Free The Unwanted Winter - Volume One of the Saga of the Twelves by Richard Heredia

longer
interested in his food. She had only the time to take a single
breath when Mr. Patas abruptly grabbed one of the crossing wires of
his cage within the grasp of his four massive front teeth and
tugged violently at the cage, shaking the conglomerated structure
to its very foundations. What is wrong
with Mr. - ?
    The hooded figure
interrupted her thoughts. “Just a few more steps and you shall see
what I have found for you.”
    “ Huh?” Mikalah asked, not
sure to whom she was voicing her inquiry, confusion and indecision
plaguing her young mind.
    “ Come,
child. Come. Come.
COME, ” went on the pleading, imploring in
its’ raspy voice.
    Through the plague of
doubt and worry, Mikalah began to walk toward the seated man. The
wind came again. It was a long, steady, hurling of air, fluttering,
flapping, and pushing at Mikalah.
    It was cold! Too cold, what was happening…?
    The figure’s head rose
slightly as she approached the little, robed figure. She took the
last few steps and for the first time, Mikalah could see the face
of her unexpected visitor. The view shocked the young girl to her
core.
    His skin was dark and
leathery, but so wrinkled and so very dry looking, Mikalah was sure
it would peel off at any second in the ever-increasing wind. He had
a long, pointed nose above wide lips that appeared so drained of
blood, so cracked and lifeless, it was amazing they could still
move without splintering and falling to the ground.
    The man in the hood smile
broadly. His eyes widened as the draw of his smile increased. His
irises were so pale, they looked almost white. Not an albino’s eyes
that would’ve shown pink with blood, because they lacked all
pigment. No, these were entirely white. It was a snowy color. His gaze pierced
Mikalah. It was so rare a sight. It was unnerving.
    She felt as though this
creature could look right through her and read her mind. Maybe even
watch, with rapture-like fascination, the very beating of her
heart.
    His lips peeled back as he
continued to smile. His teeth were pointed, sharpened and stained
with splotches of red, as if he’d been eating pomegranates for
years without ever brushing them. Before him, he held out his hand,
fist closed over what he said was a gift for Mikalah.
    Barely able to tear her
gaze from the appalling appearance of his face, the girl glanced
down at the offered hand, eyelids withdrawing over the orbs of her
eyes. She saw the last of his gnarled arm from beneath the end of
his robe. It was equally knobby and callused, his hand ending with
long, sinewy fingers that sprouted overlong nails, chipped and
broken. They looked as though he’d spending the entire day digging
through dirt and mud.
    Mikalah reached out, while
the creature extended his gruesome hand. “Good, and now for your
g-,” began the creature, but didn’t finish.
    “ Mikalah, where are you? You’ve got other things to do than
messing around with that damned rabbit!”
    It was her father calling
after her from inside the house!
    Oh, man! Her mind exploded at her. I’m really going to get it now!
    Abruptly, she turned
toward the house and away from the creature. “I’m coming!” she
yelled in response. “Mr. Patas needed food and water!”
    “ Okay, but you’d better
move your behind, little girl. No snacks until you’ve finished your
homework.” This was her father’s usual reply to any explanation
given by her and her siblings. He always was took any delay on
their part for an excuse and punished them regardless of what the
circumstances might’ve been.
    “ I’ve gotta go,” said the
girl turning back toward the creature on the wall, surprised to
find it was no longer there.
    “ Where did he go?” she
asked herself out loud, peering around until her eyes fell to
something lying on the ground, right between her feet. It was as
though the creature had merely opened his hand, let it fall, and
then left.
    Mikalah gasped at the
sight.
    It was her gift .
    There, at her feet,