Beyond The Walls by Maira Dawn

Chapter 3 with audio

Sitting in the living room, Wolf tried to make sense out of what had just happened. He shuddered at the memory of the vile lava-colored hound.

The thing was an affront to everything natural—worse than any horrors he’d dreamed of.

“For critter’s sake,” he said. “We need to figure this out. We can’t stay locked up in here forever.”

Jayden gave him a puzzled look then laughed. “For critter’s sake? No, that’s not it. It’s ‘for—’”

Wolf raised a hand to stop him. “I’m not taking anyone’s name in vain. Things are bad enough. I’m not saying anything to make anyone up there mad.”

“I don’t really think it’s vaining anyone,” Jayden said. “I mean, how is that going to make him mad?” 

“I don’t know, but I ain’t gonna chance it. And neither should you, dude. From what I just saw, the world is more of a mess than I imagined it to be.” 

He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “What we need to work on is a plan for getting out of here without that thing seeing us. You can’t stay here alone. I’ve lost people before, and I don’t want to lose you too. Come with me. We have a friendly community with everything you need—except a wheelchair. We’ll need to look for one on the way back.”

Jayden was quiet for a moment as his gaze moved to the front window, out toward his burned-out home. “This is the only place I know.”

Wolf imagined it would be hard to leave a place that had been a home with an actual mother and father. 

Jayden’s gaze made its way back to him. “But you’re right. It’s a miracle I made it this long. I’ll go with you.” He sighed. “And I know where a wheelchair is, but you won’t like it.”

* * *

An hour later, Jayden had packed a few precious items, and Wolf found himself pushing the wheelbarrow with his new friend in it down the sidewalk toward the side of town opposite from where he entered. 

He glanced longingly at the store with the pharmacy, but knew every moment mattered. It wasn’t like he could leave Jayden on the sidewalk while he went inside when that hound could be on them any second. 

His loaded and cocked crossbow lay across his back—not something he normally did, but the situation demanded it—and it comforted him.

Wolf threw several glances over his shoulder, hoping they got out of town before that evil animal saw them. 

The sidewalk they walked on ended at a small park. The teens looked over a couple of metal and plastic swing sets and slides. On the other side of them was a picnic and viewing area. There had been a white chest-high fence surrounding the place. Now the stakes from one section littered the ground, leaving a gaping hole with a view of the deep gorge just beyond it.

 On the near lip of the sheer cliff was an all-terrain wheelchair.

Wolf almost asked, but reckoned it was a story he didn’t want to know. He pushed Jayden closer and stopped beside the chair. 

He couldn’t stop himself from peeking over to the rocky bottom of the gorge. Brightly colored clothing littered the ground far below. His heart dropped. It wasn’t just clothing.

He helped Jayden get settled in the chair, then turned back to the wheelbarrow to retrieve the teen’s weapon and backpack. 

Jayden gasped and yelled, “It’s coming!” He grabbed his backpack but fumbled his weapon.

Wolf’s hands pricked with invisible needles as he swung his crossbow off his back and turned to aim. The monster looked every bit as vile as the first time he’d seen it—maybe more—because now it appeared to have the victory.

Wolf locked his jaw, grinding his teeth. That deadly monster would not win. He would not let it.

Already halfway across the small park, it sailed over a picnic table. Quickly, Wolf aimed and squeezed the trigger. 

The arrow caught the fire hound along its back flank. 

It jerked and let out an unearthly howl, but kept coming. 

Wolf glanced at his crossbow. There was no time to load it again. 

The fire hound was on him in an instant. Wolf used his crossbow to push it back, using the weapon’s rough points as little daggers.

Pure muscle, the fire hound was stronger than the teen and seemed to be made for battle. It shoved him back and Wolf’s feet slid closer to the edge of the cliff.

Pulling in a sharp breath, the teen stabbed the crossbow harder. He was outmatched, but Jayden’s life was at stake, and perhaps others’. He would never give up, not while he had a breath left in his body. 

Jayden wheeled up beside Wolf and slammed the fire hound with his heavy backpack over and over.

The animal backed away, grabbing for Wolf’s arm but getting only a mouthful of shirtsleeve. Its shark-like teeth shredded the deerskin, showing the boy what could easily happen to him. 

Desperate, Wolf looked around and spotted Jayden’s weapon laying in the grass beside the wheelbarrow. He grabbed the two-by-four, making sure the end with exposed nails faced the hound and held it like a baseball bat. He eyed the sheer drop beside him. 

The fire hound again launched itself from the picnic table, triumph already in its gaze. Wolf braced himself as the enraged animal flew at him. A brief prayer flitted through his mind and he grasped the board tighter.

Sure it would succeed, the animal stretched its mouth wide. 

When Wolf smelled its rancid breath, he swung. The board hit the monster in the middle of its body, propelling the animal further than it intended. 

The fire hound soared over the gorge and dropped. An angry screech sounded farther and farther away until the animal hit the rocks below with a loud smack.

Wolf let the broken two-by-four fall to the ground and fell to his knees.