I grew up in a small town with a bizarre annual ritual

As I write this, I’m sobering up from the bender to end all benders. It would be safe to say that I’ve finally hit rock bottom. For so many years I’ve attempted to drown my sorrows with alcohol, drugs and one-night stands, but finally I’ve realised that I can’t escape from my past and I must face the horror head on.

My entire adult life has been scarred by the trauma I suffered when I was eighteen years old – when I lost everything and everyone and was forced to flee from the town I called home. For the past 26 years I’ve been plagued with terrifying flashbacks, living under the dark shadow of PTSD and survivor’s guilt.

I’ve spoken to both priests and psychiatrists, but no-one’s been able to help me. The shrink told me I grew up in a cult and I need to realise what happened wasn’t my fault. It’s not that simple though. Yes, the community I was raised in was cut off from the rest of the world, and we did have a bizarre set of rules and rituals we were required to adhere to.
But these traditions were not the creation of a crazed cultist on a power trip. In fact, they were very necessary for the survival of our community and kept our town safe for decades. That was until the fateful summer of 1998, when it all fell apart.

Few will believe my account of these bizarre and bloody events. Most will think I am insane or delusional, and some might believe I’m trying to cover up my own complicity in these events. But I simply don’t care anymore. I’ve kept this dark secret to myself for too long and its high time I revealed the truth.

I’m writing this account now because it could be my last chance to do so. Because you see, I’m going back there – back to the ruins of the town I fled from over a quarter of a century ago. I am returning to face my demons, and I mean literal rather than metaphorical.

The monster I am going to fight is a formidable foe and I don’t know whether I’ll survive the battle to come. The dangers are great, but I have to do this. My very soul depends on it.

But, before I throw myself into the firing line, I’m going to tell you how it all began.

The small and isolated rural town of Jericho was where I was born and raised, but you won’t find it on any maps – not these days. Officially, the settlement was abandoned following a forest fire during the hot summer of ’98, but that was simply a cover story invented by the authorities and media. I guess I can’t blame them for the lie. No-one would have believed the truth anyway.

It’s difficult describing our town’s bizarre traditions to outsiders. The rules we lived under sound crazy, but to us growing up they made perfect sense. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Let me tell you a little about my ill-fated town’s history. The settlement was founded by a pioneer and preacher called Pastor Franklin White during the 1860s. Isolated and surrounded by the vast forests of the Pacific Northwest, Jericho was built under the shadow of an extinct volcano which was christened Mount Rapture, although it was called a different name by the region’s original inhabitants.

Jericho was established within the former territory of the Modoc Nation, but they had long since abandoned the lands around the mountain which they believed were cursed. Pastor White and his followers may well have heard the legends of the indigenous peoples but no doubt wrote them off as foolish superstitions, because they settled under the shadow of the mountain and attempted to build a frontier community.

The historical record of the next few years is sketchy and marked by gaps and conflicting accounts. What we know is that the town suffered terribly during its early years and many settlers either died or went missing. The winters were harsh, but the summers were when the true horror was unleashed. The settlers weren’t being picked off by indigenous warriors or the local wildlife. Instead, they fell victim to an ancient evil which dwelt in the mountain – a monster which hibernated throughout the year and emerged from its lair every summer to seek fresh prey.

To this day, no-one knows exactly what the monster is or where it originally came from, but all attempts to kill it have failed. What’s more, the Modoc’s tales of the beast in the mountain date back centuries. So, we’ve got to assume that its immortal, or as close to being so that makes any difference.

So, Pastor White and his flock had unwittingly built their settlement right bang in the middle of an immortal predator’s hunting grounds. What would you do in this situation? Well, any sensible person would have run for the hills. They would’ve cut their losses and got what was left of their people the hell out of dodge. But Pastor White was never going to do this.
As his name and profession suggest, White was a deeply religious man, and the tragic events of those early years only increased his religious fervour until his beliefs reached fanatical levels. The pastor wrote extensively during this time and his journals became the basis for the quasi-religion which ultimately took a hold of our town.

It’s been many years since my religious education, and Young’s original writings have long since been burnt to ashes. Therefore, I can’t recall the exact text of the pastor’s ‘holy’ book, but I remember extracts and quotes. Looking back, I realise these were half-deranged ramblings of a fanatic. There was much talk of a new prophecy, a test from God, and a life and death battle against the satanic spawn which dwelt in the mountain.

Most important however were the five rules or new commandments laid down by the pastor and the annual ritual he set in place. But I’ll get to those later. I’ll have to give Franklin White credit though – despite his many faults, he and his most loyal followers led the fightback against the monster.

They soon learnt it was impossible to kill the beast, but it could be wounded and weakened by bullets and blades. They fought running battles with the monster throughout the forest and forced it back up onto the mountain. The cost was heavy, as many settlers died during the fighting. The creature they fought was strong and capable of great deceptions. But in the end, White and his fighters were victorious, as they pushed the monster back and trapped it, thus saving the town from certain destruction.

Naturally, White credited God for the victory, but he also proclaimed himself as a holy prophet tasked with defending Jericho and its chosen people from the demon that dwelt in the mountain. But true evil never dies, and the monster would always threaten Jericho and its people. The only hope was to contain the beast – to keep it weak and trapped so it could never again descend upon the town and slaughter our people.

This is why Pastor White instituted the annual ritual – so the evil he fought could be secured and contained long after his death. I’ll speak about the specifics of the ritual in due course, but first I must complete my quickfire history of the town.

The ritual established by our town’s founder was in place for over one hundred and thirty years, from 1866 to 1997. During this time, the ritual only failed once. The terrible summer of 1942 was enshrined in our upbringing and education during my youth. Many of our young men were drafted to fight in World War Two, and those left behind got complacent. It’s a long and complicated story, but the bottom line is that the beast escaped from its sealed lair and once again launched a deadly assault upon the town of Jericho.

Thirteen people died in the subsequent rampage and much of the eastern side of the town was burnt to the ground. Eventually, the monster was driven back up to the mountain, but the devastation wreaked upon our community was not forgotten, and it would be a long time before anyone questioned the ritual again.

By the time I came of age there was only one survivor of the ’42 disaster still living in our town, and that was Gerry Baker. Gerry had obtained a near legendary status in the community by the 90s, having led the fightback in 1942 when he was a mere teenager.

By the summer of 1998, Gerry was in his early 70s but still had a fearsome reputation, living alone in a wood cabin on the very edge of the forbidden zone and playing a leading role in the annual ritual for over five decades. I both feared and respected old Gerry when I was growing up, and it pains me to remember what happened to him.

And then there’s my story, for what its worth. My first name is Benjamin, but that’s all you’ll get from me. Suffice to say, I am a fourth generation Jericho resident and so should have been an established and respected member of the community. But unfortunately, this wasn’t always the case.

A cloud of suspicion hung over me throughout my childhood, all for something that wasn’t my fault. My mother got pregnant with me while she was still in her teens and outside of wedlock. This would have been scandal enough for a small religious community, but the real problem lay with my father.

He’d just turned eighteen and was selected by lottery to participate in the annual ritual during the summer of 1979. But, for whatever reason, my father didn’t go through with it. He skipped town the night before the ritual was due to begin and never came back, also leaving my pregnant mother behind.

Abandoning the mother of his unborn son would have been bad enough, but the real shame was abandoning the community and failing to fulfil his sacred duty. For this reason, my father was considered a coward and traitor in our town. None of this was my mom’s fault – let alone mine – but we were the ones left behind to deal with the aftermath of my father’s actions.

My mother never fully recovered from the betrayal and as a result developed a drinking problem, ultimately becoming something close to a pariah in our town. As for me, my childhood was difficult. I won’t go as far to say that I was ostracised in our community, but I felt there was always a question mark hanging over me.

Other kids would bully me and even the adults would whisper behind my back, asking whether ‘the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree’, and wondering if my father’s treacherous blood ran through my veins. Undoubtedly this treatment had an impact on me. I always felt like I had something to prove, and that can be a dangerous thing.

Let me take you back to the eve of the summer solstice in 1998, the day before hell was unleashed upon our unsuspecting town. I was attending the annual ceremony in our church hall, sitting amongst my friends and neighbours. This night was the busiest of the year and the church was packed to the rafters, with latecomers forced to stand in the aisles or at the rear.

Practically the entire town was here, with a few notable exceptions – including my own mother. She preferred the company of the bottle rather than the warmth and solidarity of our community. This irked me no end, but I tried not to think about my mom in that moment. Instead, I was focussed upon what could be the most important night of my life, as I finally had the opportunity to prove my worth and erase the stain of my father’s treachery.
I was sitting in the third row from the front alongside the Andersons – who were effectively my surrogate family. Nathan had been my best friend since I was four years old, and he sat beside me on that night – a cheeky smile on his lips and his eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. That’s how I like to remember him – the true Nathan, before we were hit by all the sorrow and suffering.

