By M. K. A. Marble

Mist shrouded the forest, blown in by the cold winds of November. Crows called to one another through the sounds of rain dripping from branches to the dead leaves that lay in shades of brown, maroon, tan and burnt orange on the ground. The gray clouds in the sky seemed to enhance the stubborn gold leaves that clung to the beech saplings making them stand out as one glimmer of brightness and hope amid the utterly miserable weather conditions. The rain was light, but it was cold. A wind was picking up making my journey through the forest all the more miserable.

I leaned against a tree and winced in pain. The reason that I was wandering through this forest was because I had seen the distant light of a lantern shining from someone’s house. My car had tumbled when a strange creature, like a bloated horse with boar’s tusks, had charged out in front of my car. The car had flipped, rolled and landed in a ditch badly jarring me. My shoulder had been rather badly lashed and banged by some saplings growing in the ditch. I had thought them to be willow saplings, but the saplings were harder than willow, harder than oak even. I had given them little thought at the time since I was rather disturbed by the sight of the strange beast that had run out in front of my car—not to mention the fact that I had fallen out from the broken side window of the car to land in the ditch where the wounded animal might retaliate against what it probably considered to be an unprovoked attack!

Fortunately, the animal was nowhere in sight when I had reoriented myself and climbed painfully from the ditch. It was then that I had spotted the distant warm light that seemed to be lantern light shining from someone’s window. I had followed after the light but had eventually lost sight of the light in the gloom of the forest.

I had thought this to be most peculiar, and wondered why someone would douse the light so quickly. It seemed like the person would surely keep their lantern on for awhile longer what with evening setting in. Perhaps the person went to bed early…

I froze suddenly. What was that peculiar crunching? The sound seemed to build around me coming from nowhere in particular. I heard a huffing sound, like the laboring breath of a draft horse, add itself to the ominous crunching. I suddenly heard a footfall very near me, and I ducked around behind a tree gritting my teeth against the pain of my injured shoulder. I peered around the tree feeling my heart hammering. I felt my heart leap into my throat as I saw what was making the noise.

The same odd creature that I had struck with my car was walking with a shaky gait stomping its forefeet down while dragging its hind legs a bit. The beast’s back was covered with odd tumors and lumps, some of which were oozing a sickly black pus that had a yellowish sheen to it. The stench didn’t hit me at once, but I nearly gagged when it did. The creature was emitting a foul odor like the smell of rotten fish mixed with a snake’s musk.

I quickly covered my mouth with one hand not wanting to gag and alert the strange creature to my presence. What if it attacked? To be sure, the beast didn’t look as though it could run fast with its disproportionately short and thin legs that carried around its heavily muscled back. The creature had a horse’s mane, which had been cut. I wondered what the owner was playing at letting a diseased animal wander around. Had the animal escaped on account of the disease driving it mad?

The beast suddenly stopped and turned its head toward me. I ducked back behind the tree I was hiding behind feeling tension pull my innards taught. The beast did indeed have tusks, and its eyes glowed like red hot coals! I shook a little as I remained silent behind the tree. This was no earthly beast. This was some devilish monstrosity. I nearly ran as a panic suddenly gripped me, and it was all I could do to keep hiding behind the tree.

The sound of the creature’s footsteps had completely stopped from the moment it had turned to look at me, and its breath was no longer audibly huffing out. I had the feeling that it knew exactly where I was and was debating over whether or not I was worth chasing down or not. I shivered and not just from the cold. My cold fingers were digging into the flesh of my face as I determinedly covered my mouth to prevent my breath from hissing out ragged and sharp. My legs twitched a bit wanting badly to run, and every moment that I waited to feel the creature’s teeth and hooves strike me drained more and more of my self control. I finally started to lean forward preparing myself for the inevitable loss of self control when the creature’s footfalls sounded once more.

My nerves leaped, and I was running before I knew what had happened. I heard heavy footfalls as I sprinted away, and my legs moved faster and more furiously than ever. I expected the creature to bear down upon me at any moment, braced myself for the pain of the attack…

It was not until I had sprinted quite some distance in a maddened state of fear that I was able to muster the courage to glance over my shoulder. There was nothing behind me, and I swiftly stopped and stared around. The creature was nowhere in sight, and I could hear nothing but the drip of the light rain and my own ragged breathing. To my right was a group of cedar trees, and I stumbled over to sit beneath the trees as my muscles burned and my throat ached with every breath I drew in. My exertions had warmed me a bit, but I would soon be colder than ever. The wind was still blowing and the rain didn’t appear to be likely to let up.

