The Mountain Town

by Josh Olsen

  “Run you son of a bitch.’ Clark breathed out, laying back against the wall. Exhausted.

  “God Dammit.” Jason yelled out. The sudden light had blinded him temporarily. Aiming once again at the rusted hinges of the door, he fired his rifle, once, then twice.

  The mighty metal door fell backward hard, crashing upon the floor. Dust sprayed upward as it smashed the concrete floor. Standing back up, Jason sprinted down the stairs into the shaft.

  Another sound at the doorway caused Clark to shoot upward, bracing against the wall. His shaking arm quivered as it pointed the shotgun at the doorway. Jason’s familiar face appearing in the gray basement.

  “Jason.” Clark breathed out. Clark dropped the shotgun to the ground, the metal and wood clamoring against the floor. “Jesus, I almost shot you.”

  Before Jason had a chance to speak, Clark pushed himself off the wall toward him. “We need to go. We can’t let that thing get away.”

  Clark tore a long strip of fabric from his coat, moving to tie it tightly just above the wound on his leg. Before he even had a chance, the wounds on his leg and arm healed miraculously.

  “Shit.” Clark breathed out.

  “Oh God no,” Jason whispered out, “Clark.”

  Clark dismissed him as he stooped down to the ground, pulling his gun from the floor. “Ain’t nothing to worry about if we go kill the thing. Let’s go.”

  Clark spun outside the doorway, ascending the stairs quickly into the lobby of the hotel.

  Reaching the jeep, Clark yelled out to Jason. “Keys!”

  Jason tossed the keys, jingling in the air to Clark. Snatching them, Clark pulled open the door to the Jeep, starting it.

  Jason jumped into the passenger side seat, slamming the door shut behind him. The wheels spun and whirred on the snow covered carpet, all at once catching ground, lurching them forward out the front door, smashing through the metal frame of the sliding doors.

  The jeep disappeared around the side of the hotel just as Macklin came running out from the hallway on the second floor.

  “Wait for me! God Dammit wait for me!” Macklin shouted into the night as the Jeep disappeared.

  “Clark!” Jason yelled, trying to break through to Clark’s conscious mind. Clark sat quietly, eyes focused on the road, knuckles white as he clutched the leather wheel.

  “Clark! How do we even know where to go?!” Jason yelled again.

  “It’s wounded Jason, I gave that son of a bitch a run for its money.” Clark fumbled with more shells in his jacket pocket, setting them upon the dash.

  “It’s losing a lot of blood. We chase it in to the forest and finish it off. This ends now.” Clark spoke calmly, collected, more sure of himself than he had been in years. The past be damned, this was his job to do.

  The jeep spun forward in the snow toward the mountain trail, just big enough for a four wheeler. The Jeep lurched onto the dirt and snow covered trail, trees and sticks whipped and smashed against the car as it rolled down the trail. The headlights illuminating a ghastly trail of dark red.

  “There Clark!” Jason yelled out, pointing to the trail of blood.

  “I see it.” Clark said calmly, gripping the wheel, the Jeep sped forward into the dark.

  “Clark!” Jason shouted, wrenching the wheel from Clark’s hands. Red plastic fencing appeared in the distance, lit up in the headlights. It was the tall vinyl fence blocking off the east cliffs of the mountain. Narrowly, they dodged it.

  Clark shook off the surging adrenaline from their narrowly avoided demise as he continued through the woods.

  “Jason get your rifle! If you see it..shoot-“ Clark’s voice transformed into a desperate gasp, rounding a corner, a felled tree blocked their path. Jerking the wheel, the jeep spun hard into a snowbank, sending the car down, flying down a hill adjacent the cliffs, missing rocks and trees by mere inches.

  “Clark!” Jason shouted in the chaos. Rumbling of tires and snapping of branches echoed loudly throughout the forest. The front wheel spun awkwardly, catching a large rock, it flipped the jeep into the air like a toy, sending them further down the hill. The car smashed and rolled into the mountain. Clark’s head whipped hard against the glass of the window, cutting his eyes to black.

  Chapter 45

  “You ever going to get up today?” her soft voice spoke to him.

  His cheek rested softly against his pillow, his bare chest lay comfortably against the blanket of his bed. Exhaling loudly, he rolled over onto his back, facing her.

  Her beautiful face, inches from his, her soft hair tickled his bare chest as it brushed lightly against it. Leaning up, he kissed her softly.

  “Oh God Clark, morning breath.” Cass laughed as she plugged her nose, kissing him back.

  Clark pulled her down close as she leaned in, holding her tightly against him in their bed. Brushing her hair from her brow, he kissed her head gently.

  Cass laughed, “As I was saying” she said, as she pulled herself away, standing up. “Are you getting up anytime soon? I’ve got breakfast waiting, come on.” she turned to leave disappearing behind the doorway.

  Clark breathed deeply, sucking in a long breath of the morning air.

  Cass’s head appeared once again in the doorway. “Oh by the way…” she said smiling. “Happy 24th birthday, you old man.” She laughed to herself as she turned to leave. “Now come on!”

  Clark sat up in his bed, spinning to his feet, he stood up, rushing after her. Before he could follow, the room disappeared into white.

  Stinging. That’s all he could feel in his head. His eyes, his ears, his head all begged for relief from the pain. In the distance he could hear the horn honking endlessly. Noisily.

  Slowly, he pulled his throbbing head from Jason’s steering wheel, the horn ceased. Eyes adjusting in the darkness, he stared out through the shattered windshield.

