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Jake swung his range rover on to the dirt road kicking up a dust cloud from his rear as he left the busy main road. If his map reading was correct then this little short cut should take him through a little village called Eatonu and bring him out at the entrance to Brookwood. Then he would travel on to his rented woodland cottage for his summer vacation, like the last four years he would be staying there alone, again.

The setting sun sent strips of dull light shining through gaps in the huge arching trees that lined the sides of the rough pot hole covered road. After a short drive Jake could see the trees begin to clear and reveal a small village hiding in the middle of the large woods. Red brick houses lined both sides of the main street. Jake wondered how a village with a dirt main road could have such immaculately groomed gardens, with there short trimmed lawns, multi coloured flowers and block paved pathways. Each garden was bordered by a white low picket style fence.

Jake slowly cruised up the main street admiring the well kept houses ,then a uneasy feeling began to come over him as he realised all the houses had there blinds drawn and no lights were on, even as the sun had dropped behind the distant tree’s leaving the village in a shadow like darkness. The street lights not warm yet, shone an eerie orange light onto the manicured gardens.

He scanned ahead seeing a small shop with its steel shutters closed over the windows and doors. Slowly driving past he glanced at the shop sign, wondering what secrets it held behind its steel impenetrable front.

THE HOME AND GARDEN STORE- OPEN 24 – 7

Fear started to form inside Jake as he realised the whole town seemed deserted. The shop was closed, yet the sign said it should be open all hours. Also no cars were visible anywhere in the village. Jake thought this very strange indeed. In a village so far out in the woods, someone must have car, somewhere.

The range rover’s growling engine came to a sudden halt causing it to come to a standstill in the middle of the road.

Jake turned the key over again and again but nothing happened. He wished he wasn’t so useless with anything to do with cars as he realised the new shiny range rover had lost all signs of mechanical life.

"What the ****? I can’t believe this ****." Jake spoke louder then he expected making his own heart do a jump in his chest. Not a sound came from outside. Jake wound his window down, letting in a blast of cold air, his nose flared as the smell of freshly cut grass engulfed the smell of his tree shaped air freshener that hung to the rear view mirror.

He listened carefully, but all he could hear was the soft ruffling of trees and the annoying clicking sound that came from his cooling engine.

Up ahead to his right was a small two pump petrol station. Again shutters covered the door and windows of the main red brick building. Attached to the side was a wide garage with closed double steel doors. In one of the doors window a faint light flickered.

Jake stepped from the safe warm inside of his range rover, stepping away as he closed the door causing him too jump when it slammed shut. A warm rush came over his body. His groin shrivelled and his palms became cold and damp.

Walking cautiously over the forecourt Jake moved towards the garage doors. The small window that let out the warming glow was steamed over making it impossible for Jake to see inside. He banged on the door with his clenched fist. The noise echoed around inside.

"Hello is any one in there? My cars broke down out here."

"Go away, get out of here while you can" the muffled voice of a man came from behind the garage doors.

"I just need someone to look at my car and I’ll be right out of here." Jake wished he had never taken the short cut through the dead village just as the doors split in the middle, opening slowly to reveal a small old man wearing a pair of blue oil stained jumpsuit.

Jake stepped back as the old guy shuffled towards him.

"Please get out of here son, its not going to be safe tonight"

"What the hell are you talking about mister?"

"There’s a bad moon rising tonight son. A blood moon" the old man whispered like he was scared someone or something would hear.

Jake looked up into the now dark cloudless sky. The moon shone in all its glory just above the roof of the garage. Then right before his very eyes the moon began turning a chilling blood red.

A loud wolf like howl from the woods ahead snapped Jake back into reality. He looked down at the old man as he grabbed hold of Jake by the arm and pulled him into the garage. He snapped the doors shut and dropped an iron security bar into place. Then he hurried over to a candle that sat on the desk at the back of the empty room, licked his fingers and closed them over the glowing flame.

Darkness engulfed the room.

Jake felt a shiver rise up his back, all he could hear now was the slow wheezing from the old man. He wondered why the man had oil stained work cloths on yet the garage was empty. No cars and no tools, just a large dark empty room. .

"Tell me what’s going on here mister, where the **** is everyone" Jake whispered now, hoping no one else would hear.

"If you want to stay alive son, you better be real still and not say a word"

Jake didn’t speak.

"Hello, hello. Is any one around?" The woman’s voice came from outside somewhere, making Jake move quietly towards the doors, his arms stretched out in front of him and feet shuffling in the dark. He reached the door, grabbed hold of the safety bar and lifted it away.

The shovel smacked down hard into the shoulder of Jake, knocking him to the floor. Standing over him the old man lifted the shovel high into the air; his cold eyes looking at the pleading face of Jake. For a moment a look of compassion seemed to show, but then anger surged into his old weather worn features.

