Gullywomp

It only comes out at night. Once the sun starts it sleepy turn aside, we all lock the door and keep the lights on. From evening until the morning shines. No one knows if it could actually come inside, but why risk it? So, we learn to sleep with brightness.

They’ve tried to combat it with streetlights and spotlights but somehow it gets close enough to destroy them. The day comes and the artificial light is cracked. Sometimes there’s a body cracked as well. Sometimes there’s not much of a body left at all.

We don’t know if there are others. No one in our small town gets around much and monsters like this don’t end up in reputable magazines. Once I read about black eyed aliens who steal your soul with a smile, but my mama told me that was garbage made up to scare people. But I wonder if others would think we’re making up the monster.

We’re not.

I don’t know how long it’s hunted our town. I’ve been alive for 17 years, my mama for 40, and her mama for 63. We were born and raised in the light like so many before us. As soon as I was old enough to understand, my daddy sat me down and told me the rules. These rules had been handed down for as long as anyone could remember; trial and error creating the list. My grandad learned that flashlights didn’t work, and his brother learned the same when he found the body.

They say it lives along the gully, hidden by deep rooted trees. They say it’s twice the size of a man and three times as smart. They say there is no getting away from it. They say never go into the woods.

I’ve read the real fairy tales – the ones without happy endings, without love and gold and wealth. The real ones end in death and sorrow and maybe a lesson learned if they’re lucky. I’m no fool, I realize what tale we live in.

But it doesn’t mean I can’t try to find a happy ending.

Johnny drove into our town three years ago. He was tall and handsome with emerald eyes that gleamed with a need for hope. He’d come to the wrong town for that, but he stayed. Said he liked the locals and Elizabeth’s homemade strawberry pie. I thought maybe he liked Elizabeth’s shy smile and charm too, but he never said. Now Elizabeth is married with a baby on the way and Johnny still lives alone in his cottage down the road.

This is the point where you might think “Well, Johnny must have appeared to save the town. He sounds like a hero”, and to be honest, I thought maybe he was. But handsome doesn’t always equal a hero. Sometimes handsome just makes your heart jump and wish for something different.

I’m not a pretty girl. My eyes are too big for my face, and not in a cute doll-like way either. My upper lip has a snarl to it when I smile, which I don’t do much anyway. There’s no shine to my hair and I walk with a clomping gait. Mama says I look just like her Aunt Delilah, but Delilah at least had some spirit to her. I have nothing to entice others.

Which is why I watch Johnny from afar and feel my heart jump and hear my voice telling me to turn away, he’ll never look at you the way you want. I melt a bit when he throws me his smile but walk on home to my mama, wishing to be someone else.

It was a Tuesday night when I was startled awake. There had been a shout in my dream and a banging outside. The light was golden in my room and all I wanted was to drift back to sleep, but then I heard the banging again. The floor was cold as I crept over to the window and pushed the curtains aside. I saw a figure dashing toward the woods and disappear into the darkness.

I heard another shout and then saw more figures running toward the woods, lights flickering across the grass. I tried to see who it was but then heard the door open downstairs. I flew down the stairs just to see my daddy walk out the door. He paused at my appearance but shook his head and closed the door. I didn’t miss the rifle in his hands.

Mama came out of their bedroom then, eyes red and her face pale. Her hands shook as she took mine and led me to the kitchen. I sat at our ancient wooden table while she put water in the kettle. It was 2:00 in the morning but we weren’t going back to sleep. Nothing was said as the water boiled, the only sounds the scream of the kettle and my heart beating hard in my chest. We let the teabags seep as the heated mugs burned our fingers. And then Mama spoke.

“Last time this happened your daddy and I had been newly married 5 months. It had been quiet in the town, no deaths, and we were starting to feel calmer. That was a mistake.”

She took a slow sip of her tea and closed her eyes. I was about to ask what had happened before when she spoke again.

“Someone always wants to save us. They decide that it’s safe enough to go out looking for the creature and they’re brave and strong enough to handle it. Not many act on it, but some do. That’s what happened before and that’s what happened tonight. Last time it was my brother.”

My eyes widened at this. I didn’t even know Mama had a brother; she’d never mentioned him in all my life.

“His name was Henry, and he was a year older than me. He’d had a pretty, young wife who ran away one day to another town. Said she was tired of living in fear. Henry thought if he removed the fear, she’d come back to him. But he was killed, and she lives somewhere else with a new husband.”

