The Contract
Editor's Prologue- Well this just popped into my mind and was one of those things that had to be written! It's sort of a conglomeration of ideas, along with subtle nods to other JC fanfic writers that I have enjoyed. It also plays with a different origin idea mentioned in JC2 audio commentaries, and also a "what if" scenario in regards to the end of the first movie. I simply took all of that and came up with this. Enjoy this one-shot while I work to complete TCG.
/
Julia sat sobbing before the Creeper, begging for her son's life. It had been one hell of a frightening night...what started out as a fun spring day and her son's eighteenth birthday had quickly turned into an unreal nightmare. Oh she'd heard the rumors and stories over the years, and was on the fence about what she believed. It was almost laughable at times...some demonic-looking creature with giant bat wings swooping down and grabbing people? Twenty-three days every twenty-third Spring? It sure sounded like some kind of mythical story used to frighten children into cooperating at bedtime.
But now here this thing was out in her crop field, this incredibly terrifying visage before her, staring at her with icy blue eyes and a horrible, sharp-toothed grimace, almost as if he was annoyed or angry...or something she couldn't read in his expression. Her only son, Jacob, was so terrified he was peeing himself and shaking all over. He gagged and struggled as the Creeper's grip on his neck was like a vice, the boy could scarcely get a breath in.
Julia was on her knees, reaching her hands out towards the Creeper with some kind of strange and fearful reverence.
"Please! Please! Please let my baby boy go...I will go instead...I will do whatever you want...if only you would spare him! Please!"
The Creeper huffed, and it almost sounded like he let out a sigh. He shook his head, and the woman only begged more.
I am too slow lately. I should have just grabbed the boy and left... or waited until his mother was back in the farmhouse before grabbing him...
Truth be told, the Creeper chose people on how they smelled...using their delicious fear, and this boy's liver smelled healthy, perfect...and his hunger was greatly aroused. He had no real desire in him to let his precious prize go. So why did he even listen to these humans at all?
But then this woman was on her knees, face red and puffy from her sobbing, her begging, and her voice getting hoarse from her endless pleas.
There WERE other good livers around of course...he knew this. But this great temptation for a chance to have another slave to use as a lure dangled in front of him like a tasty, still-beating heart dripping with blood. It was too hard to resist. That was the reason why he had hesitated, and listened to the pathetic human's ramblings.
He grinned, and her speech stopped cold.
Talking was SO unpleasant, and hard for him. Oh he knew how to speak...he knew many languages in fact, but his voice was always raspy and old-sounding. His teeth didn't make talking easy, either. But the fact was so many humans were unable to hear his telepathic sendings...like that brat Patricia Jenner. He had tried to tell her what he thought of her offer, but she never heard him. Only screamed louder and yelled obscenities at him. He was a little more than frustrated and the brother and sister duo had given him too much trouble, even lured a bunch of cops into his presence. He had given up trying to talk to the bitch and flown off with Darry anyway.
Besides, his eyes had been quite necessary. He was going blind and it was OH so annoying to have poor eyesight when pretty much your predatory career was flying around like a giant harpy and plucking humans off one by one.
"Please..." the woman was staring at him still, but her voice had quieted.
The Creeper sighed again, and threw the boy down. Jacob stayed where he was, too afraid to even move.
The woman's eyes went wide. Had he listened?
The winged nightmare in front of her coughed once, and glared.
"So be it. I will take your offer. In return, you will be my slave. But the boy will only live if you do everything I say and I do mean everything. Deny me even once, and I will hunt your son down and kill him anyway. And then you."
Julia was shaking more now, that voice was terrifying and deep. She knew he meant business.
She also knew she had better listen to him or her son would die. That just couldn't happen.
But Julia was a little more then surprised to see her son looking at her with sad eyes and shaking his head slightly.
Don't do it, mom!
She didn't have to know what her son was thinking, she could read it off his face. But oh how she loved him. He was young and full of life and promise, and he was everything worth living for once her husband had died...god rest his soul.
"Jacob, I love you. Please go...RUN! RUN and don't come back!" She got up, and fought hard to fight her fears and move towards the Creeper, who was waiting for her to come closer to his truck.
