Striking a good pace, they walked into the forest, holding hands, their backs to the road. Under the canopy, the darkness seemed to press down. From somewhere behind them, Alex could still hear the chains.
“We should be singing,” agreed Jules, “pretend we’re having a pleasant hike.”
“It’s not the best end to the day, is it?”
“What do you think happened to the boy?”
“Maybe he saw us crash and ran off, terrified that we were going to yell at him.”
“You don’t think you hit him?”
Alex paused. “I don’t remember feeling any kind of bump, no.”
There was a clatter of chains behind them. They both turned sharply. To Jules’ left, something was moving in the trees, only occasionally coming into enough illumination for them to be able to see.
“There,” she said, “the legs.”
It was what Alex had seen before and now that he was closer, he could see she was right. Below the knee was covered in a dark material, whilst a grey skirt covered the rest. The legs were enormous and if the man was in scale, he would be getting on for something like ten or twelve feet tall, which was impossible. But what else could they be?
Jules grabbed his arm. “What is it?”
“I don’t know,” said Alex slowly, trying to fight back the panic and fear he could feel seeping through his body. His heart felt as if it was trying to beat right through his sternum and the hairs on his arms had stood to attention so quickly they hurt. He took a deep breath and looked at the trees, quickly realising that the sound of the chains was in sync with the movements, as if the man was wearing them.
“Come on,” Alex, reached for Jules’ hand, “we’re going.”
They walked briskly on. The thing in the woods would run on, then disappear until they were past, before tracking them again. Alex tried to not think about it, instead focussing on the path and the trees ahead.
Eventually, after what felt like hours, he saw a gap in front of them and through it the sky and stars and the flashing pulse of an aeroplane.
“We’re close to the edge of the forest.”
He picked up the pace and the thing in the woods did too, moving closer, crashing through undergrowth and weaker trees as if they weren’t there.
“We’re nearly there,” gasped Jules, her voice barely audible over the crashing sounds and the rattling of the chains.
A stitch had developed in Alex’s side and he hissed breath in and out, trying to keep up with her. He kept watching the ground, alert for anything that might trip them.
With a roar, the thing in the trees burst onto their trail, perhaps twenty feet ahead, blocking their way. Both Alex and Jules skidded to a halt, falling onto their backs in an effort to not hit this giant creature that stood in front of them.
He was at least twelve feet tall, probably more. He had chains around his ankles, waist and wrists and held a loop of them in his right hand. With his left he was gripping a club that was as tall as Alex and had been flattened at each end then riddled with nails and barbs. What Alex had thought was a skirt was actually a tunic, ripped so that the man’s arms were bare. Around his neck was a strip of rope onto which had been threaded skulls - mostly rabbit, by the look of it though one did look like a small human.
The man had a long dirty white beard that was clotted with earth and worse and his thick hair fanned out around his head. Dark eyes glared at them over a broken nose and a wide mouth. His teeth seemed sharp and very white.
Alex took all of this in within a second or so, as he struggled for breath and tried to reach for Jules. His fingers brushed over hers and he gripped as hard as he could, sliding backwards on his behind, his trainers kicking up clumpful of bracken.
“What is it?” Jules screamed, “what is it?”
The giant came towards them, breathing hard, sounding like he had bellows under his tunic. He growled, a low sound that Alex could feel in his belly and head.
“I don’t know,” he said and got to his feet, pulling Jules to hers. The giant kept coming and, with a roar, swung the club in front of them. It hit the ground a foot or so from their feet. As the man raised it again, Alex shoved Jules to her right, behind a small tree.
“Run for the edge of the forest,” he yelled.
“No, I can’t leave you.”
“Go and get help.”
She paused, looked at him and then nodded, backing away, her gaze fixed on the giant.
The giant watched her go. Alex knelt down, found a stone and threw it as hard as he could at the man’s face. It bounced off with little or no impact but drew his attention.
