Title: The Devil You Know
Written for the NFA Myths and Legends Challenge, probably 3-4 chapters.
Genre: Supernatural/Horror
Characters – Gibbs, Tim, Tony, Ziva, Ducky, Palmer, Abby, various OCs.
Rating: T
Set in 2009 (to fit the legend), but no spoilers beyond season 4
Disclaimer: Don't own, just playing, yadda yadda
Summary: A kidnapping case leads the team to the hunting grounds of an old American legend.
All quotes at the beginning of the chapters are lyrics from Bruce Springsteen songs. I'll give the songs at the end of the story. No infringement intended.
I'll be there on time and I'll pay the cost,
For wanting things that can only be found
In the darkness on the edge of town.
Prologue
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this."
Jacob Hieser turned to his friend in disgust.
"Where's your sense of adventure, Kenny?"
"At home, in bed, where I'd like to be."
"Aw, come on, man, it's barely 11 PM. We've been out way later than this."
"Yeah, back in high school, when we were young and stupid."
"That was only three years ago. When did you get so old?"
Kenny shined his flashlight in Jake's face and Jake squinted in annoyance. "I'm not old, Jake, I'm responsible."
"Yeah, right. First time for everything, dude."
"Hey, at least I'm not the one who suggested we go on a monster hunt, for pity's sake."
"You could have said no, you know. You used to live for this stuff."
"I'm a little old for that crap now, Jake."
"See? There we go with the 'old' again. You need to learn to live a little."
"And how, exactly, is being out in the woods in the middle of the night, looking for a local legend 'living'? We're not going to find it, because it doesn't freaking exist."
"No, we're not going to find it because you are making too damn much noise. You're going to scare it off."
"I seriously doubt that. If it existed, which it doesn't, I don't think it would be scared off by a couple of skinny college geeks."
"Oh, it exists, Mr. Skeptic. Haven't you read the papers? It's been sighted all over the place. It's not logically possible that that many people could be hallucinating the same thing in so many separate incidents."
"Or it could just be a bunch of people all wanting attention. Or a hoax to sell those papers."
"I don't think most people want that kind of attention Kenny. Would you want to be labeled as a nut?"
"Probably not. It's bad enough hanging out with one."
"Kenny?"
"What?"
"Bite me."
Kenny chuckled and continued to follow Jake as he picked his way through the tangle of undergrowth. The woods were silent, which Kenny had expected. He knew there was nothing here to worry about. The whole idea behind this "hunt" was just silly. He did have to admit, though, it was nice to do something a little crazy. School and work were so just so mundane and occasionally he did ache for the spontaneity of their high school antics.
After they had traveled about 500 yards, Kenny decided to break the silence.
"So, why now?"
"Because, 100 years ago there was a major rash of sightings, all within one week. It's been known to show up every 100 years or so. I figured this was as good a time as any."
"Whatever you say, man."
They continued on, occasionally stopping to sweep the area with their lights. Suddenly, Jake's light caught a flash of white in the darkness and they turned to focus on the area where they had seen it.
"What is that?"
"No idea. Want to take a closer look?"
"I don't know…"
Jake started to make clucking noises and Kenny punched him in the arm. Cautiously they made their way towards the object that caught their attention. They reached it, looked closely, and froze in terror as they realized what it was.
The night was shattered by twin screams which echoed through the forest. The screams were followed almost immediately by the sounds of the two friends crashing through the undergrowth as they fled the scene.
Soon the forest was quiet again, a silence which stretched into the night. Hours later, as the moon sank below the tree line, the night was broken by another scream. No one was around to hear, but if they had, they would have noticed a definite difference. The sound was louder, deeper and much more guttural.
And completely inhuman.
So, have you guessed the legend?
