Title: the Lady of Morefield Commons
Author: Pinkcat 4569
Rating:T
Description: the team is sent to Morefield Commons, a place with a long reputation of being haunted. Becker sees something strange...
Disclaimer: I do not own Primeval or the characters, this is for fun, spooky fun!
Author's Note: I made up a name that sounded like a countryside British resort. I am an American and have never been to Britian, so if you Brits have any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.
I haven't seen the series 3 episode with the spooky house and the first mention of Danny's brother in a while, so this may contradict some of Connor's views on the supernatural given in the show. Also, I do not have a scientific mind at all, so the theories in the last chapter may be stupid.
Chapter Five, the final chapter
She vanished before them. The three men took a second to exhange glances, then they all charged off to the tents.
Inside the tent Jess and Abby were sitting quietly. Both of them had an eerie feeling. Then they heard a growl.
"Abby," whispered Jess.
Abby motioned Jess to be quiet, and to raise her EMD. Abby herself moved slowly toward the entrance. The growl was heard again.
Abby smiled. "That is definitely a living creature making that sound," she said, with relief. She chuckled. "We know how to deal with creatures."
Jess nodded and held onto the EMD. She followed Abby out of the tent, and they looked around, remaining close to each other.
Jess scanned the thick brush, and it was not easy. It was so dense that she couldn't make anything out. She listened though, and this time she heard something different, a squeal. It sounded very much like a pig's squeal.
Jess sighed with relief. If it was one of the same types of creature as earlier, then it wasn't deadly. She just had to stay away from it, especially the tusks. She nodded to Abby who came closer, and heard the pig-like squeals too. She grinned at Jess. Then they heard another sound, that creature growl they'd heard in the tent.
"There are two different creatures," said Abby. "One is the pig-like peccary."
"And the other thing?" asked Jess.
"I don't know, maybe something that hunts it."
Jess was alarmed. "Then it could hunt us too."
There was sudden panicked squealing followed by a gray blur shooting out from the brush, running toward and through the anomaly. Then, another, bigger gray mass jumped out, growling fiercely.
Jess screamed. The beast had lost its intended prey, but found another. It slowly advanced on Jess. She had fallen when it sprang out, and now she was backing up, as she sat.
Abby was about to shoot it when she heard a growl behind her. There was another one! Just as Abby turned in the direction of the new growl, it pounced at her from the bushes, knocking her down.
This new beast was about 6 feet long, and heavy, maybe 200 pounds. It looked like a small bear wearing a dog's head. Its paws were incredibly strong. Abby was agile though, and able to keep the paws away.
"Abby!" screamed Jess.
The creature advanced on Jess, playing with her. He had her and knew it. The creature on top of Abby was not so sporting. It was just trying to bite her. Abby did fairly well, keeping its teeth away, but it was so strong.
"Jess! Abby!"
The men had arrived. Becker shot the creature moving toward Jess. He had a clear shot and took it down quickly. The creature on Abby was harder. It struggled with Abby and Connor did not have a clear shot.
"Shoot!" screamed Abby.
"I can't!" screamed Connor. "I might hit you!"
"Connor, shoot!" she screamed again.
Connor didn't have to. Carlson shot it. It was an excellent shot, hitting the creature while completely missing Abby. The creature fell over Abby, and the two men ran to her, pushing it off.
"Sorry sir Connor," said Carlson. "I knew Miss Maitland didn't have much time and I knew I could make the shot."
Connor had Abby safely in his arms. "Don't apologize," he said. "Thanks, Carly."
Abby just smiled.
"What is it?" asked Carlson.
"Amphicyon, Greek meaning ambiguous dog, but it isn't a dog. It isn't a bear either, which is funny cause that's its nickname, 'bear-dog.'
"It looks like a bear-dog," said Carlson.
Becker, meanwhile, had helped Jess up, checked for sure that she was unharmed then grabbed the locking device. He had run, clutching onto Jess, toward the anomaly.
It was a few feet away, and as they got there, they saw the Lady standing in front.
"That will end the ball of light?" she asked.
Becker held tightly to Jess' hand. He didn't know what the woman was, but he knew he had to stop creatures coming into this time.
"Yes," he said.
"The beasts keep coming, all these long years," said the Lady. "I've tried to scare people away, but the people keep coming as well."
"How many more creatures are here?" asked Becker.
"These are the last for now. Can you truly stop the light? The beasts come through the light."
"Yes, we know," said Connor, as he, Abby and Carlson joined them. "We can close the light, and it should fade."
"Even though its so unstable Connor?" asked Abby.
"I think so."
"We know about it now," said Jess. "I can monitor this area for any activity, and I will definitely be on the lookout for weird stories."
"We can stop the deaths," said Becker.
The Lady looked like she was going to cry, then she looked at Carlson.
"I remember you," she said. "You were younger. The large beast nearly had you. I stirred the wind. They do not like the wind."
"Don't blame them," said Connor.
"You saved me?" asked Carlson.
The Lady nodded. "As I saved you earlier," she said, looking at Becker.
"The bear-dog," said Connor. "It eats the peccaries, and it was hunting that one earlier today, wasn't it?"
