The terrified woman then saw Jim.
The expression on her face was one he knew he would always remember. Pure terror mixed with an unbelieving bewilderment. She knew she was about to die, yet her mind could not accept what was happening. The monster’s upper half lifted her higher, and then it tilted back, like an animal straightening out its neck before it devoured a large piece of meat. The woman rose up with it, her exposed upper half now vertical. The mouth opened wider and gulped.
She dropped to her shoulders. The gums clamped down again, hard.
The woman screamed, little more than gurgles now, as blood bubbled from her mouth. Beyond the chaos around him, Jim was certain he could hear the cracking of her bones when the mouth compressed even more around the struggling woman. Her terrified eyes stayed on Jim as she was pulled down a little farther, and the gums pressed down onto her head. Jim heard a crack. One of her eyeballs popped free and dangled on an optic nerve as the woman’s cranium was crushed and her brains exploded from her shattered skull. The creature took a final gulp, like a snake sucking down a mouse, and the poor woman disappeared into the bulk of the monster.
Jim forced himself to his feet and sprinted forward, pushing his way through the throng of people that all ran in panic as well. Up ahead, the heaving crowed seemed to veer to the left as one, and their terrified screams increased. Through the mass of people before him, Jim managed to see what everyone was trying to keep away from: a pack of short but disfigured abominations that had a man pinned down.
The short, squat attackers were clearly demonic, yet also humanoid, and their naked bodies were a mottled grey with thick black veins visible beneath the skin. Pudgy bellies and baby-like rolls of fat were at odds with the long and razor-sharp talons at the ends of their arms. The creatures stood about three feet high and their mouths were long and open in a permanent cry—stretching down and attaching to their chests. There were no teeth inside of their mouths, only a black, glistening membrane that was lined with clusters of moving barnacle-like growths.
The poor man pinned down by these surprisingly powerful demons was having his skin peeled from his body. He cried and wailed in agonising pain as the sharp talons gripped his flesh and pulled it away from his body in long strips. The long chunks were then dangled over the permanently open mouths of the creatures before being dropped inside and swallowed. The man’s torture had clearly been going on for at least a little while, as much of his skin had been torn away, exposing the raw and tender meat and tendons beneath. He lay in a pool of his own blood and fought frantically, but was simply overwhelmed. One creature waddled round to his front and, in one quick motion, ripped off his jaw, before depositing it whole inside of its own mouth.
Jim forced himself forward, managing to find enough space to break into another sprint. He didn’t stop running until he hit the edge of town, certain he was losing his mind.
None of that could have happened, he told himself. It couldn’t have. He was just going crazy, that was all. He’d much prefer going crazy to the alternative.
The next day was like a dream. He forced himself back into town to see what had gone on. It seemed safe, at least for the moment. No screaming. No monsters to see. Just lost people unable to make sense of what had happened the night before.
Scores of people were reported missing over the days that followed. None of the missing were ever found. People talked about what they had seen that night, but over time, the stories became less frequent.
Jim asked out Ada only a week after the night of madness. She was a woman he'd admired from afar. In person, she turned out to be everything he could have hoped for, and more. He quickly fell in love.
But she couldn’t leave town.
She had a responsibility to care for her ailing mother. And Jim couldn’t leave Ada behind. The two were married within a few years of meeting. They bought their first house together. And, even when Jim left on tour with the military, Netherwell Bay was always the home he thought of. Because that’s where Ada was waiting.
Even after her mother died, Ada and Jim didn’t leave town. They had built a life there. The night of the disappearances had moved further and further into the past. Nothing like it ever happened again throughout the years they lived together. Some say it hadn’t happened at all. Many excuses had been given back in the day, of course. Mass hysteria. Shared psychosis. A poisoning of the local water supply that acted as a hallucinogenic. Even mass suicide, where many of the townsfolk had supposedly thrown themselves into the sea.
And after all the time that had passed, Jim himself started to doubt his memory of that night. Any other explanation, no matter how wild and fanciful, would have made more sense to him than what his eyes had shown him that night.
