Night Creeps: An Adult Horror Story

By Michael D'Ambrosio

Night Creeps is the first of two books, followed by Night Creeps 2. Things go crazy in the small town of Parmissing Valley when aliens not only build a mutant army but create hybrids to assist them. When bodies start turning up, Sheriff Lamar Whittington and Deputy Johnny Watkins attempt to solve the mystery, and it becomes complicated when they

• Language: English
• Publisher: Quantum Discovery
• Release date: Aug 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781958690635

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AN ADULT HORROR STORY

MICHAEL D’AMBROSIO

Night Creeps

Copyright © 2022 by Michael D’Ambrosio

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN

978-1-958690-62-8 (Paperback)

978-1-958690-63-5 (eBook)

Table of Contents

Chapter I Hunter, Hunted

Chapter II Mutilations and Mutations

Chapter III The Campsite

Chapter IV The Turning

Chapter V Body Counts

Chapter VI The Monster Within

Chapter VII Wreaking Havoc

Chapter VIII The New Order

Chapter IX Vengeance

Chapter X Suzie’s Return

Chapter XI Execution

CHAPTER I

HUNTER, HUNTED

Bob Schultz crept through the trees with his Browning 30.06 semi-automatic rifle pointed ahead of him. He was an elderly man, dressed in camouflaged fatigues and a floppy camo hat with combat boots. A tree branch snapped loudly in the cool evening breeze, catching his attention. Schultz held his hand up for his partner, Bo Davis, to freeze.

Bo, a short, stocky man in his early thirties, wore a fluorescent vest with fatigues and a baseball cap. He carried a Remington Genesis rifle with a night scope. Davis whispered, See anything?

Schultz ordered him quietly, Wait here. I’ll see if I can flush it out in the open.

Davis complained softly, We’ve been at it all day. We earned this one.

Schultz whispered determinedly, We sure ain’t goin’ home empty-handed this time. He slipped into the trees in pursuit of the sound.

Davis leaned against a pine tree with his rifle pointed toward the clearing. As he waited anxiously for the deer to emerge, he whispered to himself, This could be the big one. We’ll show them boys at the lodge. Perspiration dripped from his forehead as he impatiently fingered the trigger. He murmured, Come on, Bobby. Flush him out where I can paint his sorry ass.

Schultz stepped cautiously through the bushes and trees. He approached several boulders near the base of the rocky ridge and climbed atop one of them for a better view. Several rocks cascaded down from the top of the ridge, catching him off guard. He dodged the first few but one caught him square in the shoulder, knocking him backwards.

Schultz bellowed, Damn you, you son-of-a-bitch! He staggered to his feet and climbed the rocks to the top of the ridge. He searched angrily for the cause of the small rockslide in the fading twilight.

Beyond the ridge was a streamlined, box-shaped spacecraft. Its side hatch was open, projecting a ray of light off the nearby trees. Schultz saw the spaceship and uttered in amazement, Well, I’ll be! His heart raced as he considered meeting the world’s first alien visitor.

Another branch snapped nearby. Schultz mumbled sarcastically, I ain’t got time for you now. I got an alien to bag. He cautiously approached the ship with his rifle poised to fire.

The outline of a strange creature stood in the doorway of the hatch. Schultz strained to see what the creature was but the bright light inside the ship blurred its features. He inched closer and shouted, Come on out, ET, with your hands up! The creature hid from the doorway.

Schultz complained, I guess we’re gonna have to do this the hard way. Creeping towards the hatch, he searched for the creature.

Inside the spaceship, instrument panels blinked multicolored lights. A large glass tube with a metal base was positioned in the middle of the floor, filled with pink fluid. A living, sponge-like creature was suspended in the fluid. Several conduits ran from the base, up a steel column and over to each instrument panel.

Schultz warned, Don’t make me come in there, ET! I’m giving you three to come out.

Branches snapped in the trees to his right. Schultz backed away from the ship and nervously called out, Is that you, Bo! Don’t be screwing around or I’ll whoop your ass. We got an alien encounter here.

Schultz heard more branches break in the trees on his left. His heart beat faster as he moved fearfully toward the ship. His breathing became irregular and he shuddered. Sons-of-bitches ain’t gonna get away with this.

Schultz pointed the rifle into the spaceship and warned, If you don’t come out, I’ll fill this tin can with so many holes, it’ll never fly again.

A branch snapped to Schultz’s right and startled him. He shouted frantically, Alright, you really pissed me off now! He stomped toward the trees and aimed his rifle.

