They Call Me Creature (11 page)

Wisps of black cloud snaked over the moon. The trees bent and swayed in a strong breeze.

What is going on out there? I asked myself.

I dressed quickly. Grabbed a flashlight. And tiptoed down the hall. I heard Dad snoring lightly as I passed his room.

I glanced at the kitchen clock as I headed to the back door. Nearly three
A.M.

Beaming the flashlight on the ground ahead of me, I crossed the back lawn and stepped into the woods. The moon kept appearing and then disappearing behind the rolling wisps of cloud. A heavy dew made everything sparkle like silver.

OWWWOOOOOOOOOOO.

I turned at the sound of the howl, my light sweeping over the trees. I stepped off the path and made my way toward the sound.

OWOOOOOOO.

So close. The sound was so close now.

The back of my neck prickled. I suddenly felt cold all over. My hand trembled, and I nearly dropped the flashlight.

I heard a door slam. I swept my light through the trees. It washed over the Jeep and trailer.

I sucked in my breath. Forced myself to stop shaking. I moved in closer.

Hiding behind a tree, I stole a glance into the driver's window. No one there. The Jeep was empty.

I heard a heavy
thud
, followed by another long, mournful howl. From inside the trailer.

I stepped closer, moving the light from side to side.

No one around.

The men must be out hunting other animals, I figured.

What did they have in there? It definitely wasn't a deer.

I'm going to find out, I decided. I'm not leaving until I finally find out.

OWOOOOOO
.

The howl grew even louder, more desperate. Did the creature know someone was out here?

My light swept over the back of the trailer until I found a long, silvery bolt on the back door.

I took a deep breath. Lowered the light. Reached for the bolt and tugged it hard.

It slid up easily, and the back doors began to swing open.

OWOOOOOOO
.

The long, sad howl greeted me, along with a sour smell.

I raised the light. Aimed it into the trailer, focusing on the animal tied up, sitting on the floor.

I opened my mouth to scream—but no sound came out.

Was it an animal?
Was
it a real, living creature?

“Ohhhhhh.” A horrified moan escaped my throat. The flashlight jiggled in my hand. I gripped it in two hands to hold it steady.

And stared …

Stared in shock and amazement at the ugly creature gazing back at me. Its body was huge, and piglike. But it had human arms and legs. It's skin was creamy colored but lined and leathery.

And its face …

I raised the flashlight, and the light trembled over its face. Its face … so ugly … so strange….

A pig's face. Round and bald. A snout and two long teeth curling out over its chin. Pointed pig ears. But its eyes—they were human eyes … and they looked so sad.

It opened its snout and howled again. It pulled and strained against the thick ropes that held it down.

Staring at me with those sad, watery eyes as if pleading, it shoved its massive body against the wall of the trailer.

Shoved it again. Again. Its fat body shook like Jell-O.

“No,” I whispered. “No.”

I lowered the light and backed away. I reached for the door handle. I trained my light on the creature for one more look. I shuddered.

Part pig. Part human. Did my father create this beast? Is this what he was doing in secret?

Dr. Carpenter had told the truth, I realized. Dad was doing his own research. His own terrifying experiments.

I shoved the door shut. I was reaching for the bolt when I heard voices.

I spun around and saw two men step out of the trees. The same men I had met before.

Circles of light swept the ground in front of them. Then they both raised their lights to my face. They uttered angry, surprised cries.

I raised my hands to shield my eyes.

“Did she see it? Did she?” the bald one asked.

“Yes,” his partner replied.

The bald one let out a low growl. “Grab her,” he ordered. “Don't let her get away.”

 

The flashlight fell from my hand. I spun away from the lights in my face.

“She saw too much,” one of them said. “Don't let her escape.”

I started to run.

OWOOOOOOO
. The creature in the trailer howled and heaved himself against its side, making the trailer bounce.

I glanced back to see the two men coming after me. Their lights danced on the ground as they ran.

I ducked my head beneath a low tree branch and dived into a clump of tall weeds. I forced myself to run faster, their angry cries ringing in my ears. So close … they were so close behind me.

I can't outrun them, I realized. And I can't see well enough to find a good place to hide.

My feet slid out from under me on a wet patch of mud. I fell hard, landing on my back.

I heard one of the men laugh. The beams from their flashlights swept over me.

I forced myself to my feet. Grabbed a fallen tree branch—and heaved it at them blindly.

I heard it thud to the ground.

The men were silent now, running after me. Closing in.

My side ached. My back throbbed from my fall.

They're going to catch me, I realized. I can't let them. I have to get to Dr. Carpenter. I have to tell her about the pig creature. If I can get to her, maybe we can stop Dad. Together we can stop him.

I scrambled over a low mound of flat stones. Then ducked into a string of tall evergreen trees.

