Sheep's Clothing

by Gary Lewis

  David's heart banged frantically behind his chest as he shouted. "Dammit, Sarah! Tell me."

  "She's in pieces, all over the kitchen." She stepped past him, aiming the revolver as she looked at the ground. Sarah's expression grew visible with concern as she pressed her eyes in the darkness where she aimed the pistol. "Where the fuck did she go?"

  David erratically shook his head. "How do I know you're telling the truth?!" he screamed. Sarah ignored his question as she slowly crept further away from the light of her car, following the red, trickling trail that led into the darkly wooded void ahead. "Sarah!" David shouted.

  An earth rumbling roar sounded from the picnic area. A dark form grew taller behind the benches as they both halted in place. "Is that good enough for ya?" Sarah asked as she raised her aim with both hands into the distant darkness where two yellow dots blinked to reflect the light.

  David’s jaw dropped. He struggled to find the words through the shock as he stood stunned. "This whole time..."

  He paused to think. "How did you find us?"

  The dark mass growled louder from the shadows and a sharp crack came from the picnic table before it busted into pieces through the darkness. Sarah blasted two more shots and all went quiet. "Did I hit it?"

  David listened for a sound as they stood, peering beyond the darkly shaded picnic area. A horrible roar exploded into David’s ears, numbing his spine as he saw Sarah jump. "Yeah,” he said. “I think you sure did.” His eyes opened wide as they both stepped further backward in the direction of her car. The snarling huffs grew louder as he noticed the form becoming larger and more visible in the darkness. "I think it's coming."

  She lifted the gun again, firing another blast and then a click. "Are you fucking serious?" she said.

  "Really?!" David shouted as they began to turn into a jog toward the car. "You didn't even check how many damn bullets you had?"

  Sarah tossed the gun onto the ground and ran ahead toward the driver side as David sped into a sprint. "It was your stupid taste in girls that got us into this shit to begin with," she shouted as she slammed the door. David jumped into the passenger side. He grunted as he shoved over a satchel that clanked with sharp metal tools.

  The car shifted as Sarah threw it into reverse and hit the lights. The werewolf, clearly visible ahead, charged toward the car. Sarah let out an ear ringing scream as she slammed the gas pedal.

  "Punch it in reverse!" David yelled. "Just punch it all the way!" The tires spun in the dirt, spewing rocks and dust in front of them. He grasped the dash with his right hand and the back of Sarah's seat with his left, swiveling his head to their front and rear.

  Sarah continued yelling as they raced, reversing uphill toward the road and David's car, putting a little more distance between them and the chasing creature. "Here's the road," he said. The car bounced onto the level pavement where Sarah misturned. David's side crashed into his parked car and the window cracked beside his squinting face as they stalled.

  "Fuck!" she screamed.

  He reached to grasp her steering wheel, guiding it in a hard turn away from his car. "Just go!" The beast dashed onto the road beside them. Sarah stomped the pedal. Still in reverse, they scraped metal, crushing side view mirrors until they unjammed from David's car and sped backward, swerving up the paved hill.

  A heavy impact slammed onto the hood, busting the windshield into a sheet of white spiderweb cracks. The monster ferociously beat against the glass in front of them while David frantically dug through the bag of blades and tools. "Machete, nail gun, ball ping hammer," he shouted, pulling out a variety of potential weapons.

  Glass shattered as the creature's arm ripped a hole through the center. It rapidly clutched and swiped in random directions. Sarah gasped, swerving more erratically while dodging the blind grasps of its talon like claws.

  David hacked at the beast's hairy limb with the machete and it yanked its arm back outside. Claws clasped the edges of the hole, ripping the plastic interlayer of the windshield apart, pouring shards of glass onto the dashboard. Its long snout bared white fangs as it pushed through the opening and the monster pressed its wolven face into the interior with a rumbling growl. Hateful yellow eyes glared, moving from David to Sarah. Its long ears pulled back through the torn plastic as it bit at the air inches away.

  She continued speeding backward up the narrowly paved slope. David slammed the hammer into the side of its head as it faced Sarah with open jaws, drooling the ooze of death across their laps while snapping at her hands on the wheel. Her head turned to look behind at the approaching curve.

  The loudest scream yet blasted David's ears. He saw the werewolf tugging at Sarah's arm in a relentless bite. While he scrambled for a better weapon, she let go of the wheel and grabbed the nail gun. "You fucking bitch!" Sarah shoved it point blank into the creature's right eye. A hard click released an eardrum busting howl through the car and the beast tugged its head out before tumbling off the hood.

  The car barreled off the pavement and its rear banged into a tree with an impact that cracked pain through David's back. His side shot sharp needles tingling through his arm when he turned to see Sarah dazed in the dark, smoky interior that was sprinkled with tiny pieces of glass which covered them both.

  The stench of charred plastic made the air burn in his nose. "Sarah, can you walk?" he asked, looking into her glazed stare. Blood covered the seats and her jeans from the gaping bite wound on her right arm.

  The car shook with a violent tug at David's side. He reached for the machete, now laying in the backseat, as the snarling mass of hatred outside ripped loose the passenger door and tossed it clanking across the street. Kicking and shouting at the monster's grasps, he gripped the plastic handle and turned to slash.

  Long teeth clamped deep into his calf, soaking his jeans warm with blood. His screams did nothing to stop the wild shaking tugs and twists he felt might rip his leg off below the knee while the creature snarled and pulled. A forceful yank jerked him from the car, sending his body tumbling through the dirt where he rolled across the grass to the road.

  He groaned as he turned over on the ground, looking for the machete. The werewolf walked closer with its claws extended. Blood smeared its right eye and snout. Its furious yellow eye pierced through the dark brown hair that shown clearly in the bright moonlight.