An alien creature exited the ship and hunted Schultz from behind. It was similar to humans in some ways: a pair of arms and legs, a head with eyes and a mouth.

The mouth was full of sharp teeth and opened wide. Its outer skin resembled that of an alligator - rough and leathery. Sixteen small appendages protruded from its chest in two rows of eight and quivered with drops of clear alien hormone, dripping from each one. The creature wore a metal band around its head that covered its left ear with a small flap and attached to its throat with two electrodes.

Two of the creatures emerged from the forest and stalked Schultz. Schultz panicked and cried out, Holy Mother of God! What the hell are you?

The alien from the ship grabbed him from behind and pulled the rifle out of his hands. Schultz struggled to get free but a pink tongue shot from the alien’s mouth and wrapped itself around his throat. Small bristles emerged from the creature’s tongue and injected a paralyzing agent into his throat muscles and vocal cords.

The alien dropped the rifle on the ground and held Schultz firmly in its grip. The tiny appendages retracted until Schultz’s back was pressed against its chest. The appendages darted out and penetrated both sides of Schultz’s spine, injecting him with hormone. He shuddered and his eyes rolled back in his head. The other two aliens watched eagerly. Their grisly teeth shone eerily in the moonlight.

The tubular tongue slowly released from Schultz’s neck and retracted into its host’s mouth with a slithering sound. It released Schultz and let him fall to the ground unconscious. A low-pitched whirr emitted from one of the control panels inside the ship, interrupting the eerie silence.

One alien became annoyed and asked another, What do we do about them, Shurek? They’re going to keep hunting us until they find us. Shurek approached the alien named Kroll and grabbed at a flap on his chest.

Kroll pleaded, Please don’t do that. I only asked you a question.

Shurek warned, You let me deal with them. You and Grimwold just stick to the plan. Understand?

Kroll nodded and replied humbly, I didn’t mean any disrespect, Shurek. I just wondered.

Well don’t wonder. Just do your job. Shurek released his hold on Kroll’s flap and hurried into the ship.

Grimwold laughed and taunted Kroll, You weakling. You always were soft.

Kroll delicately lifted the flap and inspected a gray worm, which hung inside a small, fleshy chamber. He poked at the worm and it curled up. Kroll sighed with relief and delicately closed the flap over the chamber.

He warned Grimwold, You keep it up and I’ll rip out your whole worm sac.

Grimwold laughed harder and teased, And do what Kroll, make love to it? Kroll glared at Grimwold with a chilling glaze.

Ooh, I’m scared, Grimwold mocked.

Shurek returned from inside the ship and slapped Kroll in the back of his head. The metal band fell off Kroll’s head and landed in the grass. Shurek chided, Stop causing trouble, Kroll. Without the interpreting device, Kroll could only respond in his alien dialect. He crawled on all fours in the grass and searched for his band.

Shurek informed them, Jasper’s ship is still far away. They don’t have coordinates on us yet.

Grimwold responded, That should leave us plenty of time to build an army.

We’re not taking any chances. Now let’s get moving.

Kroll picked his metal band out of the grass and placed it on his head. He connected the probes to his throat and warned Shurek, Don’t do that again.

Or what? What will you do to me, Kroll?

Kroll glared at him and warned, One day you might need me to watch your back and I just might forget.

Shurek mocked him, I don’t think I’ll ever need you. You’re a mess.

Schultz got to his feet a short distance away from the aliens. His face swelled and his jaw protruded with two upper fangs and irregular, pointed teeth. His limbs grew longer and he hunched over like an ape.

Shurek remarked confidently, I think he’ll do.

Grimwold inquired, Can we trust him?

Shurek approached Schultz and asked, Is anyone else with you?

Schultz nodded and answered in a course, raspy voice, Only Bo.

Shurek ordered, Don’t come back until you’ve killed him.

Foamy saliva dribbled off Schultz’s lip onto his boot. His clothes stretched tightly against his growing limbs until they tore. I’ll eat Bo. I’m hungry.

Shurek was amused and ordered, Get out of here, now!

Schultz grinned, baring his crooked, broken teeth, and then trudged into the trees.

Grimwold remarked, These humans might transform into better soldiers than we thought.

Kroll replied uneasily, We still don’t know how they’ll mutate with the DNA compound and with the worms inserted in them.

Shurek looked at Kroll with disgust and barked out, Why don’t you shut up? You’re really starting to annoy me. Kroll walked away in frustration and entered the ship.

