Spooky Hollow

Spooky Hollow

May evenings were unpredictable in the lovely area known to most as Burrell, where it was a balmy eighty degrees all day, but now the temperature sat closer to fifty – five. Lower Burrell and Upper Burrell, both of which wrapped around the small city of New Kensington, defined the township of Burrell to the locals. All were nestled along the winding Allegheny River as it flowed to its end at the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Burrell had no down town technically,

Leechburg Road

was nearly the main strip, which went through Lower Burrell. Most of the area was back wood roads barely wide enough for two cars to pass each other. Therefore, there were several places to ‘Hide’ and party for the average teenager from the Burrell, New Kensington, and Arnold area.

Tonight was a cool Friday evening, threatening rain, but none yet fell and Burrell’s Prom was alive and well for most. However, to a handful, it was a party night like no other. They had an all night pass from their parents, though they would not be where they were supposed to be. So on this night, a ‘kegger’ was to be held deep in the woods below Lower Burrell. The directions to a local were not that shocking, but to those outsiders, like Josh and Lisa who were friends of a Burrell Senior, the address had given them an odd connotation of the evening’s events. The Fox Chapel Senior slowed his G6 Convertible down as Lisa looked at the map print of the area. The traffic light that loomed in the darkness a head of them was where they should be exiting Highway 56.

Joshua squinted so he could see the green sign that hung above the street, and the white arrow pointed left. He kept his sight locked on the sign until the name became clear, and as it did so he simply said with a grin, “No Shit.” He pulled the car into the left hand turn lane and turned the car on to the desired road, not waiting for the correct light. He shook his head as he pushed down on the accelerator and sped down “Spooky Hollow Road.”

He let out a howl like a wolf as the car dropped down a small hill. The night poured in on them as the car spun around a turn and a canopy of trees hung over the small road, keeping out the natural light. “Where in the hell is this damn party,” Lisa yelled over the rush of the wind and the whine of the G6.

“Down the road a bit I guess, a few miles according to Terry in a field behind a warehouse.” He gripped the wheel as he slid it around another small curve.

“Slow down,” Lisa demanded. “You don’t know this road and it looks as if it keeps to its name.”

“It’s just a fucking road through the woods,” he snapped. Damn girls, never an appreciated a good car or a great ride on a cool night. Lisa and he have been dating for nearly a month, before that, she was a no body. Her friends were all geeks and bookworms. Oh how he hated them. But let us not paint the wrong picture, for Joshua Hickman was no idiot himself. Josh was not a jock either. He liked to think there was no stereotype for him, but if he were to be associated with a type, it would be prep.

His friends never understood the need for him to hang around and date Lisa Corle and to an extent he did not either. It was like a spell she cast over him. It started out simple, he needed help in Chemistry, and she could do it. She walked away at first, but he did not give up, and in the end seduced her. She finally gave in, but refused to sleep with him, a little sexual fondling her and there, some groping, heavy kissing, but no real physical conquest. Lisa was indeed a gorgeous girl for a junior. Her hair was black, her face round and nearly perfect. Her hazel eyes were somewhat hypnotic, and her body well, was fine. She was not a skinny gal, but she was far from heavy. He would say big boned, so she had some meat on her, which he preferred over those anorexic girls that were also in his school.

To him, he needed to close the issue with her, and that was to bed her. Was that wrong, hell yes, but he was a teenage male and he had a reputation amongst his peers that he must, above all cost maintain. Besides, the sci-fi chick was using him for her own gain to. She now was moving in circles at the school that previously out of her reach, due to both her ‘social standing’ and her grade. What her game was he was not sure, but as long as she was playing, he would too. Now he was not a rapist and would not harshly or physically force the issue, but he would keep up the false charm. In hopes, when the game finished, there would be a reward for both of them. Besides, in her own unique way, she was actually fun to be around.

Her friends were a bit wacky and he did not bow to the god of fantasy. Sure the movies were good, but let us get real, elves, dwarves, hobbits, and wizards? Please live in the real world. She actually had a “shrine” to Tolkien and the movies in her bedroom. She had a poster of that Enterprise guy, the same one who jumped around through time. Moreover, to top it off, her and her friends would spend hours of the weekend or weeknights sitting around a table and pretend, yes pretend for heaven’s sake, that they were elves and dwarves and fight monsters. He did not have time for such things, fighting monsters fuck get real.

