Chapter 13: The Goblin Raid

“Sel?”

The goblins were getting closer. Sel watched them through the kitchen window. Their hunched, stretched forms moving more like animals despite their humanoid shape. Some would even fall onto their distended arms and scamper forward a little before standing and resuming their gangly walk.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pull her eyes away from the macabre forms. Their jerky unkempt movements somehow hypnotic.

She could feel herself trembling as their yellow eyes peered into the windows and the light coming from within the mansion. The dawn's light giving them twisted shallows.

She didn’t have much time. She had to— She needed to—

“H-hey Mel.”

“Sel! I was just about to call you! Look I just wanted to apologize about today! I should have listened—”

Darn it, Mel! I don’t have time for your apology! I’ve got to get mine off my chest first.

"Mel.”

—to you instead of yelling and being so pushy, but I was just so worried—

Do I have to yell?

“Mel!”

“—about you that I couldn’t—”

“MEL!”

Finally, the line grows quiet. There is a moment of silence over the line.

What should I say?

A hundred different things race through her head. She wants to tell Mel about how fun the sleepover was, how she wished that she could be with her right now. How she was really the Demon Lord in her past life. That she was scared. That—That—That… too many words.

But there wasn’t enough time. Looking outside she watched as a larger, bigger figure emerged from the woods. The other goblins growing skittish of the newer individual. An adult compared to their child-sized shapes. Yep, there just isn’t enough time! I’ve gotta say, something, and quick!

“Look Mel, shut up and listen for a second. I don’t have much—*inhale*—look I just need you to listen, okay? I’m sorry about what I said at school.”

She took another deep breath; this is what she wanted to say. What she needed to get off her chest. If she was going to get eaten by goblins, she was going to at least make sure her best friend didn’t feel bad about it. Well, less bad. Because she’d be mighty disappointed in Mel if she didn’t at least feel a little bad that her bestie was eaten by little green munchkins, because— Get back on track Sel!

I just don’t want Mel to blame herself.

“I know you trust me, and I just wanted to let you know that you’ve—*hic*—been the best friend, ever. That it’s not your fault and that I’m really, really sorry.”

Sel’s eyes burned as she said that last part. Something seemed to be stuck in her throat as well. Stupid allergies. Maybe I’m allergic to goblins or something.

“Sel, what’s wrong? Are you crying? Please Sel! Talk to me.”

She wanted to tell Mel not to be stupid. That she wasn’t crying. Her goblin allergies were just acting up. But as she saw the goblins grabbing rocks and sticks from off the ground, she decided that she’d have to correct Mel later. She wasn’t crying, that’s for sure.

“I have to go Mel. I wish we had more time but I—”

*crash* *tink* *tink*

A rock crashed through the window sending shards of glass flying through the kitchen. Sel flinched as a few pieces reached her in the halls. The tiny pieces of glass merrily tinkling as they bounced around her shoes.

Why are you breaking the windows? The door isn’t even locked… Oh Crap!

“Sel! What was that?”

No time Mel! Sorry…!

“…Goodbye, Mel.”

Dropping the phone, she raced for the door. Hoping to lock it before the goblins reached it. Grabbing the bolt, she pulled it and…

Oops. I forgot. I already locked it… tee hee?

Faintly behind her, she heard Mel’s voice coming through the phone. In her rush, she had apparently forgotten to hook the phone back on the wall.

Well, no time for that. Mel should hang up anyway when she figures out I’m not on the line right? Sorry Mel but I have bigger problems right now.

*crash*

Well, there went another window.

She rushed for the stairs. Grabbing a dull kitchen knife as she passed through. She wasn’t sure what a kitchen knife could do against the dozens of goblins that stood outside her door, but it felt good to hold something sharp in her hands.

Need a plan! Need a plan! I can’t fight that many goblins. So, that leaves running or hiding. Hmm…

She reached the top of the stairs, hesitating. Before her stood two options, but she wasn’t sure which one to pick. At the end of the hall stood the door that led to the rest of the wooden mansion. To her right stood Ophir’s room.

Should she go into the wooden mansion? She could find a place to hide and wait for the goblins to leave? Honestly, it sounded really appealing. Taking that door and just leaving the rest up to chance. A single choice and everything else would be up to the whims of fate. No more worry. No more struggle. Just hide and wait. If she wasn’t found she lived, and if the goblins found her then… goblin chow.

There was one big problem though that Sel just couldn’t seem to set aside.

