Brian Keene - Urban Gothic

“I tell you to stop wiggling. You’ll make me go boom again. Not time yet. No fun for you. Want you to have fun. Want you to like me. Then you stay and we not eat you.”

Kerri tried to pull away, but she was no match for the beast’s impressive strength. It carried her to the hard stone floor, and she felt its body pressing against her. It kissed her again, slobbering all over her face. Its tongue flickered across her cheeks and neck, as if the creature were slowly savoring the taste of her. Kerri moaned in revulsion. The thing misinterpreted the sounds as ones of anticipation. Sighing, it pawed at her jeans. Kerri tensed as the fingers trailed across her zipper. Then she reached out with one hand and grabbed its erect penis. At the same time, her head darted forward and her teeth snapped shut on what she could only assume was the creature’s nose.

The thing’s penis was wet and sticky and her hand slipped free of it when she tried to pull. Her other attack was more successful. She clamped her jaws shut and ground her teeth together, biting hard. She felt its nose burst inside her mouth like a chocolate-covered cherry.

She bit harder, shaking her head back and forth. Screaming, her attacker tried to pull away. It sat up, but Kerri hung on, squeezing her jaws with all of her remaining strength, determined not to let go. More blood ran down her throat. Her attacker leapt to his feet. Suddenly, Kerri’s teeth came together, severing its nose completely.

She stumbled upright and spat the knobby piece of flesh onto the ground. The monster wailed, totally ignoring her now.

“Dy dose,” it shrieked. “Do dit dy dose off !”

She stumbled to the side and pressed her back against the wall. Then she crouched, waiting, trying to block out the terrible screams. The thing cried and howled for what seemed like an eternity. Kerri slowly crept away, keeping her back to the wall. There was silence for a moment. Then it screamed again from a different point in the distance.

“Der dar do, ditch? Der dar do?”

It’s going in the opposite direction , she thought. Just keep quiet and let it go.

It screamed again from even farther away.

She waited until it was gone. There was silence again after that, except for the sound of her breathing. Kerri huddled in the darkness and felt the tears again, but not from panic this time. Not really. These tears were caused by loss. She was horrified by what she’d just done—by everything that she’d done so far to stay alive. She felt like she’d lost a part of herself in the transition, an important part that she’d never be able to regain. Every tragedy she’d endured in the past eighteen years felt insignificant in comparison to the horrors of this evening.

She shivered, feeling the slick of her attacker’s vile seed drying on her jeans. His stench was on her body. Earlier she had smelled of lavender perfume and the Axe body spray Tyler favored. Now she smelled like a dead animal. Even though he hadn’t succeeded in raping her, she felt as if her attacker had still violated her. She needed to get out of this dark crevice, no matter what the cost. Even if it led her directly into the hands of more of these freaks, she needed to get away from this subterranean chamber. She doubted anything else would ever matter as much again as that simple, desperate need. Her hands shook with controlled fury. Every part of her hurt, shook, and shivered as if electrified. Her mouth tasted sour and she spit again and again, hoping to get rid of his taste.

Kerri sat there in the darkness for a long time, mourning not only her boyfriend and her friends, but also herself.

EIGHTEEN

Perry swung the sledgehammer again, smashing its broad head into the door. There was a loud crack and more wood splintered as the hammer broke through the barrier. Behind him, several of the boys cheered. Woodboring insects squirmed around the edges of the hole. Sweat ran into his eyes, stinging them. Blinking, Perry swung again. This time, he aimed for the ornate brass doorknob. He connected hard. The vibration ran up through the hammer handle and into his arms, numbing his hands. He set the sledgehammer down, leaning it against the porch railing. Then he turned around and held his hand out to Chris.

“Let me see that crowbar.”

Chris handed it to him, and Perry went to work on the doorknob. It gave way easily enough, tumbling to the porch and rolling across it before landing on the sidewalk. Dookie started to run after it, but Perry stopped him.

“Leave it.”

“But that’s brass,” Dookie protested. “You know how much that shit is worth down at the scrap yard?”

“Leave it alone,” Perry repeated, turning back to the door. “We’ve got more important shit to worry about right now.”

His knees popped as he stood, and his hands ached from the exertion. Perry knew that he’d regret it tomorrow when his arthritis was flaring, but right now, he didn’t care. He pushed on the door, leaning his weight into it. Still, the heavy barricade refused to move.

“What the hell?” he muttered. “I think there’s something on the other side of this thing.”

Leo rushed to the door, bent over, and peered through the jagged hole made by the sledgehammer. His eyes widened. Then he glanced up at Perry.

“It looks like a big piece of metal or something.”

“Shit.” Sighing, Perry wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “Okay, you boys help me get this door out of the way. Then we can see what we’re dealing with.”

“Well,” Jamal said, “now we know, right?”

Perry pried at the door’s hinges with the crowbar.

“Now we know what?”

“That whoever is inside there must be holding them white kids hostage. Why else would there be metal blocking the doorway.”

“The kids could have put it there themselves,” Markus pointed out. “Try to keep us out and shit.”

“They didn’t know we were coming,” Leo said.

“Maybe not. But they damn sure heard us trying to break through this door.”

“Yeah, but then we would have heard them dragging the metal in place.”

Perry snapped the hinges free, set the crowbar down, and grabbed the door. The boys ran to his aid. Together, they hefted the wooden slab out of the door frame and carried it down the porch steps and into the yard. Then they inspected the second obstruction. It was indeed metal—steel, in fact. It completely blocked the opening. Perry could see no rivets or welding marks. It was one solid piece, as best he could tell. He rapped on it with his knuckles and then struck it with the crowbar, but it had no effect—not even a dent.

“Shit.”

“Can you smash it down with the sledgehammer?” Chris asked.

“I can try,” Perry said. “But I don’t think that’s gonna get us anywhere. That son of a bitch sounds pretty damned thick.”

Leo cocked his head, studying the steel blockade. “There’s a hole in it.”

Perry frowned. “Where?”

“Up near the top.” Leo pointed. “See? It’s small, but it’s there.”

They all glanced at where he was pointing. Perry squinted, and then saw it. The hole was about five inches from the top of the barrier and very tiny, no bigger than the tip of his pinky.

“It looks like a peephole,” Chris said.

“I think that’s exactly what it is,” Perry replied.

“Can you hammer it there?” Dookie asked. “Maybe it’s weaker around that spot.”

Perry shook his head. “No. That steel is still pretty thick. I don’t think hitting it there will do any good.”

Leo took the crowbar from Perry’s hand and reared back, clutching it in both hands. Then he shoved forward, slamming it into the bottom of the door, right into the part where the metal met the floor. Dookie shone the flashlight on the doorway. Leo looked up at Perry.