Welsh Road (The Depravity Chronicles) Read online

  Welsh Road

  Joshua Grove

  Book Two

  of

  The Depravity Chronicles

  Text Copyright 2013 by Joshua G. Grove

  All Rights Reserved

  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  * * *

  The Depravity Chronicles:

  Crimson Falls

  Welsh Road

  * * *

  Visit Joshua Grove today at:

  www.amazon.com/author/joshuagrove

  This book is dedicated to my father. His passion for reading horror novels, particularly Stephen King, is what gave birth to my own love of the genre. Thanks, Dad, for introducing me to the seductive, literary world of horror and suspense.

  PROLOGUE

  Teenage Dream

  Jena had been waiting nearly two months for Nicholas to invite her to the Homecoming dance. Being a junior in high school and barely sixteen, Jena had little experience in the realm of romance. She knew enough, however, to recognize that Nicholas was painfully shy around girls. She had no idea why. After all, Nicholas was by far the hottest guy in the entire school. He had also just celebrated his seventeenth birthday and was awarded early admission to attend Notre Dame in the fall. A football scholarship, of course. He had his whole life ahead of him.

  Two weeks before the Homecoming Dance, Jena’s Kodak Moment finally arrived. Nicholas walked up to her, shuffling his feet and avoiding eye contact. An ethereal smile brightened her face. There is no masking teenage joy.

  “You know, Jena,” Nicholas stuttered. He nervously pushed a hand through his dirty blonde, curly hair. “Homecoming is a few weeks away and, well…”

  “Yes!” Jena interrupted. She immediately wanted to slap herself on the forehead for jumping the gun. What if he wasn’t actually asking her to this soirée? What reasons had he given in the past few months to make her think they were even dating? All they had done was study together and awkwardly stare at each other.

  Her affirmative answer transformed his demeanor.

  “Awesome!” Nicholas exclaimed. Excitement seemed to radiate from him, especially from his bright blue eyes. He slammed his fist against a locker and then rocked his trademark touchdown dance. He kissed her cheek and then excused himself by saying he was late for class. Jena didn’t care. He could have said he was on his way to invite fourteen other girls to be his date. Nicholas Collins had asked her to the dance. Jena Marsh, the uncool, overachieving nerd who until recently would rather have her nose in a book than sitting in the stands gawking at the jocks.

  Although it felt like months to Jena, the festivities of Homecoming arrived quickly. She found herself on the arm of the star quarterback, taking top billing in the school’s unofficial gossip columns. It was a picture perfect night. The sky was spectacularly lit by a bright Hunter’s Moon, full and majestic. The Minnesota weather was unusually warm for late October, which only seemed to add to the allure of the ambiance. Nicholas arrived to escort her to their teenage rite of passage in his new, black, hardtop Mustang convertible. As is customary for the occasion, he treated Jena to an amazingly delicious – and expensive – three course meal at a local fancy-shmancy restaurant.

  Considering the epic buildup, the dance itself was somewhat boring and uneventful. In truth, the only interesting moments were provided by the class clowns with a few of their ridiculous antics. But Jena did not view this as anticlimactic, nor did it put a damper on her joy. Nicholas was a gentleman the entire evening, almost to a fault. But it was okay; she didn’t mind one bit.

  The happy, newest couple of Taylor’s Landing High School left at 10:30pm, the whole night ahead of them. Well, not really, but it seemed that way. Their curfew was the stroke of midnight, imposed by the tyranny of the parents. It was quite fitting; after all, she did feel like Cinderella gone to the ball. Jena argued with herself about whether or not she should be forward with Nicholas. Would he kiss her? Should she kiss him? Sure, it had been a great night. But aside from some scattered slow dances, he had barely touched her.

  “So I’m thinking it’s time for us to maybe hang out alone for a while,” Nicholas suggested as they got in the car and headed into their brave new world. Naturally, Jena pushed aside her inner struggles and decided to follow his lead. But after fifteen minutes of driving, taking back roads that led deeper into the woods, she wasn’t exactly sure where his leading would – well, lead.

