Storymania - 3 Days In Gravewood by Richard W McLin

3 Days In Gravewood
Richard W McLin

Day 1

The horse rode into town and riding him was a man without a soul. Looking into his eyes was almost impossible for his dusty hat cast an evil shadow over his eyes. His face was covered with sharp black stubble with a cigar poking out of his mouth. The smell oozing from his sand covered body was the type that only came from those that were damned, banished, or worse.
He rode into Gravewood around ten in the morning, and he knew exactly where to go. Not many people paid him much attention, for he was not the only evil in the town, or the worse. He rode to Ousberg Stables, which was to be his first stop. A fat bald man stepped out of the livery with a posse of flies for company. Dried chewing tobacco clung to his putrid yellow teeth, and his breath probably had the ability to remove paint.
“What you want stranger?” he asked drunkenly
“Are you Ousberg?”
The fat man nodded that he was in fact Ousberg.
“A dollar a day for the horse, and five dollars for the initial fee.”
The stranger instantly hated this man, and deep down hoped he was one of the men he was searching for. That way he would have the great honor of killing the dirty son of a bitch. He pulled some money out and tossed to the fat man’s feet. Ousberg grabbed the reins and lead the horse into the stables.
The stranger looked to his right and noticed the Gravewood cemetery, and that was to be his next stop. He walked down the dusty road towards his destination. He could feel the cries of the dead calling for him to join them, but he did not plan to, at least not today. It did not take him long to find the marker he was looking for. All it said was one name no last just his first and that was simply “Clavius”. He never thought his brother would meet his end so soon. Only at the age of thirty, and in a shithole like this.
“I’m here Clavius; I’ll kill them good, the ones that did this to you.”
He placed his hand on the cold ground. A dark cloud passed over the graveyard and he could feel the ground begin to move. In a burst of dirt and ash a body came from the earth that was not dead, but no longer alive. The man recognized the moving corpse instantly.
“Clavius, is that you?”
Skin was hanging from his crocked jaw. He could see all manner of bugs eating and living inside of his deceased brother. His rotting skull had become some sort of hotel for the insects.
“It is I brother. I don’t have much time. I need to give you something.”
His boney fingers were as cold as ice. Clavius handed him a black piece of cloth, and then began to crawl back into the ground.
“Who did it, who killed you brother?” He asked reaching out to the dead.
With his one remaining eye, Clavius looked at his brother straight and spoke to him one last time.
“Not who brother, what.” and disappeared into his eternal resting place.
The dark cloth lay in his hand and the ground ceased to vibrate. The dark clouds began to disperse. As the sun once again shined on the sandy town of Gravewood his brother’s grave returned to its natural state. He slowly unwrapped the dark cloth, and inside were two objects. One was a piece of paper which had a map of the town and a red X on the Dennimore Hotel, and a word which was also red and it simply read “EVIL”, and the second object was a tooth. The tooth was very sharp and the same size and thickness as a grownups thumb.
It was noon when he made his way to the Dennimore Hotel. It was three stories tall and the most eloquent building in town. Something that struck him as strange was that all the windows were covered by crimson red curtains, which appeared to be very thick. Another thing that was strange was how this building was out in the middle of a deserted town, and it didn’t appear to have one ounce of sand on it.
He walked up and stepped through the door. The interior of the hotel was beautiful. It was all red and black. Everything appeared to be covered in silk, except the windows which were covered in the thick curtains, which were made of velvet. Large chandeliers clung to the ceiling to light the place. Tables for cards games were in great shape and were being played on right now. He walked up to the man tending the bar.
“May I help you sir?”
“I want a room.” He responded
“Follow me sir.”
He followed the pale receptionist. He led him to a podium with a book on it. He dipped his pen in ink.
“Name sir?”
“My name is Gideon Odekirk.”
Something awoke in the pale man and he looked up at Gideon with shifty eyes.
“That is a well known name in these parts.”
“Probably because of my brother, Clavius, he was a gambler who came down to this town. He wrote me saying what a great place this town was. He was killed here a few days ago.”
“My apologizes sir, I didn’t mean to conjure up painful memories. We shall give you the room your bother previously occupied. Would that be satisfactory?”
Gideon could hear something in the pale mans voice, but for the life of him could not figure out what it was.
“That would do fine. Do you know of anyone here of in town that knew my brother?”
The pale man shook his head negatively. He then handed Gideon a letter.
“This was the last piece of correspondence your bother received.”
The name on the correspondence was “Bethany” and the address was of the bordello across from the local grocery. He knew that his brother was fond of the whores, but he would have never allowed them to send him letters, unless it was important, or he was in love.
It did not take long for him to find Nichols Bordello. This building had nothing on the hotel. It was missing most of the stairs and this sign was about ready to fall off the building entirely. Gideon walked in and almost walked on two people having sex. They were everywhere, and this surprised Gideon, this was the most revolting whorehouse he had ever been in by far.
An old woman maneuvered over to him and smiled with a gnarly toothless grin. He could see traces of dried cum on the corners of her mouth. She must be too old to fuck, but with no teeth they had a few dirty jobs left open to her.
“Welcome, I’m Madam Olivia Nichols. What be your pleasure?”
It was hard for Gideon to concentrate on what he needed with the smell of shit, sweat and sex hanging in the air.
“I’m looking for a whore named Bethany. Is she available?”
The old woman looked around, and then turned her attention back towards Gideon.
“Bethany is very special. She is really only to work for more rich like folk. You don’t appear to be rich.”
“Appearances can be deceiving. Tell her its Gideon Odekirk; I believe she will see me.”
The name made Nichols jump. He could spot beads of non-sexually induced sweat sliding down the wrinkles of her well used face. Her eyes began to blink erratically.
“I’m most sorry about your brother, good customer. Of course you can see Bethany. She is in room B-13.”
He placed a gold coin in her hand and made his way up to B-13. The whole time he was walking he noticed that the building was starting to improve. There was no fucking on the ground, and the walls and stairs were all first rate. He opened up the letter and read before going into the room.

