Hell Town

Chapter Nine

Considering the chaos on Route 4 they took a back road past the Lake. It only went so far before the road narrowed out and they had to get out and walk.

Strange noises came from all around. Shelley kept stopping every few feet looking like she was going to bolt any second. She kept making whimpering noises in her throat. Lani worried for her sanity. Whatever happened she doubted she was coming out of this unscathed. She didn't have high hopes for herself either.

She had decided to leave this town one goddamn day too late.

"Where are we going Shelley?" Lani asked.

"I don't know. We came in from the other road."

"For God's sake think or we are going to end up as monster snack food," Lani snapped.

"Take it easy," McNair said, putting a hand on her arm. She jerked it away.

"I think it's this way," Shelley said.

They headed north into the trees, moving slowly.

Lani held the kitchen knife at her side, tensed for any movement. A screeching cry came from behind them. Something new had made an appearance."

Lani scanned the trees. She could see chinks of light in the distance.

"We're going the wrong way," she snapped.

Shelley didn't speak.

Lani headed south towards the light. The others followed.

Shelley stumbled over a tree branch and went down. She didn't even try to get up, just lay there sobbing.

Lani was growing more impatient with her. She grabbed her wrist and hauled her to her feet.

"If you want to lie down and die Shelley fine! But do it after we find the parchment."

Shelley looked like she had been slapped in the face.

"I'm not the one eagerly running towards the mouth to hell," she said.

They squared off against each other.

"As much as I would like to watch a girl on girl smack down, we have more pressing issues right now," McNair said.

They resumed walking.

"Killing yourself won't bring him back," Shelley said softly.

Lani stopped walking, "You know considering this is partly your fault, maybe you should stop talking."

Twenty feet ahead they could see the edge of the pit. Trees had been swallowed up by it. They moved cautiously to the edge. The hole plunged into the Earth seeming to go on forever. A pulsing light was at its center. It had now widened to around fifty feet.

Another winged creature erupted from it and flew off into the night sky.

"Look for the parchment," McNair said. He and Shelley moved off in opposite directions. Lani stayed where she was staring into the hole.

She could see something trapped in the mud a few feet down. Almost completely buried, it was trying crawl out. It's arm flapped helplessly.

"Lani, this was your idea, help us," McNair said.

She snapped out of her trance and began searching.

"It's not here," Shelley whined after two minutes of searching, "It probably went into the hole."

"You don't know that, keep looking."

There was a deep rumbling sound from the hole. Lani backed away but nothing came out. She looked in.

"Do you think everything that was down there is free?" Lani asked.

The other two returned to her side.

"No, I think the worst is still to come. Can you feel it?" Shelley said.

Lani could. It was hate and anger.

"When do you think it's going to make an appearance?" McNair said.

"Not yet," Shelley said, "He needs more blood."

"Who does?" Lani said.

Shelley snatched the kitchen knife from Lani's hand and plunged it into McNair's throat.

He made a choking, gurgling noise, eyes wide. Then he toppled forward into the pit. It happened so fast that Lani had no time to react.

Shelley looked at her. Her eyes had rolled back in her head leaving only the white.

"That wasn't enough," she said calmly, all trace of the whimpering mess was gone.

"A lot more blood's going to spill before sunrise and when morning comes, he'll walk on this Earth again."

She swung her hand at Lani's face catching her in the cheek. The strength behind it was unreal. Lani felt her head snap back as she flew through the air. She hit a boulder as she fell which knocked the wind out of her.

Gasping she tried to move but darkness was creeping around the edge of her vision. If she passed out now, Shelley or whoever she was would kill her. Shelley took hold of Lani's ankle and began dragging her towards the pit.

"I'm all out of sharp, shiny implements I'm afraid," Shelley said, "So you'll have to go in the old fashioned way."

Lani dug her nails into the dirt trying to get a hold of something. She kicked out with her other foot. When that failed she started hurling loose rocks and dirt at her.

She bumped over the ground and felt something dig into her hip. Reaching into her pocket, she found the .38. Audrey must have put it in her pocket back at the diner. She pulled it free as they reached the edge of the pit.

Lani aimed at Shelley's head. She fired a shot but Shelley moved and the bullet only grazed her cheek.

Shelley yanked her forward. Her legs went into the pit and she started to slide in. She fired again but the shot went wide.

Dropping the gun she grabbed handfuls of grass. They came away and she kept sliding.

"You got what you wanted Lani. You're finally getting out of this town."

Shelley kicked her in the head. Pain exploded in her temple and it was lights out.