Sanctum Arcanum

by Alexander Kautz

  He had just nodded in reply. Tightly gripping the steering wheel with both hands until his knuckles whitened, he said, “I’ll keep my eyes open—be careful out there….” Slapping his shoulder and forcing the door open in the strong winds, I climbed out and down from the truck.

  It was a fight to even walk as I was almost blown off my feet! As leaning forward and almost crawling in order to make my way to the embankment, I finally reached the edge and looked down.

  Ray had worked his way down through the rock and mud and had almost reached the fallen vehicle. But as I began to follow in descent, I suddenly noticed something that froze my heart! The driver of the vehicle had appeared to have been waving. But now, and as I could see him through the bloodied and broken windshield, I realized by his features that he was actually screaming, and that he was in fact frantically waving in warning to get back and away!

  But before I could even signal to Tim or warn Raymond of this discovery, the nightmare had appeared from out of the blinding lights and to the rear of the plow, its rotting and charred flesh still smoldering! Walking upright, it ripped and tore at the flailing figure of the passenger clutched between its many claws! Barren of fur and burned beyond recognition, it was little more than a mass of filth-covered, writhing forms! An accumulation of horrendous limbs and heads, thrashing wildly, were biting and tearing at the shrieking and helpless man!

  I had fired blindly while emptying the revolver into the horrifying creature! The shots had been utterly useless. As though many had reached their marks, the flesh they had penetrated was already long dead! But the sound had alerted Raymond to the horror which now swiftly approached. He had seen the monster. Unwilling to abandon the survivor, he struggled to open the driver’s door. As between the wind and weight, he almost fell during the attempt.

  Tim had begun flashing the lights and blaring the horn from above, briefly drawing its attention from our friend. It was the moment it had taken for Raymond to pull the door free and the occupant to slip outward. And leaping aside, they both rolled off and disappeared while dropping into the deep snow! We had been so relieved with their escape that we had failed to consider what we had done….

  It uttered a sound that seeming more like a hideous gurgling than a roar, spewed filth and decay as it now stood within direct view of the trucks flood-lights! Its head was nothing more than a charred and smoldering skull. As biting down, it chewed and ripped the hysterical and screaming passenger in half, and with a mighty swing of its enormous head, sent the still twitching parts crashing in a crimson eruption against the side of the plow!

  “Go—get back!” Raymond wailed as he scrambled up the embankment with the survivor in close pursuit, “Get into the truck—run, God-dammit!”

  I had helped them over the edge of the embankment. As we had all turned to run, the ground began shaking beneath us with the horror following from just behind! I had looked back as it fell against the edge of the embankment, clawing into the mud as it began climbing out. Those blackened portals where eyes had once been, were burning with an unholy light!

  The truck had roared forward as Tim shouted out the open window and through the storm, “Get in—hurry—it is right behind you!”

  We had stumbled back through our tracks in the deep snow and desperately scrambled into the truck, the doors having not even been closed as the vehicle began pulling away! I was still hanging from the open door when we began sliding back onto the road! Raymond had pulled the stranger inside, and turning back for me, had suddenly gasped! As with my feet still dragging in the snow while hanging from the open doorway, I felt a shadow fall over me. Raymond had grabbed at my arms and shouted as I looked back!

  The huge head was inches from my legs, its jaws gaping and those huge teeth gnashing outward as I cried out in fear! I felt four hands, two upon each arm, as within that final moment, Raymond and the stranger hauled me into the truck!

  “Drive—drive!” Raymond had wailed at Tim, “Its right behind us!”

  “I can’t see a damn thing--,” The response had been done in utter terror as Tim fought to control the vehicle, “I don’t want to ditch her—or we’re all as good as dead!”

  The truck was already sliding dangerously as the monster began closing in from behind! Unable to see even several yards before us in the storm, Tim narrowly missed disaster several times. Had he not known that road as well as he had, we would have most certainly collided with something on the old serpentine road.