Shurek pointed toward three lights in the valley. We’ll start with those residences, Grimwold.

Grimwold remarked arrogantly, This’ll be easy. The two aliens disappeared into the trees.

Moonlight cast an eerie glow from just over the ridge across the grassy clearing. Broken cloud cover created lurking shadows across lumpy clods of grass. Bo fidgeted as he waited impatiently. Where the hell are you, Bob? Fear took control of him and he stood up, holding his rifle tightly in his hands. He crept along the perimeter of the clearing and searched for any sign of his hunting partner. There was no sign of Schultz.

Bo grumbled angrily to himself, You and me are gonna have a long talk about this, buddy.

Schultz waited patiently in the trees nearby, watching Bo trudge away from him. Bo paused to take out his flashlight and shined it around the perimeter of the clearing. He flashed the light briefly in Schultz’s eyes. Schultz became irritated and burst out of the trees. He rushed at Bo, snarling and growling.

Bo was horrified at what Schultz had become. He aimed his rifle while holding the flashlight and ordered, Stop right there. Bob! If this is a joke, I’ll kick your friggin’ ass! Bo now saw the horrible creature that Schultz had become. The fangs convinced him that this was no joke. He fired at Schultz from about ten feet. Schultz staggered and covered his chest with his left claw. He paused and snarled again at Bo. Bo aimed the rifle again but this time Schultz lunged at him. The two tumbled across the ground as Bo desperately tried to defend himself against the much stronger creature that Schultz had become. Bo’s rifle and flashlight lay nearby in the grass out of his reach.

Schultz sat on Bo’s chest and savagely tore into his right arm with his teeth. Bo gouged at Schultz’s eye with his left hand but only angered the creature more. He ripped off Bo’s right arm and beat him with it. He shoved his clawed hand through Bo’s abdomen and ripped out his intestines. Bo’s cries carried across the dark forest, unheard by anyone. Schultz held his entrails in the air like a prize and howled.

When Schultz finished devouring the flesh from Bo’s body, he staggered through the trees to a trail. Schultz looked down at the bullet wound in his chest and grunted. After three more steps, he stumbled and fell to the ground dead.

Bo’s body was a heap of broken bones and bloody pieces of flesh. His head lay sideways in the grass with his eyes frozen wide-open, displaying the fear he died with. A short length of spine extended from the severed neck and quivered briefly as his right eye twitched one final time.

Two college students hiked along the trail up the side of Grahams’ Mountain in the early morning hours. The woman wore a gray sweatshirt and pants with a red headband holding her long blond hair behind her. She walked ahead of her partner.

The young man wore sweat shorts and a tank top. A dark blue bandana was tied around his shaven head. He carried a black backpack over his shoulders and panted as he attempted to keep up.

The young woman teased, Come on, Steve. I thought you were in shape.

Steve complained, I am, Jill. Remember, I worked all night while you slept.

Oh, stop whining. She saw someone lying motionless on the ground and paused.

Steve stopped next to her and asked, What’s wrong?

Jill replied uneasily, Look. There’s a body on the ground.

Steve cautiously approached Schultz’s body. Jill was frightened and stayed back. Is he alive? she asked.

Steve saw the gunshot wound in the chest and knew Schultz was dead. The deformed face and teeth of the corpse stunned him. You’d better call the sheriff, he replied. This isn’t pretty. Jill opened a small pouch tied to her waist and took out her cell phone. She dialed the Sheriff’s Office and waited patiently.

Steve saw pieces of stringy flesh caught between the dead man’s teeth. The two fangs in the top of Schultz’s mouth intrigued him. He muttered, What in the hell happened to you?

Sheriff Lamar Whittington sat at his desk flipping through photographs. He was a large African-American man in his early thirties, dressed in a blue uniform. He took the position of sheriff in Parmissing valley when he was blamed for his partner’s death, but was given the option to leave town quietly. He figured, How much could possibly happen in a hick town like this?

Deputy Johnny Watkins entered through the front door and kidded, Internet’s faster if you’re looking for a handsome young guy for tonight, Sheriff. Johnny wore the brown work uniform a little undersized for his physique. He worked out a lot and liked to show off to the ladies. He was in his middle twenties and easily the most sought-after bachelor in Parmissing Valley. He and Lamar became friends over the six months that Lamar served as sheriff.

