Horror in the Woods

by Mountford, Lee

  He slowly made his way to the doorway, hiding just beside the frame, and ducked below the window to the library. He pressed his back against the wall and waited.

  He knew, eventually, he would have to deal with the fire the girl was starting, and that was something he did not look forward to, but first he needed to deal with her.

  He didn't want to just run in and attack her. Tim didn't know how, but Ashley was up here and the family weren’t. They were nowhere to be seen. He didn't know how that was possible, but there it was, so he knew he needed to afford her some respect. At least until he could figure out what kind of threat she realistically posed.

  He waited a little longer and soon heard her running footsteps make their way down the hall. She ran from the house, oblivious to his presence.

  Tim was already poised and let fly with as hard a punch as he could muster. His fist hit its mark.

  The feel of the impact was satisfying, as was watching the girl flail to the floor.

  That was easy.

  He strode over to her and looked down.

  'Hello, little mouse,' he said.

  37

  Ashley saw stars and her vision was spinning. Her jaw ached terribly, and she felt a pressure push down on her throat.

  Tim had taken his boot and stepped down onto her neck, pinning her to the floor. He bent forward and studied her.

  'Where are my family?' he asked. At first, she didn't answer, but he increased the pressure, causing her to gag. 'Where?'

  'Still down there,' Ashley said.

  'And how did you get away?'

  'I ran.'

  'Bullshit, I don't believe it. What happened?'

  The pressure on Ashley's throat eased a little, allowing her to speak more freely.

  'What happened?' she asked. 'You really wanna know? Well, first, that fucking thing down there, your Grandpa, killed your father. Burned him alive.' Tim winced at that. 'Then I cut your brother's throat. He's still down there, probably gurgling on his own blood. Then I stabbed your mother. Right in the gut. And to finish? I gouged out that fat fucker's eyes and left him in the tunnel like a stuck pig. That's what happened.'

  He was silent for a moment, giving serious thought to her words. 'Bullshit,' he said, eventually. 'You couldn't have done all that. No one could have, let alone you.'

  'Go and see for yourself,' she said. He paused again, looking her over.

  ‘What happened to you? What are those marks? Those burns?'

  Ashley had seen the blisters, red and angry, on her skin. Whilst ugly, they hadn't been as bad as she'd feared. However, she had only seen what they had done to her arms, and had no idea what state rest of her body was in.

  'That fucking monster, it tried to do to me what it did to your father,' she said. 'But I didn't let it'

  The fire in the house behind them began to spread. Ashley could hear the flames crackle.

  'You're lying,' Tim said, through gritted teeth.

  'No,' she said, 'I'm not. And you know I'm not, don't you?'

  'I don't know what to think,' he said, shaking his head.

  'What is that thing down there?' Ashley asked, partly playing for time, partly genuinely curious.

  'Grandpa? He's nothing you can understand. Besides, why should I tell you anything?'

  'Just curious,' she said. 'Not every day you see something that goes against everything you ever believed in.'

  Tim laughed, but he wasn't mocking. 'Yeah, I guess he is something to behold. I remember a similar feeling when I first saw him. Kinda takes your breath away, doesn't he?'

  'So, what is he? Things like that don't exist.'

  'Well, Father knows more than I do, but apparently Father is dead now, isn't he?'

  'Tell me,' Ashley said. 'I need to know.'

  Tim shrugged, but went on. 'It was Father who first found it down there. He was with his father at the time. They were mapping out an tunnel they found, or something like that, when they came across... whatever it was. It looked different back then, according to Father, but it took the older man, used his body as its own, and then turned Father. That was the start of it all. Father followed its instructions and found someone else, someone suitable; his wife at the time. She was turned -- that would be Mother -- and they started to build a family. And we grew from there.'

  'But why does it need to do that? What is it?' Ashley asked.