Clavius

They know you were at the caves. I think Carson was the one. LEAVE NOW.
Bethany with Love

He didn’t’ know about any caves, or about anyone named Carson, but hopefully he would know about both as soon as he opened the door. Sounds of orgies and other deviant sexual behavior could be heard in the hall, but Gideon was just glad that it was not taking place in the hall like downstairs. He took a deep breath and opened the door to B-13.
“Who’s there?” came a soft voice from another room
“Gideon Odekirk. You knew my brother, Clavius.”
He heard something drop and break. Footsteps in a hurry ran to him, and then nothing. This lasted about two minutes. Gideon assumed she was fixing herself up and trying to make herself calm and composed. Then the door opened and out from the other room she emerged. She was tall with red hair, she had blue eyes and what appeared to be very smooth skin, she was wearing a pink robe which was showing just the right amount of her breasts. She was without a doubt the best looking thing in Gravewood.
She walked over to him and reached behind him. He slowly turned his head to see what she was doing. A click sounded off and told him that she was just locking the door. She them undid her robe and allowed it to fall to the ground. Gideon was instantly aroused. Her right hand moved down to his crotch and she began to rub him off over his pants. Gideon picked her up and carried her to her bed. He then removed his clothing and lay with her. She climbed on top of him and guided him inside of her. She was warm and smelled sweet.
Her hips went to work. She moved him in deeper and deeper. He loved the way she licked her lips every time he moved in. They both climaxed at the same time. She got off of him and left the bed. She put her robe back on, and began to make some coffee; he decided to have a cigar.
“Why did you do that?” He asked
She handed him a cup of coffee, and took a drink of hers.
“Madame Nichols would have known if you didn’t have sex with me, by your smell. If we didn’t fuck that would have raised suspicion in her mind. That is something we don’t need, trust me.”
“Did my brother?”
“Did your bother what? Trust me or just fuck me? The answer would be both, but our relationship was different.”
He took another puff of his cigar. He never knew his brother to trust a whore with anything, but even he could tell that this one was different. There was something about her that made you feel that this is not where she belonged. Some women should be whores and others shouldn’t. His bother had said that before.
“How was it different?”
“He did not think of me as a whore. He treated me with manners. I stopped taking money from him after six months. I was in love with your brother, and I like to think he was in love with me. He said he was.”
Gideon got out of bed and got dressed. He pulled the letter out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“What were you saying in this letter?”
He watched as her large breasts heaved up and down. She was breathing deeply, and now new she did indeed love Clavius.
“He checked out some caves that lay some miles outside of town. Some people found out and killed him. Carson is a fortune teller down at the Dennimore. She is very good, and she also works for those that killed your brother.”
She gave him the note back. He put it back in his pocket and took the final drag from his cigar. She seemed to be calming down, but this all had to be hard on her.
“Who had my brother murdered?”
She wiped the tears from her eyes. She then turned away from Gideon as if ashamed.
“I can’t tell you. It is something you have to see for yourself. Watch the town square around midnight. You should see something that will give you some idea what you’re up against.”
“Thank you, I have one more question. It may seem strange but I would still like an honest answer.”
“What is it?” she asked sighing
He thought back to the graveyard and what his brother had told him,
Not who brother, what
“The people that killed my brother, were they human?”
The only response he received was a quiet sort of laughter. She told him to watch the town square, and then she left the room.