Jacob sobbed, tears flowing freely now as his fear turned into utter despair. His mother was going to die instead of him, and he didn't want that. But he knew why she had done this, and it just made it worse.
"No, mom! MOOOOM!"
The Creeper's patience was wearing thin. He opened the back of his truck and grabbed the woman and tossed her in who gave out a shriek in spite of herself, then he slammed the door closed. He took one long look at Jacob, and gave a snort as if he couldn't believe even to himself that he would give up a perfectly good and tasty liver for this whining female pest.
He'd felt he'd gotten soft over the years. This woman...she had better be worth the trouble.
/
After a horrifying ride full of bumps, screeches, loud honking, and several other sudden stops with new bodies getting shoved in with her, Julia was barely clinging to her composure. Finally they arrived somewhere, she heard him get out and when the old rusty door creaked open he grabbed her and hauled her out into what looked like a vast, abandoned lot. She saw a large rusted building behind her and recognized it as a very old car factory that had been out of use for many, many decades.
Her first visual experience after that was watching the Creeper take his victims wrapped in bloody white sheets and take them into the warehouse. Once this was done, he grabbed her and shoved her in front of him, directing where she would go.
Inside the warehouse, the smell of putrid death was everywhere. Julia viciously fought the urge to vomit and tried not to trip over things as it was mostly dark. After walking a while the smell only got worse. They arrived into a room that looked much like a workshop...but everywhere she looked there were instruments caked with many layers of dried blood, odd drawings everywhere, and...oh god...oh GOD...
Julia put both hands to her mouth, stopping a scream. There were bodies on the walls. Everywhere. Stitched together like a really macabre and insane version of a quilt. It was the most disturbing thing she had ever seen in her thirty-eight years of life.
"You sit in that corner, and do not move." The Creeper demanded suddenly as Julia jumped a little at his voice. She quickly obeyed and did as he said. He stared at her a moment then went for the bodies.
"If you interrupt my feeding, I will kill you without hesitation." The Creeper warned with a snarl without looking back, and Julia only sank down slowly, nodding her head with eyes wide.
With that he went for the bodies and smelled each and every one of them for several long minutes. The first one he pulled away was torn open and Julia watched in horror as a teenage boy, still alive, screamed out but was quickly silenced by a clawed hand slamming into his mouth. The boy's jaw was snapped, in one sickening moment, and the muffled moans could still be heard through his attacker's claw. The Creeper then gave him an olfactory assault once more, before finally tearing open his chest and devouring his lungs and silencing this poor soul forever.
Julia sat in total shock as she witnessed this creature tear apart every one of the bodies and eat only certain body parts. Sometimes he seemed to enjoy many hearts or livers just for the sheer pleasure of it, and not so much for replacement. He did not stop until he had consumed something from every one of them. When at last the gruesome feeding had ended, he began to take each body and do odd things like break off pieces of bone or skin, and put them aside. He would completely gut the bodies, sew them up, and then throw each one of them into huge troughs filled with some of chemical-smelling liquid like an insane taxidermist.
Then he sat down on old, creaky stool after tucking his wings tightly about his back and started crafting something with the pieces of bone and skin. After some time, Julia saw a type of throwing star was being created. He would sharpen each bone point until it was like a razor blade and he seemed to take great pride and calculated precision in his work.
Julia was so exhausted and traumatized by all of this, that she soon lost consciousness into an unwilling sleep.
For a brief while, she would know a little peace. But it would not last.
/
Julia had no idea what time it was when she was roughly awoken and forced out of the corner. Her back protested, stiff and sore from having slept in such an odd position, but she wouldn't dare hesitate for fear of her son's life. She bore the pain and made herself move. The Creeper paused in another, smaller room and handed her a bag.
"Food." Was all he said. This was of course, necessary. He had to keep his slave alive and healthy enough to serve him, so he made sure to raid homes for food from his victims or water bottles, whatever was necessary. He had studied human habits for years, they were his prey after all, and so he knew what they could tolerate and what they couldn't.
Julia was stunned, but she looked in the bag and examined the contents. Canned meats, vegetables, and bread. He wanted her to eat and it made sense why, but it surprised her that he would care for her like this. However he kept forcing her towards the outside and back towards that horrid truck. He jabbed a clawed finger towards the passenger door, and Julia sighed in pure relief, glad she would not have to be in the back again with all of the bodies she was sure he would be tossing in there today.
