Tar: An apocalyptic horror novella

by Iain Rob Wright

  So he kept walking, Wonder Mutt beside him. He passed by Latif’s, but didn’t check to see if his father still lay amongst the rubble. An hour later he passed by the Hobby Horse, and saw the men still inside. The Beverley Brothers hadn’t hit them. They would die anyway. He could warn them how close death was, but he owed them nothing. He didn’t want to be alone, but neither did he want to be with any of them.

  So Minty kept walking. He tried to remember the directions Finn had given him with his dying breaths, but wasn’t sure he was going the right way. It wasn’t until he spotted an old lady and a man out on their front lawn that he started to have hope. When the old woman looked at him and spoke with an Irish accent, he knew he was in the right place.

  We both ended up with families we didn’t deserve, said Finn. But for different reasons.

  “Can I help ye, lad?” the old woman said.

  “My name is Mikey. I think I met your son, Finn?”

  The old woman looked at the man stood with her and they exchanged a sad glance. “Aye, Finley is my boy. Don’t suppose he’ll be following along shortly?”

  Mikey shook his head sadly. “He wanted me to tell you that it’s done.”

  The old woman nodded her head, tears in her eyes. “Thank you, lad. Would you and your doggie like to stay and have a bite to eat?”

  Minty swallowed. “The tar is coming. It’ll be here in hours.”

  “Then we should eat fast.”

  The man, who Mikey assumed was Clive chuckled and gave his mother a quick hug. “I hope my brother didn’t cause you too much grief, kid.”

  Kid.

  Mikey shook his head. “He saved me.”

  That seemed to make both of them happy. The old woman motioned for Mikey and Wonder Mutt to join them, and as he took the few steps to cross the lawn with Wonder Mutt in tow, he saw a mound of dirt with a shovel sticking out of it. Marie. He really had liked her.

  You deserve a family like mine, Finn had said. And they deserve a son like you. Go, be with them.

  Mikey gathered Wonder Mutt and went inside with the two strangers who would be his family for the next few hours. Suddenly, he didn’t feel quite so afraid. Soon the darkness would come for him, but he would not be alone.

  PLEA FROM THE AUTHOR

  Hey, Reader. So you got to the end of my book. I hope that means you enjoyed it. Whether or not you did, I would just like to thank you for giving me your valuable time to try and entertain you. I am truly blessed to have such a fulfilling job, but I only have that job because of people like you; people kind enough to give my books a chance and spend their hard-earned money buying them. For that I am eternally grateful.

  If you would like to find out more about my other books then please visit my website for full details. You can find it at:

  www.iainrobwright.com.

  Also feel free to contact me on Facebook, Twitter, or email (all details on the website), as I would love to hear from you.

  If you enjoyed this book and would like to help, then you could think about leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or anywhere else that readers visit. The most important part of how well a book sells is how many positive reviews it has, so if you leave me one then you are directly helping me to continue on this journey as a fulltime writer. Thanks in advance to anyone who does. It means a lot.

  AUTHOR SHOWCASE

  I am so lucky to have the career that I do. Writing books for a living has always been my dream, and actually doing it is more than I deserve. It is with that deep-felt gratitude that I endeavour to assist fellow authors at various stages of their career. I am fortunate enough to have relationships with literary giants right through to virgin pen-smiths preparing to take their very first leaps from their cloying nests into the great vast unknown of book publishing. I help them as others have helped me.

  To follow are several short stories from some of my colleagues; some established, some not—all passionate and hard working. I hope that you enjoyed my story; here are some more for you to enjoy from other sick minds…

  Enjoy!

  IAIN ROB WRIGHT

  BOOK SUMMARY

  BOOK SUMMARY

  BOOK SUMMARY

  Steven had a fear similar to countless others.

  Amber was his life and the move to a new house was going to be a new start.

  Who would have thought that walking the dog would change his life…….

