The Chronicles of Beast and Man

by J. Charles Ralston

  He would drive back into town from the east side, passing the Bartell meat processing plant. Bartell was the largest employer in Medusa, and for some, a source of pride for the town with its outstanding reputation.

  On any other day, Rod would park where the highway and Main Street intersect to try and catch anyone who might attempt to speed through town. Today on the other hand, he wouldn't be doing that, because of his meeting with his friend Dusty Welker at noon. He would have to go to lunch a little early and skip out on trying to catch speeders. Rod's patrol of the town probably wasn't required, but he did it anyway.

  Rod went to the Main Street Cafe, and had his usual cheeseburger with extra pickles, and a side of waffle fries. The Main Street Café is a down home restaurant filled with old fashioned décor (a butter churn, old cash register, decorative metal signs, etc.) While Rod ate, he glanced around the restaurant for an old flame from high school that worked there. When he couldn't spot her Rod assumed that she wasn't working and continued eating his lunch.

  Once he was finished he laid down the money to pay for his meal including a tip for the waitress, and made his way out the door.

  *

  It was exactly twelve o’clock when Rod pulled up to the Welker's family farm. Rod parked and turned off the engine. He assumed that it would be a few minutes before Dusty got home for his lunch break. Rod turned on the radio and began searching through the local radio stations until he found Led Zepplin playing on the classic rock station. After enjoying the music for a couple of minutes, he began searching through his cell phone. He found a picture of Marcy Russell, who happened to be the same woman he was looking for at the Main Street Café earlier. Six years ago Marcy married a well-to-do contractor by the name of Matthew Russell. Matthew was apparently good at what he did, but he was also known for being a dirty business man. Marcy and Matthew had two kids and were both respected in the community. Rod once asked Marcy why she continued to work at the Main Street Café, and she told him that she needed something to keep herself busy. Rod always thought that if he were her, he would be able to find something more interesting to do then work at the Café. But if that was what she wanted to do, that was her decision. The picture Rod was looking at was of Marcy making a silly face at the cell phone camera. Rod then moved on to the next picture, which was of Marcy in nothing but a bra, not revealing anything below the waste. Rod studied the picture taking in the beauty of her soft and lovely skin.

  Dusty pulled up the driveway in his Chevy pickup truck. Rod powered down his phone and tossed it into the passenger seat. Rod got out of the vehicle and greeted his friend who still appeared to be mourning. The two walked out behind the large barn on the property and began to dig a hole. Rod had not realized how out of shape he was until he saw how easy it was for his friend to dig. Rod took several breaks to catch his breath, unlike his friend who continued to furiously throw dirt.

  When the hole was finished, the two men went inside the barn where the dog’s remains laid. Rod had not been sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t what he saw. The mess of blood, fur, and bone was so gory that Rod could not believe his eyes. Rod knew that his friend might want an explanation, but Rod knew he would not be able to give one. This did not look like it had been done by coyotes. Perhaps such a terrible act could have been committed by a pack of coyotes, but not by one coyote alone. That would be the only explanation he would even attempt to give. After examining the devoured remains, they moved the tarp which the remains laid upon to the hole they had just dug. They dumped the body into the hole and began to bury it. Rod continued to sympathize with his friend, but felt that it did very little.

  -

  After leaving the Welker farm, Rod drove back into town and went down Main Street, then drove past the park, and began to make his way home. The entire time he was still thinking about what had happened to the Welker family dog. Everything about it was bizarre, so much so that it made Rod totally uncomfortable. It wasn’t long before Rod was back in his drive way, he exited his vehicle and quickly went inside. He did not waste any time heading to the bathroom and discarding his sweaty dirty uniform, he then got into the shower. As Rod washed himself, someone outside approached the house. They gazed in through the living room window and saw no one. They crept around the house to the back door, and let themselves in. The intruder moved through the house searching for the unsuspecting Sheriff. Finally the intruder came to the bathroom where Rod was showering. Rod turned and was surprised to see Marcy Russell sliding out of her Main Street Café uniform. He immediately had an erection which Marcy of course noticed. After disrobing, she stepped into the shower with him.

  “Hi, I didn’t see you working when I stopped for lunch earlier.” Rod said with a smile.

  “I was in the back helping the cooks out a little bit.”

  “A pretty thing like you doesn’t need to be hidden in the kitchen.” Rod said as he began to nibble on her neck. He then took a break from her neck and continued talking. “By the way, I thought we agreed not to meet at each other’s homes?

  “I got off work early, and I didn’t think you’d mind.”

  Rod of course agreed, but did not express it in words. He began to caress her soaking wet body inch by inch. For a moment, Rod thought that he heard Marcy purr. He whipped her around and began to thrust himself into her. Marcy was more than delighted at the excitement that she gave her old high school flame. This steamy shower session eventually moved to the bedroom, and when it was over, Marcy snuck back out of the house without being seen.