I suddenly turned and stared behind me. Had I really seen…? Yes, there it was! There was a light not far away. Light meant that there was another person in this forest. I could get out of this strange, dismal place at long last!

I pulled myself to my feet and hurried through a thicket of thorn bushes emerging to find myself in a small clearing. The clearing was almost entirely occupied by a log house. The light of a lantern was burning, shining out from one of the windows. I hurried over to the window. I didn’t see anyone inside, but I knew there surely must be. I ran around the house until I found the door. I knocked on the door earnestly. I thought I heard a soft sigh behind me, but I didn’t see anything when I turned to stare over my shoulder. Thinking it to be a trick of the wind, I pounded on the door again and begged admittance.

There was no sound from within the house. I began kicking at the door shouting very insistently that I needed to enter, for I thought myself soon to die of the cold. The door swung open very suddenly, and I was nearly knocked over by the edge of the door brushing against my unwounded shoulder. No one stood at the door, and peering in, I didn’t see anyone. I shifted nervously, but the warmth coming from the house finally made me hurry in. The door snapped shut behind me, and turning, I didn’t see anyone behind me.

“Hello?” I called out.

My voice echoed slightly down the hall, which looked rather larger than it ought to be based on what I had seen from the outside. There was no answer, and I hesitantly walked down the hall to the living room. There was the lantern burning on the table. No one was in sight, and I called out again. No answer came to me, and I spotted a hearth almost hidden behind several tall chairs. I hurried over there and squatted by the hearth barely taking note of the two teacups set on a small coffee table. The fire was burning low, but there were a few pieces of dry wood sitting at the edge of the hearth. I hastily added these to the fire. Flames licked up from the coals, and I held my hands over the fire.

Warmth gradually spread through my hands. The warmth was almost too intense for me at first, but it gradually soothed my chilled hands. I shivered as the warmth started to spread through my body. I turned around to warm my back as well, and I gave a start of fright when I realized that the room was no as empty as I had once thought. A large black dog was sitting in a basket across from me. It was watching me with an eager expression on its face, and I worried for a moment that it intended to attack me. It had the attentive look of a hound about to chase after prey it has sighted. The dog wagged its tail after a moment, and I relaxed.

The dog looked like a cross between a Doberman and a Great Dane although I wasn’t sure if a dog born from such breeds would likely be completely black or not. The animal’s eyes were crimson in color, and I felt rather nervous to gaze into those eyes. The dog’s eyes seemed to betray a greater intelligence as though it had a human consciousness.

I turned back to the fire again not wanting to dwell on such disturbing thoughts. The dog’s eyes must have just looked red because of the lighting. They couldn’t really be red. Animals sometimes had reddish hues in their eyes, so the fire must have just been enhancing those hues. Yes, that must have been it.

When I had warmed myself, I turned back to examine the room again. The heads of several different species of animals were on the walls, and all of them looked deformed. The mounted head of a bear had huge tumors rising from the back of its head that gave the appearance of swollen horns. A boar head looked unnaturally warty, and its tusks were covered by thick, warty material. Two deer heads were on the wall as well, and both had long tusks growing from their mouths like fangs. Their antlers grew every which way, and their faces were disfigured by tumors. I shivered slightly and turned my attention away from the ghastly trophies.

The two tea cups were on the coffee table, and now that I wasn’t focused on warming myself, I saw that a sugar bowl, a plate of biscuits and a jar of cream sat on the table along with the tea. I wondered what the owner must be doing leaving his lantern and his dog in the house. I doubted that there were any nearby houses and couldn’t fathom why the owner would be away from his house in this weather.

As the owner was away letting his tea grow cold, I helped myself to a cup, for I was thirsty. The tea was rather strong, so I added some cream and sugar. Once I had emptied my cup, I moved over to the table the lantern sat on. There were papers spread around on the table, and I gazed down curiously at the papers.