Again, the Lady nodded. "I was afraid it would get you. It has killed many others."
"The disappearances, the missing and hurt hikers," said Jess.
"All these years I've been terrified of you, and you saved me," said Carlson. "I didn't even know I was in danger."
"Creatures can be nearly invisible when they're hunting," said Abby.
The Lady smiled sadly. "There is little I can do, but I can control the wind. I am tied to it, just as I am tied to the light."
"Why?" asked Becker. "What is the wind?"
"I do not know. It was there that day, my last day. Two young boys had disappeared while hiking, and I was helping the search. I saw the ball of light and foolishly went to examine it. The wind howled, and I was pushed through the light as it flickered."
"You went through an unstable anomaly?" asked Abby.
"I do not know these words," said the Lady, "but the light was the last thing I saw. I am trapped here now and cannot leave. I am tied to the light."
"We have no idea what an unstable anomaly would do," said Connor. "I assume she...did not survive it."
The lady had moved, this time she stood inside the open anomaly. "I am here," she said. "I am here," she repeated, looking at Becker. Then she faded.
The anomaly was still open, though.
"Let's get these things through," said Becker. "Carly, you push the pig-thing through, Abby cover him, in case it wakes up." Abby nodded.
"Connor, you and me got the bear-dog thing. Jess, don't let it wake up," he said, and she nodded, ready with the EMD.
The pig, peccary thing went first. Carlson easily pushed it through with no problems. The massive bear-dog thing was a handful for Connor and Becker. Slowly they took each step carrying the monster. Jess was ready with the EMD. It took forever, but they finally shoved the thing through.
Connor readied the locking device and turned it on. The wind blew up, and the howling began, it blew harder and howled louder. The anomaly closed, and the wind and howling died.
Everyone stood in the silence and darkness.
"Wow," said Connor finally.
"Yeah," said Abby.
Becker saw Jess walking up to the anomaly. "What are you doing?"
"She said she was here," said Jess, stooping to dig in the dirt, under the anomaly. Carlson came to her side and helped. Becker did too. Soon, they found a bone, then another one, and another one.
"It's human," said Abby.
"The remains of the Lady of Morefield Commons," said Carlson solemnly.
"Maybe we shouldn't be digging this up," said Becker.
"I'll call the coroner in the morning," said Abby.
They reburied the remains and marked the site.
"Probably didn't have to," quipped Connor, "the anomaly is a pretty good marker."
On cue, the anomaly faded. The first time in 80 years or longer, the anomaly of Morefield Commons was gone.
Connor chuckled. "Never mind," he said.
He took Abby's hand and they went back to their tent. Carlson went to his tent, but Jess and Becker stayed. Jess had picked some wild flowers and put them on what they now knew was a grave. They both stood silent over the burial place.
"I guess ghosts exist," said Jess.
"I don't know," said Becker. "Who knows with the anomalies. Techinically, those creatures were dead. We go through a future anomaly and we're techinically dead. Didn't someone smart say, 'time is relative?'
Jess smiled. "I paid more attention to computer class than philosophy or physics."
Becker smirked. "I paid more attention to the girls in class."
"Oh really?" she said with a playful scowl. "Shame on you."
They both giggled. "I'm not scared anymore," said Becker. "It's all just sad."
"Yes it is." Then Jess smirked. "So you're admitting you were scared?"
"Come on," he said, ignoring her question. "Let's get some sleep."
They both walked to the tent and crawled inside.
When Carlson awoke in the morning, he saw Jess' pink sleeping bag was empty. He turned to the other side to wake Becker, and saw the two of them fast asleep entwined in each other's arms on top of Becker's sleeping bag.
"So do ghosts exist? Was she a time-shifted part of herself? I mean, we got her bones, but maybe she's just lost in another time..."
"Connor!" yelled Abby. "Let it go. Please, for my sanity. Let it go."
Jess slipped her hand into Becker's as they stood in front of the coroner's team. They didn't know her name, but they knew she had saved their lives and countless others during the 80 years since her death.
As the body bag was zipped up, a soft, sad tune played on a flute.
"Carlson can play?" whispered Jess.
Becker grinned and shrugged. The flute played on, helping them pay their respects.
"Very nice, Carlson," said Jess, at the end.
Carlson nodded.
"We need to go," said Becker. "Lester's having a coronary. We've spent too much time 'chasing specters." he said with a laugh.
"We did close a very testy anomaly," said Connor. "And killed a local legend."
"Not necessarily," said Jess. "She could still be here."
"I hope not," said Becker. "I hope she's at rest."
"If you believed in ghosts," said Jess.
"Right," said Becker, taking her hand and smiling. "Which I don't."
He could feel Jess staring at him. He tried not to do it, but he just wasn't strong enough and he cursed silently as he quickly glanced back to see in anyone or anything had heard him.
Jess giggled.
"Be good or no chocolate," he said.
They walked out of the Commons to the van, just as a light wind with a slight moaning sound blew.
The five of them looked at each other but said nothing.
As he climbed in, Carlson said quietly, "Thank you, my Lady."
The the ARC staff left Morefield Commons.
The End