Beast

By Laura Foster

Over thirteen years have passed since the terrifying Red-eye Wave Epidemic struck hundreds of innocent people, turning them into puppets controlled by a greater power. Through many sacrifices, the people were cured of their possession and the bloody-eyed disease was no more.

Or so they believed.

Donahue is now the last remaining angel from the days of their great war. He’s witnessed the great possession of his kind that inevitably sent them to their extinction. He knows there was no simple out from the mad king’s grasp. The burden is on his shoulders to protect the Earth from a great evil that is determined to escape hell’s frozen confinements.

But Donahue is a corrupted angel with sinful powers his own kind shunned him for. Powers that bring forth darkness and death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laura Foster
• Release date: Mar 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781916081413

Book preview

Beast

BEAST

LAURA FOSTER

Copyright © 2019 by Laura Foster

Artwork by Sofia Rey

ISBN:Paperback978-1-9160814-0-6

eBook978-1-9160814-1-3

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual person’s, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

First Printing: March 29th 2019

www.crimsonsaga.com

CHAPTER 1

All eyes were set on the monitor with anticipation. The scientists in their long white lab coats were virtually still and completely silent, all bunched together and surrounding the screen. For these last painstaking years they had been waiting for this moment; a search which was ludicrous and almost impossible. Almost.

It had been near a decade since they placed the SV51 robot into the salty ocean and allowed it to sink. It swam with its artificial limbs to a depth that no human could withstand or light the sun could breach. The small droid had been remotely feeding an eternal blackness onto the researcher’s monitor, with only its coordinates changing daily, for these past years. Today was different. Today their expensive toy fed them new information. The monitor was not black. It was navy, and gradually the deep blue was growing shades lighter.

There was light in these depths. Light beyond the Earth’s star. This light, found so deep in the oceans vast volume, meant one thing. They had discovered a new source of energy. An energy source beyond their primitive fossil fuels and heavily relied on nuclear plants. And as the researcher’s eyes widened in excitement, their thoughts were in sync. Could this be the answer to the ever-growing energy shortage that plagued humankind?

‘Dr Walsh, are you monitoring the readings?’ one of the men broke the silence. A woman in her late thirties snapped out of her trance, breaking her gaze from the marvel. The sound of her heels clicking against the sterile tiled floor sounded alien compared to the long silence. She sat down before her computer, her fingers furiously tapping at the keys, making notes on everything she read.

She read out, ‘Visual capacity has increased and continues to increase at a steady rate. It is difficult to obtain how far away SV51 is from the energy output.’ She paused and took in a deep breath. She had to remain professional, a hard thing to keep in check when they had stumbled on what could be called a miracle. She peered up from the screen to her fellow colleagues. Her senior, Dr Phillips, had not taken his eyes away from the monitor. A few scientists stood with their backs to her, employed on small salaries compared to similar professionals in their field. Over time many had left but some had stayed, wanting to be a part of history.

‘Make sure SV51 continues to travel on this route,’ Dr Phillips expressed, ‘Make sure all backup devices are recording this.’ Dr Walsh nodded in response. She checked the system to confirm that the live footage was being saved on all of the backup systems. There was a small server room in that very building and another more sophisticated server located outside and far away that was connected through a cloud network. She could see the files were saved to their server in the building. She checked the cloud. It was offline. She briskly moved from the desk and towards her senior to tell him of the news. She whispered it to him so the others couldn’t hear.

‘The blasted thing is always knocking out. At a time like this too. It’s a disgrace, Sophie,’ he whispered her first name informally, ‘You need to go to the technical desk and…’

‘Stop SV51!’ Their conversation was interrupted by another scientist. Dr Walsh looked at the screen in bewilderment. On the monitor, the SV51’s reflection faintly showed its own light bouncing on a transparent barrier that gleamed against its hardened artificial body. One of her colleagues ran past Sophie and struck the command for the device to pause. The robot jolted, tilting slightly upwards. The light bounced across the smooth surface, its mirror image lost briefly.