The first couple of papers were drawings depicting animals of the like that were mounted on the walls of the hearth room. I looked over at a piece of paper that was closer to the lantern and felt my blood run cold at the sight of it. I was looking at the plan to a machine that ripped bones from living humans. Glancing at another plan, I saw a similar machine that pumped blood from a human’s veins. There was another piece of paper that depicted some sort of strange altar made of human bones.

I backed away from the table in horror. I had come into the home of some practitioner of a dark cult! Perhaps the owner was out hunting for more diseased animals. I had to leave and leave quickly.

“Funny how people come in, make themselves at home then rush to leave,” a voice hissed behind me.

I felt my muscles jerk involuntarily, and I dropped the teacup I had been holding, which shattered as it hit the floor. I spun and found myself facing a severe looking woman holding a curved knife. Although the point of the knife was facing the ground, the stance the woman had taken suggested that she could easily lifted the knife and slit my throat before I knew what had happened.

“Who are you? Why did you invade my domicile?” the woman hissed.

Her dark eyes glittered dangerously in the light of the lantern, and I hastened to explain myself.

“Please, Miss, I was in a car wreck. I hit some strange animal, and I saw the lantern’s light and came for help. I wandered through the forest and became frightened by the same strange animal. I ran and found this place. I was cold and begged admittance… The door opened for me, and I came in,” I said hastily.

The woman raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, really? In that case, I shall forgive you for breaking my teacup.”

I nodded and suppressed a shiver. The woman was eyeing me hungrily, and I wondered if she intended to use me as a sacrifice in some diabolical rite to the devil. Her eyes were like pitiless voids, and something about them made me want to run screaming from the house.

“What is your name?” the woman demanded.

“Earnest Duray, Miss. I inspect steam engines over in Dunlay,” I replied trying to mask the nervousness in my voice.

“I see. An interesting profession…”

She suddenly leaned forward and sniffed at me. I took a step backward in alarm.

“Yes, you’ll do just nicely,” the woman murmured.

“I beg your pardon, Miss, but would you give me directions back to the road? I really ought to be getting home,” I said.

The woman didn’t seem to be paying attention to me. She moved around me in a strange, sinuous fashion almost as though she were dancing to some unheard music. She lifted her knife, and I shifted away from her toward the door. The woman took a slow step after me, and her eyes suddenly were alight with murderous intention. I felt a strange tingling sensation ripple up my spine as the woman’s already sallow skin paled so much that it seemed to shine. Her lips curled up into a feral snarl although no sound passed from her lips. I saw her teeth elongate and thicken so that she could not close her mouth.

I turned and ran to the door. The door would not open though I turned the handle, pounded upon the door and kicked at the door fiercely. Panic rose in me, but even the increased strength that my panic gave me was not sufficient enough to open the door. I turned to see that the woman was taking slow, purposeful strides down the hall toward me. Her teeth had shrunk somewhat, and the feral snarl was replaced by a knowing smile. I know that you can’t escape me, the smile told me.

I suddenly realized that the was a door between the woman and I, and I lunged toward the door hoping, praying that I would be able to open it and escape without getting my throat slit by the woman’s curved knife, which had begun to glow with a dull red light. I yanked the door open with a cry and fled down the stairs on the other side of the door. The stairs went down for a long time, but I was too terrified to take note of that. I kept glancing back expecting to see the woman bearing down on me, but she wasn’t pursuing. I finally reached a large, metal door at the end of the long flight of stairs and wrenched it open. A large metal machine dominated the center of the room, and I hurried into the room and hid behind the brass plated tubes that snaked out from the machine. My heart hammered in fear as I crouched behind the machine.

It took a few moments for me to be able to look around the room, and when I did, I cursed myself for not looking around earlier. On one end of the room, there was a series of surgical tables, to which figures were strapped. One of the figures was twitching convulsively in the arms of a machine that was digging long needles into the figure’s veins. I realized after a few moments, that the figure was a small woman but not a human woman. The features of the woman’s face were different. She had slanted, almost squinting eyes that were pure black. Her face was long an angular, her skull longer than a human skull. Her limbs seemed long and spindly, and her body seemed short by comparison. I thought that I saw the outline of wings every now and then.

Turning my eyes from the unearthly woman being sucked dry by the machine, I saw that the other figures were still alive but had been gagged and strapped so securely to the tables that there were neither able to move nor make any sound. I could not see them as clearly as I could see the woman being drained by the strange machine, but none of them looked like they were human.