The years continued to roll on. Netherwell Bay was the only home Jim had ever known, and Ada was there with him. They lived a happy life together and he became certain that nothing like what had happened during that horrible night would ever happen again.
It was a legend, relegated to the annals of time.
And then, over fifty years later, he’d stumbled upon the remains of three people in Hollows Cove. Slaughtered and sacrificed. The terrible but fading memories of that night over fifty years ago had come flooding back.
Chapter 22
Present day.
Beth sat in stunned silence at what she’d just heard. She had no clue what to say in response. A thousand questions seemed to be tumbling through her mind, but none were clear or focused enough to be able to ask. It was all simply a mass of confused noise.
‘I… don’t believe it,’ was all she could say. Though, it wasn’t quite a statement of fact. She could believe it, if even only a little, considering what she had experienced herself.
Jim let out a humourless chuckle. ‘Quite the tale, huh?’
‘And you stuck around here for all those years after?’ Beth asked.
Jim nodded. ‘Had to. My Ada was here, and I could never leave her. And, as the years went on, that horrible night started to seem like… I dunno… a dream, maybe? Nothing like it ever happened again. Though there were always stories from people of my generation, a lot of us doubted ourselves. The officials who came to investigate obviously didn’t want to hear what we told them. Said the disappearances could have been linked to mass suicide or something. Said the people had likely been in a cult. Not that any bodies were found. And the stories were explained away. Something in the water that caused hallucinations and mass panic. As the years go by, you kind of start to believe it, at least on some level. It’s a more comforting thought. Ada and I… we were happy here. For a lot of years. I honestly thought all that… whatever it was, was in the past. Until yesterday, when I saw those bodies.’
‘And now you think it’s happening again?’
‘Possibly. Back then there were rumours and stories of weird symbols in the cave. Cult-like stuff, you know? Well, that’s exactly what I saw yesterday. On the ground, beneath the bodies. There were circles, with odd markings in them. Weird shapes—though I didn’t stick around to take much notice. Knew I needed to get the hell out of there.’
‘Jesus,’ Beth exclaimed. She didn’t know what else to say, and finally took a drink of her own coffee. Surprisingly, it was delicious, as the one that morning had been as well: a good mix of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness. Netherwell Bay might be fucked up, but it apparently knew good coffee. ‘Can you try and remember what you saw in that cave, Jim? Please? I have a feeling it might be important.’
Jim shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘Jesus, it ain’t something I really want to remember. For one, the bodies were all chopped up. Well, maybe that isn’t right. Pulled apart is closer to the truth.’ He took a breath. ‘Didn’t exactly seem like clean cuts at those bloody stumps. There were trails of… flesh… and things.’
Beth noticed his cheeks pale. She knew talking about the scene had to be hard on him.
‘I’m really sorry you had to see it, Jim,’ Beth said, and reached ou
t to put a reassuring hand on his. ‘And I know this is difficult.
‘How could it help you, though?’ Jim asked. ‘It was just a sickening mess.’
‘You’d be surprised at what small details can sometimes lead to, and what they can give away.’
Jim’s brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed. ‘You a copper or something?’
Beth laughed and shook her head. ‘Journalist. At least, I used to be. So, can you think of anything specific there that you saw? Maybe something odd that stood out?'
He cast her a withering look. ‘Lady, it was all odd. It all stood out.’
‘Okay, okay, I get that. But beyond that. I mean, can you think of anything beyond the obvious?’
Jim shrugged. ‘Not really. The heads had been decapitated. And,’ he closed his eyes tightly as he remembered, ‘I think each of them were put inside of some circle on the ground. Also, whatever sick bastard had done this, they had left a string of… guts? Intestines? I don’t know, but there was a red, fleshy string that ran from one circle to the other.’
‘Connecting them?’ Beth asked.
Jim nodded, opening his eyes. ‘Yeah. All of them were connected to the others. The heads and circles seemed to be set equally apart, too, so they formed kind of a triangle. The point of it faced towards the back of the cave. Towards land, away from the sea. Not sure if that makes a difference?’
