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.