Fire at Dusk: Part 39 (Finale)

During the two days following the monster's attack, a torrent of grief and gossip flooded the the small town, fed by the steady stream of federal agents who came to investigate. Before Deputy Smith had even gotten a chance to call out to the state authorities, a pair of agents arrived in the town to investigate the flash of bright light that had emanated from the woods. The pair of agents, upon hearing the deputy's story, called in backup.

Shirley Sue sat in a rolling chair in a conference room in the town hall. It was the fourth time she had been interviewed over the last two days. She looked up at the wall in front of her. In between two windows sat an analog clock with arms pointing to 3:15. She had been out of the interrogation room for the last twenty minutes or so.

After a couple of minutes, she heard a door open and the clack of shoes against tile. She glanced out the conference room's open door and saw a federal agent walk by the door. He nodded at her and she waved back. She promptly looked away and shuddered upon seeing the zipped up body bag being carted in on a stretcher which he pulled behind himself. She watched the clock as five more uneventful minutes passed. She felt a slight buzz in her head as the warm room invited her to shut her eyes. She fought against the sensation, but her eyelids drew closed on their own accord.

She started awake at the sound of a door squeaking shut. Disoriented, she looked around and realized she was still in the town hall. She glanced at the clock, which now read 3:47. The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. She stood up and peered through the door. She saw a couple of agents, Deputy Smith, and Buck walking down the hall toward her. They crowded into the conference room.

“I know it's been hard, but we appreciate your cooperation with this investigation,” said the agent with the nametag that read Holder. “We've reported everything you've told us so far to the higher ups, and they have thoroughly analyzed the data. They believe what you encountered was a mountain lion. Should you be inclined to discuss this matter with anyone, that is the answer which you will give. We should have the disclosure statements ready for you to sign later today. We'll drop them by your houses. You can bring them back here sometime tomorrow.”

The agents turned around and walked through the door. Agent Holder paused and turned to face them, “Got it,” he said into a microphone clipped to his chest. “Smith, it looks like they found the body of Bradford. Guess that makes you the sheriff now. Congratulations, although I wish it were under better circumstances.” With that the agent turned back around and disappeared through the doorway.

The trio found Jessie and Roger waiting on a bench outside of the building. The party headed to Smitty's, the local diner which was down the road from the town hall. They spent the next five or six hours sharing fond memories of their friends and decompressing from that fateful night. There were tears and laughter, and for a moment here or there they felt some semblance of normalcy.

Some time, long after the sun had set they stood around the diner and said their goodbyes to each other.

“Can I walk you home?” Buck asked Shirley Sue.

“That would be nice,” she said, smiling at him.

Buck took a hold of her hand and the pair walked away together into the night. After the fifteen minute long walk, the duo arrived at her house. Shirley Sue turned to face Buck, her fingers intertwined with his.

“Thank you for walking me back. It was really sweet,” she said.

“You're welcome,” he replied.

The pair stood silently for a moment, looking each other in the eyes.

“Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then,” said Buck.

He drew her in close and hugged her. He smiled as he looked down at her. She had never realized before how much taller he was then her. Her heart fluttered as she became lost his eyes. His head tilted toward her and she closed her eyes. She felt the warm, electric buzz of his lips on hers. She opened her eyes and they smiled at each other.

“I'll see you tomorrow,” she said. She turned the cool doorknob and walked into her home. She closed the door and looked out the window and watched as Buck waved at her before disappearing into the night.

Fire at Dusk: Part 38

The light that filled the area dissipated as though controlled by an unseen dimmer. She shielded her eyes from source, which burned like a miniature star. Waves of warmth washed over her and after half a minute or so, all that was left was the glow of the predawn light.

She clicked on her flashlight and began walking toward the rubble. Her heart stopped as the image of Shirley Sue and Buck running into the back of the mill, arms bound behind their backs, flashed through her mind. She scanned the area with her flashlight, but saw no sign of either one.

“Shirley Sue! Buck!” she shouted. She strained her ears, but they were met with silence.

She shouldn't have abandoned them. She should have gotten them to safety and then worried about Mike. Maybe they had ducked under one of the workbenches before the building collapsed. Maybe they were still alive. The deputy's gait quickened into a run.

She paused as she arrived at the rubble. She let out a low whistle as she ran her flashlight beam over the smoldering crater in the ground near the debris. The diameter had to be at least five feet. The largest objects in the crater were a couple of bricks which had fallen into the crater after the explosion. The ground facing away from the building was covered in a fine black soot. There was no trace of either Mike's or the monster's body.

A twinge of sadness plucked at her heart. Mike had been a couple of years younger than her. He had been cheerful and pleasant growing up. Everyone seemed to like him and his older brother. She had even harbored a crush on Parker when she was in eighth grade. How would she break the news to their mother? 'Sorry Dorris, your boys were murderers and cannibals.' She would be heartbroken. Who would even believe what happened here tonight? She doubted that the Sheriff would take her seriously. Hell, she hardly believed it herself

Deputy Smith climbed on top of the rubble and began sifting through the bricks, looking for her companions. She shouted their names but there was no reply. She climbed over the mounds of uneven rubble in the area around where she had seen them last, before the collapse of the building.

“Over here!” she heard a voice yell. She looked around but saw no indication of where the voice had come from. She heard the sound of crunching debris and directed the beam of her flashlight toward the noise. Into her beam walked Shirley Sue followed by Buck. They waved at her as they climbed over the rubble.

“How did you? Where did you come from? I thought you were goners.”

“We found an old saw-blade and managed to use it to cut ourselves free. We climbed out one of the windows just as the building started to crumble. From there we ran down to the riverside and waited until that light faded,” said Buck.

“We- we weren't sure if you made it. We were sneaking back here to see what happened when we heard you calling our names,” said Shirley Sue. “What happened here? Where's Mike and that monster?”

On their journey back to the cabin, Deputy Smith relayed to them the events leading up to the mill collapse. The party fell silent. The only sounds that reached their ears were those of the birds chirping and their feet scuffing against the earth. The early dawn light illuminated their path and provided them with a second wind. Shirley Sue threaded her arm around Buck's and the pair walked arm in arm the rest of the way back to the cabin.

