mirror of https://github.com/nealey/Horrors2
141 lines
4.2 KiB
TeX
141 lines
4.2 KiB
TeX
\chapauth{LesterGroans}
|
|
\chapter[Dream Hyena]{Dream Hyena: A Bavarius Tale}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Luke Bavarius checked his watch and rolled his eyes as the radio
|
|
vomited some Stones track that the kids listened to these days. He
|
|
tapped his foot mindlessly on the gas pedal and honked his horn
|
|
again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
``Dammit, woman,'' he mumbled to himself. His ex-wife had promised to
|
|
have their kid waiting for them when he got there. It would be the
|
|
first time he'd see the little brat in weeks. It was hard being a
|
|
cop, even harder having a home life when you were one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bavarius grunted like an ape and got out of his Camaro, rounding it
|
|
to the suburban sidewalk and up the stone walkway to Carrie
|
|
Bavarius's bungalow. He knocked on the door.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
``Let's go, champ. Kids who are late don't get ice cream,'' Bavarius
|
|
called through the door. Still no answer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A thick, meaty thumping came from inside, like a pudding-stuffed
|
|
side of beef was being smacked against a milk bag. Bavarius
|
|
furrowed his expansive brow and rubbed his chin, stubbled and
|
|
gritty like the streets he swore to protect.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
He kicked the door in, it splintered against the far wall. His
|
|
Baretta was out faster than a synapse as he lunged into the
|
|
foyer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There were smears of body ketchup leading down the hall. Bavarius's
|
|
eyes narrowed, he started to sweat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
``Carrie?! Lukie Junior?!'' He called out, steadying his firing hand
|
|
as he moved down the hall. The walls were streaked with scratch
|
|
marks. There were gouges in the wall up to an inch deep -- two
|
|
inches in some places. Three inches in others.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As he passed a four inch deep scratch mark he rounded the corner
|
|
and there, at the end of the hall, was a thing that could only be
|
|
described as a dream hyena. It was on two legs, a scorpion tail
|
|
jutting from its distended, mangy belly, wiggling towards Bavarius.
|
|
Its jaw hung loose, almost broken, vomiting sickly metal smelling
|
|
saliva onto the floor, ruining the hardwood. Its eyes were gone, in
|
|
their place were throbbing boils of pus, what looked like a
|
|
cockroach had been stuck in the festering eye-wound, its leg
|
|
twitching out the side of it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The sharp scorpion tail had made fast work of Carrie, dicing her
|
|
body into so many pieces. Her entrails hung from sconces, the dream
|
|
hyena was wearing her hands on the top of its heads like the horns
|
|
of Pan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bavarius gulped, his adam's apple bobbing. He took a stance and
|
|
made sure his voice was steady before calling out, ``You're under
|
|
arrest!''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The dream hyena didn't respond. It lurched forward, its legs moving
|
|
awkwardly, its clawed hands dicking gouges into the wall, the pads
|
|
of its feet squeaking on the glugging, bubbling blood bile that
|
|
spewed from Carrie's severed throat. It was already scabbing in
|
|
gobs around her neck{\ldots} not the kind of necklace she used to pester
|
|
Luke for, that's for sure.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
``Where's Lukie?'' Bavarius asked, holding his ground as the thing
|
|
lurched again, the umbilical scorpion tail wiggling hypnotically.
|
|
Bavarius smirked, ``You don't scare me{\ldots} bringing in punks like you
|
|
is my Baretta and butta!''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
He opened fire, ripping apart the dream hyena's belly. It hissed as
|
|
it vomited disgusting, rotten entrails and a thick gaseous smell
|
|
like someone had run over a dead raccoon in a lawnmower.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The dream hyena fell to the floor and darkness flooded over
|
|
Bavarius. He blinked, stepping back, dropping his gun. What was
|
|
going on?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When he opened his eyes he looked at the floor in front of him.
|
|
Little Lukie Bavarius lay holding in his guts as they tried to
|
|
snake out of his grasp like loose Swedish sausages.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bavarius's neck was thick with corded veins, his eyes so wide they
|
|
almost blew out of their sockets. He dropped down beside Lukie,
|
|
cradling him in his arms, hearing the plopping splash of more guts
|
|
tumbling from Lukie's belly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
``Daddy?'' Lukie looked up, his pale face round and innocent. He
|
|
looked so wise now. ``I just wanted to see you more, daddy? Y-You
|
|
always said you were too busy finding the bad men{\ldots} I-I thought
|
|
maybe you'd come if you had one to find here{\ldots}''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lukie's lower half tore off like wet tissue as Bavarius tried to
|
|
pick him up. He held his son's top half like a broken pi\~nata and
|
|
sobbed into his son's collar.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This was a helluva thing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
\illustration{Ghost Hat}{Dream Hyena}{art/Ghost_Hat-Dream_Hyena.jpg}
|