‘I have no idea,’ Beth said. ‘But my father always told me that knowledge was power. Over the years, I’ve learned he was right.’
‘I hope that’s true. Not that we have a lot to go on.’
‘Anything else?’ Beth asked, not wanting Jim to slow down. Jim sighed, but closed his eyes again.
‘The whole cave was a mess, I can tell you that. Body parts strewn around. Didn’t seem to be any order to that. Guts and meat everywhere. I saw limbs. It seemed so… savage. The heads and those circles, though? They seemed to have a purpose. The rest was just carnage.’
Something clicked in Beth’s mind. ‘You mentioned before that one of the deceased was a girl? Was it someone you recognised?’
Jim opened his eyes. ‘Aye, that’s right. I didn’t know her, exactly, but had seen her around. Quiet thing. Odd. Always had this intense stare about her, like everyone she looked at was beneath her. I never associated with her—don’t think we ever spoke. I think her name was Marie, but I couldn’t tell you her last name.’
‘Was she one of the Kents, perhaps?’
Jim shrugged. ‘Couldn’t tell you one way or the other. I know what people say about small towns, that everyone knows everyone else. You might know faces, sure, but there are still over a thousand people living here and in the surrounding area. Do you know a thousand people by name?’
Beth shook her head.
‘I don’t know if she was related to the Kents or not. Couldn’t say. She was just someone I saw around town every now and then. I didn’t interact with her.’
‘And the two men who had been killed? You said you didn’t recognise them.’
‘That’s right,’ Jim said. ‘Though it took me a moment to realise who the girl was, to be honest. If you’ll forgive me, these heads… they weren’t just like a preserved mannequin head or something. They had been left on the ground for a long while, so the blood had drained. And the eyes had been gouged out, as well. Those decapitated heads were a mess. But, even so, if I had seen those men before, then it ain’t clicking in my brain. And believe me, as much as I don’t want to, I’ve tried to place them. The police asked me the same thing. I really don’t think there is anything else I can tell you.’
Beth sat back. She had been so focused on finding out the details Jim knew, hoping it could help in her search, she had forgotten—or ignored—that three poor people were actually dead. It was the comment about the eyes that hit her: that they had been gouged out.
Jim had been right before when he had called it savage.
‘Okay,’ Beth said. ‘I’m sorry I made you relive that, but thank you.’
‘Not sure it will be much use,’ Jim replied. ‘You’ll understand now why I advised you to get out of here as quickly as possible. If history really is repeating itself, you’re going to want no part of it.’
‘I hear you, but—’
‘Josh,’ Jim said, finishing Beth’s sentence.
‘Yeah, Josh.’
‘Well, you best be quick about finding him.’ Jim drained the last of his coffee.
‘You leaving town, then?’ Beth asked.
‘I am—as soon as we finish here, in fact. Have no idea where I’m gonna go yet. Just take the bus out of here and get a hotel or something for a few days. Follow the news. See what happens. Might be safe to come back eventually, and I can sort out a permanent move then.’
‘So… you’re just running away?’ Beth asked. She couldn’t help herself. It wasn’t her place to judge, but, apparently her subconscious had done so anyway. She immediately regretted it, however, as Jim’s expression turned furious.
‘Excuse me?’ he asked, raising his voice. ‘Did you hear what I just told you?’
‘I did,’ Beth said, taking on a more diplomatic tone. ‘And I’m sorry, that came out wrong. I didn’t mean it like that.’
Jim rose to his feet. ‘You do as you please,’ he said, through gritted teeth. ‘But, young lady, I’ve seen a lot in my lifetime. Whether you believe it or not, it takes a lot to scare me. What’s coming here, scares me. I have no issue admitting that. Staying here to face what’s coming don’t make you brave. It makes you a damn fool.’
He then put on his coat.
‘Jim, wait,’ Beth said, getting to her feet as well. ‘Can you at least tell me—’
‘I’ve told you enough!’ he snapped. ‘Best of luck to you.’