There was no exit. Every door and window leading out of the mansion was boarded up. If she went through that door, that was it. Her only route out would be through the goblins. Sel wasn’t sure if she liked the idea of going down a dead end. Even if it was a big dead end.

On her right though, was Ophir’s room. Ophir had a window. If Sel was flexible enough she could maybe get onto the roof, get off and be home free through the woods. The only trouble was if she could get on the roof. There was a bit of an overhang, and she was pretty short.

To run or to hide. Neither option looked very appealing. Sel stood frozen looking between the two doors. Trying to make a choice that could save or kill her.

Mel said that getting bogged down was the worst thing that could happen when fighting a group of goblins. So, whatever happens I can’t get caught. Can I outrun the goblins?

No. There was no way she could outrun a bunch of goblins. Her previous excursion had taught her that much. She took a hesitant step towards the door that led to the wooden mansion.

I could hide. The goblins might not even go that far into the house... I could wait for help to come?

Sel stopped. That last thought bringing her to a halt. There wasn’t going to be any help. What was she waiting for? For the police officer to change his mind? For Ophir and her Dad to come back? Emi? Could she hide from thirty to forty goblins for two weeks? Or even a day? Could goblins hunt by smell?

*crash*

A sound from downstairs quickly reminded her that she didn’t have time to dilly dally. It also reminded her that the goblins had come for her. She had been chased. They already knew she was here. That spoke of at least a little bit of an ‘intelligence’ network. One of the goblins had reported that Sel was here.

Even if the goblins didn’t have keener smell, hearing, or whatever, Sel doubted she could hide from a thorough inspection. Besides, she’d probably go crazy sitting in the same spot for hours, hearing the sound of her pursuers looking for her. Like playing the most intense game of hide and seek ever.

She wasn't very fond of hide and seek. Mel was too good at it for her to have taken much pleasure in the activity.

Coming to a decision, she stepped back and turned towards Ophir’s door. Resolutely she opened it and shut it behind her. Locking it.

Better to die doing something rather than waiting for someone to swoop in and save me.

That was the deciding factor. Sel could have justified it by saying that there wasn’t any help coming. Or that even with the many rooms of the wooden mansion, it was only a matter of time before the goblins ransacked them all. But no, Sel was itching to do something. Anything. That was why she chose Ophir’s door.

She was sick of relying on others. Ophir had left for the capital and even halfway across the continent, Sel was still running to her for help. She’d tried to get help from the police officers, but they were so blatantly corrupt that she didn’t even know if she wanted their help.

And a tiny voice in the back of her head noted that she was also a little angry at Mel. For not listening to her. For not doing—doing something! For not being here to help. To plan and laugh and fight. For some reason, she felt that if Mel was here, this situation wouldn’t feel nearly so helpless. As if Mel just being here would change the outcome of what was coming.

She knew it didn’t make much sense, but she couldn’t help feeling that way.

She was also mad that Mel had the audacity to say that she was crying when it was really just goblin allergies! The nerve!

Plus, the goblins for interrupting her dinner, them too.

Wow, listing it out like that... she had a lot of pent up anger, didn't she?

Which was why she wasn’t going to sit around and wait for anything! Whether it was death or salvation Sel wasn't going to accept a handout from chance, fate, or destiny! And if any of them tried she’d kick them between the legs!

Then snatch it up off the ground and run.

Sel grabbed the wooden chair that Ophir used for studying and shoved it under the door handle. Trying to make an impromptu barricade like she’d seen in movies. The result…

Is this really supposed to keep a door jammed shut? It looks like one nudge and this chair’s going to fall over.

Maybe she had to sit in the chair while it was leaning back to make it work? She’d seen that in movies too…

Stupid movies.

Moving to the windows she peeked through only to see that the goblins were still streaming into the house. There must have been more than fifty of them! Occasionally one or two more would come out of the woods too.

Just how many goblins are there? With this many, do I even have a chance of escaping unnoticed?

Crashing and banging could be heard from downstairs and the sounds were slowly getting closer. Sel winced when she realized that her room on the bottom was probably being ransacked right now. All her books, stuffed animals, clothes…

It didn’t matter. She should be happy that her stuff would slow them down a little. It would give her time. It was good.

For the best.

It didn’t matter.

Unclenching her hands and shaking her head, Sel slowly slid open the window trying to make as little sound as possible. When she finally got it open, she started working off the screen. Ophir always insisted on keeping the screen in, saying it kept bugs out. She’d always yell at her when she took hers out of her window downstairs.