Nathan appeared laid back and confident on that night, but I knew how nervous he was – because I felt the same way. But Nathan and I were like brothers and we’d face this challenge together. Nathan’s father sat on the pew beside his son – Paul Anderson, who just happened to be our town’s sheriff. Sheriff Paul had become a surrogate father to me over the years, taking on the role of making me into a man. I don’t know where I would have ended up without his guidance and support.

He turned towards me in that moment, smiling thinly and nodding his head in reassurance. This mere nod gave me confidence, because I knew Sheriff Paul had my back. And finally, there was Jessica – Nathan’s twin sister – who sat at the end of the row.

I stared longingly at her for a moment – admiring her long dark hair, sparkling green eyes, soft unblemished skin, and of course her voluptuous and gorgeous body. She caught me looking, shooting me a sweet smile and knowing wink. I smiled back but then quickly looked away, afraid that either Nathan or his father would pick up on the chemistry between us, but thankfully neither of them noticed.

My feelings for Jessica had complicated my relationship with the Anderson family, and I knew this was a problem I’d ultimately need to confront – but not on that night.

The large congregation was being addressed by Pastor Eddie White, the town’s current preacher. As his name would suggest, Pastor Eddie was a descendant of our town’s founder and was prone to similar flights of fanaticism, although he lacked the charisma, courage, and leadership skills of his late ancestor.

He stood upon the altar at the front of his church, dressed in white robes and looking down upon the town folk with nervous eyes and a fake smile plastered across his plump face. His wife Yasmine was sitting in the front row, grinning enthusiastically under her blonde wig – her blue eyes focussed upon her husband as she prepared for his sermon.

Eddie and Yasmine White liked to think they ran the town, but the sheriff and the mayor were the true leaders of this community and they kept the Whites in line. The mayor’s name was Dan Cooper, and he sat on the front row on the other side of the aisle alongside his wife Teresa and children Peter and Amy. His son Peter was only twelve and so too young to be selected for the ritual, where the minimum age was eighteen and only males were eligible for the draft.

There was much excited conversation and murmuring amongst the tightly packed congregation as all present speculated about the coming sermon and of course the ritual scheduled for the next day. The pastor spoke through the microphone attached to his podium and asked for silence. Some listened and stopped talking, but others either didn’t hear the pastor or ignored his request.

Nathan and I both sniggered as we took a perverse pleasure from the pastor’s embarrassment, but one hard look from the sheriff was enough to shut us up. Meanwhile, the pastor made yet another appeal for silence, but to no avail. In the end, the mayor needed to stand up from the pews and face the crowd, motioning to the congregation and instantly gaining their compliance.

A moment later, and all the hushed chatter in the hall melted away. The fake smile on the pastor’s face never wavered, but I saw the angry look he shot the mayor before he continued. Clearly, Eddie was jealous of the respect the mayor garnered amongst the town’s folk.

Nevertheless, he began his sermon and the congregation listened.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. What a pleasure to see so many of you here on this glorious night. When I look out upon you all now, I am filled with hope and joy – because I see that the faith and traditions of our town are still as strong as ever. And with God on our side, we will surely prevail!”

There followed a round of enthusiastic applause before the pastor continued.
“When my ancestor established this town, he was tested by the Lord. He and the first pioneers faced a huge challenge when they were forced to fight against an evil risen from the depths of hell. This mission was dangerous and arduous – but with God’s will, my ancestor succeeded against all the odds.”

Another round of applause followed before Pastor White got on to the next part.
“Pastor Franklin White not only saved our town from the beast – he also gave us the tools and the systems to keep the demon at bay, from now until the end of days. The Good Lord gave us ten commandments to live by, delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai. And, before my ancestor passed over, he left us with five rules…”

As if on cue, we all stood up from our pews and began to recite Franklin White’s five commandments. They were displayed on the wall behind the altar, but I think everyone present knew the rules off by heart. Hell, it’s been twenty-six years and I still remember them word-by-word.

“One – do not walk alone through the woods after nightfall. Even when the beast is contained, it still holds power over the darkness. Two – No-one is permitted to enter the forbidden zone unless conducting official church business or participating in the annual ritual. Three – without exception, the ritual must take place every year before the summer solstice. Four – the ritual master takes responsibility for ensuring the plan is successfully executed. All selected must follow his orders. Five – in the event of a ritual failure, all the town’s folk must report to the church hall to co-ordinate the community’s defence.”

And that was it – the five rules which must be followed to keep Jericho safe. It sounds simple, right? Well, on that night, Pastor White was all to quick to remind us of the consequences when the rules weren’t adhered to.

“Lest we forget the terrible summer of 1942. Never again people…Never again…”

A solemn silence ensued as the pastor’s ominous warning sunk in. But White was more upbeat when he reached the next section of his sermon.

“Well folks, we’ve covered the essentials, but now let’s get to the main event!”

There was a further round of applause from the crowd as well as excited murmurs. I looked to Nathan and he met my gaze. This was the moment we’d been waiting for. It almost seems ridiculous looking back now, but at the time we both thought this was the defining event of our lives.

I nodded my head and slapped my friend on the back, and we silently waited for the first announcement. Two parishioners brought forward a top hat, inside of which were several crunched up pieces of paper. The pastor took hold of the hat and placed it on top of the podium before speaking into the microphone once again.

“To assist me in the selections, I’m going to call my beloved and beautiful wife to the stage.” the pastor announced.

Yasmine was beaming as she stood up from her pew and confidently made her way to the stage in her high heels. She continued to smile as she stood by her husband’s side, rummaged through the hat, and picked out a small piece of paper.

We were all on the edge of our seats by this point. You could have heard a pin drop in that church hall, and the tension was almost unbearable as we watched Yasmine hand the paper to her husband. There followed another tense moment before the preacher read the name aloud.

“Nathan Anderson.”

My best friend couldn’t control his emotions as he shouted ‘Yes!’ and punched the air in joyous celebration. I smiled and gave Nathan a high five. His father shook his boy’s hand and the rest of the town’s folk clapped in respectful congratulations, although I noted Jessica didn’t look happy, as she screwed her face up in annoyance.

“Well done, young Nathan.” the pastor announced, “We know you won’t let us down.”

I felt a mixture of emotions in that moment. I was happy for my best friend of course but also worried, because I wanted so badly to be there by his side. But there was no guarantee my lot would be picked. There was a lump in my throat as I watched the pastor’s wife pick a second name and hand it to her husband.

I saw Pastor White’s smile fade as he frowned and read the second name – my name. I was in a state of shock, barely believing what I’d just heard. The response from the crowd was lukewarm – a few people applauded, but others let out shocked gasps and disapproving murmurs. But Nathan and his dad were ecstatic. My best friend whooped for a second time and embraced me in a bear hug.

And that’s when it hit home. I’d wanted so badly to redeem my family name in this town…but now it was real, and I felt the heavy burden of responsibility on my young shoulders.
The sermon continued, but I couldn’t focus on the pastor’s words as my head was filled with the implications of my selection. I wanted to get out of that church hall and away from the prying eyes and hushed whispers. Finally, the ceremony ended and we were let go.

Tomorrow was the big day, and everyone wanted to get home to prepare. But not Nathan and me. We were too excited and needed to go somewhere to unwind. Jessica came with us, much to Nathan’s annoyance but to my secret relief. I hoped I would have the opportunity to speak with her alone at some point in the evening.

The three of us headed out of the church and walked across town to the old boat house by the lakeside. That’s where we regularly went to chill and enjoy our small stash of booze and pot, a secret that we obviously kept from Nathan and Jessica’s dad.

But, before we reached our sanctuary, we were confronted by Billy and Randy – a couple of nasty town bullies who were in our year in school. Both had long been rivals of Nathan and me. The bullies blocked our path down main street, sneering and shouting abuse from the sidewalk with cold spite in their eyes. The boys were bitter because they hadn’t been selected for the ritual, even though the draw was entirely random.

“Hey, here come the assholes now!” cried out Billy.

Randy sneered cruelly before joining the tirade. “That draw was bullshit! We all know it’s a fix. The sheriff’s boy gets the top gig…Nobody buys it!”

Nathan could sometimes be a hot head, but on this occasion he played it cool, simply laughing in Randy’s face as he replied.

“Whatever man!” my friend replied, “You believe whatever you want. And don’t worry, I’m sure your names will come up next year!”

It was the right response, but unfortunately Randy and Billy weren’t backing down, as they moved in closer and blocked us off.

“And you!” Billy scowled whilst pointing aggressively towards me, “They’re going to let the traitor’s son on the ritual? What a God damn joke!”

I tried to swallow my anger but couldn’t help but spit out my angry rebuttal.
“Go to hell Billy!”

“That’s where we’ll all be going once you guys screw it up. Still, I guess I shouldn’t worry. Benjamin’s just going to run away like his old man. Cowardice runs in his family!”

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists, but it was Jessica who stepped forward and spoke in my defence.

“You leave Ben alone!” she said whilst marching forward to confront the bullies. “He’s a great guy and nothing like his daddy!”

Billy snarled and looked down upon Jessica with contempt before spitting out his hateful reply.

“Hey bitch! Men are talking here. Keep your damn trap shut!”