Lamar put the photos down and replied sarcastically, For your information, Deputy Know-it-all, we have four missing persons reported this morning. All unrelated but all from the vicinity of Graham’s Mountain.

Johnny suggested, Maybe they went for a hike or something.

No, I don’t think so. A mother doesn’t leave three young children to go for a hike. Furthermore, her door was bashed in like maybe a bear came through.

Did the kids hear anything?

They’re a little young to tell. An infant, a two-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy.

Where’s the father?

Don’t know. Hasn’t been around in a few days. Neighbors say he was looking for work outside of town. I have a few of my men asking around for him. The kids need a parent.

Who else disappeared?

A security guard from a gated community on the ridge; a sixty-year-old man without his wheel chair; and a pizza delivery boy.

All last night?

Uh-huh.

The phone rang. Johnny quipped, This could be your big break, Sheriff. Ed McMahon of Reader’s Digest – Sheriff Whittington, you’ve just won …

Lamar snapped, Shut up, will you!

Johnny chuckled and poured himself a cup of coffee from the urn on the counter.

Lamar answered the phone, Parmissing Valley Police Department - Sheriff Whittington speaking. He sat up attentively and wrote on a piece of scratch paper. Slow down, ma’am. Are you sure he’s dead?

Johnny’s expression turned serious and he pulled up a chair next to the sheriff’s desk.

Lamar instructed her calmly, Just relax, ma’am. We’ll be there in thirty minutes. Stay right there. He hung up the phone and sighed, Seven thirty in the morning and it’s already one of those days. He rubbed his temples with both hands and covered his face.

Well, what happened? asked Johnny.

Lamar leaned back in his chair and answered, Two hikers on the Pomona Trail found a dead person, they think.

You mean they can’t tell if the guy’s dead? What morons.

No, he’s dead alright. They just aren’t sure if he’s a ‘he’.

Johnny remarked sarcastically, That’s pretty messed up if they can’t tell if it’s a male or female.

Lamar stood up and stated angrily, The corpse doesn’t look human, you friggin’ retard! He strapped on his gun belt and loaded his pistol.

You’re serious.

Lamar glared at him and ordered, Get your shit and get in the truck. We’re going up there to find out what the hell’s going on. If this is a joke, I’m gonna bust some heads. He hurried out the door and climbed into the police SUV.

Johnny gulped down his coffee and tossed the Styrofoam cup in the trashcan. He grabbed a shotgun from the cabinet and a box of shells. Amused, he mumbled, A HE or an IT. This ought to be interesting. He held the gun over his shoulder with one hand and walked out the door.

Lamar started the engine and put the truck in drive while keeping his foot on the brake. Johnny opened the passenger-side door and climbed in. He noticed the sheriff was unusually tense and commented, You’re not playing around today, are you?

Missing people and unanswered questions don’t make for good job security even in a small town like Parmissing Valley.

Johnny suggested, I’ll call Kaz and tell him to stand by.

No, tell him to head up there. The hiker is convinced the body is deceased, no matter what it is. Johnny took out his cell phone and dialed.

Lamar stared ahead glumly and drove toward Graham’s Mountain.

George Kazmerski was the Parmissing Valley coroner. He lived in a small home on the outskirts of town. He was short, fifty-two years old and Asian. He took the job of coroner ten years ago to get out of the big city rat race and to enjoy country living in his senior years. He sat at a table on his back porch and sipped coffee while reading the PV Daily Press. His telephone rang, ruining the peaceful atmosphere. George grumbled, So much for hot coffee.

He reached inside the back door and answered the phone on the wall, Hello. Kaz speaking. He stepped inside the kitchen and sat down at the table.

Johnny replied in a professional tone, Good morning, Mr. Kazmerski. This is Deputy Watkins of the Parmissing Valley Sheriff’s Department.

Kaz chuckled and asked, Okay, Magnum, what can I do for you?

Johnny kidded, Kaz, you’re supposed to respect the law, not make fun of it.

Kaz replied, Sir, yes sir.

That’s better. We have a cold one for you up on the Pomona trail on Graham’s Mountain, Johnny informed him. Can you meet us there?

Kaz thought for a moment and then asked, Do you have a name?

Not yet. A couple of hikers found the body. Why?

Two of my friends went hunting yesterday and didn’t come back.

Johnny became concerned and inquired, Who were they?

Bo Davis and Bob Schultz. Emily Schultz called me this morning and asked if I heard anything. Didn’t she call you?

Maybe she left a message, Johnny replied,