“Where is she?” I heard one of the men ask. “Stop running! We just want to
talk
to you!”

Liar.

I huddled in the dark safety of a broad evergreen tree. But a few seconds later I heard their footsteps crunching closer.

I lowered my head and darted into a wide clearing.

A mistake. A terrible mistake. Now I had nowhere to hide.

“There she is!” I heard one of the men say. “I've got her now.”

I saw their lights moving on the other side of the evergreens.

I started to run across the tall grass. But I stumbled over something. Something big and soft.

I bent down to see what it was.

“Ohhhhh.” I groaned as I realized I was leaning over the dead deer. The ripped open, half-eaten deer.

The smell of rotting flesh rose up to my nostrils, sickening me.

The torn skin hung loosely over the remaining bones.

I looked up and saw the lights moving. The men were running toward me, pushing their way through the evergreen trees.

In seconds they would see me.

Where could I hide? No trees or rocks or shrubs in the clearing. How could I hide?

I took a deep breath.

I grabbed a flap of the deer's skin. I tugged it up. It felt heavy and wet in my hands.

The sour smell washed over me. I held my breath to keep from puking.

I pulled the skin flap up as far as it would go.

And I climbed inside the deer.

 

The wet deer skin flapped against my body. As I hunched down, the putrid guts squished against the knees of my jeans. Bones jabbed me in the side.

I pulled the skin tighter around me, but it was slippery and I had trouble gripping it.

Flies buzzed above me. I could feel the moist guts seeping into my clothes.

I shut my eyes and held on tight, covered by the deer skin. The back of my neck itched, but I couldn't scratch it. Something wet and gloppy fell onto my forehead.

I realized I'd been holding my breath the whole time. My chest felt about to burst. I had to breathe. The thick, sour odor made me want to scream. My stomach heaved.

I'm inside a dead deer, I thought. My whole body started to shake. Inside a dead deer …

Above me I heard the crunch of footsteps. Voices.

“Where is she? How did we lose her?”

“She didn't go far.”

I struggled to calm my stomach. I tried not to breathe in the foul smell. But I couldn't hold my breath any longer. I took in a small gulp of air—and threw up.

“Ooooo,” I let out a sick moan.

The sound of the footsteps came closer. I felt a hard
thud
and realized one of the men had kicked the deer corpse.

I clamped my mouth shut to keep from crying out.

“This deer looks like it was hit by a truck.”

“What a stink. Did you forget your deodorant today?”

They both laughed.

“This deer wasn't killed by a normal animal,” I heard one of them say. “Do you think our friend is nearby?”

“I wouldn't be surprised. He sure gets hungry, doesn't he?”

“Well, he
is
a pig! Ha ha!”

“We'll find him soon if he leaves us a trail like this.”

I shivered under the disgusting blanket of rancid skin and fur. My whole body itched. My clothes were wet with deer guts. Wet from my own vomit. A new wave of nausea washed over me.

If only they would move on and let me get out of here.

But no. I heard more muttering. Then footsteps. Calls of hello.

Someone else had joined them. I struggled to hear their words. But they had moved farther away.

And then I heard a voice clearly. “Why did you call me?”

I gasped. The deer skin slipped from my hands. I grabbed it back. Struggled to remain silent.

The voice. I recognized it. I recognized it so well.

MY DAD.

Should I get up? Should I climb out of the deer corpse and run to my dad? He may be crazy, I thought. But he isn't going to let these men harm his own daughter!

I started to pull back the deer skin, but stopped when Dad spoke. “Why did you call me? What's the problem?” he asked.

“It's your daughter,” one of the men said.

“Laura? She was here?”

“She opened the trailer. She saw it. She saw the creature.”

“Oh, no,” Dad moaned. “Why didn't you stop her?”

“We tried. But she gave us the slip. So we called you.”

“She didn't go far,” the other man said.

“Well, let's find her!” my dad cried. He sounded very angry. “Get her—before she ruins everything!”

 

My own dad!

I froze, gripped with horror.

My own dad wanted to catch me now. He really is crazy, I thought. He really is a monster!

I heard their voices fade as they walked away. “Split up,” Dad said. “We'll find her by morning.”

Then … silence.

I didn't move.

I shut my eyes and tried to think.

I couldn't go home. Where could I go?

My own dad … my own dad …

I had to go somewhere. I had to find help.

I pulled myself slowly out of the deer corpse. My clothes were wet and stained. I tried to wipe the thick, smelly guts off my arms, off my forehead. I pulled a disgusting glob out of my hair.

Up ahead, I heard one of the men cough. I turned away quickly and hurried off in the other direction. My legs felt stiff. My back ached. Every time I breathed, I inhaled that disgusting odor.