Still clutching tightly to the precious groceries, she watched him grab some clothes, a tattered duster and a large Stetson hat, putting them on before hopping into the driver's seat, his clawed feet settling on the pedals. The bizarre creature jammed the key into the ignition, started the engine and took off fast.
As they sped down the long and desolate road, the Creeper sniffed the air vents continually. Julia didn't have to ask why, she could figure that one out. She helplessly stared ahead, her heart pounding in her chest. He drove very fast, and almost carelessly.
She heard a chuckle, so dry and raspy.
"Your fear is amusing...and tempting." He grinned with such wickedness, showing those awful, curved teeth as he leered.
Julia was afraid to say anything to him, and simply looked away.
"Eat the food. You may not get a chance later."
She nodded and slowly with shaking hands she untied one of the bread bags and forced herself to chew down at least one piece of bread but it stuck hard in her throat. It was nearly impossible to eat like this, but she knew she had to make herself do it regardless.
The Creeper continued to barrel down the road at terrifying speeds, as if the spooky truck was alive in itself. Did he do something to the engine? Or was it his own supernatural energy affecting the thing?
After some time they finally came to what looked like camping grounds. In the distance through the dirty and dark window, Julia could see many tents already set up.
"So. Here is where you come in. Get out, slave." He opened the door and Julia quickly obeyed, stepping out of her side and having to jump down to the ground. She glanced quickly at the truck behind her, swearing even the side mirror was leering at her as well as if one of it's eyes.
"W-what do I do?" Julia said, so afraid and lost. The Creeper was smelling the air, making all kinds of strange noises, and she noticed then something very weird...he had a third nostril on the bridge of his nose. As it worked, it seemed he grew more and more excited.
"Lure them. I would rather not be seen by too many." He then unfurled his wings, and Julia's mouth fell open as he jumped into the sky and was soaring towards them in less than a second.
He hadn't bothered to tell her how or give any real instruction.
But she knew what he wanted anyway. Lure one at a time, separate them. That way he could pick them off one a time far more easily.
She was going to be responsible for helping the Creeper catch his victims.
Fresh tears sprang to Julia's eyes. Why this? Why of all things, did she have to help him kill?
Stupid, stupid woman! What did you THINK would happen? Julia chided to herself, as she stood in that road with her hands clenched and arms tight to her sides.
She choked back a few sobs and moved forward, towards the group of campers in the distance, already apologizing profusely to them with every step.
Many hours later, several new bodies had been piled into the truck. While the Creeper worked, Julia stood closey by silently with her head down, a broken and defeated woman. She might as well be the mass murderer, right along with him. Every single one of those people she had made up lie after lie in order to lure them into an unexpected and cruel end.
"Help! My truck broke down, can you help?"
"Hey I'm lost out here on this road, and I got a flat...you wouldn't happen to have a jack would you?'
"I got hit by a car, I need help! Please, someone!"
It was too easy really. People were generally friendly and willing to help someone in need, which only made it worse. Julia could only watch in despair as person after person went screaming into the air as the Creeper snatched them away. She tried not to notice their betrayed expressions of horror as they disappeared from her view.
The loud creak of the truck's other back door opening startled Julia and she jumped slightly again.
"Come here..." he said, with another one of those awful grins on his face.
Julia walked slowly, but she dared not refuse him.
Suddenly though she was awash with new and raw fear as the Creeper began smelling her all over. Was he going to eat her now? Was the contract over already?
He pushed her up against the bumper, bending her down painfully into a semi-lying position, then tore at her jeans until he had removed them completely. Julia was too overwhelmed too even get her breathing under control let alone fight him.
Her underwear was removed, and he began smelling her most private of areas with his nose practically buried into her mound. She closed her eyes, trying to block it all out, but in that next moment a tongue that was remarkably warm was licking her slowly and she heard him grumble in pleasure with each taste he got of her.
What is...he...doing to me?
Julia did not want to feel anything from this, but her body of course was helpless against this sexual assualt which was surprisingly gentle. The Creeper seemed to know exactly what he was doing, and every wet sensation was sending shivers of unbidden desire coursing through every nerve in her body.
