The Beast Inside

by David Horrocks

  The faded, brown paint was peeling across most of the body's surface, displaying a worrying amount of rust beneath. It may have had its antenna replaced with a wire coat hanger and one of the back doors wouldn't open, but the engine ran and that's all she needed from it at that moment in time. As long as the car took her away from the unwelcoming and hateful citizens of Birchfield, she was satisfied with its performance.

  It had only been a couple of hours since Alice had left the town's borders in the early hours of the morning. She hadn't wanted to draw attention to herself, and so she left before the majority of people were awake. Taking with her some clothes, money, her phone and whatever else she could pack in a hurry, Alice had loaded up her car and set off down the road without a word.

  The graffiti across her front door that read 'Die, Witch! Die!’ had been the last straw, with her landlord wanting her to pay to have it removed. She had just left her rent with a note on the kitchen table next to the keys, not expecting to receive any of her security deposit back.

  Alice hadn't really thought about where she was going or why. She had just picked a direction and started driving. With no idea of where to start looking for her birth parents, she drove aimlessly to whatever place took her fancy. If the witches in the woods were right, she had a destiny to fulfill and a choice to make. The only problem is she didn't know when or where she had to be to make it, or even what the choice would be. The funny thing about destiny is that you don't need to seek it… It comes to find you.

  **********

  Alice checked in her rear view mirror and saw that the red pickup truck was still close behind her. She was sure that it had been following her for miles. Why else would it have taken every turn she made, down highways and backroads? She had been testing them to see if they were tailing her and the last couple of random corners she had taken seemed to prove it. It wasn't as if they had even wanted to hide their intentions as they were driving so close they were practically tailgating her.

  Alice kept varying her speed, watching as they matched her velocity each and every time. The vehicles were accelerating and braking in unison. The driver could have passed her several times over, but they didn't even try. Unfortunately, Alice couldn't quite make out their face or any other features other than the fact they were male and quite large in stature. The sun reflecting off their windshield was making a positive identification almost impossible.

  A passing sign at the roads edge let Alice know that a gas station was coming up in a couple of miles. It was now late enough in the morning that there should be other people there topping up their cars, so she decided it was as good a place as any to pull over and confront her aggressive stalker.

  Pulling into the entrance, Alice purposely used her right indicator early in order to let them know her intentions. She continued to watch them in her mirrors as she slowed to a complete stop next to a dusty, old fuel pump.

  The truck stayed in the road, crawling past as its driver glared at her out the passenger window. Alice barely had the chance to see the gruff features of his face before he hit the gas and sped off down the road in a cloud of dust and diesel fumes. She shook her head in disbelief as the truck raced off into the distance, moving at high speed until it was nothing more than a tiny speck on the horizon.

  Was the driver just a stranger randomly taunting her? It could have been someone from town, but Alice hadn't recognised them at first glance. Either way, she was feeling creeped out and hoped that she would never see them again. Something about the vehicle had seemed familiar, but she just couldn't place it.

  After filling up her gas tank, using the filthy bathroom outside and buying a few snacks for the journey, Alice returned to her car to find a torn scrap of paper tucked under the wiper blades. It was flapping in the wind as she approached, ready to fly off at a moment's notice if it hadn't been held so tightly in place. She plucked it from its resting place, opening the papers folds to read the poorly scrawled note inside.

  It was a warning, all in capitals with large, spidery letters. Whoever wrote it wasn't well versed in spelling, handwriting or even grammar. It just read, 'DANGER! THERE ONTO YOU! BE SAFE HED WEST! - J'.

  Alice didn't have a clue who J was and why they were trying to help. She also wasn't sure if it was the truck driver or someone else entirely, but for some reason she felt like she could trust them. The writing was plain, simple and completely honest. She had no other leads on what to do or where to go and so she did as directed, heading back a little further north before taking the highway westwards.

  Changing direction because of a note was admittedly a little crazy and probably not the smartest decision that Alice had ever made, but she followed its instructions regardless. Anything could happen now, so she had to be mentally prepared for all possibilities, no matter how strange they might be.

  **********

  It was late in the night when Alice drove across the Colorado border. Her eyes were getting heavy from fatigue and she knew that she had to find a place to rest soon. She had been driving west for hours, with no sign of what she was supposed to do next. Stifling a yawn, Alice took her left hand off the steering wheel for just a moment to cover her mouth. Thick clouds were blocking out the moonlight, shrouding the road in complete darkness, with the brights of her headlights only just penetrating through it to show her the way.

  As a vehicle approached from the opposite direction, Alice was courteous and dipped her lights on low, but they didn't pay her the same respect. Their high beams blinded her, making it almost impossible to see the lines of the road. Tightening her grip on the wheel, she strained her eyes to try and regain her positioning. Whoever the driver of the other vehicle was, they had no consideration for other road users and were being incredibly rude. Or if not exactly rude, at least forgetful.

