Amidst the Ancient Trees.P4 Conclusion

From the Beginning: https://wjr5oakley.blogspot.com/2023/01/amidst-ancient-treesp1.html

Essie Vance [Whitney], Peter Graves [Jordan], Phillip Vance [Aaron]

Recap: when we last saw the team, Essie was inside hut#4 rescuing the prisoners (and dealing with something unknown in the dark) while Peter kept watch between the huts as Phillip was inside the Supply hut#5 gathering more sticks of dynamite.

5:30pm, “Action”: Phillip exited the hut as if he belonged at the site and strolled toward Peter between the huts to also settle into a defensive guard posture.

Sunlight barely leaked into the prisoner hut from under the door threshold, but it provided enough light to guide Essie in her escape. Essie burst through the door out into the sunlight and turned with her bow ready to shoot her attacker, but pulled up when Brian Hall led his son Arthur (father/son hunting team) and the kidnapped girl Jane Strong out the door. 

Essie gasped at what stood in the doorway before it emerged into the sunlight… the union soldier deserter [Louis] turned zombie!

Enough commotion to draw the attention of the dig-site workers who saw their prisoners (sacrifices) escaping. They grabbed shovels to recapture. Peter saw Brian leading the kids toward the site gate, “This way!” But Brian didn’t trust another male voice… it was regular humans that had led those artist prisoners away to God knew what fate. But Essie’s voice had him turn toward the back of the huts, “Jane/Brian, this way to a break in the fence. We came to rescue you!”

Peter and Phillip fired at the charging workmen zombies [Carl, Ernest, Dean] having already killed the gate guard zombie Richard. And before Essie could raise her bow, Louis attacked. He now in the sunlight and view of the others. Phillip saw first and shuddered in revolt but continuing shooting at the closing men. Peter was drawn to the sound of another worker [James] running from further down the bucket pole line. He turned at Essie’s scream and saw the undead. [Sanity loss exceeding 20%, automatic Bout-Of-Madness, Show-Off] Peter stepped forward with his gun blazing as he twirled it out of his holster and cocked the hammer. It would have helped to hit his targets.

Essie backed away from Louis and cracked her whip to knock the knife out of Louis’ hand in attempt to grapple him. But Louis stronger, pulled the whip drawing Essie closer as HE grappled her from behind with his arm around her throat and fetid breath on her neck. Essie pulled her own knife and stabbed him in the eye, causing the undead soldier to lose his grip as he clawed at the blade still in his eye.

Carl reached Peter and swung his shovel, but Peter ducked and retaliated with his pistol butt against the man’s temple. Now close range, Phillip changed to his shotgun and blasted at Ernest and Dean with both barrels. [96/99] The shotgun jammed! Essie notched another arrow but missed even at close range. Peter continued his flourish with pistol shows… more show than actual hits. At least Phillip changing to his rifle was able to kill Ernest. Thankfully Peter’s armor saved him from Carl’s [extreme] vicious attack, and Essie’s armor from Louis’ counterattack.

Essie almost gagged at the sight of Louis’ face almost melting before her eyes. She could only guess sunlight exposure caught up with Louis and maybe explained why that second zombie soldier [August] only stood in the #4hut doorway versus stepping out into the sunlight. [No-one, not even Phillip, realized Phillip had gained knowledge of another spell. He unconsciously made hand motions that evoked Wrack against Louis, causing the undead’s skin to boil and blister and his fluids to ooze out his orifices.]

Run Away! Essie saw the count of their foe increase, realized they outnumbered and losing the fight, “Peter! Get your ass out of there; let’s go!” But the man was consumed by his madness as if performing in a ‘Wild West’ show. Till Essie added, “Your lover is dying over here!” Words that snapped Peter out of his show-off; words that distracted his focus on his enemy as he looked toward Essie. Distraction that allowed Carl and Dean to hit and drop Peter [major wound, failed CON, unconscious]. Outnumbered 5 to 2, Essie screamed at Phillip, “Use one of your damn dynamite sticks!” Phillip lit one and threw it at the feet of the undead. A parting of the seas: the undead retreated towards the pit while Essie grabbed Peter's collar and drug him away for Phillip to then throw him over his shoulder as they ran behind the huts to find Brian and the kids. The explosion echoed behind them.