“Come on then, you ugly fucker.” There was no way he could out-run this thing and one whack of the club would lay him out, but maybe he could use the giant’s size against him. Alex had played enough Dodgeball with his son to know the power of a well-timed feint and thought he might get away with one here too.
The giant bared his teeth and raised the club. Alex feinted to his left and, when the giant matched the move, he ran for the right, switching at the last moment to duck and run between the giant’s legs. The stench there, of piss and shit and ruin, was appalling.
The giant roared and Alex kept running, pressing his hand into his side to try and stave off the stitch. The gap in the woods was close now, perhaps twenty feet away but he couldn’t see Jules anywhere. Hopefully she was already out and running down the hill.
Alex heard the giant turn and come for him. Trying to ignore the burning in his throat and lungs, he pushed on. The gap in the woods got bigger, the night sky growing and filling the space. He ran, faster than he could remember doing in a long time, all the while listening to the giant closing the gap behind him, the chains rattling ever louder.
Alex risked a glance back and all he could see was the greying tunic and the skulls - the giant was right behind him. The gap was almost close enough to touch now and he willed energy into his flagging legs, desperately trying to draw in enough breath to keep going.
He heard the swing of the club and darted to his right. There was a loud crash and he was sprayed with leaves, bark and chunks of moist tree but not hurt.
Alex burst out of the forest with a cry and quickly realised the hill was a lot steeper than he’d thought. The pub was probably sixty feet below him and maybe half a mile to his right. The hill was full of divots and would twist an ankle in seconds so he threw himself backwards, rolling over several times until he came to a halt. He lay on his back, waiting for the giant to grab him, but the crashing sounds in the forest had stopped. Dizzily, he got to his knees.
Standing to his right was a group of people and he could see Jules in the midst of them. Gary and Vera stood at the front, smiling.
“Hey,” said Alex, “you have to get away.”
“Why ever for?” asked Vera.
The young boy in tweeds skipped out from between the trees and Alex turned quickly. “Hey, kid, mind out.”
“He’s alright,” explained Vera.
“Jules, are you okay?”
The group parted and someone shoved Jules so that she stumbled forward. Her wrists were bound with thick rope and a leather belt was gagging her. Her eyes were wide and full of tears and she was breathing rapidly.
“What the fuck’s going on?”
Vera stepped closer to him. “So many questions, Mr Man, so many questions.”
Alex looked at the sparkle in her eyes and then at Jules and suddenly realised. There was a crashing sound from behind him and he didn’t have a chance to turn around before he felt something constrict his waist.
“You fuckers,” he managed to gasp, “let her go.”
Then he was off his feet and being pulled backwards, into the darkness of the forest. The last thing he heard was Vera.
“Don’t hurt her boys, Jack does like his sport.”
Author’s Note
Jack-In-Irons is a mythical giant ‘ghost’ of Yorkshire lore who haunts lonely roads. Described as being �
�demoniac’ in appearance, he is covered with chains and wears the heads of his victims. He wields a large, spiked club and may be seen at any time after dark. He is terribly strong, gaunt and at least ten feet high and appears suddenly in order to carry off unwary pedestrians to unknown regions.
(Taken from “Memorial of Yorkshire”, by M. W. E. Fowler, 1909.)
K Is For Kappa
The Kappa
John Palisano
Isamu woke as she heard the horses scream. Hurrying from her room, flashlight beaming, she spotted the barn door open. As she entered and smelled the overturned hay, she knew someone had broken inside. To the opposite side she heard rustling. She called hello, but the only answer came from the agitated snorts and whines of Kazuki and Kazuko. She went toward their stalls and saw they looked fine at first. She made to pet Kazuko, but the horse pulled back. Isamu spotted a large, fist-sized chunk taken from the hide of the horse's right side. Blood dripped and puddled under Kazuko. Isamu followed a trail of footprints and water out of the barn, and down toward the edge of Tokai Lake, where they disappeared at water's edge. Within several breaths, her father and mother found her.
"What's happened?" asked her father.
