Devil Kickers

by Daniel Marc Chant

  She was on her way down the stairs when she heard a car approaching. It sounded like a black Sedan.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  HITTING THE FAN

  As Phil Harrison pulled into the suburb of Gallows Hill, he was grateful to have finally found the place. He was also terrified at the sight all around him. The street was a mess, absolute chaos. Something had gone on here, but he had no idea what.

  He pulled the car over, climbed out, and ambled towards the house where Sister Sarah was.

  That house now had a white van embedded in its front garden. The parked cars on the street were scuffed and scratched, their windows smashed and shattered. A large number of stinking black puddles surrounded the house.

  “What the fuck?” Phil couldn't help but close his eyes briefly and recoil at the smell. It was like rotten eggs.

  He pulled up to a stop in front of one of the black, gelatinous looking masses. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a handkerchief and held it over his mouth and nose. Phil felt his heart pounding in his chest as the sense that something was deeply wrong washed over him. Whatever had happened since he left Sister Sarah at the house was clearly very bad, and now he had inadvertently walked into it.

  He felt his stomach turn, and decided that being back in the Sedan was the only thing he wanted to do right now. He turned back and speedily trotted back to the car. As he was about the climb into the driver’s seat, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and stopped briefly to check it out.

  The street was dark, foreboding, creepier than he remembered them being, but there was no sign of life. His mind was getting the better of him, and he told himself to 'man up' as he got back into the Sedan. He sat back in the comfortable (and heated) seat, but didn't put his seatbelt back on. He wasn't going to need it for the short journey to the house, especially as he was going to park up as close as he could get, get that nun and then get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.

  ***

  As she watched the scene play out, Sister Sarah felt powerless. She wasn't sure if it was all the running she’d done earlier, but her legs felt like lead. She had watched as the black Sedan pulled into Gallows Hill and slowly made its way towards the house. In that moment, the thought of a escape was almost too much to comprehend. Maybe they wouldn't have to face off against a small legion of Hell’s minions, after all. Maybe they could get everyone out of this cursed house and to a safe place. Maybe, just maybe, this nightmare was going to end sooner rather than later.

  Then she saw the Sedan stop, and the driver get out.

  No. No. No. What are you doing? she thought. Get back in the car!

  Her eyes darted around the surrounding area, searching for any signs of demonic activity. There was nothing.

  She watched the driver—Phil—take a few steps towards what she knew to be demonic remains, and then a small figure darted out of the bushes behind him.

  It looked like a small girl. Or at least, what used to be a small girl. This creature had arms that were a little too long to be human. Sarah thought that this creature was going to lunge upon the back of poor Phil and began tearing away at his flesh, but instead it passed right behind him and disappeared into the open door of the Sedan.

  When Phil turned back to the car, began trotting back to it, Sarah wanted to cry out, to warn him, but she knew it was no use. She was helpless to stop it.

  Sarah raced downstairs to the Idol brothers.

  She didn't see the car begin to make its way towards the house once more, slowly picking up speed as it did so.

  ***

  Phil kept the car in first gear as he began to head back towards the house at the end of the street. In the gloom, it looked even creepier than it had earlier in the day, and it had creeped him out even then.

  He made a mental note that this would be the last trip he made for a while. He had been saving up for a while now to take a fishing holiday to British Columbia. He had a cousin who lived there, and it was a trip long overdue. As he thought about that, he slipped the car into second gear. No point in wasting time, was there?

  He saw the house clearer now, but still couldn’t figure out how on earth someone had made such a mess of parking that van.

  Maybe someone was hurt?

  He hoped not. Last thing he wanted was to be trying to sort out some medical emergency when he could be getting back ont the motorway and back to the comfortable surroundings of a service station coffee shop.

  Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of something. People started emerging from either side of the street in small groups. They were standing in the shadows, huddled together, just watching the car as it approached the house. He couldn't make out any of their faces, but he could see that there were a lot of them, and they kept pouring from the shadows.

  Then he heard a noise that got all of his attention, and threatened to make him lose control of his bladder.

  It was a deep, low guttural growl, like that of a lion.

  It was loud, it was terrifying, and it was coming from the back seat of the Sedan.

  Phil held his breath and whimpered slightly. He felt all the blood rush to his head.

  He didn't want to, and was desperate not to, but he glanced in the rear-view mirror.

  Staring back at him, with teeth like knives, scraggly pigtails, and fiery embers for eyes, was what he could only describe as a nightmare.

  ***

  The Idol brothers were just putting the finishing touches on their trap when a distraught Sister Sarah burst into the living room.

  “What’s the matter?” Chris asked.

  “The car that brought me here this morning. It's back.”

  “What? Here? Now?”

  “Yes but...”

  The Idol brothers didn't wait to hear the rest of what Sister Sarah was trying to tell them, and instead rushed to the window of the living room. They peered out through the boards that were across them. They saw the lights of the black Sedan growing ever closer.

  “Looks like we might be having a change of plan,” Chris said.

  “You thinking we could all pile in there, if we get the chance?” Pete said.

  “We could do. It's a big vehicle.”