‘It’s ice!’ Sophie gasped in astonishment. SV51 regained its balance, its torch slowly moving down the mirror-like-wall. It glistened slightly from the salt trapped within the frozen barricade.

‘Ice can’t form this deep,’ one argued with her.

‘Not unless the energy output is great enough that it has relieved the pressure of the water molecules. Dr Walsh, did you check the reading for the energy output?’ Her senior turned to face her directly.

‘I’ll check now sir,’ she responded and she hurried back to her computer. Her fingers graced over the keys as she brought up the readings from SV51. Her eyes widened, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

‘Well?’ her senior asked her impatiently.

‘It’s off the scale, sir. SV51 is unable to get a reading. It’s too high to be counted.’ She had stuttered slightly as she spoke. What had they found? The room fell silent as they tried to theorise within their minds.

‘Off the scale?’ he questioned. She stepped away from her desk and back to the droid’s input. She pushed SV51’s sight towards the highest point of the energy outburst. Within the icy tunnel, a single golden light shone. It covered only a handful of pixels on the screen, dancing within the ice like a shining tail feather.

They’d found it. They’d found the source. SV51 couldn’t reach it now but maybe if it found a hole within the sheer ice, it could be reached in the near future.

The room’s silence was replaced by the old man’s laughter, ‘We have struck the greatest phenomenon since… since…We’ll get our budget back. We must celebrate at once!’ Cheering flooded the room from the researchers. Champagne bottles were brought forth, saved for this occasion, glasses produced and corks were popped. The fizz was poured between her colleagues, glasses clinked together in a toast. The joy on their faces was immense. Years of painstaking work, begging for grants and working on tighter and tighter budgets had finally paid off for them.

Dr Walsh stepped away from the desk in a slight daze. Was this really the time to celebrate? For years they had been seeking this single energy source from a piece of research unearthed over a decade ago, and now they find out it is far greater than anything their technology could even read? What would this really bring for humanity? Salvation or devastation?

‘Dr Walsh.’ Her supervisor caught her gaze. He thrust a bottle of unopened alcohol into one of her hand’s and a USB drive into her other. ‘Go to the technical desk. We need the cloud up and running as soon as possible. If Jared can’t do it, send him up to the city to back it up directly on this. And the bottle, so he knows we’re grateful. We’re not to burn bridges Dr Walsh, not now.’

‘I understand sir,’ she responded, pocketing the small device and pulling out her security card. She moved away from the celebrating scientists, swiping her security card and leaving the party. As the doors automatically shut behind her, the sound of celebration was muffled. Her heels clicked as she walked through the corridor, making her way to the security desk.

As the years had continued, their budget had dwindled, forcing changes to be made. One of those changes had been the merge of the security desk and the technical desk. Only one employee manned it, an elderly bloke named Jared, both acting as IT support and security. He would appreciate the gift.

As she turned a corner, she glared at the ceiling lights. They were a lot dimmer down this stretch than they had been before. She would need to mention it to her supervisor that they needed replacing. She had only been working for this establishment for six months, making notes from the SV51, or at least the lack of changes. Because the recordings from SV51 had been unchanging, she was treated as a glorified secretary, not as the scientist she was. Her jobs consisted of passing messages, fetching drinks and taking calls from the people that had originally invested in the research, demanding something to show for the money they’d fed in. But that was now going to change for her. She was going to be a part of history. She was going to be recognised. Dr Sophie Walsh, founder of…

She snapped out of her daydream as she stepped into darkness. The last three lights she had walked by were out. The lights in front of her were also gone. Her steps became slower. Something wasn’t right. These little problems seemed too perfect. Her eyes focused, her pupils taking in as much light as they could. The desk was in front of her. Jared was missing. The CCTV footage above the desk was pitch-black. Were all surveillance cameras offline or blinded? The sound of glass shattering from down the corridor caught her attention.

‘Jared?’ she called out with uncertainty. A dark figure jerked towards her. A heavy hand clasped over her shoulder and pushed her back. The champagne bottle dropped, rolling onto the floor. She didn’t have time to react as her body was lifted over the empty desk and forced under the counter.

