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Description

Junior trailed behind his newfound skeletal friend, panting from exhaustion as he struggled to navigate the rugged terrain of the swamp. Scale Bones proved to be extremely fast and nimble when it came to walking. It was all he could do to keep up as his smaller legs stepped quickly to keep up with the longer limbs of Scale Bones. Having the extra weight of the skull guitar strapped to his back did not help either. If it wasn’t for his view of the long glow of Scale Bones’s skeletal reptilian tail whipping back and forth, he felt he would have been left in the dust a long time ago.

            He wanted to ask Scale Bones to slow down, but he lacked the extra breath from his constant panting to form words.

            At one point, Junior tripped over what felt like a large root causing him to fall painfully head first onto his chest.

            “Crud!” snarled Junior in frustration. He rolled on his side, placing his left hand on his sore chest as he continued to grimace. Still panting from exhaustion, Junior looked ahead to find Scale Bones to be nowhere in sight.

            “Bones?!” Junior cried. “Scale Bones?! Come back, I fell!”

            There was no reply save from the normal night sounds of the swamp which had now become all too familiar. “Scale Bones!” Junior cried once again. A shrill scream echoed from somewhere in the distance. Junior felt a chill run over his scales. His yellow reptilian eyes shot completely open as his head darted in the direction of the foreign sound. Junior continued lying on the ground, frozen, while gripping his skull guitar. He tried to console himself that it was only a nocturnal animal, but his attempt of wishful thinking fell flat as his mind immediately returned to the terrifying masked frog people who took down his father and Uncle Iggy. Junior began turning his head in all directions scanning every area of his surroundings for any sign of Scale Bones or a villainous intruder. Another scream sounded from the forest, confirming his worst fears. The scream was female, that was for sure, but it sounded much younger than the two twins he earlier encountered. Junior crawled backwards on the ground till he was sitting plush against a tree. He was too tired to flee or stand defensively on his own two feet. With Scale Bones absent, he no longer felt the same courage he formerly possessed. All he could do was sit there defensively gripping his skulled guitar for whatever goon would emerge from the darkness. He heard the girl once again, only this time rather than a scream it sounded more like an evil cackle of a little girl. It’s laugh was unnatural, having an echo which only intensified as the source neared him. “Die! Die! Die!” rasped the voice. Junior heard rustling in the brush as well as the breaking of twigs. Someone was approaching!

          Junior cried in fear, strumming his guitar as Scale Bones emerged from the darkness.

          “Ahh!”

            “Hey, little dude, it’s just me!” said Scale Bones, holding up his hands.

            “Someone’s after me!” quivered Junior.

            “Who?” asked Scale Bones, appearing puzzled?
            Junior scoffed. “Are skeletons deaf? Didn’t you hear that screaming?”

            “You mean the scream that sounded like a little girl?” asked Scale Bones.

            “Yeah, that!” Junior frustratingly replied.

            Scale Bones chuckled. “Yeah, I heard it. I thought it was you.”
            “Hey!” scolded Junior.
            “Alright, alright. Sorry.”

            The shrill scream cried from the brush roughly ten meters away.

            “What the bones!?” shouted Scale Bones as he stood there stunned. Junior gripped Scale Bone’s right leg bone as they both gazed into the direction of the scream.

            Crackling and snapping could be heard as well as the fluttering of weeds. They could see the tall weeds in front of them waving down toward them as the nightmarish creature made it’s way through the brush. As continued to approach, they could hear what sounded like heavy fast breathing with the occasional low guttural growl. “Rawr! Rawr!” shouted a girl in a low voice. The creature once again released a piercing deafening scream driving Junior and Scale Bones to cover their ears.