Fire at Dusk: Part 37

Deputy Smith ran after Mike and the monster. As she passed through the opening leading to the outside, bits of debris rained down on her. She clutched her gun tightly and peered around the corner. The monster was bounding toward Mike. He had managed to establish a sizable lead and was nearly at the four-wheeler. He turned to face the beast and aimed the shotgun. The muzzle of the gun flashed and a thunderous bang cut through the stillness of the night. The beast wailed and rolled into the side of the building. The building creaked and shuddered from the blow. Mike reloaded the weapon and let out a deep, guttural howl at the creature. As the beast began to pick itself up, a second shot went off and hit the beast once again.

“That oughta quiet ya down a bit!” he yelled at the beast, reloading once again. A wild look entered his eyes and he fired off the shotgun again. “Not so tough now, are ya?”

The beast lay still on the ground. Mike laughed at the creature and slowly walked toward it. He pulled the trigger once more, this time at point blank range.

“It's over Mike, drop your weapon,” Deputy Smith yelled.

Mike fired off the shotgun again, this time taking aim at the deputy. Her heart raced a mile a minute as she ducked behind the corner. She heard the sound of pellets clattering against the side of the building. She glanced around the corner and saw the barrel of the shotgun pointed toward her. She returned fire and ducked back around the corner. The shotgun thundered once more, followed by the shower of pellets.

“It'll be over when I say it's over, and it ain't-” Mike's yelling morphed into a scream.

Deputy Smith looked around the corner and saw the monster on top of Mike, tearing into him with its teeth and claws. She fired at the creature until her pistol was empty, yet it was unrelenting in its torture of Mike. She looked at him. His mouth moved, but no words came out. His eyes latched onto hers for an instant and then dropped away, turning glassy and unmoving like the eyes of a toy. He was gone.

The beast stopped and looked at her. It let forth a roar which seemed to drag on for minutes. She covered her ears and watched in terror as the beast's color pulsated wildly. The colors grew brighter and soon the area was illuminated as though it was daylight. She ducked behind the corner to shield her eyes from the glow.

An explosion rocked the mill as hot wind blew past her. The mill shuddered. Above her she heard the sound of splintering wood. She looked up in time to see the building tilting toward her. She sprinted away. A trail of debris crashed down behind her. When all had grown silent, she turned around and saw a pile of rubble where the mill had been.

Fire at Dusk: Part 36

Deputy Smith looked away from the beast in time to see a flash of silver in Mike's hand. She ducked behind the table and heard the bang of a gun firing followed by the sound of a bullet ricocheting against the wall behind her. She watched as Mike bounded toward the door. Her hand shook from the fear which coursed through her veins making it nearly impossible for her to zero in on her target. She pulled the trigger. The bullet zipped out of the chamber, leaving a faint trail of smoke behind. A hole materialized in Mike's calf. She watched his face, but it seemed as though he hadn't even noticed the hit. Mike scooped up the shotgun he took from Buck and aimed it toward her. She ducked down and took cover once more. The boom of the shotgun bellowed through the mill.

The clicking noise of the gun being reloaded gave her opportunity she needed to put some distance between herself and that shotgun. She had no ammo aside from the cartridges loaded into her weapon. She needed to conserve her ammo and move out of his range if she was going to make it out of this alive. She ran toward the back of the mill where Shirley Sue and Buck had disappeared, hunching over as she moved.

She heard a loud crash and looked up to see one of the large work benches flying through the air. Seconds later it crashed to the ground and two of the legs broke off, flying in two different directions. She looked toward where the table had originated and saw the beast rushing in their direction. She ducked at the sound of the shotgun firing once again. The cry of the aberration echoed through the walls of the building. The deputy looked behind herself in time to see the door slam shut. Mike had escaped.

The monster gave chase to Mike. Deputy Smith watched as the monster slammed, full speed, into the door. The force of the impact echoed through the mill and caused the door and the bricks surrounding it to fly forward, leaving only a large, dusty opening. The rickety building moaned in protest. Sections of the ceiling near her came clattering to the ground. She looked toward the back of the mill, then toward the new hole. Shirley Sue and Buck would be fine on their own. She needed to stop Mike before he escaped.

Fire at Dusk: Part 35

Deputy Smith squeezed the trigger. The bullet escaped the chamber, ricocheting off the gun Mike was holding. The pistol flew from his hand and clattered to the ground. She watched as Mike's wide eyes darted from his hand to the gun and back again. She had always been a good shot, but this time she even impressed herself.

She had been worried that she wouldn't be able to get in a clear shot at Mike. She had managed to sneak up behind him and hide behind a large crate which sat under one of the work benches. As she glanced out from the workbench, she had locked eyes with Shirley Sue who gave her a quick nod. The diversion Shirley Sue created had provided her enough time to line up a clear shot that would pose no risk to Shirley Sue or Buck.

“Freeze!” Deputy Smith shouted. “Put your hands over your head, scumbag.” She forced back a smile. She had always wanted to say that.

Mike turned toward her and raised his hands above his head. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then closed it. His forehead wrinkled into deep grooves.

“Sarah, it's not what you think. If you give me a minute to explain...” Mike said.

“Like hell it's not what I think, Mike. I've been over here the entire time and already heard your explanation. And that's Deputy Smith to you.”

Deputy Smith pulled out a pair of handcuffs and walked toward Mike, but froze when she heard the beast's shriek. The air filled with the sound of squealing metal, the clatter of bricks slamming against the ground, and shattering glass. A heavy crimson cloud hovered near the wall, with the silhouette of the monster at its center. Deputy Smith watched as it shook itself clean of the bits of debris which covered it, thickening the crimson cloud which surrounded it. It raised itself onto its hind legs, pulled its arms behind its back, and wailed once again. Deputy Smith winced as her ears rang.

Everything seemed to flow in slow motion as the ringing in her ears subsided. The cloud of dust settled enough that the deputy was able to distinguish the beast's features. The beast fell back down onto all fours, and snorted, shaking its head. The creature's forked tongue ran across its large fangs which shimmered with the same opalescence as its claws. Fear gripped her heart and it took every fiber of her will to not flee from the creature. Never had she encountered something so terrifying. Her gaze was drawn to its face. Her eyes locked with the monster's.