  DOBSON LANE

  BY DALE ROBERTSON

  www.facebook.com/dale.robertson.121

  15

  Monday 21st Sept 2015

  The house itself was lovely; they had both fallen in love with it instantly. The spacious rooms, big driveway and huge back garden overlooking trees and fields were bliss compared to the previous property. Neighbours were too close and the constant noise of traffic eventually became irritating. It had started out fine and they put up with it, but over time they decided on a bit of serenity. Just outside of town was ideal for them both.

  Amber was the artistic type who loved the peace and quiet to allow her creative mind to flow and Steven just liked being away from the “buzz” of town life. There was also the relief that they could let their dog Broxy free in the garden without the fear of him escaping into someone else’s property. The house had been for sale for a couple of years and they had passed it several times whilst out walking the dog, dreaming about the day they could afford such a place. That time had finally come. There was one thing that Steven wasn’t sure about but he thought it was too trivial to voice so he kept it to himself.

  It was Steven’s turn to take Broxy on a walk, a job that used to be an enjoyable experience. Staring at the darkness that surrounded the house though, that enjoyable event seemed a lifetime ago. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when the fear of the dark had filled him but over the years it had grown, and now, staring out of the window, he felt it would cripple him. He had managed to hide his anxiety from Amber thanks to the well-lit area surrounding the previous house. Now, he had to admit it or face it. His male pride wouldn’t allow him to tell Amber his irrational fear so he had to face up to it. Just himself with a torch, Broxy- his trusted protector, and whatever lay in the darkness.

  Anything could be out there.

  Anything….

  Steven forced himself off the sofa and through to the hall where the footwear was stored. Grabbing his jacket from the hanger and a torch from the cupboard, he sat on the bottom step of the stairs to tie the laces on his walking shoes. Jacket on, shoes on and torch ready, he made his way through to the living room and called to his dog. Reluctantly Broxy stood up, shook his collar and glared at Steven. Attaching the lead to Broxy’s collar, he shouted to Amber that he would be back soon, and made his way towards the front door.

  Amber was glued to the TV watching her favourite program and barely acknowledged them leaving.

  The security light at the front of the house lit up the drive as Steven and Broxy moved into the sensor’s range. They made it to the end of the drive before the light disappeared and plunged them into darkness. A flush of panic raced through Steven’s body as his heart began thumping in his chest. He fumbled for the torch in his pocket and flicked the switch to ON, shining it round about himself to chase away the images his imagination was conjuring up.

  The torch was pretty powerful and lit the way for a short distance before, what appeared to be a wall of darkness, abruptly stopped it. Broxy was already across the road doing his business in the grass, oblivious to his owners increasing panic. Sweeping the light beam left and right, Steven forced his breathing to slow down before tugging at Broxy’s lead so he would follow him along the road.

  The weather was pleasant with a slight breeze rustling the leaves and bushes. The moon would peek out from the clouds then disappear again as if spying on Steven’s progress. That wasn’t what was giving Steven a chill though. The feeling that himself and his trusted companion were alone in the world was doing a good job all on its own.

  16
>
  Walking along the road, the sound of his own boots and the long empty road seemed to cause an effect that, Steven thought, sounded as if someone was following him. It was all in his head though……surely. He dared not turn around just in case there was something there and felt ridiculous that a grown man could feel such a way. Broxy continued to pull on the lead, practically dragging Steven forward, which pleased him in a way as the walk would finish slightly quicker that way.

  Coming up to a bend in the road, he turned to head up towards a farm. The farmhouse stood like an oppressing figure watching him, daring him to continue his journey. He could see that no lights were on which unnerved him as he thought at this time of night there should be someone about. Approaching the house he could see barns littered behind it, no animals appeared to be stirring. The silence was suffocating.

  Must be out in the field

  Swinging the torch left to right and back again, he surveyed the fields as far as the light would reach. He could see a few sheep lying on the grass, not even a flicker of movement as the light glanced over them. Broxy slowed his pace as they passed the field. Eventually he stopped, eyes glued to the sheep.