Night 1

Sleep would not come easy for Gideon. The temptation was put in place by Bethany, his brothers enchanting whore. Her words continued to parade in his mind.
Look at the town square around midnight, that should give you some idea what you’re up against.
He lit a near by candle and approached the window. As he looked out he could see nothing but empty streets. Something seemed off about it, and he didn’t like it, but that is when it all started.
Far off behind Ousberg’s Stable he could see a light moving closer to the square. He blew out his candle and kept watching. It was a group of about sixty. They looked like regular people except they were all really excited. In the middle of the group were two men. They were tied up and looked to be some type of prisoners. So Gideon assumed that this must be a lynch mob. They made it to the town square, and someone began to speak.
“Here you stand guilty of trespassing on private property. How do you plead?”
“We didn’t know, there were no signs, we needed to stop and had no money for the hotel, caves look as good as anyplace.” Cried one of the prisoners
Gideon could not figure out why a lynch mob would be after a couple of trespassers. Then he remembered that the whiney one mentioned caves; could they be the same caves that Clavius was murdered over?
“No excuses please Mr. Williams, guilty you are. Now you shall be punished to the full extent of the law.” judged the unseen man
Then a man Gideon recognized as the smelly bastard Ousberg stepped up and shouted, “DEATH, THAT’S WHAT THE FUCKERS DESERVE!”
“I agree Mr. Ousberg, but who shall receive these two sinners? Who received the last one?”
A man Gideon hadn’t seen yet raised his hand.
“Yes Mr. Vincent, who was it?”
Mr. Vincent was an older man, and very tall. He also wore a sheriff’s badge on his vest.
“I believe it was the Moon-Cats my lord, these two are ours.”
The unseen man must have looked at Ousberg because he addressed him next.
“Is this true Ousberg?”
Ousberg’s excitement began to die down a bit. He did not look as happy as he did just moments before.
“It’s true. These two do indeed belong to the blood seekers.”
The unseen man finally stepped up into the light. He was a very tall man he was as pale as the hotel clerk, but not as ugly. He had long black hair and a dark beard. He put his hand on Ousberg’s shoulder.
“I admire your honesty Ousberg. I shall split the two. Moon-Cats get the smaller one, and we blood seekers get Mr. Williams here. Now the Moon-Cats that took part in what happened to Mr. Odekirk do not get to partake in this one so they have to go home, you know who you are. I have drawn up the lottery to see what five Moon-Cats and five Blood-Seekers get to enjoy tonight’s delicacies, and they are.
He read off some names but Gideon missed them, he was still stunned after hearing mention of his brother.
“Is this how you died Clavius, by the hand of some strange cult?” Gideon pondered
A howl poured from the street and shook Gideon from his thoughts. Gideon looked back down to see something that not only scared him to his very core, but something he could only describe as horrific.
There were five men standing in front of the smaller, and by far weaker of the two prisoners. It appeared that the men were starting to have some sort of attack. Their bodies were shaking and it appeared that they were all in great pain. A loud liquid-like ripping sound sliced through the night and the backs of the five men’s shirts began to soak in their own blood.
Gideon watched as hair protruded from the blood, and the clothing was completely torn away. Their faces were changing as well. Their noses and mouths seem to push themselves outwards to form some sort of dog-like features. Gideon had never believed in the supernatural before, but with his brother’s corpse speaking to him and now all of this, he realized he was looking at five werewolves, and they were getting ready to feed.
“What the hell is this?” Cried Mr. Williams
