The echoes were slowly getting stronger. I checked on the monster in the basement. It was somewhere in the bottom of the murky pool. Not enough time to hook up the motors to pull the pools gate open. I would have to do it by hand. But right now, I needed to prep my safe room behind the pool. I looked over at the small five foot by five-foot concrete bunker with my home fabricated half inch steel door. It would be uncomfortable but better than the alternative.

  The door would keep the thing in the pool out, but I was not so certain about the Sinew. I went back to my cabin grabbing my essentials. Safe room stocked, locks on the creature’s cage unclasped, incense in my breast pocket I was as ready as I could be. The echoes coming from the Sinew were getting stronger, give it an hour or so, and the creature should be here.

  I settled down on my porch swing and waited as the echo slowly called to me. I don’t know how long I sat there, swinging back and forth, lost in the depths of Sinew Mountain but the light was fading. I was going to have to make a choice. Did I open the grate before going to bed? Or did I wait to time the opening as it arrived, but risk falling asleep as I waited. It should have been here hours ago.

  My phone started buzzing. There was time for one last phone call, I supposed. The caller I.D was Grace. Probably should have called my dad. I would tell Grace goodbye then come to a decision about when to open the pools gate.

  “It’s here Anthony!!!” the panic was visceral. “How do we kill It? You need to tell us how to Kill it! It’s after amber!”

  “Slow down Grace, take your guns, shoot them in the face, their bodies are resilient, but they still need a brain to function.”

  “Not the fay hounds, Morgan-the rocky mountain horror.” She was almost yelling.

  “Where are you?” I asked.

  “The glade, but you can’t...”

  “I am on my way.”

  “No we can handle it just tell me how?”

  “All I have is an Idea, Grace. Get everyone in your vault, I’m assuming you have seen it?”

  “Amber has; it’s after amber. She should be here soon; it’s been chasing her for the lats three hours.”

  “When I get there, you will have a small window to get your people out. It will take it about an hour or two to eat me, after my attempts to kill it don’t work. That’s plenty of time to put miles between you and it.”

  “Aron, I promised your.”

  “I am on my way.” Click. I put my phone back in my pocket. There was only one reason it would be after Red. She had gone back to the mountain to find her father.

  As I pulled out of my garage, I saw my shop door, wide open ready for me to hide. Miss Sheldon came to mind. I shouldn’t leave that thing down there. I quickly got out, walked down the steps then rapped on the gate incasing the pool. The massive crustacean erupted from the dirty water, it scratched against the grating trying to stick its arm size pinchers through the tight space in an attempt to grab me. I pointed my pistol and put a few rounds in its head and back as it quickly scurried to the bottom. The pool was quickly turning blue. So much for my plan. I walked back up the stairs and padlocked the door to the basement shut.

  ***

  The echo coming from the Sinew was absolutely numbing, as I pulled on to the worn dirt driveway that led to the glade. Five minutes of drifting over the loose road and I slied to a stop in the center courtyard, next to a large ornate fountain. The four-story manner building sat elegant and seemingly empty. The stone worked cottages scattered throughout the woods around were just as empty.

  I cracked my door. The terrible, nostalgic, smell of sizzled skin filled the airless clearing. I dug into my pocket and pulled out the cigar like nub. I bit into the end spitting out the bitter, starchy, butt. Flicking out my zippo I lit the other end of the incense.

  Getting out of the truck I walked through the dark to the big ornate doors of the manner house. Every moment anticipating the appearance of the Sinew. Pushing through the ornate doors I walked through the beautiful building making my way to the Valt. I had only been here once, but remembered the way to the basement well enough.

  Down the deep spiraled staircase into a large arched ceiling ballroom full of ornate furniture, there on the far side, placed in three-foot stone, was the massive vault door. The drapes which were usually in front were pulled to one side in a crumpled mess. I rapped on the thick door. Five long seconds the door started clicking then swung open, revealing its inhabitants. Two dozen or so men and women of various ages looked out from where they stood resolutely in the small vault. Grace stood at the front, Smith taking up all the space right behind her, Amber was not in the room.

  Big eyes looked at me from behind Smiths left elbow. Loren. Her appearance, her existence shocked me for a moment, but I wasn’t here to think about her. No. I was here to escort these people to their Vehicles then die. Ruddy bayed, glad to see me from where he sat next to Lorens feet.

  “You need to go, it’s after her. It might already have her.” Grace was having a hard time keeping it together. Tears were dripping down her face.

