Helltown (12 page)

CHAPTER 7

“They’re here!”

Poltergeist
(1982)

Mandy hurried over to Austin and Cherry to watch the crisscrossing flashlight beams approach. She frowned as an uneasy feeling built in her gut. She told herself there was no reason to be concerned, whoever was out here had come to help. But there was something about random people in a dark, unfamiliar forest that scared her silly.

“Do you think they’re campers?” Mandy said anxiously.

“Out here?” Austin said.

“Maybe they live nearby?” she said. “They heard the crash and are coming to help?”

“Maybe,” Austin said, though he didn’t sound convinced.

“Why else would they be out here?”

“I don’t like this,” Cherry said. “I don’t like this at all.”

Mandy frowned, momentarily despising the Filipina. She wanted to hear that they were safe, that they were fine; she didn’t want to hear fear and paranoia.

Soon the strangers were close enough Mandy could make out the snapping of branches, the crunch of footsteps on dead leaves, the general rustle of disturbed foliage.

“’Lo there?” one of them called.

“Hello,” Austin said.

A few seconds later three men dressed in checkered lumberjack jackets emerged from the gloom of the night into the firelight produced by the burning BMW. Mandy gasped silently in surprise and horror. The slim one in the middle sported stringy black hair, bushy muttonchops, and a handlebar mustache. Despite skin the color and texture of old vellum, and a hooked beak for a nose, he appeared normal enough. The other two, however, might have just escaped from a carny sideshow. The freak on the left had a round moon face, piggish eyes, stood close to seven feet tall, and must have weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of four hundred pounds. The freak on the right had misshapen features covered by a jigsaw of wormy white scars and a vacant expression, as though his brains were nothing but mush.

Mandy forced herself not to stare and focused on the middle one, who was visoring his eyes with his hand while he studied the flaming vehicle.

“Good Lord almighty, will ya look at that,” he crowed.

“We had an accident,” Austin said.

“No fooling,” he said. “Anyone hurt?” His eyes fell on Jeff. “Aw, shit. He ain’t dead, is he?”

“No!” Mandy said, shocked by the man’s blunt manner.

He looked at her. His eyes were dark, unreadable. They appraised her from head to toe and lingered on her breasts. “Well, now,” he drawled, “that’s quite an outfit you got on, ma’am.”

“It’s a Halloween costume.”

“I reckoned as much. And a good choice at that.” He turned his attention to Austin. “How about you, Cueball? No costume?”

Austin twitched at the insult. “I took it off.”

“And you, little lady?”

“I didn’t bring one,” Cherry said quietly.

“All Hallows’ Eve, my favorite night of the year, when all the ghoulies come out to play, ain’t that right?” He grinned, revealing a missing front tooth. “Anywho, the name’s Cleavon. What can I do to help y’all?”

“Our friends have already left to get help,” Mandy said. “They’ll be back any minute,” she added purposefully.

“Any minute you say?” Cleavon said to her. “When did they leave?”

“Forty minutes ago,” Mandy lied.

“Forty minutes, huh?”

She nodded.

“And they ain’t back already? Shit, maybe they got lost?”

“Do you live out here?” Austin asked him.

“Over yonder, in fact.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder.

“And you wander the woods at night?”

Ignoring the question, Clevon took a few steps toward the BMW and said, “Well knock me down and steal my teeth. It’s a genuine Bimmer, boys! Or
was
, I should say. So you some uppity rich kids, that right? Where you from?”

“New York,” Austin said.

“The Big Apple! Never been there myself. Always wanted to go, but don’t reckon I’d fit in too good. I’m ’bout as country as a baked bean sandwich. Ain’t that right, boys?”

The four-hundred-pound freak nodded. “Right-o, Cleave.”

“My apologies,” Cleavon said. “That there’s me brother Earl. And that’s me other brother, Floyd. Floyd don’t say much. He only got two speeds: slow and stop. And he don’t hear too good neither unless you shout.” He raised his voice. “Ain’t that right, Floyd?”

Floyd nodded.

“Well?” Cleavon said, smiling expectantly at them.

“Well what?” Austin said.

“Ain’t you gonna introduce yourselves?”

Mandy glanced at Austin and Cherry. She saw her fear reflected in their eyes. Cleavon and his brothers were not just assholes; they were dangerous. But there didn’t seem to be any choice other than to keep Cleavon talking until Steve and Noah returned with help.

“I’m Mandy,” she said.

“Mandy,” Cleavon repeated. “That’s short for Amanda, ain’t it?”

She nodded.

“I like it. Mandy. Suits you.” His eyes floated to her breasts.

“I’m Austin,” Austin said. “And this is Cherry.”

“Austin and Cherry—now those are a coupla fine names as well. Had an uncle named Austin. Sat on the porch all day drinking hooch, his own concoction, from a big ol’ jug. By suppertime he would be drunker than Cooter Brown on the fourth of July.” He smiled his gap-tooth smile at Cherry. “Never knew a Cherry though. The pleasure’s mine, darlin’.”

Cherry looked away from him. Her lips were pressed together in a thin line.

“Well,” Cleavon went on, “now that we’re all fine friends, why don’t y’all tell me what happened? What caused this unfortunate accident?”

“Our friend lost control of the car,” Austin said simply.

