Mitch’s overjoyed expression vanished in an instant, and he fell backward, clutching his chest as blood seeped through his plaid shirt.
The monster turned to Olive and hissed, the frightening noise emanating from a black chasm within its maw.
Afraid, she edged back a few steps, still holding the flashlight. The creature thrust out its other arm.
Olive dropped the flashlight and stared blankly at the gash across her forearm, so deep that she could see the bone as blood poured forth.
Mindy started to rush forward with her knife to help her. Sensing it was outnumbered and wounded, the creature looked from Olive to Mitch, then buried its claws into Mitch’s ankle and dragged him out of Mindy’s before either woman could stop it.
The last thing Mitch remembered was the sensation of soft flakes of ash landing gently on his skin and Olive frantically screaming his name.
Then everything went black as he succumbed to inevitable darkness.
Chapter VII
THE VALLEY OF ASH AND SHADOWS
A sh piled up between Mitch’s legs and flowed over onto his stomach and chest as he was towed along. His eyelids fluttered as he shifted in and out of consciousness.
The creature’s claws sank deeper into his right calf, and Mitch’s eyes flew open. He shouted in protest and groaned something unintelligible.
Mitch craned his neck forward with the little strength he had and tried to assess the damage to his body. The claw marks were so deep on his chest that he could see muscle fibers through the shredded plaid material.
He laid back, exhausted from even the slightest effort. He wondered if Olive had survived the onslaught at Mindy’s. What if the creature had come back seeking revenge after Olive had attacked it with a Molotov cocktail? She was alone with no one to help her. He had to stay awake; he had to fight this thing with everything left in him.
No one was coming to save him. It was up to him and him alone to get out of this thing alive.
Mitch attempted to bend his body forward to release himself from the creature’s grasp, but it was useless. The mere pressure against his wounds was excruciating, and he gasped for breath, the last of his remaining energy siphoned.
Don’t give in, Mitch, a voice in his head demanded.
Straining to see around the monster, Mitch could make out the entrance of the mine, the darkness within it ominous and foreboding. He tried not to imagine the nightmarish, grisly fate awaiting him.
His vision blurred, and he drifted back into unconsciousness once more.
The severe pain from his festering wounds awakened him, but this time, there was no ash around him. Trembling, he reached up to tenderly examine the wound on his chest. It had stopped bleeding, but the edges were raw and mushy to the touch.
Everything was dark, but there was a dull reddish glow coming from the back of the cave. He could hear dripping water, and the ground felt damp and cold beneath his fingertips as he lay there helplessly.
A screech bounced off the walls of the cave, far away, but not unthreatening. Fear coursed through Mitch, providing him with a slight boost in energy. He sat up and scooted backward against the wall, anxiously turning from side to side.
He observed a round, reflective portal of sorts, like something out of a science fiction film, emitting the red glow.
Strange scuffling and moaning coupled with movement began to echo from all around him. His hand grazed something smooth and clammy, and when it moved, he scrambled away.
Remembering his cell phone was in his pocket, Mitch fished it out and pressed the home button. Incandescent white light radiated from the phone, and suddenly, Mitch’s worst fears were realized.
Bodies, dozens of them, were scattered across the ground. Some of them groaned in agony, mercifully still alive, but others were mere husks… shells of what they’d once been. Their eye sockets were empty, their mouths permanently frozen in terror. Their corpses were covered in leathery skin, all moisture sucked from their bodies, and each one was unnaturally bent backward, arms and legs rigidly outstretched. They looked as if they had been dead for years, mummified somehow, but as Mitch leaned in for a closer look, he easily recognized them as many of the townsfolk of Wichita Springs.
Movement in his periphery forced him to look away from the dead around him. Mitch hastily hid his phone, not knowing what was headed in his direction, and edged closer to the ground. He tried to blend in with the others and lay still, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. Peering over the shoulder of one of the husks, Mitch’s eyes went wide.
An apparition of shadows appeared from the portal, floating above the bodies. Its cloak of darkness prevented Mitch from seeing its features. It was not one of the creatures from before, of that he was sure. It made wet, wheezing sounds as it glided past, finally stopping and hovering over one of the living.
No.
It was Doc Burrough. He flailed and waved his arms, trying to swat the mysterious specter away while hollering at it furiously.
Something quickly scrambled across the bodies, a white blur, and Mitch noticed that it was one of the creatures he’d fought at Mindy’s. It paused just as it reached Doc Burrough and seemed to look at the shadowed figure for approval. Then it raised its clawed appendage and raked it across the older man’s face, stunning him. The creature backed away, just as Doc Burrough was thrust into the air and pressed up tightly against the shadow.
Mitch felt his blood run cold as he watched the shadowed devil envelop his friend and suck the life from him.
Impulsively, Mitch grabbed his phone and held it up high. Light spread toward the creature and its master. As soon as the beams hit them, both howled and turned to him, the latter tossing aside Doc Burrough’s lifeless husk.
The hand holding the phone began to shake as Mitch saw the shadowed mass in its entirety.
