Hammer 14: Pitchfork

Pushing up the window screen, Corvan slipped over his windowsill and onto the back porch roof. Tiptoeing to one side, he grabbed the thickest overhanging branch of the maple tree and was on the ground in seconds. Crouching low, he cut wide around the back porch and between the rows of the trees. Halfway along, the light in the porch went out, plunging the backyard into darkness. Glancing back through the kitchen window, he saw his mother turn toward the light in her bedroom, then closed the door. The sound of her radio filtered into the backyard. She often left it on through the night when his dad was away.

Cutting over to the outhouse path, Corvan ran full tilt past the outbuilding, leapt onto the rock, then stumbled as the stone beneath his feet shuddered and dropped him to his knees. Before he could get to his feet, a desperate cry pierced the night air.

Scrambling to the top of the rock, he bolted into the circle just as the two stone slabs crashed together. Splinters of shattered rock exploded into the air and rained around him as he fell to his knees and pounded on the stone. “Kate. It’s me, Corvan. Open the door!” He shouted at the ground.

He hammered on the stone slab with a loose stone, but the only answer was faint echoes from below. He reached for a larger rock and bashed on the door until it fell from his scraped and bleeding hands.

Sitting back, he spied a piece of cloth caught in the top corner where the slabs met. Corvan tugged, and it came loose, neatly snipped off. It was the hemmed edge of Kate’s flannel blanket. Tears of frustration obscured the cloth in his hand. Kate was gone. And without the hammer to open the doors, there was no way he could get her back.

The clouds shifted and moonlight poured into the circle of rocks. Wiping his eyes with the scrap of cloth, he got to his feet to look at the various footprints in the twin piles of dirt that had been pushed aside when the doors had opened for Kate. Some were from Kate’s borrowed runners; the rest were made by the lizard. Corvan walked in a circle and traced the progression of the tracks. The lizard had been hiding behind the large rock because he could see a set of deeper prints where it had jumped out and landed just after the doors had opened. After that, the prints retreated toward the north side of the hill. Either the lizard was still out there, or it had a different way to get inside and follow Kate. He had to hope it was the first option.

The north side of Castle Rock was too steep to walk down, so he skidded on his backside to field, then searched the soil around the perimeter of the rock until he located the lizard’s tracks heading toward the loose pile of dead tree limbs waiting to be cut into firewood out behind the outhouse.

A bank of clouds enveloped the moon, and the tracks vanished in the dark. Corvan looked up. There were only a few small breaks in the sky overhead. It was going to be a long, black night.

A singular patch of moonlight slipped toward the woodpile and moved over the jumbled logs. He caught his breath as the silhouette of the lizard appeared briefly at the very top of the pile.

Easing himself lower into the stalks of wheat, Corvan crouched onto the soft, warm soil. This time he would need a weapon to defend himself. The lizard was too quick and vicious. He needed something to stun it before it could get away.

Corvan crawled soundless in the exposed dirt at the base of the rock until he was hidden from the woodpile by the outhouse, then scurried up the path to the house. As he passed his mother’s room and climbed the stairs, he could hear Patti Page singing The Tennessee Waltz. The radio would cover any sounds he might make in his room, but he left the light off as he retrieved his slingshot and pouch of marbles from inside the chest. The Wham-O slingshot had been a tenth birthday present from his dad, and it was the top model, featuring a solid ash handle. As its name implied it made a great sound when it hit its mark. With the screen up, he could hit the knot on the outhouse door from his bedroom window; his mother was not impressed when it turned out she was inside.

Sneaking over to the window, Corvan peered around the edge and studied the deep shadows of the back yard. The top of the log pile was just visible, but the lizard was not in sight. If he stayed downwind and came in from the front side of the outhouse, he should be able to catch it unawares. If he pulled back only halfway back on the slingshot, the marble should stun the creature long enough for him to capture it.

Using his maple tree escape route, Corvan dropped to the ground and searched around the base of the tree for a forked stick; like those he used for catching snakes, but there was nothing large enough for a lizard. He was making his way toward the cellar to find something that might work, when he spied his mother’s garden scarecrow standing in the middle of her garden, the broken pitchfork in its hand. That would work perfectly as it only had the two outer tines remaining.

Picking his way carefully through the rows of plants, he pulled the pitchfork from the scarecrow’s hand. He jumped back nervously when its head flopped to one side and looked to the ground. Instinctively Corvan followed its gaze to where bare footprints were pressed into the soft soil hilled up around his mother’s potato plants. Kate had just been here, and she had taken the worn-out sneakers his mother had placed below the bottom of the scarecrow’s empty pant legs.

Leaving the footless scarecrow watching with its cockeyed stare, Corvan crept across the yard and crouched behind the outhouse. Overhead and to the west was a large open patch in the clouds; the moonlight would arrive any minute.

Moving out into the shelter of the trees, he tucked in close to the darkness around their weathered trunks. The plowed soil muffled his approach to a vantage point under the canopy of one of the largest spruce trees. The bed of dried needles poked into his kneecaps as he pulled three marbles from the pouch. Two went into his mouth and one into the slingshot.