  Grabbing his revolver from where I had dropped it onto the back seat, Raymond began reloading his weapons, “I thought that you said that burning the bastard would do the job?” He stared at me in a mixture of disappointment and despair.

  “It has to be burned into ashes—utterly destroyed!” Tim had shouted, “We should have ignited the crematorium, the gas line would have taken that thing out for sure!”

  “And how the hell do you propose that we do that in all of this snow?” Raymond became desperate, as looking between us, he glanced out the back window in absolute horror, “It’s catching up to us, Tim—don’t slow down!”

  “Don’t lead it to the church!” The stranger had cried out from the back seat, “Go toward the service station—just trust me on this!”

  “What about the people working there?” I remembered old friends and feared for their lives.

  “The old owner died a few months back--,” The stranger informed me, “And the new owners are out of town, they’re closed for the holidays. It’s empty—believe me, there’s nobody around!”

  We had slid down the old back road and through the deep snow, and narrowly avoided a head-on collision with an old Pontiac which had been left abandoned earlier. I had looked into the passengers’ mirror while having climbed over the center console and into the front seat: Still it came, unrelenting, unmerciful, a charred and blackened nightmare that followed from only yards behind! Its eyes burning with a vengeance, a cold hatred, which chilled my very soul!

  “Pull into the station and let me out!” The stranger demanded, “Then get the hell out of here—I’m taking that thing down!”

  “Who are you?” Raymond stared into the younger man’s face. Drawing back his hood, the stranger revealed his native heritage, long black braided hair and dark eyes, “My name is Charlie Edmunds--,” He cursed, “And that thing just killed my little brother—and it’s payback time!” He pulled a wallet from within his jacket pocket and dropped it onto the seat, “Give that to the hospital if things go bad. “ He thought momentarily, “Or my family….”

  There hadn’t even been a chance to ask or inquire of anything, as sliding sideways into the dark service station, the monster still in close pursuit, Charlie had leapt from the vehicle as we sped from out of the beast’s path!

  “What the hell is he doing?” Tim corrected the careening vehicles trajectory, barely avoiding a cement barrier in the large parking lot!

  I had looked back just in time to see the man waving his arms wide at the hideous thing, and then running toward the front doors of the station, where he halted and turned to face the thing! I watched in utter horror as the enormous smoldering thing charged! Standing his ground, Charlie had slowly aimed a revolver at the pump and pulled the trigger…. The station ignited in a blinding flash! An explosion lit the night and carried all memory of the man and the monster away in a fire-ball of rising smoke!

  “Oh my god--,” Tim pulled off to the side of the road as we all stared into the inferno where the little station had once been, “They’re both gone….”

  Raymond had picked up the wallet, quickly examining the identification, and slipped it into an inner coat pocket. “We did everything we could for them. I’m sorry that there wasn’t more--,” Shielding his eyes from the flames, he muttered, “Let’s trade places, Tim—we need to look around town….”

  We had pulled in before the sporting goods store, but had all been apprehensive in departing the truck. It was located centrally and on the main shopping strip through town.
And though the street appeared empty, we could see little beyond the flurries in the brilliant glow of the service station flames, the storefronts and entire snow-covered street reflecting the inferno through the immense clouds of drifting smoke.

  “It feels like we all died and went to Hell--,” Raymond cursed as he paused before the truck, and pointing toward the sporting goods store, said, “Do you boys know the owner of this place—and does he reside on the premises?”

  “Clark Owens--,” Tim shivered and rubbed his hands together in the bitter winds, “He’s gone to Florida with his wife to be with family over the holidays.”

  “Alright then--,” Appearing somewhat reserved but without a choice in the matter, Raymond frowned, “I need ammunition and a few other things. I guess that we’ll have to do this the hard way…”

  Tim appeared helplessly lost. We were all freezing, terrified, tired and hungry. And I had a bad feeling that things were about to get far worse…..