Fire at Dusk: Part 34

Buck turned his head toward Mike. The color in Mike's face had drained away and his pupils encompassed his whole eye. Buck looked back at the hole and watched as the beast slid three of its long nails through the crack and wriggled them around for a few seconds then withdrew them, taking pieces of mortar and bricks with them. The intensity of the red light weakened as the beast moved away from the gap.

“Ain't that just mighty inconvenient,” Mike said, lowering his arm. “Hurry up, get to yer feet!”

Buck and Shirley Sue rose to their feet. Buck watched as Shirley Sue stood to face their kidnapper. Her face was calm and relaxed, and her lips were turned up at the edges. “You know Mike, maybe I overreacted a bit,” she said, looking him in the eyes. “There's probably room on the four-wheeler for the two of us and I'm sure we could- work something out.” Her tone was warm and she punctuated her sentence with a wink.

The beast howled, but Buck hardly registered the noise. His jaw hung open as he stared at Shirley Sue.

She moved closer to Mike, until they stood less than an arm's length away from each other. She wet her lips and slowly blinked at Mike. “Besides, it might be useful to take a hostage with you.”

Mike gave Shirley Sue a once over with his eyes. “You drive a hard bargain,” he said with a grin. “Y'all women are all the same, always willing to put out when you think it'll get you somewhere. I expected a little more virtue from you, though.”

Buck watched in horror as Shirley Sue edged closer to Mike and pressed against him, grinding her body against his. “Maybe later I can get on my knees and beg for forgiveness,” she said, her voice hardly louder a whisper, with her lips brushing against his ear,

“Looks like yer girlfriend is gonna be keepin' me entertained for a bit,” Mike said as looked over at Buck, then let out a chuckle. “Guess you'll make good 'nough bait fer-” Mike howled with pain. Shirley Sue darted away from him. Buck stood stationary for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. “Run Buck!” he heard shouted from behind. He ran after Shirley Sue, dodging the tables, bins and tools which were scattered across the floor.

The sound of a gunshot echoed through Buck's ears.

Fire at Dusk: Part 33

The inhuman wail of the monster rattled the walls of the mill. Mike turned to face his captives.

“I fell mighty bad fer draggin' y'all into this, but I ain't gettin' tossed in no slammer and I ain't ready ta go belly up. I reckon you can keep yer yapper shut Buck,” he said, walking toward the pair. “But you Shirley Sue, ya've always been a bit of a goody-two-shoes.” Mike sat down in a chair which was facing away from the table and rested his arms on the back of the chair. He tapped the pipe out into an ashtray sitting on the table.

“So, what are ya gonna do with us?” asked Buck his voice quivered as he spoke. His foot tapped against the concrete floor like a woodpecker on a tree. Why hadn't the deputy appeared yet? Where was she? Had she gotten lost in the mill? It wasn't even that big.

The wail of the beast grew louder. Mike looked at the door, then back toward his hostages.

“Judgin' by the sound of that monster, I reckon I ain't got ta do nothin' ta y'all. I tell ya what. I'll push ya both out the door and keep yer legs untied. Give y'all a fightin' chance at runnin' away from it,” he said and then chuckled.

“You can't be serious!” shouted Shirley Sue. “You can't just send us out there to die. We're your friends!”

“I'm as serious as a heart attack. It'll take off after y'all and I'll get away on the four-wheeler out back. It's a win-win fer all of us, well at least fer me it is.”

Red light poured in through the windows, creating crimson shadows around the room. The behemoth wailed its ear-piercing cry again.

“Looks like it's time fer us to mosey on out. I just want y'all ta know I'm mighty sorry 'bout this.”

Shirley Sue spit in Mike's face. “You're a fucking bastard Mike,” she said.

Mike stood up and wiped the spit from his eye. His face beet red. He glared at Shirley Sue and drew back his arm. The building rattled as the sound of twisting metal filled the air. Bricks shattered and came tumbling from the wall, through which a narrow crevice had formed. Crimson light blazed through the opening.

Fire at Dusk: Part 32

Mike paced silently in front of the table. He paused and turned to face the shelf of skulls. “You know,” he said, “This was all Parker's doin'. Started with a Yank fallin' into one of our traps. Parker always hated them Yanks mighty fierce.”

He pulled out a pipe and a small bag of tobacco. He gripped the soft shreds of tobacco between his fingers and stuffed them into the pipe, then he shoved the baggy back into his pocket.

“That Yank, he yelled at us fer puttin' traps out in the middle of the woods. Parker didn't take kindly ta being yelled at by him, 'specially since these were our stompin' grounds. They got inta a brawl. He pushed the Yank onto the ground.”

He bit down lightly on the pipe and wrapped his lips around the mouthpiece. He puffed on it as he lit it with a match. He felt the light wisps of smoke fill his mouth and the sweet smell of pipe tobacco wafted lightly through the air.

“Then Parker pulled out a knife. I thought he was just gonna have a little fun with him, maybe give him a scar or somethin', but he had murder on his mind. He slit old tubby's neck. I ain't never seen so much blood. He blamed me ya know, fer not stoppin' him. Said I were an 'accessory'. Said we were both gonna get locked up unless I helped him get rid of the body.”

He nursed the pipe in his hand and gazed into the pipe's chamber. The tobacco smoldered as threads of smoke wove their way around his face. He sighed then puffed at the pipe. After a minute he continued. “Parker bein' the butcher said the best way to get rid of the body was ta grind it up and turn it into sausage then burn and mill the bones. He said burnnin' up the whole body would take too long and would smell ta high heavens. We spent the next few weeks like long-tailed cats in a room full of rockin' chairs, sure we were gonna get caught, but nobody ever was any the wiser.”

He looked over at Buck and Shirley Sue. Their faces had developed a green tinge and they exchanged glances with each other as though they could not believe what he was saying. He couldn't blame them. It was an unbelievable story. He took a few more puffs on his pipe and blew a smoke ring, then watched as it drifted through the air, disappearing into nothingness.