Shit, shit, shit.
Beth quickly grabbed her coat, ready to follow him. She felt like Jim could still help her, even if it was just to tell her the location of the Kent’s private estate. But as she finished gathering her things and stood, she noticed that Jim had frozen in place.
Standing directly outside, with a dark smile, was Pete. A few of his friends were with him, and they were all wearing the same evil grin. Pete gave Beth a wave, then beckoned them towards him with his finger.
‘Someone wants to see you, little lady,’ he shouted through the door. ‘You best not keep them waiting.’
‘Not interested,’ Beth shouted back.
‘We’ll see if there is a back door out of here,’ Jim said, keeping his voice low and his eyes focused ahead. ‘Don’t listen to this yob. Don’t go anywhere with him, either.’
Beth had no intention of going with him, but she also didn’t like the idea of having to go out through a back door, running away like a coward. Jim turned to the lady behind the counter. ‘Patricia, is there a way out back there?’ he asked, nodding to a door behind her. ‘Don’t really feel like dealing with these idiots outside, to be honest.’
The lady looked up from her magazine, then rolled her eyes after noticing Pete and his friends standing beyond the door. ‘That fella? He’s a bloody nuisance. Still goes on like he’s a teenager. Someone should tell him he’s almost bloody forty. Come on back here, Jim. I’ll take you through the kitchen. Does Pete have a bone to pick with you or something?’
‘It would seem so,’ Jim said. ‘Come on, Jess,’ he added, and started to walk towards the counter with his dog following behind. The bell above the entrance door sounded and the door opened. Pete—and only Pete—stepped inside. He was wearing jeans, Doc Marten boots, a white t-shirt that did little to hide his belly, but no coat. Considering it wasn’t exactly warm outside, Beth assumed this was done as a statement. Cold don’t bother me, none. Cos I’m tough. Either that, or his bulk insulated him enough to ward off the chill.
‘Where are you two off to?’ he asked, wearing a smug grin Beth just wanted to scratch clean off his face.
‘Away from you,’ Beth replied.
‘Why?’ Pete asked, bringing a hand
up to his chest, feigning hurt. ‘I’ve only come to deliver a message. Something you will want to hear.’
‘I very much doubt that,’ Beth said, turning away from him. ‘I don’t care who wants to talk to me, I’m not interested.’
‘Shame,’ Pete said, with a shrug. ‘I’ll tell Josh not to expect you, then.’
Chapter 23
‘Josh?’ Beth asked, quickly turning back around. The self-satisfied grin on Pete’s face only intensified.
‘That’s right,’ he said.
‘Where is he?’ Beth demanded, not trying to hide the sudden anger that hit her. ‘Tell me!’
Pete held up his hands defensively and laughed. ‘Take it easy, sweetheart. He’s close by. Come with me and we’ll go see him.’
‘Beth,’ Jim said, resting a hand on her arm. ‘Don’t go with him.’
‘You shut your mouth, you old fucker!’ Pete spat. His grin vanished in an instant and he bared his teeth in a snarl. ‘Ain’t got nothing to do with you.’
‘Both of you stop!’ Patricia shouted from behind Beth. ‘I’ll not have any trouble in here. Pete, go away. I’ll call the police if you keep pushing things. You know I’m serious.’
Pete turned his raging eyes to the cafe’s owner. After he stared daggers for a few moments, a smirk returned. ‘I’m not doing anything to warrant that, Pat,’ he said. ‘This lady and I are just talking. I’m passing on a message, is all.’
‘Of course you are,’ Patricia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. ‘And shouting at Jim in the process?’
‘He needs to keep his nose out of things that don’t concern him,’ Pete said, glaring at Jim.
‘Just go away,’ Patricia shot back. ‘Take your mates outside with you, too. Pubs will be opening soon. Go, get drunk, and keep out of everybody’s way.’
‘Not today,’ Pete replied. ‘Got business to take care of.’ He turned back to Beth. ‘Now, do you want to come and see Josh, or not?’
The Extreme Horror Collection Page 54