The moonlight was moving in his direction, lighting the open prairie in a silver arc. Corvan focused on the woodpile and waited. As the light reached the ragged pile, there was a flicker of movement before a familiar shape leaned out, looking up at the Castle Rock.

Pulling the leather pouch back to his elbow, he measured the tension building in the rubber bands, then let the marble fly. It struck the lizard high on the side of its head. The creature slumped forward, its body draped over a log.

Busted pitchfork in hand, Corvan scrambled over the logs up to the reptile. It rolled over, its eyes wide with fear as the points of the pitchfork dropped past its face. Adrenaline surged through Corvan as he pushed the two tines firmly around the lizard’s neck, pinning it tight against the rough tree bark.

It gurgled and tried to swallow, its eyes begging for mercy. Corvan eased up on the handle to let it catch a breath. “Where’s Kate!?” he demanded and choked on the marbles still in his mouth.

The lizard blinked, hissing out what seemed to be words.

Spitting the marbles away, Corvan leaned closer to the reptile’s narrow face. “Where’s my hammer? Does Kate have it?”

The lizard shook its head as much as the two pitchfork tines would allow.

“Do you know where the hammer is?” Corvan asked, this time speaking slower, to make sure it understood what he was asking. If Kate really didn’t have the hammer with her, then where could it possibly be?

The lizard tried to talk, then shook its head again, its healthy claw pushing against the shaft of the pitchfork.

Corvan returned the creature’s gaze. Its dark eyes had lost the venomous anger of their previous encounters. Now it appeared more frightened than vicious.

Corvan eased up on the pressure. “Can you open the door, so I can go inside to find her?”

The lizard slowly nodded and patted the handle of the pitchfork with a question in its eyes. What choice did he have but to trust it. Tugging the points free of the wood, he held the pitchfork ready at his side.

The lizard sat forward, rubbing its neck as it looked around the jumble of logs, then slipped downward to disappear into a gap between the logs.

Corvan groaned and plopped down on the end of the thick log jutting out from the pile. The lizard had tricked him, and now he would never find a way past the doors. His stomach churned at the thought of Kate trapped inside the rock until she starved to death.

Movement on the pile of logs behind him caught his attention and he turned to find the lizard struggling to pull something up and over the log. The creature gave a yank with its good claw, and a pink pencil case bumped down to fall into a pile of dead leaves at Corvan’s feet. The lizard followed and crouched next to the pencil case, its sides heaving from exertion.

Picking up the soft case, Corvan recalled seeing it on Kate’s school desk last year, but only for a day. She had told everyone her father had sent it to her in the mail. At lunch, two boys grabbed it and tossed it back and forth over her head, teasing her that they had seen the same case in the city, until she had given one a bloody nose. He knew exactly what that felt like from the first time he and Kate met. She had never brought the pink case back to school or ever spoke of it again.

At his feet, the lizard’s head was bobbing as it gestured with its good claw toward the case. Corvan tugged the zipper open and looked inside. Nestled within the pink vinyl was the missing hammer and when he touched it, the insignia glowed brightly turned the entire case into a pastel purple blob. He lifted it out, the handle grew warm, and a sense of calm flowed through him.

“She was going to take the hammer to the master of the black band,” the lizard stated. “That would not have been good for her.”

Corvan stared at the creature.

“When you possess the hammer,” the lizard said, “you are able to understand my speaking. That is why I could warn your counterpart about the black band. But she did not listen to me and has willingly accepted the rule of the master.”

“Her name is Kate. What master are you talking about? Did she see someone down below?”

“No, not yet, but she will in time. The band has been awakened by the presence of the hammer and now it compels her to seek him,” the lizard said.

“The band?”

“The black collar that was around my neck before she released me. When they connected, I felt the change in the band and the call to return. That is why I begged her not to touch it, but she wanted it for herself. Now she is wearing it on her wrist when she went through the doors. I know she is under its command because she put the hammer in that pink case. When I had the band on, I could not touch the hammer with my bare paws either.”

“Can’t she take the band off?

The lizard solemnly shook its head. “Since she has accepted the band of her own free will, it will call her to him, to serve him.”

Corvan’s mind whirled. “But I could use the hammer to set her free?” He gripped the handle tightly.

The lizard thought for a moment. “Only if she desires to be set free, and only if we find her before she reaches him. Once he sees her, he will not allow her to go free, lest she destroy all his plans.”

The lizard’s words were both confusing and frightening. “Then I’ve got to go after her right away.” Corvan jumped to his feet and scrambled off the pile. As he ran toward the rock, the lizard caught up to him on its hind legs and ran alongside like a well-trained dog.

“I believe she will be inside the labyrinth by now,” the lizard said, “and you will not be able to follow without a guide.”

Corvan slackened his pace, then stopped at the base of the rock by the footholds climbing the eastern side. “What are you talking about?”

The lizard patted the side of the rock. “Below the door is an intricate maze. Only those who are called from within can find their way through. The band on the girl will guide her, but you will most certainly be lost.”

“But you can show me the way?” Corvan asked.

The lizard firmly shook its head. “I no longer have the band, so I can no longer make my way through the labyrinth. We would be lost together and trapped inside until we perished.”

