The Pit in the Woods: A Mercy Falls Mythos

by Nathaniel Reed

  “What kind of day is this?”

  “Mild,” Eve admitted. “Glad I’ve managed to stick to my human-free diet.”

  Staci smiled uncertainly, but she had to admit she was more at ease. “The others are waiting on us to join them. We should probably go.”

  “I’m so sorry for what’s happened to you,” Eve said unexpectedly.

  Staci was startled and touched by the true note of concern and sympathy she heard in Eve’s voice, and felt horrible for her mistrust.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “I like you Staci. I like all of you. I know you’ve heard very little about me and you’re right to be wary, but I’ve heard so much about all of you from Blake. That man loves you like his own children.”

  Staci beamed. “Thank you for that. It means a lot. I’m very sorry for misjudging you.”

  Eve waved her off. “No worries. Now let’s go meet up with the clan.”

  9

  “I think it best we wait a few days,” Eve said. “You need me to fight, and they can’t know we’re coming.”

  “We were going to go down in the morning. How can you help us?” Myron asked.

  “We can descend just before dawn. I can fly us all down there, rather than have you all taking the long route you took the last time.”

  “You can do that?” Staci said, “Fly all of us down there, with weapons?”

  “Yes,” Eve said. “We’ll have to come up with a system to tether us all together, but I can do it. I’m sure of it.”

  “Good thing none of us got fat,” Johnny said, “Although muscle boy here might weigh you down.”

  Tony gave him the finger with a smile.

  “We should all get some sleep,” Eve said. “I suggest you all sleep in the same room, in case of anything.”

  “I say we stay at Staci’s,” Myron suggested. “She has a double.”

  “Are you all right with that Staci?” Eve asked.

  “Yes,” Staci agreed.

  10

  Morning arrived, and the five of them woke, one by one. Eve stayed up until the crack of dawn, the heavy curtains drawn to block any sunlight, and slept through the day in her hotel room. She slept until a little after six p.m. when the sun began to set again.

  Myron, who’d gotten the most sleep the night before was the

  first to wake, but didn’t get up until nearly ten a.m. The rest rose between 10:20 and 11:00. They were all still tired. Each said good morning to the other as the next got up from their spot on the carpet. Staci had one of the beds and Myron had the other. Staci had bought a carton of eggs, a pound of bacon, milk, and instant pancake mix (the kind that only required water) and coffee the day before, and made them all breakfast in the little kitchenette.

  “Mmm, mmm, this is some good breakfast,” Johnny said.

  “Thanks,” Staci smiled.

  “Thank you for making this,” Tony said.

  “Yeah,” Jeremy agreed, “Thanks Stace.”

  “You’re ALL welcome. Just eat already,” she laughed.

  “Thanks Staci,” Myron added, winking. “It really is good.”

  She punched him casually on the shoulder.

  Equating this morning with the previous night, this was a total reversal. Here, with her friends, in the morning light streaming through the window, Staci felt safe, calm, and happy. Last night she’d felt completely powerless, at the mercy of that fiend, with no control, no will of her own. Her mind and body had been in stasis, her true self in some sort of prison, a troubled sleep from which she could not wake. It saddened her she couldn’t talk about this to her friends because of what had been done to her, but she was content simply to be with them; overjoyed to still be alive to share this with them. It wasn’t just breakfast to her but a kind of communion.

  11

  Later that day they sat around the room watching TV. The talk was slow and easy.

  “We should go out,” Tony proposed, “Walk around town a little.”

  “Now there’s a suggestion,” Johnny said. “I don’t really want to be cooped up in this hole all day. No offense Stace.”

  She stuck out her tongue, “None taken jerkwad.”

  They stepped out of the hotel, wandering the sidewalks, and

  passed the Church of the Three Crosses. It still stood where it had always been with its three neon crosses currently unlit, the one larger in the middle, and the two smaller to either side, simulating distance, against the wall on the left side of the church.

  “Should we go in, see if we can get some supplies?” Myron asked.

