Read From Light to Dark for Free Online Page B

movements.
    “ I ” the animal said, placing a heavy emphasis on the word as if it were the king of the land, “am Atc.” Its body was long like a snake’s, but fat. Its face, though covered in blue fur, looked unsettlingly like a person’s.
    “What the hell is an atc?”
    Now the thing crawled onto his lap, its silver eyes peering into Balor’s.
    “Atc’s my name. What’s yourrrs?”
    “I’m looking for someone.” Balor stood up, knocking the snake thing to the floor.
    “Ooof! Look somewhere else, thennn. It’s my dinnnerrr time.”
    The atc slid its long body into the first room, up the wall, and over the roots. It opened a cabinet with its mouth.
    This was a pet? Balor despised animals, in Light World or Dark World. They were always so needy for attention, pretending they wanted love when they really wanted food.
    He stood up from the bed and scratched an itch at the back of his head. “Where is your owner?”
    “Nonnne of yourrr business, intruderrr,” The atc called from the first room. With a sickening jerk of its head, it pulled a can out of the cabinet and popped it open with its pointed teeth.
    “It’s too damn dark to see in here,” Balor muttered. Shadows taunted him from every corner. Caer could be hiding just inches away. Eref could be hiding, too.
    The atc licked food from the can while it sat perched on the wall. “Yourrr glasses don’t worrrk forrrr you?”
    He didn’t have time to let this animal humiliate him. The thing could probably see Caer crouched in one of the corners of the house, hiding Eref under a blanket. All three were probably laughing at him right now. He strained harder to see, and a dull pain stung in his head.
    “Can’t you see anythinnng, Light Perrrrson?”
    “Eref! Face me!” Fury pounded in Balor’s veins. He grabbed the oversized chair and flung it into the front room.
    “What arrre you doinnng?”
    Balor darted in circles through the tiny bedroom, grabbing tables, boxes, and books, and throwing them all on the bed. Everything he moved just gave way to new shadows. It was like drowning.
    Atc slid into the room and looked up at Balor. “Stop that, intruderrr!”
    “I need light!” Things crashed and cracked as Balor hurled them around the room. “Give me Caer!”
    “You’rrre insane,” Atc growled. “Get out.”
    “I came here for someone, and I’m leaving with him. Caer has the person I need.”
    “Caerrr says that we shouldn’t hate the Light People for who they arrre,” Atc said. “But she doesn’t know you. Arrre all people in yourrr worrrld out of theirrr minds?”
    Balor’s head pounded. It was too dark to focus. Everywhere he looked, he saw sickening shadows. They mocked him, threatened him. And the snake thing’s growling voice grated on his ears.
    “Get out of my mistress’s house, intruderrr.”
    “Shut up,” he said. His head ached. His heart banged against his chest. Where was Eref? Balor felt his enemy’s presence here. He was so close. He could finish this now and go home.
    Balor ripped the sheets from the bed. He would find Eref and confront him. He would tell him what his words at the End had done. They had turned Light People against Balor. But Balor hadn’t done anything wrong.
    He tore a picture from the wall and heard it smash on the floor. He would tell Eref how angry he felt inside about…something.
    He couldn’t remember clearly anymore. He would take Eref’s throat in his hands....
    He would kill Eref.
    The pain in Balor’s head increased until he couldn’t take it anymore.
    “I said get out! You’rrre not welcome herrre!” Atc leapt on Balor’s face and bit his cheek.
    Anger found its outlet. Balor put both hands around Atc’s throat and squeezed. Atc’s face paled. His eyes turned purple. Tiny, strangled noises came from the animal’s open mouth.
    Balor pulled the choking Atc to his own lips. He thought of Eref. He thought of the End. He thought of the darkness. He thought of the pain in his head.