“Somethin' changed in him after that. I think it were the money that did it. We found a couple hundred in the wallet and the townsfolk just couldn't get 'nough of the sausage. Sold out after a couple days, ya know. Then he started settin' up traps tryin' to catch the Yanks. He even hunted one or two of 'em when he didn't catch one in a while. Said them Yanks were nothin' but cattle and deserved what they got. It never set quite right fer me, but the money was good...” Mike trailed off. He shook his head. “It was all goin' hunkydory until the other night. That's when he caught them pair of witches.” Mike glared at the body hanging from the wall. “The man said that on his death our evil would come to life and 'bring a plague of death on the townsfolk' until we were both dead. I got real scared 'bout it but Parker just laughed it off, sayin' he didn't believe in that stuff. He said there ain't no such thing as curses.” Mike scoffed. “Guess he was dead wrong.”

Fire at Dusk: Part 31

Shirley Sue watched Mike as he peered around the door and scanned the room. He gripped both the stock of the rifle and the flashlight with one of his hands, while the index finger of his other hand hovered over the gun's trigger.

Their eyes met. “You can never be too careful,” he said to her. “Ya never know when someone is lurking 'round the corner.”

Still watching the duo, Mike balanced the rifle against his arm as he palmed the wall. The sound of a click echoed through the room. Several overhead lights sprang to life, bathing the room in a yellow tinted glow.

Shirley Sue squinted as her eyes adjusted to the overhead lights. She fixed her gaze on Mike, waiting for an opportunity to escape or attack.

“Now, like I were sayin' outside. I ain't got nothing personal 'gainst you two. 'Sall business ya see.”

Mike set the flashlight and bag down on a table beside the door and leaned the rifle against the same table. In addition to the bag and flashlight, there were several ropes which lay on the table. He grinned at Shirley Sue and Buck.

“In case y'all get any funny ideas,” he said flashing them the butt of a pistol which hung at his side in a holster. “It's loaded, and you better believe I'm a quick draw.”

Shirley Sue stiffened as she watched Mike pick up a couple of the ropes. He kept his eyes on the duo as his hands went to work on the cord.

“Shirley Sue go sit down at that table,” he said to her. “Buck, watch yer girlfriend and put yer hands behind yer back.”

Shirley Sue glanced around the room, looking for any sign of the deputy as she made her way to the table, which was about ten feet in front of her. She shivered as she saw the all too familiar shelf of skulls. She felt her stomach lurch as she noticed the woman. Motionless, her body dangled by arms which were fastened into place by bloody steel cuffs. The chains only provided enough slack for her legs to tilt toward the ground bout not quite reach, leaving her knees floating around six inches above the hard concrete. Around her was a pool of blood. Her body looked badly bruised and cut with long trails of dried blood flowing down her arms and staining her cloths.

Shirley Sue reached the chair and sat down. She turned and looked at Mike as he put the rope around Buck's wrists. With a quick pull, the loops tightened around his wrists. Mike's hands moved quickly as he worked on Buck. After he was finished, he pushed Buck over to the table and motioned for him to sit. Buck obliged without resistance.

“Yer turn,” he said looking at Shirley Sue. Before she could process what he was doing, he had already grabbed her arms and placed them in similar loops to those of Buck's. She let out a yelp as the rope clinched around her wrists.

Fire at Dusk: Part 30

Shirley Sue and Buck turned around and faced the bright yellow light. Shirley Sue squinted in the beam, but even though she could not see the flashlight's wielder, she knew the voice.

“What do you want Mike?” she said.

“You see this gun lil-miss?” said Mike. “It means I get ta ask the questions.”

Shirley Sue craned her head to watch Mike as he paced behind the duo, keeping his eyes trained on Buck. He aimed the flashlight toward their lower backs. His eyes flicked from one to the other. Shirley Sue could see his face clearly now. Mike looked Shirley Sue in the eyes and winked at her, then he shoved the barrel of the rifle into Buck's back, causing Buck to stumble forward.

“Hey! Take 'er easy Mike!” said Buck.

Mike grabbed a hold of the shotgun and disarmed Buck. He then proceeded to pat down the pair.

Shirley Sue winced and looked straight ahead as Mike began to frisk her. She felt ill as she considered the atrocities those hands must have committed, the hands which now traveled along her body.

“Sorry 'bout this, I ain't meanin' ta be fresh with ya Shirley Sue,” he said as he frisked her. He grabbed a hold of the handkerchief wedged between her belt and shorts and unwrapped the claw. He examined the razor sharp object, turning it in the beam of the flashlight.

Mike tossed the claw into a bag that hung from his shoulder.

“Looks like you two been real busy tonight.”

He then circled back around to face them.

“I don't know what to do with y'all,” sighed Mike. “I reckon y'all be snoopin' 'round enough ta know what we got goin' on in here. So I can't just let ya go. Why don't we go on in the mill and talk 'bout this for a bit.”

Mike passed his keys off to Buck and directed the duo to walk in a single file line with Buck at the head of the line. Shirley Sue marched forward in unison with Buck until they reached the door to the mill.

“Unlock it and enter,” said Mike. “Oh, and nothin' funny, unless you've got some business with yer maker.”

The key ring jingled in Buck's hand as he fit the key Mike had singled out into the door. He twisted the key and turned the knob, then opened the door to the mill and stepped through. Shirley Sue followed him into the blackened building.

Fire at Dusk: Part 29

Shirley Sue and Buck stood outside of the door of the mill. Buck tapped his foot while he waited and Shirley Sue stood with her thumbs tucked away in the pockets of her shorts, looking toward the building. The moon had disappeared from the night sky, leaving the stars as the only form of illumination in the night. Buck looked up. The mill towered over him and Shirley Sue, obscuring half the sky. He wished they could be alone together, anywhere else. He sighed. He knew that after tonight things would go back to the way there were before, with him pining after her as he struggled to work up the nerve to ask her on a date. He had never been good with words, but tonight he wished more than ever that he could say something to woo his childhood friend.

“Look!” Buck whispered “A shooting star!”

Shirley Sue looked into the sky and spotted the meteorite. Her eyes followed the long streak of light which disappeared behind the building.