            “Stay behind me, Junior!” ordered Scale Bones. These words proved to be pointless to Junior as he had no intention of doing otherwise. As the creature approached closer, they could hear a low gurgling sound, mixed with growls. The figure came into view after finally emerging from the weeds. At first it had the appearance of being a large spider in the manner it moved its arms and legs, but as it came into full view, Junior and Scale Bones were able to see that it in fact was a person, or at least the resemblance of one. It was a very small frog girl, wearing a white gown, unnaturally contorting on all fours backwards. Her eyes were glazed over, while dark jet black hair hung to the ground as her pale head drooped upside down. The creature’s head shot in a back and forth motion making a cracking sound. Junior, frozen with fear continued to grasp the leg bone of Scale Bones. This monster was more frightening than the earlier masked intruders he had encountered. At least they had the resemblance of being people. This, however, was what lived in only the deepest recesses of his nightmares. The crackling sound turned into a continuous squeak, as the head began to turn a complete 360. While Junior covered his eyes, he could not decide which was worse, the squealing of the bones, or the head’s unnatural ability to completely turn around. Scale Bones summoned back his guitar, preparing for a fight when the creature suddenly leaped into the air flipping in their direction.

“Scaarry!” playfully sang the girl with a grin in a forced low voice, as she assumed a normal posture. She erupted into giggling.

As Junior and Scale Bones stood their speechless, the colors had returned to the girl’s face.
In the formerly glazed over eyes, were now two large brown pupils of a little girl. She smiled cheerfully revealing her two missing front teeth. The little girl cocked her head as she gazed toward Scale Bones and Junior. The girl giggled as she trotted closer to Scale Bones until she was standing directly in front of him, laughing and mumbling unintelligible words. As she stood before the towering skeleton she once again pointed up at him. “Scary!” she again sang in a bubbly voice. Junior backed away from Scale Bones, but made it a point to remain cautiously behind his guardian.

            To Junior’s surprise, Scale Bones erupted into his raspy laughter pointing back at himself. “Oh, I get it! Scary!”

            “What,” queried Junior, confused?

            Not responding, Scale Bones coughed as though clearing his throat. He then leaped toward the girl, stretching out his claws, releasing a loud, monstrous roar. Fire erupted from the lizard’s mouth, singeing one of the nearby trees. The little girl squealed with delight as she hopped up and down, bursting with laughter.

            “Scarrryy,” sang Scale Bones in a low voice, grinning.

            “What a second!” interjected Junior as he boldy leaped out from between Scale Bone’s legs. “What, are we gonna just play games with her, now?”

            “It’s just a little girl, Junior,” scoffed Scale Bones.

            “Are you kidding me?” scoffed Junior, now beginning to feel angry. “Are you bone headed enough to trust any exorcist girl that comes crawling out of the woods?”

            “Hey, for your information, Mister Junior, I am definitely bone headed enough.” Scale Bones teasingly chuckled as he tapped on his skull with two fingers.

            Junior frustratingly folded his arms standing rigidly straight, in his attempts to appear un intimidated by the girl’s presence. “She’s gotta be with that crazy frog family.”

            “You can’t pick your family, little rocker,” said Scale Bones. “Maybe she’s not like them.”

            Junior watched as she again slowly began to perform a 360 with her head, screeching her bones. With a sharp turn, the head lined up directly with Junior, causing him to stagger back. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s like them,” scoffed Junior.

            Scale Bones broke out into laughter. “Surely you’re not scared of a little girl, Junior?”

            “This isn’t just some little girl,” retorted Junior.

            As he glared at the girl, she removed a small cloth doll from her pocket, as well as a pink hair brush that was missing most of it’s spindles. Seeing she was distracted, Junior began to slowly approach her, while continuing to defensively wielding his skull guitar. He wanted to gain a better view of small blue lettering stitched onto the top of her night gown.

            “Lindy?” curiously read Junior aloud. Upon saying this, the little girl’s head shot up from her doll, gazing directly at him.

            Her bulging, wild eyes lit up with glee as she pointed at his skull guitar. “Scary!”

            “Oh, no!” scolded Junior, tightening his grip on the guitar. He immediately began to slowly step away. The girl dropped her doll and brush to the ground as she continued to walk toward him with her arm graspingly outstretched.

            “Scary!”

            As he continued stepping away backwards, Junior felt his foot trip over a root, causing him to stagger. Ceasing the opportunity, the girl snatched the body of the guitar. “Hey!” angrily cried Junior. The lizard boy and frog girl engaged in a tug of war as Junior and her competed in a show of strength for possession of the guitar both grunting and grimacing at one another. Junior was surprised to find the smaller, younger girl’s strength rivaling his own as he continued to wrestle for control over it. Lindy occasionally released a deafening scream, causing Junior’s ears to ring in pain leaving him feeling dizzy and disoriented.

