Nex Ut Totus Quisnam Penetro Hic, Part 4

Amy, David, and Eddy all backed away from Billy and his gun. He was the one thing that separated them from the water and their possible escape.

“What are you talking about, Billy?” Amy asked. “Put the gun down.”

“I can’t do that, Amy. I can’t let any of you leave.” Billy said.

“Man, please tell me you’re joking. I’m really starting to freak out here.” David said.

“You see; I’ve seen the creature before. I’ve seen all of them.” Billy explained.

“All of them?” Eddy asked.

“We are the creatures from the caves.” A woman-like figure approached them and continued to speak in a soft husky voice. “My family was cursed many many years ago. On the eve of our fifteenth birthday we become these fish-like monster things.”

Amy was struck by the realization that this was Billy’s sister, Nancy. “But, what about your parents?”

“I’m adopted. The family in town agreed to raise the descendants of my family until they are of age to come up here to the mountain, in exchange for their lives and the lives of all their future descendants.” Nancy’s hideous face drew ever closer to Amy’s.

“So you only eat once every fifteen years?” Eddy asked.

“Hello!!!! Do you all not see the point here? Why are you asking questions? It’s not like we’re going to get to share the information with the rest of the world!” David was practically hysterical.

“We are excellent swimmers. We go down the cavern’s lake to the river. We can swim many miles in a night and we know where all the underground caves are. We’ve been as far as New York.” Nancy circled the trio and took the gun away from her little brother. He dove into the water.

“Great! So much for swimming our way out of here!” David started to lose it. He crumpled up and fell to the floor crying.

Nancy knelt down and touched his chin. “There, there; I promise it won’t too much. You’ll pass out before you feel anything, really.”

Amy and Eddy huddled around David. When they heard the low growl and saw Billy emerge from the water in his new form, they knew there would be no escape.