Horror in the Woods

by Mountford, Lee

  'What do we do?' Ashley asked, raising the obvious point no one else seemed to be thinking of.

  'We keep going,' Tim said, sternly.

  'What?' Ashley asked. 'Tim, no. We can't just leave him like this.'

  'We have to,' Tim said. 'We're still in danger and we can't help him. Hell, we don't even know if we should help him. Did you forget he just tried to twist Craig's head off?'

  The man thrashed again, then slowly rolled himself forward onto his knees, forcing the group back farther.

  'Maybe he's just scared,' Craig said. Kim was shocked he was still giving this man the benefit of the doubt after nearly killing him. 'After what's happened to him, not being able to see, he's probably scared.'

  'But we don't want to hurt you,' Ashley said, raising her voice. She was pleading with the man. 'We want to get you help.'

  'We can't help him,' Tim said again. 'Do any of you know how to treat wounds like that? Because I sure as hell don't.'

  'But he's alive, Tim,' Ashley said.

  'For the time being. But for how long? And how long until whoever did this comes back? We can't just wait around.'

  'We can't leave him,' Craig said.

  'So what now? Do we split up?' Kim asked.

  'No,' Tim said. 'Does anyone really want to be the one left behind, just to stand around and watch him in this condition? The plan doesn't change; we still need to go get help. Any way you look at it, we can't help him.'

  The man then pulled himself up, first to one foot, then the other, to an unsteady standing position. Kim yanked Craig back a few feet and Ashley and Tim followed suit. Seeing the man at full height, with his grinning, gore-covered face, was as terrifying a sight as Kim thought she would ever see.

  The man then began struggling with his bonds, trying to pull his wrists apart and break what was binding them together. Kim saw the thin, metal wire cut deeper into the man's flesh as he did, causing blood to spill from his wrists. If he kept going with that kind of intensity then either the wire would give or, more likely, his wrists would. Given what he'd already been through and survived, she wondered if that would even stop him, and if he wouldn't just keep going till he had hacked right through the bones in his arms.

  The man took another step forward and Ashley shrieked.

  'Stop', she pleaded with him. 'We aren't the ones who did this.'

  The man's head cocked, as if listening, and his next step was in the direction of Ashley. She shrieked again, and he took another step.

  'Everyone quiet,' Kim said, and the man turned his horrible face in her direction. 'He can hear us.' He stumbled forward a few more steps and the group retreated in kind.

  To Kim's eternal annoyance, Ashley the mouse cried out again, and Kim turned to admonish her, to tell her to keep her mouth shut. But Ashley was not looking at the shambling man anymore, she was looking behind them, over to a cluster of trees.

  'There's someone out there,' she said, panicked, pointing with a shaking hand.

  'What do you mean?' Kim asked.

  'I saw someone. Hiding in the trees.'

  Kim scanned the area her friend was gesturing to, looking as closely as she could, but she could see nothing. And she was still highly aware of the man who was slowly lumbering towards them.

  'Who?' Craig asked.

  'I don't know,' Ashley said, 'but I saw someone watching us from behind that tree. The big one.'

  Kim looked again, to the tree with the thick trunk, one that was easily wider than a person.

  'I don't see anyone,' she said. 'Are you sure?'

  'I think so,' she replied.

  As if things weren't bad enough, Kim was beginning to feel panic take hold even more. If someone was behind them, and this blind, but enraged, man was bearing down in front, that left them stuck in the middle, and royally in the shit.

  'Do we run?' she asked.

  'Not yet,' Tim answered. He began to sidestep his way around the blind, thrashing man, who still gurgled and moaned in a pitiful, yet terrifying way. Kim wanted to believe he was just scared and lashing out, but even so he was a monstrous sight.

  Tim motioned for the others to follow his lead, which they did, slowly making their way around so that they weren't trapped between the stranger and the cluster of trees that had so spooked Ashley.

  They had almost grouped together when Craig, yet again, took matters into his own hands.