  Alice had almost made it past them, breathing a sigh of relief before she realised all too late what was actually going on. The vehicle in the other lane swerved, driving full speed into her car in a high speed collision. Alice's little car was shunted sideways by the much larger object, causing the door panels to buckle under pressure. The sudden change in direction whipped her head right into the side window as it shattered from the impact. There was a screeching of rubber a millisecond before metal crunched and sheared, as both vehicles found themselves lying in a ditch, smoke starting to rise from at least one of them.

  A ringing in Alice's ears, followed by dull aches and pains let her know that she had a severe concussion, whiplash and maybe even a broken rib or two. The sound of a never-ending horn was deafening and the smell... Something somewhere was burning.

  Alice felt faint and found it hard to focus on her surroundings, but in fading headlights she could make out the scratched red paint of the same pickup truck that she had seen earlier that same day. The collision wasn't an accident… Someone had purposely rammed her car off the road, and the man who did it was climbing out through his broken windshield.

  Panicked and finding it hard to breath, Alice tried to undo her seatbelt which was easy enough to do, but she then realised that her legs were trapped between her seat and the crumpled dashboard. The man outside had managed to claw his way out of the front of his truck and was pushing himself up to his feet. He was large, hairy and covered from head to toe in his own blood. She couldn't quite make out the sounds over the continuous beeping of the horn, but she could almost swear that he was roaring in anger.

  The concussion was beginning to take its toll as Alice's vision began to falter. She could see multiples of everything and had a splitting headache. Her thoughts were becoming fuzzy, making it increasingly difficult to stay awake. She tried to fight it off, struggling to get free of her current predicament. Unfortunately for her, she had very little strength left and she was fighting a losing battle. As the roaring, beast of a man crept around towards Alice's door she found herself unable to resist any longer, losing consciousness.

  The state of her mind and severe concussion meant that Alice's memories
of the events that followed were cloudy at best. She didn't realise that she was critically injured and at death's door when another vehicle appeared as if from nowhere and her would be saviour emerged. She didn't hear the yelling, or the gunshots and screams that followed. It was probably for the best, as the visceral scene in front of her was too graphic to witness without emptying the contents of her stomach.

  The smell of smoke was overpowering, with the added scent of gasoline and the crackling of fire that came with it. Through her closed eyelids, Alice could see all shades of orange, yellow and red. She heard metallic scraping and bending, then she was dragged from the car by someone with immense strength. There were footsteps as she was being carried off somewhere. She was coughing and spluttering, the firm muscles of a man's arms holding her up off the ground. There was a familiar smell, a deep, booming voice and then nothing. Nothing at all.

  **********

  “You had me worryin’.”

  The rough, midwestern accent caused Alice to wake from her deep slumber. She felt groggy, finding it hard to focus her surroundings. Her last memories were of being carried from the wreckage of her own vehicle, but she had no idea where she was now. Alarm bells started ringing in her head, that or her concussion was causing issues with her hearing.

  Alice slowly opened her eyes, her vision a little blurry as they strained in the bright light of day. It took a moment or two before she realised that she was strapped into the passenger seat of a large car with her rescuer by her side, driving carefully along winding and mountainous roads. The beat up, wooden paneled, sedan looked as though it had been ripped straight from the seventies.

  The man beside her was one of the scruffiest looking people Alice had met in her entire life. His tanned skin was rough, with the worst choice of tattoos etched into his arms and chest, that were visible through the open front of his short sleeved, plaid shirt. His unshaven face was friendly and well worn, with blue eyes that weren't all too dissimilar to Alice's own. He sat there, reclining in his seat, with one hand on the wheel as he used his free hand to brush his greasy blond hair out of his eyes.

  “What… What happened?” Alice said with confusion in her tone.

  The man smiled, keeping his eyes on the road as he spoke through rotten teeth that had likely never spent any time in the dentist's chair.

  “You crashed. I pulled ya out.”

  Sitting up straight in her chair, Alice checked her head for injuries, feeling a stab of pain in her side that let her know something was definitely broken. She winced, moving a hand to it as she spoke.

  “Thanks.” Alice said smiled lightly, turning her head to look at the man again. Her neck ached as she did so, which caused her to groan. “I appreciate the help, but who are you and where are we going?”

  He glanced over at her, giving the girl a once over before answering the question.

  “You don't recognise me do ya, Riley.”

  Alice furrowed her brow in concentration as she looked at the thin, but muscular man's face once more. He was certainly recognisable, but she didn't remember ever meeting him before. There was something about him that seemed strangely familiar though.

  Shaking her head slowly, Alice felt a dull ache move down the entire length of her spine. She spoke carefully, with the aim of not offending or enraging the stranger who she shared close quarters with, going over the words in her head before speaking them out loud.

  “I'm sorry. I don't recall meeting you before. Do you know me from somewhere?”

  The man sighed, slumping back into his chair as he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

  “That's a cryin’ shame, Riley. I remember back when you weren't more than a lil’ nipper.”

  She didn't know why he kept calling her Riley, but he said it with such conviction, as if he truly believed that it was her real name. He could have just been crazy, but she wasn't too sure.

  “Names Jolee. We’re related, you and me. My pa is your momma's brother.”