She could not stop the slight bucking of her hips as he continued his slow, sensuous strokes for several minutes that were driving her crazy. He then flicked his tongue rapidly over her swelling nub of pink flesh and Julia cried out, grabbing onto his shoulders as the orgasm hit her hard. It was ultimately embarrassing at feeling the juices pour out of her but he noisily lapped and sucked until he had cleaned her of every last drop.
When that was over Julie lie there stunned in the moment, not knowing what to do and feeling so violated. She hated the fact that the orgasm's aftermath still had her muscles contracting and coursing need through her pelvis.
"Good job." He said simply, obviously referring to her gruesome task in tricking all of those poor campers. Was this...was this supposed to be some kind of reward?
He motioned for her to get up, and she obeyed, but dammit her body was on fire now, and she tried her hardest to will it away.
The Creeper laughed quietly, he seemed to know exactly what he had done to her. She moved painfully slowly towards the passenger door, climbed up, and sat down trying not to make any eye contact with him.
But when he got in the car, he was still grinning at her as he always did. She seemed an endless source of amusement for his twisted sense of humor.
"Want more?" he growled out, and she turned to meet his gaze with an incredulous expression.
"No..." she said, with her voice very low. "...please can we just go now."
"You lie." he chuckled, and started the engine. They sped down the road once again, and back to that dreaded warehouse.
/
Julia stopped counting the days...or the bodies she helped the Creeper pile up in his horrific little lair. All she could hope was that his twenty three days would be up soon. She didn't know how much more she could take of this twisted cycle of mass murdering followed by tender pleasuring that she did not want in any way. It sent shivers of disgust through her right along with whatever sexual response he forced as she moaned underneath him, completely helpless to his whims.
This constant betrayal from her body often brought her to tears.
Even worse was actually copulating with that monster. Sometimes when he had licked her into submission he then chose to fuck her too, relentlessly pounding into her until it was almost painful, and usually from behind while he roughly grabbed her hair up with his claw. Julia wanted to commit suicide, but she knew in order to keep her son alive she had to try and get through this.
It would all be over soon...just a few more days.
Meanwhile while the Creeper was out and sometimes left her in the lair for hours at a time, she would wander around and stare at things, trying to make sense of it all.
Some pictures on the walls were obvious and prideful retellings of his hunts, but others were really strange. On one wall there was a series of drawings telling a long story of what looked like the creature being tormented by humans. It was both satisfying to see that as well as upsetting. As she looked down, studying each one, she noticed the last one was the creature tied to a stake, and the humans were lighting a fire underneath him with torches ablaze.
That one made her stare for a long time.
She felt a painful jab to her back suddenly and spun around, finding herself face to face with the leering winged nightmare, whose eyes always seemed angry.
"Next job, slave. Let's go."
"I...I ca-"
"You refuse? Your son is to die?" The Creeper was still grinning (and how she hated it) despite his maliciously growled out question. She sighed and shook her head.
"No, forgive me."
He chuffed, and licked his chops, eager for the next hunt. "Forgiven. Now GO."
Julia fought her growing tears of despair as she followed him out and back into that cursed truck.
/
As they drove down the road this time, Julia felt her resolve dwindling and her mind shutting down. In response, her body was becoming tired and listless, too. Despite the food the Creeper gave her, she felt like she was being eaten in a different manner...the Creeper was eating away her very conscience and destroying her a little bit every time he made her do this.
Did he know he could have this effect?
Well of course, he probably did. This monster was so intelligent it frightened her. He also knew every nuance of human behavior so well that it made every step she took around him feel like a violation and made her shudder.
"A bus." He laughed, loud and disturbing. "Too much effort. Did that before."
Julia blinked in confusion until she saw the bus several moments later at a crossroad, waiting for them to pass so it could turn. The bus was crammed full of grade school kids, probably on a class trip somewhere, but she hoped to God the Creeper was not going to change his mind and go after them.
He didn't, but mumbled something about "troublesome farmers" and seemed very angry about something that went wrong. It didn't last however, and he continued on his way.
/
It seemed to take forever to get to his new hunting grounds. When they got there, Julia blanched white. They were at a vast expanse of open land where a big county fair was taking place.