  'Sir, can you hear me?' he said, holding his hand out before him in what he thought was a taming manner, like someone trying to calm a wild animal. A useless gesture, given that this animal was blind.

  'Craig,' Kim snapped, but it seemed he either didn't hear her, or didn't care.

  'Please, I want you to calm down,' he said. The man slowly twisted his gore-flecked skull towards Craig. 'Just listen to me. I know you've been through a lot, but the people who did that aren't here, they're gone.' The man started to lurch towards Craig, who matched his slow, deliberate steps in retreat. 'We will help you, I promise, we will get you out of here, but just please try and calm down. Can you understand me?'

  The man gave no response to the affirmative, he just continued to follow Craig's voice, bearing down on him. Kim didn't like it. If the man could hear, then that meant he didn't understand what was being said, didn't believe it, or wasn't interested in hearing it. It was that last option that worried Kim, and it was the one she suspected may be true. If a man in a state like this wasn't going to stop, then what good would talking do? A notion hit her; maybe there was a reason they had found him like they had. Maybe he deserved it.

  'Forget it, Craig,' Kim said. 'Tim's right, let's go.'

  'Not yet,' Craig said, backing up again. Before he could say anymore, Kim saw a look of surprise flash over his face.

  When backing up, he had not been careful where he stepped, and his foot became tangled in an exposed root. The surprise on his face was the realisation he was losing his footing.

  He fell back awkwardly, letting out a yelp of pain as he hit the floor. As he fell, Kim saw that his foot didn't rotate with him, still snagged in the root, and it twisted at a bad angle. Kim didn't hear a snap, thankfully, but didn't need to. She knew his ankle was going to be fucked.

  The faceless man clearly heard, and understood, what had happened. He darted forward with wild, almost excited gurgles, and before anyone could react, the previously slow, shambling figure was quickly upon Craig. He clasped his hands together and brought them down heavily onto Craig's face like a club, crushing Craig's nose. The sound of the powerful strike crashing into Kim's helpless boyfriend, and the crunch that followed, made her stomach lurch.

  The attacker then dropped onto Craig, once again going for the throat, and began strangling him again. Craig tried to squirm and fight, but he was dwarfed and over-powered, like a fish flapping around beneath a bear.

  Kim again wanted to help, like she had before, but instinct this time had been overruled by self-preservation. The man was now on top of Craig and seemed much more dangerous than before.

  'Help him!' Kim said, pulling at Tim's arm. Tim didn't move, simply watched. 'Help him, you coward!' Kim said again, hoping to spur Ashley's boyfriend into action. He was a big man in his own right, and perhaps the only chance Craig had. Tim turned to look at her, his top lip curling up at the insult she had thrown at him. If she was hoping to provoke a reaction, it seemed she had gotten one.

  She just hoped it would be directed towards the right person.

  Thankfully, it was. Tim walked forward with purpose, fists clenched, then broke into a sprint. He ran up behind the faceless man and wrapped a thick arm around his neck, locking in, and yanking back. However, the man didn't relinquish his hold on Craig, whose face was now beginning to turn blue as his eyes bulged in their sockets. Tim gave an almighty, guttural roar and pulled again, harder this time, and finally succeeded in heaving the man backward, away from Craig. Tim's balance gave out and he sprawled to the floor, still clutching the man, who had now fallen on top of him.


  Craig rolled away, once again gasping for breath, as the two larger men wrestled and struggled on the ground. Tim still had his arms wrapped around the man's neck, in some sort of sleeper hold, as the faceless man attempted to slip free. Thankfully, Tim's grip seemed tight, and he managed to lock his legs around the man's waist, restraining him further.

  Craig was free, but now Tim was in danger, and Kim had an awful feeling that things were about to spiral out of control. Tim needed help, she knew that, but she had no idea what to do. She turned to Ashley, who looked absolutely terrified, casting nervous glances between the scene unfolding before them, and over to the large tree where she claimed to have seen someone hiding.

