A Monster Escapes

by Lewis Wolfe

  Agent Bradford jumped out of the office and shock filled the special agent’s face. He hadn’t expected the bodyguard to come running toward him. In that confusion it took him a second longer to pull the trigger and that second was enough for Caleb to fire off two rounds.

  One of the bullets hit the special agent’s shoulder. The other pierced his ribcage. As he fell down Agent Bradford fired off one shot. The bullet soared straight past Caleb and pierced the wall.

  Caleb didn’t know if he had killed the special agent. He didn’t care. He hadn’t expected to still be standing at all, let alone to be concerned with what came next.

  He walked over to Jane and shoveled her up with his left arm. The girl’s underdeveloped muscles made her light to carry and he tossed her over his shoulder. With deep breaths he turned around and made his way back to the stairs.

  Caleb was dizzy and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could function like this.

  “Move through the pain. Move through the pain,” he panted to himself.

  Caleb walked downstairs and slowly made his way outside. He passed two corpses he had created as he ventured through the small corridors.

  Once outside he turned to his left and walked toward the garage. Fortunately Jane was such a lightweight.

  With deep breaths he reached the garage and pulled at the door. It was unlocked.

  Inside he found a variety of luxurious cars, but none of that interested him right now. He had to get moving. To keep moving was the way to survive. Move through the pain. Move through the dizziness.

  Caleb found the Jaguar and opened the passenger door. Carefully he placed Jane inside and fastened her seat belt. Before he shut the door again he took a close look at her and he noticed the blood on her face. She had suffered enough now, Caleb decided. He would get her out of here.

  He walked to the other side of the car and got in. Just as Arthur had promised them, the key was in the ignition.

  The engine roared. Caleb backed up and then drove out of the garage. Carefully he followed the small road leading to the gate, where he found the cars that belonged to the team he had just destroyed.

  “Luck,” he told himself. “Luck and a plan that wasn’t half bad. But mostly just luck.”

  He wondered then if Jane Elring had maybe influenced the events that had gone on downstairs. Had she whispered things to the men that gave them pause? Made them lose focus? Even if just for those few vital seconds?

  Caleb realized he would probably never know. He didn’t care.

  Quietly he drove, and drove, and drove. They were getting out of here. Out of Brettville. Their destination lay beyond the pines that stood as silent watchmen, even now, guarding the town’s invisible borders.

  Where to? Caleb had a few ideas. He still knew people that could help. That owed him a favor.

  And if they didn’t want to help…. Well, Jane Elring could always make them.

  10

  Gold sat in the darkness of the Toaves basement. Scattered around her lay the tiny corpses of several rats that had dared to venture closer. They had wanted a nibble, but before they could taste her beautiful flesh a powerful force had crushed their fragile bones.

  Gold didn’t quite feel like herself anymore. Something had entered her body and she recognized the energy right away. It was her father, now, that sought a place inside her mind where he could linger.

  The entirety of her father would have certainly crushed her soul. But it was only a small part that demanded access and Gold’s body was able to take it without any damage.

  Soon, Gold felt, her father would become part of the system that was her being and she would no longer exist in any meaningful way. Even his tiniest part was far more potent than she was in her entirety. Gold didn’t mind surrendering herself for his benefit.

  What had happened? As her father’s energy began to mix with her own the story became clearer to Gold. She saw the strange Jane Elring that had taunted him and lured him toward the locked room where he was now a prisoner.

  But her father was old and experienced, and even in his arrogance he had thought to leave some security behind in the darkness outside Jane’s mental house. Just in case.

  He had torn a tiny part from himself through which he could continue to experience the world in all its delicious ugliness. As his main body chased Jane Elring, that small part had sought its way out of the darkness and into the beautiful Gold.

  That part now nestled inside her body and gave her power far exceeding that of any mere mortal. Effortlessly she tore the rope that tied her to shreds and stood up from the tired old chair.The eyes Gold used to look around were different now. They saw reality in ways that she had never thought possible. She saw the walls and the ceiling, but also what lay far beyond them in the shape of green fields and tall pines. Looking at the rats that scurried hastily across the room she saw not only their tiny bodies, but also their minds and miniature souls. Their life energy.

  Gold walked toward the stairs leading up to the first floor. The wood protested underneath the pressure of her beautiful body as she made her way upstairs. She felt much heavier now that she carried a piece of her father inside of her. Her body was somehow even taller and her face more radiant. She could take on the world, Gold thought, until she didn’t exist anymore.

  Gold knew that he would begin to claim more and more of her in due time. Though he could never be as powerful as he had been in his full form, he was still far too strong for her. And she wouldn’t put up a fight, anyway. Her body was perfect for him now and if he wanted to own her, that was alright.

  Gold arrived at the door leading to the first floor and opened it. Immediately the scent of blood greeted her nose, mixed with a sour hint that came from the gunshots that had recently filled the mansion. It smelled nice to her.

  “What do I do now?” Gold asked herself.

  Her father answered inside her mind.

  Go back to the store. Get dressed there and then we leave.

  “Leave for where?”

  The world! There is a big and delicious world out there for us to experience!

