slime, a face with skin shedding here and there she could see worms crawling from its wounds. Its mouth was so large, its teeth jagged and there was only a hole in what's supposed to be the place for a nose. She was terrified with the sight.

"You leave, boy! This is my meal!" it growled, Kara smelled the nasty breath she even choked.

"I said, leave her alone!" the boy said and swiftly attacked the monster. She did not see his moves because he moved quickly. All she knows is that she fell from the monster's grip and fell head first. The monster let out a loud wail and ran away.

Her head hurts from the fall yet she tries to remain conscious.

"This is not a place for you. You shouldn't be here. You must go home now or else more creatures like that will be after you… " the boy said as he held and carried her

Her vision was getting blurry but her head was heavier. She wants to thank her savior, know his name and ask lots of questions. But she's starting to drift out.

"You are safe now. I won't let anything harm you…" the boy whispered to her ear as she finally lost consciousness.

***

"Kara, sweetheart? Wake up please. Daddy's here…" Martin held her daughter. She found Kara near the old wall. Kara was unconscious. He looked at the old wall. It did not crumble as Kendra said, it still stood silently.

He scanned the area and saw nothing out of place. He looked back at his daughter and carried her back to the rest house.

"Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?" it was her Father beside her when she first opened her eyes.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he added.  She just smiled at him.  

"I'm okay, Daddy… "

"I found you unconscious near the old wall.  What happened?"

Her stepmom and Kendra snuck in the room upon hearing that she was now awake.  

"I told you already, Daddy.  We were just playing and Kara fell,  right Kara?" Kendra butt in.  Kara knows that Kendra had told the story the other way around. She just nodded her head.  

"But the wall did not crumble as you said Kendra.  It is perfectly fine… " Martin said,  half irritated, trying to hide his irritation.  

"Martin!" Klarisse immediately scolds her husband.  She doesn't want Martin to scold her beloved daughter nor raise his voice at her.  So she stopped him before he could say anything else.  

"Okay.  So what happened Kara?" Martin resigned,  now asking Kara. 

Kara saw his stepmom's sharp stare and so was Kendra's glare.  She just nodded her head. 

 

"We were just playing there Dad,  I fell on my back. Maybe Kendra thought that the wall crumbled.  And I just fell asleep then." she said,  trying not to recall the horrifying image of the monster who wanted to eat her alive and whole.  Kendra smirked upon hearing Kara's story.  Now, she's safe again.  

"You sure?" his father asked once more.  

"Yes, Daddy.  Now,  I want to sleep again.  I am so sleepy." she plainly said so they would leave her alone.  

***

"You bitch!!" a heavy hand grabbed her hair and pulled it harshly.  She was caught off guard.  She was walking out of the school gates when Kendra went after her angrily. Her nose flaring,  her eyes blaring. She pulled her closer so that her ears are level with her mouth. 

"You think you can get away from me? You think I will let it slide like that?! Bitccch!" Kendra shouted at her ears, so loud it almost broke her ears.

"Take your hands off me Kendra!" she shouted back.  

"Well, you really are a fighter now,  are you?!"  she pulled her hair lower and lower until she almost kissed the ground 

"What have I done?  Why are you doing this to me?!" she said while trying to hold back the tears that are threatening to fall. 

"Can't you just leave me alone?!" she screamed.  

Kendra kept pulling her hair,  dragging her back to the back of the school building.  Miley and Shay are giggling as they follow them. Then the two opened a door. It was the door of the stockroom of the old building that the school has not used for a long time.  

"You belong here!!" Kendra throws her inside. "Now let's see if your savior will come back to save you!!" She spat.  

Kara immediately panicked.  It will be night time soon and Kendra intends to lock her here.  This area is abandoned and nobody comes here to check, even the guards themselves patrol these areas very frequently.  

"No, Kendra." she pleads and crawls back to her.  "No please… Don't do this."

"Huh. Say that to your savior!" she kicked her hard in her stomach, she grasped for air.  

"Girls,  lock her in." Kendra commanded and the two girls immediately complied.  Last thing she saw was Kendra's victorious smirk and then it was darkness.