‘No noise,’ a deep voice warned. Her eyes stared into his. It was Jared. She struggled to tell from his features for it was too dark but his accent had always been very unique.

‘What’s going on?’ she whispered harshly at him. His hand clamped down on her mouth sharply. From the far side, they could both hear a deep growl. She trembled. Something was in this room. Something not human. She peered out from beneath the counter, her eyes trained on the bottle of champagne she had dropped.

Her ears tensed at the inhuman sounds. Whatever it was, it was approaching, heavy footsteps making its way towards the desk. She held her breath as did Jared. They heard the clink against the bottle. Sharp tools like blades enclosed around it. A dark and heavy paw pressed down, overflowing fur so dark it blended into the lightless room. The bottle shattered beneath the beast’s paw with a shrill ping, the alcohol spreading out and bubbling on the floor.

A large head lowered of a wolf-like monster. Long, white canines motioned towards her slowly. It snorted the air loudly, its snout pressing against the floor. Her body pressed tightly against Jared’s in an attempt to keep away from it. Its wet nose pushed against her chest, inhaling and catching part of her lab coat with it. The creatures large silver eyes opened and stared into hers, its white pupils focussed, letting out a deep snarl.

Jared pulled her sharply to one side, pulling out his flashlight and shined it directly into the creature’s eyes. It roared out loudly, turning its head away in pain. The sound was shrill as the bulb in the flashlight shattered. The two stumbled to their feet. She stared at the great beast in fascination and shock. Its head was level with hers, despite being on all fours. Its paw combed over its scalp, long claws scratching at its muzzle and eyes in irritation. The hound stood on its back legs, its nose almost touching the ceiling, its dense black fur flowing over its body like fog.

Jared pulled at her arm sharply, forcing her to run in the direction she came from. She peered back at the creature. Lights sparked and shattered loudly overhead as the large wolf-like creature regained its sight and blackness surrounded it.

Jared thrust his security card against a locked door. Dr Walsh trembled on the spot, looking back at the monster. The canine lowered itself back onto all fours, silver eyes gleaming in the darkness as it charged towards them. She screamed. The door clicked open. Jared pulled them both in and slammed the door shut. The creature crashed into the door, the small window within it shattering into the room. The steel bent inward. It howled and scratched at the door manically, desperate to get to them.

They’d locked themselves into the server room. The air filters hummed loudly above them, not loud enough to drown out the beast’s feral cries. Jared motioned towards a large server tower and she followed. They both pushed at it. Cables snapped out of walls as it toppled. The top corner caught the wall and it fell to the back of the door at an angle. Again they heard the beast throw its weight against the door. It kept, the tower preventing it from getting in.

‘Oh god…’ She said aloud. Through the small gap in the door, she could still see the silver eyes peering just above the barricade. Its paws were pressed against the door, standing in a strange hunch. The lights above them began to falter. Darkness was consuming the room slowly like fog resting at the foot of a hill. Dr Walsh stepped away from the door, feeling hot tears forming from her eyes.

‘Look at me, Sophie!’ Jared turned her attention to his. She looked him in the eyes; her name being used informally snapped her out of her hysteria. ‘I need your strength now. I need you to believe what I have to say. Will you trust me, Sophie?’ She stood herself straight, took in a deep breath and nodded. ‘That creature is a Barghest. It plans to destroy everything in this building. All the work you and the others have been working on will be for nought if we don’t hurry.’

‘A Barghest?’ she questioned him. She had never heard the name. He shuffled through the tight room, edging his way between pillars after pillars of computers. His eyes combed the different labels, looking specifically for the recent backup.

‘The British legend of the Barghest isn’t well known…’ he commented, his fingers running against his very short grey hair.

‘A myth?’ she interrupted him. His arm stretched out, finger pointing towards the door.

‘That myth is staring at us right through…’ his words trailed off. Sophie peered through the window in the door. The silver eyes were no longer there. The myth had left them, at least it seemed so. It was too dark outside and too light in this room for them to see anymore. She couldn’t hear the cries or the protests of the creature anymore.

