The Tower 21

“Not yet,” the deep voice cried in my head.

“Why not,” I demanded in a whisper. “I’m tired of being stuck in this world of total silence. I want answers.”

I leaned back against the bed waiting for a response, but heard only silence. Suddenly the voices returned. This time they sounded angry and determined. A thin, higher pitched voice joined them and I could only assume whoever it belonged to was giving instructions to the deeper voices.

My courage dissolved and I crawled back into the bed and under the covers. I heard scratching at the base of the door and then a metallic scratching like a key being inserted into a rusty lock. I closed my eyes keeping a slit that I could see through my lashes.  I wanted to know what was coming into the room.

“Stay absolutely still,” the voice instructed calmly in my mind, “and don’t speak.”

I silently followed the mental instructions. I glanced over as the lock clicked and the door cracked open. I expected to see something tall and lanky slink into the room, but instead a short, stubby little figure stepped inside.

I kept my breathing as regular as I could as the figure moved toward the bed.

“Tuug breld vesh do’ng,” it grunted.

The door opened the rest of the way and two enormous things moved into the room. I managed to keep myself still though I wanted to shy away in fear.

The small figure grunted another order and one of the giant things moved toward the bed.  It tentatively reached out a hand or claw or whatever it was and I almost cringed, but as soon as it reached the circle it flinched back giving a howl of pain.

The short figure growled and uttered what I could only guess were curses and it ordered the giant things out. They lumbered out of the room, the short thing walking behind them.  As soon as the door closed I let out a sigh of relief.

“I want answers today,” I whispered.

“Today,” the deep voice replied in my mind.