Chapter 8
A/N: Happy Halloween Everyone! I tried so hard to think of which story to add for the Halloween edition, and I decided to throw our anti-hero into "Jeepers Creepers"! It's not the most iconic of Halloween movies, but I thought this one was a good choice. I thought really hard about doing a traditional slasher film like Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street, but I couldn't help but feel like foes like Freddy and Jason would be horribly outmatched against the Doom Slayer. But since the demand is pretty high, I might try to fit it in. We will see. But for now, enjoy! Remember that I own nothing!
Jack Taggart dozed lightly in his chair, his homemade harpoon lain comfortably across his lap. Jack had never been the type of man to feel a sense of security with a weapon in his hand, at least, not until about 23 years ago. But he was a different man now. Older, wiser, and more careful, but also scarred, broken, and angry. The cawing of a crow roused him from his light nap, and Jack looked back up at the 'Bat Out of Hell' that hung from the wall of his barn. The creature always creeped Jack out a bit each time he looked at it, and this time was no different. Taking another look, Jack noticed how withered it had become. It was nothing but skin and bones now, having eaten barely anything at all during its last rampage, and Jack knew that if and when this thing awoke, it would be extremely hungry. And if it was hungry, that meant people would die. Jack knew that more than anyone.
Jack shifted in his seat and gazed out the barn door at the setting sun. Looking at his watch, Jack saw that it was now roughly five minutes until sundown, on the first day of Spring. That meant that tonight was the night. Jack pictured in his mind what it must have looked like exactly 23 years ago when the monster had last awoken. It made his blood boil at the thought, and he gripped the harpoon even tighter. This bastard had stolen his son, the thought of that nearly tore Jack apart. He was going to make sure that this thing never killed again, no matter what the cost.
Jack turned again and watched the Sun dip behind the horizon. As he looked, he saw Jackie walk out of the house. Jackie was carrying a large Remington in his hands and a small sidearm in his belt. Jack smirked at his son's choice of weaponry. The Creeper would barely be bothered by anything the shotgun could dish out. And forget about the pistol.
This harpoon was the only thing that could bring this thing down, but Jack decided to let Jackie have his façade of safety. The last thing he needed was to get weak knees when the time came.
"Should be any minute now," Jack said, his voice echoing around the barn walls as Jackie approached.
Jackie nodded silently and went to stand on the other side of the harpoon from his father.
Jack slowly stood up from his chair. His joints growled at the movement, and Jack grumbled inwardly about the effects of growing old. He then made is way around the chair and took up position behind the harpoon gun, placing the second harpoon up against the barrel for a quick reload if he needed it. Jackie watched as his father fiddled a bit with the machine before resting his hands on the two handles located on the back of the gun. The hinge squeaked as Jack moved to aim the weapon directly at the monster. The gun was heavier than he last remembered, but he tried not to show that to his son. Jackie nodded to him once, and then held his shotgun at the ready. The sky began to grow dark outside of the barn.
They waited for five minutes, then ten, then thirty.
The sky was now completely dark.
Jackie turned his head to his father after forty-five minutes had ticked by.
"Did we get the day wro…?"
Jack abruptly shushed his son, not taking his eyes of the Creeper, which still had not moved in inch.
Jack listened in the silence for a moment before he heard the noise.
It was faint, but he knew for sure it was there.
Jackie turned his head and went silent as he heard the noise as well.
It was a wet and fleshy noise. It reminded Jack of the sound children made when they ate their food too loudly, but unfortunately, that was not the source of the sound they were hearing.
"Dad…" Jackie motioned to the Creeper hanging on the barn wall. Jack turned to look.
In a second, Jack knew where the sound was coming from.
The Creeper was rebuilding itself. All of the limbs that Jack had been previously severed and reattached with wire were reknitting at the flesh. Jack watched as the parts became whole again, and the connecting wire fell to the ground as the newly healed limbs expelled it from the body.
Jack slowly angled the harpoon until it was level with the Creeper and waited as the creature reknit its body.
"What are you waiting for?" Jackie frantically whispered, already afraid that the creature would hear. "Do it!"