  Raymond had smashed the glass from out of the front door with a leather boot heel, kicking and forcing his shoulder against the metal bars that had been loosely mounted upon the wooden framed door. It broke away with less effort than we might have expected. Standing and looking at one another Raymond seemed surprised.

  “The building isn’t alarmed--,” Tim shrugged while pulling the collar of his dress shirt closer about his ears, “There’s never really been a theft or robbery in this town.”

  We had hurried inside as Raymond made for the back counter. Swiftly locating shells for his revolvers, he emptied boxes of ammunition on the counter, fumbling nervously while reloading them. “I realize that conventional weapons don’t seem to be much use against these things. But you boys better find something fast, we don’t have much time. And grab a jacket, before you freeze to death.” He reminded Tim who was still wearing the sweater and dress shirt he had worn when we first arrived.

  “Here—try this.” Pulling a heavy winter parka from one of the nearby racks, I shoved it into his arms, “It should do the trick until we can get out of town.” He had hurriedly slipped into the coat, adjusting the fur collared hood before following me through the store.

  We had quickly found several twelve gauge shotguns, and using a shovel handle to break the chains free from the cabinet that held them, rushed to the back counter for ammunition.

  “Maybe we should just leave town--,” Raymond had grumbled while shoving handfuls of shells into his coat pockets. “If this thing is only after us—then we shouldn’t risk bringing any more of this hell down on anyone else.”

  “I really don’t think that we’d get very far—even if we tried--,” I looked to my friends, “You both saw what this nightmare is capable of doing—creating monsters out of the parts of dead things. There’s no telling what might be waiting for us out on that highway.”

  “And we all know what will happen if we stay here.” Raymond appeared as though his mind had been made up, “In town we have some type of protection. Out here we’re all sitting ducks. And anyone that comes near us is as good as dead or worse…”

  “He’s right.” Tim had sadly looked back at me, “The longer we stay here, the worse things will get for everyone involved. Michael—we need to leave Hedley, as soon as possible…”

  “Alright then--,” Swallowing hard while aware of the consequences in either respect, I nodded in agreement, “We load up what we can and get out of here right away.”

  “Get those shotguns loaded--,” Raymond grabbed extra rounds from behind the counter, and shoving them across the counter, said, “Fill your pockets….”

  Tim had managed to spill several boxes of ammunition and dropped one into my open hands. We had loaded the weapons and begun filling our pockets with shells, when a sound drew our attention to the front door. The little bell going off as someone entered, “Is anyone here?” A woman had called as she made her way inside, “I need help—someone, please!”

  The store had been dark. For obvious reasons we had instinctively hidden at first. But cautiously peering out from behind our places of concealment, we looked upon the woman who now stood staring in the front door. She was middle-aged, tall and blonde, and wore a white ski-jacket and matching woolen hat. She looked as frightened as we felt. Raymond had reassuringly waved, “I’m a police officer, ma’am, don’t worry about a thing, you’re safe with us.”

  She had appeared startled at first, but then smiling, had hurried toward us. It wasn’t until I had seen the bottom of her blood soaked coat that I cried out in warning! But it had already been too late! She had swatted a hand at Raymond and sent the big man flying like a rag doll into a shelf, the entire display going over as he fell against it, and was buried as everything fell crashing to the floor!

  We stood in absolute horror as she slowly dragged the remains of a Great Dane by a leash in her left hand! It was a huge, tan, female, weighing easily over one hundred pounds, which had been little hindrance as she dragged it through the aisle. She had stopped less than ten feet before us, and looking between us, grinned with a mouth full of sharp and blackened teeth. Her eyes glowing with that same pale and unholy light as the horror before her….