The smaller prisoner who was now looking at his five executioners was too stunned to speak. His pants began to ooze with urine, and all he could muster was some whimpers.
One of the werewolves, or Moon-Cats as they called them moved over closer to the little one. It lifted its claw into the moon light so both the soon to be deceased, and Gideon could see it. Then it proceeded to slash through the man’s stomach. Blood and innards spewed down to the sandy ground. The man let out a blood curdling sound as he fell to the ground and tried to scoop himself up. The Moon-Cats just laughed at his feeble attempts to put himself back together. Then all five pounced on him and began to eat.
Gideon watched as the man’s legs were torn off and fed on all while he was still barely alive. The original Moon-Cat decided to bite through the man’s neck, and he died in a bloody mess. After about twenty minutes they were done, but what was left was not recognizable as once being human.
The Moon-Cats had chunks of human flesh hanging from their blood soaked mouths. The tall pale man began applauding. As he smiled Gideon noticed two sharp teeth in his mouth.
“Very good my friends, now it is our turn to feast.”
The pale mans eyes turned an eerie shade of red, similar to the curtains in the hotel, and he leaped into the air and onto Mr. Williams.
“NO, PLEASE GOD NO!”
“God,” the pale man mocked in a demonic like voice, “You god does not exist here.”
Others began moving closer to Mr. Williams, but something even stranger was about to occur. A single gunshot rang out through the night and disturbed the Blood-Seekers hunt.
“Who dares disturb our pleasure?” Cried the pale man
A figure clad all in white stood on top of the livery with a large rifle. The figure aimed it towards the group of unearthly creatures.
“Your human weapons are nothing. Take your best shot mortal.” Insulted the pale man angrily
Gideon watched as the white clad mystery guest raised their rifle and shot straight at the pale man. The bullet went right through him and punctured the heart of Mr. Williams. The pale man tossed the lifeless body to the ground and looked up at his meals assassin, but they were already gone. The group began to dissipate and they did not look happy. Gideon closed his curtains and went to bed. He thought that the white figure had a very feminine body structure, and he knew who it was, he never mistakes someone he has fucked. As he closed his eyes he heard his brother’s voice before he slept.
Not who brother, what

Day Two

It felt to Gideon as if he awoke in hell. With the windows still open from the previous night the sun poured through and covered Gideon in its hot rays.
It was about eleven in the morning when Gideon got up and went to the diner downstairs. The waitress was a skinny old woman.
“What can I get you son?”
As Gideon looked around he felt as if he were back in the Graveyard. Flies flew around some customers as they chewed their pink meat. He stared as a forty year old man who actually appeared to be sixty let a fly land on his meat, and then he ate it.
“Just some water, thanks.”
She smiled a large toothless smile and walked away. He was starting to wonder why all the old women had no teeth.
“Hey lover, is this seat taken?” came a soft angelic voice
He turned to see Bethany behind him in an emerald green dress, which was also showing a proper amount of cleavage. She kissed his neck and laid a hat box on the table.
“I hope to see you later.” She said as she gave him a quick wink, and walked away.
As Bethany left, the old woman came back with Gideon’s water.
“She is such a lovely young thing.”
Gideon nodded in agreement.
“Yes, she sure is.”
“It’s such a shame she is a filthy whore.” The old woman replied handing him his water.
He took it and thanked her again. He waited till she was gone before he opened the hat box. As he opened it he found he wasn’t surprised to discover a bright white hat. He instantly recognized it from the mystery marksman from last night. He lifted it out and there was a note under it that simply read,

