Michael Hunter - Come Get Me

Gasping for air, he saw her roll over to her hands and knees trying to get her feet back under her. She still clutched the axe in her hand but what he saw next showed him that was the least of his concerns. He felt the floor shake again and saw a hoofed foot come into view. Numb with horror he watched as the arm he’d seen only seconds ago reach down and pluck Maria from the ground by her neck like she was a newborn baby. Unable to keep himself from following that arm back to its source he found himself gazing open-mouthed at a creature that looked like it had stepped from the pages of some satanic book.

The creature looked just as it had in his dream only more horrific than he could’ve possibly imagined. It’s horns sprouted from the crown of its head like small twisted trees, hairy legs that looked like they would be better suited to a buffalo tapered down into huge cloven hooves and last but not least the thing that had haunted his night for as long as he could remember. The Goatman’s' Axe. Not just any axe but one that might’ve at one time belonged to Paul Bunyan or some Norse God from the heavens. It showed glaringly clear even in the dim light. Looking at it Jim thought he could almost feel his soul being ripped form his body. He idly wondered if Pete were any where nearby seeing any of what was taking place. He really hoped he was because if Jim made it out alive he really wanted to know someone else saw what he was seeing. If this was some type of weird figment of his imagination he really did belong in the loony bin with Pete.

Maria dangled inches from the creatures face as it took its time studying her. Her face was turning nice shades of blue that Jim thought were quite becoming. The creature looked at her as if trying to decide what to do with the strange soft thing it had picked up. Luckily Maria chose that second to help it out in its decision. Using what little strength she had she raised her axe, which she’d somehow hung onto, and buried it in the creatures shoulder. Bellowing in surprise it dropped her in a heap on the floor.

“What the hell is that thing?” she screamed as she scrambled to her feet.

“The Goatman,” Jim said with a weak laugh.

“Shut the hell up!” she yelled gripping her axe in both hands readying for another swing.

The creature had retreated a few steps to examine its wounded arm. It turned its head and sniffed the place Maria had struck it. Looking up it hissed at her in what could only be anger.

Maria darted forward and swung her axe again, connecting with only a glancing blow this time. It wasn’t enough to actually hurt the creature but it did make it mad. With blood that looked slightly green running down its arm the thing hefted its axe and warily advanced on Maria. It moved slowly, taking its time almost as if it were stalking her even though she was right in front of it. Jim couldn’t understand why it didn’t just use its superior size and strength to end things quickly. As he watched through hazy eyes he saw that it seemed to be herding her towards the door. He was surprised it was being so nice. He wanted to yell at the thing and ask what the hell it thought it was doing. If it kept moving her the way it was she would escape.

That couldn’t happen.

If she got away she would just run back to town and act like she was the victim in this whole mess. He was pretty much an outsider after all these years plus everyone knew Johnny was in love with her. All she would have to do is tell everyone he and Jill had abducted her for some kind of kinky stuff that she didn’t want to do and when she refused he threatened to kill her. He could see exactly how it would all play out in his head. She would have the whole town ready to shoot on sight by the time they made it back. He just couldn’t understand why the creature was trying to let her go.

Maria, in full bloodlust now, didn’t realize what the creature was doing until she felt a breeze on her back. Quickly glancing over her shoulder she saw nothing but the doorway to darkness and freedom. Smiling, she took another tentative swing at the creature, almost as if she were testing the waters. Instead of striking out at her, the creature retreated a step. It dipped its head towards the door as if trying to tell her to leave.

Seeing the pleading look on the Goatman’s face, Jim suddenly understood what it was doing.

The thing didn’t want to kill her. Even though everything she did was aimed at harming since it stepped foot in the house, the creature still didn’t want to harm her. Looking back over her shoulder then at the creature again she shook her head.

“Hell no I’m not going,” she yelled at it. “I still got work to do on Jimmy boy. I’m going to take your damn ugly head then I’m going to take his. Think I’ll hang them on the wall next to each other.”

Not giving the beast a chance to make a move, she quickly made an awkward swing at the things leg but missed. Overbalanced by her overconfidence, she was surprised when the beasts arm shot out and clenched an iron grip around her throat. It pulled her close, making sniffing noises and shaking its head like it didn’t like what it smelled.

Maria, not one to be defeated so easily, continued struggling. She reached up with her hands and tried prying the creatures hands from her throat, kicked her legs trying to hit some vital spot that might make it let go; she even tried spitting in its face but that’s hard to do when you’re having a hard time breathing.

It hissed in her face, spraying her with spit and mucus tossing her aside. Jim couldn’t believe it. The creature turned its back on her and slowly walked towards Jim and Jill. The creature hesitated when it reached them as if trying to decide which one to help first. Jim was about to tell it to tend to Jill when he saw something leaping through the air behind him. His words of direction turned to a feeble yell of warning. The Goatman spun just in time to have the axe Maria had been using planted in its chest. Jim saw his hopes of making it out of here alive fall to the floor. He wouldn’t have thought it was possible for someone as small as Maria to kill a beast like the Goatman but she seemed to have just done it.

“That takes care of one of you,” she rasped as she yanked the gore covered axe from the brutes’ body. “You’re next,” she said staggering in his direction.

“Lucky me,” he laughed. Why not? He had nothing to lose.

“I’ve waited a long time for this you little bitch,” she spit at him as she loomed over him. Well, not exactly looming, more like leaning. Leaning on the axe like it was a cane if he wanted to be exact about things. If only he had any energy he might be able to beat her. The Goatman had softened her up for him but too bad for him his limbs weren’t obeying him at the moment. First he’d gotten his ass beat by a girl. Now he was going to get killed by that same girl after she finished killing a creature that by all rights shouldn’t exist. If anyone had told him he was going to die like this he would’ve had them committed.

Maria slowly raised the axe and Jim closed his eyes. He didn’t think he wanted to see what came next. After a few seconds he realized he was still alive and thought he shouldn’t be. Cracking an eyelid he looked up and saw Maria standing there just like she had been a few seconds ago. But there was something different. The Goatman’s hand was around her throat again. That couldn’t be right, he thought. The Goatman was dead, wasn’t he? Maria’s face was turning a brilliant shade of purple and her eyes were starting to protrude a little farther than Jim thought might be healthy for her when he heard a snap. He was reminded of braking branches when he was a child. At the sound of the snap Maria’s body went slack. Then she was unceremoniously dropped on the floor where she landed with a thump. He couldn’t really turn his head to see her and was pretty sure he didn’t really want to. His attention was caught by something else.