Confluence

As Bubba came round he was lifted off the floor by his greasy hair. He was too shocked to register the pain from his emasculation and broken back. He sensed the woman's face close to his own, her breath strangely smoky. Her eyes opened. The irises were bright orange and the pupils vertical slits.

"Wanker." The girl said quietly. Then her left hand shot forward. Bubba's body made little sound as it sank to the floor. Stacy tossed his head into an arm-chair. Stacy picked up the unconscious Marlon and slung him over her shoulder. She grabbed the car keys from the table and left the cabin.

Marlon came round with the headache from hell. He tried to rub his head but was unable to move his arms. He soon realised that he was in the driving seat of the Prius. He was wearing his seat belt and the vehicle was parked in front of the cabin. The belt had been pulled so tight that he had trouble breathing. He had something heavy in his lap. Somehow he knew what it was. He looked down and Bubba stared right back at him. Marlon's bowels emptied. Marlon reached down to release the seat-belt. He winced as he touched the mess of melted plastic and steel where the seat belt had been welded into its socket.

The courtesy light came on as the passenger door opened. The longest legs he had ever seen slid into the Prius. Marlon's eyes ran slowly up the naked body until he looked into the eyes of a demon. The creature placed a cigarette between Marlon's lips and then leaned over and gently blew on the cigarette tip. Marlon puffed away furiously and looked straight ahead. If only he could get his hands free. Then the bitch would pay. Stacy put the key into the ignition and then leaned across again and lowered Marlon's window. Stacy got out of the Prius. Marlon hoped that she had gone but a few seconds later he felt warm breath on the left side of his cheek. She kissed him lightly. Marlon heard the creature take a deep breath. He heard no more.

The fireball which engulfed the Prius rolled into the cabin. Stacy had reached behind the stove and snapped the main propane pipe between finger and thumb. The cataclysmic detonation was clearly audible to the families partying in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac. When the fire department arrived an hour later the fire had burnt out and all that was left was scorched black earth.

Stacy emerged from the inferno and set off for home. As she jogged through the forest the creatures of the night froze and trembled with fear.

Milo did not know why he dropped in to the gas station at eleven. It was deathly quiet. There was blood on the floor. Milo called 911.

At four O'clock the moon disappeared behind clouds as a cold front rolled in from the south-west and it started to snow. Stacy stopped, overwhelmed by fatigue and lay down and fell asleep. A little while before dawn she was picked out by the heat sensor on a highway patrol helicopter. Within an hour she was on an operating table. The bullet which had struck her chest had just missed her heart. Her severe hypothermia had saved her life.

Once a year Stacy hides herself away.