  “Like holy water, crosses?” Jeremy asked.

  “Yes. Holy water maybe, I don’t want to steal any crosses from the church,” Myron said.

  “They may be having mass,” Staci said.

  “If they are we can always head out,” Tony replied. “You don’t know if Eve and Blake packed that stuff in the trunk Jeremy?”

  “Most likely; we can check it out later. Let’s skip the church for now,” Jeremy said.

  They travelled through most of town, past the old movie theatre, the affluent Westchester Hills and a block away from the Rock Spot. Unspoken, but a rule nevertheless, they steered clear of Jeremiah’s Woods, circling the town and circumventing them altogether.

  When they met up with Eve at seven that evening they were all more relaxed.

  12

  Blake was thrilled to have all of them at his bedside. They each had to sneak in one at a time, so the nurses wouldn’t catch on.

  “So you say one of them visited you both?” Blake was saying.

  “Yes,” Myron answered.

  “And you believe this was a survivor from that night when the pit was flooded?”

  “Yes, we do,” Staci agreed.

  Fulton Blake looked at the ceiling, pondering. “We need to rethink our strategy.”

  “Did we ever have a strategy?” Johnny wondered. “Other than going in guns blazing, which don’t get me wrong, I’m all for…”

  Blake ignored him. Eve told him of her idea of going in with them.

  “Yes,” he said, “I think that would be for the best. The only drawback would be you would have to wait for night before coming back out.”

  “Unless we kill the vampire that created her, and then she’ll be human again,” Jeremy said.

  Blake’s face lit up at the thought. That was his promise to her, and now it was in the hands of these youths. “Yes, unless that happens, of course. When that happens,” he corrected himself.

  Eve smiled and held his hand.

  “God willing,” Blake said, grinning back at her.

  13

  Back at the hotel they went through the weapon’s chest stashed in Jeremy’s closet.

  “Good Lord Almighty!” Johnny said, lifting the first thing that laid atop the heap of things inside- a massive machine gun, with a giant cylindrical block for shells. “Dibs!! I call it right now! Right motherfuckin’ now!!”

  “Calm down there hoss, plenty to go around,” Tony said. But no one could wipe the grin off Johnny’s face. Underneath his weapon of choice which he now lugged over one shoulder, was a rapid fire crossbow, or repeating crossbow, with a chamber that easily held a dozen arrows to be fired in quick succession; a black leather whip with six barbed hooks at its tip; a machete; three revolvers; and something which Myron picked up and looked at with awe, the steel making its characteristic metallic shwing as he unsheathed it.

  “A sword, I have a sword!!” Myron exclaimed. No one debated, or fought over it. This weapon was clearly meant for him.

  Beneath it all, as they lifted the tray which held the heaviest

  weapons, there were compartments filled with countless vials of holy water, assorted stakes and crosses, boxes of bullets for the three revolvers, along with machine gun rounds in eternal loop casings, and a wooden box filled with hundreds of arrows for the crossbow. There were also six flashlights with fresh batteries and gear for rappelling.

  Johnny turned
to Eve in amazement. “Holy shit!”

  Eve smiled. “Guess Blake wanted to be sure you’d be prepared this time.”

  Jeremy picked up the whip, examining the wickedly sharp hooks at the end.

  “Silver,” Eve commented.

  “Did we get silver bullets this time?” Myron asked.

  “No,” Eve said, “Had some trouble getting them this time.”

  Tony picked up the machete (much better than a knife, he thought) while Staci predictably reached for the crossbow. Jeremy and Tony each picked up a revolver, while Staci lifted the third. The men looked at each other questioningly.

  “In case I run out of arrows,” Staci said.

  “Okay, now that you’ve all selected what you’re going to take, I suggest we put everything away again and lock them up so the maid doesn’t find a cache of weapons in the morning,” Eve said.

  They groaned with disappointment. Staci was most reluctant, feeling for the first time since last night, empowered.