Looking over at the other side of the room, I saw that there was a strange altar made of bones, which sat inside of a strange cross between a furnace and a bizarre machine that looked like some sort of steam engine. The metal that made the strange furnace/engine was blackened and corroded in color, but the metal was still smooth lacking the texture of a corroded machine. I felt a surge of fear as I looked at the strange machine and altar combination, and the desire to run was overpowering. I stared around looking for an escape when I heard the sound of movement beyond the door. I ducked down as the door opened, and the woman that had been pursuing me came in. Her teeth had resumed a normal appearance, but I knew that she was still dangerous. The ominous glow coming from her curved knife spoke of that very clearly.

My panic grew as I saw another figure walk in behind the woman. The thing was human shaped, but horns extended up from its brow, wings like giant bat wings sprouted from its shoulders and a long tail with a barbed end stretched out from its tailbone. Its skin was the color of coal and occasionally flashed with a metallic sheen even though the dim lighting in the room was constant. Talons tipped its fingers and toes, and its facial features were devilishly handsome. It was completely naked revealing powerful muscles covering a fairly slender frame and that it was somewhere between a male and a female.

Some of the poor beings strapped to the tables struggled feebly against their bonds as the woman and the devil entered the room, and I surely thought that I would faint away from fright. Even though I was hiding, I felt sure that the devil and the woman knew where I was. Indeed, it only took a few moments for the women and the devil to look over in my direction.

“Stop hiding. Come out,” the woman said.

I shook with fear, but defiance and a sense of dignity rose up. I wouldn’t die cowering here, I thought fiercely, I would die on my feet!

I got up and walked out in the open. The woman and devil both smiled revealing pointed teeth, and I felt another thrill of fear race through my body. I wanted to run, but the desire to run was rapidly turning to the need to fight. I pulled out the switchblade knife that had been forgotten in my pocket until then. Now that my fear was telling me to fight, I finally remembered that I had it. The woman and the devil both laughed at me when I pulled out the small blade, and I cursed myself for leaving my revolver at home under my pillow. How much easier it would be if I only had my revolver instead of this switchblade knife!

I suddenly let lose a howl and charged right in at the woman and the devil. I turned at the last moment hoping to use the woman as an optical barrier making the devil hesitate even if only for an instant. My hopes were dashed before I even could slash at the woman as I ran by her. The woman hadn’t even moved, and I quickly discovered why. Something struck me hard and slammed me against one of the machines. I let out a strangled cry as a hand tightened around my throat.

I realized that the devil had shot at me, grabbed me by the throat and slammed me against the very machine I had been hiding behind earlier. The metal was hot against my back, and as I gagged and clawed at the devil with my fingernails (I had dropped the knife when I had been unexpectedly slammed against the machine), my eyes began to lose their focus. The devil continued to squeeze and press me against the machine until black spots ate away at my vision. I grew lightheaded from the lack of oxygen, and I wasn’t aware of my surroundings for a few moments.

I suddenly felt my back slam against a cold metal surface, and I felt the air get pushed out of my lungs. It took me a moment to recover, and I quickly realized that I had been strapped down like the other unfortunates around me. The devil had turned away from me after securing me, and I lay there gasping. The wind had been knocked out of my lungs, and I couldn’t even scream in protest though the terror bubbled up inside of me, stretched my nerves taught.

I heard the woman muttering in a strange language behind me, and I shivered as a chill raced up and down my spine. I felt heat wash over me, and I felt panic constrict my throat. They were going to throw me in the furnace and burn me to death in some diabolical ritual!

I struggled against my bonds in vain. A voluptuous, green skinned woman on a table next to mine growled deep in her throat. She looked human except for her green skin, but I had no time to wonder about her. Soon we would all be fried to a crisp as sacrifices in some evil ritual, so it didn’t matter how we were different anymore. We would all die together soon enough.

The woman’s face appeared above me, and she touched her knife to me skin. A terrible cold sensation like the hand of the grave grabbing my soul made me flinch and squirm trying in vain to get away from the terrible blade. The woman laughed aggressively and played the edge of the blade across my throat relishing the terror in my eyes.

“So, Earnest, why don’t you tell me your real name before I kill you?” she said.