She had a feeling Ophir would understand. Needless to say, bugs were the least of her problems right now.

Setting the screen aside she looked up and down. Below her, was a twenty-five-foot drop and above her was a one-foot overhang. Another choice.

Fortunately, this one was a lot easier. Even stretching herself out as far as she could from the ledge, it would still be a twenty-foot fall. Which… might not kill her, but she wasn't sure about not breaking something.

Getting off the roof wouldn’t matter if she couldn’t walk afterward.

This is probably one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done… at least in this lifetime.

Sel climbed up onto the windowsill. The huge drop on one side making her nervous as she swayed back and forth trying to keep her balance while also positioning her feet.

Putting one leg on the ledge and one leg hooked against the wall to anchor herself, she slowly reached out for the lip of the roof. Her left injured arm grabbing the edge of the window along with her left leg. Her right hands' fingers brushed the edge of the roof, finding no purchase.

Sel grit her teeth. The crashing and banging were getting closer! They would probably head upstairs soon! Briefly, she considered going back to hide in the Wooden mansion but quickly realized it was futile. The goblins were too close for her to change her mind now! There was only one route now. And that route was up onto the roof.

I can’t wait. I need to move now!

Sel positioned herself again. One foot on the ledge the other anchoring. She got within a foot of the ledge and held her breath.

Okay, Sel. You can do this. On three. *breathe* One. Two.

She tensed the foot under her.

Three.

Pushing off with the foot under her she thrust herself out of the window, fingers grasping for the edge, Her right hand grabbed hold of the roof just in time as her weight came pressing down as gravity reasserted itself…

…and then her right hand slipped off.

Aaaaahhhhh!

*Uhhf*

The world spins and Sel’s back crashes into something hard knocking the air out of her lungs, her vision covered with white stars. Fingers and leg screaming at her, but—

I can’t breathe!

Choking for breath, Sel tried to make sense of what had just happened. Her sight slowly resolving into a vision of the forest.

An upside down forest.

It seems that she had managed to catch herself with her left leg as she had fallen. She now dangled from one foot, head first over a twenty-foot drop.

*Gasp, gasp, gasp*

Her left leg screams at the abuse. Shooting pain flying up into her back. As quickly as possible she straightened her right leg and swung it up to help her left. Clenching her teeth as the swing put more weight on lefty.

Taking a second to catch her breath. Sel prepared to pull her body back up into the window.

I just need a second. To. *gasp* Catch. *gasp* My breath—

*rattle rattle* *bang*

They’re here!

All thoughts of waiting vanish from her head as she desperately struggled to pull herself up to the windowsill. The image of the goblins breaking in and finding her helplessly dangling from her legs sent terror crashing through her.

*bang* *bang*

Fingers brushed against the window ledge as she did the most painful sit up of her life. She bobbed back and forth her abs screaming as her hand grasped mere inches away from the edge. Finally, her fingers found purchase and relieved the pressure on her stomach. It felt like she’d been punched in the gut.

Pulling herself the rest of the way was relatively easy after that.

Sitting half out the window, gasping for air, she desperately surveyed the room for signs of goblin entry. Much to her relief, there were none.

Safe!

The door was still locked, though it rattled from the blows on the other side. The chair hadn’t held though and had slipped falling to the floor.

Stupid movies!

Turning back to the window, she took a deep breath. Her left leg was still throbbing angrily, but she didn’t have time to listen to it complain. She needed to get out, now.

Getting back on the windowsill she once again took up the position she’d had before. The last time she hadn’t been ready, and her fingers had slipped. This time she’d grab it. This time for sure.

*bang* bang* *crack*

Jump! Jump now!

Her right hand found purchase on the roof, and she twisted her body around leaning out back over the drop. As quickly as she could she brought her left hand up next to righty. Arriving just in time to help catch the momentum from the maneuver. Leaving her with a tenuous grip on the roof while swinging back and forth over empty space.

Gasping for breath she hangs from her fingertips. Arms and legs aching. In front of her is the window. The view now reversed. Instead of looking out, onto the forest, she looks in, into her sister's bedroom.

Providing a clear view of a broken door, and a goblin peaking through and staring right back at her.

No. No. No!

