1.
Sheriff Khain rolled his burnt out cigar through his yellow fingers for what seemed like the hundredth time, in the mean time Deputy Jones was throwing together his seventh straight cup of stale one day old black coffee.
Jake’s story was just too hard to believe as he even began to question his own sanity but his blood soaked and torn clothes was enough to make the small two man police department of the desert town, Ashthorpe, believe something serious has gone on some fourteen miles west in the small deserted town of ShadowPoint. Plus there was also the four inch cut on Jake’s cheek which ran up and across to finish above his right eye, a cut that Nick Stanley – Ashthorpe’s one and only doctor for the last thirty-seven years says can only be the result of that of an animal claw some five inches long, a animal such as this does not exist in this desert area.
Khain finally relit his cigar and pulled out a small tape recorder from his top desk drawer, placing it between himself and Jake. “Okay, Mr Vandermall, I’m afraid I’ll need you to repeat your story once again.”
For the fourth time that day, Jake told is story.
2.
The sun was now beginning to disappear over the far desert land, giving the whole area a red gloomy feel but at the same time a much needed cool relief.
It was now time for Jake to drive as his best friend and co-driver Jason Price slept quietly in the back with his wife Kylie. Jake’s wife Susan had just woken herself, noticing at once the cool breeze that now filled the car.
Susan stretched her arms in front of herself, letting her long curly blonde hair flood across her face as her vision comes to focus on a small dirty sign racing past to her right. “ShadowPoint, Population forty-seven” She took a small glance at Jake, a simple reminder of her dislike of this cross-country to see her family, a family not seen in over eleven years. “I hope we don’t need to stop there.” The words come out of her mouth as intended – cold and full of hate.
Jake rubs his tired eyes and takes a quick look at his wife, he knows how much she loves him but she hates her family. After a small smile to himself he places a hand on her shoulder “We’ll stop in Ashthorpe, fuel’s fine and by then it will be dinner time.” Despite her anger, she can’t help but smile back at him.
Jason wakes as they enter ShadowPoint, taking small looks to both his lift and right. The town is small but tightly designed, giving the place a larger feel.
“Where’s the people?” Jason asks still in a sleep-ridden voice. Only now Jake takes notice, the streets are bare, no people or even animals. “Strange, there’s not even any cars parked around.” “Then lets not spend too much time site seeing.” Susan spoke, trying to hide the fear but failing.
As Jake reached into his breast pocket for his cigarettes the engine died. The car lights flickered off as the car came to a dead roll. “Funny Jake, now stop screwing around.” Jason was starting to show his fear as well. “I didn’t do a thing, it just stopped.” Kylie had now woke at the sound of the voices rising, “What’s going on?”
3.
Susan and Kylie stood close by talking and looking at the many large old style but mint condition buildings that filled ShadowPoint’s main street. Jake slammed the car bonnet and turned to Jason, “We’re not going anywhere.”
Susan spun around, “What’s going on-what’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing I can see, just won’t start. I’ll have to call someone.”
All four had noticed the sudden drop in temperature and Susan begun blowing puffs of steam in every breath. “What do we do?” “Get inside first, there’s a hotel just over there.” Jason pointed up the dirt road to a two-story building, which had the look of an old western saloon. “Oh no way, am I the only one here noticing how weird this town is?” Kylie screamed the words as she shook with both fear and increasing coldness.
“Kylie, the town’s been abandoned years ago, for what ever reason I don’t know but it had to be long ago.” “Besides we’ll freeze if we try walking to Ashthorpe.”
Susan took a long breath and looked at Kylie, Kylie was into the supernatural and alien stories so she understood her feelings but Susan was not a believer and knew the boys were right. “Come on Kylie, we’ll find a nice warm room with a fire and the boys can work on dinner.”
The ShadowPoint Hotel looked like it was only built a week ago. The floors were clean and not one mark could be found on any wall. It had a total of ten rooms with a kitchen and a bar.
4.
Susan and Kylie sat in the bar near a large wood fire, which the boys had started before moving to the kitchen – not just to cook but to talk.
“Okay, enough bullshit around the girls – what’s with this place?” Jake shook his head as he looked through each cupboard “I don’t know, there’s no one in sight and no sign anyone’s been here for years but all the drinks in the bar are cold and all this food is still in date.”
They spent an hour looking the place over. Each bedroom had power and ready-made beds but no clothes in any cupboard. There was tons of food and many kinds of drinks but not one plate or glass. What was worse, not one phone.
5.
Time passed quite quick, they had dinner, eating meat sandwiches that were both fresh and refilling. It was nine pm when they went to their rooms and called it a night.
Jake was surprised how fast Susan fell asleep, he on the other hand was starting to feel worried about ShadowPoint. Where did everyone go and why is the town looked after so well if no-ones here? He was starting to wish they found the food years passed its used by date. He soon fell asleep as midnight came and went.