            He could here Scale Bones laughing in the background during their struggle.

            “Shut up, you crazy psycho girl!” growled Junior. After much straining, Junior eventually managed to wring the instrument free from the girl’s grasp. Junior staggered back, grasping the cold skull guitar directly against his bare chest. He panted heavily while continuing to glare at Lindy. “Keep your hands off my guitar, amphibian!” snarled Junior. In the mist of his victory, he began to feel an uneasiness overtake him as he and the girl engaged in an angry stare down. The flesh on Lindy’s face began to contort and change taking the deformed face of the monster she was when she first crawled through the brush. Her entire body then began to contort and enlarge, as she stood there in place.

            Junior gulped in fear as he waited for what he knew to be inevitable.

            “GRAHHH!” Lindy erupted like a volcano, lunging forward. Junior felt a force of unseen energy launch himself backwards into the air. He cried in a panicked fear, feeling himself losing his grip on the guitar. Eventually, he felt himself painfully land on his back onto the hard dirt ground. After the painful impact, all Junior could do was lay on his aching back, dazed, as he, waited for his head to stop spinning.

            He felt one of Scale Bone’s boney hands gently press on his arm as he knelt to his side. “Whoa! Are you OK, little dude?”

            At this, Junior groaned.

            The sound of the chaotic plucking of his guitar, helped bring him back to his senses. Still rubbing his sore back, Junior staggered to his feet, glaring angrily at the girl. His anger soon gave way to misery as the most pain stricken sound began to echo throughout the swamp.

            “Wah, wah, wahh, wahh, wah, wah, wahhh!” Lindy’s voice screeched to her loudest volume, as she did what existed in her mind as singing, while her hand roughly banged against the strings.

            Junior and Scale Bones exchanged cringeful expressions as they both displayed their disdain for the girl’s horrific attempt at making music.

            “I think it’s time I get the guitar back,” grumpily murmured Scale Bones.

            “No!” barked Junior, as he crawled up from the ground. In a show of confidence, he stood straight with his chest out, making a fist. “I’ll get it back.”

            “Now, little rocker, don’t get violent,” advised Scale Bones. “Like I keep saying, she is still just a little girl, after all.”

            Junior made no reply as he began to strut toward Lindy, angrily gritting his teeth. Lindy appeared to remain oblivious to his approach as she continued to sit there roughly slamming her hands against his guitar strings. Once he was right upon her, the girl ceased her playing and began glaring back at him, with a low savage growl.

            Junior assumed a sprinting position flexing his muscles as he prepared to do what he knew was necessary. He leaped forward with his claws outstretched, hanging out his long drooling lizard tongue. With his yellow eyes, he put all of his effort into creating the most wild, animal like gaze he could muster, while doing his best to roar like a fiery dragon. At this savage display, Lindy gasped in fear and dropped the guitar, flinching back.

            Junior scornfully, snatched back his guitar, only to be surprised by what took place next. The little girl was once again gleefully, laughing and clapping her hands. “Scary!” she squealed. “Scarrryyy!”

            At this, Junior began to feel the anger melt from his face as he for the first time felt an understanding forming between the two of them.

            “Yeah!” chuckled Junior, unable to keep himself from laughing as well. “Scary! I can be scary!” Junior heard Scale Bones land with a thud after having leaped toward them, releasing another monstrous roar. Fire and smoke ignited from the lizard skeleton’s jaw. This only caused the girl to laugh harder, driving her to gasp for breath. The three swamp creatures, began playfully exchanging growls and roars, which echoed into the night air. Once he had expounded all of his energy, Junior beamed a thankful smile at Lindy. He still did not know what all to make of this most unusual girl, but somehow inside he knew, he had just made another new good friend. And on a night like this, it was not something to be taken lightly.

Nightriders TFSA: Terror in the Swamp Part 7

Illustrations by the-fire-prince

Thanks for reading!