  “If he gets close enough, we could make a run for it. We've got enough to defend ourselves.”

  “That's not going to be possible,” Sarah tried to interrupt.

  “What about the students? Will they fit?”

  “Hmmm. Maybe. Do you think they'll be safer in here, though. Those demons are after us, after all.”

  “True. We could lead them away from the house.”

  “Christopher, Peter, please listen to me!” Sarah said.

  “Do you think that will work?”

  “Well, it's worth a shot. Hopefully the driver won’t be afraid to put his foot down.”

  “THERE'S A DEMON IN THE CAR WITH HIM!” Sarah said, her raised voice cutting short the Idol brothers’ rambling and getting their attention immediately.

  “You what?!” Pete said.

  “One of those demons snuck into the back seat when he wasn't looking.”

  “Oh fuck!” Chris said. “This is bad.”

  “I saw it happen. He stepped out for just a moment, and it made its move. It was calculated. They've planned something.”

  “We have to warn him,” Pete said.

  The three of them looked at the car outside and noticed it had begun to pick up speed.

  “I think it might be too late for that,” Chris said, swallowing hard.

  ***

  The creature lunged forward. It was too quick for Phil, and he could only let out a squeal of panic as it wrapped its long, bony fingers around his neck. Its skin was moist and sickly, but oddly warm. He was too busy trying to prise the hands from his neck to vomit. The twisted little monster pulled at his neck, and Phil felt himself being yanked out of his seat. He gargled in defiance and tried in vain to flail his limbs around in order to make his assailant’s job at difficult as possible.


  The animalistic growl was louder now. As his shoulders were pulled back over the crest of his driver’s seat, he instinctively stamped his feet out, hitting the accelerator pedal hard.

  The car roared as the rev counter got a jolt, its needle threatening to go over the top of its maximum. The car lurched forward, Phil’s foot still stuck to the pedal. He tried in vain to get his hands back on the steering wheel, but his fingers clutched at nothing. His attacker’s fingers tightened on his neck, and he felt the blood rush to his head, began to feel woozy.

  Through the windscreen, Phil saw the front of the house on Gallows Hill approaching at speed. Desperately clawing at the steering wheel, he was helpless. Initially, he thought it was going to smash into the van that had already crashed into the front garden. At the speed they were going, it would have been bad, but at least his chances of surviving the crash were decent.

  However, the wheel turned slightly. The car was going to miss the van completely and instead hit the house.

  The laugh in his ear became a high-pitched cackle. Phil managed to loosen its grip around his Adam’s apple. His vision cleared, but what he saw didn't please him.

  “B-bastard!” Phil sputtered as the large Sedan, still picking up speed, vaulted the kerb.

  ***

  The Idol brothers and Sister Sarah could only watch in horror as the big black Sedan got a sudden burst of speed and headed directly at the house. It made light work of the small hedge out front. The shrubbery was blasted to pieces by the car as it continued its journey towards the living room window. The trio realised it was headed directly towards them, and they all scrambled out of the way.

  When the vehicle hit the wall, it burst through the glass, brickwork, and makeshift boards with an almighty boom. The Idols and Sister Sarah dove to the ground, away from the carnage as stone, brick, wood and glass was sent in all directions.

  Then there was dust. Lots of dust.

  For a moment, the entire house fell silent.

  Chris picked himself up first, and turned back to see the damage.

  “Oh shit!” he coughed.

  It was as if the house had been hit by a mortar.

  The front of the car was crumpled, its tyres torn and burst. It sat half in, half out the house. Chris couldn’t see the driver from where he was, but he could see that the driver’s side airbag had gone off.

  The demons had used the car as a battering ram.

  They hadn’t had an entrance to the house, so they had improvised and made one. They had literally smashed their way through the holy barrier, and now there was no way to stop them getting in.

  Pete was helping Sister Sarah to her feet when he saw the wreckage and their new vulnerability.

  “Chris, the crossfire!” he said.

  “I see it.” Chris said, snatching up the shotgun. “We need to move fast.”

  “The driver...” Sarah choked out.

  “I'll check on him,” Pete said, picking up the hammers he had been so ready to use earlier.

  As his brother picked up the fallen crossfire pole and struggle to erect it in its original alignment, Pete slowly stepped over to where the smashed-up Sedan sat.

  With the airbag fully inflated, it was hard to see clearly what was going on in the interior. It was clearly a mess, though. Blood and gore covered the back windows, but it wasn’t human. It was thick and black.

  Pete reached over and opened one of the back doors. At first it wouldn't budge, but after kicking away some of the stones and rubble he managed to wrench it open.

  The stench hit him immediately, stinging his eyes. In the back seat of the ruined Sedan lay the crumpled form of Philip Harrison. He was covered in black, sticky detritus and one of his legs twisted unnaturally back. Amazingly, he wasn't dead. Well, not yet.

  “He's not in good shape, but he's still alive!” Pete shouted.

  Sister Sarah rushed over, followed by Chris. When she caught sight of poor Phil, she gasped.

  “We have to move him,” she said.

  “And quickly. Get him out. I'll cover you,” Chris said, brandishing the shotgun.

