Three Mile Drove, Chapter six (standard:horror, 2017 words) [7/29] show all parts
Author: Brian Cross	Added: Jul 04 2006	Views/Reads: 3006/2249	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
further instalment of a completed horror story set in the English fens

CHAPTER SIX 

Darren arrived at the Fox and Hounds to find it all but empty. He
supposed that the place relied for much of its trade on reps and 
businessmen who passed along the busy highway. The sole occupants of 
the brightly lit lounge bar now, were a group of five sober suited 
businessmen, too deeply engrossed in technical twaddle of some kind 
that they never spared so much as a glance, as he pushed through the 
double doors and walked to the bar. 

There was a man with a moustache behind the counter, sporting a white
shirt and black tie. ‘Yes sir?' the man asked as he approached, placing 
the glass he'd been cleaning into a rack beneath the bar. 

‘Is it possible to speak to the landlord,' Darren said, feeling
indignant about the fact that no matter whether they be farmhands or 
jumped up businessmen, people in this area seemed to find something 
curious about him. Or was he slowly developing some kind of paranoia? 

‘I'm the manager sir, how can I help?' 

‘I'm looking for accommodation for the night,' Darren said, vexed, ‘I
understand you might be able to provide it.' 

‘Well there is renovation work going on sir,' the manager said
doubtfully, ‘I think that all our single rooms are taken, I'm afraid. 
I'll need to check.' 

Darren felt that he'd received a quick once over, before the man walked
to an alcove behind the bar and drew a book from a shelf. 

No chance he thought. In your present state he probably thinks you're of
no fixed abode, likely to slip quietly out at first light leaving an 
unpaid bill. 

After several seconds the manager returned glum faced, ‘As it happens
sir, a guest checked out this evening unexpectedly. We do have a single 
room, the only one available. It's not en-suite I'm afraid, but we can 
provide a discount off our normal rate.' 

‘Fine, I'm not choosy,' Darren smiled, relieved not to have to take to
the road again that night. He accepted the keys from the manager and 
was shown the way upstairs to room ten. *                               
                                             Darren was served a hearty 
breakfast at the inn the following morning, but he found he hadn't the 
stomach for it. He wasn't prone to nightmares but the one he'd just 
experienced had left him reeling, his stomach churning as if from one 
humdinger of a hangover. 

He'd been clawing desperately at the bank, driving his fingers so deeply
into the earth that clods of the stuff had driven into his nails, 
ripping them to shreds. He hadn't been able to feel the pain though, so 
intent had he been on hauling himself out of the raging mini-torrent 
which surged waist high around him. 

But he was never going to make it, because out of the all-encompassing
darkness which was the night itself, a white clad figure had appeared. 
It was kneeling on the dyke edge, a white hood covered its head and 
where the face should have been there was nothing, just a dark vacuum. 
The figure stretched its arms, they were so long he was spellbound by 
them, and then huge hands had emerged from beneath the white frock and 
had begun weighing heavily down on his shoulders. He'd felt he was 
beneath a huge mechanical press, such was the force exerted on him as 
his wretched hands simply slid from the crumbling wet clay of the bank. 


Despite the fierce wind pounding in his ears he'd smelled the stench of
the foul odour that was the creature's breath, and then as he'd slid 
down towards the raging water he'd seen her. He'd seen Goldie kneeling 
beside the hooded figure, her face luminous as if in stark contrast to 
the blackness of the night. She was laughing and yet angry at the same 
time, gloating at his demise. There'd been green bile coming from her 
mouth, it had vomited out at him just before he slumped below the 
water's surface, too shocked, too exhausted to struggle any longer. As 
the water had flowed over him he could hear her hideous, ear-piercing 


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