It had two thin legs, and its face was narrow and skeletal with eyes that burned like glowing embers.
It pointed its bony hand in Mitch’s direction. Like an obedient dog, the pale creature leapt at Mitch.
In his shock, he clumsily dropped the phone. Mitch shifted about urgently trying to find it, ignoring the pain that seared through his body, knowing that without the light, he had nothing.
The brutal sensation of the flesh from his hamstrings ripping apart was the tell-tale sign they had reached him.
He slumped to the ground weakly. Seconds later, he felt something sharp flipping him over. Opening his eyes, Mitch found himself face to face with the dark skeletal creature sheathed in shadows.
The burning red eyes glared at him, and it lifted Mitch into the air, bringing its mouth close to his.
Mitch moved his arms futilely, but his body was damaged beyond repair.
Heavy jaws clamped down over his face. Almost instantaneously, his flesh seemed to shrivel along his bones.
Mitch shut his eyes. This was it.
Goodbye, Mom.
Goodbye, Olive.
Suddenly, he was falling to the ground, landing against bodies that cushioned him from the cold, hard surface.
The soul-sucking ghoul was shrieking and retreated back into the portal.
Mitch slowly turned his head.
A glorious angel bathed in splendent light stood before him.
It was Olive, and she was covered in Christmas lights.
He had never seen anything so beautiful in his whole damned life.
When she was satisfied that the monsters were no longer a threat, she crouched down to Mitch.
“Hey,” she said softly. Her eyes were sympathetic and full of concern. “You don’t look so hot.”
“Well, you have to be the best Christmas present a guy could ever ask for,” he replied hoarsely.
She smiled, trying to help him to his feet. “You like this look, eh? Battery-powered Christmas lights, courtesy of Mindy.”
Mitch was proud of her. “You’re brilliant.”
But then she noticed the mass of bodies that lay before them.
She clasped her hand over her mouth and fell to her knees, the crushing reality that her father could no longer be alive hitting her.
“Olive…” Mitch murmured, resting a hand on her shoulder. He wanted to console her, but they didn’t have the luxury of time on their side. “We can’t let this spread to another town. Whatever this is, it has to end here.”
Olive shakily rose to her feet and tilted her chin up, trying to be brave. “There were sticks of dynamite near the entrance of the mine.”
Mitch thought for a second. “That should be enough to close the portal.”
“I’ll go back and get them. Stay here.” She started to unwind the Christmas lights from her body to give them to Mitch.
He held his hands out to stop her, wincing from the effort. “No, you keep them on.”
“You can barely walk. You need the extra protection.” She ignored him and wrapped them around his torso. “Just make sure this button stays on.”
Mitch scowled at her. “What will you use if you run into one of them?”
“I’ll be fine.” She tapped the flashlight against her palm and turned around, sprinting into a run.
When she returned a few minutes later, she held up several sticks of dynamite triumphantly. “Now we just need a lighter.”
Mitch reached into his pocket.
“No way,” she whispered disbelievingly.
He chuckled. “My dad gave it to me before he passed. It’s one of the only things I have left from him. I rarely use it, but I always have it with me. Guess Dad saved the day even from the grave.” He took the dynamite sticks from her and examined them. Frowning, he asked, “Was this all of it?”
Olive seemed puzzled. “That’s everything. What’s the problem?”
He pointed to the fuses. “The fuses aren’t long enough. Usually they’re five times this length at least. With them being this short…”
Her eyes widened in understanding. “We won’t have enough time to run.”
“Yeah,” he replied. Mitch rubbed his hand over his face and leaned against the cave wall. He looked around, then settled his gaze on Olive. “Alright, give me the dynamite.”
Olive shook her head defiantly. “No.”
“I want you to run out of here as fast as you can.”
“Not without you.”
“Olive, everything I’ve ever known was in this town. You’re the last person I care about, and I’m not going to let them take you, too.”
“No, Mitch. You can’t do this alone.”
“Look at me, Olive. I’m not going to make it out of here, but you can.” He straightened and took her hands in his. “And I’d like you to promise me something. Don’t go backward. You’re going to leave this mine, this town, and you’re going to make a life for yourself—a good life—and you’re going to find people who will support you and love you.”
She pulled her hand from his to wipe away the tears as they streamed down her cheeks. “Mitch…” she started.
“Just promise me you’ll do that, that you’ll leave this place and go somewhere incredible. I hear New York is great this time of year.”
She nodded. “Okay. I promise.”
He wrapped her in his arms and pressed his lips against hers. “I’m gonna miss you, Olivia.”
Then he stepped away from her and pocketed the sticks of dynamite except for one.
As he walked deeper into the mine, he paused momentarily. “One last thing… why did you come back for me?”
She looked him squarely in the eyes. “You’re important to me.”
Mitch smiled sadly, remembering his own words to her before.
Olive watched him stumble away, until the glowing lights fastened to his body were swallowed up by the darkness.
