Devil's Elbow

Act II: Chapter 7

As he ran from his hunters, Seth stopped at a cliff edge, which was met with a steep hillside.

“Well, s**t…” He panted before planning on running back until he was met by his two chasers; wolves.

Looking back at the hill and at his soon-to-be attackers, Seth began to quickly assess his situation in which his odds were better off. On one hand, there was a very steep hill that could kill him if he were to hit one of the pine trees. On the other hand, he could square off with the two wolves with his knife and hope to survive.

Better off with a fate I can control…

He pulled out his Tom Brown and got ready for a fight as the wolves circled him, the smaller gray one moving closer than its larger all-black partner.

“Well, I don’t have all night, c’mon!” He challenged.

Both snapped and barked before the smaller wolf leapt aiming for his neck. He blocked it in just enough time with his free arm, bearing the pain of the bite as it shoved him down to the dirt. His partner then seized the opportunity and bit into his calf muscle, making him shout in a jolt of pain.

Not being distracted by the jolt, he began continuously stabbing the small wolf until it finally whined and went limp. He then pulled his bitten leg up and stabbed the other wolf in its eye, making it finally back off in pain and growling, blood dripping from its socket.

Pushing the wolf off his body, he stood, now limping and grinned at the wolf, showing he wouldn’t back down.

“C’mon you big bastard. Come to Daddy.” He taunted and the wolf lunged again, knocking the two down the cliff, Seth’s shout vanishing in the mist.

Back at the hut, Shani looked out the window into the fog until Mica touched his wrist. “You’re worried?”

“First Cole, now Seth… I just hope he made it.” He said. Mica pecked his cheek. “Seth’s a survivor, Shani. Don’t worry.” She smiled, holding his hand. He tried to smile and looked back as Gavri treated Vincent’s bite wound.

“Still wondering why you didn’t shoot Vince,” Shani smirked.

“Sorry but I am saving these bullets for whatever came after Cole. Bigger problem first- damn!” He said as Gavri tightly wrapped the cloth around the wound.

“Don't be a baby.” She smiled, shaking her head before letting go of the cloth. “Should be better now.”

“Thanks.” He grunted and tried to stand, to which Kodi helped him up before looking at the gang.

“Think those wolves are gone?” Kodi asked.

“For now at least,” Shani said, shaking his head with a sigh. “Let’s barricade the door.” He said and went to the couch in the hut. With help from Kodi, they both hefted it and got it in front of the door.

“Guys!” Gavri shouted, making them turn and see the same little girl standing before them.

“Ah s**t… Like we don’t have enough problems!” Kodi complained.

“Guys, lower the weapons. I doubt she is here to kill us, especially when she could have done that in the forest.” Gavri said.

“Oh c’mon! You cannot seriously think that about Gav,” he said, not lowering his hatchet.

“Shani,” She looked at Shani, who looked at her, then at the girl, the same girl from the forest, who looked afraid. He couldn’t argue with Gavri on that note. If this was the same thing that took Cole, he doubted it would bother to play nice.

“Dammit… lower the weapons guys…” He told them and the gang each lowered their weapons, Kodi being slower than the rest.

Gavri then smiled and kneeled at the girl. “Hi, I’m Gavri. What’s your name?” She asked kindly.

“K… Krista.” The girl said bashfully.

“Krista, that’s a pretty name for a girl. Krista, these are my friends, Mica, Kodi, and Vincent. This one is Shani,” She said as Shani knelt beside them.

“Your… brother?” Krista asked, making the two smile.

“Not in the traditional sense, but yes, she is like a sister to me.” He chuckled. The girl smiled at the friendliness the two showed her.

“I have a brother… Liam.”

“Really? Where is he now?” Gavriella asked her and the girl looked sad. “Not… here…” She said and it made Shani frown as he moved to touch her but he didn't make contact, freaking out the gang.

“You… are dead aren’t you?” He asked, realizing.

She nodded. “Your friend didn't know. I tried to warn him…”

“Our friend?” Shani asked.

“The one with short spiky hair, and big arms.” She said, making the two freeze.

“Cole…” Shani said as Gavri looked down.

“I tried to warn him. That it would see…” She said, making everyone look at her.

“That what would see? Krista, you can tell us.” Shani said softly. The girl looked at each of them and walked down the hall.

“Think… she wants us to follow.” Shani said and everyone gave glances at each other before walking forward slowly one by one. When they reached the room, Shani found a journal on the floor. Written was a word Mica couldn’t tell as she picked it up. “Property of.. Lim?”