Jessica reacted with predictable fury, her face turning red as she charged forward and slapped Billy hard across his face.

“Screw you!” she screamed, as Billy reeled in shock.

Randy responded instinctively to the attack against his friend, darting forward and grabbing at Jessica. I wasn’t having this however, as I moved in between the two and physically shoved Randy down to the sidewalk. A moment later and Billy recovered from the slap and clenched his fists in preparation for a fight. But this time Nathan intervened, stepping forward with fury in his eyes as he snarled his words through clenched teeth.

“Touch my sister and I’ll break your god damn nose!”

Billy knew that Nathan meant it, and I could see the fear in the bully’s eyes as he retreated. A moment later, Billy helped his friend up off the sidewalk and they ran away down the street, although Billy cried out a parting threat as they went.

“Fuck you guys! You’ll get what’s coming to you!”

And then they sprinted around the block and disappeared from sight.

Nathan and Jessica were still upset and angry after the confrontation, and it was left up to me to calm them down.

“Screw those assholes!” I said with a smile on my face, “Come on guys, let’s get high!”
Ten minutes later and we were holed up in the old boat house, ignoring the damp as we sipped on warm beers and passed around a fat joint. The alcohol and weed helped take the edge off, and the three of us were able to relax and chat.

“Those guys are freaking idiots.” Nathan proclaimed confidently, “They won’t say shit to us after tomorrow. We’ll be like kings in this town!”

I laughed nervously before trying to bring my friend back down to earth.
“Come on man. We’re mainly there to observe and learn how the ritual works. Its not such a big deal.”

It was a big deal to me of course, but I didn’t want to sound too arrogant in front of Jessica. Nevertheless, the girl responded with mocking laughter.

“Come on guys, let’s have a reality check here.” she exclaimed after taking a long drag on the joint, “This is all BS and you both know it.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Nathan answered in annoyance.

“Just think about it. Have you ever seen the beast in the mountain? Do you know anyone who’s ever seen it?” she asked.

“Gerry Baker’s seen it.” I replied defensively.

“Oh yeah, you’re going to believe that crazy old coot?” Jessica replied, “Remember how he chased us out of the woods when we were kids?”

I did remember, and I was scared shitless of old Gerry when we were younger.
“We were breaking the rules.” I replied meekly.

“Yeah…the rules, the ceremony, the ritual which only men are allowed to participate in. They’ve got this entire system to keep us in our place…to keep us living in fear so we never question the people in charge.”

“So, what are you saying sis?” Nathan interrupted, “You reckon the monster doesn’t exist?”
Jessica shrugged her shoulders dismissively before passing the joint to me.

“Maybe there was something up there originally…a bear or a cougar, or something. But not now. Its just a myth that the town’s leaders kept going all these years. This is the 1990s for God’s sake! Do you really think they could keep this a secret from the rest of the world?”

Nathan and I looked at each other as doubts crept into our minds. Could Jessica be right? Was this all a lie constructed by the town elders? I didn’t know what to say, but Nathan spoke out to challenge his sister.

“You’re full of crap Jess. The monster’s real and everyone knows it. And we’re going up there tomorrow to save our town!”

“Oh, okay Nathan.” she shot back, “I get it. You want to be the big man who saves the day. Is that it?”

“No.” Nathan spat back angrily, “I’m doing this for mom.”

Jessica didn’t have any answer to that, as she broke off eye contact and lowered her head in shame.

Nathan and Jessica’s mother was a wonderful woman called Patricia who’d looked after me when my own mom was on the booze. She’d passed away from breast cancer two years before. The whole family had been devastated, but Nathan had taken the loss particularly hard.

My friend had been in danger of going off the rails before we got him back on track. It was clear now why the ritual meant so much to him. He wanted to do his part to honour his mother’s legacy and protect the town she loved so much.

A sombre silence hung in the air for a long moment, and no-one said a word. Once again, it was left to me to speak up.

“Well guys, We best head on. It’s a big day tomorrow and we’ll all need to get some sleep.”

“Yeah, you’re right man.” said Nathan, as he got up and slapped me on the back.

“You’re coming home with us, right?” he asked me.

“No man, I need to go home and talk with my mom.”

Nathan frowned, pulling a face in sympathy.
“Jeez buddy. That’s going to be fun.” he said sarcastically before leaving the hut.

Jessica and I were left alone for a moment, and we took advantage of the opportunity, moving close and engaging each other in a passionate kiss.

“Good luck with your mom.” Jessica said sympathetically as she looked into my eyes, “If its too much, come and stay with us tonight.”

“I will.” I replied.

We were both worried that Nathan would become suspicious, and so Jessica and I broke off our embrace and exited the boat house, joining my friend as we walked out into the warm summer’s night.

I was sluggish during my walk home, taking my time as I mentally prepared myself for the difficult encounter to come. In the end, I plucked up the courage and faced the music, shaking my head in disgust as I walked past our overgrown lawn and approached the dilapidated bungalow where I’d grown up.

The paint on the door was peeling and the steps leading up to our porch creaked. The whole place was on the verge of falling apart. I’d spent much of my early teens trying to look after my mom and the house, working part-time jobs after school and spending my evenings trying to get her sober. However, I’d long since given this up as a lost cause, spending most of my time with the Andersons and only visiting occasionally to check my mother was still alive.

I used to hate her for all she’d put me through growing up. But now, after all these years, I can understand her situation somewhat better.

But, on that night, I just wanted to tell mom my news and go straight to bed, although I doubted I would get off so easily. I opened the front door after struggling with the rusted lock and made my way to the litter-strewn living room where I found my mother passed out on the couch with an empty vodka bottle on the floor beside her.

I sighed aloud and rolled my eyes, disappointed but not surprised. Next, I went through the all-too-familiar routine of sitting my mother up and trying to shake her awake. Part of me hoped I’d be unable to rouse her. Perhaps she’d sleep right through to lunchtime tomorrow and would miss the ritual altogether. But alas, I wasn’t that lucky.

My mom eventually woke up, slowly opening her bloodshot eyes and groggily taking in her surroundings. She looked up at me and I retreated as I smelt the strong smell of alcohol on her breath.

“Well, well.” she said with a croaky voice, “Look who’s decided to show their face!”

“Jesus mom.” I replied in disgust, “How much have you had to drink?”

“What do you care?” she shot back defensively while sitting up on the couch, “Its not like you’re ever here anyway. Too busy with your new and improved family I reckon.”

I ignored the obvious attempted guilt trip and moved on. “Listen mom, I’ve got something to tell you.”

“Oh yeah?” she replied, her interest now piqued.

“Yeah.” I said sheepishly, “It was the ceremony tonight, remember?”

My mother thought for a moment, surely fighting off a headache as she tried to think.
“Oh yeah, that bullshit. I guess it’s been a year already…”

My mother hadn’t attended the church in many years and made a deliberate point of avoiding the annual ceremony at all costs.

I took a deep breath before continuing. “Yes mom, its that time of year. You know that I’m 18 now and eligible for selection…And guess what? I got picked. I’m going on the ritual mom!”

I don’t know exactly how I expected my mother to react to this news. The most likely outcome was probably indifference or mockery, although a small part of me still hoped she’d be proud of me. But what I didn’t expect was the fury in her voice as her face turned red and her eyes bulged.

“No! You’re not doing it! They’re not taking my boy…Not a chance in hell!” she screamed.
I was truly shocked by her angry tirade and left utterly confused.

“What are you talking about mom? I’m going to do my duty for the town.”

“Fuck the town!” was her foul-mouthed rebuttal, “You need to run Benjamin. Get out of town tonight, and never come back.”

Now it was my turn to be furious as the sheer hypocrisy of her words hit home.
“What the hell mom! You want me to run away like a coward, just like dad did? You’ve always hated him for leaving.”

“No.” she corrected, “I hated him for leaving us behind. He was right to get out of this damned town and away from those maniacs in the church. Monster or not, these people are dangerous. You need to get away from them son, before it’s too late.”

I shook my head vigorously, tears in my eyes as I spluttered my reply. “No mother. I won’t turn my back on my friends and neighbours. I’m going to do my duty and you can’t stop me!”

Her eyes filled up with anger as she sat up from her chair and stood upon shaking legs. Instinctively, I knew that violence was coming and so began retreating towards the doorway. My mother’s fury didn’t falter as she picked up the empty vodka bottle and flung it at me.
I ducked just in the nick of time, and the bottle narrowly missed my head and smashed against the living room wall.

“Get the hell out then!” my mother screamed, “Go to the damn Andersons and do the sheriff’s dirty work. Just don’t come crying to me once it all turns to shit!”

I tearfully glanced into my mother’s hateful eyes before fleeing from my childhood home and slamming the door behind me.

After the fight I went straight to the Anderson’s house and was welcomed with open arms. I slept in their spare room that night as I’d done so many times before, but in truth I got little rest, as the events of the day dominated my thoughts.

When I did eventually drift off due to sheer exhaustion my dreams were filled with terrifying images of the dark mountain and terrible disembodied screams which reverberated through the forest. And blood…so much blood.

