Craig had managed to stop screaming, mostly because his throat was too sore to carry on. Instead, he simply moaned and mewled between breaths.
Tears still rolled down his cheeks, but he couldn’t allow himself to fully sob, as the movement was too painful.
So he wept motionless.
In silence.
As much as he could hope for a miracle, deep down he knew it was pointless. So, his mind, whether he wanted it to or not, was now coming to terms with his impending death.
How had it all come to this?
The weekend was supposed to be a new start for him. He had planned to rekindle things with Kim, to show her they were meant to be together and get things back on track. Also, they were supposed to be bringing a new friend fully into the fold, one who seemed to make Ashley happy, and Lord knows that had been a long time coming.
The trip was supposed to be the start of a new chapter, a positive one.
But it had turned into something straight out of a nightmare.
No, worse than that, because you woke up from nightmares.
It was real, and its effects were permanent.
It had all started when they’d entered these woods and found the man with no face. And from there, things had only gotten worse.
Finding this house. Finding the basement.
And the thing in the basement.
The hulking beast that called himself Henry didn’t make sense to him. He was just too big, both in height and girth. Surely, no human could be that big and still walk around so easily? His strength, too, seemed inhuman. The way he had snatched Craig up so effortlessly, like he was weightless, was terrifying.
Craig remembered how the grotesque thing had squeezed him, pushing him into its rubbery, sour smelling skin. He was sure some ribs had been cracked, but the whole thing had seemed like a game to Henry. And then the hulk had, quickly and simply, snapped Craig’s back, like it was nothing.
Craig could hear voices outside, one of them Kim’s, and one that sounded like Tim’s as well, but there were others too. Unrecognisable. Perhaps the people that lived here? It was as good a guess as any. He thought of Kim and Ashley running away, leaving him behind as Henry stepped over him.
Like he was nothing more than dirty laundry on the floor.
Seeing his friends flee so quickly, seeing his girlfriend leave him behind for dead without even looking back, hurt every bit as much as the physical pain he’d been put through.
Did he mean so little to Kim?
Then again, if he was honest with himself, he had a huge part to play in them being in this hellish situation anyway. He was the one who had insisted on going to check on the faceless man. He was the one who had insisted they try to talk that same enraged man down. On top of that, when he had seen Kim ready to swing the heavy branch, aiming squarely at the man’s head, Craig’s instinct was to stop that. He knew the damage it would do and didn’t want Kim to have a person’s death on her conscience. So, had taken the responsibility of protector on himself, taking the weapon from her and aiming it at the man’s back and ribs, hoping to avoid any permanent damage.
It hadn’t helped.
It had just fucked things up further.
Even after all that, all that he had done, when they had heard the child’s voice through the door in the kitchen, he was the one who had insisted they find a way in, even though Tim was adamant that they leave well enough alone. Craig, again, had thought he knew best. Regardless of what anyone else thought, his way had to be right.
And look what it had unleashed.
Maybe his friends were right to leave him behind. If they did make an escape, they were probably better off without him.
He would only hold them back.
His thoughts were broken by excited yelling from outside; something was happening. He heard a male voice say something about a hunt. Then, quite clearly, ‘Go get them.’
A few moments later, he heard multiple footsteps enter the house. One set in particular, booming and thunderous, was very recognisable.
‘Where is he?’ a male voice asked.
‘Kitchen,’ Henry answered. Craig still didn’t understand why his voice was how it was; so high-pitched and childlike. He was clearly fully grown, overgrown if anything, so why did his voice reflect that of a child?
The footsteps moved towards the kitchen, and Craig held his breath as people entered. The first to appear was a man with a beard who smiled when he saw Craig. A woman with her hair in a bun followed, then Henry squeezed through the door. All of them looked odd, unnatural in some way. Henry’s oddities were obvious, but the man had a gap in his top lip that ran up and met a disjointed nose, and the woman seemed to have drooping eyes and horrible growths all over her skin.
