Once Upon a Grave

By: Megan Clark

Those who kill killers

-Forest of Flowers-

She pulled the blade from the dead creature’s forehead. She twisted it slightly and smiled. Oh how she enjoyed the sound of metal on bone. The sight of blood was a much prettier sight then all of these ugly flowers.

“I just cant figure out why people are scared of these things…” she said in monotone.

“Maybe because they’re human.” Came a small high-pitched voice from in the trees.

“But killing them is so much fun.” She smirked and brushed away her bangs from her eyes. She looked at the blood on her sword longingly.

“Come on! We still have work to do!” a little creature like a monkey fell down from the trees and landed on her shoulder. The impact broke her trance.

“Yes, lets go Kiran. I’m getting kind of hungry. We should stop somewhere to eat… or…” she looked down at the dead monster’s body.

“Ooh, ooh!! Yes! I get the eyes!” Kiran’s 3 cat like eyes blinked at her at the same time. His lips formed a pout and his large dog like ears bent down to his head.

“Alright, alright.” She held her sword in the air and brought it down on the monster’s shoulder. “An arm should be enough to hold me considering how big these things are. Get the eyes and let’s go.”

Kiran jumped off her shoulder and used his small fingers to scoop out the eyes. “These will be great! Best filled with terror.” The girl smiled. She wiped the sword on the grass to remove the blood and stuck it back through her belt with out a sheath. She picked up the dislocated arm and began to walk away.

“Hey wait up!” Kiran ran to her and jumped on her shoulder again. He stuck one of the eyes of the monster on the left horn upon his head. It made a gushing sound as it slid on. “I’m saving it for later.” He announced matter-of-factly. The girl stepped on a pink flower growing out of the ground and smashed it back into the earth with her black book.

“Next stop, Pelham.” She took a bit of the arm and licked the blood off her lips in delight.

--

-Pelham-

“So,” The girl said slowly. She sipped her tea and closed her eyes before she continued, “Tell me about… these… creatures you’ve been dealing with.” The girl’s eyes remained closed. The shadow on her face flickered with the flame on the candle. Busy people walked quickly by the little shop window. The man gulped and took a deep breath, ready to explain his tale.

“Well, for about a month now us farmers, good men we are, have been loosin’ ar animals. They all there when we go to bed, but in the morn, half missin’ and the other half lookin’ like they seen a ghost! We don’t know what’s goin’ on. But we’re scared. We need them animals to get money to raise our families. The other men we hired, aint come back yet and It’s been a week since the last guy went into that damn forest. Pelham forest that is. Damn place is full of monsters I tells ya!”

The girl took another sip of her tea. He glanced at her with a curious worried look on his face.

“Um, well, I know you’re concerned and wanna take this here job, but, heck! Men went in and died and I can’t be lettin’ a little girl do it!”

“I’ll take the job.” The girl said. Her long black hair fell over her slim shoulders when she gently set down her teacup. Her eyes remained closed.

“Didn’ you just hear me, missy? I said I can’t let you take the job! You’re a 15 year-old girl! It’s suicide!”

She tilted her head up to face him head on. He would’ve sworn she was glaring at him, even through her eyelids.

“Maybe you didn’t hear me, sir. I said I’m taking the job.” Her eyes suddenly opened along with the door to the shop. A strong wind blew in and all the candles that lit the room blew out. He brought his arm up to shield his eyes from the force of the wind. The air made a whistling sound then died down. A moment passed in silence until the man heard a match strike. The girl held the match up close to her face and stared directly into his eyes. He fell over backward in his chair, shaking as she stood up.

“I know you’re concerned but I will take this job and you better have full pay ready for me when I get back.” She dropped the match and it went out when it hit the floor. He heard the door open. The storeowner was rushing around trying to re-light candles. The man stood staring out the door. The owner put his chair up right.

“Who was that child?”

“I- I don’t know…she said her name was… Kali.”

-

“Maybe we should leave this place… I don’t like how it looks…”

“Are you a coward, Kiran?” Kali said pushing the hanging vines out of the way so she could continue walking through the forest.

“No! Certainly not! But didn’t you hear the farmer! These things eat animals! Meat! FYI, we’re meat!”

