The Beast

by Barry Hutchison

  Yeah. That was all.

  I locked my eyes on the door. One step at a time. Escape first. I could worry about the other stuff later.

  The floor wobbled unsteadily as I inched my way towards the bedroom. ‘Stay close to me,’ I urged. ‘We’ll get out this wa-aaaaay!’

  My words became a scream of terror as the wall of the house gave way. The floor dropped out from under us and we fell through into the living room. Clouds of dust and plaster swirled up into the air, filling the room with a choking stour.

  ‘Ameena?’ I coughed. The dust was thick. It whitened my hair and forced closed my eyes. I clambered to my feet, relieved – and surprised – to discover I was unhurt. ‘Billy? Rosie? Where are you?’

  WREEEEEEEEEK!

  The cry of the Beast was right in front of me, half lion-like roar, half pig-squeal. A gust of its hot breath hit me in the face. It blew some of the dust from my eyes, allowing me to open them.

  Big mistake.

  The Beast’s face was centimetres from my own. Up close, it looked even more monstrous. Its skull, from the top of its head to the tip of its chin, was deformed and misshapen, with lumps and bumps here, there and everywhere.

  Slivers of bone poked out from the face and jutted up from the neck. A stubby spike stuck out from the centre of its forehead, like the horn of the world’s ugliest unicorn.

  It was the same creature we’d seen earlier, only it had grown. The shape we’d seen in the fog had been rhino-sized. This was bigger. Much bigger. Its back was bent and its head lowered as it glared down at me. I could see more of the serrated, bony spikes running the length of its spine. More bones jutted from its elbows and knees, sharp and yellowing and stained with blood.

  I felt another blast of the Beast’s foul breath, and watched as a mouthful of green mucus dribbled down its chin. No wonder the screechers had turned and fled.

  Slowly, I back-paced away from the monster. It padded forward on all four feet, closing the gap, but not yet moving to attack. The back feet, I noticed, had three toes, just like the footprint we’d seen in Mrs Angelo’s house. The two at the front were more like hands. They were bunched into fists. The creature walked on them like a gorilla would, leaning forward, balancing on the knuckles.

  I stopped retreating and the Beast stopped advancing. We stood there, half a metre apart, me looking up and it looking down. Its slow breathing was like the wind on a stormy night. It rattled from the back of its throat. In, two, three, four, out, two, three, four.

  The black, shark-like eyes were trained on my face. I leaned slowly to the right and the creature’s head swivelled to follow me. I leaned back to the centre, then out to the left, tracked the entire time by the monster’s glare.

  There was a clatter from behind it and the Beast’s eyes narrowed to slits. It gave a low growl and, even from that distance, I could feel its whole body tense.

  Ameena shoved aside a pile of broken floorboards and stood up. She froze when she saw me, and even through the dust that was caked to her face, I could see the last of the colour drain from her cheeks.

  ‘It’s OK,’ I said, keeping my voice low and my gaze fixed on the Beast’s eyes. ‘It’s just... looking at me.’

  Ameena gave a slow nod. There was a commotion beside her and Billy’s arm emerged from the debris. The Beast’s head twitched and its dense muscles became like coiled springs as Ameena pulled Billy free.

  ‘Relax,’ I said softly. I half-expected the monster to lunge then, but instead some of the tension seemed to leave its body. Its jaws, which had been hanging open, very slowly closed over.

  The Beast wasn’t attacking me. For whatever reason, it wasn’t attacking me! I decided to push my luck. Very carefully, I raised my left hand, palm-forwards, into the air. I held it up there, just fifteen centimetres or so from the monster’s head. The Beast’s black eyes moved from my face to my hand. It gave a low, suspicious growl. Then, with a sudden bob of its head, it nudged my palm with its nose. I kept my hand up, ignoring the sticky strands of mucus now hanging from my fingers.

  Slowly, almost cautiously, it pressed its snout against the hand again. This time it didn’t move away. Its dark eyes closed over and a low sound formed somewhere at the back of its throat.

  Kaaaaaa.

  The Beast’s nose pressed harder against my hand. I almost felt my nerve go, but I managed to keep my arm up. I even managed to keep it from trembling too badly.