  "Get the hell away from him, you sad bitch!" Sarah's voice shouted from behind the beast as she rushed it, gripping the machete in both hands. The werewolf grunted into a turn and instantly swiped the machete from her hand. The blade glinted as it dinged across the trunk of the car and bounced against the tree they had wrecked into.

  David watched as Sarah stood still before its open jaws. They hung with a row of ready teeth. "No!" he screamed, clambering to his feet and waving his arms. "Here! I'm right here!" It stood beside the car, fixed only on Sarah. He shouted louder and it took another step toward her, spreading claws that it lifted at its sides.

  Heavy metal music blasted from distant speakers behind the curve as a rumbling engine growled closer. High beams lit the trees white and tires squealed to drift around the bend. The werewolf's long ears rose to attention and it turned toward the commotion. David dashed to Sarah, tackling her to the ground several yards from her car.

  Blinding lights flared as rubber screamed across the asphalt drive. A red sports car swung off road. It slammed into the beast and crashed into the side of Sarah’s car.

  Pinned between the smoking wreckages, the monster howled out in torment, flailing its hairy arms in all directions.

  A dark cloud that reeked of motor oil and burning rubber rolled upward from below, concealing the scene in front of them as David laid in the grass, holding Sarah in his arms while they watched. A heavy-set form rose from the car behind the smoke. He took one step at a time closer to the whimpering beast, barely visible through the haze. The outline of his bandaged head shown as he approached the clambering creature. "Told you I'd be the one to kill you," Vance's deep, calm v
oice resounded through the darkening mass of cloud and shadows. A deafening boom flashed, echoing through the wooded hills and all fell silent. David turned to look at Sarah as she smiled, letting out a gasp that settled into a long sigh of relief. He stared into her blue eyes as they shimmered to the rising flames nearby. "And just to be sure," Vance said. Another loud boom flashed from the dark haze where the orange glow of flames was now beginning to flicker and crackle below the cars.

  ###

  A slow, repetitive swoosh sounded from beyond the wooden planks at the boating docks. The forest was now singing with crickets and an owl hooted in the distance. "That should do it," Sarah said, tightening the bandage around David's outstretched leg as he raised to sit up. She slowly sat down beside him on the grassy hill near the rock building restroom where Vance was exiting to walk toward them.

  "Oh," she said. "I almost forgot." She crammed her hand into her tight blue jean pocket. Sarah pulled out a familiar, shiny watch and handed it to David. He turned it around in his hand as it gleamed in the moonlight.

  "Found it at the base of the mountain," Vance said. "After I managed to climb out of the well." David silently turned his face toward the stoic figure that stood over them, donned in bandages, shotgun propped over his shoulder. "It was in a pile of..." Vance looked at David's face before lowering his eyes and turning back toward the lake. "...leftovers... with a bunch of other stuff." He tilted his head to the side as he glanced away toward the black lake surface that sparkled with the moonlight. "Figured it would mean something to you."

  David looked back at Sarah as she raised her eyebrows with a grin and held out her hands. "Well?"

  "Well, what?" David asked.

  "You're not going to ask anything at all?" She rolled her eyes as her smile stretched further.

  David tilted his head back, looked at the stars and eased a smile of relief. Even his back pain had already subsided. "Not really." He casually shrugged his shoulders.

  "Well..." she said. "I suppose I'll tell you, since you insist and all." She swung her arm toward Vance. "I finally got ahold of this guy while he was on his way to Janice's house." Her smile dropped a bit as she looked at the ground before raising her eyes again. "He found her mom."

  "Think it had been a couple days," Vance said. "Must have come back from vacation unexpectedly or something."

  "Anyway," Sarah turned back to David as she continued. "Janice must've taken Tony's phone. We-"

  "Used Tony's location to find us," David interrupted with a light smile. "Guess he saved me after all."

  He stared at his lower limb. A burning sensation tingled its way from his wound with a strangely pleasurable sting. It itched at his skin with an unusual rush. Sarah rolled her eyes and looked at him. "Yeah. Me too." She held up her wrapped arm.

  Vance motioned his hand toward them. "Should probably get that checked out." His eyes rose to the bright full moon. "Might turn into something nasty."

  The worry was written in Sarah's eyes as David watched her face turn slowly toward the lake. He reached to slide his palm up her shoulder around to her back as she leaned against him and scooted closer.

  “Listen, Sarah,” he said as she leaned her head against the side of his shoulder and they faced the sparkling reflection of the moon on the blackened surface of Moss Lake. “I’m sorry that I was too distracted to help you with your yard all this time. It’s something I don’t have a lot of experience with and the truth is…” David took a deep breath, unsure if Sarah was still listening. “The truth is, I’ve always thought you were the best in the world at that sort of thing.” Her face turned slowly back to his while her silent mouth opened slightly with her widening blue eyes. “Sarah, if you give me another chance, I’ll do everything I can to help you with your yard… because it’s always been my yard too and I was too blind to see that until now.”

  Sarah’s eyes glistened with water and her face flushed red above her smiling, tightly held lips that quivered slightly. As she started to turn her face, David clasped the bottom of her chin, bringing her tear covered smile back to him. David wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her closer and squeezed her soft, moist lips between his.

  Far sirens accompanied the flashing lights of firetrucks and police cruisers speeding across the bridge on the other side of the lake. "Vance," David said as he and Sarah turned their heads. "We have to figure out some way to clear your-" The now vacant spot where Vance stood still held the odor of blood and smoke until it vanished in the breeze along the trail of crushed grass that led into the woods.