EXCERPT FROM MY NEW SHORT STORY

This is an excerpt from a short story I'm working on. When I get it totally finished I'll offer a link to download the whole thing. I hope you dig and please let me know what you think

Iann


I took the staircase two at a time pulling a black t-shirt over my head as I did. When I got to the top I yanked on the rope dangling from the trap door and stepped back as it opened and extended a small ladder. I more jumped than climbed up the ladder pulling closed behind me in case they did get in. The attic was stale and smelled like formaldehyde and lavender. I moved across the floor kicking over reminders of tenants past as I headed for the window leading out to the roof.

I threw the window open and climbed out into the summer air. It was sticky and hot but the fresh air felt good in my lungs. I moved from the second tier to the main part of the roof scuttling across it on my belly until I reached the side that looked down on The Brutes.

They had backed up a bit and were wailing at each other. I figured that was their version of a strategy meeting so I had to act fast. I removed the shotgun and lined it up to the face of one of the closest Brute bracing myself for the kickback. A huge sound deafened me and the skull of The Brute exploded into a mess of blood and brain matter. The remaining Brutes looked up at me and started screaming. I fired at another one and hit his knee sending him tumbling to the ground.

The remaining Brute’s watched their fallen comrade with great interest. They considered him for a second and then all four descended on the screaming crippled Brute savagely. Theybegan ripping and biting into the crippled one’s flesh literally tearing it limb from limb. The screams were so awful I almost felt bad for the poor bastard. I wanted to turn away from the blood funneling beneath the carcass creating various glistening red streams but I couldn’t. I watched for several minutes as the other Brutes finished eating their brethren trying to see if I could detect even the smallest glimmer of their humanity. I was so caught up in what I saw I didn’t realize how close I was to the edge of the roof. I snapped back to reality in time to feel myself plunge off the edge.

“FUCK.” I said aloud to no one.

I never thought I’d ever be thankful for a tree but as my flailing body hit the top of the green sycamore I became incredibly grateful. It hurt like a motherfucker to plow through the branches but far less I figured than breaking my back on the ground and then becoming an after dinner snack. Branches gouged at all sides of me causing bruises, scrapes, scratches and anything else they could.

I came to a violent rest against a thick low branch that knocked the wind out of me. My legs were dangling off the branch with my stomach resting on it. I gasped for air but only got raspy sounds and chest pains. I couldn’t get my fingers to grasp the branch and so I started sliding slowly off.

The Brutes hadn’t noticed my fall but I figured my luck wouldn’t hold out if I hit the ground with a resounding thud. I needed time to regroup and jump start my breathing. I slowed my racing brain down and concentrated on holding myself in place. My fingers began to slowly cooperate grasping the branch at least enough to hold me steady. Each move was a concentrated effort all the while I watched The Brutes waiting for them to turn their attention from their dinner to me, their desert. I inched myself up the branch until I could swing my legs over and sit up straddling the branch as though it was a horse. I slid towards the trunk of the tree until my back rested upon it and then I started breathing slowly. I could feel my lungs expanding again and my mind clearing.

The Brutes caught a whiff of the new game in town and turned to face me. I drew out my glocks, clicking off the safety and taking aim. I wasn’t ready for what happened next, and looking back there was no way I could be. The largest of the four Brutes ran three steps and then jumped up and across to land on the branch right in front of me. Up close it was a vile thing to see, a cross between something vaguely human and something entirely alien. It opened it’s mouth and I saw skin morsels clinging to the razor sharp incisors. The breath was pretty close to what I figured evil would smell like and it was getting closer.

Without really thinking I pushed the gun barrel into the Brute’s mouth and pulled the trigger. An explosion of brains and blood splattered back on me as the Brute went limp and slid off the branch. I was hoping it would lead to another dinnertime free for all but there was nothing. The three Brutes charged after my tree flailing their arms and screaming. I shot one dead with ease but the kickback jerked me crooked and I slid off the tree branch and onto the ground banging my knee into my chin.

The sudden appearance of blood cause the Brute’s to become even more unhinged but I had more pressing issues, the fall from the tree had bounced both guns far enough away to be a problem. The Brutes were fast and mean but in this state they were predictable. The lead Brute lunged after me but I rolled out of the way and it hit the tree trunk with sickening thwap. I scrambled up and crawl-ran to where the guns lay. I lunged forward like a bad cop show landing on the gun, grabbing it and spinning over. I fired until the gun clicked managing to bring down one more Brute which gave the others hesitation. I scrambled up to my feet and ran a few steps to the other gun. The Brute’s had regrouped and started charging. I dropped to one knee, lined up the shot and squeezed the trigger.

Click click click

Panic hit me in a black wave rendering my senses useless and throwing me into a fit of total despair. I was going to die here at the hands of these stinking cunt beasts and there was nothing I could do about it. Then my head cleared and I remembered who I was and what I was. I pushed my hands together and began focusing the energies around me into my hands and then back out. I took a deep breath and released the energy in a quick violent blast. It smashed into The Brutes like a freight train sending them flying backwards. It wouldn’t take long for them to recover but it was all I needed. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the back porch taking the three small steps in one bound.

Resting against the back door were the two mid-sized swords I had designed for myself. The body of the swords were shaped like a “C” only with the curve bent out a little wider. From the center two long spikes protruded past the edge of the “C” which I had laced with poison. The sides of the “C” were razor sharp and could cut through just about anything. From the back of the “C” were two small bars connected to another bar forming almost and upside down Pi symbol. I held the swords with the bottom handle and let the sharpened part do the rest.

I grabbed the swords and leapt out over the railing of the porch landing just in front of the Brutes. I slashed out carefully slicing the creature's legs clean off. It fell screaming but I ignored it slamming the spikes into the Brute’s eyes. The final Brute froze for just an instant, which was all I needed. I brought both swords around at the same time effortlessly slicing the head off my final attacker. I stepped back and watched the geyser of blood erupt around me. Then I sat down on the steps of the back porch and tried to control my heavy breathing.