Banshee Angel Of Judgement (13 page)

“
A bit late
now,” Micky felt Andy was blaming him.

The scream
came out of the mist again. They froze for a moment trying to make
out where it came from then they began backing up
u
nsure where the sound was
emanating from but feeling safer just moving.

They turned as
one, jogging at first, gaining speed as the screeching seemed to
grow closer. Tree branches reached out for them but went unnoticed
unless getting to close to their faces which were then brushed away
by raised arms to save them from further scratches as they weaved,
lost amongst the vegetation trying to escape the chilling sound
that drove them on. Sweat stung at their eyes as it ran down their
foreheads, breath billowed out of mouths in clouds as they gasped
for air.

“
We need to
find the road,” Micky wheezed.

“
Which way
though?” Andy coughed out.

Something
appeared to move to one side. They turned without thinking,
heavy
sodden legs protesting,
away from what ever it was.

“
This is not real,” Andy sobbed
as the silence descended again.

They slowed as
the quiet surrounded them. Stinging
, watering eyes searched as they began to walk, legs
weighed down from the moisture that had soaked into their jeans
from the undergrowth, trying to regain their wind. Micky wiped his
face with his sleeve in some vain hope it would allow him to see
more clearly.

A branch broke
behind; they didn’t look around as they tore off heedlessly.
Anything was better than being caught by the thing that
pursued
them. Andy’s longer
leg took him to the front as they crashed through more reaching
branches.

A light
appeared in the mist. Andy instinctively cha
nged direction towards it, with Micky following close
behind, unquestioning the sudden change. Micky wasn’t happy to
follow as the sound of more snapping branches came from close
behind. He could almost feel the claw like fingers reaching out for
him and the fear drove him on.

Out of the fog
a cottage formed as the wail came again so close it sent
more adrenalin coursing through their
blood giving a renewed burst of speed. Andy shot onward not seeing
a half collapsed fence hidden by the undergrowth as he tore forward
to the safety of the house.

It felt like
someone had punched him hard to the groin knocking the breath from
him as the wooden barrier ripped into him. Micky crashed into his
back forcing the spear like protrusion deeper into Andy’s lower
abdominal region. His legs buckled unable to take his weight any
longer. Blood spread downwards as the wooden lance broke and he
crashed to the ground as Micky landed on top of him then rolled
away.

Andy groaned
as the pain slammed up
into
his mind as he realized something was badly wrong. Micky got to his
knees then looked over to his injured friend, panic plain on his
face as he saw the broken end of a wooden spar sticking out of his
friend.

“
Fuck, shit,” Micky didn’t know what to do
as his mind race. He looked over his
shoulder at the little house then back to Andy. “God, oh fuck.” He
moved to the other man’s side as the fear inducing screaming
continued to haunt his ears, growing ever louder. He wished he had
his phone with him but always left it at home as he knew there was
little point in taking it to work as he never got a
connection.

“
Oh shit,
Micky,” Andy pleaded for help holding up his wet sticky hand which
his friend took then tried to help Andy up but stopped as the
injured man let out a yell of pain and his legs failed to support
him.

“
I’ll get
help,” Micky didn’t know what else to do as he gently as he could
laid his friend back onto the ground, “they must have a phone in
that house. I’ll be back with help in a minute,” he added but as he
looked up he saw the ghoul slowly heading towards them from the
woods out of the fog. He pushed himself backwards away from his
wounded friend. He turned and rising onto his feet, stumbling to
the waiting rear doorway his fear growing, panic setting in as he
fought it to remain in control.

He banged with
all his might, no answer came. He tried the handle
fi
nding the door unlocked he
pushed it open. “Hello, hello,” how was he going to explain, “we
need help!” His voice echoed back to him from the poorly lit
interior as he stepped in through the door to the
cottage.

C
hapter 17

She circled
the
figure struggling to
vainly pull himself along the ground, to escape her. Tears of fear
and pain ran freely down the young man’s face mixing with the dirt
that covered one cheek causing the muck to streak.

“
Please,” he
pleaded as he tried to stem the flow of oozing blood from the deep
wound with one hand as he looked into the gloating eyes that now
peered down at him.

She stooped
down
in front of him, kneeing
beside him menacingly, savouring his fear. Reaching out with her
claw like hand she touched the red stained wood sticking from his
lower regions. She withdrew her blood stained fingers putting it to
her wide gaping mouth. Her long dry, cracked looking tongue slowly
licked at her talon as if to taste his blood.

Andy reached
up to his neck, grasping his chain hidden under his clothing. As he
gripped the chain the crucifix attached to it was pulled out from
under his jumper
and came to
rest on his chest; the silver glinted in the strange light of the
mist.

She
watched
angrily as her fun,
her prize was so easily taken away from her, when her reward was so
close. She reached up threateningly, her claws splayed wide as if
she were about to strike.

Andy’s eyes
opened fully, bulging as a co
ld dread seeped deep into his mind. His hand moved to the
cross looking for some small comfort.

“
No, please,”
his voice was barely audible.

Her head fell
back as she let loose her glorious, wonderful; terrifying scream
then swung her claws menacingly within inches of Andy’s face. The
full force she held back not wanting to waste her energy any longer
on this weak pathetic creature.

