Drifting into the strange, mechanical forest, he swept Misty up into his arms, placing her onto his shoulder. Taking in the elegance of the trees and their ability to live beneath a roof, he quietly began to sing to himself, the cat’s soft, bushy tail swinging against his neck.
‘O’er the mountains,
 And o’er the sea,
 On wings of
 gently spun gold,
 He came to me.â€
Winding among the trees and bushes, he sang, Misty muttering in his ear. It took very little for him to forget that the surreal forest was set beneath a roof. Something fluttered by his ear, the sound of gently clacking gears catching him off guard before he lost himself back into the world that lay beyond his eyes.
“O’er downs,
 And o’er fells,
 Caught on the rays of the sun,
 He came to me.â€
From among the arched, trailing roots a tinny sound made him pause and look up. It was gone in the flicker of an eye and Cedo moved on, the sound quickly becoming a distant memory.
“He landed a’fore me,
 And gave me his hand,
 His eyes a-glowing as he carried me high.â€
Tilting his head, he listened as the sound returned, the quiet tapping of fingernails against stone. It came over a tree root, Cedo freezing when the thing came to rest at his feet. Because a thing was all it could be described as, two halves of a metal clamshell fixed atop eight bolted and jointed legs. The crab-like creature appeared to have no way of seeing and tiny but lethal looking tools extended from what should have been its mouth. Pincers, knives and a minuscule teethed wheel all chattered against each other as the creature surveyed them.
Claws dug into his shoulder and he yowled as Misty dived for the creature. Back arched and tail high, she hissed, trying to ward off the vicious looking being. Remarkably, rather than leave, the crab lowered itself until its back end was in the air, tool teeth chattering at the suddenly startled cat. As Misty looked up at him with big blue eyes, Cedo concluded that if the cat could have a shocked look then this would be it. Dipping his shoulder in a shrug, he gave her an apologetic look, one cautious eye still watching the crab.
The cat took a new tactic in an effort to scare off the monster. Sticking her nose forward, she gave it a cautious sniff, followed by a pushing paw. The thing did not move, once again returning Misty’s gesture as a beveled leg ran along the cat’s shoulder. Misty shivered from top to tail at the touch, inching a little closer to the brass and bolts machine. Gingerly placing one paw on its curved back, she began to wash it with long, slow licks before Cedo’s surprised eyes. His curiosity grew as the creature gave a clanking shudder beneath the barrage of cleaning, a dull shaking of gears accompanying the movement.
His silent surprise stayed as he watched the once-shiny machine turn a dull yellow beneath the tongue of its new friend. The crab appeared to have lost its earlier fight, now lying down beneath the cat’s paw. Deciding to leave them be, Cedo turned away with the plan to find somewhere to rest for a while and nurse his aching hand. The wound had not been dressed and the dead skin was peeling away to leave a red mark behind. He would need to find something, a dressing for it at the very least, before he dared to venture out in the evening.
He had not walked more than two steps before the ear splitting scream of a pained cat caused him to turn back. The metal monster had Misty by the tail, pincers digging in as it began to drag her away. White hair began to fill the air as Misty tried to dig her claws into the lightly grassed floor, screaming and howling in a desperate escape attempt. Bearing down on them, he caught hold of the cat, bundling her into his arms and kicking the creature away.
The brass crab ricocheted off the floor, the metallic clang of it stilling Cedo in his escape. Turning to look, he watched as it rocked on its upturned shell before righting itself. That thing, that beast, it must have been one of them that he had kicked as he had escaped from the slaughterhouse at the Terminus. Instantly he felt ill at the memory and, before it could come back for another go, Cedo raced with Misty to safety. As the door slammed behind them, another of the clangs filled the air, the sound violently turning his stomach.
~~~
Mars on the Rise (Veetu Industries #1), and it’s follow up Selling Mars (Veetu Industries #2), are both now available from Torquere Press and all good retailers.
The Eve of War (Veetu Industries #3) is due for release via Torquere Press. For more information, or if you’d like a cup of tea and a chat, feel free to drop by Rae’s website at www.raegee.co.uk
13 COMMENTS
Shadow
11 years agoYikes! That crab sounds creepy! Im gonna admit, if i was your character, id have to say sorry to Misty and run like hell! lol Thanks for sharing! This sounds awesome!
Rae Gee
11 years ago AUTHORHehe I often run like Hell when I’m writing things like that! I did some research on a place called Skinwalker Ranch a few weeks ago. Needless to say, I slept with the lights ON that night! Thank you so much for reading. 🙂 x
Toni Whitmire
11 years agoI thought it was a interesting excerpt and I can’t wait to rest the rest.
Rae Gee
11 years ago AUTHORAwww thank you so much! 🙂 x
bn100
11 years agoThat was nice
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Rae Gee
11 years ago AUTHORThank you so much! 🙂 x
Barbara Elness
11 years agoInteresting excerpt, I’m looking forward to finding out more about Mars on the Rise.
Rae Gee
11 years ago AUTHORThank you so much! 🙂 x
CJ
11 years agoA nasty thing, that brass crab. Glad to see that the cat was rescued.
Rae Gee
11 years ago AUTHORThey’re downright evil. And that’s not the last of machines like that… And, as the title of the book says, save the cat!! Thank you so much for reading! 🙂 x
Denise Z
11 years agoBusy checking under the desk here for any shiny crab like critters – think I might be doing that for a while LOL Thank you for sharing with us. 😉
Rae Gee
11 years ago AUTHORHehe thank you! I tend to freak myself out when writing things like that and spend a couple of nights sleeping with the lights ON! Thank you so much for reading! 🙂 x
AzGaye
11 years agoYikes on crab critters! My dog is under there right now hiding from the thunder but she’s fierce about things that move so she’d dispatch it for me! At least I would hope so as my trusty handgun would leave an ugly hole in the floor! Yes, I am an old cowgirl and do hold with the tradition of the right to bear arms although I know it is losing popularity and I do understand why many people feel that way. It is just that when you live in the country or go out in the “boondocks” a lot you feel safer. My dad taught me gun safety when I was a teenager and my husband who was a cop reinforced that. Still I would never shoot anyone except to literally save myself or someone else and then with the intent to stop, not kill. Sorry if this offends anyone!