Right after lunch Murdock had decided to ride into town.
He thought he would speak with the doctor, after he finished with
some other things. Espeally his visit to a certain lady. Scott and
Johnny had decided to take a break in the living room, a cold glass
of lemonaid, and the pie. Johnny stopped abruptly, and Scott bumped
into him. "Hey what's the idea?" When Johnny didn't say anything,
Scott moved around him. He stopped too. Staring at the floor. Perhaps
the well water had gone bad. That would explain all this.
Johnny put down his glass and dessert plate. He moved over
to the fireplace, and stuck his head inside, looking up. He saw
nothing, though he heard.... nope, couldn't be. It was... it was a
very tiny giggle. He quickly pulled his head out, and turned to his
brother, who stood there his hands full staring.
There on the floor, were two inch sooty footprints, with
pointed toes. They came out of the chimney, and crossed the floor, to
the side door, and back again. Both men looked at each other, and
then back at the marks on the floor. "Teresa isn't going to like
this. She is going to blame us for this mess on the floor." Said
Johnny.
"Yeah, she will. I never believed in Elves. I don't now
either. Lets go outside, and forget we saw it."
"I agree, didn't see anything, either." He grabbed his hat,
and the two men left the house. Leaving behind their food. Which
minutes later, were gone.
Later that night, Johnny sat in his bed, reading. He had
found a dime novel that held an interest for him. It was the only
book he owned. But he had found it on his last trip out of town. He
decided to finally read it. He looked at the cover, and smiled. Not a
very good sketch. Certainly not as a handsome as the man whom the
novel was based. The novels' cover was in black and white. It had two
men facing one another for a gunfight. One face was closer and
clearer. His. Madrids' Last Stand. It said. Who says? He opened the
book again and found his page. He was anxious to see what he did.
Several hours later, Johnny put his book face down on his
lap, and stretched. Not bad. For a bunch of lies. He decided that he
had better get some sleep. Since he had a long day ahead. Until time
for the party. He smiled. At least he had met the girl before any of
the other boys. Such a pretty thing, too. He hadn't told his brother
about her. Keep her a secret till tomorrow night. He turned down the
lamp, and blew it out. Laying back in the soft bed, he closed his
eyes. Sleep, and dream about pretty girls....
Johnny awoke suddenly, and wide awake. A icy hand was
touching his leg. It caressed it. He jerked his leg away, sitting
straight up in bed. The hand kept moving, finding the other one. It
touched his warm flesh, and he jerked his legs up, and he threw the
cover back, in the dim light from the window. He could see nothing
there. Suddenly the bed began to rise up, it got two feet off the
ground and stayed there. Johnny looked around and saw no one
there. "Hey, stop that. Put my bed down." He said, feeling a fear
deep inside. The bed fell down with a loud plop. Then it came up, and
again stopped, then it was shook, like a terrier with a rag. Johnny
grabbed the sides of the bed holding on. The door opened and Scott
stood there. His mouth fell open, and he watched the bed. Johnny
looked at him, Scott reached out a hand, and as Johnny took it, he
pulled his brother off his bed and away. The bed stopped and fell
back to the floor again. A cold breeze past between them and was
gone.
"I think I finally found something, that I can't handle with
a gun. Let's go talk to the father in town in the morning. "
"I agree, how about we go get some coffee? We could eat
breakfast early, get an early start on work."
"Yeah, even if it is only three oclock in the morning."
Johnny turned to get dressed, and Scott returned to his to do the
same. They would meet in the hall. They would find an answer to this,
whatever it was. Together they would end it. The Padre would be a
start.
The winds had picked up, and the air held a chill, that added to the now scary atmosphere. Johnny and Scott rode in the late afternoon towards home. A home that was now posessed of something that may or may not leave them in peace. Scott patted his shirt pocket, feeling the small bottle there. He felt better. He wore a blessed cross around his neck, as did Johnny.
"Scott do you think, that the Padre was right? That it might be gone after Halloween? "
"I don't know, but if it isn't. Well the lineshacks look pretty good. We could build our own house."
"That's an idea. We use the holy oil, and say a prayer? The Padre said he would come out tomorrow, if things are better, and bless it for us." Scott looked at the sunset, watching it's color bleed into the clouds. It was a full moon tonight. Fitting for tonight was the party. The boys pulled their jacket collars up, against the wind.
As the sun finally dipped beneath the skyline. Both men could see the lights of home in the distance. They entered the woods, and it was deathly silent. Not even an insect buzzed.Odd that. The leaves rustled, and fell upon the riders. Suddenly the horses stopped. Both of them staring, and snorting. Their eyes rolling in their heads. Johnny and Scott waited. Not sure what was happening.