“So you are a coward.,” She said blankly

“No! Am not! Hey, why are we stopping?” Kali kneeled down and examined the soft ground. Kiran bounced off her shoulder.

“Kali, Kali! Let’s go, lets get out of-“

“Sh!” Kali ordered grasping the little creature’s mouth shut. She closed her eyes.

“Welcome,” She stated opening her eyes slowly letting go of Kiran’s mouth. A low growl came from the bushes beside her. Kali stood and faced the bushes.

“You saved me a lot of time looking for you.” the only response was another growl.

“Show yourself!” she demand waving her hand over pointing at the bush. The bush shook and a shadow unbent itself and stood. The monster reached over 8 foot tall. Its brown hair covered its entire thin body. It’s hands and feet where oversized and powerful. It’s small head looked like a dogs but had no snout. Fangs hung outside its mouth. Its beady black eyes watched her. It let out a loud roar.

“Another Parvani, huh? That explains why you’ve been eating the villager’s animals.” She took a step toward him, her right hand behind her back, gripping the handle of her sword. I shouted again.

“Stop growling you fool, speak. I know you can. You’re brother could.”

The Parvani hissed, “who are you… what do you know of my brother!”

“I’m the one who’d here to stop you. I know a lot of your brother, the crowned prince.”

The Parvani hissed again and took a step back

“How can you understand me, human child?”

“Who said I was human?” she smirked. She truly did enjoy taunting.

“As for your brother, you are now crowned prince. Youngest brother of the royal family. The only last surviving Parvani.”

“What have you done to my brother!!” it screeched, drool running down it’s fangs. It’s eyes blazed with anger.

“I killed him, what else? My blade went smoothly through his skull. And who would have guess Parvani tasted so good?”

It shrieked and jumped forward. Kali’s right hand swung out holding the sword. Before the Parvani could react she was suddenly directly in front of him. With one clean swing his head came off and rolled to the side. The body staggered to the ground. Blood poured from the wound and Kali watched it leak out and turn the dirt red.

“That was easy.” She licked the blood off the cold blade of her sword.

“Ew, Jeez Kali. Do you have to do that?!”

“I was hungry.”

Kiran fell from the trees in which he had been hiding and landed on her shoulder.

“Lets gets moving now, please?”

“Not without my reward, Kiran.” Kali walked over and picked up the Parvani’s severed head. She noticed tears in it’s eyes. No doubt from the loss of his brother. But feelings like that were best not felt.

“So sad.” She said sarcastically. “That was the last of the Parvani. Full moon. That’s what it’s name means, did you know that, Kiran?”

“Who cares?” he replied anxiously, “it’s just a name.”

“Don’t be fooled. Names hold more than you could ever imagine. Parvani, creatures of the full moon. Distant relatives of the vampires. The vampires should have never bred with the werewolves.”

“Come on come on, let’s go.”

“Yeah.” She looked at the head one more time and her eyes clouded. She blinked away the urge and started walking.

She used the same path to get back into town. At the edge of the village she found the farmer waiting nervously. He shook in fear, but he wasn’t about to admit that it was a fear of the 15-year old girl.

“She’s back!!” he called out when he saw her strolling down the path toward them. People came out from surrounding houses. Kali walked up to the farmer who was holding a bag of gold coins. She held the Parvani’s head out to him.

“Trade you.”

The crowd stood shocked and a women screamed at the sight of the head. A few children began to cry but their mothers quickly tried to quiet their tears. The farmer looked at the crowd then to Kali. He held out the money. She took it and dropped the head at his feet.

“See ya” She turned and walked down the dirt pathway. The crowd snapped out of their shock and started to whisper about what had happened.

“Kali… the monster hunter” the farmer muttered to himself. “Kali… it means… oh come on! Um.. Dark goddess!” he looked down the path after her, but she was no longer in view. In fact, she was no longer there.

“Kali, the Dark Goddess… it fits.”

He kicked the severed head and turned around to join the crowd to gossip about the strange girl who had mysteriously shown up and saved them all.

--

all the names used in this book have a meaning. if i dont explain it in the story, i'll have a little dictionary thing down here where i will tell you names and meanings

Kali- Dark Goddess
Kiran- little dark one
Parvani- full moon
Pelham- town of fur skin

--megan