Goblins by David Bernstein Page B

parents had been killed.
    â€œHello,” Jacob said, his eyes unblinking and wide. His skin was smeared with dirt. He wore only a pair of raggedy brown pants.
    Kaley could only stare at him, unsure where to begin. She wanted to call out to her parents, maybe even run to them, but remained frozen. Then an awful, putrid smell wafted over her, reminding her of the time her and her friends went by the dumpsters behind the Stop & Shop. The smell there had made Kaley want to puke.
    â€œHello,” Jacob said again.
    Kaley pinched her nostrils closed and breathed through her mouth, the air seemingly coated in grime. She felt sick to her stomach, but realized the boy needed help. She had to get her parents.
    â€œHello,” Jacob said.
    â€œJacob,” she asked, “what are you doing here?”
    The boy took a step forward. He was only a foot away from her now. Her fingers loosened a bit, allowing the horrendous odor in. Her eyes watered and she gagged. She quickly pinched her nose closed again and apologized. She didn’t want him to think she was making fun of him. She had no idea what he’d been through and wondered if he had indeed been living in a dumpster, the same dumpster she’d smelled behind the Stop & Shop.
    â€œHello,” Jacob said again.
    A chill fell over Kaley. She’d been surprised to see him, but now she was growing nervous. Something about him wasn’t right. Then again, why would the kid be all right. He must’ve been through hell, and if he’d heard about his parents…
    â€œJacob, are you okay?” she asked, wanting to let him know she cared about him. She’d get her parents soon enough.
    â€œOkay,” he said, flatly, still not blinking.
    â€œUm, everyone’s been looking for you.”
    â€œOkay.”
    Kaley felt her heart swell with pity. He was definitely not okay. As much as she wanted to help him, she knew this was adult business. “I’m going to get my—” Kaley’s words died as if they were struck through the heart with an arrow. Jacob’s entire body shimmered and she saw parts of that hideous green-skinned creature again, but it was only for a few moments and then Jacob was himself again.
    Kaley swallowed hard and shook her head, ready to run.
    Jacob’s eyes went black. The shimmering mist wafted in front of him again and disappeared, leaving the monster where Jacob had stood.
    Kaley screamed this time and took off for the door.
    The thing growled and she knew it was after her. Then, it was on her. One of its clawed hands covered her mouth. The two of them fell to the floor and the wind was knocked out of her lungs, further preventing her from using her voice.
    She heard her mother call to her. Good , she thought, help was coming. Her mom had heard her.
    The creature shoved itself off Kaley and flipped her onto her back so she was looking up at it. Green slime fell from its mouth as it snarled. She saw death in its onyx eyes, the things void of compassion. And though the monster managed to keep its hand over her mouth, she let loose a muffled scream. If this was a nightmare, induced by the movie, she was going to scream her ass off and hopefully wake up, because there was no way this could be real.
    The creature grinned as if reading her mind and shook its head. Kaley guessed she was about to die, the thing ready to eat her. Instead, it hefted her off the floor and tossed her over its bony shoulder. Then, in a single leap, it flew out the window and ran away into the night.

Chapter Nine
    Kaley awoke in a cage.
    The bars were human bone—tibias, femurs and humeri—and held together by severed human hands, the hands and bones hardened by goblin magic. The floor was a patchwork of human flesh that had been sewn together with human hair and treated with boiled tongue oils and vaginal secretions. .
    The air was warm and rank with the smell of death. The pungent odor of rotting meat and waste was thick.