I was already awake by the time the first lights of dawn crept through my bedroom curtains. Sheriff Paul knocked on my door, telling me it was time to get up. I took a deep breath, staring up at the ceiling for a moment as I considered my options.

My mother’s harsh words had put doubts in my mind, but I had to dismiss them. I owed the Andersons so much and couldn’t let them down at this late hour. I sat up from my bed and put on my jeans before heading for the bathroom.

I met Jessica in the corridor on route. She was still wearing her night clothes and showing a decent amount of cleavage and skin. Naturally, this awoke certain feelings in me as I thought back to our night of secret passion only a month before.

Jessica looked hurt as she confronted me in the hallway, whispering so not to be heard by her father and brother.

“You didn’t come to me last night.” she said sadly.

“I know.” I said, as I put my hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye, “I wanted to, really I did. Its just…everything with my mom. And, what if they caught us?”

Jessica tutted and rolled her eyes. “For God’s sake Ben. We’re both 18. They can’t stop us from seeing each other. It’s time we told daddy and my brother the truth.”

“We will.” I said whilst looking over my shoulder, “But not until after the ritual.”

She let out an exasperated gasp and shook her head. “Seriously Ben? You still believe its real?”

“I don’t know what to believe.” I replied honestly, “I just know that I can’t let everyone down. I need to go through with this.”

Jessica wasn’t happy, but she seemed to understand. We embraced briefly and kissed before I heard Nathan climbing out of his bed, and then we broke away.

We left about half an hour later. Sheriff Paul prepared breakfast for us but I could hardly eat a bite due to my nerves. Jessica didn’t believe the ritual was real, but she held her tongue, hugging the three of us and wishing us good luck. Our embrace went on for just a little too long and I think her father noticed, but he didn’t say anything in that moment.

The mayor came to meet us, driving up to the Anderson’s place in his beloved classic Ford Mustang. He smiled amicably as he exited the car, showing all the charm and charisma which had gotten him elected for three terms in a row.

We all exchanged pleasantries before changing into our hunting gear and arming ourselves with rifles and spare ammunition. The mayor tried to reassure Nathan and I, saying that the guns were just a precaution and it was unlikely we’d have to use them.

The four of us piled into Sheriff Paul’s station wagon, the mayor and sheriff in the front with Nathan and me in the back. Meanwhile, Jessica drove herself to the police station, where her father wanted her to wait until the all-clear signal.

And so we set off, driving up the mountain road and through the dense redwood forest. Spirits were high at first as we talked and joked through the first few miles. But the tension grew as we got closer to the extinct volcano, like a dark cloud was cast over our small party.
We drove in silence for the last leg of the car journey as the gravity of our situation hit home. I was very nervous and I’m sure Nathan felt the same. I wondered whether this was what young soldiers experienced when they went off to war. Nathan and I were the fresh recruits, while the mayor and sheriff were the veterans leading us into battle. We trusted them with our lives, and it never occurred to me that they’d intentionally put us in danger.
Our car left the main road and transversed the dirt track which led up to the old Baker place, located at the foot of Mount Rapture and on the very edge of the forbidden zone. We drove up slowly, only to find Gerry sitting on the front porch of his small cabin, a rifle resting on his lap and five backpacks carefully laid out before him.

He wore a chequered lumberjack shirt and blue jeans. His hair was grey and face weathered, but he had a thunderous look in his dark eyes as he watched us approach. I felt a cold chill running through me as I remembered the fear this man had evoked in me during my childhood.

The sheriff pulled up and parked in front of the cabin. We exited the car, only to receive a cool welcome from Gerry.

“About time you guys got here.” he said sarcastically.

The mayor didn’t rise to it however, retaining her friendly smile as he approached the cabin.
“Good morning Gerry. How are you on this glorious day?”

Gerry scoffed dismissively.
“I’m ready to get this job done.” he answered firmly.

Gerry got up from his bench and looked down upon Nathan and I with obvious contempt.
“So, these are the pups you brought? Funny, its not long ago I caught these little jerks trying to sneak into the forbidden zone.”

I froze, thinking back to that day Gerry found us and the severe punishment we’d received. I couldn’t meet Gerry’s gaze as his angry glare cut through me. Luckily, the mayor was able to laugh it off as he answered in a jovial tone.

“Now, now Gerry. That was a long time ago, and we all do stupid things when we’re young. Nathan and Benjamin are men now, and they’re here to do their duty.”

Gerry bellowed laughter in open mockery. “Men! That’s what you call them? I was younger than those boys during the summer of ’42. Your generation has no damn idea! I’ve been holding the line for over 50 years, and I’m sick of it!”

“Come on Gerry.” the mayor shot back as his patience began to waver, “We’ve talked about your retirement many times. Arrangements are in place for the handover.”

“Well, let me tell you right now, Mr Mayor. This is my last year doing this shit.”

“Okay Gerry, we’ll talk about it once we’re done. Now, shall we get going?”

Each one of us grabbed hold of a backpack before we set off on foot. The bags were heavy and I asked what was inside them. Gerry wouldn’t say but warned us not to drop them.
We walked in single file under the tall trees, barely speaking as the tension slowly grew. I recall Gerry mentioning whenever we crossed the invisible line that marked the edge of the forbidden zone. I’m not sure how he recognised it, but I guess Gerry knew the territory like the back of his hand.

I would definitely say the atmosphere got more tense once we crossed the boundary. At first I thought it was psychological – I’d never been out this far after all. But, as we continued our silent march, I realised there was something else…something darker.

It took me several minutes to realise it, but there were no sounds in this part of the forest – no bird songs or chirps from small creatures. Nothing. The entire area seemed devoid of life, with only the tall trees above us with shards of sunlight breaking through the thick canopy.
But before long we walked past the treeline and reached the foot of the mountain, walking slowly towards a cave entrance blocked by a substantial pile of heavy rocks and boulders. It didn’t look like much at first glance, but I could see from the behaviour of my elders how significant this landmark was.

“What is this?” Nathan asked nervously.

“This is where the monster’s holed up.” Gerry answered solemnly, “Or rather where its trapped. Come on, lets take a closer look.”

I didn’t want to approach the cave entrance. Every instinct in my body told me to run in the opposite direction, but there was no way I could back down now. Once we got in close I could see the cave wasn’t entirely blocked up. There was a small gap between two heavy boulders, just about big enough for a single person to squeeze through.

Gerry was more conciliatory as he explained the situation to Nathan and me.

“The beast is weak right now. It’s been fifty odd years since he last had a good meal. But there are creatures which live in the caves – rodents and the like, and it feeds upon them throughout the year… building up just enough strength to help him dig.” He paused and pointed to the gap. “In another day or two, the bastard would find its way out. But its our job to prevent this. Now, set your backpacks down carefully and open them up.”

We did as instructed and I was astonished to find my bag filled with explosive charges – dynamite sticks with blast caps attached to a command wire. Nathan looked up from his own bag and met my gaze, his eyes bulging as he mouthed – ‘what the fuck?’.

“Okay, lets get to work.” Gerry said.

We followed his instructions carefully as we placed charges around the cave’s entrance and linked them up to the detonator. This process took some time and there were various corrections to the setup as Gerry barked out his orders. I noticed how even the mayor and sheriff adhered to his instructions in this regard.

We were all sweating under the mid-morning sun by the time the job was done. Nathan spoke out after we had set the charges.

“What, is that it?” he exclaimed in near disbelief, “We’re just going to blow it up?”

“What did you expect?” Gerry shot back.

“I don’t know.” Nathan answered with a shrug of his shoulders, “I always thought there would be some sort of magic or epic battle…not this.”

“The simplest plan is usually the best.” the sheriff answered firmly, “Pay attention son. Some day it will be you leading this ritual.”

I was surprised too. Was it really that simple? I didn’t know what was in the cave, if anything. I was creeped out for sure, but I did wonder whether Jessica had been right all along. Perhaps this was all a hoax. Maybe we’d just cause a cave-in and block the entrance of any empty cavern.

“Well, lets get this over with.” said Gerry.

“Would you care to do the honours Gerry?” the mayor asked, “To read the words, one last time?”

“No.” Gerry answered with a sneer. “Words are your forte, Mr Mayor. Be my guest.”

“Very well.” he replied, “Sheriff, please can you push the plunger when the time comes?”
The sheriff confirmed with a silent nod of his head and took up position.

Meanwhile, the mayor spoke without referring to any notes, beginning as so – “Our Lord in Heaven. We stand here today as soldiers of Christ, our hearts filled with the holy spirit as we prepare to do battle against this great evil. As with our forefathers before us…”

He never got the chance to finish his little speech, because the ritual was suddenly interrupted by a new voice – a female voice which echoed from inside of the cave. We all froze, not believing what we were hearing, but then the mysterious voice called out again.

“Hello, is there anybody there? Please, I need help!”

The voice sounded eerily familiar, but it was Nathan who made the connection first.
“Mom?” he spluttered out emotionally.

I looked to my friend and saw tears forming in his eyes as his whole body trembled.
“Nathan? Honey? Please help me…I’m trapped down here!”

