Naturist, Red in Tooth & Claw

by Stuart Pitsligo

  “Hello, can you her me?” said Allan, shaking them harder. The person didn't respond. He rolled the body over and saw it was a woman's, but barely recognisable as one. Her skin was pale and discoloured and her body was thin and drawn, like she'd been starved for a long time.

  “Hello, hello?” said Allan, trying again for a response. The woman groaned again, louder this time, opening her eyes as she did. Her stare was empty and vacant.

  Allan had no first aid knowledge, and panic was beginning to set in. He ran off down the beach, stumbling in the darkness, looking for his rucksack to get his phone to call for help.

  The creature had heard a call from across the water. One of its own had called it, and like others, it had answered. None had ever felt the need to cross the water before, but the call was compelling, drawing them over. They had to find the food.

  Those that heard it had wandered out into the water to be carried by the currents. Some would drown, others would be carried back to their home. But a few were to make the crossing.

  She was the first of them to make landfall, and she was hungry. She had to eat, but she sensed no food. There seemed to be nothing for her here. Something shook her, but she was tired and it didn't seem like food. She didn't care about it and tried to sleep.

  Suddenly she sensed food. Her head snapped up, sniffing the air. Leaping to her feet she turned to face the source and began pounding along the beach to it. As she ran, she suddenly sensed the source of food become somehow more compelling and desirable. Her pace quickened, as her hunger drove her on.

  Allan suddenly felt very foolish in his nakedness as he rummaged through his rucksack. Pulling on his underpants made him feel a bit better, but he was still flustered over the woman and his phone was what he really needed.

  Digging it out from the pocket of his rucksack, he fumbled with the on switch and waited for it to start up. The seconds seemed like minutes as it emitted its usual stupid start up jingle, leaving Allan frantically waiting to be able to do something.

  “Dammit, no signal” shouted Allan as he thrust the phone back into the pocket without switching it off. He felt angry and helpless now, with no idea of what to do or how to help.

  The creature's attack came swiftly from behind. It threw its whole body at Allan, knocking him flat to the ground. It leapt on top of him, its claw like hands ripping into the flesh of his thigh, tearing his underpants away and biting the flesh in his buttocks.

  Allan, face down in the sand, screamed in pain as it bit down, desperately trying to lash out at it, but to no avail. As it bit deeper and deeper into his flesh, the pain and terror of the attack gave Allan renewed strength. He kicked out at the creature, knocking it off him and sending it tumbling down the sand dune, taking the torn remains of Allan's underpants with it.

  Allan scrambled away, half crawling, half running into the night, naked and terrified, agonised from

  the burning from his wound. He ran for several miles, never looking back, before dropping from exhaustion.

  Cold, naked and alone he curled up into a ball, shivering. His wound had gone numb, there was no more pain, but something still felt wrong. All fear and terror had left him, but he felt almost empty, as if something was missing, but he couldn't be sure what. He wasn't even sure he cared. He certainly wasn't worried about his clothes or his tent, or anything else about his life. He seemed to remember something about a woman, but he decided he'd worry about it in the morning. Or once he'd eaten.

  Several miles away, the creature lay in the dunes. It had had a mouthful, but it had lost sight of the food and wasn't sure what had happened to it. With only the slightest glimmer of regret, it curled up into a ball and slept, resting until it could eat again.

  Chapter 13

  Brandon was feeling very uncomfortable. At times like this he hated Claire for having a cousin like Heather, but he knew there was nothing he could do to stop Claire visiting. He'd tried, but she was having none of it, so by now he knew to just bite the bullet and accept it. Besides, he enjoyed the hiking, and if Heather had to prance around naked like a silly little girl, then he'd just look the other way.

  But this was getting ridiculous. Here they were, all ready to set off on their wild camping trip and Heather, John and Annie were already naked. There were three of them going to be naked now, and he was starting to worry that even Claire might join in the foolishness.

  He tried not to stare, but he couldn't help it sometimes. He just wished Heather and Annie didn't have so much energy. They always seemed to be bouncing around with every movement, and it was more than a little distracting. He just hoped John kept his distance. Women bouncing around was one thing, but a man would be unbearable.

  “You ready to go?” said Heather as she walked up to him, bouncing with every step. If Brandon didn't know better, he'd swear she was doing it on purpose.

  “Yes, all ready” Brandon replied, holding up his rucksack. “What are you bringing?” he asked, noticing she had no rucksack.

  “I'm not bringing anything” she replied.

  “What, no food, no tent or anything?” he asked.

  “I'll find all the food and water I need out there, John's got my knife,” she replied, “and what do I need a tent for in summer?”

  “Oh, okay” he replied, not sure of what else to say. Part of him had to her admire her, going naked like this into a wilderness for several days and taking nothing from the real world, not even shoes, but the rest of him just thought she was silly. Let her run around naked and sleep on a rock, he was going to be in a comfy tent with some hot food.