Nightriders TFSA: Terror in the Swamp Part 1

Description

Junior trailed behind his newfound skeletal friend, panting from exhaustion as he struggled to navigate the rugged terrain of the swamp. Scale Bones proved to be extremely fast and nimble when it came to walking. It was all he could do to keep up as his smaller legs stepped quickly to keep up with the longer limbs of Scale Bones. Having the extra weight of the skull guitar strapped to his back did not help either. If it wasn’t for his view of the long glow of Scale Bones’s skeletal reptilian tail whipping back and forth, he felt he would have been left in the dust a long time ago.

            He wanted to ask Scale Bones to slow down, but he lacked the extra breath from his constant panting to form words.

            At one point, Junior tripped over what felt like a large root causing him to fall painfully head first onto his chest.

            “Crud!” snarled Junior in frustration. He rolled on his side, placing his left hand on his sore chest as he continued to grimace. Still panting from exhaustion, Junior looked ahead to find Scale Bones to be nowhere in sight.

            “Bones?!” Junior cried. “Scale Bones?! Come back, I fell!”

            There was no reply save from the normal night sounds of the swamp which had now become all too familiar. “Scale Bones!” Junior cried once again. A shrill scream echoed from somewhere in the distance. Junior felt a chill run over his scales. His yellow reptilian eyes shot completely open as his head darted in the direction of the foreign sound. Junior continued lying on the ground, frozen, while gripping his skull guitar. He tried to console himself that it was only a nocturnal animal, but his attempt of wishful thinking fell flat as his mind immediately returned to the terrifying masked frog people who took down his father and Uncle Iggy. Junior began turning his head in all directions scanning every area of his surroundings for any sign of Scale Bones or a villainous intruder. Another scream sounded from the forest, confirming his worst fears. The scream was female, that was for sure, but it sounded much younger than the two twins he earlier encountered. Junior crawled backwards on the ground till he was sitting plush against a tree. He was too tired to flee or stand defensively on his own two feet. With Scale Bones absent, he no longer felt the same courage he formerly possessed. All he could do was sit there defensively gripping his skulled guitar for whatever goon would emerge from the darkness. He heard the girl once again, only this time rather than a scream it sounded more like an evil cackle of a little girl. It’s laugh was unnatural, having an echo which only intensified as the source neared him. “Die! Die! Die!” rasped the voice. Junior heard rustling in the brush as well as the breaking of twigs. Someone was approaching!

          Junior cried in fear, strumming his guitar as Scale Bones emerged from the darkness.

          “Ahh!”

            “Hey, little dude, it’s just me!” said Scale Bones, holding up his hands.

            “Someone’s after me!” quivered Junior.

            “Who?” asked Scale Bones, appearing puzzled?
            Junior scoffed. “Are skeletons deaf? Didn’t you hear that screaming?”

            “You mean the scream that sounded like a little girl?” asked Scale Bones.

            “Yeah, that!” Junior frustratingly replied.

            Scale Bones chuckled. “Yeah, I heard it. I thought it was you.”
            “Hey!” scolded Junior.
            “Alright, alright. Sorry.”

            The shrill scream cried from the brush roughly ten meters away.

            “What the bones!?” shouted Scale Bones as he stood there stunned. Junior gripped Scale Bone’s right leg bone as they both gazed into the direction of the scream.

            Crackling and snapping could be heard as well as the fluttering of weeds. They could see the tall weeds in front of them waving down toward them as the nightmarish creature made it’s way through the brush. As continued to approach, they could hear what sounded like heavy fast breathing with the occasional low guttural growl. “Rawr! Rawr!” shouted a girl in a low voice. The creature once again released a piercing deafening scream driving Junior and Scale Bones to cover their ears.