Despite that, she was quite entertaining though, telling him tales of imagination, he of course would laugh at most, and it did not really seem to bother her. He looked at her; her face stared back at him. It seemed to him that Madame Monster Killer was scared. He laughed as she looked out the windshield and screamed. Her hand came up quickly and pointed.

He turned just in time to see the large black dog jump into the road in front of him. He slammed his foot to the brakes, and turned the wheel quickly to the right. His heart was racing, no not racing pounding as the car went into a skid. He heard a thud on the rear corner panel; he must have nailed the dog. “Fuck,” he cursed, he was pissed that he damaged the car. He let off the brake and turned the wheel to the left to try to regain control. His heart thudded louder in his chest as he looked up and saw the old pickup truck fly towards him across a little bridge that traversed a small creek in the hollow. “Shit,” he screamed as he frantically spun the wheel, but the car still slid and the old Ford pickup had nowhere to go but into him.

The G6’s rear end buckled as the pickup truck slammed into the left corner panel. The F-150 did not even seem to slow as it went into the air, its front wheels off the ground. However, the tough real wheel drive lifted the G6 off the ground and flipped it onto her side, then spun it counter clockwise. Josh did not see where the pickup went, after it rolled over onto its right and dropped off the road toward the creek below. However, the sports car continued to spin until the backseat slammed into the concrete bridge abutment, which caused the vehicle to fold itself around the bridge.

Lisa winced in pain as she tried to move, but quickly found out she could not. She was stuck and she knew it. How and why she was even still alive eluded her. All she could remember was forcing herself to the floor of the car as it flipped up. Unfortunately, the seatbelt tried to hold her erect. It did not take a fool to realize if she stood in that position, she would surely die. She recalled releasing the seatbelt she then folded herself up and slid down to the floorboard as the car wrapped itself around the bridge. She did not see what happened to Josh, and currently she could not see anything but blackness.

She knew she was pinned between the car and the concrete barrier of the bridge. She could barely breathe and she realized that she was securely pinned and she could not get herself out. She tried to imagine precisely how she was laying, in hopes she could think of something that may help her. She controlled her breath, she realized the car’s gearshift was next to her face, so her head was on the console and the dashboard radio was compressing tightly against her. Lisa’s right shoulder sat in the seat. She felt a pain in her upper and lower arm and shoulder itself. The shoulder felt pinned as if something was piercing it, the arm just felt wrong. She began to panic again as she envisioned her arm bent in all sorts of terrifying and twisted positions. She again began to breathe heavily as she imagined that the arm was not even there and she was just feeling phantom pains. Her breathing became rapid, which hurt her more as she realized that the dashboard was tight against her chest. She began to cry.

Her legs, where were her legs, she could not feel them, they were gone. Her heart started to race, she tried to turn her head, but to no avail, she was pinned well. She felt the dashboard rise and fall with each massive pound of her heart, a heart that she knew was about to stop. It was only still beating because it had not yet rationalized that she was indeed dead. There was no more use too struggle.

No, she was only sixteen, she thought. She felt the tears rush down her cheek; she did not want to die. She struggled more, but still she could not move. She tried to scream, but the console of the car only gave her a little room to open her mouth, thus she let forth only a moan. She drew breaths heavy now she could no longer breathe. Claustrophobia was settling in, which she was not claustrophobic until now. She went wild again, but still nothing. She was going to lose what was left of her sanity, but she would not go out without a fucking fight. She moaned again and forced every muscle in her body move, feeling her legs kick gave her a renewed strength and caused her to shutter violently again.

The car moved, not a lot, but subtly. She felt it and heard it. It rocked and moved again. Was Josh trying to free her? No, he could not; it would take a large man, even a couple to move this twisted hunk of metal that must have melded into the bridge itself. But the car rocked again, the pain in her face and chest flared as pressure lessened from the crushing car. It was him, he’s moving it.

The growl suggested otherwise. She heard the low growl and the car moved more than it had yet. It was a growl much like that of a dog, a large dog. A dog? The car rocked again and a screech that caused her entire body to convulse uncontrollably rang out into the dark night. She felt herself move, backward, away from the concrete. She screamed in pain as something withdrew itself from her shoulder. She screamed, she was heard; she was free enough now to cry out, let someone know she was alive.

Another blood-curdling screech echoed as the car again slid away from the abutment. She was still pinned, but she could now breathe. Stars in the sky now tinkled in her right eye. A loud thud on the other side of the dash now got her attention. A growl sounded as the dash began to pull ever so slowly away from her. She started to breathe easier, her tears returned, though they were tears of joy. She was saved.