  “Smith,” I addressed the big man. “Get everyone in cars and on their way, as fast as you can, on the dash of my truck is a chewed up wad looks like the end of a cigar. I held up the slowly smoldering poultice. “Take it to a lab see if you can identify the components. If you can replicate it, it will weaken the Sinew.”

  “Is it going to follow us?” He asked.

  “Has it tasted any of your flesh?” I looked around the small room. There were shaking heads and Smith growled “No. But I should go with you, help you save Amber.”

  “No, you take your group of lost toys and get the hell out of here. Amber is either dead or she can get away when I call the thing in. It’s not far.”

  I didn’t give him any time to protest. “Grace, I need Victors Sword.”

  “Everyone out,” grace had pulled herself together.

  I stepped aside realizing I was probably preventing any forward movement by standing in the doorway.

  “Smith, get everyone to the cars.”

  There was mumbling and muttering long glances my way, but Grace’s people quickly slipped past, walking up and out of the ballroom. Three of them I recognized as missed targets, one other; a tall spindly man, I had also thought was dead. Goes to show you can’t be certain unless you bury them yourself.

  Grace was opening a case in the back pulling out the elegant saber. She was careful to only holed it by the silk cloth it had been resting on in the ornate box. I walked over and peered into the box. Two sets of gloves laid in the bottom. One large pair made from worn leather and weaved steel, the second set just like it but slightly smaller and pristine. Disregarding tradition I pulled the pristine gloves on and snatched the sword out of Graces hands.

  “We should wait for Victor, to give it to you, this isn’t right.” She was muttering.

  “Victors dead.” I went to leave but Grace stopped me. Grabbing my arm.

  “Amber,” I said.

  “I know I know.” She pulled a small box out of the case as well and retrieved the ash pot and clay. “We need to do the rite.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” I protested.

  We locked eyes and after a moment of unspoken words, I relinquished quickly kneeling. I don’t know if I was just trying to by a little more time or if I was finely excepting as was grace Victors Death.

  The rite did not take long, it felt more like a preparation of my body for death then the calling of a Thane. But I let her. Rite completed, we shared a moment of silence before I bolted up the stairs and out the back of the building.

  The smell of sizzling flesh was stronger coming from the back of the manner, down the hill was a gazebo in the center a small fire flickered. A large pale creature stood actively pulling a strip of flesh from a hanging body tied by their feet to the gazebos frame. In the darkness I couldn’t make out who the figure was. I didn’t want to. The Sinew turned, sniffing the air, rising to its full twelve or so feet, enlarged gaunt face turning towards me. Fire light flickering and illuminating it’s pale face.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Victors, dry voice call to me, from dry starched lips. “Airon, delicious. Airon.”

  The thing that was once Victor studied me, leaving the swaying body, lazily, smoothly it began walking up the hill towards me. All the time whispering my name, it stopped thirty or so yards away. Flicking the latch that secured the saber I discarded the sheath.

  I darted forward, but the Sinew was too fast, he kept sweeping quickly around me. Watching, waiting for my; all but dead incense to breathe out its last embers.

  As the burning touched my fingers I brought the last bit of nub to my lips and took in a deep terrible breath. A breath barely comparable to that of burning tires. I flicked the ash out of my fingers towards the monster.

  It did not hesitate lunging, it easily avoided the sword in my hand and slapped me sending me barreling downhill. I flung the sword away terrified it might nick my skin as I rolled. Some smoke escaped my lips, moments later I was swung up by my ancles peering into those changed gray-pink eyes. As it moved to tie my feet to the bottom of the gazebo, I blew the rancid smoke right into its face. With a retched screech it let go, I fell coughing and sputtering to the ground. Despret to breathe clean air.

  “Aron? Aron? Why? Stay away boy.” It started moaning, its face seemed to begin to pull back together resembling more and more victor’s unmistakable scowl.

  I didn’t hesitate but lunged wrapping my arms around the creature’s neck, as I choked it, it’s limbs seemed to pull back together, “Please Anthony, Please.” Victor’s voice cracked. As it tried to thrash me off its back, bashing me into the stone pavers. As its face started to truly resemble Victors the thrashing slowed, and his eyes held mine. Light seemed to enter them, as if Victor was actually in there somewhere. I never found out though. Fingers curling around a loos stone from the fire ring I bashed it into the side of the Sinews head, I didn’t stop untill brain matter soaked my fingers all the way up to my elbow.

  Standing. The body beneath me limp, head crushed to bits no longer recognizable. Only his pale paper white skin revealed who the creature had once been.