  Kaaaaaahhhhh.

  ‘What’s it doing?’ Billy asked, his voice hushed.

  ‘I don’t know,’ I said, not shifting my gaze from the Beast’s broad face.

  The snout nuzzled even more firmly against the palm of my hand. The Beast’s mouth opened and I felt the warmth of its breath as another sound emerged.

  Kaaaaaaahhhhhhlll.

  I heard Ameena draw in a sharp breath. ‘Was that...? Did that just...?’ I knew then that she’d heard the same thing as I had, and that she was having just as much trouble believing it. ‘Tell me it didn’t just say your name.’

  A sudden scream shattered the spell. The Beast’s eyes snapped open and my hand jerked back. It let out a ferocious snarl and its deformed face twisted with rage.

  ‘Rosie, stop,’ I warned, tearing my gaze from the monster and looking over to where the blonde-haired girl had climbed free of the debris. She didn’t hear me, just screamed even more loudly as the creature spun on the spot to face her.

  ‘Run!’ I bellowed. ‘All of you, run!’

  ‘We’ll never outrun that!’ Billy wailed. Rosie stopped screaming when Ameena’s hand clamped over her mouth.

  ‘Yes you will,’ I said. ‘My turn to distract it.’

  Ameena shook her head. ‘Kyle, no! You can’t!’

  The Beast lunged forwards. I saw its teeth clack together and its trailing mucus spray out in a wide circle.

  ‘I can,’ I assured her. ‘Go. I’ll be fine.’

  She hesitated, one hand still held over Rosie’s mouth. ‘Promise?’

  I nodded. ‘Promise.’

  And before she could try to talk me out of it, I threw myself at the Beast, and scrambled up on to its broad, armoured back.

  he spikes that covered the monster’s back looked like perfect handholds. They weren’t. They were sharp and rough all the way down their length, and it was all I could do to avoid accidentally gutting myself like a fish.

  ‘Wait. Stop!’ I cried, as the Beast set off after Ameena and the others. They were running back towards the centre of the village, heads down, legs pumping through the snow. They were still too close, though. I had to buy them more time.

  My hands held tightly to the Beast’s bulging ears. The soles of my feet pressed flat against its back, as I tried to stay away from those deadly spikes. A jolt shot through my legs as it bounded forward. My grip slipped and I cried out in pain as one of the blade-like bones cut into my thigh.

  I rolled sideways, fell face-first, and wound up eating snow. Raising my head, I saw the Beast galloping on, leaving me behind, gaining ground on the others.

  Gritting my teeth against the pain the movement brought, I stood up. The Beast was already almost too far away. I’d only get one chance at this. I had to make it count.

  Whispering a silent prayer to anyone who cared to listen, I drew back my arm and let fly with a snowball.

  BAD-OOOSH!

  The hard-packed snow disintegrated against the back of the Beast’s skull. It turned, startled, and bit back over its shoulder. Finding no one there, it kept spinning, searching for whoever had attacked it.

  I ducked behind a car and watched the Beast through the windscreen. My plan had been to draw the monster back towards me, but things had worked out even better than I’d hoped. It was still just turning in sharp circles, like a dog chasing its tail, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

  Every second it spent spinning was another second Ameena and the others had to get away. They were three dots at the bottom of the hill now. The route they were ru
nning would lead them past the church. If I knew Ameena, they’d hunker down and wait for me there. All I had to do was find a way past the Beast.

  Luckily, the Beast made it easy. By the time it eventually stopped turning, it seemed to have forgotten why it had started in the first place. It snorted noisily a few times, like a racehorse after a sprint finish, pawed at the ground, then sloped off into the shadows between two buildings.

  I kept watching, waiting for it to reappear. I hung back there behind the car for five or six minutes, the snow numbing the pain from the wound on my leg. Thankfully, the cut wasn’t deep – little more than a shallow scratch, really – and it didn’t bother me too much when I hurried down the hill towards the church.

  The church doors were closed when I arrived. I creaked them open and tiptoed my way inside. The little entrance foyer was empty. I crossed it and nudged open the swing doors.

  The moment the door opened, I heard the screechers. The sound was coming from the little hall where I’d made my escape earlier. They were still in there, battering against the closed door, trying to chase me down.

