Gianfranco Mancini’s Reviews > Churn the Soil > Status Update

Brown and Nancy looked around. Every officer who had been digging was singing the song, their eyes rolled back so the whites filled where color should’ve been. Their heads were tilted back, voices projecting upwards, towards the sky above. ‘Under an icy snowfall… Under a clear, blue moon… Churn the soil, churn the soil ‘fore the Forest Guard comes for you.’

She was met at the entrance by a figure that was at once beautiful and hideous. How any of these could be considered male or female she didn’t know, but looking at the high cheekbones, pointed chin and delicately shaped lips, she knew that sometime, somewhere, this had been a gorgeous woman. Now, when Nancy took in the entirety of what stared with repulsion back at her, she saw nothing but a violent death.

It was going to be a long, agonizing night. One filled with her needing to stay awake and not move. The flames looked as though they’d diminished and dropped a tiny bit. Enough to lower the temperature and make Nancy begin to shiver.

At the far end of the garden, they could see the outline of a dark and forgotten farmhouse that had a slight lean to the right. Oddly, the land was clear of snow, as though it was protected from overhead. At that moment, the dilapidated cabin didn’t look frightening. To the men, it looked like shelter, and possibly salvation from whatever had been chasing them.

That sounded just fine for the two of them, both finding a tree to lean against, neither facing the direction of the clearing. Neither of them could bring themselves to mention the fact that the sun was getting lower and lower.

Reynolds left, Brown hearing the outside door close. Once it clicked shut, the air seemed to cool again, as though last night’s events had tainted the house. He went to the shower, cranking the water on as hot as it would go, desperately wanting to heat up the marrow in his bones.

The tune… the song…
Branches above her parted, dark edges teasing her vision of something about to take shape. She knew they couldn’t be here, on this side during the day, but as the branches parted and long claws came into focus, she understood the pact had been shattered and none of them would survive.

Saska’s parents remained. They didn’t attempt to be quiet, knowing nobody from the settlement would come to see what was going on. Not until morning, at least. And if they didn’t cross that unseen line, the creatures wouldn’t even look their way.