The ground shook, and they saw red glowing eyes, coming towards them. It came closer, and both men drew guns, and waited. It moved closer and closer. Until they could see it. Eye to eye. It stood eight feet tall. It was shaped like a bear and a human combined. It had a mouth like a bear. It had hooves on its feet. It had a huge head. It was covered in thick matted fur. It had a bellly that looked as though it had eatten several people already. It had a long pointed tail. It was jet black. Johnny knew what they faced. He had found the description in an old bible. Before much of it was changed. His grandmother had read it to him. A demon stood before them. It looked at Johnny and then at Scott. They could almost feel it's hot breath. The horses, had had enough of it, and had reared and bolted the opposite way. Leaving the brother's sitting on the ground, looking up. As one of the huge arms came out, reaching, for Scott the other reached for Johnny. It put a hand around each of their necks. It lifted them clean off the ground. Held them up. It's nose touching theirs, as he looking into each pair of eyes.
A dark shape flew between them and struck the demon. Knocking the demon backwards, it dropped the men. The two men stood staring at the scene before them. A large black dog stood before them. It's coat was long and thick. It was waist high. It stood facing the demon. The demon looked at the dog. Then it turned and ran away. The dog turned and faced the men behind it. Johnny and Scott had reached to touch the dogs head, to thank it for what it had done. But hesitated when they saw the dogs eyes. The dogs eyes which had been brown, turned snow white, then red, and back to brown. It wagged it's tail, and gave a low boof, and turned and ran off into the woods. Both men turned to each other, and could find no words to explain what had just happened. Things were getting stranger. Johnny turned back to the trail, and began to walk... fast. Scott hurrying to catch up. Neither man wanted to be in the woods another moment than necessary. They would have to walk back home, their horses were probably still running.
When they arrived home, Murdock looked up from the table, where he was eating his dinner. The brothers, went to sit down at their places. Teresa came in, she put a pie down by Murdock, for later. Both men were lost in their thoughts. Was the whole ranch cursed? Was this one of those openings to hell? They both ate their dinner and rushed upstairs for a quick bath, and to change.
Twenty minutes later the two came downstairs. Scott stood there, quite handsome, his blond hair gleaming in the lamp light. He was dressed as Robin Hood. He stood there, in his forest green. He even looked good in hose. Teresa whistled at him. He had a bow and a quiver of arrows on his back.
Johnny came into the room, he was dressed as a pirate. With the tight silk breeches covering his tight buns, and strong legs. His white lace up shirt, with bellowing sleeves. The thigh high boots on his feet. His dark hair shining, a red silk bandana covered the top of his head. He had a broad sword upon his hip.
Murdock looked at his two handsome sons, and wished he were young again. They got to go out, while he sat at home. Espeally as they hadn't done much work today. He watched the two go out the door, and go outside. Two shiny buggies stood outside ready for the two couples. Both had a top, and tastles hung down all around it. Jelly had unknown to the two young men, places blessed bread with the salt sprinkled on it under the seats of the buggies.
At the road leading out of Lancer the brothers seperated. One going to the left and one to the right. To pick up their dates. The large moon looked down upon them, an evil look to it;s face.
Scott tapped the reins and got the horses moving a little
faster. He was anxious to get away from home, and whatever had moved
in. He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise, and felt something
was watching him. He looked up at the moon, seeing it's ghostly
light, and the evil smile on his round face.
A buggy rode down another dark, and lonely road. The wind
whipped at the trees, and blew more leaves from the almost barren
trees. Red, orange and gold leaves flew like little witches on the
wind. The lonely howl of the wind, and the eerie sound of an owl
somewhere mingled. He caught one of the falling leaves, and smiled.
He would not get sick this winter, according to this. He could almost
believe himself all alone in this world, except for whatever existed
on the other side.
The horse pulling the buggy, began to act nervous, as it
pulled closer to the tree. Johnny pulled up, and waited. His sharp
eyes looking into the shadows. He jumped when a hand touched his
shoulder. He turned and found Amy standing there, for a moment she
seemed almost transparent, and had a glow to her. Then he was certain
he was mistaken, for she was just a normal pretty girl. He jumped
down, and smiled at her. She was dressed as a medieval lady. Though
he was unaware of the period of the costume. Her pink lips parted
into a smile, as she looked up at him. He reached out a hand and took
hers to help her into the buggy.
"You look beautiful Amy."
"Thank you Johnny, you are quite the pirate. Am I in
danger, oh pirate?"