Nothing is what it seems, Bethany ♥

“Mighty nice hat there stranger.”
Gideon turned to see the pasty Blood-Seeker from last night. He helped himself to the seat across from Gideon.
“Thank you, it was a gift.”
As the man stared, Gideon used water condensation from the water to smear Bethany’s name from the note. Better they don’t know that she is involved.
“Whose it from, if you don’t mind me asking?” the pale man inquired
“Don’t you think you should introduce yourself before we have a conversation? Maybe that way you won’t appear to such a jack-ass.”
The pale man smiled with this, and Gideon noticed two very sharp incisors.
“My name is Damien Kaine. I’m the religious leader of these parts. Does your soul need saving?”
“I think I should wait till I’m finished sinning, don’t you.” Gideon replied
Damien nodded as he ran one of he long nails across the table top.
“So, now that we have introduced ourselves, oh, now I don’t believe I received the pleasure of hearing your name.”
Gideon felt nothing but disgust and hatred for this man, this demon. All he wanted to do was kill the abomination, and send it back to hell, but not now.
“My name is Gideon Odekirk.”
The smile vanished quickly. A red tint glazed over his eyes. His nails began to dig into the oak of the table.
“Your brother is known here. Who would have thought that the bastard had a brother? I just wish I could have saved his heathen soul.”
Gideon’s hand found its way to his pistol, but he knew that now was still not the time, and that this creature was just testing him.
“Who would have thought that the religious leader of Gravewood was a blood sucking freak?” Gideon retorted
Damien nodded in amusement.
“Bravo, though I know you were not the white angelic shooter who disturbed my ritual.”
Gideon stood up and picked up the hat box. Without a word he smiled and walked away from Damien. He could feel many eyes covering him like flies on a corpse. He put the note in his pocket and threw the hatbox into a miner camps fire. He decided today was the day to go and investigate the caves.

A FEW HOURS LATER

It took him all afternoon to find Carson. She owned a shitty farm ten miles outside of town. She lived alone and had three farmhands that lived in another building on her land. Gideon spotted them, and realized that if attacked, the farmhands would be easy to take care of. He had yet to actually see Carson, but people spoke well of her, but if Bethany’s note was correct then it was Carson that betrayed Clavius, and therefore the bitch would probably have to die.
Gideon made his way onto the property and the farmhands began to move towards him.
“What do you want, stranger?”
“I need to speak with Carson.” He replied his hands closing in on his pistols with every step the farm hands took.
The three began to laugh. The two on the ends were strong, but the guy in the middle hand a large pitch fork and it appeared he knew how to use it.
“I don’t want any trouble, just let me pass.”
“I don’t think so PIG FUCKER!” yelled the one with the pitch fork.
With lightning speed the guns were out and two shots were fired and the guns were back in their holsters. It took a full minute for the body of the pitch fork man to fall to the ground.
“STOP!” cried a female voice
The two surviving farmhands looked behind them and then moved out of the woman’s way.
“My name is Elizabeth Carson. I’ve been expecting you. Come with me. You two worthless assholes take care of Billy and get back to work.”
They nodded and began to do what they were told. He had never seen anyone follow orders from a woman with such fear on their face. She led him to her house were a Spanish speaking servant was waiting for them.
“Would you like some lemonade?” She asked him
He looked Carson up and down. She had long black hair, white skin, and was a little on the large side, but still very beautiful. He knew that his bother had probably slept with her as well. He knew because he wanted to, and they had similar taste in women.
“So where are the caves?” Gideon asked as he sat next to her on a soft sofa in the parlor.
“It is about thirty miles south of here. You won’t miss it. You probably won’t return from there alive.”
“Why is that?”
She put her glass down on a near by table and crossed her legs in a way that showed them off even more. He knew that she was probably trying to distract him, and he supposed it was working somewhat.
“They will kill you.”
She placed her smooth hand on his now firm groin and began rubbing it.
“You don’t have to go right now, do you?”
With the other hand she unbuttoned the front top part of her dress and released her breasts. He discovered he could no longer hold himself back. He threw her down and placed his mouth on her right nipple. Her back arched in delight as his right hand made its way down her stomach, and then even lower. He looked up from the nipple to see her moaning and playing with her other breast.
He quickly removed his pants and put himself inside of her. He could tell she was the sort of woman who liked it hard.
Afterwards they lay there, and he was once again smoking a cigar.
“Why did Damien kill my brother?”
“He made it through the caves, and discovered the origins of their power. So they killed him before he had the chance to kill them.”
It was five in the evening by the time he left Carson, and she was alive. He would deal with her later. His cock was sore after hours of rough sex. He was starting to wish he had brought his horse; it was going to be a long walk.