“Another one right there!” Shirley Sue whispered back. “Make a wish!”

In spite of the evening's events the duo smiled widely, although darkness concealed their expressions from one another. Shirley Sue shivered as the cool night breeze brushed across her bare arms.

“I'm a little cold,” she said rubbing her arms with her hands, and then leaned against Buck.

Buck's heart skipped a beat as he wrapped his arms around her. They stood in silence, staring into the sky, the evening's events melted away like a nightmare they had awoken from.

“Shirley Sue,” Buck whispered. “I've been wantin'-”

A beam of light spilled over the pair. “Aw, I hate to break up such a sweet moment,” said a deep voice behind them. “But you best be puttin' yer hands up or I'll put a bullet in yer heads.” The sentence was punctuated with the click of a gun hammer being drawn back.

Buck and Shirley Sue complied with the order.

“Now turn around nice and slow like,” ordered the voice. “I thought I seen you two bein' chased off by that monster earlier. Judgin' by that shotgun, I reckon you've come back ta settle some business.”

Fire at Dusk: Part 28

Deputy Smith regained her composure and approached workbench. Its surface was caked with dried blood. The steel blade of the table-saw protruded from beneath the bench, glistening in the beam of her flashlight. The teeth of the saw looked razor sharp and the blade was free of any blood or rust. Nearby sat a blue recycling bin that mostly contained bones, although she also noticed swashes of peach and red mixed in with the white. She leaned over the plastic tub. Some of the larger bones had scrapes and missing chunks; someone had shaved every last scrap of tissue from them.

She straightened up and her eyes once again locked with the head which rested on the table. She the sharp jawline, blue eyes, and thick black hair. The features looked familiar. She was sure she had seen this face recently. It didn't belong to any of the townsfolk, so where could she have seen it from?

She thought back over the last week and tried to fit the the pieces together. A spark flashed in the back of her mind. She removed the wallet from her back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. She separated the edges of the paper from one another and unfolded the poster. She moved the beam of light over the sheet and examined it. At the top of the page in an uppercase, bold font read the word “MISSING”. She held the paper near the severed head.

The face looked older than the one in the picture and the skin was shrunken and pulled tot from drying out, but this was the man who had gone missing last week from the tourist party. She and the sheriff had called off their search after a few days of searching for him. Visitors to the area seemed to have a knack for getting lost in these woods. She had assumed that had been the case for this poor soul as well.

The deputy shook her head, “What have you done Mike...” she whispered.

Deputy Smith scanned the room with her flashlight as she walked toward the main entrance of the building. Her flashlight skimmed a shelf which hung from the far wall. A dozen or so skulls line the shelf.

Fire at Dusk: Part 27

The trip to the mill had been mostly quiet. Exhaustion had set in and any attempt at small talk had evaporated into the night air. Several popping sounds, one right after the next, drew them from their dormancy.

“Were those gunshots?” asked Buck as he scanned the canopy.

Deputy Smith nodded, “I reckon they were. Not much we can do from here. Let's just hope whoever's out there is alright.”

After a few more minutes of walking, a faint, foul odor wafted to the trio. Shortly thereafter, they entered the clearing in which the mill was stationed. The deputy switched off her flashlight and Shirley Sue and Buck followed suit. They would need the element of surprise if they were going to apprehend Mike.

The party crept up to the mill. The gravel lining the pathway leading to the entrance crunched under their feet. As they approached, the darkened hull shuddered and groaned at them as a breeze buffeted its walls. Buck kicked a small stone, which ricocheted off the side of the mill. The trio froze upon hearing the soft, tinny sound, which was amplified by the silence. After what seemed like an hour, they continued to move toward the building.

“This is where you heard him yelling?” whispered the deputy.

Buck and Shirley Sue bobbed their heads, although the darkness concealed their movements from the deputy. “Yeah,” replied Buck.

The trio strained their ears and listened for any sign of Mike or the woman but all they heard was the meandering of the nearby river and the occasional drip which echoed through the large, warehouse-like structure.

Deputy Smith drew her pistol and then she, Shirley Sue, and Buck edged their way around the exterior of the mill to the main entrance. The deputy grasped the cool metal doorknob and twisted it.

“Locked,” she whispered. “I'll go in through one of the windows and unlock it from the other side.”

After several more minutes of searching, they came across a window devoid of any glass. Buck hoisted the deputy through the window and she dropped down to the other side. The interior of the building was pitch black. Her stomach churned as she was assaulted by the smell of decay. She futilely shielded her nostrils with her hand. She gazed into shadows, but her eyes were only met with the inky blackness. Reluctantly, she switched on her flashlight. She choked back a scream. On the long, workbench in front of her sat a disembodied head, its mouth twisted in an eternal wail.

Fire at Dusk: Part 26

The sheriff slowed his vehicle to a stop. His breaths started to quicken as his eyes focused on the creature. It had taken an interest in the crushed four-wheeler ahead and was blocking the way to the forest path. Its head swiveled toward him. The sheriff clutched the gun at his side as ice began to form in his veins. His eyes moved from the creature to his abandoned vehicle. From this distance he could make out Jimmy's dismembered arm dangling in the turquoise light. He glanced over at the creature and their gazes locked with one another. The beast's color began transitioning from the turquoise to violet before changing to a deep crimson. The sheriff quickly looked away.

The idling vehicle chugged in the darkness while the sheriff considered his options. He could try to circumvent the monster and continue to the forest path or he could turn around and find another route. He decided that he would have to take one of the longer trails back to town. They weren't quite as well-traveled as this one, but he had little choice unless he wanted to risk a confrontation with the beast.

The sheriff, keeping his eyes on the creature, turned his vehicle around and headed toward a different part of the tree-line. He felt uneasy as he watched the creature disappeared behind horizon. It seemed to blaze with pure hatred. Why had it just stood there, watching him? Why had it let him go?

After a few minutes he arrived at one of the other forest trails. This was an older trail, but he could make his way back to town using it.

“Three lefts and a right,” mumbled the sheriff. “That'll get you back safe and sound.”