            “Stay behind me, Junior!” ordered Scale Bones. These words proved to be pointless to Junior as he had no intention of doing otherwise. As the creature approached closer, they could hear a low gurgling sound, mixed with growls. The figure came into view after finally emerging from the weeds. At first it had the appearance of being a large spider in the manner it moved its arms and legs, but as it came into full view, Junior and Scale Bones were able to see that it in fact was a person, or at least the resemblance of one. It was a very small frog girl, wearing a white gown, unnaturally contorting on all fours backwards. Her eyes were glazed over, while dark jet black hair hung to the ground as her pale head drooped upside down. The creature’s head shot in a back and forth motion making a cracking sound. Junior, frozen with fear continued to grasp the leg bone of Scale Bones. This monster was more frightening than the earlier masked intruders he had encountered. At least they had the resemblance of being people. This, however, was what lived in only the deepest recesses of his nightmares. The crackling sound turned into a continuous squeak, as the head began to turn a complete 360. While Junior covered his eyes, he could not decide which was worse, the squealing of the bones, or the head’s unnatural ability to completely turn around. Scale Bones summoned back his guitar, preparing for a fight when the creature suddenly leaped into the air flipping in their direction.

“Scaarry!” playfully sang the girl with a grin in a forced low voice, as she assumed a normal posture. She erupted into giggling.

As Junior and Scale Bones stood their speechless, the colors had returned to the girl’s face.
In the formerly glazed over eyes, were now two large brown pupils of a little girl. She smiled cheerfully revealing her two missing front teeth. The little girl cocked her head as she gazed toward Scale Bones and Junior. The girl giggled as she trotted closer to Scale Bones until she was standing directly in front of him, laughing and mumbling unintelligible words. As she stood before the towering skeleton she once again pointed up at him. “Scary!” she again sang in a bubbly voice. Junior backed away from Scale Bones, but made it a point to remain cautiously behind his guardian.

            To Junior’s surprise, Scale Bones erupted into his raspy laughter pointing back at himself. “Oh, I get it! Scary!”

            “What,” queried Junior, confused?

            Not responding, Scale Bones coughed as though clearing his throat. He then leaped toward the girl, stretching out his claws, releasing a loud, monstrous roar. Fire erupted from the lizard’s mouth, singeing one of the nearby trees. The little girl squealed with delight as she hopped up and down, bursting with laughter.

            “Scarrryy,” sang Scale Bones in a low voice, grinning.

            “What a second!” interjected Junior as he boldy leaped out from between Scale Bone’s legs. “What, are we gonna just play games with her, now?”

            “It’s just a little girl, Junior,” scoffed Scale Bones.

            “Are you kidding me?” scoffed Junior, now beginning to feel angry. “Are you bone headed enough to trust any exorcist girl that comes crawling out of the woods?”

            “Hey, for your information, Mister Junior, I am definitely bone headed enough.” Scale Bones teasingly chuckled as he tapped on his skull with two fingers.

            Junior frustratingly folded his arms standing rigidly straight, in his attempts to appear un intimidated by the girl’s presence. “She’s gotta be with that crazy frog family.”

            “You can’t pick your family, little rocker,” said Scale Bones. “Maybe she’s not like them.”

            Junior watched as she again slowly began to perform a 360 with her head, screeching her bones. With a sharp turn, the head lined up directly with Junior, causing him to stagger back. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s like them,” scoffed Junior.

            Scale Bones broke out into laughter. “Surely you’re not scared of a little girl, Junior?”

            “This isn’t just some little girl,” retorted Junior.

            As he glared at the girl, she removed a small cloth doll from her pocket, as well as a pink hair brush that was missing most of it’s spindles. Seeing she was distracted, Junior began to slowly approach her, while continuing to defensively wielding his skull guitar. He wanted to gain a better view of small blue lettering stitched onto the top of her night gown.

            “Lindy?” curiously read Junior aloud. Upon saying this, the little girl’s head shot up from her doll, gazing directly at him.

            Her bulging, wild eyes lit up with glee as she pointed at his skull guitar. “Scary!”

            “Oh, no!” scolded Junior, tightening his grip on the guitar. He immediately began to slowly step away. The girl dropped her doll and brush to the ground as she continued to walk toward him with her arm graspingly outstretched.

            “Scary!”

            As he continued stepping away backwards, Junior felt his foot trip over a root, causing him to stagger. Ceasing the opportunity, the girl snatched the body of the guitar. “Hey!” angrily cried Junior. The lizard boy and frog girl engaged in a tug of war as Junior and her competed in a show of strength for possession of the guitar both grunting and grimacing at one another. Junior was surprised to find the smaller, younger girl’s strength rivaling his own as he continued to wrestle for control over it. Lindy occasionally released a deafening scream, causing Junior’s ears to ring in pain leaving him feeling dizzy and disoriented.

