Dead Village by Gerry Tate Page B

gasped.
    â€œNo!” The little bears head barked.
    â€œI have other plans for you. By the time I finish with you, you fucker, you will wish you had been killed tonight.
    I should never have helped you before. Your mother was right to feel the hatred toward you that I feel now. And as for Tull…”
    â€œNo! Please don’t harm Tully,” Francis interrupted. “I love him and he’s a good man,” she added.
    â€œThere are no good men,” the bear head scowled.
    â€œPlease Mr Cliff; I will play with you like we did before. We can be best friends again, just like we used to be.”
    â€œNo! It is too late for that now. The mighty Stazivore has been summoned and this time you people will not win against him.”
    â€œNo!”
    â€œYes, Tully will be joining us soon,” Mr Cliff laughed. “We have looked into his soul, and now he is ours,” he promised and cackled loudly. “Soon you will feel what it is like to be alone, unwanted and unloved.”
    â€œNo, please Mr Cliff,” Francis begged. “Please don’t hurt Tully. Take me, but in the name of God, don’t harm him.”
    Now that Madge realised the creature was not there to help Francis, she picked up the branch again, and lifted it high above her head, while Erin cowered down.
    â€œDon’t hurt Tully,” Madge mocked.
    â€œPlease Madge, I don’t like this,” Erin sobbed.
    Madge ignored her and moved toward Francis, branch held high.
    â€œDie,” Madge screamed.
    Without warning or any prompting from Mr Cliff, the large creature flew across and seized Madge by the throat, and the branch fell from her hands.
    Erin started to run, but the creature seized her as well, and quickly disappeared into the forest, dragging the two women violently away. For a split second, Francis thought she saw another hooded creature way back in the trees, but she was unsure.
    â€œDon’t do this Mr Cliff,” Francis shouted after them. “Please Mr Cliff, don’t hurt them. They have done nothing to you.”
    The woman’s terrifying screams could be heard for some time, and Francis staggered back toward town, sobbing.
    Her head was bleeding from Erin’s vicious attack on her, but the distraught woman didn’t even seem to notice or even care about it. Francis couldn’t believe how evil the little bear had become. She remembered the playful times they used to have, and the wonderful knowledgeable stories the little bear used to tell her. Now she felt guilty for ignoring Mr Cliff, because now she knew that he was pretty pissed off with her. These women had been dragged into the forest and she was sure they were dead. Killed because Mr Cliff wanted the satisfaction of destroying her himself, and no outsider would interfere.
    And now Francis knew something else. Because of a little unforgiving bear that was full of hatred for her they would all be destroyed. Now she was quite certain that Mr Cliff’s threats were real.
    An eerie silence engulfed the forest, as the storm quickly stopped and the rain slowly died away.
    From its high vantage point, an old owl looked down inquisitively at something unusual. It instinctively felt danger, and it glanced quickly from side to side.
    Then it stretched its powerful wings and flew off.
    Further below, body parts lay scattered across the red stained forest floor.
    A severed hand still clutched onto a small bloodied white crocodile skin bag, and only the deepening darkness concealed it.

CHAPTER 9
    Dan Winters gunned the pedal and pulled out passed the old black rusted Cadillac with the loose rear fender, which had been veering from side to side in front of him for the previous four miles. This guy was obviously a drunk, and Dan wanted to make some distance between them. He knew the figures for vehicle fatalities, and he just didn’t wish to be added to the list.
    As he overtook he glanced quickly across to the large beat up