There was another detail that horrified Ashley as well. Though the large eye sockets were sunken so deeply that what lay beneath was lost to their depths, the thing did have eyes, of a sort. Small, dirty yellow orbs with black pupils lined the length of its body in no definable pattern. Each of these eyes rolled and moved of its own accord, taking in different parts of the surroundings.
Most of these grotesque eyes were now locked on to Ashley.
Ashley noticed something else too. Thin, glistening tubes of flesh ran from the pulsating wall that entombed this thing and up to the ceiling of the cave above, getting lost between the wriggling worms that hung down. From within these translucent tubes, Ashley could see a trickle of crimson liquid work its way down towards the being. It dawned on her that they must have been directly beneath the room where Craig was killed, and she now knew where that stone table was draining the blood to.
Ashley, it said again, still inside her head. Its next words, however, were spoken physically, through a mouth that struggled to form the words.
'Pretty,' it said, its voice a strained growl. With its misshapen mouth, and lack of lips, enunciating each syllable wasn't easily accomplished. 'I. Will. Claim. You.'
It heaved out an excited, wheezing chuckle.
This being was far beyond Ashley's understanding of the world, or of the universe. More so than encountering the seemingly inhuman Webb family, seeing this thing shattered what she thought she knew about how things were, and how things were supposed to be.
Her mind reeled.
Ashley’s mind ran to her knife, but the idea of using it against that thing just seemed absurd. Like sticking a rhino with a pin.
Ashley didn't hear Ted run up behind her, and was only aware of him when he lunged into her, tackling her to the ground. She landed face first and struggled to adjust herself. Not to fight him off, but, for reasons she couldn't comprehend, she needed to get herself into a position to look upon the thing that so repulsed her.
'A. New. Child,' it said.
'What... what is that?' Ashley stammered out.
'That,' Ted said from on top of her as he pulled her arms behind her back, 'is Grandpa. Say hello.'
'It... it isn't human. It can't be real. It can't be real.'
Footsteps grew louder from behind and Ashley became aware of others joining them. Henry panted as he reached them, his mother just ahead. Ashley heard a gurgling and spluttering as the father, Benjamin, also followed behind, still spitting blood, and still gripping his oozing throat.
The blood seemed darker now.
Tim was nowhere to be seen.
'What took you?' Ted whispered to his mother.
'Henry got himself stuck in the tunnel,' she whispered back. 'It wasn't easy pushing him through.'
Ashley was barely taking any of this in, still looking at the abomination before her. She was as hoisted to her feet by Ted.
'She got away from us, Grandpa,' Ted said, as if answering a question. One Ashley hadn't heard being asked. 'We were going to bring her down to see you, but something happened and she got ahead of us.'
'I know that,' the mother said, respectfully. Again, as if in response to something. 'It was a mistake. She should never have been down here on her own.'
A pause. Then Ted again; 'It was his fault,' he said, pointing to Benjamin, who was now down on one knee, looking like he was in absolute agony, like he was about to pass out. 'A girl got the better of him, did that to his throat, which let this one get ahead of us.'
Another pause, then Benjamin tried to say something. It was a gurgling mess and blood spluttered from his mouth.
Ashley realised that there was some kind of conversation going on she was not party to. And after the way that thing had spoken to her inside her head before, she knew exactly how it was taking place.
'Yes,' Adela answered, looking over to her husband. If he were actually her husband, Ashley now thought. 'It's true. It’s his fault this happened. And because of him, we only had one body to feed on. The other girl is dead, and the meat and blood will soon be too cold. Not enough time to make use of her.'
The smile that seemed a permanent fixture on the thing's hideous face faltered, then fell. It took on a seething quality, though Ashley wasn't quite sure how she deduced that. It was more a feeling that the thing gave off, something it radiated.
Benjamin pulled himself to his feet and began to gurgle incomprehensible words again, this time with more urgency. Ashley couldn't be certain, but it seemed like he was trying to give some kind of apology. He had one bloodied hand held out before him in supplication.
The thing in the wall began to breathe heavily, pushing out its skeletal chest. All of the small eyes on its body rolled in the same direction to focus on Benjamin, who continued to plead in gibberish.
Ashley felt something change in the air around her, as if it somehow became charged with power.
Something was happening.
The rest of the family were looking at Benjamin with an expression she hadn't seen from them before.
Fear.
And soon she saw why.
As Benjamin uselessly tried to reason and beg for his life, Ashley saw his skin slowly begin to change. It was almost unnoticeable at first, but soon it became clearer. Small, black marks began to form on the surface, marks that began to grow and redden in the centre. Then, a familiar smell began to drift towards Ashley, one that reminded her of barbecues on a summers day.
Cooking meat.
Smoke began to rise from the growing, dark patches, and finally Benjamin seemed to realise what was happening. His eyes widened in horror and he shook his head frantically. All of the creatures eyes bore down intensely on Benjamin and, suddenly, he began to shriek in pain.
He dropped his knees and his skin began to bubble and blister, crisping before Ashley's eyes. Though there was no visible heat source, there was no mistaking what was happening; he was being burned alive.