  A radiant full moon rose up in the night sky the same way it had twenty nine days earlier. The beast began to prowl the countryside, the same way it had during the last full moon. It was cunning and wise far beyond nature’s habitat. The hunger that dwelled inside the creature grew with each powerful step that it took. There was no question that it knew what it wanted, and exactly where to find it. The beast had a natural instinct that only something mythical and unholy could possess.

  The beast began its hunt within the darkness of the woods lying east of Medusa Township. It moved swiftly, attempting to track any scent that might lead to unsuspecting pray. It would seem that the woodland creatures that inhabited these woods had become accustomed to its tactics. On this night the beast would have a great deal of trouble tracking down its prey. This did not discourage the creature one bit though. It knew that eventually it would find something unsuspecting. This was part of its usual hunting grounds, and the beast knew that other animals understood that as well. To it, half of the pleasure was the hunt itself, and it had never accepted defeat. Within its primal thoughts there was no such thing as defeat. Once the full moon rose, the hair and the teeth began to grow, and the only thing it understood was: Kill, Eat, and Repeat…

  The beast had completely given up on finding its next victim in the woods. It made its way to a nearby pasture, and it was here that the beast knew he would find his prey. A herd of cattle were often located at the far east corner, and the beast would be able to take one of them down with pronounced effortlessness.

  Swiftly it moved through a gloomy fog that covered a large portion of the pasture. It wasn’t long before the herd was found. It only took a moment for the beast to lock on to its primary target. First of course, it studied its movements, its size and its ability to fight back. The beast definitely felt satisfied with the selection so it didn't waste any time.

  It leapt up off of its hind legs; snapping its jaws hungrily. Rapidly, it took the bovine down with minimal effort. The beast growled as it used its powerful claws to rip into the dense skin. The cow wasn't even dead when it began to feast upon its soft bloody entrails. Raising its blood soaked snout toward the bright moonlit sky, it howled a vicious howl that lifted up loudly into the night sky and fell back down softly.

  -

  Twenty miles away, Freddy Alexander and Tyler Zeal walked out of Gaming Plus, the one stop shop for video game enthusiasts. They both were excited with their purchase of Death
From Above 4, or DFA 4 as it's known in the world of gamers. The boys had been waiting in line to purchase the newly released game, so by then the time was well after midnight. Neither one of the boys cared what time it was, they were both freshman in college, and stayed up late most nights anyway.

  The two young men quickly got in Freddy's car and drove away with satisfied smiles on their faces. They headed out of the busy city of Webster and made their way toward Freddy's parent's house back in Medusa. On the way home the two discussed the reviews and possible new features that had been added to the widely anticipated game.

  All of a sudden something dove out of the woods. Freddy slammed down on the brakes, but he was unable to stop and the right side of the Chevy Malibu struck the creature head first.

  The two boys sat in complete shock for a moment. They didn't say a single word to one another; they only stared forward unable to see the massive creature lying below their field of vision.

  As it rose up, it stood on two legs. It revealed it’s unbelievable size, and obvious supremacy.

  In that second, time had no meaning. There was only themselves, the beast, and the utter terror that embodied the moment. With the help of the bright moonlight, they were able to see the creature clearly. It was like something from a depraved, twisted nightmare. Its massive body was streaked with blood, and it was too hard to tell if the blood was its own, or that of an earlier kill. In all its savageness, the beast was as unbelievable as it was hideous.

  All of a sudden it dropped to its knees and then down to the ground. It was obviously still reeling from the collision. Slow and sluggish, it rose back up and stood again as it continued to cross the road, and disappeared into the woods.

  “What in the world was that?” Tyler asked.

  “It looked like a...”

  “Don't you dare say werewolf...” Tyler said bluntly.

  “But...”

  “Werewolves are not real.”

  Very little was said between both of them as Freddy drove the car back home. They both knew what they had seen but neither one wanted to believe it. For one thing, who in their right mind was going to believe them?

  Everyone would just assume they were crazy or stupid.

  Once home, Freddy called the police and it wasn’t long before Officer Chapman was there. Right away he began inspecting the damaged vehicle; Chapman was very surprised at the amount of destruction. When Freddy had called the police he claimed that he thought he had hit a dog. After he was finished with his inspection, Chapman questioned the two young men. They explained to the officer why they had been out of town, and why they had been on the road so late. They told the officer their story about hitting a dog, a story that Chapman still wasn’t sure about.

  “Boys, if you hit a dog, it had to of been the size of a horse.” Chapman told them.

  Chapman’s remark did not change their story one bit. They still insisted that the animal looked like a dog. Chapman had no reason to argue with the two young men and wrote their accounts in his report.

  -

  The following morning Rod walked in from the bright warm sunlight and opened the door to the police station. He greeted Clara in his usual manner, then took a seat behind his desk and began reading the reports from the night before. Rod briefly read about the Freddy Alexander car accident. He thought very little about it; to him it sounded like a simple small motor vehicle accident. Rod went on to the records of the most recent city council meeting and looked for improvements asked of the police. Very little was said about the department other than a couple complaints about too many police officers, and a complaint that the recently reopened bar and grill needed more security. Rod couldn't help but smile at this, how could they watch over Sheila's Bar and Grill more if they had less officers?