  “Will we have to feed?”

  Sparingly, I’m afraid. My abilities are a little more limited until Jane Elring releases me.

  “When will that be?”

  When she dies. Could be years from now, could be tomorrow. Her world is dangerous and hostile to her. We’ll see what happens next.

  Without another word Gold started through the mansion. She traversed the corridors, stepping over two dead bodies on her way out. Sniffing in the beautifully sour air that her father seemed to adore. It was the blood that he loved, Gold knew.

  Near the front door she found an injured young man sitting against the wall. He had removed his helmet and Gold could see his sweaty forehead and terrified eyes. She knelt down next to him and took the man’s hand. Gently she pressed it against her naked breast.

  “It’s all over now,” she said gently as she used his hand to rub her nipple. “Isn’t this wonderful? Life can be like that, you know? You don’t always to have fight just to have a good time….”

  Ahhh…. How about a little bite, Gold? I could use the energy.

  Without a moment’s thought Gold leaned toward the young man and sank her teeth into his neck. She did it with a ferocity that was fueled by her father’s presence. The young man struggled briefly with a terrified moan before she tore out his jugular and the blood splattered across the hallway.

  The blood covered her naked body as she drank, and drank, and drank. She consumed him until the blood no longer rushed from the ugly wound she had created.

  Satisfied, she stood up and felt how the man’s blood dripped from her chin. She looked down only to find her chest and abs colored by the beautiful red that had occupied the young man’s body.

  “Should I look for clothes?” she asked.

  There is no need. I will not allow them to see you unless you need to be seen.

  “We could look for Jane Elring, cou
ldn’t we? We could release you.”

  We could. But we won’t. Jane Elring is an exquisite horror unleashed on this world. Man has created his very own demon. We will watch from afar to see how her beautiful tale unfolds.

  Without another word Gold walked out of the mansion and into the rest of the world.

  OPEN ENDINGS

  1

  (December 31, 2019)

  Ellie sat at the kitchen table with the Holsworth family. She listened to family stories, old memories and bad jokes that got worse as the alcohol flowed from glass to throat. This was what a family looked like, the girl thought to herself.

  Two months had passed since the horrible ending at the Toaves mansion. Ellie thought back frequently to how she had found Arthur sitting in his office chair. His body had been so terribly pale and cold. Still, she had seen on his face that he died peacefully, with fond memories on the forefront of his tired mind. It was the most anybody could ever ask for, Ellie thought.

  Ellie looked around the table and saw friendly faces left and right. The Holsworth family was very loud, and very warm. All of them had welcomed her to their table and she enjoyed the company, even if it came from complete strangers in a house that she was still getting used to.

  Mary Holsworth had inherited Arthur’s fortune and, with it, the many obligations he had left unfulfilled. The strong and capable woman was in the process of redesigning the Southeastern Reintegration Project. In the long term she wanted to make it economically viable, which meant that money could no longer be spent blindly.

  She had taken Ellie apart in the days after Arthur’s death and she had asked what the girl wanted to do. Ellie could stay, or she could leave, but Mary had very much wanted her to stay.

  Ellie had remembered her terrified moments in the locked bedroom, stroked by Mary and shielded by her strong, motherly body. So she had decided to stay.

  Mary Holsworth was currently in the process of officially adopting Ellie, something Arthur had neglected to do. It would take time, but when the strong woman put her mind to something it got done.

  Together they had decided that they couldn’t live in the mansion anymore. Such terrible things had happened there and they both knew they could never shake the memories of gunshots, blood, and death. So Mary had taken some of the money left to her and purchased a farmhouse near the edge of Brettville.

  They all sat in that house now. At the new kitchen table, with Mary’s wonderful guests. Ellie sat quietly as she listened to the tall tales she kind of believed, some of the time. Ellie had seen some pretty strange things herself, after all, so who was she to say what was true and what wasn’t?

  Soon the year would end and, together with the Holsworth family, they would greet 2020 with fireworks and champagne. Ellie could have half a glass, Mary had told her beforehand, because she was old enough to try some.

  Ellie knew that her life would forever be strange. Touched by her past, moving toward an uncertain future. But she had been blessed. Blessed that day when Arthur picked her up on the highway. Blessed by Jane Elring, who had torn the demons from her mind. Whatever happened next, it was her decision and she felt accountable.

  She would live under the guidance of Mary Holsworth now. A woman who could teach her many things about the world and the character required to survive in it.

  The foundation of that character was love and Ellie knew that she had it. She had received it from others and, so she believed, in time she would be able to pass it on. That was what she wanted to do with her life.

  To live kindly and generously. The same way Arthur had done.

  2

  (March 12, 2020)

  Larry Bradford sat in the living room as he listened to his wife and daughter arguing. He didn’t have the strength to intervene. Nowadays, he didn’t really have the strength for anything anymore.

  Caleb Epps had almost killed him. Or maybe, the ex-special agent thought, he had actually succeeded.

  Larry’s body would never be the same again, scarred and torn by the bullets that had pierced it. Those bullets had done more than damage his flesh. They had obliterated his pride.

