Freeney

by Clay Zimmerman

SCREEEEEEEE

  The creature emitted a ferocious, high pitched squeal as it bore down on young Jimmy, extending it’s well-muscled arms to reveal powerful claws, the moon light glinting off of their tips. It is in moments like these where serendipity lies. Although the defenseless Jimmy had seemingly no chance to evade the winged predator, opportunity came to the rescue in the nick of time. Whether the darkness, the chaos of the moment or Jimmy’s awkward gait, made lopsided by his insistence on running with his teddy bear and plastic pail, flailing and sending candy flying in all directions, a root or crevice had sprung before him just enough to suck his body into the Earth in one fluid motion.

  The timing couldn’t have been more favorable. The monster hissed with disappointment as it clutched at vacant space. It was moving far too rapidly in its descent to have landed or do anything else but swoop high back into the atmosphere to recover it’s bearings without the 2nd grader cargo it had calculated to have had in it’s grasps.

  SCREEEEEEE

  SCREEEEEEE

  It veered out and to the left in a football field sized loop, its wingspan stretched wide in the ‘gliding’ position as it coasted with sheer inertia. Jimmy bleated desperately at the hysteria of the moment. A part of him must have been aware of how close he’d actually come to death. Big sister’s maternal instincts had finally kicked in and she made a motion towards the youngster, pushing off the gravel, vegetation crunching beneath her treads.

  “Jimmy!” She screamed.

  He’d picked himself up, gathered his bear and began stumbling towards the location of the still stunned group, the candy less of a priority now. Maddy moved to close the gap between them, no more than twenty yards at this point.

  With resounding quickness, their winged tormentor appeared from the peripheral and forcefully planted it’s massive feet into the supple earth with a mighty impact, interjecting itself between them menacingly. It snorted in satisfaction with its landing. Maddy’s feet betrayed her as she fell backwards, propping herself up on her palms in respect to the sinister barrier having suddenly been erected before her. The beast stood before her with it’s wings open and it’s hands on it’s hips, a devilish smirk spread across it’s face as it relished the dissolution of it’s victim’s reunion, it’s long, forked tongue wagging with excitement.

  What was it?

  WHAT THE HELL IS IT???

  When she’d first caught sight of it, the only thing her mind she could come up with was it must be some kind of outrageously large bat. She didn’t have time to even attempt to conjecture about where it came from or, for that matter, how it had come into existence. Perhaps some kind of freakish, Godzilla style, failed nuclear reactor energy experiment gone wrong. That’s easy. The bat had settled down next to a hemorrhaging uranium refinery. Or, who knows? She was young. Who’s to say there wasn’t some exotic locality where abnormally large, man size bats were the norm. But now that it was standing directly in front of her, there was no mistaking it for a bat. What could she compare it to? Nothing. A demon maybe or the personification of what one might imagine from the third dimension. If anything, some kind of gargoyle at least. Whatever it was, it was big. It’s human form might remind someone of an extraordinarily robust linebacker. The animal must’ve been at least 450lbs. It seemed to be content to simply act as an impasse, allowing the young woman to soak in the horror.

  But it had grown tired of the ‘show and tell’ game. It began to step closer to her. She was helpless in the situation, caught between two minds. If she ran, she’d abandon her brother to its whims. If she stayed, there was little resistance she could afford, she’d be diced to mincemeat with ease. The gargoyle towered over her, savoring every moment of her paralysis. A grin of amusement spread across it’s face, revealing rows of dagger like teeth, as it inched closer to it’s prey. The beast unexpectedly winced with annoyance as a fist sized rock thudded into its head.

  “Take that you fucking freak!” Rory yelled as he emerged between it and his love interest.

  He produced another stone with soft ball like dimensions and hurled it at the monster’s maw from point blank range.

  SCREEEEEEEE

  The beast shrieked with pain as the projectile made contact with it’s upper lip. It proceeded to rear back its sizable paw and brought it down across poor Rory’s head like a tiger’s maul. Rory was thrust to the ground ungracefully, his face obscured with red. He didn’t even get a chance to scream.