  'Ashley,' Kim said, grabbing her friend by the shoulder, trying to get her to focus. 'We need to help him.'

  Ashley tensed up. Kim knew her friend was scared, she was as well, but they couldn't just stand by and leave Tim to it. It may have taken some prodding, but he had stepped in and saved Craig. Eventually, to Kim's relief, Ashley nodded.

  'What do we do?' she asked.

  Kim had no answer, but she pulled Ashley along behind her and ran over to Tim and the stranger.

  The faceless man was writhing with a renewed vigour, and Kim couldn't understand, considering his injuries, how he still had the energy and strength for this. He managed to drive a hard elbow into the ribs of Tim, who let out an audible cry. Tim's grip loosened slightly, which seemed to be the opening the man needed. He slipped from Tim's grasp, swivelled, and was quickly atop him, now in the dominant position, and began clubbing at Tim with his clasped hands, like he had done to Craig. Tim brought his hands up to his face for protection, but the blows found their mark. The terrifying man seemed to act with an almost renewed rage, and Kim was sure that the gargled nonsense the man was spewing was now more focused. It was almost as if he were trying to speak, but what he was saying was completely ineligible.

  Now that the man was free, helping Tim was going to be much more difficult, if not impossible. She knew Ashley was thinking the same thing, but Kim was not about to give up.

  Then she saw it, close to where Tim lay struggling as he tried to avoid the repeated blows the faceless main rained down. Laying amongst the dead leaves was a thick branch. Kim ran to it and heaved it up, feeling its substantial weight. If she swung it hard enough, then the man was certain to feel it. This was her course of action.

  She hoisted it back, ready to strike, and built up a primal scream in her gut, ready to unleash it at the same time as the blow in order to exert every ounce of energy she possibly could.

  But the makeshift club was snatched from her grasp.

  Shocked, she spun to see Craig holding her weapon. He was on his feet, red-faced with one hand on his neck, and he was balancing on one leg.

  'What the fuck are you doing?'

  Craig ignored her and hobbled past, making his way over to the attacker and Tim. He brought the club up himself and swung at the man.

  Kim wanted to scream at him and how useless he was. Craig's aim was poor, and any power he tried to exert was clearly hampered by his injury. The strike connected feebly with the man's back. Given the size of the club, it still landed a heavy hit, but it served to do no more than irritate the faceless man.

  Kim's aim would have been for his head, as hitting him full force there would have given Tim the best chance of escape. It may have killed the man, but better that and saving Tim than what Craig had accomplished in only angering the attacker further. The man swivelled and lurched forward, grabbing wildly in Craig's general direction.

  And it was enough.

  Yet again he found Craig, who cried out, and pulled him to the ground. He crawled over Craig like a spider covering its prey. Yet again, Craig had landed himself in a dangerous position, but this time Kim had half a mind to leave him to it.

  'Please, no,' Craig pleaded, and fought back, hitting out at the man. It made little difference, and he soon had Craig pinned beneath him. He straddled the young man and again began to club at his head.

  Kim looked around; the branch Craig had wasted now lay under him, jutting out from under his back, out of her reach without getting too close to the faceless attacker.

  As much danger as he was currently in, Kim couldn't help but curse her boyfriend. His fuck up had led to this. No, scratch that, his three fuck ups had led to this. If he had just left the man alone, or let her take the swing, then they would have been able to get away. Still, as useless as he was proving to be, leaving him wasn't an option for her.

  She readied herself again, about to dive in with nothing but her bare hands in order to help her boyfriend. But before she did, she saw Tim get to his feet, his face bloodied and full of anger.

  'Tim,' Kim yelled, 'we get him together. Ready?'

  But Tim wasn't listening.

  Soon, she saw why.

  He strode towards the faceless man and heaved up what was in his hands. A weapon of his own; a large, angled rock. One that took two hands to hold.

  'Tim!' Ashley yelled. 'No!'

