Escape from the Noh (An Original Story - Part 2)
Part One - https://steemit.com/fiction/@michaeladamparis/escape-from-the-noh-an-original-story-part-1
Part Two
He whispers a second time.
“I haven’t seen you here before.”
“I’ve never been here,” Sofia whispers back, looking away, the deadwood no longer pressing so deeply into her back.
“What’s your name?” he asks. Each minute grows darker in the forest as night approaches, but her fear subsides.
“Sofia.”
“Sofia.” The man says slowly. “My name is Ryan.”
Sofia looks at him briefly. The bushy eyebrows seem less wild now. Once again, her eyes dart away, but in a different direction.
“Are you hurt, lost?”
She shakes her head. “I saw the pool. I thought I would…”
“Take a swim?” Ryan says. He touches her face, and she shirks back in surprise. He withdraws his hand.
“Are you with them?”
Ryan furrows his brows. “Them?”
She whispers. “The Noh.”
Ryan smiles. “No, I’m not.” He holds his hands out, fingernails lined with dirt. “See?”
Sofia observes the hands, which appear remarkably human. She shrugs. “I thought -- since you’ve been here before --”
“No, I just run in circles,” Ryan motions with a swirling finger.
“That’s dangerous.”
“Not if you run fast enough.”
Sofia laughs, averting her gaze again. The sound surprises her. She puts a hand on her breast to quiet it. When she looks up, Ryan is smiling at her.
“I haven’t heard laughter in a long time.” He holds out his hand. “Sofia, come with me.”
She considers his hand.
“Please. Before they come.”
A dread engulfs her throat. “Here?”
“They always do. Dusk is past.”
Sofia welcomes his hand into hers. It is surprisingly warm. And dry.
They run together through the brush and emerge from the grove. Only the shadowy hues of daylight remain, without even a sliver of sun to slice the meadow.
As they cross a patch of short grass, she chances a look behind her and sees a small legion of silhouetted Nohs appear at the tree line from within the grove.
Their shadowy, ghost-like bodies vibrate, and their blank, mirrored eyes glow, as they always do when on the chase for live meat.
To be continued (installments 3 through 8 of this story are coming soon.)
Start at the beginning:
Part One - https://steemit.com/fiction/@michaeladamparis/escape-from-the-noh-an-original-story-part-1
OR go to the next chapter:
Part Three - https://steemit.com/fiction/@michaeladamparis/escape-from-the-noh-an-original-story-part-3
"Escape from the Noh" is a short-story that is a combination of sci-fi and horror. As a writer, I enjoy deconstructing genres to see where I can mix them for a synergistic effect. This story will be told in 8 parts, and i hope you enjoy it. I welcome feedback and will be publishing my 300,000 word epic novel "The Messiah" on Steemit in 2017.
I encourage you to visit (and like!) my newly created Facebook page @ (https://facebook.com/michaeladamparis/) and
my blog which features all my Steemit posts using the Steemit Wordpress plugin
@ (http://www.michaeladamparis.com) (Thanks to @wordpress-tips @fabien and others for this app!)
For 20 years I have written hundreds of stories, poems, and a novel, and Steemit has finally made sharing this work possible. Thank you all for your support and encouragement.
Image Credits: stevebidmead | Hans | pmslweb.com