"No," Jack replied. "Not until it opens its eyes."
Jackie shook his head frantically, but he remained silent and watched the Creeper heal.
Jack stole a glance behind the creature to see that its wings had reattached as well. The Creeper was once again in one piece. Jack then shifted his gaze to the Creeper's hood that covered its face. The hood was slowly peeling backwards toward the monster's neck. And Jack felt a pang of anger and fear as he saw its face for the first time in 23 years.
The Creeper was as ugly as he remembered. It's darkened face and sharp teeth were accentuated by its grotesque lower mandibles that hugged closely to its face. The noise abruptly stopped, and a long moment of complete silence fell throughout the barn. Even the farm itself seemed to be holding its breath.
The Creeper opened its eyes. Jack's gaze never wavered as the creature's optic orbs moved wildly around the barn, searching for a clue as to its surroundings. Then its gaze came to a halt when it locked with Jack's.
The two shared a brief moment of eye contact, and Jack knew he saw recognition in the monster's eyes before he smirked and squeezed the trigger on the harpoon.
The large gun creaked loudly for a few moments, then gave a loud hiss and fell silent.
Jack stared in disbelief for a few moments at the weapon, then looked back up at the Creeper, who was still watching him.
The beast's grotesque mouth slowly curved upward into a smile, and Jack's eyes widened in the realization of his imminent doom. The Creeper then groaned and wrenched its arms free from its restraints.
"Dad…" Jackie said, his voice trembling.
Jack furiously wrenched hard on the harpoon launcher in an attempt to reset it. The Creeper growled again and wrenched its feet from the wall as well. Causing it to fall to the floor of the barn.
Jackie raised the shotgun and took a large step back, Jack looked up and continued to work the launcher, pleading with the machine to bend to his will.
Sparing a glance upward, Jack saw that the Creeper was slowly standing up. It wobbled on its two legs for a moment, then looked back up at Jack and Jackie, murder in its eyes.
"Jackie!" Jack yelled to his son, "It's weak! Shoot it!"
The Creeper suddenly lunged forward at tremendous speed and tackled Jackie to the ground, sending the shot gun flying from his hands. The man and beast slid across the ground before skidding to a stop. The Creeper righted itself on top of Jackie and reached down with both hands to choke him.
"NO!" Jack cried out, running toward the struggling pair, spare harpoon in hand.
He drew his arms back to stab at the Creeper, but the monster roared and swatted Jack with one of its arms.
It was like getting hit by a freight train, and Jack flew backward from the force of the Creeper's blow. He landed hard on his back, and the impact forced the air from his aged lungs. The harpoon flew from his hands and clattered away into the shadows.
Jack gasped and attempted to breathe, shallowly sucking in air in rapid bursts. The pain burned in his chest, but Jack forced himself up to a sitting position.
The Creeper now had both of its hands back on Jackie, and to Jack's horror, Jackie's struggles were growing weaker, and his eyes began fluttering as the Creeper denied him precious oxygen.
Jack struggled to move his body to protect his son, to help, to do anything. He couldn't lose him too. Not to this monster. Jack cried out and crawled to his only remaining family, but he knew he was too late. He wouldn't get there in time, and even if he did, what then? He couldn't fight this thing without that harpoon. His son was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Jack couldn't stop it as despair washed over him, weighing him down more than any chains ever could. He squeezed his eyes shut as his heart broke.
'I'm sorry, Jackie. I'm so sorry…'
BOOM.
Jack's eyes snapped open at the sudden noise. He caught sight of a bright blue light fading in front of him. At first, he could only make out a bulky silhouette as his eyes adjusted. As he blinked, details came into view. The figure towering over Jack was humanoid, but only in its shape. It was covered in a heavy green suit which only added to its intimidating physique, and the armor was completed with a helmet covering its facial features.
Jack didn't know what to make of the figure in front of him. He didn't even know if this new stranger could be counted as friendl, but if it wasn't, then it was Jack's only hope. The visor looked down at Jack. It seemed to be examining him.