  Gawking, neither of us had thought to use the weapons as she suddenly stiffened and stood straight! Her body convulsing as the dog slowly rose, and walking upright, moved close from behind her! Her coat and clothing tore away as they merged, mutating before our unbelieving eyes! Shuddering and convulsing hideously, the dog forced itself into her body, its snout bursting through her open mouth as she had screamed! Her face expanding to accommodate the lengthening features, the jaws opening and snapping, as huge and jagged teeth dripped with fresh blood!

  She cast her arms wide, lurching forward as the hound’s form elongated her own body! Their forms integrating as arms and limbs thrashed wildly, fingers extending into claws as they clutched and tore at the air! Her neck lengthening until appearing more animal than human, she fell to the floor! Rising upon eight hideous and clawed limbs, she uttered a shrieking roar which sent us reeling back in mindless terror!

  It was the nightmare of generation, the horror misrepresented through history as the legend of the werewolf! A creature, being neither human nor entirely canine, which was comprised of both elements, altered by the devil himself! As crawling upon six of those ghastly clawed limbs, the upper torso bent upward! Its head and shoulder reaching her previous height as the neck grew longer, and swayed in search of us, the upper and foremost limbs still changing, stretching into hideous heads with snapping jaws!

  We had emptied our pump shotguns into the horrendous thing, the room filling with sulphur smoke and blazing hot lead as it just kept coming!

  “Take cover!” Raymond had cried out as he tossed a can of gun-powder and pointed his revolver! I had dropped down behind the counter as an explosion rocked the store and we were showered in ammunition, everything falling from the shelves behind us as we covered our heads with both hands!

  The nightmare now burned as it still struggled after us! Pulling Tim by the arm, I rushed out from behind the counter, and narrowly escaping the horror, desperately scrambled toward the front door. I had seen the creature’s reflection in what remained of the door glass, my heart racing with what I now saw! With the flames having been inexplicably extinguished, it spun around and scrambled along in swift pursuit! As running upon the six hideously malformed canine and human legs, it scrambled across the heaped rubbish upon the floor, its upper arms having become long necks, and the jaws of hideous hound-like heads snapped! The flames had burned away most of her hair, and much of the skin, but from beneath the charred tissue pulsated something that now rejuvenated the monster!

  “Get down—!” Raymond wailed from behind the horror, “Get down!”

  The monster had almost been upon us as we threw ourselves forward and behind a shelf for cover. Another detonation rocked the store as the windows all exploded outward! Showered in glass and with our ears still ringing from the explosion, we were blinded in t
he streaming smoke! Our friend had suddenly appeared from out of the madness! Drawing us forward, he dragged us out the front door and into the night.

  “Go—get out of here!” He had choked out the words. Coughing and gasping for breath, we stumbled with tears in our eyes as he shoved us onward and toward the nearby truck. Explosions shattered the stillness as ammunition now erupted from within, the store burning as chemicals ignited, flashing in brilliant explosions while belching black smoke into the night!

  Faltering through the deep snow, we raced for the truck. Climbing inside, we were horrified as the monster suddenly appeared from out of the chaos! As crawling upon those six long and hideous limbs, it now swiftly came after us through the blinding flurries!

  Raymond had accelerated in reverse, but we simply weren’t fast enough and it leapt upon the hood! He punched the gas and cranked the wheel as the big truck began to spin, the multi-limbed monstrosity clinging on as it crept ever nearer the windshield! Those hideous jaws snapping as it roared, shrieking as those eyes burned in absolute hatred!

  But then, Raymond had slammed the brakes and the horror slipped free! Sliding off the hood, it dropped somewhere into the snow on the driver’s side! There had been a moment of victory until I realized that the truck had stalled, turning suddenly as Raymond desperately attempted to start it again!

  As it finally roared to life and he let go of the gas pedal, the driver’s side window exploded inward! A hideous limb and head extended into the cab inside, snapping wildly while thrashing out at us! Wailing in the chaos, Raymond had accelerated forward and once more swung the truck around. The clinging horror was suddenly torn free by the force of gravity, and was violently cast out into the storm!