The disembodied voice was definitely coming from the gap between the boulders, although I could see nothing but darkness on the far side. I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
“It’s a trick!” Gerry shouted as a warning, “Don’t listen to him!”

I looked back to Sheriff Paul and found him paralysed, his eyes wide with shock as he stood over the plunger.

“It doesn’t make sense.” muttered the mayor, “The beast cannot mimic human voices. There’s no precedent…”

“Damn it, Dan!” Gerry cried in frustration, “It can learn. He’ll use any trick he can to escape!”

The mayor shook his head and said – “It isn’t possible.”

Then the voice called out again, louder this time.
“Nathan baby. Please! I don’t have much time!”

I looked to my friend and saw something snap inside of him; as he ignored all common sense, dropped his rifle, and sprinted forward.

“I’m coming mom!” he cried.

“Nathan, no!” I screamed as I reached out to tackle him.

But it was too late. Nathan sprinted past me and climbed into the hole, soon forcing his way inside of the cave.

“God damn it!” screamed Gerry.

He turned to the sheriff and shouted out his orders. “The kid’s done for! Detonate the charges!”

This brought the sheriff back to reality as he cried out in dismay.
“Are you crazy? That’s my boy in there!”

“You damn fool!” Gerry exclaimed, “You’ll kill us all!”

The old man charged forward and dove towards the plunger. There was a struggle as the sheriff desperately tried to stop him from detonating the explosives. Suddenly a shot rang out and Gerry fell screaming, clutching a bullet wound in his thigh.

Sheriff Paul was left standing there with a smoking revolver in his hand. And the mayor still did nothing, remaining frozen to the spot as he kept muttering – “This can’t be happening.”

Suddenly there was a blood-curdling scream from inside of the cave. I recognised it instantly – Nathan was crying out, and he was in trouble. The sheriff shouted out his son’s name and ran forward. He started climbing through the gap but didn’t get far. I heard a sharp scream followed by the terrible sound of something biting into flesh.

The sheriff’s legs were still outside of the cave. They kicked frantically for a few seconds before going motionless, and a second later his body was dragged inside.

I was in a state of shock, my panicked brain unable to comprehend the horrors I was witnessing. It was Gerry who broke me from my panic-induced trance. The old man was bleeding out from the bullet wound in his leg, but he still had strength enough to call out.
“Kid! The beast is feeding! It’s gaining strength. You need to push the plunger. It’s our only hope!”

I nodded my head and started running towards the plunger, but it was already too late. There was a huge explosion behind me but it wasn’t caused by the charges we’d set. Instead, the blast came from the other side, as the boulders blocking the entrance were propelled outwards.

I was thrown off my feet, losing my rifle in the process. And when I looked over to where the mayor had been standing, I saw he’d been hit by a rock – his skull crushed by the sheer velocity of the impact.

Finally, I turned towards the now open cave entrance and saw the beast for the first time. It was horrific. The monster stood at least eight foot tall – its naked skin as pale as milk and with giant, folded wings attached to its back. I noted the long and sharp claws attached to its webbed feet and hands, all of which appeared more than capable of ripping through human flesh.

Its head was that of a man, but its eyes were jet black, like those of a shark. And its lipless mouth was formed into a wicked approximation of a smile – a sadistic grin which showed off its sharpened fangs, while the fresh blood of the Anderson men dripped from its hideous maw.

I saw what I was up against and realised I stood no chance. To my great shame, I broke and fled back towards the treeline. But I wasn’t the beast’s target. Once I reached the relative safety of the forest, I ducked down behind the foliage and watched as the beast slowly approached the stricken Gerry Baker with a murderous glint in its black eyes.

To his credit, Gerry remained defiant and heroic right to the very end. He drew a knife from his belt and attempted to pull himself up whilst shouting – “You ugly son-of-a-bitch! I beat your ass once, and I can do it again!”

The beast let out a hateful cackle as it easily kicked the knife from Gerry’s hand and knocked him back down to the ground.

Gerry cried out in pain but soon accepted his fate, saying – “Okay. Put me out of my misery you bastard!”

The beast roared like a lion, opening its gaping maw and unleashing a stream of fire from the back of its throat, engulfing the screaming Gerry in a horrifying inferno. Mercifully, it was over quickly, as the old man’s body was burnt to cinders in mere seconds.

I covered my mouth and retched once the stench of burnt flesh hit my nostrils. And then I turned away from the bloody scene and fled deeper into the woods as the monster’s roar once again filled the air.

I somehow made it back to the sheriff’s station wagon parked at old Gerry’s cabin, only to realise I didn’t have the keys. I thought on my feet, gaining access to the late Gerry’s house and eventually finding the keys to his old Jeep Wrangler. The engine started on the third attempt and I sped down the mountain road, determined to warn my neighbours of the coming danger.

But as I drove, I once again heard the monster’s blood-curdling roar. And when I looked up, I saw the beast in full flight and heading straight for the near defenceless town of Jericho.
I drove to the strip mall off main street, slamming the brakes on the jeep and coming to an abrupt stop in the empty parking lot. All of the stores were closed and boarded up as was the usual precaution on the day of the ritual. Only one unit had any signs of life, and that was the sheriff’s office at the end of the row.

I paused for a moment, my hands still grasping the steering wheel as suddenly all my emotions spilled out at once. I screamed as tears ran down my cheeks and I slammed my fists against the dashboard.

It wasn’t supposed to go like this. No-one was meant to die. For fifty years the ritual had gone without a hitch, but everything had gone to hell in one short morning. My best friend, his father and two others were dead, and I couldn’t process it. But this wasn’t the time for grieving. The beast was coming, assuming it wasn’t already here.

I couldn’t do anything for Nathan and the other casualties but I could still save the others. Jessica was my priority – and my mother too. I had to get them somewhere safe before it was too late.

Pulling myself together, I jumped out of the vehicle and jogged across the asphalt, wearily looking up into the sky but seeing it was all clear.

I burst into the sheriff’s office and surprised the three persons inside. The two part-time deputies – Tanya and Mike – both jumped up whenever they saw me. I noticed how they both reached for their holsters, but the cops calmed down once they recognised me.

And sitting at the back of the station room was Jessica. She was flicking through a magazine when I burst in, but her eyes lit up once she saw me. I noted how her expression changed in an instant as she picked up on my obvious distress.

We both stood frozen for a long moment, and I couldn’t find the words. How could I tell Jessica that her father and brother were dead? That I’d just stood and watched while they were slaughtered.

In the end it was Tanya who broke the silence, as she approached and placed a firm hand on my shoulder, asking – “Are you okay kid?”

I flinched at her touch, pulling away and reacting with anger.
“No, I’m not fucking okay!” I shouted.

She frowned but didn’t lose her patience.
“What happened kid?” Tanya asked sternly.

I opened my mouth but found the words stuck in my throat. Eventually, I managed to splutter out what felt like a confession.
“The ritual failed…It…it’s got loose!”

I saw Tanya’s eyes widen in terror at the news, although her reaction wasn’t as bad as her partner’s. Mike – the second deputy – flew into an instant panic, his whole body trembling as he stuttered his words – “Oh God! Oh God! It’s happening…Is this really happening?”

“Calm down deputy!” Tanya cried as she turned to face her partner, “We have a protocol for this scenario.”

“What should I do?” Mike exclaimed while still in a panic.

“Sound the alarm, damn it!” Tanya ordered, “We need to get the town’s folk to safety.”

Mike almost pissed his pants, but he complied with the order, shakingly pulling a key from his utility belt and running to the back room. While this was happening, Jessica ran forward and grabbed me by the shoulders, forcing me to look her in the eye.

“Ben. What the hell happened?” she asked frantically, “Where are my dad and brother?”
I didn’t want to be the one to tell her. Who the hell wants to break news like that? But yet I had to.

“I’m so sorry Jess.” I spluttered, “They didn’t make it.”

I saw the hurt in Jessica’s eyes as something inside of her broke. She started to shake her head vigorously as if in denial. I wanted to hug her so tight, but we were suddenly interrupted.

“Hey Jessica, here’s your brother now. I guess he made it after all.” said Tanya.

I turned around in annoyance and confusion, glancing back towards the doorway to where the cop was looking. And, when I saw the figure standing there, my blood froze. It was Nathan, or at least that’s what I thought at first glance. The figure had Nathan’s physique, his hair, and was even wearing his clothes. But this wasn’t my friend.

His skin was pale white and his eyes unnaturally black. And that cruel, hideous smile – I’d seen it before, in the very recent past. The monster in Nathan’s form stared at me for a brief moment before turning its attentions towards Tanya. Then it darted forward, extending its fangs in a lightning attack.

Tanya let out a gasp as she went for her gun, but the beast was far too quick. In an instant, the monster grabbed a tight hold of Tanya and plunged its fangs deep into her throat. Jessica screamed and I broke from my paralysis, taking her hand and running towards the door. But the beast was soon done with Tanya, her blood still dripping from its maw as it blocked our path and let out a thunderous roar.

