Run With The Wicked

Chapter 11: Catch me if you can

I froze. The figure behind me was tall, at least six foot. The shadow loomed over me, its ripe stench forcing its way into my nostrils. I gagged, clasping my shaking fists until I could feel my knuckles turn white. Only turning around when I could not take the suspense any longer. The dark figure came into view, outlined by the full moon light behind him.

Whatever it was, it was by surely the most disturbing thing I'd ever seen. Like something made from the stuff of children's books. It was a man, but it wasn't. Old flesh hung from his bones like limp fabric, grey hair ran inconsistently along his receding hairline. His headphones were still looped around the dark skin of his neck, and his posture mirrored the hunchback of Notre Dame. The man from the record shop stood absently, blinking at me.

"What do you want!?" I yelled. The man grunted slightly, his body swaying ever so slightly from side to side. I noticed the man's light jeans were now covered in soil, matching the blotches on his shirt. It was clear he wasn't in his right mind, but he looked as if he'd just dug his own grave. His leather jacket had a large gash running through the breast, which oozed deep green blood.

"I said what do-!" But I stopped. Something was wrong. The man's eyes were no longer filled with a warm friendly glow that I was met with only hours earlier, instead replaced something darker. I looked closer. What I first mistook for brown eyes, were now a mess of a whirling colours. The burgundy in his new found eyes were obviously not his.

"Girl...." He whispered, his voice deep and husky. I took a step back. Whoever that was, it definitely wasn't the man from Joeys records. I pictured him as if he were a feral dog. If I ran, it was guaranteed that he'd chase after me. If I stayed still, maybe he wouldn't try to squish me. I felt dumb, so incredulously stupid. Had I taken Wolf's warning more seriously I might not have been in this situation.

I took a collective breath, preparing for the worst. But he didn't move. That's only when I noticed that his shape had begun to change. I squinted one eye open. The contours of the man's slim frame widened, his feet growing six inches wider and his neck had begun to spasm uncontrollably as it lengthened.

Bubbles began to form under his skin, morphing him from the inside out. First he grew, towering over me like a skyscraper as he did so. Painful cracking sounds meant the man's bones were breaking one by one, and protruded from his body. Then a thick middle the size of a lifesaver materialised onto him, tearing the legs of his pants and tugging at his metal band shirt. His face had drooped on one side, his left eye fell where his cheekbone used to be, and a large yellowed tusk sprouted from inside his new slobbering mouth, weighing his head to the side as it tore through the side of the flesh of his cheek.

The now half man fell to his knees as his tongue split into two prongs, which then grew into two life like pythons. His ghastly face consisted of three swirling eyes instead of two, and his grey skin stretched gauntly over his new form. At this point the man was more ogre figure than human and stood with a chilling silent menace.

"Oh my God." I gaped. I stumbled back, almost tripping over as I did so.

The grotesque creature stood there, misshapen and deformed. Without warning, he raised his huge fist, threatening an attack. My plan to stay still basically went out of the window at that point.

I ran for the doors, which were already half open. I only got a few steps a crushing weight on my shoulder caused me to cry out. The monsters hand wrenched me back, throwing me into a nearby fence like a rag doll. There mere force was enough to put a rollercoaster to shame.

I crashed loudly against the metal fencing and landed face down in the patchy grass. My back throbbed, and black furry spots dotted my field of vision. I panted, the air had been knocked from my lungs, leaving me gasping like a fish out of water. I shook my head and slowly got up. Gasping for air, I snatched a nearby rake as my only defence.