by Craig McGray
***
Jonah’s eyes strained in their sockets, the veins in his neck bulging. A dirt ceiling hung over him, the trees grew down instead of up, and his ankles burned where the rope dug into his skin. Hanging upside down, he swayed back and forth.
He fought to reach the rope but couldn’t get close enough. Bright spots exploded in his vision. He stopped struggling when an icy stare beamed down from the branch at his feet. A squirrel climbed down the rope and sat atop his bare feet.
He screamed and thrashed while the tree rat gnawed away at his ankles. The rope snapped, and he crashed to the ground with a hollow thud. Landing on his shoulder, an excruciating electrical shock coursed through his body. He rolled to his other side and came face to face with his savior. A large squirrel sat on his hind legs, watching while Jonah reached to untie his feet.
Sniffling and whimpering came from behind him. He turned onto his stomach to find Madeline standing in front of him, staring at him as if he were a stranger. Her lips moved, but nothing came out. Chills weaved down his spine. His little girl wasn’t behind the glazed look; shock had washed the life from them.
“It’s okay, Daddy’s here.”
Scrambling to his feet, he ran to her. “Everything’s going to be okay, I promise.”
He picked her up and bolted for the house when a figure stepped out from the bushes. Jonah set Madeline on the ground and once again pushed her away. “Go!”
Madeline darted for the house, vanishing into the fog.
“What did you do to her? What the fuck is going on?”
“What did I do to her?” Julia paused before laughing in a throaty voice that wrapped him in gooseflesh. “She’s the dangerous one. I have to kill her.”
“What are you talking about?”
Julia brought a sickle into view, and her tone dropped in pitch. “It is God’s wish, and I will grant Him that. She’s the one.”
“You’re a crazy bitch! I don’t know what you’ve gotten into, but you aren’t doing anything else to her!”
“You don’t understand. I have to kill her now, before it’s too late.”
He rushed her again, and she tilted her head to one side. Before he reached her, something blindsided him, knocking him off his feet. The blow sent him into a large tree, forcing air from his lungs. His ribs snapped under the impact, and he gasped for air. He lay at the base of the tree, starving for oxygen. When his eyes focused, Rusty stood just inches away, his lips peeled back revealing the sharp and well-maintained teeth of his not-so-loyal companion.
Jonah gulped the air while Julia strode toward him, her distorted face dripping with saliva and blood. She wiped away a swaying strand of drool and stopped in front of him.
He pulled himself up on a tree. “What are you talking about? You’re insane!”
Swinging the sickle low, she sliced across the back of Jonah’s leg, severing the Achilles tendon. He crumbled to the ground, nauseous with pain while warm fluid flooded the wound. He screamed and grabbed at his ankle while blood spilled from under his hands. Moonlight caught the blade as Julia brought the sickle back to her side, resting it on the ground.
He tried to pull himself up, but his injured leg couldn’t hold its own weight, and he collapsed back to the ground.
She leaned over, her face no longer her own, and he pushed the back of his head against the tree. She cupped his chin, forcing his eyes to meet hers. He struggled to shake free from her icy grip, but her gaunt fingers held his face while she brought the sickle to his throat. “I have to kill her.”
He froze in her cold stare.
She tilted her head from side to side, studying him, while his eyes darted back and forth over her twisted face. The warped mass of flesh held no resemblance to the sweet pastor’s daughter he’d married. He focused so much on her mangled face that he didn’t notice the audience gathering in the branches around them. They were everywhere. Dozens of tiny animals watched from the safety of the trees. A dog barked in the distance, and Rusty took off, bounding into the woods.
Julia’s attention shifted, and Jonah swung his fist wildly, catching the side of her broken face, sending Julia and the sickle to the ground. Grabbing the sickle, he pushed himself to his feet before hobbling toward the house with his right leg hanging, almost useless. Footsteps came from behind, maybe twenty feet away. The stride was rapid, falling closer by the second.
He couldn’t outrun her and had no balance with one good leg, so he braced himself the best he could, preparing to fight. She stopped about ten feet in front of him when a rustling in the bushes drew his attention.