At that moment, the siren sounded and temporarily drowned out all other sounds, warning the town of the imminent threat. Seconds later, and Mike came back into the room, reacting with horror when he saw his dead partner on the floor and the monster who’d invaded the police station.

“Holy shit!” Mike mouthed, as he went for his gun. To Mike’s credit, he managed to draw his revolver and fire two shots, both hitting his target in the chest. The beast stumbled, but the bullets only wounded it, and the monster inevitably reacted with fury.

It roared so loudly it could be heard over the siren, before unleashing a stream of white fire, engulfing the deputy and burning him alive. The dying man screamed in total agony and the beast stumbled as its strength temporarily faltered.

I took the opportunity, holding Jessica’s hand tightly as we ran out of the sheriff’s office and across the parking lot.

“Oh my God! Oh my God!” Jessica repeated whilst still in a state of shock, “Its real! The monster is real!”

We hid behind a parked car just long enough to catch our breath.
“Is it dead?” Jessica asked, her eyes still wide with pure terror.

“No.” I replied solemnly, “Bullets won’t kill it. Once the beast feeds it will be back to full strength.”

“What are we going to do?” she asked desperately.

“We need to get to the church. It’s the fifth rule, remember? But first I need to go home and get my mom.”

“Seriously?” Jessica responded in surprise.

“Yeah.” I confirmed, “She can be a bitch, but she’s still my mother. I can’t leave her to face that thing alone.”

“Okay then, let’s go.” Jessica replied.

And we set off, darting down the main street as the warning sirens blared all across our besieged town. I feared the worst when we approached the dilapidated bungalow which I called home and found the front door wide open. Jessica tried to hold me back but I broke away, bursting through the doorway as I called out my mother’s name.

I quickly searched every room in the small house but found no sign of her. The television set was on but it showed nothing but black and white static. Frowning, I picked up the remote and flicked through the channels, but I could not find a single one which worked.

Was the beast disrupting the broadcast? Was this even possible? How powerful was this entity?

I was rummaging through the drawers in my mother’s bedroom when Jessica gave me a shock as she approached me from behind.

“Where’s your mom?” she asked in concern.

“I don’t know.” was my honest answer.

I completed my search of the drawers, frustrated when I couldn’t find what I was looking for.
“The gun’s gone.” I said, referring to the 9mm pistol my mother kept in her room.

“Well, your mom probably went to the church when she heard the siren.” Jessica suggested.

“Yeah, maybe.” I replied as I looked down at the worn carpet.

But I didn’t believe it. I knew the church was the last place my mother would go in an emergency. But clearly she wasn’t here, and there was no point in hanging around.

“We’ve got to call someone.” Jessica said firmly, her teary eyes suddenly filled with a fiery defiance, “We need help.”

“Who can we call?” I asked in frustration, “All the cops are gone.”

I regretted the words as soon as I spoke them, seeing the hurt in Jessica’s eyes as I reminded the girl of her father’s death. But she didn’t back down.

“Fine.” she exclaimed, “Then we call the state police, or the damn national guard! We can’t deal with this alone Ben.”

I hesitated. It wasn’t a written rule, but we’d always dealt with our own problems here in Jericho. Due to our unique circumstances, we preferred to keep to our own. But every system we had in place was failing and so I took Jessica’s point.

Moving into the kitchen, I found the phone already off the hook. Lifting the receiver, I heard a familiar voice on the other end.

“Benjamin, is that you son?”

“Mom?” I replied in confusion, “Where are you?”

“I’m calling from the old ranger’s station in the woods. The monster’s after me! Please son, I need your help!”

I experienced a terrifying sense of déjà vu as I recalled how Nathan had been lured to his death. A sudden anger came over me as I spoke through clenched teeth.

“You’re not my mother!”

There was a brief pause on the other end before the beast laughed – emitting a chilling, inhuman cackle down the line.

“Clever boy.” it said in a deep and raspy voice, “Not that clever though. You should’ve listened to your mommy and ran away. But now there’s no escape! You and your little girlfriend are mine for the taking, just like the rest of the scum in this town! I’ve waited a long time for this day, and my revenge will be so sweet!”

With that, there was a high-pitched screeching down the phone which forced me to drop the receiver as I covered my ears.

“Ben!” Jessica cried in concern, “What’s wrong?”

I slammed the receiver down to end the malicious call before turning to a frightened Jessica. It seemed that the beast had taken control of every method of communication, cutting us off from the outside world. To my mind, this left only one option.

“We need to get to the church.” I said firmly whilst looking Jessica straight in the eye, “It’s our only chance.”

And so we left my childhood home and fled across town, heading for what we hoped would be our sanctuary.

Our sprint across Jericho was frantic and terrifying. We quickly realised that the beast had recovered from its gunshot wounds and was continuing its assault upon the town. We heard random firing and many screams as we ran, glancing to the east and seeing multiple houses burning under the demon’s unholy fire.

And then we looked up to the smoke-filled skies and saw it – the beast in full flight, cackling with a twisted glee as it observed the devastation from above. Jessica paused for just a moment, frozen in awestruck terror as she cast her eyes upon the winged monstrosity, now in its true from and no longer taking the appearance of her late brother.

Suddenly, the beast turned in our direction – its dark eyes filling with a murderous zeal before it let out a predatory roar. A chill run up my spine as I took a firm hold of Jessica’s hand and screamed in her ear – “Run!”

We sprinted as fast as our legs would carry us across the dead ground. The church was close – we could see the front door and steps leading up to it. But the winged beast was closing the gap fast. We could hear the heavy flapping of its vast wings and the grinding of its sharp fangs.

I was panting heavily and my legs were burning. I’m sure Jessica was just as exhausted, but we couldn’t stop…we would not give up.

We reached the steps. The beast was right above us, but I thought we were going to make it. But to my horror, I saw the church door slowly start to close.

“Wait!” I screamed frantically.

I saw a bald head and pair of terrified eyes emerging from behind the door and recognised the man as Chuck, our town’s resident butcher. He wasn’t looking at us but rather at the flying beast, which was only a few feet above us.

For a horrifying moment, I thought Chuck would shut the door and leave us to our fate. But instead he unveiled a shotgun and aimed it above our heads, firing and hitting the monster with buckshot. The beast shrieked in pain and temporarily retreated. And a moment later, we pushed our way inside – Jessica first and me a split second later.

We heard the monster roar in angry frustration and acted quickly, joining with Chuck to slam the heavy door shut and lock it securely. I half expected the monster to crash against the church door, but it seemed to have abandoned his attack – for now at least.

We heard another screech and observed the beast through the barred windows as it soared back into the blue summer sky.

I took a moment to catch my breath before checking on Jessica to make sure she wasn’t hurt. We’d survived by the skin of our teeth and made it to the town’s sanctuary, and now at least we could enjoy a brief respite.

I looked around the church hall and saw many of our friends and neighbours were already here – men, women and children…entire families huddled together with shock and terror in their eyes. And yet, there were so many missing.

I estimated that only half of the town’s folk were present, and maybe less. That’s when the terrifying reality hit home – if only half the town was here, that meant the rest were still outside and at the mercy of the beast.

From where I stood in relative safety, I could hear screams and desperate shouts as our people fought for their lives. Worse still, my mom wasn’t here, which meant she must still be out there…assuming she wasn’t already dead.

Below the altar stood Pastor Eddie, still dressed in his ceremonial white robes, although his plump face was now pale and drained of blood. He remained silent, nodding intently as his wife spoke in his ear. I noticed how Yasmine had either lost or removed her blonde wig, showing her true hair – short and cropped.

I also saw the fire in her eyes as she whispered god knows what to her impressionable husband, and that look scared the hell out of me.

There was a nearly unbearable tension inside of the hall exasperated by a stink of sweat, blood and fear. Before long I noticed that many eyes were looking in my direction, casting

e hard glares as they whispered to each other suspiciously.
I felt very self-conscious and I think Jessica noticed the atmosphere too, because she came in close and held my hand. But the crowd was clearly turning against me as men stood up and started marching threateningly towards us. And amongst their number were Billy and Randy – the town bullies who’d harassed us the night before. We’d humiliated them yesterday evening, but now the boys saw the chance for revenge – their cruel eyes lighting up as they approached.

I turned to face the bullies but suddenly felt a firm hand on my shoulder, spinning around to see Chuck the butcher, his bloodshot eyes wide and his shotgun thankfully slung over his shoulder as he confronted me.

“You were at the ritual kid. The only one who made it back. What the hell happened out there?”

I realised then what this was. They blamed me for all that had happened…blamed me because the beast had escaped and was now laying waste to our town. And what could I say in my defence?

My lips were dry as I opened my mouth and spluttered my response. “The beast…it tricked us. The monster killed the sheriff and mayor before we could stop it…I’m so sorry, but there was nothing I could do!”

Chuck scoffed in disgust. “For fifty-six years the ritual’s gone smoothly, and then you come along and screw it all up!”

“That’s not true!” Jessica cried out in my defence, “Ben isn’t to blame for this!”

“He’s a traitor! Just like his daddy!”