  “I didn’t even know there were roads back here,” Jena said, trying to ease the growing tension in her body.

  “There’s all sorts of things back here that might surprise you,” Nicholas said with a grin. He took his hand from the gearshift and clumsily caressed her knee.

  “Oh,” was all she could manage to say. Her body was aching for him, but she hadn’t even had her first kiss. She wasn’t about to just give him her virginity simply because it was his senior Homecoming night. As Nicholas was focusing his attention on Jena, she turned away from him with a quiet sigh and glanced at the road. What she saw startled her.

  “Look out!” she warned Nicholas. About thirty yards in front of them, illuminated only by the headlights and the moon, a shadow was moving toward them. It appeared to have the shape of a tall man. Fortunately, Nicholas was driving at a leisurely pace. He had plenty of time to slow down before getting dangerously close to a collision.

  “What kind of douche just walks in the middle of the road?” Nicholas grumbled loudly, hoping that with the top down on the Mustang the man would hear him. “Pedestrian rights my ass,” he complained. He exchanged puzzled expressions with Jena, and then turned his attention back to the road. He nearly lost his dinner when he realized that the distance between them and the stranger had been cut in half.

  “Did you speed up?” Jena asked.

  “No,” Nicholas answered. “At least I don’t think so. What should I do? Should I stop?”

  “No, don’t stop!” she insisted.

  It was then that the tall figure did something neither of them expected. With a level of grace that was anything but human, he leapt into the air. Not knowing how to respond, Nicholas hit the brakes and nearly stopped the car. The shadow sailed over the Mustang, clearing it by at least fifteen feet. After landing behind the car, Nicholas sped up to get away.

  “What the hell?” Nicholas said, more to himself than to Jena.

  “Thank God it didn’t land in the car,” Jena answered.

  “Don’t you mean thank God he didn’t land in the car?” Nicholas asked, swallowing hard.

  “No, I mean it! No man can jump like that,” Jena said flatly. “Uh, it might be in our best interest to drive a little faster, don’t you think?”

  “Why?” Nicholas asked. “I can’t imagine…” but he stopped midsentence when he looked in his rearview mirror. What he saw made the hair on the back of his neck stand at attention. It was now sprinting faster, and quickly gaining on them. Nicholas checked his speedometer: 37mph. That didn’t seem fast enough.

  “What’s going on?” Jena asked, but then answered her own question with a stifled cry when she saw the shadow chasing them. “I told you to go faster!” she urged Nicholas.

  “I am!” he responded. He confirmed his speed again: 57mph. He monitored their stalker’s progress. Although a little further behind, it was still within sight.

  Who – or what - can run that fast? he wondered. Panic pricked his spine, like a million pins and needles.

  Suddenly the figure changed direction like a chaotic wind, bounding from the road and into the dark cover of the woods.

  Nicholas was still reeling from the action in the rearview mirror when he heard Jena’s bloodcurdling scream. He glanced at her, noticing that
she was horrified by whatever she was seeing. He almost didn’t want to look. For a brief instant, Nicholas considered just closing his eyes and slamming on the breaks. But if he did that then whatever was out there would be on top of them in seconds.

  When he looked again to the road, he realized he didn’t have to slam on the breaks at all. The dark figure that had been chasing them was already on top of them. It was crouched on the hood of the car.

  Nicholas froze, stunned by his own sense of dread. His dual grip on the steering wheel and gearshift were so tight he thought his hands might bleed. Staring back at him was something he could only describe as terror incarnate. One thing was certain: it was not human. Its legs comprised nearly two-thirds of its eight foot body, and were dramatically bent at the knees. It reminded Nicholas of a praying mantis. That, in a word, was creepy enough. But it paled in comparison to its face. It was angular and astonishingly thin, the nose arched and coming to a point several inches from its face. Its skin was pale green, like it was nauseous and needed to vomit. Nicholas had no doubt that it could peck his head off like a deranged woodpecker. Between the sharpened beak-like nose and having to drive, Nicholas didn’t have much of an opportunity to study any other features. Besides, he had seen more than enough. Those images were already branded into his memory. Nicholas knew he had to act, and act quickly – or he and Jena would soon be dead.