"Please…" Jack coughed out, raising a pointed finger to the Creeper, which had hardly noticed the arrival of the figure and had resumed strangling Jackie.
"Save him…Please."
The figure looked over its shoulder at Jackie and the Creeper. It seemed to hardly take a millisecond of contemplation before the figure grabbed the Creeper in both hands and threw it off of Jackie.
The Creeper sailed through the air and crashed against the barn wall before falling to the floor, but Jack hardly noticed as he felt eternal relief wash over him at the sight of Jackie gasping for air.
He was ok.
His son alright.
The armored figure spared a glance at Jackie before turning its attention to the Creeper, which had begun picking itself up.
Jack looked over just in time to see the stranger pull out a double-barreled shotgun and fire two blasts directly into the Creeper's stomach.
The monster roared and pain and flew backward into the wall again with a loud thud. Jack struggled to his feet as the stranger ejected the rounds and reloaded the shotgun.
The Creeper stumbled to its feet and glared with hate-filled eyes at the stranger and then at Jack. It seemed to be begrudgingly reaching a conclusion, and before Jack could blink, the Creeper unfurled its wings and crashed through the roof of the barn, flying away into the night.
Jack stared in disbelief that the massive hole in his barn, then looked back at the stranger, who was staring at the hole as well. Slowly, it lowered its shotgun.
Jack stared at him for a few moments more before turning frantically to Jackie, who had forced himself into a sitting position, clutching his throat and coughing.
"Jackie!" Jack said, grabbing both of his son's shoulders.
"I'm alright," Jackie gasped. "I'm ok."
"Thank God," Jack sighed. He then turned back to the figure, which had walked up to them and was looking down at the duo.
"Or I suppose, thank you."
The armored stranger nodded once before turning and walking towards the exit, shotgun still in hand.
"Wait!" Jack said, holding a hand out to the stranger, who paused and half-turned back toward them.
Jack didn't want to admit it, even though it was most likely obvious, but he hated the Creeper. He hated it more than he hated anything in this world. That demon had stolen one of his sons, and it had almost stolen another a minute ago. All that vengeance and hatred had boiled in his veins, and as a result, he felt an unquenchable bloodlust for the monster. He would be the one to kill it. Of that he was damn sure.
It was obvious that this stranger wanted to kill this thing too. But Jack wasn't about to let him (at least Jack assumed it was a him) go at this thing alone no matter how strong he seemed to be.
"You can't kill that thing with just a shotgun," Jack said. "It's far too strong."
The stranger said nothing, but that news didn't seem to bother him at all as he turned to walk out of the barn again.
"You don't have any way of chasing it!" Jack yelled out frantically. "You have no way of chasing it down. We have a truck, we can get there much faster than you can on foot!"
The figure stopped again. It stood still for a moment before turning back around and walking back to the two of them.
Jack stumbled to his feet as the stranger approached and held out his hand.
"We can bring this thing down. But we have to work together or else we will all die."
The figure obviously disagreed with Jack, but the promise of transportation was enough, and the figure transferred the shotgun to his left hand and shook Jack's outstretched one.
The metal gauntlet was cold in Jack's grip, but just through physical contact Jack could feel immense power and will underneath the armor. Jack felt a surge of determination course through his body at the feeling, and he allowed himself a smile. With this stranger on their side, they could kill it. Of that he had no doubt.
Jack let go of the stranger's hand and helped Jackie to his feet. Patting his son on the shoulder, Jack nodded to Jackie, who nodded back to indicate he was alright.
Jack turned back to the stranger, who was looking back at him, waiting for him to speak.
Jack pointed to the harpoon gun, which was still inert on the barrel.
"First thing's first, I have to figure out what is wrong with this thing."
The stranger turned and circled the harpoon, examining each part of it with what Jack supposed was a skilled eye.
"Why it didn't fire I have no idea, all of the mechanisms should still be in good working orde…"
The stranger reached up with one hand and grasped the harpoon sitting in the gun. The figure pulled hard, and there was a great screeching of metal as the figure wrenched the harpoon from its position within the gun.