  Jimmy and Madison had wisely used the intervention to capitalize on the distraction created by their friend and were now reaching the end of the park, shepherded by Patrick. They’d reached the home neighborhood before they realized the predator wasn’t following them like they thought it might be. Surely, they were thinking about Rory. But they all seemed to know there was no point in wondering if he was ok. He was gone now. The significance of his sacrifice was not lost on them. He’d given his short life to save theirs. At least he’d died quickly. They hoped.

  Chapter 11

  Pastor Coleman rolled up the window to focus more intently on his inner dialogue. A hideous squeal had pierced through the night as he cruised through Challista’s mother’s neighborhood, disrupting his train of thought. Is the whole world going mad? Bunch of hooligans, even if it is Halloween. Goddamn stupid pagan holiday anyway. No wonder God has been seeing to the destruction of this country. Must be furious, observing from his celestial abode.

  Now that Challista was safe at her mother’s, he could turn his attention to the new and unsettling information. Gary Simon was back and he wanted The Book. Barry was trying to revisit his memories, hoping to understand how it had come into his possession. Although he had pushed his actions concerning The Book to the back burner at the time, maybe it would give him perspective on what to do next.

  He’d wandered from the administrative area of the church ground on a particularly uneventful Wednesday during his office hours to the sanctuary in order to clear his mind and perhaps offer a prayer in front of the altar, only to discover an old man sitting alone in the middle of the pews. He’d taken the time to light a number of candles which at first Coleman had found a bit pretentious but upon closer examination of the old man, excusable given the harmless and overall agreeable countenance he seemed to exude. Coleman had crept up from the entrance and when he noticed the man was not in prayer but simply sitting patiently, he placed a hand on one of the book stops next to the aisle and introduced himself. The old man calmly stood up, walked over to the aisle and addressed the church leader.

  “My name is Giovanni Bernard.”

  He was dressed in a brown vintage suit with an unassuming, soft toned yellow and gold dress shirt and tie beneath. Well-tailored, with both hands he held a bowler hat close to his body. When his gray eyes met Barry’s, he fell into a trance state.

  Apparently, he’d come quite a distance and traveled at great length to see Barry. His gentle cadence and compassionate gaze relaxed Barry and he felt assured and safe in the elder man’s presence. Strangely, he appeared to already know Pastor Coleman’s name.

  “You are a good man, Pastor Coleman. You are responsible and you care about your flock.”

  He mentioned this with a hint of satisfaction, an implied smile forming at the corner of his mouth. Barry felt it a peculiar observation for a stranger to make but couldn’t come up with a counterpoint. He knew he’d done his very best. He’d made a comfortable living for himself and his family but he wasn’t like some of these mega church leaders, vacationing in their yachts, giving sermons to stadium seating audiences.

  “I have something for you.”

  You do? What could it be? For me? No one ever thinks to bring me a gift during office hours.

  “Over by the pulpit. Go, look.” He gestured with his hypnotizing, grey eyes.

  Barry serenely stepped over to the familiar pulpit where he had delivered so many sermons over the years and peered into the cavern of the podium. He bent down and recovered a small, wooden chest. Displayed it on th
e podium and took a step back to appreciate it.

  “Thank you, Giovanni.”

  Giovanni opened his arms and spread wide his hands in a revelatory motion.

  “Open it. Look inside.”

  Barry could see a powerful white light shining from inside the chest, escaping through some of the cracks in the woodwork. He carefully lifted open the top and pushed it back on its hinges. The light was blinding. It was so pure it could be said to have been the very absence of color. It radiated from within the chest, casting rays throughout the sanctuary chamber, igniting the stained glass cherubs, giving life to the vibrant colors. Barry winced, inundated by the glare.

  “Don’t be afraid. Go ahead. Reach inside.”

