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* * *

       Harrison tackled the Greg creature around the waist, throwing all of his weight in to the attack. It was like running head first in to a brick wall reinforced with steel girders.

       "How many times have you wanted to do that since I started fucking Maria?" The Greg creature bellowed.

       Harrison snarled, wrapping his arms around the Greg creature's waist and tried his best to force it backwards. It stood fast, an immovable lump of slimy flesh.

"It must drive you crazy to think of her sucking my cock," the creature goaded.

       Harrison released his grip and stood to face the human thing, hating it with every inch of his being. Without waiting for it to abuse Maria's memory further Harrison threw a kick into its groin, the blow impacting with a wet slap. The Gregcreature didn't even flinch, standing solidly as a bass filled chuckled rumbled from its throat.

       "Is that all you've got?" The punch came from nowhere, the meaty fist contacting with the side of Harrison's head. "Little Ryan could hit harder."

       Harrison heard his son's name on the creature's lips and anger flared with red hot fire in his gut.

       "Not that he'll be hitting anything ever again." The Greg creature's swollen stomach rippled as the chuckle grew in strength.

       Harrison moved swiftly, running forward once again. For a second time he hit the creature at the waist but, this time, thrust his head upwards at the last second. The top of his head smashed under the Greg creature's chin with a sound of splintering bone. Tears of pain filled Harrison's eyes. He stepped away shaking his head to clear the moisture and the dancing stars from his vision.

       "You fushing cunk," growled the creature through a now misshapen jaw. "You gonna fee parn." The meaning wasn't lost on Harrison.

The Greg creature lumbered forwards, its jaw swinging loosely with each step. The empty eye sockets widened threateningly and Harrison averted his gaze before the vacuous stare could enthral him.

       "Gonna fush you up." The creature swung its left arm with the force of a wrecking ball.

       Harrison stood his ground, the fist passing inches in front of his face.

       "You rebby to join your kibs?" Harrison ignored the threats with a blank stare of his own.

* * *

       Kaci tried to protect herself as the creature began to thrash above her. Hewitt jumped back, leaving the knife stuck in the monsters head. Black, molasses like, fluid poured over the knife handle and fell heavily over Kaci's arms and face. She clamped her lips tightly against the vile fluid as it ran down her cheeks and into her hair.

The creature attempted to scream, but its mouth filled with more of the viscous blood. The blackness oozed over its teeth and down its chin, mixing freely with the black stream coming from its lower jaw.

Kaci took her chance and wriggled backwards, sliding out from below the once human, kicking out as she came free. The bottom of her boot contacted with the knife handle and sent it deeper into her attacker's cranium.

       The creature ceased its thrashing, its arms falling limp at its side. The void within its eye sockets appeared to darken, the swirling mist slowing its movement.

Kaci wiped at her face, scooping away the clot filled treacle from her eyes and mouth. Hewitt stepped forward and stared at the inanimate creature, ignoring the chaos around them as she studied the thing carefully.

        "Is it dead?" Hewitt asked, reaching out cautiously for the section of knife handle still visible.

       "Was it ever alive?" Kaci replied, getting to her feet and looking at the creature with disgust. "What are you doing?"

       "Not leaving without this." Hewitt gripped the knife handle and pulled downwards, the blade making a wet crunching sound as the serrated edge did more damage coming out than it had done going in. "It was a present from my Grandfather."

       "We gotta find Harrison." Kaci looked around with a frown. "And where's Peter?"

       Hewitt finished yanking the knife free and the creature responded with a deadly swiftness. It snatched out with its left hand, the clawed talons gripping Hewitt's wrist.

       "Going so soon?" the creature hissed. Its jaw widened to reveal row upon row of vicious teeth sprouting from the roof of its mouth.

       The branch hit the creature full in the face, bark and blood spraying on impact as the demon head exploded. The creature's grasp on Hewitt went loose and she pulled free, looking in surprise at her saviour. "Peter?"

The young man stood smiling awkwardly, caked in black liquid and holding the shattered stump of a branch. The blank expression of shock had left his face and was replaced with a healthy look of fear tinged with excitement. He let the branch drop and gazed around quickly.

       "Where's Megan?" he asked.

       "She went with Harrison," Kaci answered.

       "Where?"

       "That way." Kaci pointed.

* * *

       Harrison side stepped a second blow from the Greg creature and responded with a vengeance. He punched out at the Greg creature's face, his fist entering the things gaping mouth. Harrison felt the impact at the back of the its throat, cold and damp. The Greg creature gagged, its lower jaw snapping uselessly at Harrison's wrist.

       "Fuck you," Harrison snarled, gripping the base of the Greg creature's tongue and pulling with every inch of strength he had left.

       The muscled tissue tore away from the beast's throat with a moist ripping sound. Harrison held up the trophy, the appendage still moving in his hand, undulating as it attempted to wrap itself around the clenched fist.

       The Greg creature glared at Harrison. It gargled a curse, no longer able to form coherent words. Harrison sneered at the tongue in his hand and tossed it to the floor. It immediately began trying to slither back to its master, a bloated worm that oozed shit in its wake. Harrison raised his foot and brought it down on the tongue, grinding it under his sole until it stopped moving.

       The Greg creature bellowed, a fine mist of spittle and blood spraying from its shattered muzzle. And then it charged, barrelling passed Harrison and heading directly for Megan. She saw the attack coming and primal instinct once again took over. As the creature bore down on her she dropped low and swung out with her right leg. The kick took the lumbering Greg creature by surprise and it went down, its own weight working against it.

       Megan rolled to the side as the towering frame collapsed towards her, only just making it clear. The Greg creature hit the forest floor with incredible force. The sound of its skin bursting open was like a rotten sack of offal being dropped from a great height.

       Megan got to her knees, gagging as the smell hit her. She was still retching when the Greg creature began to roll onto its back, revealing the damage done. Its distended stomach had split from pubis to neck and its innards hung like sludge from the open wound. It tried to scoop everything back inside, but decay made the attempt impossible.

       "Had enough?" Harrison spat at the creature.

       In reply it chuckled, reaching into the wound with both hands and tearing it wider.

       "Fuck me," Harrison whispered, taking Megan's hand and backing away from the abomination.

The Greg creature worked quickly, peeling back the rancid flesh and muscle to reveal its skeletal frame. And then it climbed out of itself, leaving the husk of the dead Greg on the ground. The skeleton stood upright, the twisted bone structure dripping with blackened blood and lumps of rotting fatty tissue. The skull swivelled and stared at Megan, its lower jaw flapping mindlessly as it made silent threats.

       Harrison launched himself forwards, throwing his entire weight into the skeleton. He took the skull in both hands and twisted savagely, screaming with anger. The head came away from the spinal column with a pop, the skeleton finally collapsing into a heap at Harrison's feet.