"Thomas E. Sniegoski - The Fallen" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sniegoski Thomas E)

тАЬOhтАжgood, thatтАЩs good to know. Who are you? Were you sent to find me?тАЭ he questioned. тАЬDid my
grandparents call the police? IтАЩm really sorry you had to come all the way out here. As you can see, IтАЩm
fine. IтАЩm just dealing with some stuff andтАжwell, I just need to get back to the house and have a long talk
withтАжтАЭ

The man stiffly held up a pale hand. тАЬThe sound of you, it offends me,тАЭ he said, a snarl upon his lips.
тАЬAbomination, I command you to be silent.тАЭ

Eric started as if slapped. тАЬDidтАжdid you just call me an abomination?тАЭ he asked, confusion and fear
raising the pitch of his voice again.

тАЬThere are few words in this tongue that define the likes of you better,тАЭ growled the stranger. тАЬYou are a
blight upon His favored world, an abhorrence in the eyes of GodтАФbut you are not the one that incites me
so.тАЭ The hand held out to silence the boy was turned palm up. Something had begun to glow in its ghostly
pale center. тАЬHowever, that does not change the reality that you must be smited.тАЭ

Eric felt the hair at the back of his neck stand on end, the flesh on his arms erupt in tingling gooseflesh.
He didnтАЩt need the voices of the wood to warn him that something was wrong; he could feel it in the
forest air.

He turned to run, to hurl himself through the thick underbrush. He had to get away. Every fiber of his
being screamed danger, and he allowed the primitive survival mechanism of flight to overtake him.

Four figures suddenly blocked his way, each attired as the stranger, each with a complexion as pale as
the face of the full moon above.How is this possible? His mind raced. How could four people sneak up
on him without making a sound?

Something whined at the newcomersтАЩ feet, and he saw a young boy crouched there. He was filthy,
naked, his hair long and unkempt, a thick string of snot dripping down from one nostril to cling to his dirty
lip. The boyтАЩs expression told Eric that there was something wrong with himтАФthat he was touched in
some way. And then he noticed the leather collar that encircled the childтАЩs neck, and the leash that led to
the hand of one of the strangers, and Eric knew something was very wrong indeed.

The boy began to strain upon the leash, pointing a dirt-encrusted finger at him, whining and grunting like
an animal.

The strangers fixed their gazes upon Eric with eyes of solid shadow and began to spread out, eliminating
any chance of escape. The wild boy continued to jabber.

Eric whipped around to see that the other figure had come closer. His hand was still outstretched before
himтАФbut now it was aflame.

His mind tried to process this event. There was a fire burning in the palm of the manтАЩs hand, and the
most disturbing thing was, it didnтАЩt seem to bother him in the least.

Eric felt his legs begin to tremble as the orange-and-yellow flame grew, leaping hungrily into the air. The
stranger moved steadily closer. Eric wanted to run screaming, to lash out and escape those who corralled
him, but something told him it would be for naught.

Fear overcame him and he fell to his knees, feeling the cold dampness begin to soak through his pants.