The Winter Creek Beast Read online

  Jay felt something heavy sink in his stomach. “But?”

  Please don’t say what I think you will.

  In answer, Arnold could only shrug. “Sounds like one of them damn bigfoots. But I ain’t never seen one so I’ll stick with a bear fer now.”

  A bear wouldn’t set your hounds off like this.

  Jay shook his head and looked to the animals. “Before you arrived, they were hollering like the devil was after them. What happened to calm them?”

  Arnold looked over his shoulder at his three hounds in their cage on the back of his pickup truck then back before shrugging again. “No idea. They’ve been doing that off an’ on fer a few weeks now.” He pulled his hat off and scratched his head again. “Give me half a minute and I’ll get em set to go if you need ‘em, Jay.”

  Jay’s eyes lowered to study a point on the ground. The creature was on the run. If they moved now they could have it before anyone else got hurt. But it wasn’t a bear. That much he was certain of. He struggled between going after it or waiting for another time. Until he had time to think about it, he was sure they needed to give chase, but the thought of it waiting for them gave him pause.

  What did they have? A pair of shotguns, a couple of revolvers, Arnold’s thirty-oh-six, and a couple of hounds. Not exactly what he wanted to go traipsing into the woods with to chase some unknown animal. He looked at the three men that were putting their trust in him before looking towards the hounds. The latter remained as quiet as they’d ever been except for the occasional whimper to be let out. His decision wasn’t an easy one, but he didn’t see any other way.

  “Normally I’d say wait until the morning, but the trail’s still hot. We’ll give it ten minutes. If we don’t find nothing by then, we’ll call it a night.”

  Everyone nodded their agreement whether they agreed or not. In a way, Tony and Arnold were deputized as soon as they arrived, but there was more to it than that.

  Arnold wasted no time in getting his hounds leashed and ready to search the edge of the woods and the group was off.

  It took the hounds less than a few seconds to find the scent of the animal and start braying again. As much as Jay wished they’d remain quiet, they gave him a sense of strength and courage. The others fed off the hounds’ energy as well and surged into the woods as fast as they could, Even Melvin, who more closely resembled a cadaver than a police officer a few minutes before, was filled with a desire and thrill of the hunt.

  It took him a moment to regain his control, but Jay forced them to slow their pace. If they rushed in the animal would keep running and they may never find it before the hounds were too tired to continue. Worse yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling they were running into a trap of some sort.

  Listening to Jay, the group slowed their pace and spread into a skirmish line with no more than three feet between one another. The woods were a dangerous enough place to go traipsing through at night, but when hunting something as dangerous as their prey, it could prove deadly if they became separated.

  A couple of times it seemed as though they lost the trail, but where the hounds had to look for a scent, the animal had left signs of its passing by way of broken branches, crushed shrubbery, and a few imprints that could only be footprints. The gap between the trail where the dogs had to pause was an area Jay imagined someone large enough would jump. It made enough sense to cause a shiver to run up his spine. At the edge of the dried river bed, Jay brought them to a stop at seeing a clear footprint in the soft dirt. “What do you make of this?”

  Both Arnold and Tony shook their heads after seeing the mark.

  “Jesus H Christ. Sorry boys, I don’t mean to curse, but this is somethin’ I ain’t never tracked before.” Arnold stood still except for his arms as they jerked with the hounds trying to pull him along.

  “You or me, brother. This ain’t nothing to make light of.” Tony’s earlier enthusiasm began to fade a few minutes before but after seeing the river bed they had to cross it completely disappeared. “I don’t think we’ll catch it tonight. Maybe if we had more men…”

  Jay nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. There’s nothing keeping it from doubling back on us or being in the next county by now. Let’s head back and start again tomorrow. You all right, Melvin?”

  Melvin stood off to the side while the others studied the tracks. He’d never been one to enjoy hunting or even the woods. Sure he liked to see them, which was why he rented his house where he did, but things were becoming too weird for him to deal with. It took him a moment to realize Jay said something to him. “Yeah. Sounds like it’d be best.” His eyes never left the line of trees across from their side of the riverbed. While he didn’t think anything was watching them, he couldn’t help but see the creature’s face everywhere he looked.

  “Alright then, let’s get back and figure out what we’re going to do tomorrow.” The group turned away from the riverbed and began to make their way back along the path they came. It took some effort on his part, but Arnold managed to heel the hounds and they followed reluctantly. It was the first time they hadn’t treed their prey and it didn’t sit well with them.

  Chapter 7

  For most of the night Jay did little more than stare at the ceiling above his bed and think about his decision to call off the hunt for the animal. As sure as he was about his decision, doubts continued to gnaw away at him. What if someone else was killed? What if they never found it? What if? What if? What if? No matter where he tried to turn his thoughts they always found their way back to a “What if?” scenario. The only thing he was certain of was he needed to see his grandfather again.

  After making sure Melvin was okay staying with Tony and Arnold was compensated for his trouble, he couldn’t stop himself from staring into the woods and feeling the bundle of hair in his breast pocket. It got to the point that he drove with his right hand in his pants pocket so it wouldn’t keep doing that. The hair had an unnatural draw to him, as did the animal.