Jack's eyes opened wide, and he immediately understood why the weapon hadn't fired as he gazed at the harpoon the stranger was holding in one hand.
The entire shaft of the harpoon was coated with rust, which covered the shaft in an abstraction of orange patches.
Jack inwardly kicked himself for overlooking such a simple mistake. Over the years, he had been so worried about the Creeper awakening that he had kept the weapon loaded at all time. The thought of the harpoon rusting to the gun had never crossed his mind.
"Oh," Jack said dumbly.
…
The Creeper stood next to the wreckage of a car on the side of the road. The couple that had been driving the car a few moments before had probably been enjoying their evening, but now their mangled bodies lay next to their car. Limbs and organs were missing, and the Creeper felt extremely lucky to have found such beautiful specimens this evening. Their body parts had been perfect, exemplary against so many other humans, and the Creeper had eagerly dug into such a fine meal. The Creeper looked up from its feast and spied more headlights in the distance. More morsels awaited.
The Creeper's vile lips curled into a smile, and it let out a demonic laugh before disappearing into the shadows.
…
Jack put the drill down and inspected his work. The harpoon gun was now securely fastened to the bed of the truck, just as it had been 23 years ago. At first, Jack was unsure about how they were going to get the gun out of the barn and onto the truck, but the stranger had done the job with no effort. Jack had been amazed at the feat. That gun had to have weighed at least six-hundred pounds, and the armored man had hefted it with no sweat. Whatever he was, he wasn't human.
The stranger hadn't spoken a word since arriving, and Jack looked up from his work to see him examining one of the Creeper's weapons.
Jack turned back and tightened the last bolt before standing up and jumping down. Jackie walked up to him.
"Dad, can we trust this…this…thing? What if it wants the same thing as the Creeper?"
"He's only here for the Creeper," Jack said looking at his son. "He wants that thing dead almost as much as I do."
Jackie still seemed distrustful of the stranger, but he took a deep breath and relaxed a little.
"Alright, I trust you dad."
Jack rested his hand on Jackie's shoulder for a moment, then walked over to where the stranger stood.
"Everything is ready. Time to go."
The stranger nodded once.
…
Another car's wreckage sat not half a mile away from the first one. The creeper sighed and licked its lips. More morsels had fallen victim to its hunger, and these ones had been even more bountiful than the last. The Creeper now felt its strength return. In fact, it now felt stronger than ever. These specimens had been some of the most nutritious the Creeper had ever consumed. The Creeper let out a low demonic chuckle at its fortuitous stroke of luck. As the Creeper reveled in its prosperity, it saw another pair of headlights appear in the distance. The Creepers face twisted into a vile grin once more. Time to keep the streak going.
…
Jackie twisted to look back from the driver's seat as the truck sped down the highway. Jack and the stranger were both in the cargo bed, Jack manning the harpoon, and the stranger holding his shotgun with one hand while the other held onto the top for balance. Jack knew they had to be close. They had already passed the wreckage of another car about a quarter of a mile back, and Jack was certain that it had been the Creeper's doing.
Jack spared a glance at the stranger, who was currently scanning the area as they drove. Whatever was under that armor, it wasn't human. It couldn't be. Every vibe that Jack got from this guy was turned up to an 11. Determination and Incorruptibility were radiating from him in waves. That made him extremely dangerous, and Jack thanked whatever God there was up there for making sure he was on their side.
"Dad!" Jackie called from the from the front. Jack looked ahead to see another wrecked car just off the road.
Jack saw it and nodded to Jackie to pull up alongside. Jackie maneuvered the truck off the road and onto the grassy area where the car had crashed.
Jack hopped out of the truck as it came to a stop. His stiff joints protested the sudden movement, but Jack shook it off and walked over to where the wreckage sat. Kneeling down, Jack examined the flat tire that appeared to be the cause of the accident. He squinted for a few moments before he saw what he was looking for.
Careful not to cut himself, Jack tugged a sharpened throwing star from the destroyed rubber. The weapon was made entirely from bone, and Jack recognized the markings on it. Turning back to the truck, Jack held the throwing star out to the stranger, who had gotten out of the truck and approached as well.