A blood curdling, inhuman wail rattled through the sheriff's bones, causing the hairs on his neck to stand straight up as a shiver traveled down his spine. He looked behind him but saw no sign of the beast. Yet still, he could not shake the unsettling feeling which permeated his body and filled his lungs, suffocating him.

“Just try and follow me back to town ya bastard,” the sheriff taunted. “Then we'll see who makes it to dawn.”

The sheriff turned onto the dirt trail. The path was bumpier then he had remembered, which slowed him down considerably, but he felt like he was making good time. After several minutes of travel he came to the first fork in the road. His stomach turned as he realized that he was not as familiar with the trail as he had originally thought. He needed to take a left here didn't he? He stopped the vehicle and studied the two paths. His pulse raced and he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead. He swiveled his head at the sound of crackling underbrush. He squinted into the darkness but saw nothing aside from trees.

“Take it easy there Clark, that thing ain't following you now,” he spoke aloud. “Even if it is, you can outrun it.”

His words provided a fleeting sense of comfort which was shattered by the sound of the forest cracking in the distance.

The sheriff accelerated the vehicle down the left path, pushing aside his fears. He continued down the path for some time, but after a few minutes worry began to erode away his confidence. Maybe he should have taken the right path. Shouldn't he have come to the next fork by now? He slowed the vehicle, trying to decide if he should turn it around or not. No, he was going the right way. After another minute of traveling down the trail, panic began to creep into his heart, causing it to flutter out of rhythm. The darkness blotted out the landmarks. All the trees looked the same. He felt like he was moving in circles. He had to turn around; he needed to take the path to the right.

The sheriff reluctantly turned his vehicle around and began to head back toward the fork. He was positive that left was his salvation, but nothing seemed right now. After a few minutes he saw the fork ahead in the lights of the four-wheeler. He cautiously approached the fork, looking around for familiar landmarks that would guide him home.

He was scanning the area when he saw a distant part of the forest glowing crimson. His heart skipped a beat. He needed to make up his mind now if he wanted to make home at all. The sheriff started down the right path. The wheels of the four-wheeler bumped under him as he traveled down the the trail. Over the sound of the engine he heard the beast wail again. He looked in his side mirror to see the vibrant red glow following along behind him.

The sheriff accelerated the vehicle. The bumps came more rapidly and knocked him around like a rodeo horse. The monster was in pursuit, but the distance between them grew as the sheriff continued at his current speed. The vehicle let out a several gasps and slowed to a halt. The sheriff cranked on the key, but the vehicle refused to budge. He looked down at the gas gauge. The needed floated like a ghost below the orange “E”.

The sheriff pounded on the steering mechanism, but he could not will the four-wheeler into motion. He looked behind himself along the trail and saw the beast galloping toward him. The sheriff felt weak as he stood up and turned to face the creature. His hand shook furiously as he drew his gun. As the monster moved closer, he took careful aim at it. The crimson glow surrounded him and filled him with terror. The sound of several gunshots echoed through the forest followed by a human cry of agony, and then there was silence.

Fire at Dusk: Part 25

The sheriff put the four-wheeler into drive and started his trek across the field. He could see himself back at home, getting one last nightcap in before settling down for the evening. All that stood between him and something to calm his nerves was this field and that damn forest trail.

He glanced at the side mirror and saw the deputy's graduation tassel flowing in the wind. He felt a twinge in his chest. Every time he looked down at it, a fresh wave of guilt washed over him.

“Bah, I thought I told her to get rid of this thing,” the sheriff growled.

He reached down and tugged on the tassel, but only succeeded in changing the trajectory of the vehicle. “This is just what she wanted,” he fumed. “Rub her fancy-smancy education in my face. Newsflash hun, I didn't hire you fer yer brains.”

She wanted to make him feel inferior for his lack of education. She deserved to be left behind. Maybe he wouldn't have been so quick to desert her if she had learned to loosen up a bit. That girl never seemed to smile. When they did sit down and have a conversion it was all business. She would always make 'helpful' suggestions on what their small town office could be doing better. She thought she knew best, but her education was no match for his good old fashion intuition.

He slowed the vehicle to a stop and pulled out a pocketknife. The tassel fell to the ground and disappeared into the darkness.

If she was so smart, then she should be able to fend for herself. There wasn't anything he could do for those kids tonight. All he would do now is risk getting himself killed and that wouldn't help anyone. Really, he was doing them all a favor. She could get a chance to hang out with some of her old peers. Meanwhile, he would be doing all the hard work, getting a crew together for the hunt and all. He would come back tomorrow with a few men and enough firepower to mow down an elephant. Hell, he knew a couple of guys who probably would be willing to pay for the privilege to hunt that monster.

The sheriff continued his journey through the field. The forest trail wasn't far from the rise ahead. The vehicle traveled up the slope, cresting the small hill. Ahead, the field was bathed in a turquoise glow.

Fire at Dusk: Part 24

The sheriff sat as motionless as the rock his back was wedged up against. His finger hovered above the trigger. He peeked out over the top of the rock and then ducked down again. The red glow had long since abated, but the creature could still be out there, waiting. He felt dizzy and weak from what he had witnessed earlier. There wasn't anything he could have done for Jimmy. That boy was already dead by the time he found him being tore apart by the beast. Even if he had shot at it, a creature that size would've just laughed off the bullets, then ate him for supper. The scene played over in his mind as though it was embedded on a small loop of celluloid which was set up to play forever. He had done the sensible thing and hid from the beast. The town could get by without Jimmy; that boy was hardly a productive member of society. Hell, maybe he did Jimmy a favor. It's not like the kid was going to amount to much anyway. On top of all that, how would the town make out with out their sheriff, especially after all these tragic deaths? Dammit, he had a job to do and sometimes hard decisions were part of that. He had made the right call.

What would the townsfolk think of him if the found out what happened? They would all call him a coward... The sheriff shook his head. No, no one else had to know. It's not like there were any witnesses. History was his to write. He went to use the bathroom and by the time he had gotten back, Jimmy had been dragged off by the creature. He had heard the cries for help, but the poor lad was gone by the time he had gotten there. That was all anyone needed to know about Jimmy's death.