-- Continued from below--

Another howl called into the night and the car slid further away from the bridge. Her tears of joy were now slowing and fear again was settling in. Not fear of dying this time but fear of the unknown fear of what or who was standing just mere feet from her on the opposite side of the wreckage. She could not be too afraid, after it was saving her. It, curious choice of words she thought. All manners of creatures flooded her mind, werewolves, vampires, dragons, orcs and ogres, all creatures of great strength, all capable of bending this vehicle to their will. However, this was the real world, creatures like that do not truly exist. They are just flights of fancy, objects out of a fantasy tale or an old horror movie.

Something large again grabbed the dashboard from the other side. The weight of it actually caused the console to compress her, then with a roaring howl the metal of the twisted G6 groaned in resistance as it forcefully began to move against its will. She felt her body give, as freedom overcame her. She could lift her head and move it around the stick shift, her left arm pushed against the floorboard. Her legs began to work, and stretch out each, the effort brought her closer to her rescuer outside of the car. She tried to use her right hand and arm, but the pain was too severe as she attempted to grab the seat. At least it was there, she could see it, but it was in a contorted way. She knew it was broke, and for her, now it was a useless tool. She shimmied her way into the torn leather seat.

She about screamed again as she nearly punctured her eye with blood covered steel rod that was nearly a half inch in diameter. She has seen those before, used in concrete, it must of came from the bridge and it was what impaled her shoulder. She twisted herself in the seat and used all her strength to slide her left arm free. Once done, she relaxed herself and then guided her broken body to the side of the car, her right shoulder now sat on the concrete road. She sighed, thank you, who ever, thank you. She was free, only inches now and she would be out of the car. She was in so much pain, but it matter no more, she was safe, she was free, she survived.

She wondered where Josh was, as she laid here on the road, she stared up at the driver’s seat he was not in it. He probably lay on the bridge thrown from the car; more than likely, he was dead. Again, tears swelled up as she continued to wriggle her way out of the massive twisted piece of useless metal. She now had to twist herself and drag her body between the bridge and the car. It was going to be tight, but she had no choice. She used her legs now to push her along. As she repeatedly tried with the left one, it only responded with pain so furiously it almost knocked her out. She cried out, she again was stuck. One arm and one leg were not going to free her from this.

Something grabbed her leather coat on her pounding right shoulder. She could feel the hot breath of something breathing heavily. Her ears picked up the muffled sound of growling on inches from her face. Soundly, she was being drug backwards, through the small path toward the open road. A renewed vigor set in and she used her left arm along the concrete wall, her right foot kicked and pushed at the mangled car. With combination of her fury and the creature’s strength, she was free of the wreck in a matter of seconds. She slid her body up to the side of the bridge and leaned back on it.

Gold eyes glared at her from a beautiful black dog. No, the longer she stared at the beast she knew it was a wolf, a large black wolf. She smiled at it has she grew dizzy now. It tilted its head, as it looked her in the eyes, then its glare moved to her left foot. Her weary eyes followed its gaze and landed on her injured foot. She about lost it, but gave up on crying out as she saw her foot bent back against her calf. All that held it to her leg was that slice of sinew they call the Achilles tendon. The rest was a mangled hunk of meat that appeared as if it seen the working end of a blender. Blood flowed freely and rapidly onto the pavement. Her head grew even lighter as she watched her life giving essence spread across the dark concrete.

Damn, she thought, that entire ordeal too only die lying here on the road. Again tears fell, but she succumbed herself to the notion that she was going to die here tonight, that it was inevitable it was fate. She looked at the wolf again and smiled. “Thank you,” she said. Its golden eyes appeared as if the beast were going to cry, as if it knew she was dying. The large animal stepped toward positioning itself between her legs. She was astonished as she could see the gaze turn from that of sadness, to sheer determination, to heartfelt compassion.

The wolf looked skyward and let out a howl and as quickly as it did, the creature lowered its head and buried its sharp fangs into her thigh. Just when she was use to the pain she had, this creature add a new injury to cause pain. However, as the wolf stood there, its teeth in her flesh she knew that the creature had bit her there intentionally; she knew that the fangs had pierced that main blood vessel in her thigh. For some reason the creature felt that biting her would help her. Now she did not understand, and she did not have time to grasp the situation.