‘Sophie, do you have that flash drive on you?’ he asked her adamantly.

‘I… I do,’ she replied, pulling the small thing from her pocket and thrusting it towards him. He took it from her and inserted it into one of the machines. It beeped as it began to download information. She looked at Jared as though he were a stranger. How could the man that greeted her so sweetly every day be able to keep so calm and focused now? He pulled the drive out of the machine as soon as it was done downloading. He gave the small device to her and motioned her to follow.

The server room had two entrances. One that led into the main hallway, the path they had fled from and the other led to the control room, followed by the generator room. The two made their way through the control room with unease.

Sophie had only stepped into this room once. The power supply was fed in through the main grid, just as the neighbours were. It was not the most reliant though, so a backup power supply was adamant. Jared had been the one to put it forward to the researchers, explained from his computing background how important it was to have both power and information to be backed up.

‘The beast gets its power from the darkness. So long as the lights stay on, we’ll be safe in here.’ Jared spoke aloud. Sophie followed him closely, listening out for the sounds of the beast. She peered up at the ceiling as they moved. The lights above beamed brightly above them.

‘Jared, how do you know all this?’ she questioned him. He didn’t reply, bringing his security card out and thrusting it into the side of the door. The door slid open to another room. The bridge went over propane tanks that were nestled neatly next to each other. He walked over the steel grating. Sophie followed, looking over her shoulder at the control room. The lights were flickering and dimming. The door automatically shut after five seconds had passed.

‘You remember the red-eye wave epidemic, or REWE for short, don’t you?’ he finally spoke up. He stopped at the end of the bridge, his hand resting against the emergency door.

‘A little,’ she confessed. He placed his hand on the handle, turning to face her. She stood still as she stared at Jared. His left eye wept, a single slither of blood drooling down his cheek. Her thoughts jumped back to thirteen years ago. She remembered the media coverage that surrounded it. Hundreds of people mysteriously turned feral, weeping red tears and attacking like rabid animals. It broke out and resolved itself in a little over a week. There had been no sign of the outbreak since. Why was Jared weeping blood tears now?

‘There were over a hundred survivors, including me.’ He spoke quietly, his eyes staring up at the lights as they began to spark. ‘Only a third is alive today. Not because of the disease. No, little accidents like a car crash here, suicide there, falling off cliffs, drowning in swimming pools…’

‘What does this have to do with that thing?’ she interrupted him in a shrill voice.

‘It has been killing them!’ Jared yelled at her, ‘That beast has been picking us survivors off one person at a time. The reports of the black dog, the silver-eyed creature, the REWE group organised by those that witnessed a strange black dog on that day, knowing it’s behind these accidents. Do you not remember them? Do you not know about the group that to this day, hunts it down? Don’t you understand Sophie? Humans are getting too close to the truth. The truth. It’s one purpose is to stop humans from having such power!’ The lights shattered above them. The screeching sound of metal being slashed into penetrated her ears.

Jared thrust the door handle down, pushing Sophie outside of the lab and slamming the door after her before she had a chance to react. He struck the control panel hard, locking the system in place. She tried to get back in, wrestling with the door.

‘Jared!’ she yelled out in despair. She saw two silver spheres staring at Jared with hatred as the room grew darker and darker. Even through the thick barricade, she could hear it snarling intensely.

‘Go Sophie. Don’t let that thing destroy what we’ve gained. I have faith in you, Sophie. Go now and don’t look back!’ Jared shouted through the door. Sophie hesitated. Jared was going to die and there was nothing she could do. Her fingers gripped the small flash drive tighter. It couldn’t be in vain.

‘I’ll never forget you,’ she whispered as she turned on her heels and fled. He watched her running away. He smiled. He could hear the beast crying out for his blood behind him.

‘Be strong, child,’ Jared spoke to himself. He turned towards the beast. Its lips curled back, a deep ferocity engraved upon its features. It showed fury in its expression. Fury and fear.

