terrible, and almost as bad was the drizzle of blood that sprayed over Jesse and Colleen.
The mixed odors of raw meat and feces made Jesse ill. He felt himself mentally retreat, his body suddenly a nerveless husk. His knees buckled.
The creature from the pines crouched over him.
Chapter Eleven
Jesse kicked it in the face. Its head barely moved, but its slitted eyes darkened in outrage.
It lunged for Jesse’s face. He whipped his head to the side, felt the whoosh of the creature’s mouth as it missed him by inches. He flung his arms up to ward it off, then they were both crushed by flailing bodies.
In the melee he took an elbow from Colleen, who’d been knocked down by Goliath and the creature feasting on him. The huge man was a goner, but somehow he was still struggling for life. Something limp smacked Jesse’s face and he realized with revulsion that it was the beast’s pendulous breasts, apparently the first female creature he’d encountered. As he scrabbled away from the mass of twisting bodies, he discovered it also had more hair. The filthy black strings pendulummed as the female beast shredded Goliath’s chin. He was swatting the creature in the head, but it seemed unaffected by the club-like blows.
Jesse pushed to his feet, took a few jogging steps before glancing back and seeing Colleen fighting for her life in the pile. Goliath and the female creature had somehow interposed themselves between Colleen and the creature who’d attacked Jesse, but the cadaverous monster was extricating itself, would be free in moments. Colleen, however, was hopelessly pinned under Goliath’s hemorrhaging body.
Go back! She saved your life, asshole!
Jesse moaned, knowing the voice was right. Acid boiling in his throat, he drew closer, bent and grasped the bat. Its handle was slick with sweat, the barrel speckled with black ichor, but it nevertheless felt good in his hands. The rapist creature burst loose from the pile, pounced on Colleen. Before she could get her hands up, the creature pinioned her wrists to the ground and slid its long wormy tongue up her throat. Jesse saw tears squeezing from the sides of Colleen’s eyes, and without further hesitation he brought down the bat like he was splitting a cord of wood. The barrel thunked solidly against the back of the creature’s skull.
It slumped on top of Colleen, but Jesse could see immediately it hadn’t lost consciousness. Far from it, the creature was cupping its dripping pate with one taloned hand and pounding its other fist in anger on the playground mulch.
“Again,” Colleen croaked.
Jesse gave her a baffled look, and she pushed up on the writhing creature as hard as she could. Teeth bared from the strain, she growled, “Hit the bastard again!”
Jesse did. This time he crushed the side of its face. The creature yowled in agony, and Jesse brought the bat down again, the Louisville Slugger cracking the forearm covering its face.
He swung again, thinking, Not so tough now, you gutless rapist , but Colleen seized his arm, yanked him backward. Stumbling after her, Jesse saw why Colleen had dragged him away.
The female creature had paused, Goliath’s now limp body messy with gore, and was watching its fallen comrade intently.
“Run!” Colleen yelled.
Jesse followed. He couldn’t believe how fast Colleen ran. They shot by the seesaw, headed for the concrete sidewalk that led out of the playground. Jesse glanced to his left and was immediately sorry he had.
Three of the creatures had swarmed over the jungle gym, reminding Jesse very much of lizards sunning themselves on a rock. Yet it wasn’t even noon, and the sky had grown dark. A couple more droplets of rain pattered on his arms, and the western thunder rumbled. Bad Company had ceased its ballad, and in its place Jesse heard the first few notes of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long”.
The kids trapped inside the jungle gym didn’t seem to notice the song change.
There was a short,
The mixed odors of raw meat and feces made Jesse ill. He felt himself mentally retreat, his body suddenly a nerveless husk. His knees buckled.
The creature from the pines crouched over him.
Chapter Eleven
Jesse kicked it in the face. Its head barely moved, but its slitted eyes darkened in outrage.
It lunged for Jesse’s face. He whipped his head to the side, felt the whoosh of the creature’s mouth as it missed him by inches. He flung his arms up to ward it off, then they were both crushed by flailing bodies.
In the melee he took an elbow from Colleen, who’d been knocked down by Goliath and the creature feasting on him. The huge man was a goner, but somehow he was still struggling for life. Something limp smacked Jesse’s face and he realized with revulsion that it was the beast’s pendulous breasts, apparently the first female creature he’d encountered. As he scrabbled away from the mass of twisting bodies, he discovered it also had more hair. The filthy black strings pendulummed as the female beast shredded Goliath’s chin. He was swatting the creature in the head, but it seemed unaffected by the club-like blows.
Jesse pushed to his feet, took a few jogging steps before glancing back and seeing Colleen fighting for her life in the pile. Goliath and the female creature had somehow interposed themselves between Colleen and the creature who’d attacked Jesse, but the cadaverous monster was extricating itself, would be free in moments. Colleen, however, was hopelessly pinned under Goliath’s hemorrhaging body.
Go back! She saved your life, asshole!
Jesse moaned, knowing the voice was right. Acid boiling in his throat, he drew closer, bent and grasped the bat. Its handle was slick with sweat, the barrel speckled with black ichor, but it nevertheless felt good in his hands. The rapist creature burst loose from the pile, pounced on Colleen. Before she could get her hands up, the creature pinioned her wrists to the ground and slid its long wormy tongue up her throat. Jesse saw tears squeezing from the sides of Colleen’s eyes, and without further hesitation he brought down the bat like he was splitting a cord of wood. The barrel thunked solidly against the back of the creature’s skull.
It slumped on top of Colleen, but Jesse could see immediately it hadn’t lost consciousness. Far from it, the creature was cupping its dripping pate with one taloned hand and pounding its other fist in anger on the playground mulch.
“Again,” Colleen croaked.
Jesse gave her a baffled look, and she pushed up on the writhing creature as hard as she could. Teeth bared from the strain, she growled, “Hit the bastard again!”
Jesse did. This time he crushed the side of its face. The creature yowled in agony, and Jesse brought the bat down again, the Louisville Slugger cracking the forearm covering its face.
He swung again, thinking, Not so tough now, you gutless rapist , but Colleen seized his arm, yanked him backward. Stumbling after her, Jesse saw why Colleen had dragged him away.
The female creature had paused, Goliath’s now limp body messy with gore, and was watching its fallen comrade intently.
“Run!” Colleen yelled.
Jesse followed. He couldn’t believe how fast Colleen ran. They shot by the seesaw, headed for the concrete sidewalk that led out of the playground. Jesse glanced to his left and was immediately sorry he had.
Three of the creatures had swarmed over the jungle gym, reminding Jesse very much of lizards sunning themselves on a rock. Yet it wasn’t even noon, and the sky had grown dark. A couple more droplets of rain pattered on his arms, and the western thunder rumbled. Bad Company had ceased its ballad, and in its place Jesse heard the first few notes of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long”.
The kids trapped inside the jungle gym didn’t seem to notice the song change.
There was a short,
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