  I continued coughing, spitting mucus and trace amounts of blood. About the time the coughing subsided, the terrible unbearable torturous stench of the burning nub was wearing off and was being replaced by the savory sent of well-seasoned skin. Much like the smell of a freshly roasted turkey, the smell was slowly growing stronger and stronger. I was so hungry, so very hungry. The body beneath me seemed to sizzle as the salivating fumes wafted up to my nose. Trembling, I looked down at the body. Hot steam was pouring from the bare skin.

  That had once been Victor, I wouldn’t eat Victor. I turned trying to walk away but I could not get three steps before the smell hit me with such force I stopped, thoughts in the winds of the most incredible smell. The body below me was starting to smolder skin stretching thin as it started to lightly brown as the body cooked from the inside out.

  “Anthony!”

  The voice broke me partly from my trance. I turned from where I just hung the delicious crisping corpse, soon it would be perfectly crisp and ready to strip. The pail girl, L..L. Loren, was walking down the hill, some one big following her.

  “Dam that smells good. I have a feeling that it’s going to get worse. Get away from it Anthony.” The greedy voice behind the girl demanded. Something moaned to my left.

  “Smith, get Amber and go.” Loren said. “It’s is getting stronger and could be too much for you.”

  “Come here Anthony.” Loren beckoned. “We need to go back to the manner we need to help Amber.”

  I didn’t want to leave my feast; I looked back at the crisping body then back over to her.

  “Anthony, I know it smells good, but it will kill you, come here now!” She pointed to her feet.

  “No, No, No.” I started muttering, turning away from the strange girl, intent on consuming the crisp skin. Something plowed into me, and I found myself smashed against the ground. The greedy man stood over me. I tried fighting; hitting, kicking, biting but my wild movements prevented nothing. Dragging me over to the pavilion poll he hand-cuffed my hands behind me. He tapped out a cigarette lighting one for himself, then tried to give me one. I wouldn’t let him put the nasty thing in my mouth and ruin the savory scent.

  He popped it in his own mouth and turned to Loren. “Dam why does it smell so good?” He pointed to my hanging meal. I will kill him; I tore trying to get free. The cuffs cutting into my wrists.

  “I think we need to burn it, Loren was saying as Smith cut the other body down, carefully wrapping it in his big jacket.

  “I need to leave, if not, I think I’m going to take a bite out of that disgusting thing,” Smith was saying. Gesturing to the hanging corpse.

  “Take Amber. I can burn the creature’s body.” The girl was rambling insanely.

  “Our you sure?” Smith was asking looking at the body little longingly. I tore at my wrist trying to get at it first, but they held me firm.

  “It doesn’t bother, me.” She continued to ramble. “Smells just as good as Anthony on his tea. I will be fine, but you need to leave before it gets to you.” She touched his arm reaching in his breast pocket pulling out another cigarette. Lighting it, she wafted it under the big man’s nose before placing it in his lips.

  “Fine,” He took a long deep drag from the cigarette then, shook his head, “I need to get the hell out of here. With the wrapped body cradled in his arms he began jogging back up the hill.

  Loren walked over and crouched in front of me. “You get it now? how it feels? It smells so good. Doesn’t it. If I let you go, would you walk up the hill?” She looked at me.

  She tapped out a cigarette and lit it, waving it under my nose. The bitter smoke fought the intoxicating cent of the finely fully crisp body and clarity mixed with insanity.

  “I need it… No, no, Take the gun out of my holster and put a cap in my head it’s, wait don’t touch the gun, I’ll walk up the hill. I’ll do it, I’ll, do it.” I lied. Muttering.

  “Did you eat any of it?” she asked. Nodding to my swinging meal.

  “No, No, I am going to, let me go. The cigarette was not working so well, my meal swayed taunting me. “I need it” I began mumbling.

  Loren didn’t reach for the 1911 under my arm instead she studied the dead corpse, walking around it, evaluating every inch. I just knew she was going to start feasting. But to my surprise and fury she soon left walking off into the black woods. She returned with branches and started piling them on the opposite side of the gazebo right acrost from me. After she had a very big brush pile, she started tossing the firewood from the gazebos rack on top. She was going to eat it all in front of me, roasted over the fire. I lunged forward trying to break free, but nothing worked, hands wet with blood but I didn’t feel them.