  'Hard to explain, I only know what Grandpa showed me. When he turns you, when his old blood works its way into your veins, it shows you things. I don't know if it's deliberate or not, but you get these... visions. The blood in us craves food. Sustenance. So, we oblige, and the more we eat, the more it shows us. About how things really are in the universe. I was never one for learning when I was... like you. Didn't care for it. But let me tell you, the kind of knowledge that thing shows us, it's addictive. We also get stronger the more we feast, but it changes us, too, makes us look different, as you've seen. And, contrary to what you might think, getting people out here isn't easy, especially these days. People go missing nowadays and it's a big thing. The world's a small place, and word gets around quick. So, it isn't easy for us to stay hidden. We don't want too much attention here, and the woods are protected to an extent. Grandpa has made it his domain, and it gives off a certain vibe, for lack of a better term. People just want to avoid the place. Bad in some respects, because we don't get people just wandering though anymore, but it protects us as well.'

  'So you have to work for your supper?'

  'Yeah, I guess so. Don't judge me, Ashley. I mean, yeah, it turns out being a monster is actually kind of fun. Fuck it, it's more than fun, it's euphoric, but we do it out of necessity. Grandpa's blood is in us and we can't ignore what the blood wants. So, we oblige.'

  'But our families will realise we've gone missing,' Ashley said. 'They'll send the police to look for us. People will come.'

  Tim shook his head. 'No, they won't. It's a big area outside these woods, a big place to search. There are other pockets of trees and woodland around here, and those places might get searched, but this place? Nope, afraid not. Grandpa's protection is enough. Always has been.'

  'And how long have you been doing this?'

  'Me? Well, I'm older than I look. A lot older. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. But the family... I guess some of them have been doing this for centuries.'

  It sounded impossible to Ashley, but, after all she'd seen, she had no doubt he was telling the truth. 'And you never thought to fight against it? Did you ever think that this was wrong?'

  He shook his head. 'Doesn't work that way. Once he's inside you, then that's it. Besides, how can anyone fight something like that? You saw it, didn't you? It can't be fought, Ashley, only obeyed.'

  'But you could try,' Ashley said, trying to reason with any kind of humanity he might have left.

  'No,' Tim said, as if talking to a child, 'you can't. The longer we go without eating, the worse it gets. The impulses he embeds in us get stronger, and harder to control. The violent urges, the aggression, the depravity; those are the things it revels in. The only way to satisfy those urges is to indulge, and that's one of the reasons we do what we do. The longer we go without, the harder it is to control. Fuck, you saw how my family treated each other. Dysfunctional hardly covers it.'

  'Try to kill it,' Ashley said.

  'You can't.'

  'Try.'

  'You can't!' he shouted. Tim then turned his head, aware that the flames were getting stronger. She saw a brief look of fear in his eyes.

  'Fire,' Ashley said in realisation. 'Fire can hurt you. It can kill you people, can't it?'

  'Knowing that isn't going to do you any good, little mouse. Not now.'

  'But will it work on that thing?'

  'No,' he said. 'I'm not lying when I say it can't be killed, Ashley. Fire has its uses, sure. It can burn away his link to us, his link to our reality, but nothing more.'

  'So what would happen if we set it on fire, then? Torched the fucker? Wou
ld that send it back to wherever the hell it's from?'

  Tim laughed again, genuinely amused. 'Jesus, Ashley, I have to give you credit. I've never seen this side of you before. Never knew you had it in you. Suddenly, you're this kickass warrior girl, huh? I like it, I have to say. But no, you'd never get the chance. He would stop you. And even if you somehow succeeded, fire won't kill it. He would only come back. He is... forever.'

  'But we could try, Tim.'

  'No,' he said, 'we couldn't. You can't talk me round to this, Ashley. I'd never go against him. And he knows that. Even if I had half a desire to, he's just too strong. The place he's from, it's not like our world, our existence. From what Father has told me, and from what I've seen, it's like a living nightmare. Sometimes the things that exist there find a doorway through here.' Tim then leaned forward, putting more weight on Ashley's throat. 'And you wanna know the scariest thing?'