That was Randy, a twisted grin on his lips as he relished the opportunity to attack me.
We were now surrounded and our former neighbours were in danger of turning into a lynch mob. In desperation I turned towards the pastor, silently pleading for his help. But the holy man seemed taken aback by this turn of events. He just stood there, his eyes wide with shock and his body frozen.

In the end, it was his wife who spoke – but she did nothing to calm the situation. Quite the opposite in fact.

“This young man was the only one to return alive from the ritual site.” she repeated, “There are questions he must answer!”

“Yeah.” cried out Billy, as he drew a bowie knife from his jacket pocket, “That son-of-a-bitch has to pay!”

There were roars of agreement from the angry crowd as they closed in on us. Jessica pulled me in tighter and shouted out emotionally.

“Stop it! Leave him alone! I love him!” she cried.

There were shocked gasps from the mob.

“Harlot!” shouted Yasmine from the far side of the hall.

“Whore!” added a male voice from the back.

“That’s sick!” Billy exclaimed, “He’s like your brother!”

Jessica meant well, but her confession had only poured fuel on the fire. The crowd had surrounded us now and I genuinely feared they would rip us to shreds before the beast got the chance. But thankfully, Pastor Eddie finally intervened, shouting over the rowdy mob as he called out for calm.

“Now people! My good people of Jericho! We cannot turn on each other in this dark hour. The real enemy is the demon outside of our doors.”

His words were uncharacteristically strong and seemed to have the desired effect, as the tension decreased and the mob started to move away. But the bullies refused to back down.
“What about them?” Randy asked spitefully as he continued to glare at Jessica and me, “Are we just going to let them get away with it?”

The pastor opened his mouth to speak, but before he got a chance, his wife tugged on his arm and whispered in his ear. I saw the pastor’s facial expression change in an instant as he listened carefully to his wife’s words. I couldn’t hear what Yasmine said but was sure it was pure poison.

Eventually, Pastor Eddie cleared his throat before speaking with less certainty. “Well, I think given the circumstances it would be better for this young couple to be held until the situation is under control and we can establish the truth.”

I’d remained silent up to this point but had reached my limit.

“Wait a moment! You can’t do this!” I exclaimed.

But it was already too late, as Chuck, Billy, Randy and several others grabbed hold of Jessica and me, practically dragging us kicking and screaming towards the altar.

“Lock them up in the rectory.” Yasmine ordered, as clearly she’d taken command of the situation.

The mob did as instructed, shoving us inside of the small room. Randy grinned and waved just before slamming the door shut and locking it from the other side.

I banged on the door and shouted all the obscenities under the sun but eventually Jessica asked me to stop. We expected the church to come under attack at any moment, but I guess the demon was biding its time. Or perhaps it just enjoyed toying with us – its prey.

In any event, it seemed we were in as much danger from our so-called friends and neighbours than we were from the monster outside.

Jessica and I spoke for hours during that afternoon in captivity. At first our conversation was tense and fearful, but in time we moved onto brighter subject matters and remembered the good times we’d had growing up together.

“I shouldn’t have said it like that.” Jessica said as she stared deeply into my eyes, “But I really do love you Ben. I want you to know that…in case we don’t make it.”

I smiled as a tear rolled down my cheek. “I love you too Jess. And we’re going to survive this. Trust me.”

I wasn’t convinced and I don’t think she was either, but we embraced and kissed passionately, and for a moment I truly did believe we might make it. But our intimate moment was rudely interrupted as we heard the jingling of keys in the lock and the door being opened.

I was disgusted to see the sneering bullies staring in at us, both armed with knives and with a grim-faced mob standing in the corridor behind them.

“Sorry to interrupt, love birds.” Billy said sarcastically.

“Fuck you!” I shot back angrily.

“Come on Romeo.” Randy added, “Its time for your close up!”

With that, the mob piled into the small room, once again taking hold of Jessica and me before they frog-marched us back through the corridor and into the church hall. And to my horror, I saw they were taking us straight towards the front door which was now wide open.
Jessica started screaming and I kicked and fought with all my might, but to no avail. They pushed us past the huddled congregation – some of whom shouted abuse while others just stood back and watched. But no-one tried to help us. It was like we were ‘unclean’ and being cast out of our own community.

Before long we were outside. It was dusk now and we could see the summer’s sun setting against a pink horizon. But the coming darkness was lit up by dozens of fires burning all across town, as Jericho was literally burnt to the ground. All it had taken was a few short hours for the monster to lay waste to our community.

Across the street from the church were the charred remains of two of our former neighbours, both burnt beyond recognition. The foul stench of burnt flesh hung in the air as I retched and once again fought in vain against my captors.

There were tears in my eyes as I witnessed the horrific scene, and I guessed that hundreds of town’s people had already died in the inferno – all because we’d failed to complete the ritual. I felt sick to my stomach and stopped struggling against my captors to the point where they had to drag me along the sidewalk.

I glanced over at Jessica and saw she was still fighting like hell. Her family might be gone but she didn’t want to join them. But what were the mob going to do to us? I soon got my answer.

Several men secured Jessica and me to a pair of lampposts along the street, binding our hands and ankles tightly and securing us to the posts. With this job done, the majority of the crowd left the street and returned to the church hall, leaving behind a group of five to guard us – Pastor Eddie, Yasmine, Chuck, Billy and Randy.

Chuck was still carrying his pump-action shotgun while Billy and Randy both held their bowie knives as they grinned menacingly. The pastor and his wife weren’t armed as far as I could tell, but this hardly mattered – as Jessica and I were both securely tied and effectively helpless.

“What the fuck is this?” Jessica cried out in fury, “Why are you doing this to us?”

“We are enacting the sixth rule.” Yasmine replied with a smug and sadistic smile set on her ruby lips.

“The sixth rule?” I repeated in confusion.

The five rules of the church had been drummed into us since we were old enough to read, but never had I head mention of a sixth. Yasmin left it to her husband to explain, although I noticed how he couldn’t look us in the eye as he spoke, and I could hear the shame in his voice.

“Yes, I’m afraid there is a sixth and final rule which my ancestor left for his descendants under the strict understanding that it would only apply in the most desperate of situations. We came close to implementing this rule in ’42 until Gerry Baker lead the successful fightback. But now – regrettably – it seems we are out of options.”

I felt the fear pulsating through me, and I struggled to speak through my trembling lips. But I did manage to ask the thousand-dollar question.

“What is the sixth rule?” I muttered.

The pastor lowered his head, unable to answer. But his wife was more than happy to reveal the terrible truth,

“Rule six comes into effect when all else fails.” she explained in an almost gleeful tone, “You see, Franklin White understood the heavy price required to defend our town and our people. If the beast gets loose and cannot be stopped by force, the only way to pacify it is through a blood sacrifice.”

I felt a sickness in the pit of my stomach as the horrifying reality hit home. And turning to Jessica, I saw her face had turned a ghostly shade of pale as she struggled to speak.
“You can’t be serious!” she cried.

“I’m so sorry.” answered the pastor in shame, “There’s no other way.”

“Don’t apologise to them” spat Yasmine as she chastised her increasingly feeble husband, “They deserve their fate!”

She pointed at me accusingly before continuing. “He comes from bad blood, and it shows. How many of our people have died because of his failure?”

I lowered my head in shame, because on some level I did feel responsible for the ritual failing. But then the pastor’s wife turned her attentions on Jessica.

“And this harlot has sullied herself and brought shame on her family name.”

“Go to hell, you evil witch!” Jessica spat, her eyes filled with a righteous fury.
But Yasmine merely laughed.

“You don’t need her.” I pleaded, “If there must be a sacrifice, let it be me. You can let Jessica go.”

“No.” Yasmine snapped back, “There needs to be two.”

I didn’t know whether she was telling the truth. Hell, for all I knew, Yasmine had invented the entire sixth rule for her own twisted purposes. But either way, it was clear we were in serious trouble.

“Screw it.” Randy swore as he butted in, “Let’s get this done. What’s first?”

“First, we make them bleed.” answered Yasmine, “The smell will draw in the beast.”
Randy smiled sadistically as he approached Jessica, knife in hand.

“No!” I screamed, “Leave her alone, you son-of-a-bitch!”

I struggled desperately against the ropes but my binds were too tight. I could only watch in impotent horror as the knife drew closer to Jessica’s skin. It seemed we were both doomed but rescue came in the most unlikely form.

“Get the hell away from her!” came the shrill cry.

I turned my head in that direction and was astonished to see my own mother, her bloodshot eyes wild but determined as she wielded a handgun and aimed at our captors.

Randy stopped in his tracks, freezing when he saw the gun. Next, my mother turned the weapon on Chuck while shouting – “Drop it! Throw your gun down or I’ll blow you away!”
Chuck hesitated for a second before tossing his shotgun down on the asphalt. Next, mom barked out instructions to Billy and Randy.

“Cut my son loose. The girl too!”

It was at this point that Yasmine attempted to intervene, saying – “You don’t want to do this Bella. You’re making a big mistake!”