  I settled down giving up, I would just have to cut off one of my hands. Loren saw me trying to retrieve the pocketknife from my jeans front pocket. When she reached for it, I bit her shoulder, she let out a soft cry but wrestled the knife out of my pocket and threw it into the darkness. I tried getting a better bite on her neck, but she slipped away the moment my jaws released her shoulder.

  She looked at me, betrayed, then started walking back up the hill, I watched the body swing slowly back and forth, back, and forth forgetting about Loren, trying without success to pull my hands through the cuffs.

  Loren returned with a gas can. She cut the large body down and pushed / dragged it over to her large pile of branches and split logs. Somehow, she managed to get it on top of the pile. Then she dumped gas all over it, carefully she flicked a match. The realization overtook me, she was wasting it. I writhed, trying to get free. I needed to get in the fire, just one bite that’s all I needed. My cursing and pleading faded to ineligible muttering.

  As the fire burned, she continued to toss split logs and brush from the surrounding woods. The smell was so penetrating I gulped deeply at the air and tried to eat it. But it could not quench my hunger.

  As the body was consumed the smell and sensation started to fade.

  I spat and coughed, my head slowly clearing. “What the hell are you doing?” I crocked after some time. “That thing got me; you need to shoot me in the head.” My brain was starting to make sense of how the Grandle worked. The one that had found me in the mountains had been gray, not a pale white.

  Loren walked over, “Good, you’re getting back to yourself. Can you still smell it?”

  “A little.” I admitted.

  “Well let’s see how you feel after the smell is gone.” She walked away again going to get more brush.

  An hour later the scent was almost gone. It still lingered, holding to my clothing, but the fire was no longer producing it.

  “I can’t smell it over your blood, can you still smell it?” Loren asked. Walking over, kneeling down in front of me.

  “Hardly at all.” My wrist and the skin around them hurt terribly, fingers sticky with drying blood.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked. Looking at me.

  “Better.”

  “It smelled good, didn’t it?” She looked at me, expression serious.

  “It did.” I admitted slowly.

  “Well, Anthony, I don’t think you have to die for it.” She reached out touching the side of my face. “Good by Aron, your Graces problem now.” She stood up and walked back up the hill into the darkness.

  I slowly slumped back. I had done it. Killed the Sinew, nothing special, Victor had done the same before me. The big malformed bones resting in the cave in Sinew Mountain bore testament to that. If only he knew the consequences of killing it.

  ***

  The sun had risen, I woke straightening up to the sound of someone walking down the hill. It was Grace.

  She walked around me to the hand cuffs. “Loren said your wrist were a mess. But this is ridiculous.” She knelt and unlocked the cuffs. I brought my hands around taking in the deep oozing cuts. I stood up gently inspecting the wounds. And was surprised that my hand still worked.

  Grace was looking at the ash pile.

  “You did it.” Her voice was soft.

  I looked at her but she wouldn’t look at me she was transfixed on the large pile of ash and smoldering embers.

  “Sure.”

  She glanced over. “Sure?”

  “I Killed a creature, but Loren killed the sickness.”

  Grace nodded. Her attention back on the fire. “Amber, wishes to apologize for drawing it back here.”

  “She’s alive?” I asked.

  “Hurt but alive. She wanted to find her dad, and returned to the mountain; it followed her back here.” Grace continued. I had figured as much.

  “Tell her there’s nothing to apologize for. Just that, I’m sorry she found him.”

  Grace couldn’t bring herself to look at me.

  “I need to see Ned. Can I have you gather the ashes together I should take the remains to my cemetery.”

  “Do you think that is wise?” Grace looked at the ash pile.

  “What are you going to do with them?” I asked, my mined reverting back to business. I didn’t want to think about the implications of the night before.

  “I don’t know.” She admitted. A tear dripped off her right cheek.

  “If there are any bones left have Loren gather them together and put them in a propane burner. Then place all of the ashes in steel barrels. I will be back for them after I see Ned. There’s a place aside from the others I can bury Victor.” He didn’t belong with the others.

  Grace shook her head. “Don’t come back. I will drop the ashes off at your place, my people would like to settle back into their homes. Your presence is… disruptive.”

  “Copy.” I turned walking up the hill. Grace stayed eyes dripping as she stared at the ash pile.

  I carefully picked up Victor’s saber and re-sheathed it. Leaving it on the front entrance for Grace to place back in the safe. I climbed in my truck, wrapping my wrists with gauze, then began the long drive back to Ned’s veterinary practice. I needed to get patched up. Now that the Sinew was no longer out west my territory had just doubled.

  And no one had hunted it in along time.