The man continued to scream as the black and red blisters grew and completely covered him, scorching him, stripping him of his hair.
Soon he was unrecognisable as he rolled around desperately on the floor, the entire expanse of skin now nothing more than bubbling, burnt flesh. The horrific sight, coupled with the smell of cooking meat, was enough to make Ashley gag and dry heave.
Still, Benjamin suffered. Despite all he had done, Ashley actually felt a small amount of pity for him and just wanted this obvious torture to end.
Rather than end, the suffering went on. Benjamin's melting, wax-like skin sloughed from his bones, dropping to the floor.
Eventually, thankfully, his pathetic screams, which had turned into high-pitched squeals, fell away, and Benjamin stopped moving. What remained was a smoking black and red body, mostly stripped of its flesh.
The family all looked down, subdued and scared.
Ashley had begun to assume, after all she had seen, that this family could not die, that somehow they could defy nature and just keep on going and going. Now, she knew, that was not the case. The very thing that seemed to give them their longevity and resilience could very easily strip it away. The man who had once acted as the patriarch to the family was now dead.
She looked back to the beast that had somehow caused this. She saw its deep breathing begin to ease, and the eyes all swivelled away in different directions again.
Any remaining hope she had of escaping were extinguished in that moment. Battling against seemingly unkillable cannibals was one thing, and it had been hard enough to keep fighting them with any kind of belief she would survive. But seeing the thing down here, Grandpa, something that was even more of an impossibility than the Webb family, kill one of them in such a way...
What chance did that give her?
None, she heard a raspy voice say in her head.
Some of the thing’s eyes looked directly at her, and once again the vile abomination formed a twisted smile.
Then its mouth opened.
The family stood in si
lent shock, unmoving. Henry kept glancing at his now dead father. Though he was a literal giant, he looked like a terrified child. Ashley understood why. Up above ground, where the Webb's only had to deal with people like her, people who were food, they were in charge. They were powerful. They could be hurt, sure, but they would survive. Down here, with this thing, with Grandpa, they knew that they could be killed, at any time, and with horrifying ease.
Finally, Adela spoke. 'We're sorry,' she said, her voice quivering. 'Won't let anything like this happen again.' She then paused, as if listening to an unheard sound, and nodded. 'Yes, I understand. We'll make sure we get more, and quick. No matter what. We'll get you food. We'll send Tim back out as soon as we're done.'
'No,' it said, this time physically. 'Her.'
All eyes fell on Ashley.
‘Really?’ asked Ted, still holding Ashley. 'Is she to be turned?'
'Yes,' it said. The thin tendrils at the end of its wrists began to wriggle and writhe, almost excitedly.
Ashley heard Ted let out a small laugh. 'I knew you would like her, Grandpa.'
It was a stupid thing to think about, given the situation, but it seemed so odd that they called it that. Grandpa? It wasn't human, so why give it some kind of family connotation. And, given how this family seemed to grow and add members, she had half an idea that none of these people were actually related. Not by blood.
Clever girl, the thing said to her, and only her. It was again in her head. The family connects through my bloodline, not their own. Blood that will soon fill your veins. When that happens, you will give yourself over to me. You will be mine forever. A mere puppet for me to toy with. And you will thank me for it.
'What are you?' Ashley asked again, gritting her teeth. If she was going to be turned into one of these cannibals, then she at least wanted to know what this thing was.
The thing, it seemed, decided to humour her.
Noting you can understand. The body you see before you is the remnant of the first man who found me down here. He could not comprehend me, your kind never can, not fully, so I took him as my host. His son was with him. He was the second, and he now lies on the ground beside you, stripped of his flesh. He was the first of my servants, and though he is of no more use to me now, he brought me more of you meat puppets to control. In return, I granted them certain gifts.
'Why?' Ashley asked. 'Why do you need this?'
My existence in this place is not without effort, and for that I need sustenance. The family gathers the food we all need to go on.
Ashley noted the term; existence in this place?
She didn't think it was referring to this cave.
'A family this big seems overkill just to bring you sacrifices.'
A pack of dogs will defend their master much more effectively than a single hound. My pets serve me well... usually. Until now. Until you.
'So where do you come from?' Ashley asked. ‘Where are you from?'
A place of chaos. A place of horror. And of desecration and torment.
'Hell?' Ashley asked. The word spilled from her mouth before she had a chance to consider the absurdity of it. Then again, the situation she was in was far beyond absurd, anyway. Was it really such a stretch?
There is no such place. Hell is just a term. The place I am from is very real, and full of horrors that would break your small mind. Things exist there that you could not understand. But once I turn you, I will open the door a little, and you will gain some small measure of true knowledge.
'I won't let you,' Ashley said, trying to back up. Ted held her firm. 'I'll die first.'
Only if I allow it.
Then the abomination opened its mouth again, and physically spoke to its family.
'Bring. Her. To. Me.'
34
Ashley fought against Ted, but it was in vain; the man that held her was just too strong. Against her will, she was forced forward, ever closer to that grotesque thing.