A gunshot rang throughout the hollow and the concrete bridge wall next to her erupted as the bullet slammed into it. The wolf looked up and growled at the old man that was reloading his bolt-action rifle. As the stranger, covered in blood from a gash in his head, raised the rifle and took aim again, the wolf leapt over her and into the darkness behind her. “Shit,” the man said as he limped toward her.

She could not decide if she was glad to see another survivor of the accident or not. He did not know the wolf had saved her, so maybe he though that he was saving her from the wolf. She smiled up at him, her pain was subsiding. “Thank y. . .”

“Bite ya did he,” he said as he lowered the rifle toward her chest.

She tried to crawl backward, but realized she had nowhere to go. “What? Why? I don’t understand.”

“Can’t be havin’ ya live now lass,” he brought the gun up to his shoulder and looked down the barrel. The quiet night erupted once more with a loud crack Lisa had her eyes closed. Concrete shards peppered her face as the bullet slammed once again into the barrier on the other side. She opened her eyes and saw Josh standing there with a chunk of metal in his hands, the stranger was on the ground beneath him.

“Guess he was pissed that we wrecked his truck huh,” he said. He looked in fine health, though his left shoulder appeared odd and there was blood down his face. He limped closer, “shit, you’re fucked up.”

He stepped up to her and looked down at her foot. “Son of a bitch. . .”

The thud on his back echoed as he dropped to his knees and fell face first into her lap. She looked to see a younger version of the old man standing there, it had to be a relation, and he too held a rifle. “You should watch where you’re going,” he said raising the rifle.

Before he could react, a beast nearly seven feet tall leapt from below the bridge behind him. Lisa wanted to scream, but looked at the gold eyes as he moved toward the armed stranger. It was those eyes. They were now in what was a slightly misshapen wolf’s head that sat atop a massive thin fur covered body. Its limbs were long and ended in razor sharp talons. It was a talon-covered hand that was now lifting toward the attacker.

The gunman was turning, fast, but not fast enough, the claw swept across his chest, slicing through the man with ease. Ribs, flesh, and blood flung all the way to the other side of the road. The man staggered back, his chest cavity turn wide open. His pain did not last for long as the other clawed hand swung high and tore the man’s head off and sent it far into the woods below.

She gasped, she wanted to run, but her foot was not ready and then she looked up at him, the wolf beast, standing there, looking at her. His eyes revealed to her sorrow, and maybe even shame for what he had just done. He sauntered her way, she thought she should be afraid, but she was not. Suddenly she felt safe, safer than she had ever in her seventeen years of life. He knelt next to her Lisa did not back away. The beast slowly placed his arms under her battered body and gently lifted her up. She put her left arm around his next and placed her head on his fur covered shoulder. Yes, safe, definitely she was now safe.

He walked up to the bridge’s edge and with one massive leap, cleared the concrete wall and landed softly in the wood covered creek below. She closed her eyes as she felt her body begin to tingle, unlike anything she has felt before. An energy rush started to surge throughout her body, sending orgasmic like waves through her. She opened up her eyes and smiled as he walked upstream. She was about to thank him when again the silence of the cool dark night was cut with a loud crack and a bright flash.

He stopped stood there and he pulled her in tighter. Again, the rifle bellowed out its deadly sound and brilliant flare. He stepped forward as the thud resonated from his back. “No, God No,” she cried as he dropped to his knees.

Another dull thud reverberate from the bridge, she looked up at the stranger, the moonlight silhouetting him. His rifle fell from his hands and splashed harmlessly into the water below. He slumped to the bridge wall, and then flipped forward revealing the piece of metal from the car door stuck in the back of his head much like an axe. His lifeless body let gravity take control and it plummeted to the stream coloring the water below her a dark red.

Looking up, Lisa saw Josh; he was staring with fear at the creature that held her. “What did I do,” he called out. “Fuck,” he said, “I thought he was shooting you. What the Fuck is.” He backed away, she held out her left hand as the creature fell to the ground on top of her.

“No, don’t leave me,” Lisa cried, “Josh, help me.”

She heard him shuffle off, up the road, adrenaline and fear fueled him and he fled. “No,” she whispered, “it’s alright.” Her hand dropped and touched the flesh of a man. Lisa looked at the naked man that now lay on top of her. He was just a boy, no older than her, maybe a year or two younger. He saved her from certain death she knew that now. She felt her body tinge again, her right arm snapped and twisted. Her foot slowly stitched itself back in place. This would take a while, but she knew she was going to be all right. Alone yes, but she would stand again, she would run again, she would hunger and feed.

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