  Being collected enough to recognize the intersection ahead of them, Nicholas turned the wheel to the right as hard as he could. He prayed – with very little conviction – that the creature would be thrown from the car. But the Mustang was going too fast for it to be able to handle the gravity of that turn. Just as Nicholas and Jena entered into what seemed like The Twilight Zone, the Mustang entered into a tailspin.

  To Jena, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. She glanced at Nicholas and wondered if even the Jaws of Life could pry his hands from the wheel. Her attention, however, kept shifting back to the monster on the hood of the car. There, on the other side of the glass, was most definitely the harbinger of Death. Although covered in shadow, one feature was undeniable: those unnerving, soulless black eyes. When Jena peered into its eyes, she felt her stomach churn and her blood run cold.

  Jena didn’t even realize that the car had been spinning. In reality, it made five revolutions. But in the Twilight Zone, time stood still and the earth ceased to rotate. When the Mustang abruptly came to a screeching halt, the engine died. The black-eyed demon smiled before jumping from the hood and perched on a street sign not ten feet from them. His feet curled at unnatural angles as it gripped the green metal.

  “What is that thing, Nicholas?” Jena whimpered. She felt chills as she watched it hovering over them. What could it possibly want from them?

  “I don’t know, Jena,” he said as he tried to revive the Mustang. The engine was not cooperating.

  “Don’t flood it,” Jena whispered harshly. “If you do, we’re both dead.”

  Nicholas shifted uncomfortably, playing with his seatbelt. “Don’t move. I’m going to put the top up.”

  Nicholas pushed the button, praying that the enormous birdman on the sign didn’t decide to join them in the car. He didn’t, and once the top was up, both teenagers quickly took out their cellphones.

  “Goddammit!” he bellowed. “No reception!”

  “Me either,” Jena echoed. She sounded out of breath. “Start the car! Start the car!”

  Nicholas tried. The Mustang was having none of it.

  “Goddammit!” he repeated.

  “Would you stop saying that?” she demanded.

  “What, are you religious?” he asked, his expression surprised and confused.

  “What?” she retorted. “Just do something! Where are we?”

  “Uh, not sure,” he said. They both looked up to the perched birdman. “Can’t see the name of the road. The damn thing’s feet – or, uh, claws – they’re covering it.”

  As if cued by Nicholas’ words, the creature slowly scraped its talons against the letters on the sign, sounding like nails on a chalkboard. Each screeching movement revealed a new letter, like a demonic spinoff of Wheel of Fortune. Finally, it was clear. Jena leaned forward to get a better look.

  “Welsh Road,” Jena murmured. She thought for a moment, putting her face in her hands. “Oh, sweet Jesus.”

  “What? Now you’re using the Lord’s name in vain?” Nicholas asked, confused. “Welsh Road? So what?”

  “Welsh Road,” Jena said a second time.

  At that moment, the significance – and ghoulish history – of Welsh Road flooded his memory.

  Just as she finished speaking, the birdman jumped from the sign and landed on top of the car with a THUD! Jena wondered how a beast of that size didn’t at least make a dent on the hardtop. She was in awe of its ability to soar through the air, despite its bulk.

  “Goddammit!” Nicholas said.

  Jena snorted. “Wow, is that the only word in your repertoire?”

  “Seriously? Criticism? Now?” Nicholas pushed back. He tried to turn the car on again, but with no luck. They sat in the car for several more seconds, waiting for the creature to strike.

  Nothing happened.

  Jena studied the tree line outside her window. The pines swayed back and forth in the wind, as if laughing at her. She expected an army of hellhounds to materialize from behind the small bushes that guarded the entrance to the woods.

  “Those trees look alive,” she observed gravely.

  “Oh, that’s helpful, Jena,” Nicholas snapped.