Its yellow eyes widen. It starts to smash at the door with greater gusto. Its sharp claws making quick work of the damaged door. Excited gibbering noises escaping its mouth as it shoves itself through the small, cracked opening and into the room. It’s too wide smile revealing sharp yellow teeth.

I am not waiting around to be eaten! Stupid! Stupid goblin!

Sel heaved. Arms struggling as her tenuous grip threatened to give way, legs kicking at the air as the edge of the roof dug painfully into her fingers. Pulling as hard as she could she managed to get the roof to her chin before swinging her right foot up to assist in getting the rest of her up.

*gasp* *gasp*

I made it!

Standing up she started hobbling towards the end of the house. Trying to stay balanced on the steep roof while her left leg protested. She heard the shrieks of the goblin behind her which provided some much-needed motivation to keep moving.

Sel had always dreamed of climbing up onto the roof. What would it be like? To be so high above everything? She’d just never been able to justify doing something so ‘incomprehensibly stupid’.

Despite not having done it, she had long ago planned how she would go about it. To be honest climbing out her sister’s window wasn’t part of the plan. For one, if she’d been caught by Ophir, she didn’t even want to think of the consequences that would shortly follow. Better to fall from the window than to fall into her sister’s clutches! Much, much better. The fall would probably only break a few bones. Something she could recover from in a couple of months.

Another reason her sister’s window was not brought up at the brainstorming session of the plan was that, even by her standards, what she had just done was incredibly dangerous and foolhardy. Especially, when there was a much safer way up.

Which would now double as her way down.

At the end of the house stood a tree that ran next to the Wooden mansion. When the place had been properly tended it had been a small orderly tree that provided shade for picnics and stood as a neat contrast to the wild woods surrounding the clearing.

However, after two years of neglect, it was a mangy thing to match any of its wild leafy counterparts. Some of its upper branches reached the roof, stretching high and far. Rejoicing to be free of its pruning captors!

The top branches were small and thin, but so was she, so it would probably be fine. Probably. The branch's diameter was a big reason she’d never enacted her dastardly plan. She figured she’d wait a few years for the limbs to get a little thicker before giving it a climb.

Well, no time like the present.

A shriek behind her reminded Sel that she had been spotted by one of the green folk. Looking back, she spotted a goblin hanging by one hand from the roof. It had apparently thought to follow in Sel’s footsteps—handprints?—and jump out the window too. Unfortunately, the maneuver proved a little too difficult for the green munchkin.

Flailing with one hand weakly grabbing at the roof, the goblin gave one more kick trying to get its other hand up, before slipping off the roof and falling to the ground.

*thump* *crack* *Skreeeee!*

It hit the ground with a thud and crack, as something important in the goblin gave way. Finding one of its legs hopelessly mangled. The goblin took a great dislike to the situation and started screeching out its lungs.

Please shut up Mr. goblin! You’ll draw attention to yourself and, more importantly, me! You could have had the decency to land on your head, but if you couldn’t do that could you at least be quiet!

The goblin was unaccommodating to her cruel requests. On the contrary, it seemed to screech all the louder, its shrill cries reaching the setting sun as it began to dip below the trees.

Ah well, nothing to be done but to hurry on. She was at the edge of the roof now! So close to freedom!

Sel examined the tree. It stood about thirty feet high. The top branches reaching well above her head. Some of the more far reaching branches even rested on the roof itself. The limbs ranged from smaller than the length of her pinky, to a little larger than the thickness of her thumb.

None of these would hold her. She’d have to reach further down and out to get any of those branches.

Sitting on the edge while examining her options, she slowly lowered her leg onto a promising branch that was a little thinner than an inch in diameter. It drooped precariously.

Hmm. This isn’t going to be pleasant.

Grabbing two separate branches and putting her feet on two others Sel eased off the roof onto the tree. Immediately she dropped three feet as all the branches took on her weight. Luckily distributing it amongst four kept her from plummeting to the ground. Hand by hand. Foothold by foothold. she slowly made her way to the trunk and down the tree.

There’s no way I could have used that to get up on the roof. I’m glad Mel persuaded me to wait and not immediately go through with it…

After reaching the lowest branch, she prepared herself for the final drop to the ground. It was only five feet and shouldn’t be too rough. She took a deep breath.

*fuu* Here I go!

*whoosh* *thump*

“!”

Ow! Ow! Ow!

Sel’s left leg collapsed as she hit the ground. The pain, forgotten in her flight, returning with a vengeance. Slowly, ever so slowly. She stood up, grasping the trunk of the tree to take some of the weight off her left leg.

