Free Children Of Fiends - Part 2 A Nation By Another Name: An Of Sudden Origin Novella by C. Chase Harwood Page A

Jones.”
    “Really? Why?”
    “You asked me what my gut says, sir. I don’t trust Bible talk.”
    “Of that, we agree.”
    Thompson stepped off the train and called to both parties. “Gentlemen, the Northerners have made contact with the devils. They are not under assault, but assume we must that the creatures are near this area as well. Will you all please come back aboard so that we might seal up?”

    Naoto Kitta and Maggie Tender had run hoses from the waste treatment water pits to the canteen along with Bill Wall and Tom Murphy. They took turns on the hand pump that pushed the water along. It was grueling work, made the more so by the shattered nerves that they felt while being so exposed. It didn’t matter that they were protected by their helmets. It didn’t matter that the soldiers and the rest of the crew were armed to the teeth and keeping watch. They were yards away from a fence covered in the tortured skeletons of thousands and a pack of Fiend Children were staring at them from maybe a hundred yards away. Not three, but six of the monsters had come out to watch. They had no weapons and made no threatening moves, but the way that they watched…
    It was getting dark, and Hansel and Gretel’s huge irises gathered all the light that they needed, but something was wrong. Though they could still feel their kin out there, their fellow pucks had thrown up a wall. Communication was cut off. Hansel refused to admit to the failure so they pretended. Eliza and Dean watched as the six took a step forward as one and paused. Dean said, “Okay. They keep doing that. Maybe a minute or so and another step.” He turned to Gretel. “What’s going on?”
    “They are, um.” She looked at Hansel. “They are just curious.”
    Eliza asked, “They are telling you that?”
    Hansel said, “How many times have we said we can only feel.”
    The six stepped again. Dean said, “Okay. That was maybe ten seconds.”
    MacAfee’s voice came from atop the train. “We got more over here. I count another six.”
    “And here. Six more from the west,” shouted Hernandez from the engine.
    The original six stepped again toward the pumpers. Kitta looked at his companions and said, “You’re seeing this, right?”
    Wen yelled up to Bishop who was keeping the hose aimed into the train’s boiler. “How we doin, Bish?”
    “Long way to go. Maybe half full.”
    MacAfee stood on the roof of the observation car and keyed his mic for Wen. “Marshall, how long to get us moving again?”
    Wen said, “No steam with the boiler open. A while.”
    “Gonna have to be enough. Wrap it up and stoke that fire.”
    Wen called out to Bishop. “Close it up and put the water in the canteen instead.” He looked at the pumpers. “Focus. Others got your back. Need all the water we can get.”
    As one, the eighteen pucks took another step. MacAfee keyed his mic for Dean. “What the hell do we have from the kids?”
    Dean asked the children. “What’s going on?”
    The children were lost in their own heads. So exciting.
    My heart is pounding.
    Like hunting.
    We have not hunted.
    But it feels…
    Like hunting.
    What do we tell them?
    Maybe the truth.
    We don’t know the truth.
    Who is Arthur? Why do they say Arthur?
    There again. Arthur. Arthur says eat.
    “Kids?” broke in Eliza. The pucks looked at her dumbly. Frustrated, Eliza started taking off her helmet.  
    Dean grabbed her wrist. “What are you doing?”  
    “I’m going to find out for myself.”
    He lifted his visor. “Stop. You don’t know what will -“
    She handed him her helmet. “Then don’t let anything happen to me.” She pulled his visor back down and looked at the six that she could see as they took another step. As one they turned and looked at her. In the same instant Eliza felt as though all twelve of their hands had latched onto her. It was almost real, like they were actually firmly holding her. She gasped with the sensation and her lungs felt suddenly crushed.