Come Get Me

by Michael Hunter

  “Well,” Maria said totally forgetting anything Jim might have said, “I don’t have the slightest idea what that was,” then to Jim, “but where were we?” She acted as if she were trying to remember. “Oh yeah, that’s right you were begging for your life like a little girl and I was ignoring you and getting ready to start cutting off little pieces of your body.” She sound really excited about this. “Let’s just make sure this is sharp,” she said as she reached up and plucked some hair from her head. Jim watched the dust cloud out from her head like a man on death row watched his lethal injection be plunged into his IV.

  The dust settled about her shoulders and chest but instead of watching what she was doing a slight movement in the doorway behind her caught his eye. He couldn’t see what it was but his heart started beating faster with excitement in anticipation of a rescue. Unfortunately this proved to be just a little too much for his throbbing head and body. As the blood pumped through his veins faster than he was used to a blinding pain shot to his head. He almost thought Maria had somehow kicked him again without him having seen her move. When the pain finally subsided, through blurred vision, he looked past Maria to the door. He could vaguely see the outline of somebody standing in the doorway. No, he had to correct himself, whoever it was filled the doorway. It must have been his injuries but Jim would’ve sworn it looked as if the doorway could barely contain whoever it was. Regardless of what it was it didn’t move. It seemed to be waiting for something.

  Maria didn’t seem to notice and Jim had no intention of warning her about his possible rescuer. Instead he stayed where he was and kept his mouth shut. His vision was really starting to play hell with him. It was quickly giving way to blackness. He knew he wouldn’t be able to remain in the world of the wakeful and happy for much longer whether he liked it or not.

  Beginning to drift off he remembered what Pete had yelled as he dove out the window earlier. He’d said they’d called the Goatman and that he was coming just like they’d asked. He just needed to wait a little longer. Jim was sure that whatever his pain filled mind was telling him was in the doorway couldn’t be much worse than the Goatman and was I all probability a whole lot better so more power to it. Maria had finished her inspection of the axe and quickly stepped closer to him covering the last few remaining feet between them before raising the thing above her head readying her swing.

  “Any last words?” she asked.

  “Yeah I think I do have some,” he said after a moment’s hesitation. He’d finally remembered why the ringing sound was so familiar. Unfortunately he couldn’t say anything since a coughing fit seized him. Everything in his line of vision flashed alternately between black and white. It didn’t help him much in his efforts at remaining conscious. Maria obviously hadn’t expected anything from him since the look of glee that had been covering her face turned to a pout as she waited for him to spit out his last words. Once he able to speak again he quietly whispered his final words in this world.

  “Goatman,” he said once, “Goatman,” he said again gaining a little more volume, “Goatman,” he almost yelled for a third time, “Come get me! And come get me now!”

  It was the most defiant thing he could think of doing at this point. He didn’t know why he’d said those words but somehow it’d felt right. It was almost sad that this was the most he could do in his current state but it would have to do. His head fell back to the floor with a thud causing his vision to fade even more if that were possible.

  “What the hell was that all about?” Maria scoffed after she’d made sure she’d heard what she thought she’d heard. Jim barely heard her. The world was quickly leaving him or he was leaving it. He wasn’t sure which. When he opened his eyes he could still make her out but only just barely. He could tell who she was but that was about it. Any details about her escaped him. Not wanting to waste anymore energy he let his eyes shut until they were just barely cracked and all he saw was a sliver of the world in front of him. “Oh well,” she said seeing him drifting off, “time to make Jimmy feel just a little bit of my pain!”

  He saw her arms start their downward swing when he suddenly felt the house shudder again. The ringing sound that accompanied it felt like it was piercing his skull. To her credit she only faltered a little but it didn’t matter. The axe was descending on a course that ended somewhere near the middle of his body. Steeling himself for the impact he forced his eyes open so he could at least defy her that little bit but the blow never landed. Instead Maria was knocked from her feet and slammed into a wall across the room by an arm the size of a tree trunk. Jim struggled to sit up but his body still wasn’t letting him do it. If anything he was worse from lying so still for so long. Gathering enough strength he looked toward where Maria had taken flight.

  Gasping for air, he saw her roll over to her hands and knees trying to get her feet back under her. She still clutched the axe in her hand but what he saw next showed him that was the least of his concerns. He felt the floor shake again and saw a hoofed foot come into view. Numb with horror he watched as the arm he’d seen only seconds ago reach down and pluck Maria from the ground by her neck like she was a newborn baby. Unable to keep himself from following that arm back to its source he found himself gazing open-mouthed at a creature that looked like it had stepped from the pages of some satanic book.