Another pause, while mama looked me in the eyes.

“This time it was Johnny.”

My heart stopped. I couldn’t breathe. Why would he do such a thing?

“Your daddy said Johnny’s been plotting for awhile now. Every time he brings it up, the men try to shut him down. He can’t save us, but he’s been determined. They hoped he would hold off but … he ran off tonight. Casper next door saw him sneaking out and tried to stop him, but Johnny just wouldn’t listen. Threw Casper against the fence and ran. Casper rang the alarm and now the men are out there, trying to save that fool…” Mama broke off in tears. I sat, stunned, as I thought of my daddy trying to save the man I was in love with.

“Mama, did they go after your brother before?” I asked.

She looked up warily and nodded.

“We lost three other men. Thank goodness your daddy came back. But his cousin and two friends didn’t make it. We never even found their bodies.”

I couldn’t stand it. I felt the need to do something, anything, except sit in the kitchen and drink tea. But what could I do? If strong men couldn’t win against the monster, how could I?

We sat as our tea grew cold, each of us staring out at nothing, waiting. The hours passed and the sun started to rise. Then we heard the shuffling of boots across the morning dew and ran to the door. Casper, Eric, Timothy … one by one the men of our town were accounted for. Daddy brought up the rear, bloodied with a torn shirt. There was no sign of Johnny.

With slight nods in our direction, the group dispersed to their own homes. They all looked heavy with fear and disappointment. But at least they were back.

Mama watched Daddy carefully as he walked up the stairs and headed to the bedroom. He shut the door and she stared at it, as if unsure what to do. Then she turned and went back to the kitchen, holding her cold tea as tears streamed down her face.

I went back to my room and sat on the bed, still trying to decide what to do. I didn’t know if they found Johnny at all, if he was alive or gone or if they’d seen the monster. But I couldn’t wait to find out. It was time for someone else to go into the woods. Maybe I had some spirit in me, after all.

.

I pack lightly. A sweater for the chill, some bread and cheese. Bandages and water. A flashlight, though I know it will be useless against the monster. A kitchen knife. I wouldn’t know how to use the rifle so don’t worry about sneaking it out. I’d be as likely to shoot myself than any creature. My bag bounces lightly against my back as I creep down the stairs. Mama isn’t in the kitchen anymore, so I leave a note for her and Daddy. I tell them not to worry but it’s my time now. And I’ll return as soon as I can.

The sun shines bright, and the dew has dried for the day. I slow dance with the grass as I make my way to the darkness of the woods. A deep breath, a glance back home, and I walk forward.

My whole life I’ve watched these trees from afar. Now they rise above me, a ceiling of green and curtains of moss. Their roots rest in lightly packed dirt, steady and strong. It smells different in here, too, soft. If I didn’t know better, I’d feel safe in here. I’d feel peace.

I pause to withdraw the flashlight, shining it across the shadows. Where would Johnny have gone? Where does the monster lay its head?

What am I doing?

A bird sings, a bright song to my left. As good a sign as anything else, I follow the sound. More birds join as I wander, a chorus lighting my way. A stream adds to the symphony as I walk deeper into the woods. The sun is slowly blocked out and my flashlight shines brighter.

A few hours later I stop at a fallen tree and take out my water. My heart thumps as if I’ve run for miles and I’m having trouble catching my breath. I try to relax and consider my situation. I’ve seen no sign of Johnny or the monster. Only birds and squirrels and a small fox that bounced up to me for a moment to say hello. It’s still early so I have time to continue but it’s so frustrating not to know where to look. I don’t even know how big these woods are.

A sigh escapes me as I look high above. I’m breathing easier now as I sip my water and can appreciate more the woods around me. Shadows dance across the ground as the leaves sway in a light breeze. As I watch I realize one of the shadows is larger than the others and is not swaying but crouching. Light of the sun glances off… eyes. But this isn’t a fox or rabbit or even a bear. This creature is huge and staring at me.

It is the monster.

I hold my breath and wish I could stop my heart from beating. I don’t know if it reacts by sound or movement, and I don’t want to find out. So, I sit as silently as I can and stare back.

Minutes, hours, days go by, it seems. It doesn’t move and neither do I. Finally, it ever so slowly stands to its full height. I’ve never seen anything so large before. It lingers a moment longer and then turns into the shadows and I cannot see it anymore.

