Read Creatures of Snow for Free Online Page B

Five
     
     
    Sky stood there until Al
was well out of sight . He kicked at the
dirt under his feet as he began to amble down the street. A screech
cut through the still air of twilight, causing his head to snap to
attention. There was a funny feeling in the air – but it was most
likely his own dread of facing his dad. Or it might have just been
the humidity.
    The screech sounded again,
but farther away this time. The sound registered fully in his mind
this time – it was a strix, probably hot on the trail of its
dinner.
    Sky unclenched his fists
and willed his feet to move forward at a faster pace; down the
path he had tread a thousand times. He
tipped his head up to the receding light. The air was cool, but not
uncomfortably so. His regret and guilt had receded behind a growing
wall of hunger . He just didn’t want to
think anymore and let gravity pull him
down the steep driveway, towards the quaint little cabin, nestled
neatly in the valley, amongst gnarled and twisted trees.
    He paused only briefly
before pushing open the thick wooden door, ready to face whatever
punishment lay beyond, but it was darkness that greeted him behind
its creaking protest, and nothing more.
    He shut the door as quietly as he could and
looked around the empty room. His father and Zero’s taste in
furniture consisted mainly of wooden crates and curb side novelties
that clashed amazingly with Ixanna’s garish taste in décor. It was
probably enough to make anyone with any sort of sense of style (or
just eyes in general) weep at first sight.
    In memorized movements, he made his way
around the living room’s randomly placed furniture to the only room
in the house that, aside from his own, was somewhat normal.
    The kitchen, out of lack
of use, had avoided a direct assault and remained pleasantly plain
and functional. Sky’s stomach grumbled as he stepped onto the
dulled wooden floor and shuffled his way on the well worn path
between the doorway and the fridge. Signs of what should have been
were still scattered around the room: An uneaten cake on the
counter, brightly colored plates still set at the table, the
lingering smell of roasted meat hanging in the air.
    His guilt outweighed his
hunger for a second, and then he opened the fridge and grabbed the
first thing he saw that resembled edible food. The one downside of
living with a race of beings that didn’t necessarily need food to
survive - they generally ate the equivalent of what a five year old
would eat, if given the power to choose.
    “ So you’re
back.”
    Sky’s heart leapt to his throat. He hadn’t
heard him come in. “Captain!” He hated the desperation and surprise
that filled his wavering voice as he spun around to face his
father.
    He didn’t look angry, or disapproving, he
simply looked as he always did – calm, relaxed and moderately
bored. His drooping eyes and lazy smile were emphasized by his
slouching shoulders and casual stance. “Don’t call me that, you
little punk.” He laughed and came further into the room.
    Sky didn’t know what to say, how to start.
Should he apologize? Or should he just brush it off? He could never
read his dad’s expressions since he always looked empathetic no
matter what the situation.
    “ Sit down, eat.” He
gestured Sky towards the table and took a seat himself. “I’ve heard
you had quite the night. Got yourself all the way to Cour, eh?” He
leaned back in his chair and stretched out his long
legs.
    When Sky gave only a wide
eyed stare in response, his dad laughed again.
    “ Zeph let me know where
you were after he saw you. See, even he can be responsible when he
has to be.” He explained and again gestured for Sky to sit. “Now
come on, you got to be starving.”
    He moved closer with
slight reservation. “So…you’re not mad?”
    His dad shrugged, “Meh. It’s not like we
didn’t expect it. You can be pretty predictable sometimes.” He gave
a charismatic wink.
    His father, the Captain
Victor Regan, had to be