  The creature looked just as it had in his dream only more horrific than he could’ve possibly imagined. It’s horns sprouted from the crown of its head like small twisted trees, hairy legs that looked like they would be better suited to a buffalo tapered down into huge cloven hooves and last but not least the thing that had haunted his night for as long as he could remember. The Goatman’s' Axe. Not just any axe but one that might’ve at one time belonged to Paul Bunyan or some Norse God from the heavens. It showed glaringly clear even in the dim light. Looking at it Jim thought he could almost feel his soul being ripped form his body. He idly wondered if Pete were any where nearby seeing any of what was taking place. He really hoped he was because if Jim made it out alive he really wanted to know someone else saw what he was seeing. If this was some type of weird figment of his imagination he really did belong in the loony bin with Pete.

  Maria dangled inches from the creatures face as it took its time studying her. Her face was turning nice shades of blue that Jim thought were quite becoming. The creature looked at her as if trying to decide what to do with the strange soft thing it had picked up. Luckily Maria chose that second to help it out in its decision. Using what little strength she had she raised her axe, which she’d somehow hung onto, and buried it in the creatures shoulder. Bellowing in surprise it dropped her in a heap on the floor.

  “What the hell is that thing?” she screamed as she scrambled to her feet.

  “The Goatman,” Jim said with a weak laugh.

  “Shut the hell up!” she yelled gripping her axe in both hands readying for another swing.

  The creature had retreated a few steps to examine its wounded arm. It turned its head and sniffed the place Maria had struck it. Looking up it hissed at her in what could only be anger.

  Maria darted forward and swung her axe again, connecting with only a glancing blow this time. It wasn’t enough to actually hurt the creature but it did make it mad. With blood that looked slightly green running down its arm the thing hefted its axe and warily advanced on Maria. It moved slowly, taking its time almost as if it were stalking her even though she was right in front of it. Jim couldn’t understand why it didn’t just use its superior size and strength to end things quickly. As he watched through hazy eyes he saw that it seemed to be herding her towards the door. He was surprised it was being so nice. He wanted to yell at the thing and ask what the hell it thought it was doing. If it kept moving her the way it was she would escape.

  That couldn’t happen.

  If she got away she would just run back to town and act like she was the victim in this whole mess. He was pretty much an outsider after all these years plus everyone knew Johnny was i
n love with her. All she would have to do is tell everyone he and Jill had abducted her for some kind of kinky stuff that she didn’t want to do and when she refused he threatened to kill her. He could see exactly how it would all play out in his head. She would have the whole town ready to shoot on sight by the time they made it back. He just couldn’t understand why the creature was trying to let her go.

  Maria, in full bloodlust now, didn’t realize what the creature was doing until she felt a breeze on her back. Quickly glancing over her shoulder she saw nothing but the doorway to darkness and freedom. Smiling, she took another tentative swing at the creature, almost as if she were testing the waters. Instead of striking out at her, the creature retreated a step. It dipped its head towards the door as if trying to tell her to leave.

  Seeing the pleading look on the Goatman’s face, Jim suddenly understood what it was doing.

  The thing didn’t want to kill her. Even though everything she did was aimed at harming since it stepped foot in the house, the creature still didn’t want to harm her. Looking back over her shoulder then at the creature again she shook her head.

  “Hell no I’m not going,” she yelled at it. “I still got work to do on Jimmy boy. I’m going to take your damn ugly head then I’m going to take his. Think I’ll hang them on the wall next to each other.”

  Not giving the beast a chance to make a move, she quickly made an awkward swing at the things leg but missed. Overbalanced by her overconfidence, she was surprised when the beasts arm shot out and clenched an iron grip around her throat. It pulled her close, making sniffing noises and shaking its head like it didn’t like what it smelled.

  Maria, not one to be defeated so easily, continued struggling. She reached up with her hands and tried prying the creatures hands from her throat, kicked her legs trying to hit some vital spot that might make it let go; she even tried spitting in its face but that’s hard to do when you’re having a hard time breathing.

  It hissed in her face, spraying her with spit and mucus tossing her aside. Jim couldn’t believe it. The creature turned its back on her and slowly walked towards Jim and Jill. The creature hesitated when it reached them as if trying to decide which one to help first. Jim was about to tell it to tend to Jill when he saw something leaping through the air behind him. His words of direction turned to a feeble yell of warning. The Goatman spun just in time to have the axe Maria had been using planted in its chest. Jim saw his hopes of making it out of here alive fall to the floor. He wouldn’t have thought it was possible for someone as small as Maria to kill a beast like the Goatman but she seemed to have just done it.

  “That takes care of one of you,” she rasped as she yanked the gore covered axe from the brutes’ body. “You’re next,” she said staggering in his direction.

  “Lucky me,” he laughed. Why not? He had nothing to lose.

  “I’ve waited a long time for this you little bitch,” she spit at him as she loomed over him. Well, not exactly looming, more like leaning. Leaning on the axe like it was a cane if he wanted to be exact about things. If only he had any energy he might be able to beat her. The Goatman had softened her up for him but too bad for him his limbs weren’t obeying him at the moment. First he’d gotten his ass beat by a girl. Now he was going to get killed by that same girl after she finished killing a creature that by all rights shouldn’t exist. If anyone had told him he was going to die like this he would’ve had them committed.