"We're definitely close."
The stranger looked at the throwing star for a moment, then turned and scanned the field right next to them.
"No bodies," Jack said, turning as he spoke. He noticed a trail of blood leading into the field, but the waist high grass covered up any other tracks he would hope to find.
"It's out there, and you can bet your ass it's gotten stronger," Jack said.
The figure said nothing, and Jack was about to say more when he heard a faint whistling in the air. Jack frowned as he tried to discern the source of the noise. The whistling began to grow louder, and Jack's eyes widened in realization and dread as he realized the source of the noise. He tried to move, but he was too late.
Jack cried out in pain as something tore into his shoulder. The force of the hit threw him backward into the truck, and Jack clutched at his shoulder and looked down at what had hit him.
"DAD!" Jackie yelled from inside the truck.
Jack's suspicions were proven correct as he saw a knife sticking out of his shoulder. It looked exactly like the one he had used to create his harpoon. And that meant only one thing…
Jack looked up as a guttural roar sounded throughout the night, and Jack looked up to see the Creeper swoop down and land in the field in front of him. Its eyes locked with his, and Jack knew that the Creeper harbored the exact same murderous intent that he did.
Suddenly, gunfire exploded in the night air, and both Jack's and the Creeper's attention was diverted as the stranger opened fire on the Creeper. Somehow, he was holding an automatic rifle instead of a shotgun, and the weapon kicked and flashed as a relentless stream of bullets hit their mark on the Creeper.
The Creeper appeared to be taking damage, but it seemed to ignore it completely as it charged the stranger, who kept firing at the monster. Jack watched, horrified as the Creeper wrapped up the stranger in its arms, unfurled its wings, and flew straight up into the sky.
Jack watched as the grew distant in the night sky, then turned his attention to the knife sticking out of his shoulder.
"Dad hold on!" Jackie called as he leapt out of the truck to aid his father.
Jack stumbled upright as Jackie came around. Jackie examined the wound for a moment, then grasped the knife tightly in his hand.
"It's not too deep. I'm gonna yank it out."
"Go," Jack said. He grit his teeth as Jackie pulled hard, and there was a sickening sucking noise as Jackie pulled the knife out.
Jack took a moment to catch his breath, then turned to Jackie.
"Get back in the truck, we have to move."
Jackie nodded and turned to get back in the vehicle, but both Taggarts froze as a loud thud came from behind them. Dirt and dust had flown up into the air, but it cleared quickly, and both of them saw the stranger stand up on its feet in the small crater he had formed. Something large and leathery was in his hands.
"Did he…just fall from the sky?" Jackie asked in disbelief.
Jack didn't answer, but he frowned as he tried to discern what the object in the stranger's hands was. His question was answered as the Creeper crashed to the ground about twenty feet away from the trio.
He was holding a wing. The Creeper's wing.
The Creeper stumbled to its feet and roared in pain and rage at the figure, who threw the wing to the ground, and turned to face the demon.
The Creeper yelled and made to charge the armored man again. Faster than Jack could blink, the figure had pulled out another weapon which Jack didn't recognize. The Creeper jumped into the air, claws and fangs prepared to sink into its prey, and the figure fired the weapon. A blue beam exploded forth and struck the Creeper square in the chest. The monster cried out as the force blew it back into the field.
"Holy shit!" Jackie yelled, obviously in awe of the weapon. Jack nodded in agreement, but words escaped him at the moment.
In the field, the Creeper struggled to its feet again, its weight still off balance due to missing a wing. The stranger began walking towards the Creeper and fired the beam weapon again. This time the beam shot straight through the Creeper's right arm, and the force sent it spinning as the arm exploded away from the body. The Creeper, now with only one wing and one arm, was quickly beginning to realize who was winning the battle.
The figure raised the weapon to fire again, but the Creeper pushed off the ground and jumped backward, barely avoiding the third shot as it exploded against the Earth. Jack watched as the Creeper suddenly produced another knife and hurled it with its functioning hand at the stranger.