But there was one more person who entered. One that made no sense to Craig.
Tim.
He smiled and waved to Craig. ‘How’s it going, buddy?’
Craig tried to speak, but the effort hurt. All that escaped was a low moan.
‘He looks a little confused,’ the man with the beard said.
‘Then he can stay confused,’ Tim said. ‘I’m not explaining it all again.’
‘He’s a handsome one,’ the woman said, stepping closer to Craig. Her dirty boots stopped just before his face. ‘Wonder if I should have a little play with him before we get going.’
There was a flash of something as—whatever was thrown—struck the back of her head. A plate crashed to the floor close to Craig and shattered.
‘You don’t need to play with the likes of him,’ the bearded man yelled.
‘Did you just throw something at me?’ the woman roared in response. She stomped over to the kitchen units, grabbed an old, iron kettle, and launched it across the room at the man. It hit him in the face, knocking him backwards. ‘Don’t you ever do that again, you piece of shit.’
She then ran at him and began swinging hard punches at the man, alternating between the ribs and head. The man tried to block, but too many got through, and he again stumbled backwards.
Henry was laughing heartily. His disgusting mass jiggled like jelly, clearly enjoying the show.
Tim was cackling as well. ‘Get him, Ma.’
‘All right,’ the man said, still trying to fend off the continuous assault. ‘All right, I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘Will you stop?’
The woman eventually did, but the scowl on her face remained. She landed one more shot as the bearded man straightened up to his full height, bringing her knee up into his crotch. Upon impact, the man let out a groan and doubled back over.
‘Don’t ever throw shit at me again,’ she yelled and stomped back over to Craig. He tried to shuffle away, but only succeeded in flaring up the pain in his back. ‘And you,’ the woman said, ‘stop fucking moaning.’
She pulled a leg back and let loose with a kick, hitting Craig directly in his already injured ribs. He let out a howl as unimaginable pain exploded inside of him. Through it all, he was also aware of a warm feeling spreading over his groin as he wet himself.
The group just laughed at his suffering.
‘Henry,’ the man said, still holding his injured groin. ‘Get him ready. Might as well have dinner prepared for when your siblings get back.’
‘Okay,’ Henry said, happily, and began walking towards Craig.
‘And if you pull any shit like this again, I swear we’ll lock you in that basement for good, and you’ll never eat again. Or maybe I’ll even take you to see Grandpa, see if he can’t straighten you out. How does that sound?’
Henry’s eyes went wide. ‘Fine, I’ll be good,’ he said. He turned to look down at Craig. ‘Let’s get you downstairs.’
Craig held his breath as Henry reached down for him with giant, filthy hands. Craig knew the obese monster was going to pick him up, and he knew any movement was going to hurt. He braced himself for the pain, which came in waves as he was hoisted up and slung over the behemoth’s fat shoulder. Craig cried out, unable to help himself.
‘Come back up when you’re done,’ the man said, obviously the father of the deranged group. ‘If the twins aren’t back within the hour, we are gonna get started without them.’
‘No problem,’ Henry said and began to walk, each step causing Craig more and more agony.
With all he had been through already, part of Craig just wanted it to end. Thoughts of escape and freedom were futile; he was utterly broken. A quick death seemed like the best he could hope for.
But he knew the chances of that one, small mercy were non-existent.
He fully expected more suffering.
And he was to be proved right.
Chapter 18
Kim’s legs burned from the effort she was exerting as she and Ashley sprinted through the trees.
The ground was uneven, and gaining traction at speed was difficult. More than once, one of them had taken a tumble. Ashley had fared a little better, but with the slippery moss and tripping hazard of exposed roots, they weren’t moving as fast as they needed to.
Worse, with no natural light, vision was almost non-existent, and only the thin beam of their flashlights guided the way. She couldn’t hear anything behind them, but knew they were being followed. Kim remembered what the thin man had said as they escaped.