"Well I don't know yet. You are such a pretty little
thing. I might consider, for.... a blackberry pie."
"Oh well, I am lost then, I can't even boil water."
Johnny laughed, and helped her in the buggy and got in beside her.
"Then I shall think of something else." The horse moved on
down the road. Johnny and Amy talking. Amy asking questions, and
answering the ones put to her, about her family.
By the time they arrived in town at the party, Johnny found
himself smitten with the girl. She was a gentle, sensitive soul. She
knew how to listen, and she made him laugh. Even if she couldn't
cook. He didn't really need a cook anyway. He could hire one of
those. Well who knows he thought.
Scott was dancing with his date. Twirling her around the
floor. A smile on his face, one that had been absent for days now.
Suddenly bright on his face, and his eyes dancing with happiness. He
was near the door when he spotted his brother enter, and with him a
girl he did not know. Who was she? He watched Johnny take her into
his arms and begin to dance. Not bad brother, he thought.
The dancing was merry, and the young couples seemed to be
enjoying it. The punch, had been spiked by one of the Benning boys.
Homemade moonshine, and it was smooth as satin, and a had a kick that
was worse that a mule. A older woman, sat in one corner, near the
table, guarding the only other drink, she glared at any male who came
near it. The ladies drink was not getting spiked with her around. Her
hawk like eyes watched the young ladies.Scowling at the young men,
when ever they looked like they might get too friendly.
Scott stood with a cup in his hand. His girl had one of the
other drinks. He had not touched it yet. He was talking, and lightly
flirting with his favorite blond. She froze, the color drained from
her face, and he looked at what she was looking at. Her cup. The
liquid was slowly going down, as though someone was drinking it. She
dropped it from nerveless fingers. She glanced at his and saw the
same thing. She screamed, and knocked the glass from his hand. Others
began to turn and look at them. Wondering. Scott lead her towards the
door, and some fresh air.
Johnny wandered over to the refreshment table. He and Amy
looked over the table. Decorated cookies,of ghost,witches,black
cats,moons,and pumpkins. Pies of every kind, mouth watering good. Sat
there beckoning to Johnny. There were shaped candies, and sandwiches,
with colored bread. Eerie pumpkins lite the table. Halloween
decorations hung from the ceiling, and the walls. He grabbed a couple
of cookies, and some candy. Amy took a ghost cookie, and a glass of
punch. Johnny grabbed the hard stuff. He led her outside, and over
to a comfortable spot under a tree, where a half log lay. They sat
down.
Johnny looked into her eyes, and saw the moonlight reflected
in them. He put out a hand, and gently let his fingers touch her
cheek. She did not pull away. She leaned into his palm. He smiled,
and leaned in. His dark head coming closer to hers. His lips touched
her, and he kissed her, a soft, warm kiss, which she returned. It
ignited a fire inside Johnny, that he had to somehow keep banked. He
couldn't allow himself to hurt her. She wasn't that kind of girl. She
pulled away and stood up, and held out her hand to him. He took it,
it was chilled, he held it in his warm one.
It had been a good evening, a pleasurable one. Both Lancer
brothers were enjoying themselves. As the stroke of midnight came,
the boys relaxed even more. It was over. Halloween was over. Their
eyes met across the room, and both men smiled.
A scream rent the air, and a young woman was clutching her
date, and pointing. Others began to look, other screams joined hers.
In the doorway, was several people, if they could still be called
that. They stood, decomposing, and missing flesh in some areas.
Clothes hanging in strips. They moaned, as though in agony. They
began to move into the room. As people began to run. Trampling each
other, in their attempts to get out of the room. The other door had
more of the dead there as well. Several men, threw chairs at them,
knocking them over and running past them. Several men ran, leaving
their women behind. Johnny and Scott stood with their dates,
watching.
Scott pulled off his bow and took an arrow out of the quiver,
and notched it. Johnny pulled the sword out of it's sheath from his
hip. Both began to move to the front door. The girls falling behind
them. Scott pulled and let lose his first arrow. It imbedded into
the ripe flesh of one of the party crashers. The thing, just reached
up and pulled the arrow out, licking the end of the arrow head.
Johnny moved forward, as Scott prepared to fire again. Johnny slashed
out, striking one of them across the leg, it fell sideways, since it
could not stand on one leg, having one leg fall to one side,
separate. He slashed again, just an a arrow whizzed by his ear.
Striking one in the face. IT reached up, and pulled, and acting as
though it had shiskabab, it turned and popped the eye into it's mouth
and began to chew. Johnny almost lost his dinner. He could hear
someone behind him not so lucky. He sliced again, and came across the
neck of the final one, and the head fell and bounced .
