The Coastal Beyond

                                                                                                                                                                                                      TheCoastalBeyond                                                                                                           

      The lush green hills rolled under us as we rose every one of them to the top with the rusty, red pickup. The dusty path left clouds of dust behind, and I looked out the window through the gigantic, swaying trees that periodically blocked my view to the huge blowing sand dunes beyond. And beyond that I saw the sea swelling to dangerous heights, taller than even the dunes. It seemed to me that the titanic forces of the green and blue was actually what was causing the unusual wind. As waves closest to the dunes dissipated and receded I looked beyond even those, and saw that as far as the completely blue sky with hardly any clouds expanded, the great sea's power did not end.
      A loud bump brought my attention back into the cabin of the rickety and squeaking pickup. The hills caused butterflies in my stomach, and I looked to the driver. I was about to speak but the wonder of the landscape behind him dragged me into its beauty with ease. Jordan was concentrated fervently on staying on the thin, dirt road, and Anthony in the back seemed to be doing the same. Although with his hands gripped firmly on our head rests rather than a steering wheel.
      "Are you sure you know where you're going?" asked Anthony from the back. His almost religious devotion of becoming the tough guy of our trio only came out to play when all was safe. 
      "'Course I do," said Jordan.
      I kept my eyes and ears on the scenery beyond, the fortresses of water collapsing tragically on themselves with the sound of thunder fighting.
      The rusty pickup crossed into gray shadow in a flash. I looked above and the gigantic trees had finally taken control of the trail, forcing it to wind in and around them under dreary canopies. The trail ahead didn't seem to get any lighter. I could sense Anthony gripping our headrests painfully now.
      "How far does the trail go?" Anthony asked.
      "We're almost there," said Jordan. With the speed he was taking, I had no doubt about it.
      I couldn't even hear the wind anymore, and the minute we passed into the forest I immediately missed seeing what lay beyond the trail. Then, the trail opened up into a very small opening. Only large enough for the trees massive arms to allow a slender beam of hazy light shine on the plain, white building that was the object of our destination. The rusty pickup rolled to a sputtering stop just in front of the small place. As soon as the truck died everything turned completely silent. No birds chirped and no animals snuck, the trees rocked but made no noise. Our breathing, and voices, were the only thing here.
      "We're here," said Jordan as he forced opened his door. I followed suit, standing on the soft moss that covered the forest floor as Anthony struggled out of the cramped backseat.
      "Alright lets get in and get out," said Anthony.
      Jordan and I led the way to the door and walked into the building. The inside resembled a grocery store, with rows of shelves and aisles of white tile. Although, the shelves only ran up to our shoulders, and the ceiling was only a couple feet from our dusty hair. Jordan led the way to the back of the building to a corner where a vaulted door stood. Sunlight drifted in through the windows. I looked to the wall beside the vaulted door and saw a display of every kind of knife imaginable resting on their individual pegs, seemingly in slumber.
      Jordan reached for the large wheeled handle of the door and immediately began cranking on it, I joined in to help while Anthony moved to the knife wall, looking at every one with an indistinguishable look on his face. Our breathing increased, and sweat formed on our brows as we slowly forced the door open. I stood looking over Jordan's shoulder, into the completely dark room. From around the edge of door walked a little girl. Dirt smeared her face and her hair was in knots. She looked directly into our eyes.
      "Jordan who is that," Anthony said as the girl stepped forward.
      "I don't know," said Jordan as he took a step back into me. I stumbled back with him as we kept our eyes on the child.
      "Jordan who is that!" Anthony said again.
      "I told you I don't know!"
      We stood in awkward silence, staring at her, as if we were expecting her to answer us. Slowly, we backed away towards the door. "We need to get out of here," said Jordan.
      The girl stood as the vaulted door did before her, completely still and unmoving. We had almost reached the door when another child dropped down behind us. This one was a boy and was much shorter and even dirtier. He bared his teeth and reached into his pockets, bringing out many small blades. He tossed them at us, but Anthony received most of them. The cold metal cut incredibly deep into my skin as they slightly brushed my arm. Anthony yelped and dove down one of the white aisles. Jordan dived the opposite way, slamming into me as we both fell to the ground. The kid dug his cut up hands back into his pocket and chased after Anthony. Jordan and I stumbled up and ran for the door.
      Suddenly, the little girl came out of nowhere, blocking us from the door. From the look on Jordan's face I knew he was thinking the exact same thing I was, how are we going to get out of here without hurting the kids? We can't hurt children!
Another scream from Anthony echoed across the small white building. Jordan and I unwillingly split up as the little girl chased after us. I crashed through the shelves and aisles, often jumping completely over them to avoid the child chasing me. I heard her scream immediately behind me, inches away from grappling me.
      I turned the corner and almost ran into the smaller boy with the knifes. He looked up at me and howled, jumping into my face. I reeled around violently as the kid flew off me and into the girl. I gasped for air as the smell of them seized my lungs. Jordan yelled my name from somewhere near the back of the building, I followed his voice as the children regained themselves. Anthony and him sat leaning against an empty shelf, panting horribly. I collapsed down across from them, and everything went silent.
      We sat there for long moments, waiting for a footstep, waiting for a child's laughter. Instead, the came in the form of catapulting themselves over the shelf my friends leaned against, landing right in-between us. The small boy let out a volley at my friends as the girl swung a red crowbar for my head. My forearm barely blocked it as I slumped farther to the floor. I scrambled up as she pummeled my legs and back. Every urge told me to attack her, to kill her. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that they were children. If I only had one more excuse...
      Jordan, Anthony, and I booked it for the door, our feet slipping on broken glass and blades. The white tile was slippery with blood. Jordan let out a scream of victory as we neared the door. Then, the the girl appeared again. I veered to the right, a decision I immediately regretted. I watched as the boy sent knife after knife towards me, I could feel the cold cutting into my face. My body suddenly felt very weak as I retreated, although he walked right behind me, tossing small blades into me. I made a sharp turn and weaved through the aisles as fast as my legs could take me until I reached my friends again, they were lying in the center aisle. A pool of blood was seeping under them. I fell near them. All of us were in tears.
      We all could hardly breath, laying helplessly, too afraid to look down and forcing ourselves to look at each other. The girl and the boy regrouped, and walked toward us.
      "What the hell is this Jordy," I say.
      "I don't know," was still all he could say.
      "Well what the hell are you!" I scream at the dirty and bloody children. "What the hell are you!"
      "Not children," I hear Jordan say. I painfully twist my neck and look at him. I can hear the children getting closer. I reach for a metal bar lying next to Anthony's leg, and stand up. I turn to face the children, and before I can react another long bar, in the hands of the small boy, goes through the side of my neck. Everything turned hazy, and I couldn't hear anything. But I could feel, and what I felt was pain. I could also feel hate.
      I feel to the ground in a heap as Jordan and Anthony jumped over my body and attacked the two children. My senses slowly came back and I lift my head to see Jordan launching fist after fist into the little boys face. Anthony was standing over the girl, who took kicks in the side and back and head as she sobbed in the fetal position. The two lay still a few feet away from me. Jordan and Anthony came to my side and lifted me up. With all the strength I had ever mustered, I ripped the skinny bar from my neck. My senses came back fully now. We walked towards the door.
      We had just reached the threshold when I heard loud stir behind us. I wheeled around and before I could react, I had slammed the small boy with something in my hand. Only after the the child's head caved in did I realize it was the bar he impaled me with. The child died before it hit the floor.
      I dropped the metal piece on the small body and walked out the door with my friends.