It dawned upon Shani as he recognized the name. “Liam,” He said, and held his hand out for it. “Anybody got a light?” He asked, given a flashlight by Gavri out of her bag.

“What does it say?” Vince asked, limping forward.

“It says something about…”

May 15th 1986

We just got to the hut. Mom and Dad said this would be the camping spot for the night. Krista jumped when I told her wolves were in the forest! The expression she had was priceless!

“Sounds like Liam was a joker.” Mica smirked.

“Sounds familiar.” Shani said before he frowned. “Oh boy... “

“What? See something Shani?” Mica asked and froze at the next set of entries.

May 16th, 1986

The day has passed and it is still dark. Dad says it’s a seasonal thing but… I dunno. Mom has been trying to get us to stop worrying, but Krista wouldn’t stop crying. I had to hold her as the wolves howled. I’m not going to let anything kill my sister. Still… I can’t help but feel like I saw something, watching us with a grin from the trees…

May 16th, 1986

The voices are talking now… Like a gnawing in the back of my head… telling me to kill my parents… to kill Krista! But I won’t. Krista says she saw something as well. A monster, telling her she would never escape. That she would die..! But I won’t let it… I WON’T!

May 20th…

I am not sure how long I can finish writing… I killed them… killed my parents… the monster, the shadow, or whatever it is, it made me choose… them or Krista..! Krista, Krista, Krista! I couldn’t... I just… Father said to kill him… used the ax… it made me chop him apart… die slowly… God… I can hear their screams, mom’s pleas to stop, the darkness, laughter… all of it… just over and over like Dad’s old records… Krista says nothing now… won’t even come near me…

Not gonna even bother writing the day here… no point… this will be the last… It was fun… the memories… the spa, the laughs… all feel so distant now… It killed her… No actually… I did… In the end, even when I took my family… The loneliness and blame that Krista gave… it drove me mad… the dark used my rage… made me kill her before I could… before… I’m alone… beginning to fade away… It toys with you, no matter what don’t play by its rules… you may as well kill yourself or yourselves… won’t be long now… I can hear it stalking me… It’s here.

As he finished reading and dropped the book, Shani couldn’t find the words for what he read aloud.

His own family…

Whatever was causing the fog, the night, was hunting them down.

“Now you know the Curse…” Krista said hauntingly before the gang.

Shani looked at them. “What… What were the voices, Krista?”

“I don’t know. But it changes forms to what it feels we fear. It made my brother afraid, my family… made him kill and broke him. Said I could not be broken by its hands, that I was too pure for it to corrupt… so it corrupted him. Made him kill me, and then it ate him…” She said in tears. All Shani and Gavri wanted to do was hug the haunted girl.

“Wait, can this thing even be killed?” Vincent asked her and her headshake answer left them sickened.

“Your weapons would only slow it. But this monster, this Entity as it called itself… It cannot be killed by normal means.” She said with an apologetic look.

“Great, so we’re fucked.” Kodi scoffed.

“No Kodi, there is always a way to kill something. Just need to find it.” Shani said.

“Look bro, hate to be the bearer of bad news but this thing is unkillable like Freddy f*****g Krueger! Thing is, it ain’t in no dream!”

“Kodi calm down, will you-”

“Oh f**k off Mica! Or better yet go f**k Shani here-” he said, not even noticing the fist that Shani punched him in his jaw with, making him fall back.

“I thought I told you not to talk about her like that, you sonuvabitch!” He growled, punching him again and again before Vincent pulled him off. “Shani, you are gonna kill him!”

Shani paused and, coming back to his senses, looked at Kodi sprawled with coughing blood as he tried standing.

My God… I did that..?

“This is how it started... how it always began… this place, Devil’s Elbow, brings out the worst in people. It made my brother say things... do things he would never do… if you succumb, it will do the same to you as well.” Krista said, holding her hands together as Shani helped Kodi up.

“Kodi I’m…” Shani could barely say the words as he helped his best friend up. Kodi shook his head and sighed.

“Can’t say I didn't deserve an ass whooping. Always enjoyed beating some sense into people, huh brother? First Cole, now me too.”

Shani smiled, punching his brother's arm. Gavriella smiled, glad that Shani still remembered his camaraderie and looked at Krista. “Okay Krista… how do we stop it?”

“I… don't know. No one ever-” She paused and froze with fearful eyes.

“Krista?” Shani said, walking up to the spirit.

“It's here…” She said, afraid.

“The Entity?!” Kodi said as everyone grabbed a weapon.

“Where Krista?” Shani asked, machete in hand, her answer leaving a dark dread on their shoulders.

“The door behind you…”