River's Run(2)

Closing the bag, she finished packing her other belongings before getting ready for bed. She was so looking forward to the peace and quiet of the mountains.





Everything worked out well. She made the flight and for once she didn’t have to produce documentation about her duffle bag. She had gone ahead and checked all her baggage so she wouldn’t have to deal with it in the cabin of the plane on the long flight. After she plugged in her iPhone and placed her sunglasses firmly on her head she was left blissfully alone for almost seven hours.



Picking up her two bags she placed them in the trunk of the black SUV and began the three hour drive up into the mountains. She wouldn’t get there until after midnight. It was a warm evening but she couldn’t resist driving with the windows down. She loved the freedom of the wind blowing through the window. She stopped for gas and a quick bite to eat an hour out as she didn’t want Jo or Star to feel like they needed to cook for her so late. She couldn’t suppress the thrill at seeing them. She did miss them so much. No one could separate them during their teenage years and River being two years under than Star who was a year younger than Jo had always been the one to be protected the most.



There was a full moon and the gravel road was lit up as River pulled up toward the cabin. The road for the past ten miles had been winding around and around the mountain. Star told her to park in the garage which was located below the cabin. She would have to tote her stuff up a narrow path to the cabin. River found the garage with no problems and pulled in next to Jo’s SUV with Florida tags. River grinned when she read the bumper sticker saying ‘Flyers did It Better.’ Grabbing her black duffle bag in one arm and her smaller carrier in her other she quietly pushed the button to close the trunk. She bent down and pulled one of her smaller knives out of the bag to slide in her boot. She didn’t know what types of animals lived in the mountains but if she was walking through the woods at night she wanted at least one knife on her for protection. Moving out under the bright moon she was glad she had worn her black jeans and put on her black sweater to ward off the cooler mountain air. She would have glowed in any of her other jackets with their rhinestones.



Walking along the moonlit path up to the cabin, River was enjoying the peace and quiet until a scream ripped the air followed by a second one. River froze for a moment before she dropped her bags and took off at a run towards the cabin. She skidded to a halt behind a tree when she heard what appeared to be a growl. Reaching down to her boot, she pulled a knife from the sleeve hidden inside it. Moving up toward the front porch, she jerked back when the door suddenly opened and a huge figure moved out onto it. She crouched down so she wouldn’t be seen. Peeking around the corner, her breath caught in her throat when she realized more than one huge creature was coming out of the cabin. She counted three of them, two of them appeared to be carrying something wrapped in blankets.



River shook with fear as she watched the huge creature turn at the bottom of the stairs. Its face, if you could call it that, was elongated and had what looked like green scaly skin. It turned and hissed at the other two. As they moved down the steps, River almost fainted when she saw Star’s arm hanging limply down its back. The creatures started moving down another path on the far side of the cabin. River slid the knife back in her boot and took off toward the path she had just come from. If she was going to try to save them she needed more than the one knife in her boot. Sliding on the leaves, she grabbed her black duffle bag and took off running after the creatures. She didn’t have any idea what she would do when she caught up with them.



River rounded the cabin cautiously before moving down the path on the other side of the cabin. She could hear them moving up ahead of her. She moved silently keeping as close as she could to the trees so the shadows would help hide her. They moved at a lumbering pace their long legs took twice the step hers did. She froze suddenly when one of them stopped and turned around. Keeping her head down so her face wouldn’t be as visible, she held her breath. After what seemed like hours, the creature hissed at the one leading them and turned to move down the path again.



River followed them for almost two miles before they came to a clearing. She stood frozen behind a tree as she watched them move into what appeared to be some type of space ship. It was almost as long as a football field. The two creatures carrying her friends moved up a platform that was opened in the back. River could see lights shining dimly in the interior. The one leading hissed at the two as they moved up the ramp but it remained outside the spaceship. A few minutes later the two creatures returned. A loud noise off to the left side of the ship suddenly caught their attention. All three hissed out and took off running towards the woods.