Night Two

It took him about two hours to reach the caves. He was actually surprised Carson gave him the proper directions. The moon was out and a pale light was cast upon the entrance to the cave. Gideon looked around and found none of the near by trees were moving, yet he felt a strange breeze.
He removed one of his pistols from its holster and proceeded to move inside the cave. His eyes were slowly becoming accustomed to the darkness. He could make out lifeless torches about three feet in front of him. Ss he reached for one a blinding flash made him jump back and raise his weapon.
To his amazement all the torches were lit. As he moved to take a torch from the wall he didn’t feel the heat from the flames, but cold, he dislodged the torch from its place on the cave wall and began his trek forward.
As Gideon moved down deeper he was beginning to wonder if Carson had sent him to the wrong cave, but he was about to receive his answer. A faint noise was materializing from deeper insider the cave. It was in a language he didn’t know. He thought it sound like a mixture of Latin and something else. He continued slowly as to not make his presence known to the occupants of the cave, if there were any?
He tossed the torch as soon as he saw light emitting from another part of the cave. The noise started to become singing. Gideon knew that singing in a Latin-like voice usually meant that it was opera of some sort. As he made his way deeper he found something he did not expect, a door.
It appeared to be a large, thick, and very sturdy wooden door. The light he saw was coming from the crack underneath between the cave floor and the bottom of the door. He bent down and peered into the key hole. He saw a large room with a gramophone which was indeed playing opera. There seemed to be no one inside. He turned the handle and it turned out to be unlocked. Slowly pushing the door open he entered the room pistol first. After taking a quick look around he could see no other entrances. He shut the door and placed a near by chair in front of it.
The room had a large bed, fully stocked bookshelf, desk, fireplace, and of course the gramophone. Gideon went to it and stopped the machine. He decided the best place to look first was the desk. He bent down and began opening the drawers most were filled with blank pieces of parchment. That was until he opened the one on the bottom left side. Inside was a single old looking thick book. It looked as if it was bound in leather but when he grasped it to remove it from the drawer he soon realized that it was actually bound in human skin. He placed the book on the top of the desk and opened it. Its first page simply read “THE LOG”
He flipped though it and all the pages were filled with names. It listed name, age, and sex, date of death and method of consumption (Moon-Cats or Blood-Seekers). They all had either a B.S or a M.C in the method box. Most died on the same date as their consumption, all except for one. Close to the last page one person was made to suffer, and that person was his brother and on the method of consumption it simply read “BOTH”.
He grabbed the book and tucked it in the back of his pants. It was when he was getting ready to leave when he heard voiced from the other side of the door. He quickly looked around but still could not identify another means of exiting the room.
As he began moving towards the bed to attempt to make a stand, the bookshelf moved on its own and from the secret passage emerged Bethany dressed in her with suit holding a rifle.
“Follow me Gideon, I know another way.”
He ran to her and helped her put the bookshelf back, and then they ran. No mystical torches in this cave, but her suit radiated a light that helped him see his way through. Ten minutes later she stopped. They appeared to be at a dead end. He could hear the sound of the creatures breaking through the main entrance of that room.
“Now where do we go?” He asked in a calm voice
“We go up lover.”
She turned towards the dead end wall and began to climb it.
“Come on Gideon, hurry!” she yelled down to him as he continued to climb
He moved towards the rock wall and felt the grooves carved inside the rock. It only took them five minutes till they were back in Gravewood, and right behind his hotel.
“How is this possible? It took all day to get to those caves?”
She smiled and kissed him. He felt better and discovered it was just what he needed.
“The torches suspend time. I don’t know why. I guess it’s so when they get older they can go to the caves and rest.”
“So what now?”
“You go to your room and I go back to the brothel and I’ll see you tomorrow. It’s just a good thing you didn’t take anything like your brother did.”
The book, he had totally forgotten that he tucked that log in the back of his pants.
“I have something to show you.”
“What is it?”
He handed Bethany the book. He could tell by the look on her face that she knew exactly what the book was made out of. She opened it to Clavius’s page and dropped the book to the ground.
“I didn’t know. I knew they tortured him, but to have them all feeding on him. I’m so sorry.” She cried
Gideon couldn’t help but smile.
“Not as sorry as they are going to be.” He replied as he picked up the book and moved towards his hotel.