  Suddenly there was a noise above them.

  TAP.

  TAP.

  Then a shrilly shriek of laughter, followed by more tapping sounds.

  TAP.

  TAP.

  The damn creature’s messing with us, Jena mused, most unhappily. She turned to Nicholas for comfort, only he wasn’t offering any. He was hugging himself and shivering, as if they were sitting in an industrial freezer. She concentrated on her own sense of fear and – yep, sure enough – there was plenty of terror to go around. But it wasn’t necessarily because of the predator above them. Something else was bothering her. Something about the road itself…

  TAP!

  This time the sound was louder. But then, after the final tap, nothing. Silence.

  Thus the million dollar question: What was the bastard doing?

  “Do you see it?” Jena asked, surveying the tree line in as many directions as the seatbelt would allow. She felt like the safety device was somehow actually keeping her safe. There was no way in hell she was going to unbuckle it.

  Nicholas looked at her, and as she looked out her window again he turned to look out his.

  He was greeted by the creature’s black eyes and prominent nose, separated only by a quarter inch of glass.

  “SHIT!” Nicholas yelped, not caring if he sounded like a girl. This, in turn, scared the hell out of Jena.

  Their assailant shrieked with laughter again, tapping on the window. It followed its fit of the giggles with a horrific snarl, dark drool oozing from its lips. It seemed to be speaking, but Nicholas and Jena were having their own conversation.

  “Try the car again! Try the car again!” Jena sternly ordered him.

  Nicholas’ hands were shaking so badly he was finding it difficult to be successful. Jena grabbed his hand to help him. Together, they turned the key.

  By what they both believed was the grace of God, the Mustang’s engine roared to life. Nicholas slammed on the gas.

  “No! No!” Jena said, urgently grabbing his arm.

  “What?” he asked, shrugging her off to shift gears.

  Jena shook her head violently. “Not this road! Not this road!”

  “Why?”

  “Because! Because!” she said.

  “God, Jena! You sound like a freaking parrot. Do you have to keep repeating yourself?”

  She ignored his ill-timed attempt at sarcasm. “Go back the way we came!” Jena insisted.
br />   “Would you stop freaking out? I’m not slowing down, Jena. That thing will kill us!”

  “If we stay on this road we’re going to die,” Jena said as she looked out her passenger window, scanning the bushes and trees for what she believed was some kind of bird demon hybrid. Then something wholly bizarre and otherworldly happened. (As if the last few minutes hadn’t been otherworldly enough.) Without warning, the fear that had been pulsing through Jena’s veins just seemed to fade away. It was replaced by an almost overwhelming sense of peace. Her eyelids felt tremendously heavy, as though someone had attached 5 pound dumbbells to each eyelash. So she closed her eyes.

  She dreamt of soft green moss and the sound of cicadas singing.

  When she opened her eyes she found herself in a hospital bed, surrounded by her parents.

  “Oh, Jena! Thank God!” her father Hank praised through his tears.

  “What…what…” Jena tried to ask, but couldn’t find the strength to keep talking. She figured it was probably best, knowing a WTF comment was imminent. Her parents would not like that one bit.

  “Don’t try to speak, honey,” her mother Isabelle said softly. “You’ve been through a terrible, terrible ordeal.”

  “Nicholas?” Jena managed to call, her voice cracking. At the sound of his name, everyone in the room stared at the floor. “Oh, God,” she moaned. That couldn’t be a good omen. Closing her eyes again, she tried to remember something. Anything.

  Nothing.

  “What happened?” Jena asked.

  “We were hoping you could answer that question for us,” a quiet, baritone voice said from somewhere in the room. A noticeably tall, dark-skinned man walked into her line of sight. She admired his long, grey hair, streaked with black and white and pulled into a ponytail.

  “Now is not the time,” Hank declared to the stranger. “It’s not like we don’t appreciate it. But you’re not even from the police department.”

  Jena felt a strange pull toward the newcomer. “Who are you? Where’s Nicholas?”