  Maria slowly raised the axe and Jim closed his eyes. He didn’t think he wanted to see what came next. After a few seconds he realized he was still alive and thought he shouldn’t be. Cracking an eyelid he looked up and saw Maria standing there just like she had been a few seconds ago. But there was something different. The Goatman’s hand was around her throat again. That couldn’t be right, he thought. The Goatman was dead, wasn’t he? Maria’s face was turning a brilliant shade of purple and her eyes were starting to protrude a little farther than Jim thought might be healthy for her when he heard a snap. He was reminded of braking branches when he was a child. At the sound of the snap Maria’s body went slack. Then she was unceremoniously dropped on the floor where she landed with a thump. He couldn’t really turn his head to see her and was pretty sure he didn’t really want to. His attention was caught by something else.

  The Goatman was swaying back and forth in front of Jim looking for all the world like he might follow Maria to her resting place. He really hoped that didn’t happen considering he was the only way they were going to get out of here. The gash in his chest seeped something but Jim was pretty sure it wasn’t blood. Focusing his eyes as best he could he swore he saw movement in the things chest. He was pretty woozy but he was sure the hole was closing. It took a few more second but after what could’ve only been a minute the wound was no longer there. The only thing left was another scar that matched all the others. The beast shook its head like a horse, flexed its chest muscles and stood straighter. It was completely healed. Jim just wished it was that easy for him.

  Even after everything it had done for them, when the Goatman moved towards Jill he wanted to scream. All he could do was watch as the creature looked at first one of her hands then the other trying to figure out how to get her down. Jim strained himself into a sitting position to get a better look but it cost him. Stars danced in his vision for a few seconds before everything went black. Drifting off into unconsciousness he whispered an apology to Jill for not being able to save her and for ever getting her into this mess. It didn’t make him feel any better since he was sure she would never hear it.

  He wasn’t sure how long he was out when he was suddenly shaken from his forced slumber. The creature was hovering over him sniffing him the way it had Maria a little while ago. If he could’ve he probably would’ve screamed. He knew he was indebted to it but the creature still wasn’t the prettiest thing he could think of. Especially after being forced to wake up.

  Seeing he was awake the beast raised its head so that they were eye to eye. Dreading having to look at the creature much less stare it in the eye Jim squeezed his tightly shut. Jim could feel its breath blowing gently across his face. It didn’t smell as bad as he thought it would. Actually it smelled almost like flowers. He still kept his eyes shut. It might be some kind of trick. The brute didn’t seem to care. It seemed content to wait him out.

  Finally after what seemed an eternity Jim gave in. Cracking his eyes he found exactly what he expected but then not what he expected. He was face to face with The Goatman. Instead of the animal savagery he thought he was going to see he saw something surprising. Kindness and caring seemed to reach out from the creature’s eyes and wrap him in a warm embrace. All his life Jim had heard horror stories about this creature and how it had killed and maimed too many people to count but looking into its eyes he couldn’t believe it. He knew it wasn’t true. This creature had never harmed anything that hadn’t harmed it first. All the stories were just that. Stories.

  Not taking its eyes from him, he, as Jim was now thinking of it, gently picked him up and cradled him to its chest like a lost child. Turning swiftly from the room, it strode from the house barely looking away from Jim to see where it was going. Jim could only look up, smiling at it in wonderment. The creature gave him what must have passed for a smile and said in a rough voice unused to speaking, “You called and I came.” The sound was like two trees rubbing together in a strong wind. They seemed to echo in his head for a few seconds. After the words faded to nothing but a memory Jim was unsure if he even heard it right.

  Wanting to ask it all the questions that were almost brimming over in his mind Jim found he was unable to. His body once again chose the most inopportune time to hit the shut off switch on him. As he slowly passed out he knew he was in no danger as long as he was in the creatures arms. What had scared him for life was now like coming home to a familiar friend he’d never known he had. All these years they thought the Goatman was out to hurt them but they had it all wrong. He was only there to help. If he actual
ly chased them when they were kids it was probably only his way of playing. The poor creature life had to be one of the loneliest in existence. Now Tommy and Rob would never know the wonder of meeting this wonderful creature. With that unhappy thought floating through his head he was out.

  He awoke some time later to the alarming smell of smoke. Opening his eyes too quickly he found he was momentarily blinded by a bright light. Not immediately understanding where he was he tried to sitting up but quickly found he was unable to. As his eyes adjusted he saw that the bright light was just the morning sun. He must’ve been out for quite some time. Making small movements trying to sit up he felt his muscles scream their protest. He was sore from head to toe not to mention spikes of pain still shot through his body every time he tried taking a deep breath. Turning his head slowly to keep the pain to a minimum he found Jill curled up on her side not more than two feet away. He could see her breathing was deep and steady and felt as if a great weight had lifted from his chest. She was ok and so was he. Quickly thanking God that she was ok he looked in the other direction and was greeted by the smiling face of Pete who was propped up against a tree.