The Last Day

When Gideon woke up he knew that they would probably be there. When he looked around his room he saw that he room had been ransacked, but that none of the creatures remained.
They actually thought I was going to hide the book in my room, stupid bastards.
He got dressed and moved down to the diner. It was empty, and not even the creepy pasty hotel clerk was there. Gideon knew that his time in this town was coming to an end, one way or another. There was another note for him setting at his regular table.

They have no power at daylight. You can kill them, but be mindful. Just cause they can’t become something monstrous, doesn’t mean they don’t have other means of killing you. Be careful. Bethany ♥

The note smelled like her, and he loved that smell. He placed the note in his pocket and pulled out his guns. It was time to do some killing. He had found in the log all the names of the Moon-Cats and Blood-Seekers, and there were thirty of each that lived here in town. It was time to pay them a visit.
First on his list was his fat fuck friend Ousberg. He had wanted to kill this shit heap ever since the man first spoke. Killing an agent of pure evil was just a bonus in his book. The whole town was empty; they all must be waiting for him. He entered the stables, but there were no horses to be found. As he moved towards the back he could hear a strange wet smacking sound, and he soon discovered what was making it. He found Ousberg in the back eating the horses. He was not just eating the raw, but he didn’t skin them first, he was eating fur, hair, and everything else.
“You’ve come for me, huh?” Ousberg called out
“You’re the first one fat man.” Gideon replied
Ousberg leaped to his feet. He was pretty quick for someone of his stature. He walked over to Gideon and smiled. His breath smelled like a corpse.
“You will not make it out of Gravewood alive.”
Gideon raised his gun to Ousberg’s face and smiled.
“Maybe not, but neither will you.” He replied before pulling the trigger.
But Ousberg was gone. There was not blood, and it appeared that the fat fuck was faster than Gideon anticipated.
“They are all dead. Damien, Carson, and I have decided to move on to another town. We killed all the other Moon-Cats and Blood-Seekers. You just had to come and fuck everything up. Well I am going to eat you, and shit you out motherfucker.”
“Come get some.” Gideon replied
He then grew quiet. If there was one thing Gideon knew how to do, it was killing. He had been ready for it since he got to town, and he wasn’t going to screw it up now, he would be patient, and calm. He would wait for the target to come to him, and then he would strike. He moved slowly towards the fly infested horse corpses and found pieces of his horse mixed in, and that really made him mad, he loved that horse.
He could hear footsteps coming from behind him. The sound they made as they plummeted to the ground meant they were made from someone of an obese size. Gideon quickly turned and fired three shots. Ousberg’s brains splattered all over the livery wall. His eyes rolled up to pure white as thirty percent of his skull evaporated. One of the other bullets went through his throat making it so he couldn’t scream. His body tumbled to the ground.
Gideon knew that Ousberg had some sort of supernatural powers. So he walked up to the body and crushed in Ousberg’s skull with is boot. Now there was nothing left of his head but a bloody pile, and now there were only two targets to go.
He left the stables and knew that he could probably find one of them at the bordello. It wouldn’t take them long to realize who the figure in white really was. She was the only half sane and rational people in town. The bordello was not too far so he began to run. As he got there a shot rang out. Gideon looked behind him to see Carson with an axe, and a newly formed hole in her head. Gideon turned back to the bordello to see Bethany up there with her rifle. But there was also something else up there with her, a shadow.