The four ran outside, and saw more, walking in the streets. A
hand reached through the earth, and Johnny almost stepped on it. He
looked down, as an arm, and then a head appeared. He grabbed Amys'
hand and ran, Scott close behind him with his date. They reached the
buggies. The horses terrified. Some of the horses that had been tied
up had run off. Others not so lucky. Had be attached by the visitors
from under.
Scott took off in one buggy, and Johnny in the other. They
heard screams in the night. The moon had turned bright red. A blood
moon. The horse raced out of town. Bats came out of the sky, and came
down on the people who had been at the party. The sound of leathery
wings filled the night.
At home Murdock was sitting down at the table with a fresh
pie, and a fork. He couldn't go to the party, but he could have a
pie. He dug into the pie with the fork. Through the flaky crust, as
he thought how good it would taste. The fork cut into the pie, and
suddenly something red began to bubble out of the pie. He jerked
back, and knocked the chair over, as he stood there, looking at it.
Thick red blood, oozed out and covered the table, the strong smell of
iron coming to his nose. "Damn."
"You are damned.... old man!" Came a old cracking evil voice.
"Who said that?"
"Your future ruler. You care only for yourself. That is
good. You are selfish, cold, mean and evil. That is very good. I like
you.... old man." The bodiless voice spoke.
"Go away, I don't believe in you." Fright beginning to sound
in Murdocks voice.
"You will, I have a place for you."
"No, No! I don't want to be with you!" Murdock covered
his eyes with his hands. "Father, please hear me, I promise to be
good.... help me!" He prayed.
"That will do you no good, he doesn't know you. After all
what have you done for him?"
"You can have one of my sons, even both. Just leave me!"
"I would if I could, but they aren't mine.... like you." A
invisible hand gabbed Murdock by the neck and began to drag him
across the room.
Johnny stopped the horse near the ancient oak tree. He
jumped down and looked at Amy. "Are you sure, you don't want me to
take you to your home?"
"I am sure, Johnny. I had a good time tonight. Thank you. You
are a good man." She leaned up on her toes, and her lips touched his.
"Amy, could I take you on a picnic tomorrow?" In spite of
everything that had happened tonight, he still wanted to see her
again. She smiled, and her hand touched his arm.
"Met me tomorrow, over by the lake, that spot that has that
rock that looks like a teepee. Around noon." She turned and walked
away. Johnny started to get in the buggy, when the horse bolted,
leaving him on foot. He took a deep breath, and started walking.
He had walked about a mile, when he heard something behind
him, he wanted to look, but was afraid too. His grandmother had told
him. Never to do that. Cause then the dead would take you with them.
He ran. He ran for another mile. Then he slowed. He hoped he had
outrun it. Suddenly the earth beneath his feet, began to bubble, and
churn, as though alive. The briars reached up and wrapped themselves
around his legs. He couldn't move. He pulled and felt them bit into
his flesh. That hurt. He drew his sword. And he slashed. "Ump." Then
a low long moan. He slashed again. He heard a scream. As he freed
himself of the briars, the earth bubbled up, threatening to cover
him. It went up his knees. He pulled with all his strength, and
pulled himself free. He took off running, determined this time he
would not stop, till he reached home. He heard a flapping of
wings,over head. He glanced up, and wished he hadn't. He saw a large
shape. It was shaped like a man, except the strange ears, and the
head shape. The long fingers, and strange feet. The large wings
whipped the air, as it dived at him. A gargoyle was after him. He had
seen a picture of it, but it had been in stone. He ran, as though his
life depended on it.
Johnny came up to the lake the next day. He was sore, and
tired. Some how, he and Scott had survived the night of terror.
Murdock was gone, no one knew where he disappeared to. All was quiet
now. He got off Barranca, and walked over the teepee. He froze, next
to it was a grave, one he had not knowtested before. He looked at it,
and read it. It couldn't be, and yet it was. Amy was dead, had been
for over twenty five years. Said she died of a broken heart. Next to
the grave, lay the shawl, she had wore the night before. He picked it
up, and held it to his face. It held the fragrance she wore.
THE
END.....................
Replies Author Date
2695 Re: FFIC: Samhain Eve. pt 6: firstcorpsanv@w... Tue
9/25/2001
2697 Re: FFIC: Samhain Eve. pt 6: Sabrina Smith Tue 9/25/2001
2702 Re: FFIC: Samhain Eve. pt 6: modz_ Wed 9/26/2001
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