  That was something he hadn’t noticed before, but after he arrived at Melvin’s he felt himself drawn to the woods and what he felt was watching him. But why? What made him so special? Not that he felt special, more tormented than anything else. The lone constant seemed to be his grandfather. Somehow, Jacob knew about the creature and how to fight it. The last part drew a curse from Jay. The last thing he needed was to be drawn into one of his grandfather’s good versus evil tales. Legends were just that, but then why did he feel vindicated when Arnold mentioned the animal being a bigfoot?

  By the time the early morning sun rose in the sky and its light pierced the curtains in his bedroom Jay had made up his mind. If he was going to be some hero from a tall tale, the least he could do was find out why he was the poor soul suckered into this game. What was the worst that could happen? He was crazy? He could live with that. At least that way everything would make sense.

  It didn’t take him long to get dressed and get on the road. During his drive, his mind went through a thousand different things he wanted to ask or say, but the one thing that bothered him above all else was, why did he want to follow the path he was being guided towards?

  Ten minutes later, Jay’s Jeep slid to a halt in a rainstorm of stones and dust in front of his grandfather’s home. The last time he was there, Edith called him on the radio to prod him into seeing the old man. This time, he was out of his car and halfway to the front door before he realized what he was doing.

  He’d felt intimidated by his grandfather throughout his entire life, but things were different now. People were in danger, the same people he was sworn to protect.

  “Winter Creek is your tribe now, and you will have the strength to do what you must when the time is right.”

  His grandfather’s words echoed in his mind as his hand paused above the door.

  How?

  Shaking off the question, he knocked three times before opening the door and stepping inside.

  Like the last time, the darkness of the interior caused him to
pause, but he was prepared for it and didn’t stop until he was kneeling next to his grandfather’s chair. After a night full of him thinking of what to say, all he could do was utter a single word, “Why?”

  Jacob remained unmoving in his chair, leaving his milky cataract-covered eyes gazing towards the dancing flames in the hearth. “There has always been one of us to carry on the tradition. Each of us is faced with something we fear before taking over as guardian.” He turned to face his grandson. “This is your test. Only in the strength of your heart can the power of our people live on.”

  Jay opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn’t find the words. Nothing Jacob said made sense to him, yet somehow he knew it to be true. “I… I don’t understand.”

  Jacob’s smile was warm and comforting as it played across his face. “Neither did I, but we must walk our paths alone. You are the beginning of the new way, the guardian of our people. Remember our past and draw strength from it.”

  Jay remained kneeling next to the old man as he turned to gaze unseeing back at the fire. Their conversation was over as quick as that and Jay still didn’t have the answers he needed. Perhaps his grandfather was right. No one could help him on his path. Accepting it as the truth and without any way to deny it, Jay knew where his path was leading. With a nod, he patted his grandfather’s arm and thanked him before turning and leaving the old man at peace in his home.

  Once outside, Jay looked towards the heavens and found himself asking for guidance and the strength to do what was needed. It was the first time he could remember asking the Great Spirit for help since he was young, but he felt confident he wasn’t as alone as his grandfather had implied. With a renewed determination, he climbed into his Jeep and pulled back onto the road. Where he needed to go didn’t feel as far away as he had feared.

  *****

  The beast lifted its head from its kill and stared into the sky. Following the events of the previous night, a strange calmness had come over him as he hid in the mountainous area to the west of the small town. His injuries had healed before he reached the safety of the old mines dotting the surface of the mountain, but he still held a vigil throughout the night. Experience had taught him that the hounds wouldn’t give up until they found him and the men would be with them.

  The hounds weren’t more than an annoyance, but the men brought weapons that caused pain. Over the years, the beast had learned to be wary of the men carrying the loud weapons. As hard as it tried, he couldn’t remember what they were called as it was erased from his memory along with everything else that was human. Everything except a few images and habits he refused to let go of. Had he still been a man, the beast may have wanted to befriend the men. There were others like him he encountered that were protective of the creatures. Such a thought never occurred to him as he only wanted to kill and destroy others when he saw them. It was his way.

  During his vigil, a large buck crossed in front of the cave he chose to hide in. The animal never stood a chance. The warm meat and blood felt good as the beast consumed it to quench its bloodlust. As before, the rage faded as did the pain it often brought with it. It was then he sensed the approach of another. It was the same creature that drew near to it the previous night and it brought a rumble from deep within its being.

  He used to know a name for what that creature was, but all it knew was man wasn’t the proper term. There was more to the familiar feeling than that. Like the others that came before, the beast would defend itself and destroy the dangerous creature. As if controlled by something else, the beast let out a deafening roar that shook the ground around it.

  Hiding was what the beast did when it didn’t want to be found. Now that there was a dangerous enemy coming for it, there was no point not to let its presence be known.