“Bethany get out of there!” Gideon yelled.
Bethany looked behind her and screamed. Gideon could barely make out that it was indeed Damien that was behind her. She aimed her rifle at him but he quickly took it away from her and tossed to the side of the bordello, the opposite side from Gideon.
“Jump, Bethany you have to jump.” Gideon called out.
Bethany did so without even thinking. Gideon ran and was able to catch her.
“We need to get out of here Gideon.” Bethany called out
“Not yet, I have one last score to settle.” He replied.
He kissed Bethany, perhaps for the last time, and entered the Bordello.
It was cold, and there were bodies everywhere.
This is where everyone went. The motherfuckers killed everyone, the whole town.
“That’s right Gideon, we killed everyone, and soon you will join them in hell, along with your bastard fuck of a brother.” Came Damien’s voice
“I don’t think so.” Gideon raised his pistols and fired
Four bullets went into Damien, but they didn’t slow him down.
“Don’t you get it? I’m more powerful than anything you have ever faced. It is going to take more than that to kill me.”
Damien came down to Gideon’s level and walked within fighting distance.
“It’s time to end this.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Gideon replied dropping his pistols.
Damien punched Gideon and sent him soaring. Gideon went straight through a wall and was back outside. Nothing had even struck him that hard before. Bethany began running towards him to help.
“No Bethany, you get out of here.” He told her
She listened, and ran back to the hotel. Damien came out of the bordello through the hole he made using Gideon.
“This sandy earth shall be your tomb.” He told him
Then Damien saw the dead body of Carson. He stopped and moved over to it. Gideon got up and watched as Damien began to cry. He bent down and began to cradle Carson in his arms.
“I’m sorry.” He told Carson
Gideon felt something stabbing in his pocket. He removed it to discover the tooth that Clavius had given him. He now recognized it as a tooth belonging to a Moon-Cat. He held the sharp end out and moved behind Damien. As Damien was holding Carson, Gideon came up from behind and jammed the tooth deep within Damien’s throat, and then he slashed it open creating a great, bloody wound. Damien screamed out in pain as his blood poured all over his beloved’s body, and the desert ground.
His body began to disintegrate and he cried up until he turned to nothing but ash and the wind carried him away.
Gideon went back to the hotel and found Bethany hiding behind the bar with her rifle.
“Is it over?” she asked moving towards him
“Yes, I believe it is. Do you know where we can get a horse?”
“Damien kept one at his place; Ousberg would have never touched it. I believe he had two there, incase you were wanting some company?” she asked caressing his rough face with her smooth hand.
"But what about the log?" Bethany asked not removing his hand from his face
"I destroyed it last night." Gideon replied with a smile, and his hand moved up to meet hers
“You know, it is a long way to the next town, I recon I could do with some company.” He replied, and sealed the deal with a kiss.

The Last Night

Gideon and Bethany were long gone. The town now lay uninhabited, and cold. The bodies of Ousberg, Carson, and Damien lay were they were killed. But something is moving in the town of Gravewood. In the bordello, a body of a recently killed moves from under the corpses of his friends, and he is surprised, and relieved to be alive. But something is different about him, he doesn’t know quite what it is, but he has the strongest craving, for blood…

The End

Richard McLin 2006