Rusty leapt from the bushes at his chest, and Jonah held the sickle up to shield himself from the blow. The stick deflected the attack, knocking Jonah to the ground, while the blade caught Rusty. The dog yelped and twisted in midair, landing with a thud in the dirt, the ground darkening with blood rushing from the gaping wound in his neck. Rusty’s head fell back, almost touching his spine, nearly severed from his body.
Julia shrieked and ran at him, her arms raised and face twisted into a mask of unbridled rage. He readied himself, but she tripped on something and stumbled to the dirt. She came to rest on her stomach and raised her head. Breath billowed from her distorted face while she got to her hands and knees. She pushed off one knee and almost made it to her feet when the first one hit her.
A second later, another squirrel fell from above, landing on her shoulder. The tree rat sank its teeth into her flesh, and she screamed. She swatted at the animal, knocking it to the ground but not before two more attached themselves to her neck. Squirrels scurried in from every direction, like a furry, gray, shadow engulfing Julia. She sank to her knees, trying to fend off the unrelenting assault of razor-sharp nails and ravenous teeth. Her arms flailed at the tiny assailants. She tried to scream again, but the squirrels had eaten away at her throat, leaving a bloody void where her voice box should be.
She sank to the ground under the unyielding wave of animals. They worked quickly to pull away the flesh of the woman who had previously preyed on them.
In a matter of minutes, the tide of fur receded, leaving only bones and erratic patches of tissue. Jonah used the sickle as a crutch to help him over to what remained of his wife. One squirrel, a rather large one, sat inside Julia’s ribcage. It hopped out and sat at his feet, its head tilted up, licking the stringy flesh from his lethal little paws. His forehead wrinkled while he studied the eyes of the tiny creature. The animal scampered away and disappeared into the trees. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted.
Jonah limped toward the house. “Madeline! Where are you? Don’t be scared!”
Relief washed over him when his daughter’s silhouette stood huddled in the corner by the back door, motionless and silent.
Holding his hand out, he hobbled toward her. “It’s okay. Daddy’s here, and Mommy can’t hurt you anymore.”
Madeline turned around, her eyes once again her own. They glistened in the moonlight while tears slipped down her face. “Daddy. Where’s Mommy? I’m scared.”
“She went away.”
“Why did she do that to me?”
“I don’t know, sweetie.” He pulled her head close and knelt next to her, his leg screaming with pain.
“She kept saying I was the one, over and over. What did she mean?” She buried her face in his shoulder, and he held her tight.
He staggered into the house, with Madeline in his arms. Once inside, he checked her for injuries.
“Are you hurt, honey?” His eyes swept over her trembling body.
“I don’t think so.” Her voice cracked.
Her attention fell to his foot. “What happened, Daddy? You’re bleeding.”
“I know, I’m fine though. Don’t worry about me.”
Madeline’s body shook while he continued to inspect her for cuts or bruises. His heart hammered, and he tried to control his ragged breathing. Finding nothing wrong, he brought her to the bathroom and started the
hot water in the tub.
“I’ll be right back, sweetie. I have to find my phone.”
She nodded her head in agreement.
He flashed a counterfeit smile before stepping out of the bathroom, his mind’s eye replaying everything while he went to find his phone and call the police. Nothing made sense.
He returned to the bathroom to find Madeline with her back facing the door, rinsing her hair. His unsteady hand tried several times to dial 911 before connecting.
“911. What’s your emergency?”
“Yes, my name is Jonah…” The words stuck in his throat.
Madeline swept her hair up, and the phone crashed to the floor.
He’d missed a mark when he checked over her. He crept closer, squinting, hoping his eyes had deceived him, but they hadn’t. Three unmistakable numbers, 666, were etched into the back of her neck, and the room spun out of control.
“Daddy?” The little girl turned, her eyes solid black and skin a deathly white. “Am I the one?”
*****
A Note From Craig McGray
Thank you for spending some of your valuable time reading my work. If you enjoyed this story, please leave a review on Amazon. It’s the highlight of my day when I see a new review from a reader who has not only taken the time to read my work, but also to leave a review. Feel free to contact me anytime via e-mail [email protected] and don’t forget to subscribe to my author newsletter HERE for information on upcoming releases. Thanks again, and happy reading.