Jared pulled a match from his pocket, striking it against his jeans. The small flame sizzled, concealed behind his back. Jared closed his eyes, a new bloody tear welling and falling down his cheek, his left eye cracking into vines of red. The Barghest launched itself towards Jared, jaws wide and teeth bearing.

‘You’re still such a stupid dog, Donahue,’ Jared chuckled as he leant back, allowing the hound to grab him by the throat. The two bodies were thrown against the floor as his neck snapped under the weight of the jaws. The lit match fell from his fingers and towards the tanks of propane below.

CHAPTER 2

A young teenager took in a deep breath, the sea’s salty scent lingered within her nostrils. The coast was void of people. The few fishermen that lived around those parts had already set off for the vast ocean before dawn had broken. Loud conversations that surrounded her were squawked by seagulls. The tide had recently gone out. Sand that had once been firm and moist against her trainers was now dry grains that blew in the air.

She’d been tracking large paw prints since the suns rays had broken over the horizon. The remaining tracks were disappearing as the sun dried out the wet imprints.

They had led towards a building nestled on the coast, a modern marvel that seemed out of place next to the simple rural villager’s houses. Its black steel walls mirrored the waves of the sea. The long pillars stood against the jagged and rocky ground, signalling the end of the beaches stretch as sand was replaced by sharp rocks. In the distance, a sign with bold letters looked out across the road. SV Laboratories. The name meant nothing to her.

The sand underneath her feet was gradually being replaced by small pebbles. The tracks had ended here, only because the paw prints could not sink so neatly into rocks as they had done into the golden grains of sand before. The building was still several metres ahead of her and several metres higher still. To reach its doors she would be forced to detour back along the beach, climb the slow descent of the hill and make her way across the road.

Her focus shifted briefly to the hill as she considered the route. The road at the top of the hill was absent of people or cars. She didn’t want to risk such a backwards journey. It would take an additional thirty minutes if she walked at a normal pace, twenty if she ran at an average speed, to reach the building. She hissed through her teeth, already anxious she had missed her chance to meet with the creature whose trail she followed.

A shrill cry racketed from the building. Seagulls took flight away from the erection, disappearing over the ocean. The girl watched in fascination, not in fear, as the explosion roared within its constraints. Her fingers toyed with a chain that looped through a large heart-like locket in her left hand subconsciously. Fire swirled and pushed against the windows, shattering outwards from the intense eruption. Electricity sparked and died. Walls fell from their supports, crashing against the rocky floor and splashing into the sea, the flames engulfed by the water. The explosion was heard for miles around. Smoke drifted into the once blue sky, signalling the disaster.

A black shadow leapt from one of the many shattered windows, flames licking at its sides. It howled out in pain, silver eyes peering out towards the sea, its expression contorted in desperation. It had aimed for the water below, but the leap was too short. The obscure silhouette of a beast fell against the rocks below with a sickening thud, the flames disappearing within a thick fog of darkness.

‘Donahue!’ she yelled out loud. It was him, the legend she’d been seeking out all this time. She placed the chain around her neck and tucked the locket out of sight underneath her t-shirt. She raced towards the black figure that rolled and landed on the beach beyond the rocks, streaks of red visible from its path. Her feet pressed against the pieces of the lab that had fallen as she made her way across the other side. She could hear the pillars which kept the building in place groaning from the intense energy. They wouldn’t hold for long.

A surreal howl rang out from the dark figure, the cry sending chills down her back. The large black dog lay on its side, its silver eyes glowing dimly as it peered up at the building. As the suns light licked against the body, the dark veil surrounding the beast began to disappear. Its size reduced drastically. Long claws became nails. Paws retracted into hands. The thick black fur vanished like mist. The grisly fangs sunk within its mouth.

The shadowed figure took in deep breaths. The black shroud that had surrounded him was now completely gone, revealing something human. His skin sizzled from the recent flames. From the tattered remaining cloth of his t-shirt, she could see deep and old scars from beneath his shoulder blades, running down his back and ending at the base of his spine.