  “Come on Brox, leave them to sleep” Steven muttered, tugging the lead to hurry Broxy along. The dog finally relented, but it took a bit of persuading. He carried on along the road waving the torch slowly back and forward while Broxy had slowed right down and was now alongside him.

  Halfway there Steven thought. Why was I so worried?

  Rounding the corner past the field, the road straightened out for, what seemed like, eternity. He continued along the road with Broxy picking up a bit of pace moving slightly ahead of him.

  In the distance something caught Steven’s attention, a light on the horizon shined in the darkness. A split second later he heard the faint rumblings of an engine and his brain made the connection. As the light and noise got closer he found a suitable patch of grass to stand on. He pulled Broxy onto the side with him. The car slowed as it passed and the driver stuck his hand in the air as a thank you. Steven returned the gesture then stepped back onto the road. As the car disappeared into the distance behind him, he suddenly became aware of how quiet it was. The breeze had died down so there were no rustling leaves and no birds made a noise. Just silence all around. Broxy seemed to notice a shift in the atmosphere as well, stopping right next to Steven with his ears down low.

  Pointing the torch forward, Steven had to practically drag Broxy out of his daze and back along the route. Usually it was the other way around, but something had changed tonight. Steven gulped and a chill ran up his spine. He needed to get Broxy back on track and head home before his fear crushed him. Up ahead, a forest seemed to provide an eerie looking archway into which the road continued. The darkness looked impenetrable.

  17

  Edging closer to the intimidating archway, a slight noise to Steven’s right startled him. It sounded as if it came from behind the hedge. He swung the torch in that direction immediately but couldn’t see anything. Standing staring at the hedge he found he couldn’t actually move, frozen with fear at the sudden break in silence. Steven held his breath and waited for another noise but nothing came. It took all his might to turn and move his feet one in front of the other when another noise sounded. Closer this time. Broxy stood still with his ears up straight, staring at the hedge.

  “Broxy, come here,” Steven said in a hushed voice.

  In his mind he didn’t want to alert the mystery to their presence, although in reality he knew that it was too late for that. He tugged Broxy’s lead. Broxy remained defiant and pulled back then stopped once the strain was even.

  WOOF!

  The bark nearly caused Steven’s heart to stop; the sudden noise was like a gunshot in the silence that surrounded them. Such a fright that Steven got, he pulled on the lead hard managing to pull Broxy away from the hedge. Whatever was there must have got an equally big scare and ran, judging from the many noises that ran along the hedgerow. Broxy pulled at the lead again, eager to give chase, but Steven held firm and eventually managed to calm him down.

  Carrying on along the road, Steven cursed himself for getting such a start. Especially since it was most likely a rabbit that had caused them both to stop and stare. Broxy seemed to be back to himself, dodging back and forward across the road at the different smells that entered his nostrils. The forest was edging closer and looked quite foreboding but knowing that home wasn’t too far away Steven had plucked up some extra courage to get through this next “obstacle”. Broxy on the other hand, hadn’t. Stopped in the middle of the road, ears pinned back and teeth showing, he refused to move. Even a sharp tug on the lead didn’t persuade him. Steven took a few steps towards Broxy and got down on one knee to stroke his head. Broxy ignored him, his eyes never wavering from the dark void where the road disappeared into the trees.

  “Broxy! Brox!” Steven said loudly, trying to break his companion’s gaze, but nothing seemed to work. Broxy had been a rescue dog and his recall had never been that great since they got him, but Steven thought there was nothing else for it. He unclipped the lead from Broxy’s collar.

  The second the lead was off Broxy let out a small whimper and then turned and ran back the way they had just came. Steven was still down on one knee, shocked at the sudden exertion of energy that Broxy displayed and barely able to register what happened. It took Steven a few seconds to stand up, but when he did he started shouting for Broxy to come back. Shining the torch in the direction the dog had ran, he noticed there was no sign of him. No noise, nothing. The sudden feeling of isolation dawned on him and his imagination began to run in overdrive. That was when panic set in.