'Let me go,' she screamed, trying to dig the heels of her boots into the ground to halt her progress. Ted simply pushed her harder.
'Don't fight it,' he said, 'it'll hurt much less if you just let it happen.'
The idea of letting this happen to her, of them having their way with her, of becoming one of them and doing the things they did, sickened her. She couldn't let it happen.
Ashley knew now that survival was just not possible. And she didn’t count becoming one of these monsters as true survival. That wasn't survival, it was submission.
And it was not an option.
The only way to truly save herself was to choose death. If she were dead, then they could do what they wanted with her husk of a body, but she would be free of them, somewhere where they couldn't touch her.
The otherworldly thing before her slowly drew one of its arms out of the pulsing wall, holding out the long appendage before her. She saw the thin, snakelike tendrils all had small mouths, or suckers, that puckered at the air. Dark liquid began to ooze from these mouths, dripping to the floor.
Grandpa's blood.
She knew it intended to infuse her with this blood, and that was how she would be turned. She was pushed closer to the wriggling things, and knew they would soon enter her mouth.
Desperate, Ashley let her legs go limp and tried to drop to the floor. Ted still held her arms, which were twisted behind her back, and when she dropped she felt a sharp pain in her wrists and shoulders as they strained against her body weight.
Ted then pulled at her arms, trying to hoist her back up, increasing the pain as he did. Ashley refused to budge, flopping like a puppet with its strings cut, or like a disobedient child who did not want to be held.
'Fucking move,' Ted said, trying to push her forward, but Ashley just flopped farther to the floor. Ted had to adjust himself and grab at her shoulder to keep her from falling face first. He then stepped ahead of her and began to drag her forward, again by her arms.
'Silly games like this won't work,' Ted said.
Ashley felt like her shoulders were about to dislocate, but she welcomed the pain. It was a sign of her struggle, something she could cling to.
'Now stop fucking around,' he yelled, exploding in anger. It seems he was a little embarrassed to be seen having so much trouble with her in front of Grandpa. He stepped towards her, grabbed Ashley's hair, and raised hand to slap her around the head, releasing one of her wrists.
'Fuck you,' Ashley said, her body still a dead weight. He hit her, the blow powerful enough to dizzy her, but through it all Ashley kept her focus and worked her free hand behind her back.
'Fine,' Ted said, and spat at her, 'I'll carry you, if I need to.'
He released her other arm and reached down for her body, ready to grab her and lift her up, but Ashley's hand found what it was looking for.
She pulled the knife free from the back of her trousers. With a scream, she thrust it upwards, remembering how Kim had fought off the now dead father, and aimed directly for Ted's throat.
Ted's eyes opened wide in shock and he let out a gasp as the knife plunged into his neck. Everything seemed to pause. Blood pooled around the protruding steel and ran down its length and down his throat. No one moved in that instant, clearly surprised at her actions.
At her resolve.
Ashley then took the handle in both hands and yanked sideways as hard as she could.
Red liquid slopped from the yawning wound she had opened up, and it coated her chest. Ted instinctively brought up his hand, but the gash was so deep that his fingers sunk inside, getting lost to the knuckle. Blood ran from his mouth and he fell sideways.
She knew he wasn't dead, but at least he was down.
Then, however, the shock seemed to wear off of the family.
'Get her,' Adela screamed.
Ashley sprang up to her feet and held the weapon out before her as Henry boomed forward. She backed up, and an idea formed in her mind. One that would cost her her life, but would ensure she would not become one of these things.
Towards the thing in the wall.
Towards dear old Grandpa.
'What's she doing?' the mother yelled, frantic. Ashley ducked under the thing's outstretched arm, feeling the writhing tendrils snap and drool at her back, and thrust the knife forward, throwing her body weight behind the attack. The knife ricocheted off the edge of an eye socket, striking bone, and found its way completely inside of it with a squelch. She pushed hard and buried it up to the hilt.
Again, everyone froze. She expected some kind of reaction, some kind of screams or roars of anger, from the family or from the thing, but there was nothing. The family didn't know what to do, and the thing didn't seem to be affected by the knife protruding from its head, the one that Ashley still held on to. It moved its arm back towards Ashley, and again she ducked, pulling herself back and drawing the knife with her. She managed to scramble away just as the arm try to take hold of her.
Looking at the steel of the blade, she saw it was coated in a dark, almost black, substance, one a little too thick to be blood.
Silly girl, the thing called to her, mocking her, from inside her own head. I cannot die. But you can.
'I welcome it,' she said. 'I won't become a monster.'
So be it.
'Kill. Her,' it said aloud to the family.
Ted tried to get to his feet, but he was struggling to stand, still preoccupied with his open throat, but Henry and his mother started to advance. Ashley held the bloodied knife out to ward them off and looked past them, seeing the path back towards the tunnel.
They were going to kill her, that much was certain. It was what she wanted, but that path was a potential way out. Did she really have to just lay down and accept death?
Could she actually fight her way through and get free?
The giant and his mother slowly stalked towards her, closing the gap, but evidently wary of her.
Horror in the Woods Page 17