“I already told you my name. If you’re going to kill me get it over with,” I said flatly.

“You are a woman. Earnest is a male name,” said a deep voice.

The devil returned in my line of vision, and I felt cold terror gnaw at my stomach as his eyes and skin flared briefly.

“There’s no need to hide it. We can smell your scent, and your scent is that of a woman. Not many women can pull off the act as well as you can, Earnest. Your curves are modest allowing you to pass as a young male that hasn’t started shaving yet. Your shoulders are broad enough for you to pass as a man. Your jaw is a bit square for a woman. I can see why you did this. You wanted to escape the inconsistencies of your government. The wonderful idea of freedom made this country, but it has shamefully been trodden over, made a mockery of. Women aren’t really free, are they? Come now. Tell me your name so that I can honor your memory properly,” the woman coaxed.

I shivered. My instincts screamed at me not to reveal my name. Perhaps my name would be used against me. I couldn’t tell them that my real first name was Eugene. I shook my head.

“Pity,” said the woman, “I guess you’ll only be remembered as Earnest.”

She moved over to the table furthest to my left. I heard her pick something up off the floor as she moved over to the stout figure strapped to the table. I jerked as the most horrific scream I had ever heard in my life sounded only a few feet from me. The scream ended in a macabre gurgle, and the sound of blood pouring into a metal bucket.

The next figure strapped to a table started screaming too, and the scream of terror turned into a scream so horrific that I felt my soul shrivel into a small corner of my mind. Cold sweat broke out over my body, and I struggled futilely against my bonds. Frantic screams sounded from the table next to me, and I started to whimper in panic. A scream sounded again not as horrific as the previous two, but still terrifying enough to make me start babbling out prayers, begging for my soul to be spared if my life could not be saved. Then the woman was at the side of my table staring down at me. I let out a hoarse scream.

The woman smiled then released the straps keeping my left arm strapped down. I tried to jerk my arm away, but the devil reached over and yanked my arm out so hard that I thought it had been ripped from its socket. I began to scream more frantically than ever, denying, begging, praying. The woman’s curved knife plunged down into my forearm.

A horrible chill raced through my entire being followed by a painful fire. I opened my mouth and let out a scream that tore at my throat. The knife felt as though it was letting more than just my blood flow into the bucket the woman held under my bleeding arm. It almost felt as though my soul was leaking out as well.

Three more screams sounded as the woman and the devil completed their bloodletting. I was twitching and sobbing barely coherent. It took me awhile to realize that my arm had not been strapped back down, and I reached over to fumble with the straps holding my other arm down. Blood streamed and dripped onto my body and the table as I fumbled with the straps. Ignoring my attempts to free myself, the woman and the devil moved over to the furnace where the woman began chanting in a language I had never heard before. I fumbled more terribly than ever as the flickering flames dyed the room a deep red.

I started as the flames suddenly hissed and bubbled. I realized that the blood had been thrown on the fire, and the sickly odor that wafted over me nearly made me sick. I started again as a clatter sounded near me. The green skinned woman had freed herself except for the last bond on her right ankle. The woman and devil never turned away from their ritual as the green skinned woman untied the last bond with shaking fingers.

The green skinned woman sprinted over to where I had dropped my switch blade knife leaving a trail of blood as she went and tossed it in my direction. A slender, pale hand reached out and grabbed it as the green skinned woman sprinted over to me. The slender, elfin woman that had grabbed my switchblade knife disappeared from my vision, and I heard the chanting suddenly break as a scream erupted from behind me. The green skinned woman was rapidly untying the straps that held my legs down, and she had nearly gotten me loose when something crashed into the table I was partially strapped to sending the green skinned woman flying backward along with me.

I gave a last tug at my bonds and yanked my right arm free. I slumped forward, and felt something soft bump against me. Turning my head, I saw the elfin woman bleeding out next to me. I felt the bottom of my stomach drop, and I turned to see the devil advancing on us. Its face was twisted into a mask of rage. Behind it, I saw the witch bleeding and burning in the furnace. The elfin woman had not died in vain. She had eliminated one of the enemies.