  'What?' Ashley squeaked out.

  'That thing down there, as powerful as he is, he isn't one of the worst. In fact, I think he's pretty low on the food chain where he's from, compared to some of the other things that roam around there. How crazy is that? Can you imagine if one of the really big, nasty ones wanted to find their way here? We'd all be fucked.'

  He laughed at this, but it was a manic laugh, one that belied a genuine fear. Whatever he'd seen, whatever visions he’d been given, as awesome as they might have been, they clearly scared him.

  His laughter died down and he looked back at the ever-growing fire.

  'So, Grandpa killed Father, huh?'

  Ashley nodded as best she could with his boot on her throat. 'Yes.'

  'Then that opens up a space,' Tim said, shrugging. 'I thought maybe I'd get my shot if they got rid of Claudia, like they were planning, but this might work as well.'

  'No it won’t,' Ashley said, struggling against his weight, fighting the urge to gag. 'Do you really think you'll get what you want now? They couldn't get me to join, could they? That means you're fucked. They still need their little errand boy, which means you'll still only get their leftovers.'

  The pressure on her throat increased again.

  'No,' he said, gritting his teeth in anger. 'Things need to change. And I'll make sure they do.'

  Ashley had hit a nerve, goaded him to anger, just as she'd hoped. Whilst he bubbled with rage, she had brought a leg up and aimed the sole of her boot at Tim. She kicked out, hard, extending her leg with everything she could. The sole of her boot sunk between his legs.

  Tim's eyes opened wide and he let out a noise, something between a groan and whimper. He grabbed his crotch, back-pedalled a few steps, and doubled over.

  Ashley got to her feet, rubbing her aching throat.

  She set herself, then ran towards him with a roar.

  38

  Tim's testicles throbbed, the dull ache making him lightheaded and nauseous. The bitch had kicked him so hard she'd almost popped his balls.

  Before he knew it, he heard her scream, and she came sprinting at him.

  In that moment, he genuinely thought Ashley had lost it.

  He could do no more than brace himself as Ashley crashed into him with such force that he was thrown back into the library window. The single pane of glass bounced and cracked under his weight. Still reeling, Tim barely had time to bring his hands up in defence before Ashley charged him again, tackling him. The glass of the window behind them gave way and they both fell through.

  Tim’s world spun in a shower of glass and he found himself inside, on the library floor, with Ashley sprawled out beside him. He was also aware of the sudden increase in temperature.

  He looked up and saw just how bad the fire had gotten; the room was engulfed in flames. The bookshelves were a blazing inferno, and the fire had even taken hold of the wooden walls at the far end of the room.

  No. This can't happen. This can't happen. Not like this.

  There wasn't much Tim was genuinely scared of anymore. Though he wasn't as strong as the others in his family, he could still recover from most things, painful though they may be. This, though, would be different. There would be no recovery.

  No coming back.

  And it would be agonising.

  He had to escape.

  Tim got to back to his feet, ignoring Ashley who lay, coughing, on the floor, and tried to ignore the pain that still throbbed from his groin. He stumbled back towards the now broken window. Upon taking a step, he felt a sudden stab of pain in his back and yelled out. Tim reached a hand around and felt a shard of glass sticking out from his lower left side, something that must have happened during the fall. He grabbed it and pulled, flaring up more pain, but it refused to budge.

  Fuck it, he could deal with that later.

  He was aware of Ashley slowly getting to her feet as well, but that didn't matter, he just needed be outside, away from the heat and the smoke and flames. Everything else could wait.

  He fell on the sill of the window, feeling some remaining jagged glass press into his stomach, and began to roll through it.

  But something stopped him.

  A hand, grabbing the belt of his trousers.

