Obviously we needed to get out of the woods. I was fine up in the trees, but Adam managed to end up back in the mud. He was out of water to wash it off so he improvised, while I looked the other way. He eventually made it out, with his trousers intact and in the proper place and we headed back to the cafe.
My phone damn near exploded when we got back into signal range. I gave up counting how many texts Michael had sent after the first twenty or so, and just sent one back saying 'I'm fine.' So at least he wouldn't have to wait until we met up again to stop worrying.
Back at the cafe, Adam was calling his friend Robin for backup. I didn't really know Robin, but if Adam thought he'd be useful, I was all for having an extra person along, especially someone who was going to be able to deal with Weird Bollocks. We had another problem to deal with though when the vicar showed up. Seems he'd been out with the search parties and saw another local, George, getting dragged away by what he insisted was a demon.
I tried to get more details. The last thing we needed right now was any of my family showing up. But what he described sounded a lot more like a goblin to me, and I tried to convince him of that. But he wouldn't believe me, because according to him, goblins aren't real.
Anyway, once Ranger Tom had been radioed to get all his people out of the woods, we managed to get rid of the vicar, and along with Robin we came up with a plan. Michael had done his job at the library and was able to tell us we were dealing with things called mewlips, that they showed up every fifty years to kidnap people for a feast, and that they lived in underground cellars. Which meant that light was going to be our friend here.
I went shopping for head torches, camping lanterns and glow sticks. Adam put together some special fairy dust shotgun shells and brought along a few road flares. He was all for waiting until the next morning rather than heading out in the dark, but I disagreed. We'd just bought all these lights, and we were going to be going underground anyway, and at this point it looked like there was a chance we might actually be able to rescue someone alive, so we needed to get on with it.
Michael got a bit waylaid. The vicar was planning a special church service, so he had to go along to make sure he didn't end up causing a panic. The last thing I need is people freaking out about demons in Wicker Valley. Bad enough that I'd have to move on again, but it would probably be bad for Michael as well, given that everyone knows we're friends. Anyway, at his suggestion we left a trail of fishing line hung with glow sticks so he'd be able to catch up once he'd spoken to the vicar.
The obvious trap path appeared almost as soon as we entered the woods and we made our way in. I didn't want to start flashing my unusual features in front of Robin straight away as I didn't know how much Adam had told him, so I stayed on the path. Which was a mistake; I don't know where my mind was but it only took one wrong step and I was knee deep in mud. I could feel it clinging on to me, and despite my efforts to wash it off I was too far in. Clawed fingers were already started to wrap around my feet. I told the others I'd see them on the other side and let myself be pulled under.
Adam and Robin made for the doorway of the ruin instead, trying to avoid the puddle of mud. Adam made it. Robin didn't. I just caught the sound of Michael's voice in the distance before I was pulled under.
I wasn't expecting the drop, and I dropped the road flare as I fell the short distance to the ground. Luckily I had the head torch, and I got a brief glimpse of the green skinned creatures with their red eyes before they went scuttling away. I looked up in case Robin was about to drop down beside me. No sign of him. I lit the road flare, marked the ground where I'd landed, and started searching.
It wasn't long before I found something. Another of the creatures coming towards me at a T junction, dragging something - or someone. I turned off the lamp and concealed the flare, waited for it to pass me, and followed.
The someone turned out to be Robin, entirely failing to get out of the rope he'd been tied up with. He told me he had a knife on him, but by then I was already using my claws to cut the ropes. Then I realised he hadn't seen the claws before. I assured him I wasn't a werewolf - usually the first assumption for people who haven't seen the rest, especially after that Wednesday show - and carried on. Professor Ross was physically fine despite the understandable terror, but George was in a bad way. Robin got him on his feet and we started searching for the others.
It wasn't long before I heard Adam shouting my name, and once me and Robin figured out which way the voice was coming from, not long before we caught up with him and Michael. Michael was wearing some massive cross, and I found myself recoiling from it. Again, not a good look in front of the new guy.
We knew there was a way out now, as it was where Adam and Michael came in. Getting back to it though, in this maze of shifting passages with only mortal sense to rely on...hah. They were messing with the wrong demon. And they continued trying to mess with us, when three of them dropped down to block our exit.
Adam put one of his fairy dust shells into one of them and took a swipe from its claws in return. I drove my claws into its neck, driving the fairy dust further in. I heard the thunder of Robin's shotgun and the sound of Michael's cricket bat. One tried to flee but Robin made short work of it as I tore my way through their leader.
And then we were out, free, and heading back to town with our rescuees. Ranger Tom can take it from here. I just hope nobody talks to the vicar about what happened down there.
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