Taking an experimental step, she had to bite off the scream that wanted to make its way out of her throat. On the roof, she had managed a decent hobble with her left leg. Now she could barely manage to limp forward. Her steps turning into short hops, her leg refusing to take any weight. Still, she was off the roof. All she needed now was to make her way to the woods. Then she’d—

The screams of the unfortunate goblin suddenly cut off behind her. A chill ran up her back. Craning her head to look behind her, she was greeted with a gruesome sight.

At the base of the house stood a towering figure. Its foot firmly planted on the chest of the fallen goblin. The little goblin struggled beneath its foot, gasping and clawing while also pointing in Sel's direction.

That little traitor! Weren’t we rooftop buddies? How could you oust me like this!?

She decided right there that he was no longer the ‘unfortunate goblin’, but instead the ‘snitch goblin’. It was a title he would never be able to get rid of! It would haunt him forever! See if he could get through goblin school with everyone knowing he was a snitch and a tattletale! A complete lowlife and a blab!

As Sel was inwardly cursing at the goblin underfoot, the larger one turned its head towards her. Its eyes finding her in the fading light.

“Kee Kee Kee Grlghugh! Kee Kee Kee!”

The bigger figure giggled madly in a voice much too high for its large frame. Sel watched horrified as a goblin head peeked out of the broken window of what had once been Mike’s room. Another coming out of the kitchen door. Another from the window leading to her room, one of her shirts draped over its hideous form.

Hey, that's my shirt--!

The big one took a step towards her.

Never mind! You can have the shirt! Run, run, run!

Sel tried to run but her leg nearly buckled as she put weight on it. Hopping forward she managed to catch herself. Barely. Bracing herself this time, she once again started forward at a more manageable pace. Somewhere between a leisurely stroll and a quick walk.

Too slow Too slow Too slow TOO SLOW!

A couple more figures popped out of the house. There noisy gibberish growing. There were six goblins following her now, and she couldn’t go any faster without risking collapsing. Her concentration entirely spent on making sure she didn’t collapse, she couldn’t spare a second to glance back anymore. But the gibbering and howling behind her was growing louder as more and more voices joined the fray.

Seriously? Why were all the goblins coming out for her? Didn’t they have better things to be doing? Like looting and plundering? They should mind their own business!

She wasn’t even going to make it halfway to the woods at this rate. There had to be something. Some way to lose them. Or maybe distract them. Slow them down! Anything!

What could she—

A crazy plan formed. One she had discarded earlier for being too risky. Too dangerous. Now it just might be her only hope in this helpless situation.

Turning around, Sel saw that there were about twenty goblins following her. More and more were popping out of the house now, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted all the goblins. The more the merrier!

Cupping her hands to her mouth as she continued to hop backward on a slightly adjusted course, she yelled,

“Hey! You! The one with the crooked nose! Yeah, you! I’m over here! Come and get me if you can! You think you’re so great, but you’re nothing more than a, than a stupid goblin!”

More and more goblins started coming out of the house and looking at the strange human that was yelling its lungs out at them. Sel shivered under their harsh gaze. Something viler than hunger seeming to lick at her from those yellow eyes.

“Y-yeah! You h-heard me! You’re st-stupid! A-and your ears are funny!”

Sel tried to think of something more hurtful to say, but her mind was having trouble coming up with anything better. Their ears really were weird.

The goblins started running at her. Scampering along the ground. Streaming out of windows out the doors, and over each other as they ran across the yard and through the grass.

Gritting her teeth, Sel turned and ran for the barn door. On her first step, her left leg nearly buckled. The next she was ready, and only a *throb* *gasp* of shooting pain went up her leg. But it didn’t buckle. *throb* She shook with pain and her vision grew blurry. Her teeth grit so hard, she thought they would break. *throb* It didn’t matter though. *throb* She just needed to reach the barn. *throb* She just needed to reach the barn. *throb* She just needed to reach the barn. *throb*

It hurts! It hurts so bad! Please! Make it stop! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!

The barn doors came into view, wide open, just as she’d left them.

Behind her, a sea of green bodies flew towards her. Snarling, and gibbering. So many that it was difficult to tell them apart at this point. The moving blob resembling more a writhing mass of limbs and gleeful inhuman faces.

She just needed to get a little further. Just a little further.

She entered the barn, the goblins following a mere second behind her.