  He mustered courage from within and guided his eyes into the bright. When they returned, in them rested a beautiful, leather bound book. The source of the majestic radiance could be seen to originate from the skillfully embroidered oak tree symbol on its face. It was breathtaking. An antiquity of exceptional quality. Coleman returned to the gaze of the strange man, seeking approval. Giovanni had taken up a position adjacent to him in the worship area.

  “Pastor Coleman, I have chosen you to accept this sacred Book of the Ages. I have protected it for many years. Now I have grown old and it is time for me to go home now. Barry, I want you to take good care of this parchment. I want you to hide it. Put it somewhere only you know. Somewhere it will be safe. This is a very important book for this village and this realm. Will you do this task for me?”

  Coleman weighed his options and considered the mysterious man’s proposition. It seemed like quite a large favor to ask of someone, especially someone you’d just met five minutes ago. However, Barry felt strangely comforted by the proposal. He didn’t feel pressured, although one could easily point out that he’d been put on the spot. He didn’t feel burdened with the magnanimity of the request. Even now, the large print book, easily 1,200 pages, felt light as a feather in his grasp.

  “Yes.”

  The affirmation was met with a broad smile by the old man. Barry returned his attention to the compendium, marveling at its purity.

  “Just what is the nature of this record?” He asked.

  He looked up, searching for the familiarity of those smoky, grey eyes but they were gone.

  “Giovanni?”

  He twirled around, checked his blind spots.

  Was I dreaming? Did I just have a midday hallucination? I was just rubbing my eyes in my office a minute ago.

  But he was still holding The Book. The chest was still there.

  O.K., what’s the catch? Where’s the gimmick? He strode from corner to corner, checking under each pew. He checked the bathrooms, the offices, the gymnasium and eventually the parking lot. Ok, no cars. This guy had seriously booked. He didn’t exactly carry the portrayal of athleticism with that full, blonde and gray beard. Mostly gray. But you know, some of those older guys run marathons in their spare time. He was definitely in a hurry to get the heck out of dodge, wasn’t he? Wonder if he stole something. Oldest trick in the book, right? ‘Here, sir. Take this magic book while I hit the safe.’ Ooh! What a hustle!

  Coleman was forced to confront himself when he returned to the altar where the chest lay open, the book next to it. Must be some crazy man. A homeless person or something. Probably an entire lifetime of rants and raves and endless stories with no plot, no resolution. Here, father. Take my life’s works. It’s my memoirs. Don’t ask me who I am. Gotta be going now! O.K., job well done. Time to hit the liquor store! Just what is this God forsaken book?

  He unlatched the leather bind, folded over the cover.

  Manifest

  Official Records of Heaven

  the names of these contained herein

  are to be admitted through the Pearly Gates

  on the Day of Reckoning

  on a date in time to be determined by God

  St. Peter, Apostle of Jesus Christ

  The letters glittered and gleamed with golden calligraphy.

  Whatever. Ok. Let me just thumb through the leaflets and….the names, were actual people in Allenville. He and Challista were listed. Their children. Their children’s children. A number of friends and family members, acquaintances. Now that’s dedication and attention to detail! What’d he do; copy a bunch of names out of the telephone book?

  Something inside him told him to knock it off with the sarcasm. He couldn’t deny it, the clues added up. God works in mysterious ways. You can’t live by that phrase and then question it when things are mysterious. Sure. But he wasn’t in a hurry to get hoodwinked either.

  Barry returned the book to it’s resting place in the chest and carried it back to his office. Once there, he placed the chest underneath his desk, removed the book and set it on the desk in front of him. He steepled his fingers, brought them to his chin as he combed through his mind trying to decide where to hide the book.

  Chapter 12

  Maddy finally began to accept that she was going to survive when she caught sight of the familiar red door which trademarked the Henley family compound. With Patrick next to her, she charged over the lawn with Jimmy in tow, his other hand still hanging on determinately to the bear. She could feel the emotion swelling through her as she made the final steps and finally burst through the portal, exploding into a cacophony of hysterics.