The sheriff stood up. Both of his keeps popped in protest. He strained his eyes in the darkness, but he could see no signs of the monster. He contemplated using the flashlight to help him escape the forest, but thought better of it. Its beam might draw unnecessary attention to his location.

After a couple of minutes, the sheriff stepped foot into the field. A shiver went down his spine as he spotted the outline of the four-wheeler. He took a step toward it. In the dark he couldn't tell if the vehicle was still in working order. If he was going to make his escape, then he would need a closer look. The sheriff took a deep breath and turned on his flashlight. The vehicle was covered in thick, red blood. Its frame was badly crushed and it had two flat tires on one side. He walked around to the back of the vehicle. Jimmy's arm dangled from the handcuff.

The sheriff quickly snapped off the light and stumbled backward, away from the mess. There was no way he was going to get home on that thing. What could he do now? He was a sitting duck out here in the middle of the field and the forest wasn't going to afford him any better protection. His best hope for survival was to get back to the cabin.

The sheriff cringed at the thought of being trapped in the cabin with that beast floating around. Maybe he could make this work out in his favor. If that poor sweet thing, Jessie, had finally calmed down, then perhaps he could persuade her to help him out with a few of his needs. She had been nothing but a cold hearted bitch to him the entire night, but maybe now that Dick was out of the picture she would sing a different song.

The sheriff began his journey back to the cabin. He was not used to this much walking, always opting to drive to his destination. His legs grew tired and a sharp, throbbing stitch formed in his side. His conscience dogged at him and he continually pushed back against its judgments with cold rationalizations.

After several minutes, the dim cabin lights came into view. He forced his legs to move faster, but grew tired and quickly fell back into his old gait. At last he arrived at the cabin. His heart skipped a beat when he saw it. The deputy's four-wheeler was still sitting where it had been when he left earlier. The sheriff peered into the windows of the cabin, but saw no sign of the deputy.

“Smith! You around?” The sheriff called out, in a volume which was only slightly louder than his normal talking voice. “I'm going to take the four-wheeler back to the station if you don't mind!”

The sheriff waited for a moment but heard no response.

“Well, looks like it's all mine.”

The sheriff dug out his key chain and located the spare for her four-wheeler. He sat down onto the vehicle and put the key into the ignition. The vehicle started immediately. A huge wave of relief washed over him. This nightmare would soon be over.

Fire at Dusk: Part 23

“Y'all look mighty tore up,” said Deputy Smith.

Shirley Sue grabbed a hold of a long straight object wrapped in a handkerchief which was wedged between her belt and shorts. She handed the parcel to the deputy. Deputy Smith tilted her head to the side as she unraveled the cloth. The mother-of-pearl claw shimmered in the flashlight beam. Green crusty streaks dotted its surface. The deputy's eyes narrowed and her brow became a collection of deep lines as she looked over the object. “Where did this come from?”

“You probably won't believe us, but there's something out there. A huge glowing monster, and this is one of its claws,” said Buck.

The deputy let out a low whistle as she held the claw to her forearm. It ran from her elbow to the tip of her pointer finger.

“It almost got us, but Shirley Sue stabbed it with its own claw and set it runnin' away with its tail between its legs,” he continued.

“We were heading back to the cabin to warn everyone about it,” added Shirley Sue.

Deputy Smith looked from Buck to Shirley Sue. “I hate to tell you this...” she trailed off. She hesitated for several seconds which seemed to stretch out for years. “The monster visited the cabin and drug Dick off. At least that's what Jim told us. I was out here looking for Dick's body.”

“Oh,” said Buck. Shirley Sue gasped as she cupped her hand over her mouth. Their eyes widened as shock from the news set in.

“We're too late then,” said Buck in a flat tone.

A thick uncomfortable silence fell over the group. “Any sign of Mike?” asked Deputy Smith.

The color drained from Shirley Sue's face. She looked to Buck, her eyebrows raised. He nodded.

Shirley Sue swallowed. “Yeah, we found him at the old mill, before we were chased off by the monster.”

“Is he alright? Did he get away from the monster?”

“I think you better see this for yourself.”

Fire at Dusk: Part 22

Deputy Smith mounted the four-wheeler and started the vehicle. She looked down at the gas gauge and noticed that the needle was hovering just above empty.

“Really?” she muttered, switching off the vehicle. As much as she had wanted to blame the near empty tank on the sheriff, she knew that it was as much her fault as it was his. He did say he would take care of filling them up last week after he and she had used them to check up on a group of tourists who had lost one of their members on their camping trip. Since then the vehicles had been sitting idle with plenty of opportunity for refueling. Had she thought to check before they left the station, she could have filled up with one of the spare tanks. Now if she wanted to have enough gas to make it back to the station, then she would have to conduct her search by foot. She didn't like the idea of wandering around in the dark with whatever was out there, but she had no other choice.

Deputy Smith set out on foot looking for clues to where Dick might have been dragged off to. She searched the grass surrounding the cabin for signs of a struggle. As she directed her beam along the ground, it passed through what looked like rusty spots on the grass. Deputy Smith snapped a glove on her hand and touched one of the spots. She rubbed the thick red liquid between her fingertips. Blood. In addition to the blood, she also noticed a flattened trail of grass where it looked as though something had been dragged through it. She began following the trail, which headed in the direction of the nearby woods.

As she walked along the trail, she noticed two lights bobbing in the distance. She froze, instinctively placing her hand on her pistol. The lights grew larger and the rate of the bobbing increased. The figures behind the orbs of light began to take shape. Shirley Sue and Buck ran into the deputy's view. The pair were out of breath, their clothing was tattered, and their faces were smeared with dirt.

“Thank god it's you!” shouted Buck.

Fire at Dusk: Part 21

Deputy Smith had spent the better part of the last twenty minutes or so consoling Jessie. Jessie finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep clutching a small, heart-shaped pendant that Dick had given her. Once she was sure Jessie was out, the deputy cautiously stood up and crept out the bedroom door.

She looked around the living room, expecting to see the sheriff, but Roger was the only one there.

“Where's the sheriff and Jim?” she whispered to Roger.

Roger chewed on his lip. “The sheriff took Jim down to the station.”

“The station?” Deputy Smith frowned deeply and glared in Roger's direction.