  Chapter 8

  Not sure why he chose the access road to the old mines, Jay pulled his Jeep off to the side of the road when he reached the “road closed” barricades. The mines used to be a hangout for the local teenagers before a few of them fell inside and were seriously injured. Thankful no one was killed, the townspeople decided to close the roads in hope future generations would abide by the law. Jay knew no one paid any attention to them as there were indents in the gravel shoulder where he came to a stop from the blockades being moved. At any other time he may have done something, but as it stood he had a much bigger problem to deal with.

  He heard the roar as soon as he shut off the engine and opened the door to get out. He let out a scoffing breath and grabbed the shotgun from its place between the seats.

  He thought about calling Melvin and the others to come with him, but he didn’t want to risk their lives. This was his fight and if he failed, well, he’d worry about that when the time came. With any luck, he’d be able to pick off the animal before things got too out of hand.

  As he made his way along the road towards where he was sure the roar had come from he began to wonder why he’d been so stupid to make this personal.

  I doubt I’ll get a shot off before that damned animal rips my head off and shits down my neck. What a fantastic way to leave my mark on the world. ‘Here lies an idiot. He died being stupid for following a feeling.

  While on his personal tirade, he closed the distance to the mine opening in a few minutes. Unsure of whether he had the right one, a large rock being hurled at him and striking a tree a couple of feet to his left answered his question. He didn’t pay attention to the following roar as he ducked behind a tree and gripped the shotgun.

  Sonofabitch!

  Jay pivoted to fire around the tree but another rock slamming into his hiding place changed his mind.

  He cursed his decision not to have the others with him while struggling to figure out what to do next. Maybe it was for the best he did come alone. At least it’d make it easier for the creature. A laugh at his joke escaped from him as a loud thud sounded a few feet on the other side of the tree. Knowing it wasn’t a rock, he spun and raised the shotgun to fire only to be greeted with a snarling ape-like face. Before he could pull the trigger, the beast grabbed the shotgun and twisted, throwing Jay twenty feet to the side and into a pile of rotting logs and brush.

  The beast held the shotgun in its left hand and looked at it in an attempt to understand what it was. After a moment of frustration at its failure, he slammed it against a large rock, breaking the stock and bending the barrel before deciding to keep hold of it. Furious and lost within his uncontrollable rage, the beast turned to face the man he knew to be something more.

  As soon as he landed, Jay felt something break. It took his a second to realize it wasn’t part of him, but the splintered wood knocked the air from his lungs and sent pain shooting through his body. A gurgling scream came as the pain threatened to overwhelm him. Knowing he failed, he managed to roll onto his side to face the bigfoot. He refused to die without looking into the beast’s eyes when it struck him. Seeing his shotgun destroyed and the animal’s hate-filled eyes settle on him did little to give him hope.

  “Come on, you fuck!” He didn’t know where the taunt came from, but it helped to steel his courage for what was to come. The bigfoot took a pair of steps towards him before stopping and taking one back. Not knowing what made the animal stop, Jay looked behind him but nothing was there. Another roar brought his attention back to the bigfoot.

  The few seconds the beast paused gave him time to regain some control over the pain coursing through him and he pushed himself to his knees before a coughing fit overcame him. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he knew he didn’t have long but something was different. The bigfoot still didn’t charge him, as if it was waiting for him to do something.

  “What are you waiting for? Come on! Don’t get soft on me now!” Jay knew what he said, but his voice came out more like a growl than words. He didn’t understand what was happening until he looked down at himself.

  After his landing, Jay’s right hand went right to the bundle of hair in his breast pocket and grasped it in a death grip. The hair disappe
ared as it was drawn into his body to begin the transformation. While he struggled to move, his body was shifting and growing with gray hair pushing its way through the pores of his skin. When he spit the mouthful of blood, he didn’t realize he did so from an elongated snout.

  By the time he realized what he was becoming the bigfoot lost its fear of him and charged with the broken shotgun in its hands. The beast brought the broken weapon down with both hands in an attempt to crush Jay’s skull, but a pair of furry hands caught the bigfoot by its wrists.

  The power coursing through Jay was something he never thought possible. Even the previously blurry movements of the bigfoot were slow compared to what he knew he could do.

  I’m a skin-walker! Damnit, Grandfather! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?

  Despite being distracted by his anger towards not being told about his ability, Jay caught the bigfoot’s wrists with ease. In a heartbeat, all the anger and frustration Jay felt from the scenes of the beast’s murders surged within him. Snarling his own challenge, he lifted the bigfoot’s hands above it before letting go with one clawed hand and swiped it across the bigfoot’s chest.

  Blood erupted from the wound and the bigfoot howled in pain, but Jay felt no pity as he struck again and again. After five strikes the bigfoot fell to the ground at his feet and began to change.

  To Jay’s horror, the bigfoot shrank in size until it was no bigger than a young teenage boy. The boy looked up at him with tear-filled eyes in the middle of a blood-covered face. After three centuries of being imprisoned as a beast, the boy uttered his final words. “Thank you.”

  *****

  The following days saw a sense of normalcy return to Winter Creek as stories about a mysterious creature terrorizing the townspeople spread like wildfire. To their credit, most of the townspeople refused to believe the tales but they weren’t above using them to make some coin from the occasional tourist hoping to find the mysterious Winter Creek Beast.