  There was a brief pause as Alice was taken back in surprise and yet for some reason she trusted him implicitly, like they had met sometime before. He certainly seemed like the honest type, but you can never be too sure. She took a moment to let the information settle in and process, looking out at the valley below as they continued to drive up and through the mountain pass. Alice had never seen the mountains before, especially not ones this tall and was left in awe of their beauty as they passed them by.

  Thinking things over, Alice painfully craned her neck to peer over at Jolee. Was he really a member of her own family? There was a little bit of a resemblance, but that could just be a coincidence. She really had to know more.

  “So… My real name is Riley? Riley what?”

  He flashed another knowing smile, the gaps between his teeth more apparent than ever.

  “McKay. Big ol’ family who used to have pull round these parts.”

  Riley McKay. It may have been too good to be true, but Alice was convinced that this was all real. She finally knew her actual name, which meant that more answers would come in time.

  “... Are my parents still alive?”

  Jolee was concentrating on the road as he took a particularly sharp bend close to the edge of a cliff. He remained silent until he was back on a straight away.

  “Momma Caitlyn is. Your pa? Well he died the night you were taken.”

  Alice felt a rush of emotions. Her real mother was still alive, but what had happened? Had she even tried to find her daughter? Feeling increasingly impatient, Alice kept the questions coming at a steady pace.

  “I was taken? By who?”

  Jolee simply nodded as he took another tight turn.

  “Our ol’ home was raided in the night by people I ain't allowed to say. Your pa an’ four of your brothers died tryin’ to fight 'em off.”

  Alice was shocked to discover that she had siblings too. She had always presumed that she was an only child and had never had anyone to grow up along side, other than Sam. She wondered if she would have missed her brothers as much as she still did her friend or her adopted parents if she had known them all this time.

  Continuing along the same line of questioning, Alice tried to extract as much knowledge from Jolee as she could.

  “Where are we going now? We're definitely not in Kansas anymore.”

  The driver chuckled, grinning widely with his rotten teeth on display.

  “The compound. It’s a secret place, but I promised your ma that I'd bring ya along.”

  Alice was extremely excited and nervous about the prospect of meeting the woman that she never actually thought she'd have the chance to ever see. Caitlyn McKay. Her birth mother. Her real family. Home.

  The rest of the journey through the endless mountain peaks was as enlightening as it was pleasing to the eye. Jolee told Alice how the McKay family had been chased out of their old home, for reasons which he seemed to skirt around. Bad men had raided the place in the night and burned it to the ground, killing anyone who tried to resist.

  As for Alice, they had taken her with them, but something had attacked following the raid, devastating their number and resulting in the little girl wandering the fields of Kansas alone. It wasn't clear how long she had been out there before Martha and Bill Delaney stumbled across her on their farm.

  Refusing to believe that she was dead, the entire McKay family had been on the lookout for Alice throughout the years. They never gave up on the hunt, spending nearly two decades searching until Jolee stumbled across her following the incident with the Mayor's son in Maggie's Diner. The story had been posted all over the local papers and something about the specific details allowed him to discover her true identity. The events that followed led up to the very moment that Jolee pulled Alice from the wrecked car and dealt with her attacker permanently.

  Jolee mentioned that he was the one who had left the note on Alice’s car, as the man in the red truck was a member of the mysterious group that had razed their old camp in Kansas to the ground.
The truck driver had apparently been watching her for quite some time and had purposely taken the Delaneys out of the picture. It was no accident that they were run off the road on that fateful night. Their deaths were apparently all part of a greater plan to expose Alice to the world and follow her back to the rest of the McKays upon her rediscovery. The plan had seemingly changed since that point in time, as the man had tried to kill her in the crash and make it look like an accident.

  Full of hope and the promise of meeting the rest of the surviving members of her family, Alice continued to fire questions at her cousin as they made their way further west. She was anxious to see the woman who had given her life, wishing for a chance to get to catch up on all those lost years. From the sound of it, there were still a lot of McKays to meet. Uncles, aunts, cousins and two remaining brothers out of the six she once had. It was an overwhelming prospect that was sure to change her miserable life for the better. The only problem was that they just couldn't get there fast enough…

  **********

  Wherever they were now, Alice knew that they were nearing their final destination as Jolee had turned off the main road to take a long dirt track deep into the woods. The trees were different here to the ones she had grown up with, but they still brought back memories of her childhood. Happy ones for the most part, with the odd exception.

  The sedan shuddered as it rolled over rocks and dips in the poorly maintained path, which the car’s worn suspension did little to negate. Each and every bump reminded Alice that she was still wounded and probably needed medical attention. She was definitely bruised, but hopefully didn't have any internal bleeding. If she did, she would have surely run into complications by now, as a lot of time had passed since Jolee had pulled her from the wreckage.

  Rumbling around a curve in the road, dense trees gave way to a huge clearing where the pair were greeted with the sight of a large compound. A tall, chain link fence, topped by barbed wire and posted with 'No Trespassing’ signs surrounded the open area, protecting the loosely organised series of log cabins and ramshackle huts within.