Spirits

Chapter Thirteen

Alex opened the door to the car, getting quickly into the drivers seat before too much rain could get in. It was a little pointless as he was soaked all the way through, even his shoes were full of water.  He reached for the keys with grease covered hands and was glad to find Farrell had left them in the ignition.

"Did you get the car working?" asked Rose.

"We're about to find out," Alex replied and twisted the key. The car whined noisily for a second or two before it kicked over and roared to life.  Relief washed over both Alex and Rose.

"Where's Farrell?" asked Rose. Alex looked out the window, he could see Farrell's flashlight. He honked the horn twice and revved the engine to let him know the car was running, but the light stayed exactly where it was. He honked again, but still Farrell didn't move.

"Looks like we'll have to go get him," said Alex. He flicked on the headlights and went to shift the car into reverse, but instead swore so loudly that everyone in the car looked up. Four red eyes stared back at them from the road like disembodied dots in the darkness. They came closer and as they walked into the car's headlights Alex could see the four eyes belonged to two dishevelled looking dogs.

The dogs tightened their circle around Farrell. The car's horn honked and one of the dogs looked up, but then turned quickly back to him. Farrell wished he still had his machete, at least then he might have a chance, but armed only with the flashlight the odds were stacked heavily against him. The car's lights flicked on and the dogs turned their heads for a second, Farrell didn't miss his chance. He ran forward, sensing his movement the nearest dog turned, only to be met with a broad stroke of the heavy flashlight as it smashed against its face. The glass shattered, lacerating the beasts face and Farrell burst from the circle of dogs before they could react. He sprinted towards the side of the road, knowing he only had a pace or two on the dogs, but not daring to look back. He jumped and slid feet first into the water filled ditch by the side of the road, kicking up a shower of water. He fumbled frantically for the machete he knew lay just beneath the surface of the water, but his fingers felt nothing but the muddy ground. He looked up, the dogs were closing in, he could see the saliva dripping from its jaws. He found something solid, something wooden, and prayed it was the machete as he wrapped his fingers around it and brought it up just as the dog lunged at him. The shining silver blade burst from beneath the water's surface and the charging dog it skewered itself on the machete, the blade slipping easily between the beasts ribs before sliding into its heart. The dog erupted into a cloud of black smoke and burning embers. Farrell barely had time to register what had just happen before the next dog was upon him. It burst headlong through the cloud of smoke and Farrell swung blindly with the machete. It caught the dog squarely across the neck, the blade slicing easily through its flesh, decapitating the beast. The remaining four dogs hesitated, backing off as he got to his feet. Farrell was armed again and the odds were evening up.

The dogs prowled around the car, sniffing at the tires and brushing up against the doors. Rose let out a startled gasp as one of them reared up against the window, its paws on the glass, its slobbering jaws inches away from her face. The other dog jumped on the bonnet with a loud metallic thud, growling at them through the windscreen. It was soon joined by the second dog, who bound from the bonnet onto the roof, its claws scraping against the metal as it tried to dig its way in through the roof. Alex had no idea what to do, he looked out the rear window for Farrell and saw him standing by the side of the road in a puddle of water. He almost went to yell out as he saw a dog rushing at him, but with a flash of silver it disappeared in a puff of fiery embers leaving Farrell standing alone holding his machete. He looked at Rose, she'd seen it too. These weren't your typical dogs. Alex looked back out the windscreen, the beast on the bonnet snarling at him, its eyes still glowing blood red. He shifted the car into reverse and hit the pedal. Both dogs lost their footing instantly. The dog on the roof tumbled down the windscreen and crashed into the one on the bonnet, knocking it off as they both fell into a tangled heap on the road. Alex shifted into first, flooring the accelerator. One of the dogs bound clear of the car's path, but the other wasn't so lucky as Alex ran the demonic creature over, bursting it like a smoke bomb beneath the car's tyre.