The Mourning Woods - 03 (54 page)

Sophie stepped forward on instinct alone, but before she could reach her downed husband, his cries became a thick gurgle. There came the sound of something wet being torn and then a warm liquid splashed across Sophie's face. In the space of an instant she came to two realizations: what had hit her was blood - her husband’s, and the thing that was tearing into John was like nothing she had ever seen.

Her mind had just enough time to register the thick bumpy hide, almost like scales, across its back. Then her nerve broke. Without another thought, Sophie turned and fled, screaming through the forest.

A cry followed her, a heavy bellowing...almost human in its quality; however, that must have been her imagination. Whatever was out there wasn't human, not even close. Then another thought hit her, one that caused her to slow down ever so slightly. What if the cry had come from John? What if he was still alive, screaming out for her help...help that wasn't coming?

Tears came to her eyes, but still she ran. Whatever it was that had attacked him, she knew in her heart that she would be ineffective against it. It had been larger than her husband and obviously far more powerful. Her panicked mind assured her that there was nothing she could have done to help him. Disgust and sorrow welled up in her simultaneously at that thought. It threatened to bring her to her knees, but still she somehow ran on. The fear was too strong to let her stop.
Besides
, a voice in the back of her head told her,
at least this way there might be a chance
. If she could make it back to the car, she could go get help, she could...

Sophie realized too late she had no idea if she was even fleeing in the right direction. For all she knew she was racing even deeper into the seemingly endless forest that surrounded her. Suddenly she was certain she had been right earlier. Atlantic City
was
a world away, a world that she and her husband would never see again.

She tried to push that thought away and concentrate on running. The direction really didn’t even matter. Getting hopelessly lost was better than just standing there. Better than letting that thing catch her.

Her mind was still aflutter with these thoughts when she suddenly spied a break in the trees up ahead. She ran into a small clearing and almost immediately felt a faint glimmer of hope. Standing in the middle, facing away from her, was what appeared to be a person. She had made the right choice after all! There was still a chance. If he was armed or had friends nearby, maybe they could still save John.

"Please!" she cried out, racing toward the figure. "Please! I need help. My husband..."

The figure turned to face her. She slid to a halt, the words dying in her throat.

Sophie had thought it to be a person.

She was wrong.

Devil Hunters

Coming 2013!