  Quietly, I let the door close over, and returned to the street outside. I pulled the outer doors closed again, trapping the screechers inside. Ameena and the others weren’t there. So, where were they?

  PAF !

  A snowball exploded against the wall beside me. I ducked low, scanning the area for any sign of who’d thrown it.

  PAF !

  Another one hit the wall directly above where I was standing, and I felt droplets of cold spray down on me from above. I looked in the direction the snowball had come from, and saw Billy standing in the darkened doorway of a house across the street. He gestured for me to come over.

  Pausing only to check the coast was clear, I dashed across the road. I was barely a third of the way across when a shriek of rage rebounded off the walls on either side of the street.

  Billy pointed behind me. His mouth flapped open and closed and I heard him stammer something I couldn’t make out. An upstairs window of the house was dragged open and Ameena’s head emerged.

  ‘Kyle, run!’ she hollered. She needn’t have bothered. My legs were already pumping at full pace as I desperately tried to reach the house before the screecher reached me.

  Billy retreated back inside the hallway, and for a moment I was sure he was about to slam the door shut. But he emerged again a moment later, clutching a large kitchen knife in his hand.

  The sight of Billy with a knife sent chills the length of my spine. Last time I’d seen him with a blade, he’d stuck it in me. This time, though, he let out a roar and moved to charge past me as I raced along the front path.

  The screecher howled just a few metres behind us. Billy spun as I caught him by the arm and I thought, from the look on his face, that he really was about to kill me.

  ‘Let go!’ he hissed. ‘Let me do this.’

  ‘N-no,’ I stammered, dragging him towards the door. ‘It’ll tear you apart, get inside.’

  He only half resisted, and I dragged him into the house with the screecher hot on our heels. ‘Close the door!’ he yelped, all thoughts of bravery apparently having slipped away.

  I did as he said and shut the door. At least, I tried to. But the screecher was too close, too strong, moving too fast. The door flew open, knocking me backwards, just as a hulking shape burst into the room.

  His eyes were black, like the others. A chunk of flesh had been bitten from his neck. Blood pumped from the wound, staining his clothes a dark, dirty red. His bottom jaw jutted outwards, so his lower teeth were in front of his upper ones. Otherwise, though, he looked exactly the same as before.

  ‘Huggs?’ Ameena gasped. She had raced down the stairs and now stood at the bottom, staring in disbelief at the figure before us.

  His head whipped round at the sound. His black eyes became angry, narrow slits and an animal roar rolled from within his throat.

  ‘I told you, don’t wind him up!’ Billy whimpered.

  Too late. Guggs made a dive for Ameena, swiping at her with fingers that looked more like claws. She tried to dodge, but the stairway was a tight space with no room to manoeuvre. He caught her by the hair and by the throat and she landed hard on the steps behind her.

  Ameena’s arms braced against Guggs’ head. Her muscles strained and her back arched as she fought to force him off her. His distended jaw snapped open and closed, trying to bite through the closest arm.

  I grabbed for Guggs’ shoulders, trying to pull him back. An elbow fired backwards. It caught me across the cheek and I felt pain explode through my skull.

  The world spun as I moved again to pull him off her. This time, I dug a hand into the gaping wound on his neck. He let out a shriek and turned on me, his dark eyes blazing hatred.

  Ameena lay on the stairs, coughing and spluttering as she fought to get her breath back. I saw her hold a hand above her head, heard her croak, ‘Rosie, gimme that,’ but then Guggs was at me and I could see and hear nothing but him.

  Billy let out a cry that was bordering on madness. He took a step forward and swung back with his arm. ‘That’s for making me leave Lily!’ he screamed, as he plunged the kitchen knife into Guggs’ thigh.

  The monster that had been Billy’s cousin staggered and let out another blood-curdling screech. He didn’t fall, though, but turned to Billy instead. The blade through his leg didn’t slow him as he caught hold of Billy and slammed him backwards on to the floor.

  I moved to drag him off, but Ameena shoved past me. ‘I warned you, Huggs,’ she growled, and it was then that I saw the golf club in her hand. Guggs turned, snarled, opened his gaping mouth wide. Ameena swung back the club. ‘Touch me again and I’ll kill you.’

