How to Slay a Beast (Book 1)

Chapter 8

"Are you okay honey?" Jade asked, she came to tuck me in bed now. That was nice, I thought. Her eyes were red from crying for Del. That was nice too. He wasn't her son. But she still cared.

"No," I said.

"I know it's really hard," she said, rubbing my leg, "Your dad is having a hard time."

"He hasn't said anything to me all week," I said.

"It's because he's hurting too," she said.

"It's not my fault," I said.

"He doesn't think that," she said.

"But in his eyes, he looks like he does," I said.

"He doesn't---no," she said, shaking her head, stroking my hair out of my face, "Everyone hurts in different ways."

**

I was sitting in front of my computer, googling 'fatal bear attacks'. There were dozens. But the bear usually doesn't eat its victim. But this was big. And there aren't bears in these woods. And it ate him. It fucking ate him ate him. The police said they would look. But they'd probably never find the one. The one that did it.

I broke down sobbing in front of the computer more times than I care to admit. There were pictures too. I looked at those. This thing tore him apart. Bears don't hunt like that at night. they don't kill big things like deer.

This wasn't a bear.

This was something else.

**

I walked out into the woods. I carried the camera in one hand, and the gun in the other. It was well after midnight. My dad and Jade were in bed. and Enoch was in bed but he isn't asleep.

"Give me your promise---your most solemn sacred promise, that you'll stay inside," I said, taking his hand.

"I will," he said.

"No, swear it," I said, "You must swear that you will not leave your room. Not till I get back."

"I swear it," Enoch said, squeezing my hands, "But Merry, you have to promise too."

"Promise what?" I asked.

"Promise you'll come back," he said.

"I promise," I said.

Now I stood in the woods, holding the camera in one hand, and the gun in the other. I wanted to know what it was. That way, even if it killed me too, then at least they'd know what it is, so they could track it.

I turned around, slowly looking at the woods. It was hard to see n the dark, the moonlight didn't come through the leaves, not enough to see by.

**

"Merry go back," I sobbed. "Please go back. it's coming."

**

I heard a rustling noise. Like something walking. Something big. I held up the camera and pointed it at the noise, pushing down on the shutter. The flash went off. blinding us both. Then it was moving.

I stepped backward, pulling back the gun's chamber to cock it.

**

"Merry run!! You have to run!!!" I screamed. But she couldn't hear me. She held up the gun and fired into the dark at the beast, as it rose up in front of her. Then she backed up firing again. It charged. She fired again, emptying the gun into it. And it didn't stop.

"Merry run!!!" I screamed.

She turned and ran. The monster followed, it tripped in the ropes but just barely.

"Leave her alone," I shouted, then I ran as well except I was running at it, "Want to eat me again? Come on!" I ran at it, hitting it with my wooden sword.

It slashed its claws at me and I fell to the leaf litter, rolling away. And it ran after Merry.

**

I ran into the house and slammed the door, sinking to the floor, shaking.

"What was that?" the light flicked on upstairs.

I pushed the gun underneath me, I couldn't get up. I was shaking too hard to move. I held the camera clutched against my chest, pushing it underneath my leather jacket.

"Merry, what are you doing?" Jade asked, coming downstairs.

"Nothing," I said, "I just stepped outside."

"What's going on?" My dad asked, walking down behind her.

"I just went outside," I said, my voice shaking, "Nothing."

"Don't go outside," he said, turning around and walking back upstairs.

"Don't do that sweetheart," Jade said, frowning, "You can't go out at night."

"I know," I said, "I won't again."

**

"Run," I whispered, "Just run," I didn't know how I could get tired, when I didn't have the legs to run with or a voice or anything anymore. Now that I didn't exist.

"DEL!" arms caught me, stopping me from running.

"It's coming after me," I said, trying to keep running, "It's coming after me. it came after Merry. I had to save her."

"No, no I'm not going to let it get you," he said, holding onto me, "I'm not going to let you go."

"Who are you?" I asked, we were standing in the woods. I was still. It was the first time I'd been still. "Why can you hear me and they can't?"

"I think it's because I was awake, when you were leaving," he said.

"You mean when I died?" I asked, feeling myself cry.

"Yes, when you died," he said, holding me tightly.

"It almost got Merry," I said.

"Did she get away? Did your sister get away?" he asked, urgently.

"Yeah," I said, "She did. it chased me."

"Okay, okay," he said, "We're gonna fix this. We're gonna fix this."

"Why can it keep chasing me? It already got me, how can it keep chasing me?" I sobbed.

"I don't know," he said, "But we're gonna fix this. I promise."