Pryor's Hill (solo)

[Dracosius]

Finally, Siela arrived at Pryor’s Hill. She left her horse at the bottom of the hill beside her brothers’ horses and started slowly working her way up it. Now that the moon was high in the sky she could see a bit more clearly. It wasn’t a difficult climb, but she didn’t want any surprises. Cautiously, she nocked an arrow to her bow, began to gather her spirit energy, and infuse it into the arrow.

Suddenly before her stood an image of a young woman. Siela could see through her hideously maimed form. The spirit spoke softly, fear in her eyes even in death.

“Run.. flee this place!”

“My brothers…”

“Do not heed me. They will die as others have. Pryor can see no difference between the living and the dead. He sees only what his insanity allows him to see. You must go!”

“Not without my brothers.”

Siela determinedly walked on pushing past the ghost of Pryor’s wife. At least now she knew the danger of Pryor’s Hill was real. A shivering tingle ran up her back as she came closer to the crest of the hill. Something was extremely wrong about this place. Her psychic senses buzzed angrily in her head of imminent danger, but she pressed on anyway. To push out the buzzing she thought about the lecturing she’d give her brothers for their stupidity.

“AJ! ZJ! Where are you? Come out! Now!”

AJ and ZJ looked wide-eyed at each other at the sound of her voice. Though they’d have never admitted it, the brothers were relieved to hear their sister. They hurried around to the front of the house, nearly toppling over each other. They straightened themselves out hurriedly, trying to appear cool and not at all frightened.

“Siela! What are you doing here?”

“Saving your life, idjits. Get off the hill.”

“What? No way! We made a bet and we’re going to keep it!”

“And just how do you plan to collect if you’re dead?”

AJ started to answer, but stopped as an angry roar filled the air. Blessed from birth with spirit-based powers, Siela saw what her brothers could not. A large man stood behind them with a blood covered ax raised over his head. WIthout thinking about it, she raised, drew and shot the ghost in the chest.

While they could not see the ghost of Pryor, the boys could certainly hear him. They watched, astonished as their sister’s arrow seemed to disappear. They were more surprised when the angry roar was replaced with one of pain. For a brief moment they could see the flicker of Pryor’s ghost. It raised the axe and began charging the three teenagers.

“MOVE! Scatter and get off the hill!” Siela barked at them. She was as surprised as they were that her arrow had hurt the ghost, but she didn’t want to wait to see if she could do more.

The boys needed no further encouragement. All three fled at top speed. Behind them they could hear the thud of Pryor’s booted feet and his angry roars. Siela risked a glance over her shoulder as she neared the outer edge of the hill. The nightmare sight of the angry ghost, heedless of the arrow sticking out of his chest, bearing down on ZJ was forever burned into her memory. She stopped and drew another arrow, quickly infusing it once more with spirit energy.

“ZJ! Tuck and roll!”

Heeding his sister’s fear-filled instructions, ZJ smoothly did as he was told. Though he could not have seen it with his eyes, he swore thereafter that he felt the wind of the axe passing over where his body had been seconds before.

As he dove, Siela released the second arrow. Once again, Pryor’s ghost roared in pain. This time, it turned its attention to Siela as it finally recognized her as the source of injury.

“Come on, Siela! Get out of there!”

The girl wasted no further arrows. She turned and fled for the edge of the hill. She glanced back over her shoulder and slowed. Pryor had stopped. Before him stood the ghosts of both Melody and Michael. Pryor stared at them grief replacing the raw anger that had been in his eyes moments before. It was only for a moment, then as Melody called for Siela to run once more, the insane anger returned. Melody and Michael shimmered out of Siela’s sight and she joined her brothers at the edge.

As they started down the hill, she could hear his cries of rage turn to frustration and looked back once more. The ghost stalked back and forth at the edge of the hill, roaring to the stars as he watched his prey escape. Siela slowed to a stop.

“He can’t leave the top of the hill…” She paused for a moment as the realization of what that meant sank into her mind. “ZJ! AJ! He can’t leave the top of the hill!”

“Come on, Siela! Can't you hear it? That thing’s gonna kill us!”

“No, listen! As stupid as your bet was, you can still win it.”

AJ paused and perked up at that and started back up the hill to join his sister, “What do you mean?”

“The bet was to spend the night on the hill, right?” Both boys nodded and she continued, “Then set up camp. That ghost can’t leave the top of the hill. Might not get any sleep, but you’ll technically be on the hill. We can’t get back in until dawn anyway. We’ll be safe as long as we don’t go to the top of the hill.”

The boys looked at each other, thinking quickly back and forth in their “twin” language. Siela was right. A smile crept across their faces and they took a seat on the hillside.

“Siela… we love you.”

Their sister sighed and took a seat herself, “Yeah, yeah, I know. I don’t suppose you guys brought any food? Oh, and I get an equal share of the bet in exchange for saving your lives and not telling Mom and Dad.”