  CLUNK!

  The club connected hard with Guggs’ head, sending him sprawling sideways off Billy. He thudded on to the carpet and lay there, not moving.

  ‘Howzat?’ Ameena said.

  ‘Wrong game,’ I told her, staring down at the motionless body. ‘Howzat’s what they say in cricket.’

  She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. ‘Oh,’ she muttered. ‘Well... home run?’

  I nodded. ‘Close enough.’

  Billy was standing up again, staying behind me, well away from his fallen cousin. He looked over to Ameena and gave her a nod. ‘Th-thanks,’ he said.

  Ameena shrugged. She lowered the club and leaned on it, like a golf champion posing for a victory photograph. ‘Ah, forget it,’ she said. ‘It was noth—’

  Guggs’ head raised. His jaw opened then clamped shut. The bottom half of the golf club flopped to the floor, leaving Ameena holding just the rubber grip.

  In one fluid movement, Billy’s cousin sprang back to his feet. He screamed and writhed as spear-like bones tore through the skin of his forearms. The pain kept him from attacking us, but I knew it wouldn’t last.

  ‘Move, get out!’ I yelped, pushing Ameena towards the door.

  ‘Rosie’s upstairs,’ Billy said.

  I called her name. ‘Rosie! Rosie!’ She didn’t reply. ‘I’ll get her,’ I said, taking the stairs two-at-a-time. ‘Get out. Get somewhere safe. I’ll find you. Somehow.’

  ‘The radio!’ Billy cried. I reached for my hip. The walkie-talkie was still clipped to my belt. With a twist of the knob, I switched it on.

  ‘Good idea. Go!’

  Billy was already out the door. Ameena bounced on the spot, trying to decide what to do. But the bones had stopped growing from Guggs’ arms and his squeals were gradually dying away. There was no time for argument.

  As I reached the top of the stairs, I saw Ameena bolt for the door, leaving Billy’s cousin twisting and writhing in the hall.

  ‘Rosie?’ I said, my voice low and urgent. ‘Rosie, where are you?’

  The upstairs landing of the house had three doors, all closed. I pushed the first one open. Empty. The second one resisted as I tried to force my way inside.

  ‘Rosie, it’s me!’ I hissed. From beyond the door, there was o
nly silence. I tried shoving it open again, and heard a strangled sob from the other side. Down in the hall, Guggs’ screams finally fell silent.

  ‘Rosie, please,’ I urged. ‘Open up. Let me in. I can’t protect you if you don’t let me inside.’

  Again, there was no reply. But then, from the other side of the door, I heard Rosie take a step back. I pushed down the handle and the door swung open. Stumbling inside, I quickly closed it behind me again, just as a heavy pair of feet began racing up the stairs.

  ‘The bed,’ I said, ‘help me move the bed.’

  Rosie’s eyes were ringed with red. She didn’t speak, just nodded. Together, we shoved the room’s double bed in front of the door, jamming it shut. Beyond the door, Guggs arrived on the empty landing and let out a howl of confusion and rage.

  I climbed on to the bed, pressed my ear to the door, and listened to him skulking around. The upstairs hallway had laminate flooring. His footsteps clomped across it, irregular and uneven.

  Rosie backed further into the room, biting on her sleeve to stop herself screaming. I held my breath, listened to the thunk, thunk, thunk of his steps, until they stopped right outside the door.

  I backed away and jumped down from the bed, expecting one of those spikes to split the wood at any moment. I was still watching the door when I felt Rosie’s breath by my ear.

  ‘Alone at last,’ she whispered.

  ‘Well, we’re not that alone,’ I replied. Something hammered loudly against the door, and I took another step back. ‘God, he’s keen, isn’t he?’

  I jumped with fright when Rosie’s arms slipped beneath mine. They wrapped across my chest until she was hugging me from behind.

  ‘I never did thank you properly for getting me out,’ she said.

  My cheeks went pink. I tried to take a deep breath, but her arms were coiled too tightly around me. ‘It was nothing,’ I told her. ‘Forget it.’

  THUD. Guggs struck the door again, but it was Rosie who was making my heart beat faster and faster.