  Pete stashed the two hammers down the back of trousers. He and Sister Sarah reached into the back to try and pull the injured man out. When Pete put his knee into a large patch of black mush, his face dropped.

  “Oh, that’s just great,” he complained.

  “We need to carry him out carefully. I'll take his head,” Sarah said.

  Outside, screams echoed all around. Chris listened, and could make out the words they were crying out.

  Here we come, Idols!

  “Hurry up and get him out of there. They're on their way,” he shouted.

  Pete pulled at Phil’s crippled body, and there was a wet crunching noise. Phil’s eyes shot open and he screamed out in agony.

  “Shit! Sorry mate!” Pete cried.

  Phil began thrashing and moaning in panic. Sister Sarah cradled his head, told him to calm down and to look at her.

  “Phillip, you need to listen to me. We need to move you, but it’s not going to be pleasant. Your leg is broken in a few places, so it will hurt, but I need you to be brave and help us as much as you can, okay?”

  Phil calmed down slightly, and then nodded.

  They eased him out of the car. The lower part of his right leg was limp and useless. He was also not making any more noise.

  “Crikey, this bloke’s heavier than he looks,” Pete wheezed.

  “He's passed out,” Sarah said as she took Phil’s weight on the other side “We need to get him upstairs.”

  “You what? Carry him all the way up there? Are you serious?”

  “We can’t leave him down here with us.”

  Pete shot a look over to his brother, who was scanning the distance. The possessed village of Hullenbeck was slowly stalking its way back to the house.

  “Go. Get him upstairs. They're not here yet, so we've got time,” Chris said. When he saw Pete stall, he emphasised the urgency. “I said GO!”

  Pete cursed, grunted, and then he and Sister Sarah began to carry the ragged, unconscious body of a broken Phil Harrison up the stairs.

  ***

  Chris turned back to the scene of the crash. From the hole that the Sedan had created, he knew that he didn’t have much time. Once the demons knew that the protective barrier was broken, they would pour through like an army of ants. He had to find a way to stop them.

  A lightbulb switched on in his brain, and Chris spun and ran into the kitchen. He grabbed the last remaining canister of holy water and headed back to the crash site.

  When he got to the smashed wall, he saw that the creatures were even closer now.

  Wasting no time, he flipped open the water bottle with one hand and began pouring the blessed water across the broken threshold of the building. He poured it over the top of the car, over the broken bricks littering the floor, and wherever else he could. It wasn’t long before the bottle was spent, and he tossed the empty aside.

  He held the shotgun tightly in his hands and lifted it into a decent shooting position.

  The first demon appeared, and Chris could see that it had far too many teeth in its already large mouth. It was a lanky, topless figure, and despite its sores, boils and sickly skin, Chris could make out the horribly tacky tattoos that dotted across its body. Beneath a sports cap, two demonic eyes glared at him, and as it reached the broken wall it smiled.

  “Hello, Christopher. Mind if I come in?” it chuckled in a voice that echoed. It slowly reached an elongated and gnarled claw towards the broken bricks of the window, clearly still wary of the holy protection. As the claw got closer, it must have realised the spell was down, for it grinned evilly.

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Chris raised the shotgun, levelled it at the demonic chav, and pulled the trigger.

  ***

  BOOM!

  The shotgun blast echoed through the house, reverberated up the staircase that Pete and Sarah had just climbed. They were almost at the door w
here the students were hiding. Upon hearing the blast, Pete turned to look back.

  “Chris!” he cried.

  Phil Harrison groaned and began to waken once more. Sister Sarah turned to Pete, saw the fear in his face.

  “Peter!” she yelled, aware that Pete was just seconds away from releasing Phil and heading back to help his brother. “We have to get this man to safety!”

  “We'll take him!” a voice said.

  “I told you guys to stay in Petra's room!” the nun said, irately.

  Ben shrugged off her protests. “We were, but it sounded like a bomb went off. The whole house shook. I popped my head out and saw you struggling with… actually who is this guy?”

  “My driver. He got caught by one of those creatures out there. You need to take him back to the safe room and make him as comfortable as you can.”

  “That room is getting cosier all the time.”

  “Thank you,” Sister Sarah said. “Now get back to the room and stay there!”

  Ben and Claire Marie turned, dragging a groaning Phil away without saying a word. Sister Sarah turned back to find Peter was already rushing down the stairs.

  Another loud shotgun blast echoed through the house, and Sister Sarah took off after the Idol brother as if it the sound had come from a starter pistol.

  ***

  Chris snapped open the shotgun and removed the two spent shells. He dug his hand into his pocket for more ammunition and felt…

  Nothing.

  His felt around the inner fabric of his jacket pocket, where there should have been a handful of shotgun shells, but there was now nothing except a rip in the lining.

  Chris cursed loudly, his eyes darting around the room. More demons were approaching. He suddenly spotted a few shells on the floor, in the place where he had landed when the car smashed into the house. Rushing over, he scrambled to pick up two shells.

  One of the demonic villagers poked its head in across the threshold. As soon as it realised that the protection was no longer working, it turned to Chris and fixed him with a horrifically triumphant smile.