Forest of Savages, Rookie Burwick [the giving tree read aloud TXT] 📗

It wasn’t the vehicles that surprised them. It was the blood covering their doors and windows that shocked them. Tom’s soul was darkened at the sight.

 

“Everyone out. I want a good, thorough search of those vehicles now!”

 

Tom and the men got out. Morris and Johnson hurried over to the vehicles, but Tom only stared at them. Like with any situation like this, questions followed after the shock.

 

What happened? What did this? And, most importantly. . .whose blood is this?

 

All three questions made him shudder. A cold and dark feeling tingled and ate at his insides.

“So far, no clue as to what happened,” Morris’ voice shattered his thoughts.

 

“Nothing?”

 

“Nope. Just splattered blood everywhere.”

 

He paused.

 

“Get me a blood sample, ASAP, you here?”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

Morris turned and marched off, back toward the scene of the crime.

 

Tom glanced up toward the towering forest to his right. Nothing there. Surely an animal was responsible for this. . .

 

A scream erupted from somewhere in front of the first vehicle. Tom spun, eyes wide. Silence filled the air again. The awful feeling of being alone with no weapon hit him hard. The world around him may have been absent of men, but he knew something else was present.

 

He reached down and felt around his hip. No gun. Then, he remembered seeing it on his desk just before he left, and it was still there.

 

A howl rose into the sky, and echoed through the forest around him.

 

“Dear god, wolves!” he cried out.

 

But, even though he was almost sure it was wolves, the howl didn’t quite sound right. They were much deeper, and longer. And, they sounded like they were coming from something much bigger than a wolf. Even a pack of wolves couldn’t make that kind of howl . . .could they?

 

A low growl sounded off from somewhere up the road a little ways. It too was much deeper and longer than any wolf he’d ever heard. As the growl died off, he took a few steps back.

Sweat tumbled down his forehead like rocks on a mountainside. The only sane thought would be to get back into the car, and get out of here. But then, he had the worry of running into the other squad cars, who were still coming up the mountain.

 

He shut his eyes, and thought long and hard. More howls erupted from the strange animal just a couple hundred feet away. Whatever it was, it was moving. The sound was much closer than it had been before.

 

Panic settled in in a matter of seconds. His eyes reeled open in time to see the awful creature emerge from behind the closest vehicle. It held a piece of human flesh in its bloodstained claws. Its dark brown fur was slick with oily human fluids.

 

“Dear lord,” he whispered as he watched the beast inch closer.

 

It’s beady little eyes seemed to glare right into his soul. And they never left him, either.

 

He spun around, and jumped into the car. Luckily, he’d left the door open. He slammed it, locked it, and the wrapped his trembling hands around the key. The engine fired up seconds later. By now, the horrible ape-beast was just a few feet away from the hood of the car.

 

Tom looked out the back, made sure everything was in check, and then floored it. The squad car went sailing backwards down the road. He didn’t even look back at the creature. He just watched what he was doing.

 

The tires hit bump after bump, sending his head smashing against the roof. Even though it hurt like hell, he tried his best to ignore it. Then came the first corner. He eased his foot down onto the break, and slowed way down. Then, looking back to the road behind him, he carefully guided the vehicle around the rough corner.

 

When he looked back to the front windshield, the ugly, ape-like face of the creature was staring back at him. He let out one final gasp before the shock killed him. His heart gave way, and death followed. His foot came loose from the break, and the vehicle started to roll down the road, without a driver.

 

The creature hopped onto the door, using its sharp claws and toe nails to keep itself upward. With a simple tug, it tore the door clean off, and sent it flying into the trees.

 

A loud battle cry escaped from the creature’s lungs before it ripped Tom’s body from his seatbelt, and tore open his throat.

 

 

***

 

Caleb Whitney, another head Sheriff’s Deputy, could not believe what he was seeing. A large, ape-like creature was feasting on the body of another policeman, who was now un-identifiable.

 

As he and his partner, Jenny Larson, had rounded the corner, and the sight had come into view, he had barely managed to keep his lunch down.

 

“Holy . . .What is that thing?” he asked, certain Jenny wouldn’t respond.

 

And she didn’t. Fear had trapped her in a silent, horrid expression that was all but breakable. Caleb slowly pulled the handle, and his door came open.

 

Trying his best to keep things quiet, he stepped out onto the rough, dirt road. His eyes were pried to the beast in front of him. It hadn’t seemed to notice them when they had driven up, nor was it taking notice when more prey stepped into its reach.

 

The radio on his shoulder boomed out a loud voice from other patrolmen in the area. He quickly ducked back inside the car, and shut the door behind him. Still, the beast didn’t take notice.

 

Caleb removed the radio from his shoulder and pressed the button.

 

“Sheriff Prine, come in Sheriff Prine,” he didn’t wait for a response. “We need assistance, I repeat, we need assistance.”

 

He let go of the button and thought for a moment.

 

More details were required. He held the radio to his mouth again.