  Jane Elring was on the loose. The most dangerous thing on this planet, so he believed, had escaped him. Larry had failed his country and, by extension, his family. So he didn’t try anymore. He didn’t feel like he had the right to try anymore.

  His days were always the same now. He stayed in bed until noon, neglected to have lunch most days only to dive straight into the booze Becky supplied. Life was horrible, but that was what he deserved for failing so miserably.

  His son ignored him. His daughter hated him. Becky, beautiful Becky that had always been so generous with her body. That had always been so understanding and patient with his moods. That Becky now gave him the cold shoulder most nights.

  He had climbed on top of her a few times in a drunken stupor and forced himself inside of her, but she had cried softly and it was difficult for him to climax that way.

  So now Larry Bradford sat in his living room. Listening to a pointless argument that he could barely understand through the haze of alcohol. He didn’t know what it was about and he didn’t much care either, as long as the bottle wasn’t empty.

  The only thing that was on his mind, whenever his mind was available, was the bloodstained face of Jane Elring. That face that had been impossible to read, with its deep red stare and bloody lips. Those lips had told her she didn’t hate him. What did that even mean? What did that even matter?

  Yet those words that had carried a strange forgiveness plagued his mind the most. There was nothing for her to forgive, Larry thought, because she had won. She had beaten him with her dirty tricks and left him for dead.

  All Larry ever wanted to do was forget. So he emptied the bottle before calling out to Becky. She had to bring him a new one.

  3

  (June 29, 2020)

  Summer hit the Netherlands in full force. Several temperature records had already been broken in what was titled the hottest June since 1919.

  Dutch summers were very humid and, together with the tremendous heat, caused many a casualty. The elderly, babies, and heart patients were at a very high risk.

  Jane Elring wasn’t bothered by the heat. She sat on the balcony of her small apartment in Amsterdam and closed her eyes as she listened to the hustle and bustle from the streets below her. From where she was sitting she had a clear view over many of the canals that ran as lifelines through the old city.

  Life was peaceful for Jane now. Away from the prying eyes of her handlers, and the impossible demands of Dr. Greer, she had learned what peace truly meant. It was a luxury, truly a luxury, Jane thought to herself.

  Even now her mind was filled with the countless thoughts and feelings that ran through the heads of Amsterdam’s inhabitants, but they were fleeting and she gave them no attention. There was no reason to listen to them, because she wasn’t solving an obscure crime or hunting for a demon.

  The gentle breeze that reached her cheeks pulled a smile from her thin lips. This was what it meant to truly smile. It wasn’t rehearsed in front of the mirror; it was simply an honest expression of her emotions. Jane was allowed to have those now without being scrutinized for them.

  The door opening behind her caught Jane’s attention. She turned around and saw Caleb entering the apartment. His arm still hadn’t healed completely and probably never would, but he was losing weight and the man boobs he hated were almost completely gone.

  Caleb stepped onto the balcony as he said, “I got some lunch. You want to eat outside?”

  Jane nodded. “In a little while. Join me?”

  Caleb took the chair next to her and sat down. He studied her appearance as he said, “You’re getting a tan, Jane.”

  “Right? Do you think I’m out in the sun too much?”

  “Nah. Just use sunscreen.”

  Jane pointed to the small white bottle on the table between them. “Way ahead of you!”

  Silence overtook the
m and together they sat in the gentle breeze. A lot had happened.

  One of Caleb’s old army buddies had flown them out of the country to Mexico. From there they had gone by ship until they finally reached Europe.

  Another of Caleb’s friends had married a woman from the Netherlands and owned property all over the small country. Jane and Caleb currently rented the place from him.

  Yet for all their good fortune, there was something that still bothered Jane. She thought about that now, as they sat together on their small balcony.

  “Caleb?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Back in Brettville… you never let me help you. You know… with John C. Reilly. I know that stuff is still in your head. It doesn’t have to be like that. I can take that burden from you.”

  Caleb turned to look at her and she already knew what he was going to say. She let him say it anyway.

  “Thanks, but no. That part of my life is mine. It is a private defeat and I will carry the load.”

  “Why, Caleb? There is no shame in—”

  “It’s not about shame. It’s about responsibility. My choices, my duties. I did things, and saw things, and allowed things that I shouldn’t have. If I had been stronger back then I could have done things differently. I could have saved the day, been a hero. But that’s not how it went and I have to accept that.

  “I know that you can look inside my head, and that’s alright. You can’t help it, anyway. But that part is mine, and mine alone. It doesn’t belong to you. Please don’t ask me about it again.”

  Jane studied Caleb’s face to look for an opening, no matter how small, to make him change his mind. She sensed his pain, even though his words were very brave, and wanted to take it from him. No strings attached, just because she considered him her friend. Her very first friend.

  But no such opening existed and Jane knew it. So she leaned back into her chair, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the busy sounds of beautiful Amsterdam.

  “You got it, Caleb. I won’t ask again and I’ll take it with me to my grave.”

  That grave, she hoped, was very far from her still. For the very first time, her life had beauty and warmth in it and she didn’t want to lose it. Maybe, Jane hoped, she could one day find some love, too.