  Sheila’s Bar and Grill had been opened six months earlier, and when it first opened it was burglarized twice, but that had been almost four months now. Rod's deputies had been keeping a close eye on the establishment, but had not noticed any activity out of the ordinary as of late.

  After reviewing more information and conducting his usual business of the morning he left to go out on patrol. Eventually he found himself outside the Alexander residence, where Freddy's car was still parked. Looking in his rear view mirror, Rod immediately noticed the large dent in the right front side of the car. His first thought was that the damage done to the vehicle couldn’t have been made by a dog.

  -

  Rod continued driving until he arrived at the Restful Motel, the only motel in Medusa. Rod and Marcy had been meeting at this motel off and on for a month. It was the only place in town where they could meet without anyone noticing. Rod had a key to a room made just for him. He convinced the owner (Stanley Bergthorson) that he should have a copy. The deal was that Rod could use the room anytime he pleased, and Stanley could go on supplying his very potent and very illegal moonshine to his friends.

  Rod sat and waited for almost half an hour until Marcy showed up at five minutes after one o’clock. She was on her lunch break and only had time enough for a quickie, the third one this month. Their little meetings had really started to become more and more frequent. It might have been a little out of the ordinary but Rod couldn't help but get excited at the thought of seeing Marcy again.

  After the intercourse was over, the two of them lie naked together on the stiff and uncomfortable bed.

  “Do you ever wish you could go back?” Rod asked.

  There was a long pause before Marcy answered him. “You mean…do I have any regrets?”

  “Yes.”

  “You were the one who messed things up; you called off the relationship. I was in it for the long haul.”

  Rod didn't continue his questions and chose to remain silent.

  Without another word, Marcy buttoned up her black uniform and exited the room without even saying goodbye. Rod felt pleased, and enjoyed watching her move about the motel room. In some kind of strange way it felt right; that is, until she left. When she closed the door behind her Rod’s smile melted away. He felt guilt pile down upon him. He felt really bad, not for her husband, but for her two kids. It was then that Rod realized that he didn't even know their names. He knew one was a boy and one was a girl. Hell, he didn't even know which one was older.

  “Oh god, who cares? I am the piece of shit that their mommy cheated on their daddy with.” Rod said to himself.

  Gabrielle Parker was running through the park trying to hold back the tears that were about to burst out from the corners of her eyes. She had just been told the most awful thing she had ever heard. At the young age of sixteen that wasn't too hard to do, but this had come from her boyfriend, Owen Kelly. She had told him that she was pregnant and that the baby was his. In reaction to Gabrielle’s words, Owen asked her if she would like him to punch her in the stomach, or if she wanted someone else to do it. She couldn't believe he had said it; she didn't care if he had been drinking tonight. No amount of inebriation should cause such words to leave his mouth. She didn't believe that anyone who truly loved someone would say something so cruel. Gabrielle was only sixteen and already, she feared what the future might have in store for her.

  It was then she heard something moving around in the brush behind her. She wiped a tear away from her face and looked for someone following her. It was dark, but she was sure that there was no one close. She then heard a twig snap; she turned to see nothing but the big red slide that she had once played on when she was a much younger girl.

  The thought of herself as a young girl, sparked thoughts of what the child she was carrying might be like. She wondered if it would look like her or maybe her mom. If it were a boy, maybe it would look like her dad. At that moment she didn’t care as long as it didn’t look like Owen.

  Gabrielle heard several twigs snap as if they had been stepped on. It was then that she came to the conclusion that someone had to be behind the slide.

  For a moment Gabrielle thought that it might have been Owen following her and
maybe he wanted to apologize for what he had said. Just then a terrible feeling came over her and she could feel a presence like she had never felt before. She started walking faster, trying to escape whatever it was that watched her from the shadows. As she moved a little quicker she looked back to see a massive creature standing up right on two feet moving toward her. She began to run, but within seconds a pair of strong arms picked her up and threw her back on the ground. Suddenly it was on top of her and as it took one swipe at her face, it ripped through the flesh with ease.

  Gabrielle screamed out, but she was quickly silenced when the beast bit down on her throat and ripped away everything but her spine. With persistence it savaged the young girl until there was only a pile of bloody and torn flesh, matted hair and bones.

  -

  As Rod walked toward his truck to go to work at the station, his cell phone began to ring. How odd, Rod thought when he recognized the number.

  “Why are you calling me on my cell Clara?”

  Clara then told Rod about the remains of a body that had been found in the park. It had been mutilated, probably sexually assaulted, and cannibalized. She had already been in contact with Officer Chapman and he was already on the scene.

  “Rod, I am really worried.” Clara said in a very sober tone of voice.

  “What is it?”

  “Evelyn and Ricky Parker have both called the station this morning. They say their daughter is missing.” Clara explained.

  “Oh…”

  Rod started his vehicle and drove toward the park as fast as he could. He hoped that things were not as bad as Clara had made them sound. But after working with her for several years he had learned that she usually did not exaggerate.