Jakes foot shot up connecting in-between the old mans legs; he let out a woman like shriek as he fell to the floor clutching his groin, the shovel clattering down inches from his skull.

Jake jumped up and slid the doors apart then sprinted towards the main street with his head down and arms pumping back and forth. He looked back over his shoulder to see the old man sliding the doors shut, with a wide toothless smile on his face. Then he vanished behind the steel doors as they closed together. Jake stopped running and tried to catch his breath.

"Hey, are you ok. Where the hell is every one"

Looking up the dimly lit main street Jake saw a woman walking hurriedly towards him. She was wearing a low cut top revealing the tops of small pert breasts and a very short leather skirt that clung tightly to her thin thighs. Her brown shoulder length hair caused dark shadows to dance in front of her face, making it hard for Jake to make out her beauty.

Jake heard the low throatyl growl the same time as the woman; she spun her head to the right just as the creature leapt into the air.

Jake seemed to see it all in slow motion. The creature looked like a large man about 7 feet tall, hair covered most of its muscular body. Its face was hairless but had the features of some sort of wild dog, its lips were pulled back revealing large sharp teeth, and its eyes were a dark blood red.

The woman raised her hands in a pitiful defence as the beast landed full force into her, sending them both skidding along the dirt. Its large human like hands grabbed her throat and pushed her into the ground causing her blue eyes to roll back into her head. Its jaws opened up, blood stained teeth dripped bloody spit onto the scared pretty face of the woman. her eyes seemed to straighten the open wide in terror.

Its canine jaws shot forward and snapped shut, crushing the face and spitting blood and brains onto the ground. Its head slowly pulled back ripping and tearing the woman’s skull in half.

The beast slowly turned around and looked into the petrified eyes of Jake. Then it tipped its head back and swallowed the face of the woman in one large gulp. It began to let out a loud piercing howl that made Jake’s body snap back into the living.

He turned and ran full steam back towards the garage, he could hear his heart beating louder and louder as if trying to break free from his chest. Behind him heavy footfalls pounded on the concrete forecourt, getting closer and closer. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see the beast diving towards him with arms and legs stretched wide. Without thinking he dived to the ground just as the beast flew over him, its mouth snapping shut inches from his back.

He landed face first into the concrete floor; skin tore from his cheek and eyebrow. He shook his head as his vision blurred a little. As he looked up he saw that the beast had smashed the garage doors open. They lay on the floor, bent and broken from the hinges. There were no sounds coming from the dark room inside. Jake stood up as blood began to pour down his face and neck.

The old man came shuffling out the garage, eyes wide with terror. His shoulder was spurting blood in a wide ark, from where the arm should have been. Behind him the hulking beast stepped out from the dark, snarling as it spat away the bony arm of the man to the floor. It jumped on to the old mans back and clamped its teeth into his neck, sending his head flying through the air.

Jake watched the head as it landed at his feet, toothless mouth open wide and cold pleading old eyes staring up at him. Jake began to scream in terror as horror took over his body. Shaking with fear he urged himself to turn around, ready to run.

His stomach turned over inside him as the two beasts about five feet away looked deep into his ashen face. One was small and female. Small breasts were covered in blonde hair like the rest of her slim feline like body. She had a small dog like face and wide almost pink hypnotic eyes. Standing beside her was a fearsome hulking monster. Its huge, man like arms were covered in thick black hair. Its wolf like head was covered in burns and scars, its eyes were large and milky white. In its mouth was the leg of the woman, still wearing a black knee length leather boot.

The female beast leapt high into the air and landed on Jake, wrapping its legs around him as they fell heavily to the floor. Its hands grabbed his wrists and shoved his arms down making him feel helpless and trapped.

Jake looked into the pink eyes of the beast as his mind began to fill with lurid images of a dark place, deep inside his own head that was full of naked beasts writhing in pleasure on the ground around him, calling out his name.

"Jake, Jake, take us Jake. Join us. Be us. Come to us."

Her breasts and hips were rubbing into him, grinding back and forth as he felt a strange sensation begin to rush through his body.

"Take me Jake, take me now, become us, and be us. Take me now" the voices echoed around his head making his mind go numb.

Then Jake was in a room, one he remembered well. It was his ex-wife’s kitchen. His son was pushing a toy car over the tile floor. His son was back home with that *****. She would have him forever if he didn’t do something. That’s just what the nut case wants, James was his son as well, not just hers. And he was going be there for him. Not like in the past. This time I will be there he thought. He held his arms out to his son and called his name. The boy turned his head slowly towards Jake, it was covered with wild dark hair and his wide bloody tooth filled mouth snapped towards Jake’s outstretched hands.

He snapped out of his trance like dream and looked up just in time to see open jaws closing down on him. He felt her warm moist breath smother his face as the teeth shattered his bones and crushed his head. His mind went dark.

The beast lifted its blood drenched head and screamed up at the red moon in pleasure…..

Copyright 2007 john popplewell
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