The distinctive sound of the unsteady pillars became louder. She grabbed onto the living man’s arm, keeping an eye on the destroyed building that hung awkwardly above her. His breathing was laboured, red liquid staining his gums. She heaved his limp body upwards, grappling his arms over her shoulders. She felt his body tremble against her back. She looked towards him as he opened his eyes. They shined from the built up tears, dimly glowing of silver. His white pupils shook, trying to focus on her.

His vision was blurry, unfocused. She watched him struggle, his eyes twitching. For a brief moment, he took in the golden hair that swept over her eyes and nothing more. He seemed to be in shock, struggling to translate who or what was holding him.

‘D-Dawn?’ he struggled to speak, his voice was distorted but distinguishable. She grunted in annoyance, turning her gaze away from his eyes, her hands gripping his wrists tightly. He closed his eyes, yielding to the battering pain in his body and to her aid. She marched across the rocks, his body being bounced against hers as she carried him. The fire was still intense, pieces of equipment flying from the building and into the water below.

She halted as she heard the cocking sound of a gun.

‘Drop that man!’ A voice bellowed out in their direction, ‘he’s dangerous!’ She stared at the stranger for a moment before briefly looked back at Donahue. His eyes were open, the silver of them gleaming against the sun. His eyes were focused on the gun that was being pointed directly at him.

‘He’s not the one waving a gun in my direction!’ She snapped back at the stranger in anger. The teenager edged backwards awkwardly, keeping Donahue behind her. His breathing came out strangled, his eyes closed tightly as though he was fighting internally with his own thoughts. But he had no power left to stand up for himself. She could feel his body trembling as she struggled to hold his weight. It was clear to her that Donahue wanted to get away from this man.

‘You need to get away from him now. I’m not kidding that he’s unsafe,’ the man continued to try and persuade her. The teenager swayed back and forth, not allowing him to get a clear shot of Donahue. The man was hesitating, trying to keep the gun pointed at Donahue, trying not to get the girl.

The teenager peered into Donahue’s silver eyes and said, ‘This guy? Yeah, looks real dangerous to me.’ She was seemingly unfazed by the strange colouration of Donahue’s eyes.

They heard the sound of motorbikes roaring from above. The girl looked up the embankment, seeing two men riding. They were speeding along the road. Their aim was the ramp that made its way to the beach and to them. They were part of this guy’s group.

She glared at him, knowing that the group was attempting to support him. He took a hesitant breath, intimidated by her glare. He watched as her fingers gripped around a strange crimson shard that seemingly came from her rucksack. She held it out for him to see and threw it to the ground hard. A cloud erupting around the teen and Donahue, creating a thick reddish smokescreen between them. An ear-piercing screech split through the silence. The building gave way entirely, the remaining pillars snapping and tumbling to the rocks below. Nathan was forced to cover his mouth with his free hand, coughing loudly as the fumes intensified. The two motorcyclists were speeding down the ramp, across the beach and towards him. He kept his gun trained on the red mist, terrified of firing in case he hit the girl. The smoke began to fade. Both she and Donahue were no longer in sight.

The man lowered his gun and stared in bewilderment. They’d just vanished, completely and utterly vanished. He heard the two motorbikes braking behind him.

‘Dammit,’ his comrade jumped off the motorbike, the vehicle falling to the sandy floor and choking as the grains clogged into the pistons. ‘Nathan, you should have just shot the black dog.’

‘I’m sorry Dave,’ Nathan stammered, struggling to speak, ‘I was scared of hitting her.’ Dave swiped for the gun, pulling it from Nathan’s clutch. He turned his attention towards the devastated building, his eyes scouring the rocks and the sand. He was looking for any sign of them, the beast and the girl. How they had evaded their sight so quickly baffled him. He could only assume it was Donahue’s doing, the half man and the half monster that he was.

‘We can’t cry over spilt milk,’ the second man parked his motorbike more carefully, shutting the engine off. He dismounted and came up to the two, standing between them. Nathan looked up at him, ashamed that he had not acted quicker.