***
When Mitch returned to the dark recesses of the mine, there seemed to be more creatures coming through the portal, as if in desperation to stop him. They circled him, but from a distance, their expressions full of hatred. Occasionally, one or two would take a swipe at him, but instantly withdrew in pain when the lights strapped to him would sear their pale skin.
He inched forward a bit more.
The portal was almost liquid in its appearance, ripples vibrating along its surface. Mitch reached out to touch it, but first cast a quick glance over his shoulder to be sure nothing was going to ambush him.
Satisfied that they would leave him alone as long as the lights stayed on, he brushed his fingers along the exterior of the portal. For a brief moment, he ignored his pain and his mission as he capitulated to the fascination growing within him.
He had to see.
Just one look.
He pushed his head through the portal, but when he did, he immediately wished he hadn’t.
A giant horned creature with white fur dropped what it was eating and stared at him with blood-red eyes. Mitch jerked his head back and retreated, his heart thumping wildly just as the Christmas lights began to flicker.
He reached into his pocket and grabbed the lighter, his other hand holding one of the sticks of dynamite.
The Christmas lights went out completely.
Mitch hastily thumbed the lighter, cursing when he only saw sparks.
He felt something slice into his calf muscle, and he shouted, dropping the dynamite just as the lighter emitted a small flame.
Mitch was being dragged away from the portal, back into the depths of the mine. He gritted his teeth, trying to find another stick of dynamite, but realized he’d lost them all when he fell.
He held out the lighter in front of him, screaming in agony as the creatures tore away at his legs.
A stick of dynamite had rolled into a crevice against the rock wall. It was a couple feet away next to the portal and out of arm’s reach, but it was his only hope.
With one last heave, he clawed his way forward, just as the creatures ripped off what remained of his mutilated legs.
His fingers made purchase on the dynamite, and he touched the fuse to the lighter. He pulled himself up to the portal just as the dynamite exploded in his hands, bringing hell and all its angels down with him.
Epilogue
THE VALLEY OF ASH AND SHADOWS
December 25th, Christmas morning
O live ran her fingertips over the smooth, glossy finish of the photograph in her hand, the one she’d retrieved from Luella’s trailer, the one of Mitch with his parents in New York City.
After the explosion, she had returned to her father’s trailer to pack her belongings. Inside her suitcase, hidden under her clothes, she’d found an olive jar covered in snowflake wrapping paper with a blue bow on the lid.
It was filled with ten thousand dollars in cash and a letter from her father. In it, he explained that he’d been setting aside money for her for a long time so that that she could put it toward whatever she needed to carve out a better life.
He also apologized for all of the pain he had caused her during her childhood, the years he missed being present as her father. It was his biggest regret, and he hoped the money would help make things right, and that she could find it in her heart to forgive him.
Reading it had been heartbreaking and cathartic all at once for Olive. The hole in her heart started to close, and she became more determined than ever to keep her promise to Mitch and to live a life that would make her father proud.
Olive hit the road, walking several miles to the Cherryton train station.
Whatever supernatural force holding the town captive had vanished. The crimson sky hanging over Wichita Springs became robin egg blue once more, and the dreadful falling ash was replaced with delightful, swirling snowflakes that coated her eyelashes.
She didn’t bother to stick around for the investigation into the murders of the townsfolk of Wichita Springs. She knew law enforcement officials would never believe her story, that monsters had come through a portal inside of a mine to feed souls to an evil Grim Reaper of sorts. Even with the inexplicable falling ash and dark red sky indicating that
something supernatural was at work, she would find her own story hard to believe, as well.
A train horn blared in the distance, shaking her from her reverie, and she lifted her head, feeling surprisingly at peace even though her life was about to drastically change.
The tracks at the station rattled and shook, pebbles bouncing along the wooden surface, as a train drew near.
It was Christmas morning, and people ambled closer to the platform, arms laden with beautifully wrapped packages and covered casseroles, eagerly chatting and laughing as they anticipated being with their families in nearby towns.
Olive felt a momentary pang of sadness that she was spending this Christmas alone. But Mitch’s final words encouraged her. She would find people who would grow to love her.
She looked over her shoulder one last time at Wichita Springs in the distance before stepping onto the train. Smoke from the collapsed mine spiraled upward to the sky.
Wichita Springs had been the catalyst Olive needed to forge a new beginning, the opportunity to break free of a past riddled with addictions that nearly killed her, to rise from the ashes like a phoenix.
Olive had been fighting demons long before the creatures crawled out of the portal in the mine. She’d hit rock bottom already.
Things could only go up from here.
Chapter 7
C ora licked her lips. They felt cracked and dry, and she realized it had been several hours since she’d last had anything to drink. Her throat was raw, on fire, from talking so much. More than Damon liking her story, more than her freedom, what she wanted right now was a glass of water.
Damon looked as though he’d been crying. He stood, and when she saw the knife in his hand, she felt hopeful, thinking he was going to release her.
He liked the story! You’ll be free!
“I have to kill you.”
Wait. What?
No.
“I’m sorry.” He took a step toward her, knife raised.
And Soon Comes the Darkness Page 15