  “We should go shop for some backpacks before the stores close,” Eve suggested, “to carry our gear.”

  “Good idea,” Tony said. “But maybe we should take some protection with us, just in case.”

  “Yes,” Eve said. “Grab some holy water, crosses, and stakes. Anything you can carry easily and conceal. No guns. Too loud and draw too much attention. Save those for underground. This should hopefully be an uneventful night.”

  14

  They went from store to store, walking along mostly empty

  streets. It was hard to find what they were looking for because backpacks were out of season.

  “I think this is a lost cause,” Myron said.

  “Nope,” Eve pointed. “I think there’s a Dick’s Sporting Goods up ahead.”

  Johnny snickered.

  “You’re so immature,” Staci said.

  “They probably should have backpacks,” Tony said, “And more rugged ones for outdoors.”

  “Yeah, you know about rugged backpacks and Dick’s don’t ya?” Johnny said.

  Staci punched him for that one. “Now that wasn’t even nice!” The rest of them couldn’t help laughing, and though she tried to hide it they could tell Staci was amused.

  Johnny rubbed his shoulder. “Heck of a swing there- for a girl.”

  “Yeah, you just remember that,” Staci said.

  “Really I was just messing with you Tony, you know that,” Johnny said.

  “Yeah, I know,” Tony said, whacking him on the back really hard, knocking the wind out of him, “Good one.”

  They found what they were looking for at the sporting goods store fifteen minutes before they closed. Tony carried the oversized bag with all the backpacks. “These are perfect,” he said.

  “Yeah, I think we can even fit Johnny’s Terminator machine gun in one of them, barely,” Jeremy added.

  “That thing is sweet.” Johnny grinned from ear to ear.

  While they circled back toward their hotel, they were unaware they were being watched. Creatures that by all accounts resembled humans were slinking behind walls from building to building, peering around corners.

  “Jeremy, is it all right if we all meet back in your room?” Eve

  inquired, “To make sure everything we carry fits?”

  “Yeah, of course. Staci, are you okay?”

  She shook her head. “I just thought I heard something.”

  Eve said, “I hear it too. In fact, I can feel them. Vamps.”

  “Where?” Myron said, clasping the stake under his shirt.

  “Close.”

  They turned as a sudden clacking of feet on the sidewalk made itself apparent.

  “Well, well, well,” a familiar voice said from between two buildings, just out of reach of the light. “This is just too good to be true. I had to make sure it was who I thought it was, and I’ll be damned, it is!”

  He stepped out of the shadows, into the light from the streetlamp. “No wait, I’m already damned,” he cackled.

  They opened their eyes in amazement.

  “Max,” Jeremy said.

  It was Max, still a teenager, looking exactly as he did back in 1985, except when he grinned, his mouth revealed razor sharp fangs.

  “Ding ding ding, you get the prize boy-o! Maxwell Rifkin, the one and only.”

  Except Max wasn’t the only one there. Stepping out from the shadows behind him, coming around to either side of him were Phil and Jake Mussen, Eddie Horowitz, and Jack Farris, looking as if they too were still in high school.

  “And he brought friends!” Max exclaimed.

  “Friends of yours?” Eve asked.

  “Oh!” Max threw his hands up, “We go way back!”

  The light from the streetlamp glinted off their fangs as they moved in.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THE OTHERS

  (1986)

  1

  Lucio hit the wall when he was thrown by the grenade blast. He felt bone break in his arm and yelped. He slid into the rushing water that followed, holding onto an out jutting rock with his good arm. Fragments of skulls from Marcus’ throne smashed into the wall next to him, quickly followed by his father Marcus, the leader of them all. He hit the wall face first, his head snapping back and tearing open at the jugular, for a brief moment resembling a Pez dispenser. Marcus sank into the water, lifeless.

  “Father!” Lucio cried out.

  Arianna’s head was on fire and she spun around crazily. Walter screamed as flames licked his right side, browning that half of his body before being doused by the flood waters. Around them vampires flew apart.