 

“Our location is 4 miles south down the mountain from your location.”

 

He glanced down at the GPS. That was right. The sheriff’s squad vehicle was sitting there exactly four miles up.

 

Caleb let out a prayer for their safety, then sat back, and waited.

 

 

***

 

The message coming through Prine’s radio chilled him to the bone. His radio was still on his shoulder, giving him an advantage through all the loud panting and the footfalls of the beasts behind him.

 

He didn’t have time to respond, which filled him with regret and grief. The beasts were just gaining on him fast enough already. He didn’t need another distraction.

 

He could tell by the forest surrounding him that he was getting close to the road. It all looked very familiar. The fallen log, the agonizing slopes, and the light the shone through the trees ahead of him.

 

“Sheriff, please, are you there?” the voice came again through his radio.

 

Tears stung his eyes. He couldn’t do anything. He was too busy saving himself, much less himself and two of his deputies. He knew the voice that was crying for help. It was Caleb Whitney, one of his best deputies. He’d pared him up with Jenny Larson.

 

Those were two people he really did enjoy. The tears filling his eyes had a very real meaning. After what he’d seen these monsters do, he knew their fate all too well.

 

Now, he was close enough to the road to see the vehicles, still silently sitting there, empty and bloodstained.

 

He ran faster. No matter how much energy he wasted in doing so, he still did it. His heart was beyond racing, which made him worried, but he still kept on. Ragged breaths tore through his lungs, which felt like metal weights about to drop.

 

Again, the cry for help came. “Come in Sheriff! Come i. . .”

 

It cut off suddenly. He wanted to stop, and scream their names into the radio. Their images were still clear in his foggy mind. But he knew, it was too late.

 

One more step, and he was on the road. Six feet away sat his only hope of survival. He slammed up against the door, and caught his breath. Second after precious second, breath after amazing breath.

 

But then, howls shook the trees in a way unlike the wind. Even though the peace only lasted a few minutes, Prine was very thankful for it. He stood up straight, tore open the door, and jumped inside.

 

The engine started easily. Only a matter of seconds, and we was preparing to back up. All he had to do was back into the grass a little ways, turn his wheels sharply to the right, and speed away.

 

As he began to slowly back up, a Bigfoot jumped in between him and the nearest tree. He came to a quick halt, angled his foot just right, and then floored it.

 

The vehicle smashed the beast right into the tree. Blood and gore splattered onto the back windshield. But, he couldn’t see it. He was now focused on the scene in front of him.

 

He put the vehicle into gear, and then slammed his foot down onto the gas pedal. Turning the wheel as he went, he began the journey back down the mountain, praying he would make it to the bottom safely.

 

Prine sped up as fast as the bumps would allow him to. He managed to focus on the road even through the rough road and insane speed. A few more bumps, and he rounded the corner.

When he got a few more feet down the road, horror filled his soul. His foot slammed down on the break, and the vehicle came to a halt.

 

Up ahead of him sat two vehicles, one with its bumper facing him, and the other with its front facing him. He had to keep a strong hold on the break to not go tumbling off to the side. His trembling hands tightened their grip on the steering wheel.

 

He also saw, just near the front of the farthest vehicle, one of the Bigfoot, tearing up a now unidentifiable body. He managed to barley hold in the last meal he’d ate as he watched the gruesome sight.

 

The beast suddenly looked up toward him. It’s snarling face rose to full height, and began to come slowly towards his vehicle. Only one option seemed to remain. He allowed his foot to slip off the break, and the vehicle started toward the beast.

 

It snarled even harder, and ran right toward him. Just as the vehicle smashed into the Bigfoot, he gripped the wheel, and made a sharp turn. But then, he was headed right for the other squad cars.

 

He slammed on the breaks just before a major collision. Wiping sweat from his forehead, he said a prayer of thanks, and then surveyed his options. He couldn’t get around this mess, no way. But, he couldn’t just back up the hill and wait for it to get cleaned up either. God only knew how close those things were to the main highway.

 

That thought sent a chill down his spine. He glanced from right to left, scanning as much forest as he could in each glance. So far, he’d seen very little of the beasts. But that wasn’t a good sign.

 

Only to add to the tension, and slight relief, a loud howl sounded off. The beast was really close. One glance to the right, and he saw it emerging from the trees. It approached the window with a careless stride, and a snarl on its face. His muscles tensed greatly. Pain surged through them.

 

The Bigfoot outside raised its strong arm, and slammed its fist into the window. A loud cracking sound followed. Now, he let the breaks slip. As the vehicle neared its end, he prepared himself to die.

 

The squad cars collided with a hard blow. Prine flew into the steering wheel, and everything went dark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEN

 

“Dang it!” John Ellway said, wiping mustard from the front of his shirt.

 

John was already late for his job interview, and now he would have to turn around and change shirts. He threw his sandwich onto the dash, and swerved out of traffic. He brought his blue 2004 Ford pickup to a halt on the bike trail.

 

He leaned his elbows against the steering wheel,