  Within minutes of starting the walk, Brandon realised the nakedness of his companions was the last thing on his mind. It was turning into a hot, sunny day, and this walk was taking them over rough ground that seemed to go onwards and upwards without end. The heat became almost unbearable for him, and he constantly felt himself falling behind.

  “Heat getting too much for you?” said Claire as she slowed her pace to let Brandon keep up.

  Brandon just grunted and smiled. Claire wasn't wearing much herself, just a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and Brandon was regretting his long trousers. The heat seemed to smother his legs, draining their energy and holding him back. Chris was just wearing shorts having taken his t-shirt off, leaving Brandon to be the only one overdressed and overheating. The whole trip was getting difficult for him to endure, but he kept on going, he had always enjoyed hillwalking, and he wanted to climb this mountain as much as any of them.

  As they climbed higher, the landscape opened out and even Brandon found himself forgetting the heat. Their altitude revealed the sheer scale of the mountain architecture, with the cliff faces of the gully dropping majestically away from them to the floor of the glen below.

  “Now this looks the perfect place for a break” said Heather as they came across a large, crystal clear rock pool fed by a waterfall. Without waiting for the rest she ran straight down to the edge of the pool, jumping in and diving under the water.

  Seconds later, Annie, Chris and John had kicked off their shoes and packs and followed her in. Claire pulled off her t-shirt and shorts to reveal a bikini and joined them, leaving Brandon sitting on a rock beside the pool.

  “Come on in!” shouted Claire, hoping Brandon might join in.

  “No, its okay, I need something to eat anyway” he replied, picking up his rucksack and rummaging through it.

  “Okay” Claire replied, swimming off to where Heather was.

  “He's such a killjoy” said Claire quietly to Heather.

  “Says the girl still wearing a bikini” said Heather, with a smile.

  “We'll see, maybe...” began Claire before a high pitch scream interrupted her.

  All heads turned to where the scream came from. It was Chris that screamed, he looked shocked and angry as Annie surfaced from under the water, holding his shorts above his head and laughing. He began to chase her through the water, but she threw the shorts high onto the rocks above them, well out of re
ach without getting out and scrambling up the rocks.

  “Well, you're outnumbered now” said Heather to Claire as Chris started to chase Annie through the water, grabbing her and tickling her every time he got a hold of her.

  “Ha ha, did you arrange this?” replied Claire with happy resignation as she reached behind her to undo her top. Heather just smiled broadly back at her.

  “Catch this” Claire shouted to Brandon as she swam towards him. Brandon turned round to face her and caught the piece of cloth thrown at him. Realising it was Claire's bikini top, he stood up and walked away, seemingly angry with her.

  “Oops” said Heather. “Sorry if that's a problem.”

  “Oh, stuff him” said Claire, “if it wasn't for him I'd have been naked with you guys ages ago”

  “Best stick to just losing the top for now though” said Heather, “he seems a bit grumpy.”

  “Okay” replied Claire, “but only if you guys stop jiggling so much around him” she continued, with a smile.

  “Oh, you noticed” said Heather.

  “So did Brandon” replied Claire, laughing. “It drives him nuts.”

  Before Heather could reply, every head turned again as Brandon let out a scream of terror. Everyone quickly swam to the edge of the pool and clambered out to see what was wrong. John and Annie emerged first, scrambling up the rocks as fast as they could.

  “Oh no, not again” said John as he reached Brandon. The strange man they had encounter the previous night stood before them, his eyes fixed coldly on Brandon.

  “Again?” said Brandon, his voice trembling with fear.

  “He's just a local weirdo” said John, trying to reassure Brandon, “we met him last night.”

  “Oh, bloody hell” said Heather's voice from behind as she climbed up beside John, “I don't think you hit him hard enough last night”

  Without warning, the stranger leapt at Brandon. Brandon instantly jumped back, but he was too slow, and he was knocked to the ground by the blow. The man grabbed Brandon's leg, but Brandon pulled it back, trying to wrench it from his grasp. But the man tightened his grip, and sunk his teeth into Brandon's ankle. He screamed as the bite went deep into his flesh.

  John reacted instantly, throwing himself onto the man's back and dragging him off, dumping him onto the ground by the rocks just as Claire scrambled up to join them. The man looked up at Claire as she covered her exposed breasts with her hands in embarrassment.

  After what seemed like a moment's confusion, the man now lunged at Claire, ripping her bikini bottoms off with his hands, knocking her now naked body to the ground. John again threw himself at the man, but he jumped up, instantly losing interest in Claire and turning back towards Brandon.

  Heather and Chris jumped to John's side, now forming a barrier between Brandon and the stranger while Annie grabbed Claire and dragged her to her feet, pulling her towards the protection of the group.