  No more than a few seconds later, Lucio looked up as a second grenade soared over his head and exploded, tossing body parts throughout the cavern. Those that didn’t explode on contact, or were already dead on the ground were washed up in the current and carried off.

  Arianna dunked her flaming head in the water, and was carted thrashing through the undertow. Misty; who managed to avoid both blasts unscathed, saw the do-gooders getting away. She did not swim, so much as perform a half-assed paddle toward them, and she leapt onto Johnny’s shoulders.

  “Fuckers!” she screamed, “You ruined everything!” She pummeled his back, and Johnny spun around and punched her. His knuckles mashed her nose, and she heard it snap as blood sprayed from her mouth and nostrils. She fell backward into the water, looking up as the water dragged her off.

  “No worries, I’ve got you love,” Walter said as he put his arms under Misty and lifted her. “We’ve got to get out of here. Get to the main entrance.” By this he meant the opening that formed the pit itself.

  Lucio stood in the water, close to the wall, moving sideways along it in an attempt to keep himself from drifting. He caught sight of Arianna in the water, flailing toward him and ventured a little further out, catching her before she lost all bearings and drowned.

  “I’ve got you Arianna. I’ve got you.”

  She looked up at him, dazed. Her face and hair were a blackened, blistery mess. Wet with water and glistening, it somehow made things look worse.

  “We’ve got to catch up with the others,” he said, “I think I saw Walter.”

  “Lucio?” she said, confused.

  “Yes, it’s me. I’ve got you now, don’t worry.”

  His arm was on fire from the break. “Arianna, I’m going to need you to stand up if you can, and lean on my right shoulder. My left arm’s broken.”

  “Yes,” she said, blinking through her charred mask of a face, “I think I can do that.” The water was at his chest now, and it took all his vampire strength to lift her head above it. He eased down and the throbbing pain subsided. The water and their injuries were weakening all of them. Lucio glimpsed Walter around the turn and yelled his name. He was also carrying someone.

  Walter called back, “We’re heading toward the entrance! Going to fly out of here! It’s the only way!”

  “I agree,” Lucio said. “We’ll follow you.”

  They made i
t to the pit’s floor just as the water level rose to their necks again.

  “All right,” Walter said, “Let’s do it!” It took the last of their strength to fly up out of the water, and out of the pit.

  The night sky was full of stars, and all the winter animals were silenced upon their arrival. They stood, surrounding the hole of the pit, barely able to look at one another, ashamed by their defeat and by their injuries which were all too human. Lucio’s arm rose too far above the shoulder, out of joint, and crooked the wrong way at the elbow, looking like the Picasso equivalent of an arm. Arianna’s face was like a paper doll, black and peeling. If not for the long hair and the curves she would have been unrecognizable. When she attempted to grin, gritting her teeth through the pain, her once white teeth were grease-stained stubs.

  Walter was singed halfway along the length of his body, looking as if he’d lain out in the sun too long on one side, and had caught the most wicked case of sunburn ever recorded. Misty’s nose was cocked in two different directions, turning it into an S. Blood stood out under both nostrils and over her chin.

  Lucio looked down. He heard the noise first, like the sound of wind picking up. “Someone’s coming.”

  Another vampire flew out of the pit, to take his place alongside them.

  “Goddang! What in holy hell just happened?!” Rusty Spangler exclaimed.

  “Great!” Walter said, “Of all the fuckers that could have survived, it had to be you!”

  Rusty grinned. “Glad to see ya too Backwater. Damn, you look like a fucking Black and White cookie!”

  “Fuck you!” Walter said, shoving Rusty with both hands, nearly dropping him back over the edge of the pit. “Goddamn Yankee!”

  “Enough!” Lucio shouted. They stopped; Rusty sparing Walter one final glare before turning his attention to Lucio.

  “Did you see anyone else down there, alive?” Lucio asked.

  “No one,” Rusty said.

  “Then we’re it,” Lucio said. “Marcus is dead,” he added.