“Yeah, he... wasn't convinced that an animal killed Dick.”

“We haven't even-” Deputy Smith paused to collect herself. Two people were dead and somehow the sheriff was positive that Jim was the killer, even though the evidence she had presented him with pointed to animal involvement. She felt a twinge of anger well up inside of her as she thought about how bullheaded the sheriff was being on this. She was used to his bluster, but his behavior tonight went beyond that. He had crossed the line into reckless.

“I'm startin' to get worried about Buck and Shirley Sue,” Roger said, breaking Deputy Smith out of her thoughts. “I'm going to go look for them if it's all the same to you.”

Deputy Smith sighed “I know you're worried about them, but I need you to hold fast here with Jessie. She's not in the right state of mind to be left alone. I'll go find them while I'm out looking for Dick's body.”

“Okay,” he replied after a moment's hesitation, and then nodded at the deputy. “If yer going out there you should take the shotgun with ya. I'll hold down the fort with one of the others we've got here.”

“Thanks.”

The deputy slung the shotgun over her shoulder and grabbed a box of shells. She took a few steps toward the door. Butterflies welled up inside of her as the uncertainty of what she would face out there gnawed away at her fortitude. She grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. Light spilled over the stairs into the darkness.

“Oh and Roger,” she said, looking back at him with a half smile. “Take care of yourself.”

“You too deputy.”

Deputy Smith exhaled as she closed the door behind her. Her fingers brushed against the frame of the door, driving a splinter into her middle finger.

“Dammit,” she cursed under her breath. How much worse could the night get?

Fire at Dusk: Part 20

Sheriff Bradford watched Jimmy shuffle his way to the four-wheeler. Jimmy's head was bowed and his eyes were focused on his feet as he walked.

It was such a shame seeing a boy he had known since he was knee high to a grasshopper grow up to be a killer, but the sheriff had to admit that he had known that it would only be a matter of time before Jimmy snapped. The kid's father had turned into the town's drunk after his mother passed away under questionable circumstances. This sort of situation would mess up any kid, but especially one like Jimmy.

The sheriff had kept a close eye on Jimmy ever since he started dating Priscilla, the mayor's daughter. What she saw in Jimmy was a complete mystery to him. Jimmy was always out here at the camp hunting and trapping. A mighty fine girl like her deserved a man with a steady job and a good head on his shoulders, not a boy who was only good for doing odd jobs around the town. He had known Jimmy would slip up one day. Now maybe she could find a more worthy suitor.

The sheriff stumbled over a large rock on the ground. Jimmy cracked a smile when he looked back at the sheriff and stifled a laugh. The sheriff's face grew red and he smacked Jimmy across the back of his head.

“Get on boy, we've got a long ride ahead of us,” he growled at Jimmy. After Jimmy mounted, he climbed onto the vehicle himself. He took a gulp of the beer he was holding and then shoved the key into the ignition and drove off. The bumps and craters along the way jostled his bladder. By the time he reached the edge of the forest, he knew that it was time to 'break the seal.'

The sheriff slowed the vehicle to a halt and felt Jimmy bump up against him.

“I need to go and empty the tank,” the sheriff said as he dismounted the four-wheeler. He quickly finished off the beer he was holding and discarded the can into the grass. After he traveled a few feet, he stopped and turned back toward Jimmy. “Oh and don't go anywhere.” He clamped down one end of a pair of handcuffs over Jimmy's wrist and attached the other cuff to a bar on the vehicle.

As the sheriff entered the woods, he glanced back at Jimmy, but all he saw was the red glow of Jimmy's cigarette hovering in the inky darkness. The sheriff shook his head and stumbled into the forest. As he was relieving himself, he heard something moving through the woods. He swiveled his head and strained his eyes, but couldn't see anything. He felt something warm on his foot and turned his attention back to the task at hand. He discovered that he had missed his mark and urinated on his foot and leg.

“Shit,” he cursed under his breath. He finished up and shook out his foot and pant leg. In his inebriated state, he forgot about how dark it was and he was sure that if he went back now, the lad would mock him. There was nothing the sheriff hated more then being mocked. He could hear it now, “Hey sheriff, looks like you need to work on your target practice.” Jimmy's mocking laugh and cruel tone echoed through his head. The sheriff's eyebrows pointed into a heavy 'v' and he clenched his jaw. He had to do something about this and it needed to be quick.

He looked frantically around for something to sop up the mess he made. He grabbed a handful of leaves and attempted to wipe down his pant leg, a task which only seemed to exacerbate the situation. He now had a long dark brown streak and ground in leaves in addition to the urine on his light colored trousers. He picked up the flashlight off the ground and headed deeper into the woods, in search of something to aid him.

The snap of branches caught his attention. He looked around, shining his flashlight around the woods, but observed nothing out of the ordinary. He slowly turned back around, resting his hand on the holster at his side. Another minute passed, but his search proved fruitless.

“Holy shit! Help!” Jimmy's exclamation echoed through the forest. The sheriff pulled his gun from its holster and stumbled through the woods back toward the vehicle. Jimmy's frantic cries grew louder and then came horrific shrieks of pain. The sheriff reached the edge of the forest and saw it. His veins turned to ice, the hair on the back of his neck stood straight up, and his knees began to knock against each other. He stood at the forest's edge, frozen with terror as he watched the beast tear into Jimmy. The creature was larger than anything he had ever seen and it illuminated the area with a crimson light. The sheriff put a hand over his mouth when he heard the snapping noise of Jimmy's arm as the creature's massive jaws clamped down on it. Jimmy's wails of anguish filled the air. Jimmy twisted and writhed trying to free himself from the beast. His head twisted and fell in the direction of the sheriff. Their eyes connected and Jimmy stretched out his remaining arm toward the sheriff, his fingers spread out and dripping with blood.

“Please help me!” he cried.

The sheriff took a step backwards and bumped into a tree. After a few moments he managed to finally tear his eyes away from the Jimmy and the monster. Amongst the shadows he could make out the outline of a large boulder. He stumbled his way to the rock and took up refuge behind it. After a few moments Jimmy's screams died down and the night was silent.