Corvan held out the hammer. “What about this? Can it guide me through?”

The lizard stepped back. “Perhaps … have you been trained in its use? Have you studied the writings?”

“I don’t know anything about writings,” Corvan said, “unless you mean my grandfather’s book. It’s metal, and the hammer unlocks it.”

The dark eyes of the lizard widened as it drew in a hissing breath. “Have you discovered what it says?”

The urgency in the lizard’s voice caught Corvan off guard. Maybe all this was just a trick to get the book. I might be more important than the hammer. His grandfather had said not to trust the dark eyes. Was he referring to this lizard?

“Put your hand on the hammer,” Corvan said, his gaze fixed intently on the lizard.

“My hand?” the lizard asked.

“I mean your paw. Place it on the hammer.”

The lizards stepped away. “Oh no, I cannot touch it. I tried once when I wanted to take it to him, but it hurt me badly. I had to wrap cloth around my paws.”

“That was before Kate released you from the black band,” Corvan said.

The lizard nodded, its good paw caressing the welts around its neck.

“I don’t think the hammer will hurt you now unless you are not telling the truth. It seems to know when you’re lying or have bad intentions.” Corvan extended the hammer again.

The creature shrank away. “I fear it will hurt me.”

“I need to know if I can trust you and you need to decide if you’re willing to trust me.”

The lizard closed its eyes, then edged its paw toward the head of the hammer. There was a moment of silence as it made contact, followed by a long sigh. “It is not angry with me anymore.”

“Try the other paw, the injured one,” Corvan suggested with sudden inspiration.

The lizard attempted to lift its bloody paw and let out a low, painful hiss. Crouching lower, Corvan touched the hammer to the damaged paw. A look of astonishment crossed the lizard’s face as it flexed the paw, then wrapped it tighter around the head of the hammer.

“Does it feel better?” Corvan asked. “It healed my hand when I burned my finger so I thought it might help you too.”

“Oh, yes. Look, I can lift it now, and the pain is almost gone. Oh, thank you, sir, thank you.”

Watching the creature bobbing and bowing before him reminded Corvan of the old man who used to be the caretaker at the Red Creek mine. “Don’t thank me; it was the hammer. If you lie, it hurts you, but when you tell the truth, it heals you. I don’t know how it knows, but it does.” Flipping it around he pointed the handle’s glow at the lizard. “So be sure you always tell me the truth.”

The lizard nodded vigorously. “I will, sir, but we must hurry if we hope to get through the door before daylight.”

Corvan looked to the eastern sky. “Is there anything else I should bring? Will I need a flashlight?”

The lizard squinted at him. “I do not know the wordflashlight.”

“You touch a switch and light comes out the end from a small bulb.”

The lizard’s face wrinkled in thought.

“Kate had one at the rock. I saw it flashing about.”

The lizard nodded eagerly. “Oh, yes, the short fire stick. No need. I have much larger ones in my entry.”

Corvan needed more information, but time was passing quickly. “Is there anything else I should get?”

“Whatever you think you will need for a long journey,” the lizard replied with a shrug.

“A long journey?” Corvan’s heart dropped. “How long will it take to find Kate?”

“Many of your days, sir.”

“Days? How far down does your cave go?”

“It is a long way down. It will take days just to get through the labyrinth, after which there is another long set of passages before we will even arrive in the Cor.”

Corvan’s mind reeled. How could he go into this maze of tunnels unprepared? He needed more time, but there was no time. He would have to just step through the doors and see what happened, despite how crazy it seemed.But then, who am I to say what’s crazy when I’m having a conversation with a lizard?

“Looking on the bright side,” he said with a wry smile, “it will mean missing a few days of school.”

“Oh, no, sir. I’m afraid you do not understand. The cycles of your moon affect the passages.” It scanned the predawn skies. “Once we have passed through the labyrinth, the opportunity to return to this sphere will not come again for at least one of your mooncycles, maybe more.”

Corvan’s mind reeled at the thought of being gone from his home for that long. The longest he had ever away been at a summer camp and even that ended with his parents needing to come back early to pick him up. His father seemed upset and didn’t talk much on the drive home, but Corvan was happy to be back where he felt safe. He didn’t want to leave but neither could he abandon Kate to the tunnels below the rocks. She hated enclosed spaces. At some point, when she was younger, she had been locked into a small closet for a long time, but she would talk about it. Last year he had convinced her to explore the caves at the river’s edge with him, pretending they were Tom Sawyer and Becky, but that adventure ended badly when they became lost inside the cave. Thankfully his dad was able to track them down and get them out. The intense fear of that experience sent a shiver through his body. He had lost any interest in ever going back in a cave, but Kate needed his help. Clenching his teeth, he turned back to the lizard.

“How can I be gone for a month? My dad is away, and my mother needs me here to help her.”

The lizard looked up at Castle Rock. “The first portal into the labyrinth will be sealed at sunrise. If you do not wish to go, that is your choice. We can wait until the next opportunity.”

The inside of Corvan’s mouth felt as dry as sandpaper. “But what will happen to Kate?”

“Once she meets the master, she will never return.”