  “Jason!” Clark shouted out into the dark, hand clutching his head that weeped blood.

  “Clark!” A voice replied from the dark. “Over here!”

  Clark squinted in the dark, faintly he could make out Jason, nearly 10 yards from him, he could see him.

  Slumped against the tall orange and red vinyl of the fence, Jason lay on the ground, clutching his leg.

  “Clark! I need some help over here!” Jason clutched his leg, his voice laced with pain.

  “I think my leg is broken-” Jason froze. Out of the trees, just in the distance, he could see the creature emerging from the trees in front of him. The creature snarled angrily, agitated. It limped slowly toward him, blood flowed heavily from its side. Teeth bared, it moved slowly towards him, growling.

  “Oh God! Clark! Get your gun!” Jason shouted out in the dark.

  Clark sat up in his seat, eyes scouring the cabin, he searched for the gun. But to no avail, like Jason, the gun had been ejected, lost in the crash.

  “Shit,” Clark hissed to himself, trying to stand up in the wrecked car, his foot pressed the gas pedal. Loudly, the engine accelerated, jarring him from the noise.

  Clark sat back in his seat, staring out through the shattered frame, he could see the creature, just feet from Jason now, blood seeped from its side.

  “God Dammit.” Clark said to himself. Screaming loudly, he hit the gas hard, shifting the car into gear. The wheels spun aimlessly in the air, trying to grab, to hold something. The frame of the jeep hung tightly to a rock behind, restricting it.

  “Shit. Shit. Come on.” Clark yelled, smashing the steering wheel with his hands.

  “Clark! Help!” Jason cried out again, frantically, he kicked his leg in the snow, trying to distance himself from the creature that growled at him, its teeth bared.

  Suddenly, the thick rubber of the tires caught the rock below it, jerking the car forward into the night. Violently, the car jolted forward, ripping the bumper from its mount. The car slammed forward, smashing against the creature, pinning it to the fence between the jeep. Trapped, the thing hissed and slashed into the air.

&nbs
p; The tires of the jeep spun angrily in the snow as the creature fought back against the mass of metal crushing it.

  Shrieking, the creature lashed out it’s claws, searching for anything. One of the flailing claws met Clark’s throat, slashing it open.

  Clark sputtered and gagged, clutching at his bleeding throat. Loudly, he yelled, slamming the car hard into reverse. The wheels spun backward on the snow, slamming him into the rocks once more, Clark’s head whiplashed backward into the seat, dazing him, it tore his wound further open. Blood spilling onto the seats and floor, Clark yelled out loudly slamming the car into drive. The jeep rushed forward.

  Jason could only watch. “Clark! No!”

  Once again the Jeep smashed against the creature. This time the plastic vinyl of the fence gave way. Plastic exploded out the other side as the creature and the jeep burst through, both of them tumbling downward hundreds of feet to the rocks and trees below.

  Epilogue

  Jason stared into the mirror for the hundredth time, straightening his tie, combing over his hair, checking his teeth.

  Sandra strolled up to him, grabbing his tie, fixing it. “Will you stop? You’re worrying over nothing. You don’t have to do this you know?”

  Jason turned back to face his wife. “Yes, yes I do.” Jason said quietly. “I promised him I would.”

  Opening the front door, Jason walked from his house to his car, his new car. The new shiny black pickup. Impractical he knew. For all it would take was one good ice storm for the salt to eat through the fine, jet black coat of paint. But he didn’t care, it reminded him of a different time, a more simple time.

  Rolling backward out of his driveway, Jason drove through the town. Shops bustling with customers covered the streets, people smiled as they talked.

  Raising his hand, Jason waved at Macklin, walking down the street with his son, Owen.

  Adopting him was an easy decision. Macklin smiled happily as he walked down the street with his boy, uniform crisp and pressed. Owen looked up at his new step father, safe, protected, and as much as he didn’t think it was possible, happy.

  Jason had made sure they knew, that they all knew, what Clark had done for them. How he had saved them all, had been so fearless and unquestionably brave. Jason would make sure none of them ever forgot it.

  Rolling down the mountain road. Jason gazed up on the trees and mountainside. Beautiful. It had been so long since he had left the town, he had almost forgotten what it had looked like.

  Hours passed as the mountains crawled past him slowly down the road, when finally, he came to it. A small house just 5 miles outside the big city, breathing out loudly, he stood up, stepping outside the car.

  He stood at the door, shaking, minutes passed before he worked up the courage to even knock.

  Shaking and breathing heavily, Jason jumped when the door finally opened.

  A beautiful young woman met him as she opened the door, golden hair cascaded downward, her face young, confident. Her eyes were strong and insightful as she stared at him.

  “Yes?” she asked.

  “Li-“ he choked on his breath. Ever so slightly, the smallest noticeable bump of a child graced her figure, just below her colorful summer dress.

  Coughing, he cleared his throat, “Lizzie?” he asked.

  The woman looked back at him, confused.

  “Do I know you?” She held the door open wider, her left hand held the door, a diamond ring adorned on her finger.

  “I’m sorry.” Jason breathed out, “Let me start over.” Extending his hand, he spoke to her, “My name is Jason Arndt. I was a good friend of your father’s. I was hoping…I wanted to tell you about your father. He was a good..he was my best friend. I’d be honored if I could just talk to you for a little while about him.”

  Lizzie’s mouth hung open slightly, she stared back at Jason.

  “Please, come in.” Opening the door wider, she led him inside.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Josh Olsen 2016©