I jump up. Grab my pack, throw my water bottle in there. Withdraw my knife. Take a deep breath. And follow the monster.

So focused I am on not losing it that I don’t realize how far we walk. How the sun is completely gone, and my eyes have adjusted to the darkness. I almost don’t see the rock wall ahead of me or what is at my feet.

Bones. There are bones scattered everywhere, a gruesome welcome mat. I see scraps of fabric and red dried everywhere.

Slowly, so as not to trip, I make my way to the cave opening. The soft, safe smell of the woods is swiftly replaced by something so garishly putrid that I start gagging. Cupping a hand around my nose and mouth, I reach into my bag for my sweater and tie it around my face with only my eyes peeking through. It cuts the smell just enough for me to keep going. I must keep going.

Here is where I find out if my spirit is more hero or fool. Here is where the fairy tale ends for me, one way or the other.

Flies buzz along the mouth of the cave, louder the closer I creep. I think of their honeycomb eyes and the distorted view they have of the world. I wonder how many of me they see and if they believe each version is a threat. I almost convince myself they’re going to attack but then remember they are not the enemy. They are just the gatekeepers.

The swarm opens like a curtain, allowing me access as the smell grows ever stronger. My sweater can’t keep it out and my eyes begin to water. My head feels heavy yet light at the same time. There is a pounding deep within my mind that reverberates against my skull. My skin tingles with tension, and I force myself to stop, close my eyes, breathe a moment. Then I open my eyes, brace my shoulders, and keep on walking.

To the left of me is a corridor where I hear shuffling first, and then moans. A begging whimper for release. A growl in response. A scream of nightmares. And a crunch. I cannot freeze now, maybe I can still save him. Maybe Johnny will survive. I’ll stab the creature in just the right spot. We will run out of this cave of horrors, hand in hand, not stopping until we reach our village. Collapse in the golden light of day, safe within each other’s arms. Maybe...

Maybe the monster hears me and stops its terror for a moment. Maybe Johnny is alive enough to begin whimpering again. Maybe I am snatched from the corridor and thrown into another room, where red paints the walls and bones crack against my spine when I land. Maybe the knife escapes my hand and clatters in the shadows. Maybe I catch a glimpse of Johnny’s emerald eyes, no longer filled with hope but with fear and despair. Maybe his eyes are the only reason I can recognize the broken shape in the corner. Maybe I forgot what tale I was in.

Being born in the light doesn’t mean you can’t die in the darkness.

The creature leaves. For hours I lay on the uneven ground, trying to breathe while at the same time trying not to inhale the stench. I realize now that it is dried, crusted blood and gore; years and decades layered upon one another. My tailbone silently screams at me as I try to sit up and there are three long gashes in my side, my insides adding to the décor. Johnny moans behind me and I turn my head to look at him but become dizzy and almost fall over again. I brace my arm against the floor but that makes my side burn with pain even more and my breath catches in my throat. A moment, and then I start to stand.

“Don’t…. don’t” Johnny’s words are garbled and stiff. “It’s … don’t. Okay? Don’t.”

But I do. My love for Johnny does not fade, even as I see what he has become. Strings of flesh hang off his arms, one of which is bent at a horrific angle. His head has been beaten in and an ear is missing. His chest and stomach … I’m not sure how he is alive.

I shuffle to his corner and collapse against the wall next to him. Up close, Johnny looks even worse. He won’t survive this ordeal. I don’t think he wants to.

“Why?” he whispers.

Why? Why, indeed.

His bright, glimmering eyes are growing darker by the second and I know he won’t make it out of this cave. I take his hand, bring his fingertips to my lips. With a soft smile and a kiss, I tell Johnny goodbye. He nods his head and takes his final shuddered breath.

My body has weakened to the point of no more pain. I feel my heart slowing down as my skin grows numb. I close my eyes and imagine sitting with my mama on the front porch, laughing at some small joke. My daddy comes outside with a pitcher of iced tea and daisies from the back garden; says he picked these special just for his girls. The sun hugs us with its heat, and I watch as Johnny saunters up the road toward us. He flashes his smile at me and this time I hold his gaze as I smile back. He loves my spirit and I love his bravery.

Johnny’s hand is cold in mine and the room blurs around me. My shallow breathing quickens as I hear the monster make its return, its claws screeching against the cave’s walls.

I think of my fairy tale. We didn’t win. But while love didn’t conquer all, it did hold court.

And isn’t dying with the one you love some sort of happy ending?