He held his breathe
unconsciously whilst he tried hard to force his eyelids to close so
the horror of the vision before him could go unseen as it did what
it wanted to his defenceless frame.

She turned
away from him with disdain, no longer interested in him, happy with
the thought that his death would not be long and he would die
alone. She headed for the house the one inside would just have to
do, after all one new trinket to her collection was better than
none.

Andy released
his breathe then sucked in more of the damp cold night air as he
watched the creature drift silently towards the small house. When
it vanished from sight he tried to pull himself along the
ground to get away incase it came
back to finish off the job but found himself to weak from the loss
of blood so simply slumped onto the ground.

C
hapter 18

Micky
looked around the dimly lit room.
Only a single candle gave light to the small room from its position
near the curtainless window, poorly reflected on the grimy small
square glass pane above the old sink with a pump handled water
faucet, straight out of the nineteenth century. The room was bare,
other than the candle, making it look abandoned and unused but he
needed help for Andy so stepped into the room closing the door
behind him without thinking.

“
Hello!”
He called out
tentatively hoping for someone to aid him. Only silence returned
once the echoes of his greeting died away.

He moved
forwards further into the small dank smelling bare room. If it
hadn’t been for the candle he would have been sure this small house
was empty. The floor creaked at each step making
him feel cautious.

He turned,
panic rising as the dreadful screeching howl of the thing slammed
his senses from outside. He quickened his stride as he crossed the
space to two doors that offered the possibility of some
assistance.

“
Hello!” He
tried again as he opened the closest of the openings. Beyond lay a
dark uninviting passageway, “hello, is anybody there!”

Again no
answer came to his waiting ears. ‘Fuck,’ he thought, ‘where is
someone.’ He started down the narrow corridor realizing he now was
walking on a hard stone floor as his footsteps echoed around him.
He stopped unsure what to do as the darkness enclosed him. He
turned back to the door and the small dim light that the room
offered.

He re-entered
through the aperture to the space he’d started. As he pushed his
way through the doorway, a young girl that he judged to be, about
fourteen stepped in front of him, as the door closed
behind.

She seemed to
be dressed strangely in a long gown that reached nearly to her
ankles, wide at
the hips which
made it look old like some sort of period costume. She cocked her
head to one side as if she were interested in why he was
there.

“
Hello,” he
said, “can you help me? My friend needs help.”

“
You can’t go
out there; didn’t you hear the witch’s banshee,” she said quietly
as a smile spread mischievously across her pretty face. He barely
noticed it in the faint light.

“
But Andy, my mate needs help
. Have you got a phone?” he pleaded.

“
No, and it’s
too late for him if he’s out there with the banshee. There’s
nothing to be done till the morning,” she reached out touching him
on the chest suggestively.

Micky brushed
her hand away then took hold of her by the shoulders in the hope of
getting her to help. “You don’t understand he’s hurt and I can’t
just leave him out there we’ve got to do something to
help him,” he again tried to get the
girl to understand that they, he couldn’t just stand there waiting
till morning with Andy lying outside hurt. Guilt edged its way
through his mind at leaving his buddy out there to the mercy of the
wailing abominable thing that had chased them through the forest.
Fear though was greater, preventing him from going
alone.

“
And I told
you there nothing to be done,” she said angrily pushing him away
with more force than he thought the small girl could possibly
muster.

He fell back
against the other door, surprised at her strength, it groaned at
the unexpected weight coming to rest against it. “But we can’t just
stay here,” he tried again, not understanding her reluctance to
help him.

“
What else can
you do? After all you left him out there, didn’t you?” She sounded
irritated.

“
I know but I
thought I could get help and now you don’t want to help. Why?” He
put his hands out as if in supplication.

“
Enough of
your friend,” she said moving closer to him
suggestively.

“
No,” it was
his turn to push her away, “I need you to help.”

Seething look of annoyance
flashed in her eyes. “And what do you want me to do? It was you
that left him out there.”

He shook his
head not knowing how to answer her accusing tone. How was he going
to help Andy, he was too afraid to go outside by himself but she
seemed to know what it was that had chased them through the
woods.

“
I know, I
know,” he said sounding as lost as he felt. It suddenly occurred to
him he still had no idea where he was or who this strangely dress
girl was, “by the way where are we?”

“
Does it
matter?”

He felt that she was being
evasive. “I just thought if you’ve got neighbours near by maybe
they could help.”

“
No
neighbours,” he thought he saw a smile as she said this.

His shoulder slouched as
it sank in that he couldn’t aid his friend. “It’s probably too late
for Andy now anyway, isn’t it?”

“
Yes,” she
moved closer to him again.

“
Who are you
by the way? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before,” he’d thought
he knew just about everybody around New Mills and surrounding area
yet had never seen her before.

“
Never mind
who I am,” she said placing one finger on his chest, “we’ve got
plenty of time to get to know one another.”

“
Wow, hold on
there I can’t stay here,” he stepped back against the door his hand
reached behind him searching for the handle unsure where he could
go but sure he couldn’t stay here with this young girl.

“
But you
aren’t going anywhere,” as she said this his hand found the handle.
He turned it as the girl began to change before him. Terror rose as
the girl became the thing that had pursued them in the mist
emitting the same chilling scream. He pulled at the door but as he
tried to twist through the opening she screamed and in one motion
pushed her hand into his chest grasping hold of his hearts
soul.