  Tim ignored her and brought the rock down into the back of the man's head with incredible force. The sound of impact -- a dull thud with an audible crack -- was sickening. The faceless man's head lolled and his arms dropped to his sides. He remained motionless for a second, before eventually flopping face first into the dirt. His body twitched on the ground as Craig scrambled free.

  Tim moved to stand over the man and again brought up the rock, holding it high above his head.

  'Tim, stop!' Ashley cried.

  But Tim didn't stop. Instead, he brought the rock down, again and again, onto the man's fragile head, screaming like an animal as he did.

  They could hear the faceless man's skull crunch and crack beneath each blow. A messy hole formed in the back of his head, exposing grey and red mush beneath, mush that spattered out after each strike. The head cracked and split further into a sickening mess.

  Finally, Tim stopped, and dropped the bloodied rock carelessly to his side. His eyes were wild with fury and he took quick, shallow breaths.

  'My God,' Ashley said, her voice trembling. 'What have you done?'

  9

  Shit.

  He had been careless.

  The girl had seen him.

  He'd been too greedy in his curiosity, wanting to know everything that was going on, and he'd assumed they would all be too engrossed in what they were seeing to look back towards him.

  He'd been wrong.

  That assumption may have cost him everything.

  The redhead had looked back and, even though he'd pulled back as quickly possible, she'd spotted him. Worse, she had alerted the others.

  A fucking stupid mistake, and one that could ruin everything. If things went to shit, and one of them died before he got them back, then he would be made to suffer for it. He may even be denied his feed.

  The family all liked their food alive and aware, as he did. As it was meant to be. Dead meat didn't have the same effect, the same taste. If he brought back cold meat, then Father and Mother would make him feel it.

  Hell, the whole family would.

  Thankfully, it might not come to that.

  Things had developed, enough to draw their attention, and the group was forced to fight for their lives. This allowed him to slip from his position behind the large tree and into a thick section of undergrowth.

  Once he settled into a place, and was sure he was out of sight, he drew out his blade. As penance for his mistake he pushed the dull metal into the meat of his thigh. There was some initial resistance before the blade sunk in, drawing forth a stinging pain.

  He then twisted the blade more, wanting to cry out, but knowing he couldn't.

  His eagerness had nearly cost the family.

  Father always said that impatience was a weakness. That it was something they needed to fight.

  He knew this impatience, this craving, was something that would only grow stronger the longer they went without feeding.

&nb
sp; And it had been so, so long since they had indulged. Long enough that the family were now close to tearing each other apart, or trying to, just to appease a fraction of their desires.

  They had a chance now, though, a chance at fresh meat, and he would be damned if his impatience was going to cost them that.

  He watched the events unfold. The savage act of a skull being crushed, exposing the ruined brains beneath.

  He smiled and ran his tongue over dry lips, following the split that branched off up towards his nose.

  The carnage excited him.

  It made him want to run out and join in the fun.

  But he couldn't do that, not yet.

  He had to abstain.

  For now.

  His time would come soon enough.

  10

  Ashley was rooted to the spot, unable to move, scarcely able to comprehend what she'd just witnessed.

  How could she now look at Tim, the man she'd just told she loved, in the same light again after what he'd done?

  Tim wasn't a killer.

  Yet there he stood, over the body of a man who now had a large, ugly hole in the back of his head. One that Tim had caused.

  The situation had been dire, granted, but were his actions justified? The first time he brought the large rock down had been shocking enough, but it was what followed that really scared Ashley. The man was down after the first blow, helpless it would seem, but Tim kept going. The anger on his face as he did so, that pure animalistic fury, was like nothing Ashley had ever before witnessed.

  'What have you done?' she asked again, her voice quiet.

  Everyone looked at Tim, who was finally slowing his breathing into a steady rhythm. As he did, some tension seemed to release from his body.

  'What was I supposed to do, Ashley?' he asked. 'Didn't you see what was going on? He was going to kill us. He was about to kill Craig.'

  'But... but,' Ashley struggled to put into words what it was that scared her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Kim standing beside to her.