"Kappa," Isamu said. "We'll have to sleep out in the barn tonight."
"How are you sure? Maybe it was a bat? Or a wild cat," her father said.
"I followed the tracks to the lake," Isamu said. "What else might it be?"
"Hotaru?" Her mother said. "Our daughter is wise, remember."
He nodded. "You're right. We'll follow her. I'll look after Kazuko and Kazuki."
"Don't we need a doctor for them?" Kaori said.
"We'll see," he said and went to the horses. Isamu watched her father. His steps were careful and studied. It reminded her of someone walking a tightrope. She wondered why he was being so cautious.
He stepped inside the stall and put a hand on Kazuko. “She hasn’t been badly hurt,” he said. “But she’s shaken.” Then he turned and nodded to Kazuki. “I’m going to take care of you,” he said. “I’ll be right there.”
She thought her father was being smart by showing empathy to Kazuko first. It’d put Kazuki at ease. Isamu knew her father acted for the best of their horses. When he went to Kazuki she stepped in to help. "We need stitching. Warm water. Salt," he said.
"That's all?" Isamu asked.
"Simplicity heals," Hotaru said.
Isamu made her way inside their home, retrieved the items from their washroom, and made her way outside.
She felt mindful of her own footsteps; someone might hear her.
Something splashed in the water a few yards away in Tokai Lake.
Isamu stopped. Chills. Shortness of breath.
Another splash.
A laugh, distant, quiet, distinguishable.
A third splash.
Hurrying, Isamu made it to the barn doors, but not before the thing in the lake laughed, clear and loud.
Inside, she turned and pulled the doors shut behind her. Her parents and the horses stared.
She caught her breath, met its eyes, and said, "Kappa."
***
The lanterns glowed throughout the barn. They'd camped inside the third stall and piled horse blankets on top of hay. They made pillows from rolled up remnants. Isamu looked over at her parents and felt comfortable and safe. "This is so nice," she said. "All of us together like when I was small. I wish we could do this more often."
Hotaru father did not open his eyes, but he smiled. "I agree, this would be better if there hadn't been an attack." He clutched his sword close to his chest. She thought he looked regal and handsome.
"How did you learn to take care of the horses so well? You sewed him up so perfectly and expertly. You were like a surgeon," she said.
"My mother taught me to sew," he stated. "As a young boy, I loved fixing the gowns and clothes."
"That's not usual for a man," Isamu asked. "Is it?"
"Of course it is," he said. "Men are excellent tailors. I fell in love with the craft."
"I never knew that about you, what happened?"
"I met your mother, and discovered I loved something more than needle and thread."
"You gave it up for her?" Isamu said.
"No," her mother said. "He vowed he'd keep his skills reserved for me, and that the world would not spoil it, and that he'd find another way to support us."
"The farm," Isamu said. "That's beautiful."
A scratch at the barn door.
They all froze.
"It's nothing," her father said. "The wind."
It happened again.
Hotaru hopped up, sword at the ready.
Laughs echoed throughout the barn. Footfalls outside, then a splash.
Her father looked to her mother Kaori, and they to her. Isamu said, "It's going to be a long night."
***
Isamu didn't recall falling asleep. One moment she'd been talking to her mother, the next, darkness, the next, sun rays peeking through the slats as Kazuki whined. Instead of smelling the fresh candles and clean bedding of her bedroom, scents of hay and manure woke her.
She peered at her parents. Her mother cradled an arm around her father's middle, and he held his sword beneath and to his chest. Isamu wanted to take it and go outside, find the Kappa, and behead him.
She settled for taking her share of the breakfast her mother had prepared for them. Chilled tea. Slices of cucumber. A bundle of spiced sweet spinach. Isamu walked to the horses and petted their noses. They seemed fine, and Kazuki's wound already looked better.
Isamu decided on going outside to enjoy her breakfast in the fresh air. She loved the horses, but didn't wish to smell their stench while she ate.