  Patrick comforted her while Jimmy curled up in a ball next to his sister, emotionally and mentally drained. She wept uncontrollably, struggling to process the new reality she had unwittingly stepped into. Everything had happened so fast. One minute, Rory was here. With them. Gathering candy like every other normal school child. The next, gone. Clubbed by a brute in front of his friends. There was no reason to think he could’ve survived. Even if he had, who’s to know what had transpired there between them after they’d fled. The creature’s claws had perforated Rory’s supple shell with such ferocity…..oh! The very thought was gut wrenching.

  The events of the night had unfolded with such velocity, they now found themselves passively existing in the Henley’s veranda. They hadn’t even had a chance to process their experience between themselves, let alone get their stories straight. Which was important now because rumbling’s, shifts of weight and sounds of furniture rattling, lights flickering on indicated the Henley’s had been rousted from their respective dream lands.

  This is a problem. And it was beginning to dawn on Patrick as to why: HOW IN THE WORLD WERE THEY GOING TO EXPLAIN THIS? If they told the truth; the consequences could be exceptionally unbeneficial. What if no one believed them? What if someone painted them out to be crazy? What if they accused them of foul play? Indeed, what self-respecting law enforcement agency is going to issue an A.P.B. on a 400lb gargoyle?

  Any chance they had of conferencing was over now though, as Bob came thundering down the stairs.

  “Madison! What is it? What’s going on?” He demanded as he vaulted down the last steps and knelt next to her with a hand on her back, coaxing her.

  “Oh, daddy. (sniff) He’s dead, daddy! He’s de-ead!”

  “Who. Who’s dead?”

  “Rory. He’s gone!”

  Patrick watched with wide eyes as Maddy proceeded to spill the beans. Cut her a break, he thought, considering what they’d been through. Whatever. He couldn’t expect them to lie about it forever. Only thing to do now: bite the bullet. Who knows? The way things had been going, at this rate someone might actually be inclined to believe them.

  “What happened?” Robert’s expression changed to anger.

  Was this another prank? Because it isn’t funny. Besides, he was just here. In my care. If that little fuck up did go and overdose, they better not come trying to blame me!

  “Daddy. Oh, daddy.” She just kept shaking her head in denial.

  The seasoned father of fourteen years softened his tone. “Maddy, baby. It’s ok. I’m your father. You can tell me anything. Go on.” His eyes filled with concern.

  Maddy sniffed, wiped her nose on
her sleeve and met her father’s gaze.

  “Dad. Please, believe me. It was this monster. Like a giant bat.” She whimpered, her bottom lip quivering.

  At this, Mr. Henley snapped like a twig. “God damn it, this is not funny anymore! Who is behind this?” He turned his attention to Patrick. “Was it you?”

  Patrick shrunk back from the accusing finger Madison’s dad had thrust his direction.

  “No sir, Mr. Henley.” He managed to eke out.

  “I don’t like what you’re doing to my daughter, you and your doped up friend! You get the hell out of my house and you leave her alone, you understand?”

  Patrick looked over to Maddy for help.

  “No, daddy! He didn’t do anything. I’m telling you the truth. Why don’t you believe me?”

  “Madison, are you using drugs? Is there something you want to tell me? I’m not stupid, you know. I’ve been fourteen before too.”

  “What’s going on? Honey?” Linda descended down the stairs, clutching her nightgown.

  Bob sighed at this. Well, no chance at sweeping this under the rug and moving on with life. This was a thing now. Mrs. Henley engulfed her daughter in an embrace, placing her hands on her cheeks and forehead. Did she have a fever?

  “James, go upstairs. What’s happening?”

  “Maddy’s idiot friends are taking things too far. Earlier they were over here, fainting from whatever drugs they’re on, talking about devils and what not. Now, they’ve got her playing some kind of prank and I don’t fucking like it! Crying wolf about a monster eating the other dumb ass and I think they may have given her something too.” Bob summarized with his hands on his hips.

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake.” She was brushing her only daughter’s hair. “You know, if I were to pull this crap when I was your age, my parents would’ve sent me to a boarding school.”

  “No!” Young Madison erupted at her mother’s dismissal, burying her head into clasped handed.