‘Grant… I…’ Nathan tried to speak. Grant placed his hand on Nathan’s head, ruffling his hair slightly. Nathan felt small as he did so. Grant pulled a phone from his pocket and began to check it. Nathan knew what he was looking for. He was searching for Donahue with the tracking device they had left on him during their previous encounters.

‘Dammit!’ Grant said.

‘What is it?’ Dave asked.

‘Donahue’s not showing. The tracking device must’ve fizzled out,’ Grant told him. Dave let out a noise of annoyance. They’d struggled enough getting the small tracking device on Donahue’s clothing. It had taken them months of planning. It hadn’t lasted a full day on the beast.

‘I-I’m sorry,’ Nathan spoke a little louder. If only Grant had got there before he had done. Grant wouldn’t have hesitated. He would have aimed and fired. He would have hit the dog Donahue, and would have saved the girl. Their years of hunting would have been over. No one else would need to have died.

‘I don’t blame any of this on you,’ Grant reassured him, ‘We’ll find him again, hopefully before he gets to his next victim.’

‘This was one too many already!’ Dave snapped, ‘and I bet you that dog has already figured it all out. Police will call this an accident as well.’ Nathan felt his heart knot, staring at the dismantled building. Dave was right. Each time one of these accidents occurred, it was always non-suspicious deaths. No matter how much they tried to inform the authorities, they didn’t believe them. But they knew. They knew that it was Donahue’s doing. Right from the beginning when the black dog appeared to them over thirteen years ago, he had been involved. The monster refused to rest, picking off the survivors of REWE one after another. All of his dad’s hard work to cure them back then was futile if this demon was killing them now.

‘I have a name,’ Grant said as he continued to check his phone which he had connected to their database of REWE victims.

‘Just one name?’ Dave questioned uneasily.

‘I’m afraid so. His name was Jared Fletcher. He’s one of the recorded people infected with the past REWE. The other employees aren’t showing on the database though.’ Dave pulled his cap off of his head, throwing it down on the beach, letting out a sound of distress.

Grant showed little emotion, finally removing his hand from Nathan’s head. Grant had been family to him since he was young, acting as an adoptive older brother. They’d all in a way become family since the REWE disaster. Dave snatched the phone from Grant, scrolling through the information. Nathan knew Dave didn’t intend to be bitter. It was more passion than anything else. Dave was getting old. Nathan knew he shouldn’t be out with the rest of them hunting down the dog but there was no arguing with him.

Nathan walked away from the group. The fire had been quick and dangerous but now the fuel it had relied on had been consumed and it was struggling to stay alive. He stepped onto the rocks, looking up the cliff’s walls and along the remaining beach. There was no chance of any footprints from running feet to sink in such dry sand. Just like that, the girl had gotten Donahue away without leaving a trace. His eyes scoured the rubble, hoping to find a clue or a survivor.

One of the pipes was standing tall amongst the rocks. Nathan approached it slowly, seeing the blood trailing from it. A body was impaled upon it. The clothes were badly charred, the skin still sizzling from the fuel and fire that was stuck to it. He crept closer, wishing hard that somehow the man was still alive, that he could still be saved. He saw the crooked neck, the sharp teeth marks sunk within the skin and the recent blood that came from it. Donahue had made sure this man was thoroughly dead.

His hand reached for the pipe, peering over and staring at the man’s face. His wrinkled skin showed he was a man nearing an age of retirement. The eyes were open and unfocused. From the corner of one of the eyes, blood welled and slivered down the cheek like a tear. Memories of the victims of REWE came back to him viciously. The people had been moulded into savage creatures, their red eyes and bloody tears revealing the monsters they had been turned into. They were people that had lost their minds. Monsters Nathan had been threatened of being turned into when he was a young boy.

‘Nathan!’ Grant yelled out, running towards him. He clutched him, pulling him away from the corpse. He noticed the bloody eye as well. Nathan was hyperventilating; the shock of seeing red tears had terrified him. Grant pulled him close, holding onto him tightly.

‘Nathan, it’s just from the impact. His eye isn’t red like before, it’s just blood,’ Grant reassured him, ‘Your