She opened a barn door, doing so as to make the least noise possible. She looked up and heard a noise. There was a small being ten feet away from her. Its eyes were on the side of his head like those of a reptile. It stood upright, dangling two arms and two legs, each having long talons for fingers. The Kappa opened its mouth and let out a strange, disturbing sound. It sounded to Isamu like the Kappa might choke on something. But then a word came out. "Hello," it said.
"You are the thing that bit my horse last night," she said. "You would've killed him if we hadn't kept to the barn. What is wrong with you?"
"I was hungry," the thing said. "Can you blame me?"
Isamu shook her head and pointed a finger at him. She said, "There are plenty of things to eat other than my horses." She stomped her foot. "What makes you think you can do such a thing?"
The morning grass was slippery with dew. For moment she thought she might stay upright, but fell quickly on her hind. She looked surprised. The creature came over to her. It held out one of its strange hands. Its talons twitched.
"Here. Let me help you up," the thing offered.
She held out to reach for him, and he wrapped his reptilian hand around hers, swiftly pulling her to her feet.
"Thank you," she said, "Kappa."
The Kappa stared at her for a moment, and blinked its bulgy eyes three times. "You know what I am?"
She smiled, put her hands on her hips. "Yes I do. You are a Kappa. You live in the lake. You came out and attacked our horses. And now you have agreed to help me."
The creature stepped back. "I just offered to help you stand up," it said. "Nothing more."
"Don't you think you owe it to me and my family after what you've done, to help us now?" She said.
Stepping away another step, the Kappa put up a hand. "No. I don't think that's fair at all. How can you blame a hungry being for wanting to eat?"
"It's not that you wanted to eat," she said. "It's that you chose to eat a member of my family. Why couldn't you be happy with all the wonderful fruit and nuts that grow around the lake and in our yard? Why must you attack an innocent, trapped animal?"
"Everything eats everything else," said the Kappa. "Doesn't your family partake in meat?"
She said, "No we do not. We eat nothing of
our animals. Nor of any other animal. That is our way."
The Kappa gasped. "Oh. You're one of those kinds of people. I didn't realize. You look much too healthy to not eat meat."
"I find your judgment harsh and untrue," she said. "I don't believe things have to die to feed my belly. Unless of course they are the Kappa. I might make an exception for Kappa meat."
"That is disgusting," it said. "There's very little meat to me. I am mostly shell. Mostly tail. Very fatty. Very greasy food. I cannot say that I would recommend such a meal."
"How do you know such a thing? Have you eaten one of your own?"
"That is a revolting thought," said the Kappa. "We've heard the threats. Predators have told us how our captured friends have tasted in order to scare us. It's horrifying."
"Perhaps you can elevate yourself past what you have seen," she said. "Maybe you can begin to right your wrongs. Act in a good manner."
"What do you mean?" The Kappa said. "Was what I did that bad?"
"You caused great stress on my family. You could've killed one of our beloved horses. We depend on them. You would've done this for a single meal. Don't you think you owe us to make it right?" Isamu said.
The Kappa looked left and then right. It was thinking over what she said. It took a step closer. "I believe what you say is true."
"You did offer to help me," she said. "Those words came off your tongue."
"That is a manipulation. However, I do agree that I need to make good for harming your horse. Possibly I can help you build a stronger fence. We can create a rock wall. Or perhaps you'd like an outdoor bath. Those are quite lovely in the springtime. And I would love to swim with you."
Isamu smiled, "all of that sounds wonderful, but first I think it would be good if you help to do the work that the horse will not be able to perform until it is healed."
The Kappa's face dropped.
***
Isamu nudged Hotaru. "The horse never helped row the yard," he said. The Kappa carried a long hoe behind him, which was fashioned with a rope around his middle. He grunted and did not talk the entire time. He looked at them, smiled, and they smiled back. It wasn't a happy smile. He seemed quite exhausted.
The Bestiarum Vocabulum (TRES LIBRORUM PROHIBITUM) Page 17