Cleavon eyed Jeff. “That the friend, huh? And just lost control, you say?”

“Another car ran him off the road. It was a hearse.”

“A hearse? You sure you don’t need to get your eyes checked, boy?”

“We all saw it,” Mandy said sharply.

Cleavon held up his hands. “Hey, no need to get worked up, darlin’. You say ya’ll saw a meat wagon, ya’ll saw a meat wagon. Now, enough talk. How ’bout we give you a hand bringing your friend there back to the house. We got medicine and enough food to feed the lot of you to your heart’s content.”

“Like I mentioned,” Mandy said, “our friends went for help. They’ll be back here any minute. But thank you for the offer.”

“And if they got lost? Could be hours ’till they get back. We got a telephone. We’ll call the sheriff. He knows exactly where the ol’ McGrady house is. He’ll be there with an am’blance in fifteen minutes.”

“We’re going to wait here,” Austin said tersely.

“Hey! I ain’t liking your tone,
boy
,” Cleavon growled. “Didn’t your mama teach you no manners? When someone offers you help, you be gracious.”

“Listen, mister…Cleavon,” Cherry said pleasantly. “We appreciate your offer. We really do. But we can’t move our friend. He has a broken back. Moving him will make his injury worse.”

“Don’t worry, darlin’. We’ll be careful with him.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Austin said, stepping forward.

“I’m ’fraid I have to insist,” Cleavon said. “Boys, get the cripple.”

Floyd and Earl started toward Jeff.

“Don’t you touch him!” Mandy shouted. “His back is broken!”

Austin made to intercept them.

“Hold it right there, Cueball,” Cleavon said, and to Mandy’s horror he produced a monstrous machete which had been hidden beneath his jacket. “I wouldn’t do nothing stupid if I was you.”

CHAPTER 8

“They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What’s blood for, if not for shedding?”

Candyman
(1992)

Austin acted without thinking. He charged Cleavon and jump kicked him in the gut. Caught by surprise, Cleavon didn’t have time to swing the machete. However, the jump kick was uncoordinated and did little more than knock Cleavon backward a few steps while Austin crashed awkwardly to the ground. Before Austin could regain his feet, Cleavon was on him, raising the machete. Austin kicked the psycho in the shins, dropping him to his knees. Austin lunged, driving his shoulder into Cleavon’s chest, knocking him onto his back. He grappled for the machete, but the man wouldn’t let go. Then Cherry appeared beside him, also grappling for the weapon.

Austin landed a fist in Cleavon’s face, then another. Still, Cleavon wouldn’t relinquish his grip on the blade.

Abruptly Cherry disappeared, lifted free from the skirmish. A moment later the left side of Austin’s head went numb. Cleavon had walloped him with his free hand. The world canted, his vision blackened, but he didn’t release Cleavon’s other hand, which was still holding the machete. Cleavon struck him again, this time catching his chin. Austin tried to head butt Cleavon, but his forehead deflected off the asshole’s temple. White-hot pain tore through his face. Cleavon was biting him! He shoved himself free, his hand going to his bloody cheek.

The chaotic scene around him registered in a heartbeat. Earl holding Cherry off the ground, arms around her chest, her feet kicking wildly. Mandy on her butt, as if she’d been pushed over, her hands held protectively in front of her face. Cleavon shoving himself onto his knees, glaring at him. He didn’t see Floyd anywhere, and knew the man must behind him—

Something heavy slammed into the back of his head.

Mandy was still dazed from Floyd’s open-handed slap across her face. Her eyes watered, her cheek smarted, and when she blinked away the stars she saw Floyd looming up behind Austin, swinging a tree branch. It struck the back of Austin’s head with a snappish crack. His eyes rolled up in their sockets and he fell limply onto his chest.

This happened so quickly Mandy had no time to react. Now she leapt to her feet and ran at Floyd, screaming at him to leave Austin alone. Floyd kicked Austin in the side of the head twice before she reached him. She grabbed his arm, trying to pry him away. He shoved her aside and kicked Austin again. The impact of his foot striking the side of Austin’s skull made a heavy, dead thunk. Mandy felt ill, and all she could think was:
This can’t be happening! This isn’t happening! He’s going to kill him!

Shouting hysterically—she hadn’t quit shouting the entire time—she flung her weight into Floyd, knocking him off balance and away from Austin. While she drummed her fists against his chest, he clutched her around the throat with his hand. She gripped his wrist but could do little else except make rusty, rasping noises. He squeezed tighter, crushing her windpipe. His eyes were shining like a rabid animal—intense yet emotionless.

“…stop...” she gasped.

Her body was going weak. Blackness seeped into her vision.

She tried to rake the freak’s face with her fingers, but his arm was outstretched at full length, and his arm was longer than hers. She swiped at air.

He’s killing me. He’s going to kill me right here
.

The realization was like a shot of adrenaline to her heart. She kicked with all her strength and connected with his groin. He bellowed, sagged, and released her.

She ran.

Encouraged by Mandy’s escape, Cherry raised both her legs and drove her four-inch heels into Earl’s shins as hard as she could. He grunted and dropped her to the ground. She fled in the opposite direction Mandy had gone. The forest was a blur of darkness and fog, shadows layered upon more shadows. Still, she didn’t slow. She knew her life had boiled down to two scenarios: escape and live, or get captured and die.