  Brandon, stunned from the shock and pain of the attack and his bleeding leg, looked on in amazement as the five naked bodies shielded him from the man. He watched as the man seemed to lose interest, shuffle away, then get a glimpse of Brandon and turn again before his companions moved to shield him once again.

  “What does he want Brandon for?” said a panicking Claire as she knelt on the ground behind the others.

  “I don't know” said Heather, “ but he seemed to be after me last night when we met him.”

  “Who is he?” asked Annie.

  “No idea” Heather replied, “but he's dangerous.”

  The creature's hunger was overwhelming it, but it just couldn't find the food. It was here, it could sense it, but it just couldn't find it. It had tasted it briefly, but it got away and now it couldn't find it. Then it thought it caught something else, but again it got away.

  It was almost ready to give up. The creature with the red hair was here again, and that was distracting it in other ways. But it wanted the food. It needed the food.

  Maybe the food was gone. Maybe the creature with the red hair was what it wanted.

  “That's not good” said Heather as the creature began to focus away from Brandon and onto her.

  “Don't worry”, said John stepping forward, ready to fight again.

  After holding Heather in its lingering gaze for a second the creature jumped forward, its full weight pushing John aside. It stumbled into Heather who punched it hard, sending it reeling. As it looked up, its eye's met Brandon's and its attention changed again. It lunged for Brandon, but this time Annie made a move against it, throwing all her weight at it and pushing it back.

  Both fell back over the edge of the rocks down towards the water some twenty feet below them. As the creature fell it struck its head hard on the rocks, its skull virtually exploding with the impact and showering Annie with blood as she fell into the water.

  Without a moment's hesitation, Heather dived gracefully into the water, grabbing hold of Annie as they surfaced and making sure she was okay. As soon as Annie was safe Heather dived back under the water, looking for their attacker. She easily found him in the clear water and pulled him to the edge of the pool. John helped her carry him out the water as the blood from his skull poured down over Heather's chest and legs.

  “Oh shit, oh shit, I killed him” said Annie over and over again as she stumbled down to where the body now lay.

  “It was an accident” said Heather, holding Annie by the shoulders, “and he was attacking us.”

  “But I killed him” said Annie as she burst into tears.

  Heather hugged Annie as she cried, holding her tightly as the horror of what had happened tore into her. The rest of the group gathered round them, looking on sadly as Annie continued to cry in Heather's arms.

  Annie's tears eventually subsided, and Heather stepped back to look her in the eyes.

  “It wasn't your fault” Heather told Annie, “and quite frankly I was getting ready to do the same thing myself.”

  “I killed him” repeated Annie.

  “He killed himself” said Heather in a firm tone.

  “He's all over me” said Annie, ignoring Heather and looking down at the blood that now covered both Heather and Annie.

  “Its okay, we'll wash it off” said Heather, taking Annie's hand and beginning to lead her to the water.

  “Guys, come up here” said Brandon, shouting down from the rocks above them, his voice trembling with fear.

  “What is it?” shouted back John.

  “That weird bloke. He's got friends.” Brandon replied. “And they're coming this way.”

  Chapter 14

  Even in the urgency of the moment, John was able to appreciate the grace with which Heather leapt from rock to rock as she started up the hillside. Barefoot, she outpaced everyone, climbing up the slope over the steep, rough ground almost in an instant, reaching Brandon's position before the rest had barely started.

  “There's seven of them” Heather shouted back down, “they're down the hill, about a hundred feet below us.”

  “What the hell are they?” shouted Chris back up to her.

  “Like him,” Heather shouted back, “naked, filthy and half starved.”

  “What do we do?” said Brandon, asking no one in particular.

  “We get our gear and move” said Heather. “Let's see if they can climb up there” she continued, indicating the crags above her.

  Boots were laced in record time and rucksacks were thrown on as the group moved quickly. The creatures were advancing fast behind them and the group knew they had to move even faster.

  “Brandon, you go first” said Heather, taking control of the group. “There's a faint path that goes up through the crags. Claire, help him if his leg's a problem.”

  “Don't bother stopping to get dressed” she continued as she saw Claire picking up the shredded remains of her bikini bottoms, “just get your boots on and move.”

  “You okay Annie?” continued Heather as she noticed Annie looking shell shocked. “Chris, look after
her” she continued when Annie didn't respond.

  As the other four members of the group began to move, Heather ran up to John, who now had his boots and rucksack on.

  “What the hell is going on?” John asked.

  “I don't know” said Heather, “but something weird's going on, and I would really like to know what the hell it is.”

  As she spoke she reached into the side pocket of John's rucksack and pulled out a thin leather belt with a sheathed knife hanging from it. She tied it round her waist and unsheathed the knife, holding it up to catch the sunlight. It was a long blade, over twelve inches long, and Heather looked like she knew exactly how to use it.