There were people everywhere. Older people, parents, children...oh GOD so many children...!
He got out of the truck and nearly yanked her out when he opened her door, but Julia was shaking and fighting growing nausea. "Please, not those children..."
The Creeper cocked his head, and glared at her. "If they smell good, I take them."
"No..."
He snarled. "No is not an answer I will accept. You made contract, you must listen. Or I will find your son and tear out his liver and feast on it as I wanted to do before."
Julia sobbed but tried to stop the tears by covering her mouth tightly. She gave a rapid nod and with a snort the Creeper dragged her along with him into a small patch of woods nearby.
There, while she stood next to him as he prepared some of his weapons, she kept failing to control the horrible shaking of her body and was starting to feel faint. The Creeper growled at her.
"Get it together, woman."
"I'm sorry...I..."
He ignored her, and when he was satisfied he had what weapons he wanted ready, urged her to go out into the crowd.
"You know what to do." He gave a wicked grin and walked off and out of sight deeper into the woods.
Julia didn't want to help him anymore. And she didn't want any more his rewards either when this was all over.
Was it really worth this? Oh how she loved Jacob, she really did. She wanted to save him in every way. But when she looked out over the fairgrounds after stepping out from the woods she saw so many mothers with sons. So many fathers with daughters. So many families she was helping to tear apart, over and over again.
"Oh...Jakie...my little Jakie...I'm so sorry..." Julia sank to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably and putting her hands over the back of her head.
No, she couldn't do it anymore. Her spirit broken, she simply sank to the ground, and waited for what she was sure would be a horrible death by the Creeper's claws when he realized she had quit.
/
Julia had simply stayed there on her knees and staring at the ground with watery eyes for hours. The Creeper had done his business anyway, but had snagged people that had wandered from the crowd and took maybe ten bodies before the missing people were really starting to get attention.
She heard his snarls, grunts, and the creaking of the truck for some time before he finally found her and yanked her off the ground and back into her passenger seat.
As they sped on down the road once again, the Creeper looked at her with what looked like disappointment.
"You did nothing."
She thought on his words for some time, and then nodded. "I couldn't do it anymore." She said simply, and closed her eyes tightly for a moment, fighting more tears.
"Well..." he actually yawned, showing quite a mouthful of those wicked teeth. "...then you have broken the contract?"
Julia said nothing, only stared at the dirty truck floor.
He snorted. "Pathetic humans. So weak. Why give up? Now I go to find your son, and kill him." He yawned again. "Big sleep coming soon, tomorrow. This was to be your last job."
Julia could not stop the sob which escaped her. Was that the truth or did he just say it to torment her further?
Whatever the case, Julia gave up talking about it anymore. A question escaped her and she did not know why she chose to ask it at that moment.
"What are you?"
The Creeper was leaning towards the vents which were on full blast, taking in all the scents on the sucked in air blowing into the cabin. It was a ritualistic habit he did all the time while driving.
He pulled up and looked at her. "You would not understand."
Strange answer. "You were human once?"
He chuckled. "No. I eat humans."
She kept meeting his gaze. "You look sort of human."
He snorted. "Father was human." His gaze was distant, as if he were thinking.
Julia's blood ran cold, her eyes widening at this revelation. "And your mother...?"
He gave a particularly creepy grin. "Mother would have eaten you."
He laughed, and pushed harder on the gas pedal.
/
Back at the lair, Julia sat hunched in a corner and barely moving. She did not care about a single thing anymore. The Creeper had left, and probably to find her son.
Sure enough, he came back about an hour later, with a crying, screaming Jacob in his clutches, and walked over to Julia.
"Look what I have, woman."
Julia looked up with red, teary eyes, but said nothing as her son stared back at her, surprise evident in his features.
"Mom you're...you're alive!" he whispered.
She turned her head away, and refused to look any further.
But the Creeper stood there, holding Jacob and glaring at her.
"You broke contract. Now you will watch him die."
Jacob froze in fear, but Julia stood up slowly, shaking her head.
"No, please not in front of me."
He snorted loudly and flexed his fingers around Jacob's throat. "I gave you chance. I was nice." He huffed. "You beg for one life, and cry about others. Then you sacrifice the one you wanted to spare because of others. You humans make no sense."
