#sniplet

Two hours later, we were on the slope with bells in our hands and shit-eating grins plastered on our faces. We puzzled over the best ways to keep them all together. Archie wanted to use glue, but I reminded him that we were both impatient bastards with no patience. Rope was more efficient. The result was a smash of bells, tins, cups and anything else we could find.

The moon was bright and full, casting a pale glow over the land. Archie wiped a hand through his ruffled hair. “That took forever. But it’ll be worth it.”

“Legendary. Years from now, they’ll be telling their kids about the weird sounds they heard from the Ditch one night.”

“They’ll ask, ‘Ma, tell us that one story about the Ditch.’”

“And Ma will answer, ‘Well Moray and Olive loved each other very much-‘” I broke off snickering as Archie gave me a shove.

“You just wish it was you and Olive on the slope.”

“Whatever,” I turned and hoped the shadow would cover the blush in my cheeks. “Let’s toss it.”

“And then run.”

I wound up and flung the contraption against the other side of the pit. It ricocheted with a deafening clang before gravity tugged downward. I watched for as long as I could and enjoyed how the noisemaker bounced off jutting rocks, adding extra echoes to the chaos. Archie plastered his hands over his ears and gestured for us to go. We ran into the forest across the village, laughing as lights flickered on in the windows.

“Satisfied?” I yelled.

Archie gave a triumphant grin without removing his hands from his ears.

It was another thirty seconds before our ears stopped ringing. My nerves were buzzing, the adrenaline coursing through my veins giving me the high I longed for. “Look, Archie! See how they’re all awake and scared? Running in their nighties because of us?” I crowed into the night and jumped at a low-hanging branch. “Legendary bastards!”

Archie plunked down on a log and gave a laugh. “That was exhilarating. My hands can’t stop shaking.”

We’d done riskier things than that, and Archie was never bothered before. I spared a glance at his hands. They weren’t trembling.

“Arch, what’re you on? Your hands-” I trailed off as I looked at Archie.

The log he was sitting on, no, the whole ground was trembling. My glee faded when a scream across the Ditch split the night.

“Freddy...?” He faltered.

I dropped to the ground and ran for the edge of the treeline. Almost the entire village was gathered at the edge of the Ditch in their nightclothes, half-awake children clutching their mothers and swaying with the ground. The Ditch was shaking and the colour, familiar as the back of my hand, had changed from pale to dark grey. The air left me in a slow exhale.

Archie caught up to me. “Well shit. Should we go out?”

“You joking?” I hissed, drawing back into the trees as one of my neighbours glanced our way. “I don’t want to be legendary for this.” Whatever this was. “Let’s circle around and join them. They won’t know we had anything to do with this.”

Archie nodded his agreement. We stayed low and relied on the dim light covering our moving shapes through the thick trees. I kept an eye on the Ditch and the growing crowd.

One of the braver shopkeepers, Kendal, decided to slide carefully down the slope, waving back those telling her to stop. The slope levelled out before the dropoff and Kendal stopped there before sliding onto her belly. She inched forward and peered into the hole before jerking back. The Ditch began shaking in earnest. “Run!” I could barely make out her yell as the other villagers scrambled backwards.

Archie tugged at my arm. “Freddy, maybe we should-”

A hand reached out of the pit. I froze as my eyes locked onto a scaly arm as thick as the trunk at my back. The arm was attached to a similarly scaled torso, which was led by a reptilian head. It pulled itself up and looked towards the village- tall enough to see the tops of our homes. A tail swished from behind. “You woke me.”

My neighbours froze.

“I did not want to wake.” The thing had a gravelly voice.

Shopkeeper Barcle stepped forward and said something I couldn’t hear. Archie clutched me tighter. The creature began its ascent up the slope with a sharp twitch. “The sound impaired my hearing.” It reached the top and dropped something to the ground. I shuddered as I saw the mangled remains of our creation. “This is an act of violence and I will repay it as such.”

“We didn’t wake you! You woke us.” Kendal’s voice was broken by a tremor. “And we-“

The creature’s tail whipped out and flung Kendal to the side with a crack. Villagers scattered with a scream as the creature lumbered toward my home.

No. “Wait-“The words escaped me in a rush of breath. I ran out from the trees and skidded to a stop behind it. “Wait! Please don’t do this.”

The monstrosity turned to face us. Its eyes were the same colour as the hole had been.

“Freddy…” Archie whimpered from the trees.

“There are innocent people here. Children live here! You can’t just…” My voice faltered at the thought of the destruction this thing could cause, at my people hiding in their homes.

“Wrongs will be made right,” the creature turned its head and I flinched at the sight of blood trailing down the side- the visible consequence of my noisemaker’s song. “One of my senses is damaged. I will not argue this any longer.”

“I did it. Not them.” My knees shook as I sank into the damp grass. “Please don’t destroy my home.”

The creature stopped and turned around, eyes narrowed to slits. “Why.”

“It was a joke. A stupid prank. We-I didn’t know you were down there. I’m sorry.” Thoughts of my family, Olive, and Archie flooded my mind. “Kill me and not them.”

The creature studied my kneeling form. “My race honours justice, and justice says reparation is due.” It paused before gazing at the moon. “But what is nobler than sacrifice to protect those you love?”

I glanced up.

The creature gave a huff of its scaled shoulders before slowing sitting down on a null. “I will honour both by giving one hour to leave this place. Then I make the land uninhabitable for centuries to come. And you,” the thing pointed a scaly finger at me. “Will be my ears.”

My hands subconsciously rose to cover my own. “I don’t-“

“You will stay and listen until I slumber again.”

If the village was razed, everyone would leave. “How will I find my family after?”

The creature’s tongue flicked out from its mouth. “I would suggest you accept before I change my mind.”

I looked up to see Archie join the rest of the crowd watching us. I opened my mouth in a half-question, half plea to stay. My heart plummeted when Archie tightened his lips and turned towards the village, jogging to keep up with the rest of the crowd.

The creature followed my gaze with a knowing tilt of the head. “Sacrifice is its own kind of love, even when unjustly portioned.”

I pushed down the rising anger at Archie’s cowardice and watched his back until he vanished from view. My best friend didn’t spare me a second glance.