            He could here Scale Bones laughing in the background during their struggle.

            “Shut up, you crazy psycho girl!” growled Junior. After much straining, Junior eventually managed to wring the instrument free from the girl’s grasp. Junior staggered back, grasping the cold skull guitar directly against his bare chest. He panted heavily while continuing to glare at Lindy. “Keep your hands off my guitar, amphibian!” snarled Junior. In the mist of his victory, he began to feel an uneasiness overtake him as he and the girl engaged in an angry stare down. The flesh on Lindy’s face began to contort and change taking the deformed face of the monster she was when she first crawled through the brush. Her entire body then began to contort and enlarge, as she stood there in place.

            Junior gulped in fear as he waited for what he knew to be inevitable.

            “GRAHHH!” Lindy erupted like a volcano, lunging forward. Junior felt a force of unseen energy launch himself backwards into the air. He cried in a panicked fear, feeling himself losing his grip on the guitar. Eventually, he felt himself painfully land on his back onto the hard dirt ground. After the painful impact, all Junior could do was lay on his aching back, dazed, as he, waited for his head to stop spinning.

            He felt one of Scale Bone’s boney hands gently press on his arm as he knelt to his side. “Whoa! Are you OK, little dude?”

            At this, Junior groaned.

            The sound of the chaotic plucking of his guitar, helped bring him back to his senses. Still rubbing his sore back, Junior staggered to his feet, glaring angrily at the girl. His anger soon gave way to misery as the most pain stricken sound began to echo throughout the swamp.

            “Wah, wah, wahh, wahh, wah, wah, wahhh!” Lindy’s voice screeched to her loudest volume, as she did what existed in her mind as singing, while her hand roughly banged against the strings.

            Junior and Scale Bones exchanged cringeful expressions as they both displayed their disdain for the girl’s horrific attempt at making music.

            “I think it’s time I get the guitar back,” grumpily murmured Scale Bones.

            “No!” barked Junior, as he crawled up from the ground. In a show of confidence, he stood straight with his chest out, making a fist. “I’ll get it back.”

            “Now, little rocker, don’t get violent,” advised Scale Bones. “Like I keep saying, she is still just a little girl, after all.”

            Junior made no reply as he began to strut toward Lindy, angrily gritting his teeth. Lindy appeared to remain oblivious to his approach as she continued to sit there roughly slamming her hands against his guitar strings. Once he was right upon her, the girl ceased her playing and began glaring back at him, with a low savage growl.

            Junior assumed a sprinting position flexing his muscles as he prepared to do what he knew was necessary. He leaped forward with his claws outstretched, hanging out his long drooling lizard tongue. With his yellow eyes, he put all of his effort into creating the most wild, animal like gaze he could muster, while doing his best to roar like a fiery dragon. At this savage display, Lindy gasped in fear and dropped the guitar, flinching back.

            Junior scornfully, snatched back his guitar, only to be surprised by what took place next. The little girl was once again gleefully, laughing and clapping her hands. “Scary!” she squealed. “Scarrryyy!”

            At this, Junior began to feel the anger melt from his face as he for the first time felt an understanding forming between the two of them.

            “Yeah!” chuckled Junior, unable to keep himself from laughing as well. “Scary! I can be scary!” Junior heard Scale Bones land with a thud after having leaped toward them, releasing another monstrous roar. Fire and smoke ignited from the lizard skeleton’s jaw. This only caused the girl to laugh harder, driving her to gasp for breath. The three swamp creatures, began playfully exchanging growls and roars, which echoed into the night air. Once he had expounded all of his energy, Junior beamed a thankful smile at Lindy. He still did not know what all to make of this most unusual girl, but somehow inside he knew, he had just made another new good friend. And on a night like this, it was not something to be taken lightly.

Nightriders TFSA: Terror in the Swamp Part 7

Illustrations by the-fire-prince

Thanks for reading!

Nightriders TFSA: Terror in the Swamp Part 1