  Swinging the torch left and right sharply, not focusing on any one thing in particular, he suddenly turned to the road that disappeared into the woods. Remembering Broxy’s intense stare, he shined the light towards the darkness to see if he could identify what had triggered the strange reaction from the dog. The light didn’t seem to help; it lit up the entrance slightly, but quickly disappeared and failed to penetrate the rest of the darkness.

  Silence all around, it was as if time had frozen. Nothing moved and Steven felt as if he was stranded on Earth all alone. Breaking free of his trance, he was about to turn back to search for Broxy when a noise caught his attention. He struggled to place the sound, but it wasn’t something his mind could identify. It was like a low rumbling sound, almost a growl but not quite. It had certainly broken the silence and turned Steven’s blood to ice. His heart started to race and felt as if it was about to leap out of his chest, but he managed to keep his shaky hand in the general direction of the entrance.

  What was that? Did something just move?

  At the same point his mind asked the question, the branches began to slowly move and Steven could hear- what sounded like feet moving through mud. Another growl emerged from the woods but this one was louder than the last. His body nearly shut down, but a mixture of fear and curiosity ran through his body, the latter outweighing the former. Steven managed to move his left foot backwards, just a half step, ready to turn and run if something came out of the darkness but the growl died down. Curiosity was slowly gaining ground in the internal battle between itself and fear, but hadn’t won yet. His foot managed to come back level with the other one now. Screwing his eyes up to see through the light into the darkness for any sort of movement at all, he failed to see anything. He decided it was time to turn and follow Broxy’s idea, except instead of running he would back away slowly. Backing away, one shaky foot after the other, his eyes were glued to the entrance looking for any sign of movement. Steven felt as if he could have heard a pin drop he was listening that carefully. Turning around to face the way he had come, he tried to quicken his steps whilst keeping the noise down.

  SNAP!

  The noise shattered the silence causing Steven to stop mid step.

  This is it. This is the end.

  His mind conjured up horrific images from all the horror films
he had seen over the years. Some abomination, government experiment, alien, monster had been living in the forest near to his new home. The split second his mind came back to reality he heard the pounding of footsteps on the road. He wasn’t sure whether to look or not. The footsteps were too close but Steven decided to turn his head anyway.

  Before his head could make it right round he felt the full force of something jump on his back and knock him to the ground. Falling forward, the torch fell from his hand and bounced on the road, the light blinking a couple of times before dying out. Screaming in pain, he could feel stabs of pain all over his back.

  Thoughts of Amber, the new house, Broxy and the future that could have been filled his mind. He’d lost himself in his thoughts but the sharp pain that registered on his neck brought him crashing back to reality. The pain was immense; it felt like sharp knives carving him up. A warm fluid ran down his top and pooled on the ground underneath him. He could feel it, a river of blood, his life draining away.

  Then suddenly it stopped.

  18

  The weight on his back had gone, the knives were gone but the pain persisted. Silence surrounded the countryside, and then a slight breeze rustled the hedges on either side. Puzzled by the cease of the attack his fight or flight instinct kicked in. He slowly extended his arms and tried to push himself up off the tarmac. Pain shot through his body like a fire running through his veins. The effort it took to lift those few inches off the ground was immense. He had to lower himself back down and rest. He tried again after a few deep breaths. Only this time when he tried he heard something behind him.

  Or is it my imagination?

  He froze for what seemed like eternity but never heard anything else. He resumed his push up.

  Suddenly, a deep growl came from behind him. He couldn’t tell how far away it was, but he knew it didn’t matter. He wasn’t surviving this. As Steven accepted his fate, a long sigh left his body before agony shot through his right leg. Suddenly he was being dragged backwards towards the dark entrance.