We’ll make this fair. You have a full ten-minute head start. Then, we track you down.
His arrogance sickened her. She had a feeling, however, that in this environment, it was a confidence that was probably justified. The girl had chimed in too, laughing dismissively as she spoke.
You don’t have a chance, you pair of bitches. Gonna get what’s coming. We’re going to find you both, then have our fill.
They continued their taunting as Kim and Ashley fled. Kim didn’t know exactly how long it had been since they’d begun their attempted escape—the concept of time and its passing was now lost in a mix of adrenaline and a need to survive—but she had a feeling that ten-minute mark was fast approaching.
If it hadn’t already passed.
They were both breathing heavily, and Kim could feel her chest starting to burn. Each breath also caused a stabbing pain in her side.
Ashley was coping better with the physical exertion, Kim noted, but it wasn’t surprising given her keen interest in sports. She was, however, on the verge of tears. Kim could hear it in her breathing.
‘Which way do we go?’ Ashley asked, her voice wobbling.
‘We need to find our way back to the trail,’ Kim said. ‘Then we can follow it back out of here.’
‘If we don’t get lost.’
That was a good point. Tim had taken the lead the whole trip, so they really had no idea which way they were supposed to go.
‘First we need to find the trail,’ Kim said. ‘That’s all we need to worry about for now.’
‘I have an idea,’ Ashley said and changed direction slightly, pulling them left.
‘Why this way?’ Kim asked.
‘We approached the house almost head on, up an incline, right?’
‘Yeah.’
‘And we set off running at about ninety degrees from where we came in. So, we need to angle back left again and we should come across the trail.’
Kim was impressed. The girl was clearly in a fragile state, hell, they both were, but when confronted with a problem, she had managed to think logically and come up with a plan. Normally, it was left to Kim to act in any kind of situation, let alone one where they were fighting for their lives. Maybe the extreme danger had kicked the mouse into fighting mode. Kim was pleased with that, because they would need to fight to get out of this hell. She followed Ashley’s lead without hesitation, and both pushed themselves on as hard as they could.
Kim knew the two lunatics who were following would have no such trouble making their way through the trees. This was obviously their home, their environment, a place they knew well. Kim and Ashley were the fish out of water here, trying not to get caught and served up on a plate.
‘All this time,’ Ashley said, her breathing growing quicker.
‘What?’ Kim asked, confused.
‘Tim,’ she replied and began to slow down. Kim grabbed her, but Ashley came to a full stop. ‘All this time, he was one of those... monsters. All this time.’
‘Don’t think about that,’ Kim ordered, trying to pull her on. She didn’t need Ashley breaking down and losing it. She needed her friend to show the fight she had hinted at before.
‘But, we were... we’ve been together,’ Ashley said. Kim understood, her own stomach was lurching at the thought of that fiend putting his hands on her friend, so God knew how that made Ashley feel.
But it still wasn’t helping.
‘You had no way to know what he was,’ Kim said, taking deep breaths while she could. Part of her was thankful for the break, but a bigger part of her knew they needed to move. ‘Forget it. Be sad when we get out of here.’
‘And I said it, Kim. I told him I loved him. He said it too.’
‘He’s a liar,’ Kim snapped, raising her voice as much as she dared and as much as her oxygen-starved body would allow. ‘If you want to feel anything, feel anger. Feel angry at who he is and what he did. Use that. Channel it and fucking use it.’
‘But—’
‘But nothing. He used you, Ashley. He walked all over you. So what are you going to do about it?’
Ashley didn’t say anything, she began to sob. Maybe giving her a hug would have helped calm her down, but Kim didn’t have time for that. She needed to snap her friend out of it, and quick. With an open palm, she slapped Ashley hard across the face.
Ashley’s eyes popped open in shock, and she instinctively brought a hand up to her cheek.
‘What—’
‘Enough,’ Kim said, cutting in, not letting Ashley even start. ‘No more wallowing. No more letting shit just happen to you, Ashley. You need to start fighting back. And, fuck me, there is no better time to start than right now. Because if you don’t, honey, we die. Do you want to die?’