I was suddenly being dragged from the room, and it took me a moment to realize that the green skinned woman had grabbed me by the ankle and was dragging me out of the room. The devil snarled and leaped at us, and I threw my hands up over my head and screamed. The sound of flesh hitting flesh sounded, and growls and snarls erupted from behind me. I turned and saw that the green skinned woman was punching, kicking and biting at the devil, which was fighting back. The devil was faster than the green-skinned woman, and he was also stronger than she was albeit only by a little. It was clear that the green skinned woman would soon lose even if she could take a few hits from the devil.

I cast about frantically for something to use against the devil. There was no sign of my knife or the knife the evil woman had been using. I turned instead to the table I had been strapped to and yanked one of the straps from it. I rushed over to where the green skinned woman and the devil fought and began lashing at the devil with the strap trying not to hit the green skinned woman in the process. The devil snarled a few times, and the green skinned woman finally slugged it good under the jaw. She kicked it a few more times then turned and sprinted up the stairs.

I let out a shriek of fright, for I had to jump over the enraged devil to get to the stairs. I managed to leap over the devil, and I immediately sprinted up the stairs after the green skinned woman. I heard the devil roar in rage behind me, and heard wings flap after a few moments. I let out another hoarse scream and hurried onward. Something slammed into me after only a few moments, and I felt talons dig into my flesh. I began screaming frantically and thrashing wildly. Feeling the grip loosen, I landed a few more kicks on the devil and fought my way free. I sprinted up the stairs again. The devil came after me again, and this time it pulled my feet out from under me. I yelped and kicked. The talons dug painfully into my ankle, and my kicking didn’t make the devil loosen its grip.

The green skinned woman suddenly appeared beside me, and she began beating on the devil as well. The devil let go after she kicked it in the face a few times. Grabbing me, she sprinted back up the stairs. It didn’t take long for the devil to let out another roar of rage, and I let out a pathetic whimper of fear as I heard the devil’s wings flap in the air again. The green skinned woman suddenly ducked down and yanked me to the stairs with her. The devil soared over us, pushed off the ceiling and came after us again.

I screamed, but the green skinned woman tugged me on running up the stairs with an unnatural speed. I tripped and was dragged for awhile at one point, and the green skinned woman only paused when she ducked to avoid another aerial attack form the devil. The devil roared as it charged after us, and the green skinned woman didn’t dodge this time.

My head was slammed to the ground with such force that I do believe I was rendered unconscious for a few moments. When I regained my senses, I was at the top of the stairs, and the house was burning around me. The green skinned woman was fighting the devil once more, and it was clear that she must soon lose. Many deep scratches from the devil’s talons were bleeding, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. I was too incapacitated to do anything for awhile, and I could only watch in a detached fear as the devil and the green skinned woman fought. I realized that the devil was getting slower, and starting to become shadowy and insubstantial. It suddenly burst into black flames, and the green skinned woman sprinted away from the devil as fast as she could. She seized me by the wrist as she fled out of the house, and I was dragged none too gently from the house.

Black flames exploded outward from the house moments after we had fled, and the wave of heat picked us up off our feet and flung us into the forest. I smashed my head against a tree as I landed, and I was quite dazed as the green skinned woman dragged me onward.

I confess that I don’t remember much more than a blur of trees after that, for I was too dazed to take note of anything. I believe, at one point, we fled past several deformed animals that were burning or melting into a black ooze, but I was delirious at that point and may have imagined it. When I finally came to my senses, I was sitting in a hospital bed. I was alone, and I saw that I wasn’t completely intact. The arm that had been cut by the woman’s curved knife was gone. I was told that a strange infection had caused the doctors to amputate it in an attempt to prevent the strange infection eating at my arm from spreading. Additionally, I had several black marks on my body from where the devil had ripped me with his talons. The marks gradually went from black to deep red, and they never faded for the rest of my life.

Although I never saw the green skinned woman again, I had the feeling that she was still around somewhere. My garden grew unusually well even in years of drought, and I had a feeling that the green skinned woman was behind it somehow.

I always lived in a shadow of fear never going anywhere without my revolver and several knives. Sometimes at night, I thought I could hear the distant roar of the devil, and my scars would pain me terribly whenever the sound echoed to me. I had a feeling that someday, perhaps when I passed from this world to the next, the devil would come for me again and attempt to devour my soul. Death had never frightened me more, and the fear only grew as I got older.

No tags for this post.