Julia realized what he said actually was true, but despite all he knew about humans he seemed to have trouble understanding their complex emotions.
She didn't know how to answer that, and just stared at him.
Jacob moaned and whimpered as the Creeper flung him around and landed him hard onto a wooden table, and he felt the jarring pain in his back from the rough treatment. Julia begged again for him not to do it in front of her, but the Creeper wasn't listening, and fished out a particularly sharp-looking dagger from his duster.
Julia did not want to watch and tried to turn away.
For some time, she heard nothing. Jacob was being as silent as he possibly could desptite the situation, but she could still hear his labored and stressed rapid breathing.
When even more time went by and nothing seemed to be happening, Julia turned around, and saw the Creeper staring at her.
"I have new idea." He grinned as always.
Julia sighed. "I can't do any more killings..."
"No...you agree to new deal, and son lives." He snorted and pulled the poor boy off the table so hard he banged his knees. Jacob only gave a grunt, trying not to scream.
Julia shrugged helplessly. "What? What do you want then?"
He only grinned wider. "Do you agree?"
She blinked helplessly. "But what-"
"Do you agree, woman?" He asked a bit more angrily.
"Fine. Fine yes I agree if it doesn't involve me helping you on hunts anymore."
With that the Creeper dragged Jacob out of the cave and flew off somewhere. For several hours Julia sat...alone...with nothing but dead bodies anyway...wondering what the Creeper had made her agree to.
/
It seemed to take forever for the Creeper to return, but finally he did.
He didn't waste time in getting right back to her.
"You have agreed, and now son lives. He is back home."
Julia heaved a great sigh of relief, but she was still shaking all over. "What...what did I agree to?" She really didn't want to know, but the Creeper grinned wider than ever before.
"I would like a mate. I think you will do."
The words caused Julia to turn white as a ghost. She almost wished her heart would just stop right then and there. But then she remembered he only had one more day. How bad it could it be, for one day? Besides she had already been violated by him many times.
"A mate..." she said quietly. "If you are not human, how can I be your mate?"
He snorted. "Easy. I make you what I am. Obviously." He walked over and picked her up, carrying her over to what looked like some kind of stone sleeping ledge.
"You stay here, and I will be back in a few hours."
Julia lie like a stone statue on that ledge. Make her like him?!
That was a fate worse than death, for sure. Even worse than Jacob dying.
She wailed, loud and long, believing she was a wicked and selfish woman. By pleading for her son, she helped the killer to get more victims with his little "contract".
And just when she this new deal would not only save her son but get her out of helping him hunt those poor people, he comes up with this ghastly idea.
/
When the Creeper returned, he had a strange...thing...in his claws. It looked for all the world like a rolled up ball with claw points. What in the hell was that?
"This is last one left..." he cocked his head. "This symbiote...a dying race."
Julia was utterly confused. But suddenly the thing started moving, flexing it's pointy claw tips like flexing hands...and reaching towards her.
"I was surprised...you are good match. It accepts."
He reached closer with the strange alien thing snapping and undulating, and Julia was too scared to even scream this time. In vain she tried to sink further back into the rocky wall, but it was useless.
The Creeper took this thing and put it on her head. The first thing Julia felt was an incredible stab of pain in the back of her neck and could literally feel something snaking down her spine..and then she went numb. Something crawled over her scalp in many directions as her hair started to fall off, and two bursts of pain came from her back.
Then she blacked out.
/
When Julia returned to consciousness, her head hurt. She felt so strange and her memories were fuzzy.
Julia shakily got to her...now taloned feet, and slowly walked over in a sort of daze until she found an old, rusty mirror that was so dirty she could barely make out the reflection.
But what stared back at her had wicked curved teeth, claws around the head, a brown, earthy colored skin with rough bumps, ridges, and spines...and a pair of giant wings.
The only thing really distinguishing her as female were her breasts and a more slender, curvy figure.
"My mate..." The Creeper purred, crouching on his table and absentmindedly running a finger over one of his favorite hand-made blades. "You are like me now. Magnificent." He grinned, got up, and walked over to her, putting a clawed hand delicately on her shoulder, while nuzzling her neck.
"A heradus."
/
End!