‘No,’ Ashley said, ‘of course not.’ The words still sounded too timid for Kim’s liking, so she shoved her friend, hard, pushing her a few steps back.
‘What they hell is wrong with you?’ Ashley asked with a hint of anger. But only a hint.
‘What’s wrong with me?’ Kim asked, shaking her head. ‘I want to get out of this alive, Ashley. And I know we need to fight our way out if we are going to do that. You still sound like you’re waiting for someone to come along and save us. Newsflash, that isn’t going to happen. We save ourselves or we die. Understand?’
‘Yes,’ Ashley said, but again, far too timidly.
‘Then mean it,’ Kim said and pushed her again.
‘Stop it,’ Ashley said, clenching her jaw. ‘We don’t have time for this.’
‘Make me,’ Kim said and pushed again. Finally, Ashley broke. Kim was taken by surprise as Ashley suddenly stepped forward and pushed her in return, with force, causing Kim to topple backwards onto her backside. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but the strength of her friend shocked her.
Good.
‘Kim,’ Ashley said, bringing a hand up to her mouth, ‘I’m—’
‘No,’ Kim said, quickly getting to her feet. ‘No, you’re not sorry. You were standing up for yourself. Don’t be sorry. Just stay angry. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?’
Ashley let her hand fall from her mouth and took a moment. Her jaw set and she tilted her head up and nodded.
‘Yes,’ she said, finally sounding like she meant it.
‘Good,’ Kim said and put a hand on her taller friend’s shoulder. ‘So, what do we do now?’
‘We get the fuck out of here.’
‘Atta girl,’ Kim said with a smile.
They both set off running again, and within a few minutes they saw something that gave Kim hope. Ashley had been right to bring them this way.
The trail was up ahead.
‘There it is,’ Kim said, keeping her voice low.
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‘I see it,’ Ashley confirmed, and they continued running until they set foot onto the dirt track.
‘Which way?’ Kim asked.
‘Right,’ Ashley said, ‘that should lead us out.’
As suggested, they ran to the right, with Ashley pushing up ahead and Kim, not quite able to keep pace, bringing up the rear.
Again, Kim’s legs began to burn and the pain in her chest and side returned. She found herself losing ground on Ashley, who was keeping a steady pace, pumping her arms and legs with quick, even movements. Kim wished she’d spent more time exercising. She had a natural figure that she never had to work at, whereas Ashley, as self-conscious as she was, worked out all the time. That fitness was now helping her friend, while Kim was struggling.
Fuck it, Kim thought, if I survive this I’m joining a gym.
On and on they went. Kim’s breathing became loud and erratic and she wanted to throw up. But she knew stopping was dangerous, so she pushed herself harder. They broke through into a clearing, giving them a little more visibility, and Kim finally pulled up, unable to go any farther.
‘Ashley,’ she said with a gasp.
Ashley stopped and turned back. She was red in the face and covered in sweat, but looked like she could easily keep going. ‘You okay?’ she asked.
Kim nodded, sucking in air. ‘Yeah, I just need to get my breath. Feel like I’m going to pass out.’
Ashley nodded. ‘Be quick,’ she said.
‘I will.’ Kim bent over and rested her hands on her knees, trying to stop her head from spinning. Her breathing was quick, too quick.
‘Take slow, deep breaths,’ Ashley said. ‘It’ll help.’
Kim closed her eyes and tried to do just that, though it was difficult. Her natural reaction was to pull in as much air to her lungs as she could, but soon she managed to steady her breathing and things began to settle down. The dizziness dissipated and the fire that burned through her muscles and chest eased, if only a little.
Finally, she stood back up to full height. Time to get going again.
Kim had no idea how long it had been since they had left the family behind, but she knew the two lunatics would be closing in.
The Extreme Horror Collection Page 9