“Shut the hell up!” mom screamed, “Cut them loose!”

The two bullies didn’t move as they looked to Yasmine for assurance. But my mother acted aggressively, raising the gun in the air and firing a warning shot.

“Do it now!” she cried.

“Okay, okay!” Randy shouted.

And a moment later, the two boys used their knives to cut Jessica and I free. I wasn’t clear what would happen next. The best plan was for the three of us to get the hell out of there while we still could. Yasmine seemed frozen following the gunshot, but surprisingly her usually docile husband stepped forward, slowly walking towards my mother with his hands outstretched.

“Please Bella, this is not the way.” he said calmly, “You have strayed from the righteous path, but its never too late to come back to the flock.”

“Stay the fuck away from me you psycho!” my mother spat angrily.

But the pastor was undeterred as he continued his slow approach.
“Give me the gun Isabella.”

For a terrifying moment I thought my mom might comply, but then I saw something break in her…her eyes widening and lips curling as she squeezed the trigger.

There followed an almighty bang as the bullet tore through the pastor’s skull and his brains were splattered all over the sidewalk.

“No!” Yasmine screamed in a gut-wrenching wail of grief.

My jaw dropped as I was shocked by the violent act, but there was no time to process the killing as events moved so quickly. A moment after the pastor’s body, Chuck fell went for the shotgun. But mom was too fast for him – shooting the butcher three times in the chest.
It was then that I jumped into action, running forward to grab the dropped shotgun. But simultaneously, Randy charged forward, screaming blue murder with his knife in hand.

“You bitch!” he screamed, as he stabbed my mother deep in her stomach.
I watched my mom bleeding heavily as she collapsed to the tarmac.

“No!” I screamed,

And I reacted with fury, smashing Randy’s head in with the butt of my shotgun.
Suddenly there was another cry from behind me. I swung around and saw Billy charging towards me, his eyes full of fury as he wielded his blade.

Without thinking I aimed the shotgun and fired, blowing Billy away at near point-blank range. I watched as the kid’s body was flung backwards and was instantly horrified by what I’d done.

But my attention was soon captured by Jessica’s screams. When I lifted my head, I saw Yasmine had her. The late pastor’s wife had pulled a concealed dagger and was holding it against my lover’s throat.

“Let her go!” I demanded.

“Drop your gun!” she shot back.

We were at an impasse. I couldn’t shoot Yasmine without hitting Jessica and she knew it. But the attack came like a bolt out of the blue as the beast descended from the twilight, screeching in fiendish anticipation as it dug its claws into Yasmine’s flesh.

The pastor’s wife screamed as she let go of Jessica, allowing my beloved to escape into my waiting arms. Meanwhile, the winged beast tightened its deadly grip upon its victim, using its mighty strength to physically pull her up into the air.

Yasmine continued to kick and scream in a blind panic as the demon ascended with her in its deadly grasp. It must have flown to a height of 50 or 60 feet before releasing its victim. Yasmine was still screaming as she fell, but her neck snapped like a twig once she hit the tarmac, and then the woman was finally silent.

Jessica and I retreated as the beast soared into the darkening skies above us. We went to my mother’s aid, only to find she’d lost a lot of blood – her face drained as she was unable to get to her feet.

“Run!” she cried, “You two need to get the hell out of here!”

“I won’t leave you mom.” I answered emotionally.

“You have to.” she replied as her strength faltered, “You must survive – otherwise its all been for nothing!”

“Ben!” Jessica cried out, “He’s coming back!”

I looked up in time to see the beast descend and land on the sidewalk just down the street from us, its black eyes filled with a murderous zeal as it opened its horrifying maw.

At that moment Randy regained consciousness, having only been stunned by the blow to his head. He unwittingly staggered towards the monster and screamed when he saw the beast towering over him. And the demon wasted no time as it unleashed a stream of fire, engulfing the kid in unholy flames.

“Go now!” my mother ordered, “I’ll hold him off!”

Jessica took my hand and then we were running down the street, fleeing once again from impending doom. I turned my head for only a moment, watching as the beast approached my wounded mother.

Mom raised her pistol and prepared to shoot. But at the last moment she turned the gun on herself, pulling the trigger and ending her own life.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I witnessed my mother’s death. Despite all her faults, she’d sacrificed herself to save me.

Just after the gunshot the beast roared in anger, clearly frustrated that he’d missed the opportunity to burn its victim alive. I was sure it would turn on us next, but instead the monster turned its attention towards the church hall.

Someone inside had unwisely opened the front door, probably to investigate the gunshots. And now the demon had an opening as it soared across the tarmac and entered the building, soon turning the church hall into a slaughterhouse.

We heard the blood-curdling screams but knew there wasn’t a thing we could do for those people, and so we fled – sprinting through the burnt-out remains of our town and entering the forest beyond.

It was dark now, with the only illumination coming from the moon and the stars above. Jessica and I knew these woods well, but we’d never had to navigate them after dark – that had been one of the rules after all.

We had a plan of sorts, aiming to get to the road leading westwards and to hitch a ride to safety. But as we fled deeper into the dark woods, I heard the ominous silence and had the terrifying realisation that we were being hunted.

Suddenly a voice called out from behind us – a familiar and initially comforting voice.
“Jess? Ben? Where are you guys? Come out. It’s safe now.”

It was the sheriff’s voice, or so it seemed at first.
“Daddy?” Jessica called out hopefully.

“Don’t.” I whispered in her ear, “It’s not him.”

But it was already too late – the beast had found us. I saw its pale form emerge from behind the trees, striding towards us with its claws extended and its blood-soaked maw hanging open. I went for the shotgun which I was carrying over my shoulder. But the monster was so fast, and the forest floor shook as it charged towards me.

Jessica cried out, pushing me out of the way at the last possible moment. The furious beast lashed out, cutting Jessica deep through her chest as she fell backwards. Meanwhile, I grabbed the shotgun and fired at the beast, forcing it back.

I couldn’t kill the monster but could certainly hurt it, and that was good enough. I reloaded and fired again, experiencing a grim satisfaction as the buckshot tore through the beast’s pale flesh and it squealed in pain. I continued firing until all my shells were expended, and the beast retreated back behind the trees to lick its wounds.

I dropped the shotgun and ran to Jessica’s aid. She was still breathing and conscious but the claw wounds across her chest were severe. I couldn’t tell just how bad it was in the dark, but it was clear that Jess couldn’t walk and so I mustered my strength and lifted her, carrying my beloved’s broken body as I continued our retreat through the woods.

Thankfully the road was closer than I’d thought. Once I reached it, I laid Jessica gently down on the grass and held her carefully as I tried to stem the bleeding and keep her conscious.
It must have been about ten minutes before I saw headlights coming from the opposite direction. I jumped onto the road, waving frantically and almost getting myself run down by the pick-up truck which stopped at the last possible moment.

“What the hell are you doing kid?” screamed the driver – a middle-aged man with a beer belly who wore a leather jacket and baseball cap.

“Please. My girlfriend is badly hurt! We need to get her to a hospital!” I pleaded.

The driver came with me and helped me carry Jessica to the back cab of his truck.
“Jesus!” he swore upon seeing the deep wounds on her body, “Did a bear do that to her?”

I didn’t answer, instead repeating my plea with increased urgency.
“Please. We have to go! There isn’t much time!”

“Okay.” said the driver as he put his foot down on the accelerator.

We must have driven for another five or ten minutes before I came to a terrible realisation. Jessica was bleeding out and we weren’t going to make it to the hospital in time. My beloved wasn’t going to make it.

I held her tighter and tried to hold off my tears. But then I saw the light in her eyes fading as she managed a final smile and whispered – “I love you.”

“I love you too Jess. Forever.” I replied emotionally.

But I didn’t know whether she heard me or not, because her eyes closed and she stopped breathing. An unstoppable stream of tears ran down my cheeks as I held onto Jessica’s now lifeless body.

“My God!” swore the driver in shocked disbelief.

But he was looking out of the car window and towards the fires which had engulfed my former hometown.

And then we heard the thunderous roar of the beast carrying through the night air as the demon let out its hideous cry of victory.

And so that’s my tragic story, warts and all. You may think I’m telling you this to gain sympathy, but that’s not the case. I’m writing this down because I’m the only one who knows the truth of what happened during that blood-soaked summer of ’98.

I’ve kept this tragedy a secret for so many years – but no longer. Because I’m going back to face the monster head on.

It never went away you see. Jericho wasn’t rebuilt, but the area around the mountain has been the site of many unexplained incidents over the last 26 years; including multiple disappearances, alleged animal attacks, and mysterious fires.

Clearly the monster still dwells in the mountain, emerging every summer to hunt, feed, and cause bloody mayhem. This evil has been left unchecked for too long, but its time is up.

I’ve collected an arsenal of weapons, ammunition, and explosives…and tomorrow I’m driving up the mountain to where this all began. My plan is to finish the ritual and trap the beast – for good this time.

Twenty-six years ago, this monster took everything from me, but now I’m going to make it pay – even if it costs me my mortal life.

Credit: Woundlicker

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