Jason woke suddenly for what he thought was no reason, he took a look around the dark room, a small clock was reading 2:22am, he smiled at the time and begun to place his head back on the pillow before he heard the sound again – a sound he thought he dreamt. He got up and moved to the centre of the room before getting on his knees to listen closer. He was right; he could hear the sound loud and clear – the sound of ten to twenty people singing and talking below in the old dark hotel bar.
Jake had heard sounds as well – but not from the bar. He stood at the small window of his room looking at the empty street below, still hearing sounds of cars driving pass.
Jason’s hands were shaking out of control as he walked through the empty bar, his head moving quickly to the direction of every voice he hears. Now a voice speaks in his head, is it his? He’s not sure but it’s a simple message “The hunting rifle in the car boot.” He runs for the door and is soon back in the cold, looking both left and right at the empty street. The car is gone.
6.
Jake woke Susan who sat up quickly, “Come on, we’re leaving!” Susan didn’t question her husband’s reasons; she simply stood and followed him out the door. Jake stood in the hallway as lights turned on in following line from them to the staircase at the far end of the hall, he opened Jason’s door but found it empty, “That’s just great!” he grabbed for his wife’s hand and started for the staircase and then stopped – it wasn’t Susan’s hand he held.
Jason was now in a panic as lights of every building were lighting up, voices were all around him and he could hear cars racing past. He turned back for the hotel and saw Kylie in the doorway holding his rifle. At once he knew this was not his wife, he could tell by the dead blank look in her eyes. “Welcome to ShadowPoint, you’ll love it here.” It was her voice but in other ways it wasn’t. he begun to say her name but the two bullets tore through his skull before his world turned dark.
Jake never jumped at the sound of the rifle discharge, he was frozen in place, he slowly turned his head and looked into the eyes of an old woman. Her skin was burnt black and her hand that he held was nothing but bone. She smiled a row of rotten blood soaked teeth, “Welcome to ShadowPoint, you’ll love it here.” It was enough to bring Jake back to his senses; he ripped his hand away from hers and ran for the stairs.
Soon he was in the bar, looking in each direction as people sat and looked towards him. There was at least twenty people drinking and pointing at him, all were burnt and covered with rotten skin. At the end of the bar sat Susan, Jason and Kylie – all three drinking large glasses o beer and leaked blood from their eyes. “Welcome to ShadowPoint Jake, come and join us, you’ll love it here” “Susan…… but you don’t drink.”
7.
Something large hit Jake from behind, strong enough to send him smashing through the hotel’s large double glass doors and down the stairs. He slowly stands up but can feel the many large glass cuts that had ripped open his chest, soaking his shirt in bright blood. He was hit again – to strong to be human was his only thought as he tried to see what had now pinned him to the ground. What he saw could never be placed in words, but it’s hands tried to rip out his eyes – it’s long razor sharp nails ripping down his right eye and over his cheek as he tried to fight free. “What the hell are you?” It laughed at his question. “I am the Soul Collector of ShadowPoint and welcome to my town – stay a little longer – you’ll love it here.”…
8.
As soon as it all begun, it was over. The town was quiet and dark and his watch read 2:32. In ten minutes he had lost it all and now he lay on his back covered in blood. He stood slowly, waiting for something to happen, waiting for the Soul Collector to return and make him a member of ShadowPoint’s population. But he never came and Jake begun his long walk towards Ashthorpe. Two miles out of ShadowPoint, Jake came upon a junkyard, he stopped and looked for what must have been two hours. His car sat at the top of a pile of over a hundred cars – all new. To his right was a sign “ShadowPoint – Population 2700 and growing –stay a little longer, you’ll love it here.”
9.
The Sheriff moved back in his chair, leaving the tape running. Jake looked into his eyes “I’m not telling you again.” “You may have to, this is the fax report I’ve been waiting for.” The sheriff handed him a paper that Deputy Jones had brought over. “See Jake, we’re small and we get a lot nuts from the big city who like to mess with our heads” Jake stood up screaming “That report impossible!! You can’t do this!” Jones had Jake in an arm grip pushing him to the back to the room. “You get that nut out of here!” “I’m telling you it’s out there and it’s growing larger!!”
News Report 1
11th, May 1962
Over 30 have died when a large gas explosion tore through the small town of ShadowPoint at 2:22am. The fire lasted ten minutes, completely destroying the once classy town.
Police Report
7th June 2003
The blood on Jake Vandermall’s shirt matches that of one Susan Vandermall, Jason Price and Kylie Price.
News Report 2
9th June 2003
Jake Vandermall has been charged and sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty for killing his wife and two friends, their bodies were never found but Mr Vandermall’s wild story of being attacked in a small town that hasn’t existed now for over 40 years left the jury little choice.
END!