  He turned to see the bitch, Ashley, holding him, teeth clenched and jaw set. Her face was smattered with light burn marks, her cheek was gashed open, and she was covered in cuts and bruises and filth and dirt, yet she would still not just give up and die.

  Warrior girl indeed.

  He felt a begrudging respect towards her, but in that moment, respect didn't matter, survival did. His hand wormed around a shard of glass still stuck in the frame. It drew blood as he pulled it free, ready to thrust it into her weak and supple flesh.

  As he made to turn his body, the pain from the glass in his back erupted again and, with a scream, he looked down to see Ashley was forcing it deeper inside of him with her free hand.

  He coughed and spat blood, lashing out an elbow that knocked her back.

  'You fucking bitch,' he screamed. He held up the shard of glass and charged at her, enraged that someone as lowly and weak as her seemed to be destroying everything his family had built.

  The glass found nothing but air as Ashley dropped a hip, then weaved the other way, grabbing him tightly around the waist. She pulled at him, using his own momentum against him, and toppled them both into the flame-engulfed bookcase on the far wall. The flames were everywhere now, and Tim felt their stinging heat on him.

  'No!' he yelled, trying to pat himself down, not even knowing if the flames had spread to him. It was a reaction he couldn't control. 'No, get it off me.'

  He began to scream, aware he was losing it. But he couldn't afford to lose it.

  Not now.

  If he kept his head, he could still get out of this. He could still make that bitch suffer for what she'd done.

  But the panic that had set in was hard to overcome.

  Was this akin to what their victims felt?

  He didn't care for the irony.

  'Tim,' he heard Ashley yell, and he looked up. She'd moved to the side of the bookcase, pressing herself into it, letting the flames lick and kiss at her, seemingly uncaring. He soon realised what she was doing as the bookcase began to creak. 'Fuck you.'

  He looked up and saw the top of the case begin to fall.

  Tim tried to run, to scamper and crawl out of the way, desperate to reach safety.

  But it was not to be.

  A heavy, scalding weight crushed down onto him, pinning him to the floor. It snuffed out any hope of survival.

  The bookcase lay on top of him and the fire that coated it so completely now began to find its way to him. It took hold of his clothing first, and he could feel the skin beneath begin to sear as fire did what it did best.

  He screamed and squealed in pain.

  No, not like this, please. Please, no. Please, please, please.

  Tim flattened his hands on the ground and pushed, trying to lift the heavy piece of furniture that weighed down on him. It took a lot of strain, but he managed to get it
to raise slightly. If he could just crawl out-

  It suddenly dropped heavily again, forcing itself down on him, flattening him to the floor. Twisting his head, he saw that Ashley had planted a foot on the top of it, and pushed it down, trapping him. He tried desperately again to lift it, but his arms were pinned tight and he could find no purchase.

  The flames began to ravage his body. His clothes now completely took hold and set ablaze. Tim could do nothing but lie there, helpless, and scream as the fire engulfed him completely.

  39

  It was quite a sight, seeing the man she thought she loved turn into a human torch beneath her.

  But he was never really that man. It had all been an act, a way to fool her and her friends. Just to get them out here.

  To kill them.

  And he'd almost succeeded.

  Almost.

  Now, Ashley hoped, he was feeling a little of what his victims must have felt.

  Helpless, unable to stop the pain inflicted upon him.

  Unable to avoid death as his life was slowly taken away.

  Tim still screamed and writhed, his cries high-pitched and desperate.

  It wasn't a sound she could ever enjoy, because she wasn't like them, she wasn't a monster, but it did bring her some closure, some measure of revenge.

  Flames threatened to wrap around the leg she was using to push down on the bookshelf. She'd planted her foot in a small section where the fire hadn't yet taken hold, but that space had dwindled fast, and was now almost non-existent.

  But even if the fire caught her, she refused to let up. Not until she was sure Tim was dead.

  In the time it took for him to stop screaming, and for his melting body to fall still, Ashley never once looked away.

  She watched him die.