Crimson Falls (The Depravity Chronicles) Read Free Page B

disappear behind the
bush. Then, like a bullet shot from its chamber, the figure leaped over the
brush and ran toward them. Trevor wanted to close his eyes, but couldn’t bring
himself to do it. He knew he was watching Death itself sprinting toward him. He
didn’t even have time to scream.
    About twenty
feet from the Explorer, the shadow abruptly stopped. Trevor tried to look at
it, but his vision was fuzzy and his head was pounding. His eyes rolled back in
his head and he lost consciousness.
    When he opened
his eyes, he knew that not much time had passed because no one had come to help
them. He looked straight ahead and realized that while Sam had been watching
the thing in the woods, he failed to notice the sharp curve in the driveway.
They had driven right into the forest, down a small hill, and directly into the
path of a tree.
    “Sam, you okay?”
Trevor asked, grateful to be alive. He looked out the window again to see if
the shadow was still watching them. Thankfully, it had disappeared. A gust of
wind blew through the truck. As he turned toward the driver seat, he realized
Sam was gone.
    “What the hell?”
Trevor blurted in confusion. He unhooked his seatbelt and slowly turned in his
seat to look behind them. There was no sign of anyone. Smoke was flowing into
the air from under the hood and was beginning to stream through the vents.
    “Gotta get outta
here,” he mumbled to himself. He opened his door. Although it creaked in
protest against his pushing, it opened with little effort. He slipped trying to
get out and fell face first onto the ground.
    “Damn,” he
winced. His face toward the rear end of the Ford, he opened his eyes. Across
from him, on the other side of the truck, he saw Sam lying on his back. He was
staring at him. “Sam! Thank God!”
    Sam said
nothing.
    “Sam?”
    Still nothing.
Suddenly Sam began sliding forward. It didn’t take Trevor long to realize that
he was being dragged by his legs. He gulped, and began crawling under the truck
as quietly as he could. He could see blood on Sam’s mouth. He tried to collect
his senses. The heavy steps of whoever was dragging Sam seemed deafening. Trevor
stretched his neck to try and see what the stranger’s feet might look like, but
they were hidden by the large front tire of the Explorer. Without warning,
Sam’s legs fell to the ground and Trevor heard the heavy steps of the stranger
quicken. He watched in horror as the shadow ran deep into the woods.
    “Trevor!
Trevor!” he heard his mom screaming. Within seconds she was on the ground
beside him. She reached out her hands and pulled Trevor from under the vehicle
and onto his feet.
    “Mom!” Trevor
yelled.
    “It’s okay,
honey. You’re okay.” She threw her arms around her son.
    Meanwhile, Jake and
another deputy, Michael Mullins, were tending to Sam.
    “Is he alive? Is
he alive?” Trevor asked repeatedly.
    “He’s got a
pulse!” Michael screamed.
    “Holy Christ, I
thought he was dead,” Jake breathed.
    “He’s in shock,”
Anna instructed. “Quickly, get blankets from the back. Get another ambulance
here stat!”
    “Mom, holy shit,
Mom,” Trevor whispered.
    “What happened,
baby?”
    “Someone in the
woods,” he said, trying to catch his breath. “Someone, something, it was
running, and then it was here. Sam was being pulled…” He planted his face in
his mother’s shoulder. He didn’t care if he looked like a wuss.
    “Hey boss,” Jake
interrupted. “Check this out.” Both Anna and Trevor walked around the front to
where Jake was standing. Trevor continued to look in all directions, convinced
the shadow was still somewhere close by, lurking.
    “He was being
dragged, alright,” Jake observed.
    “What the hell
kind of tracks are these?” Anna asked.
    “I’ve been
hunting these woods since I was a kid. And I ain’t ever seen nothing like
this.” Jake shook his head. Then, as if a light bulb was lit above his head, he
shook his head again as if arguing with