"Look out!"
The stranger threw his hand up and caught the knife in his hand. Without hesitation, the figure squeezed, crushing the metal in his gauntleted hand. Jack stared in awe for a few moments before looking back over to the Creeper, which was running as fast as it could for the tree line. Jack snapped back into focus.
"Jackie! The truck!" He yelled, whipping around to climb into the back.
Jackie nodded and sprinted around to the driver's side. Jack took up position behind the harpoon as Jackie gunned the engine. The truck lurched and tore across the field, leaving the figure behind.
"Keep it in your sight!" Jack yelled. "We can't let it get to the tree line!"
Jackie responded by acceleration even more. Jack focused on the Creeper as well and felt a sense of invigoration as he realized they were gaining on it.
Something caught his eye on the right, and Jack nearly slapped himself when he saw the figure running alongside the truck.
Running. Alongside.
Jack froze for a moment at the sight of such a physical impossibility, but then his mouth twisted into a snarl, and he turned back to the Creeper, which was almost to the trees.
'You might just be the one to kill this thing,' Jack thought. 'But I'll be damned if I don't get a shot in!'
With that, Jack fired the harpoon. Jack watched as the metal rod flew from the launcher and towards the target, rope trailing behind. As if it were in slow motion, Jack watched the harpoon fly through the air and strike the Creeper right through the stomach. Time slowed to a crawl as the demon lurched backward from the shot, then Jack yelled out.
"Jackie! Brakes!"
Jack held on as Jackie slammed down hard on the brakes of the truck. Causing the vehicle to skid to a grinding halt. The rope from the harpoon caught, and Jack watched as the Creeper was stopped dead in its tracks like a dog on a leash.
The truck lurched again against the Creeper's momentum, but the 2-ton vehicle held against the wounded monster's struggles.
"Yeah!" Jack shouted, pumping his fist into the air. As he celebrated, he noticed that the stranger had kept running, and now was already to where the Creeper had fallen.
The Creeper looked up at him with malice in its eyes and roared. The stranger quickly muffled the monster by stomping down on its head with an armored boot. The Creeper twitched from the blow and attempted to get away, but the stranger quickly grabbed one of its remaining arm and ripped it clean from the Creeper's body. The Creeper cried out again as the stranger discarded the limb and flipped its body over. With the Creeper now on its front, the stranger stomped a boot hard onto its back, took the creature's other wing in both hands, and tore it off as well.
Jack watched in a suspended state of horror and satisfaction as the stranger proceeded to completely rip every limb from the Creeper's body. His eyes widened when the stranger finished with its head.
Bringing its boot down again, the figure stomped down hard onto the Creeper's throat, choking the monster. Then it grasped the Creeper by the sides of its face and heaved. A wet ripping noise was heard, and Jack nearly gagged as the Creeper's head slowly separated from its shoulders. With a final tear, the head came free. And the Creeper's struggles abruptly ceased. Casting the night into silence once more.
Jack stood in a stupor as the stranger walked back over to the truck. In one hand he had Jack's harpoon, and in the other he held the Creeper's severed head. Jack said nothing as the stranger tossed both items into the bed, the head rolling around before coming to rest by Jack's foot. Jack stared from the head back to the stranger, completely at a loss for words.
Finally, Jack swallowed and nodded down to the stranger, who looked back up at him.
"After all this time, I think we finally did it," Jack said. Jackie nodded from his position in the driver's seat.
"This demon has tormented me and mine for 23 years, and you have my thanks for ending our suffering."
The figure looked from one Taggart to the other, nodded once, and gave them both a thumbs up with his right hand.
A bright flash suddenly illuminated Jack's vision followed by a loud bang, and Jack squinted against the harsh light, but it faded as quickly as it had appeared, casting the night into darkness once again.
Jack looked at his son, then knelt down and examined the Creeper's head before picking it up by its hair. Jack smirked at a sudden thought.
It certainly wasn't as pretty as a deer head, but it would look just fine mounted above his fireplace.