Where’d He GO: They paused in the woods to revive Peter before retracing their steps back to the cabin in the woods. Peter looked forward to facing Sidney once again, having left him handcuffed and tied to a tree. But the man gone! Peter rushed forward to find the handcuffs bloody and the end of the right-hand laying in the yellow leaves at the base of the tree. Rage boiled thru Peter, “The damn man chewed his own hand off to escape!” But Essie had more pressing news from the cabin where she had led the rescued group, “Those 5 coffins in the cellar… all five lids are open! I think 2 more zombies awoke!” They found footprints that told the story of the zombies coming after Sidney. “THEY chewed his hand off to lead him as prisoner sacrifice at the pit!”

CLIMAX

Initial thoughts to just return to town with the rescued group. “We can’t just leave that threat out there. They could easily chase us down in our exhausted state. Best to attack now while our armor is still in effect.” They had hours to plan their midnight raid. But first they had to convince Brian to remain at the cabin with the kids, “If we’re not back by sunrise…”

They snuck along the less-used road toward the shoreline and the stakes set in the ground where the artists were held. No more slumped bodies of the artists. Instead, they found Sidney bound with his own metallic cone thrust thru his chest. Peter approached him, “Didn’t want it to end this way.” Peter drove the blade into Sidney’s temple.

They continued up the shoreline to the end of the rope-pulley system. Phillip slipped away as planned, “Give me 30 minutes to get in position. I’ll go at the sound of your dynamite.”

Peter strapped a stick to one of the pulley system poles and lit the fuse. “BOOM!” It wasn’t long before he and Essie saw the undead coming their way. 150 yards away. Using Phillip’s scoped Enfield, Peter began taking them out. Hit and miss but he dropped one. Essie twanged an arrow when they got in her range. Maybe she missed because of the uneasy feeling of the fetid lake at her back. The memory of the artist’s painting of Gla’aki rising from the waters caused her to occasionally glance over her shoulder.

Phillip had snuck north to approach from the opposite side of the dig from the huts. Hearing the explosion, he waited to watch the seven undead move toward the distraction. “Seven? I thought there were only 5 when we left?” He remembered the 2 additional empty coffins that explained the increase in foe. He crept towards the pit with his bundled sticks of dynamite ready. 

He wasn’t ready to see the crystal exposed (emitting a blue haze) at the bottom of the pit. Nor another undead next to it. Joseph Turner was readied per the earlier explosion. Once he saw Phillip’s face, he cast [Whither]. The muscles of Phillip’s right arm constricted in pain. Phillip fought for controlled thought… he placed the bundle on the dirt and flicked the lighter Peter had loaned him. He then tossed the bundle into the pit and ran.

Peter and Essie had reduced their foe to only three when they decided to retreat. Peter lit his last stick of dynamite and dropped it as they ran, hoping his foe wouldn’t notice the burning fuse. Another, greater, explosion sounded from the dig site. They could only hope Phillip successful as they ran for their own lives. They didn’t even look back at their own dynamite explosion.

EPILOGUE

It took 3 days for them to make it back to their car left at the original ransom exchange site. 

Three nights of more haunting dreams for all of them. Little to no sleep as even the kids awoke in terror from their dreams. Thus, they all looked haggard when they finally drove up to the Sheriff’s office.

Lewis Strong and his wife rushed to grab their daughter when she emerged from the car. Reports gathered per news from the return of the first father/son hunting team (and the other search party that had given up but ran into the trio). “Mr. Strong, can you please describe your elation.” Lewis’ bodyguards pushed them away. Reports tried to question Brian Hall and his son, but nurses kept them at bay, “Can’t you see they need medical help!” The reports rushed towards the trio, “Any comments? Did you find Sidney and his gang?” Flashbulbs evoked a kaleidoscope of memories from the last 5 days. The trio tried to cover their eyes to ward off those haunting memories.

Phillip never was one to measure his words. He retold their entire conflict in the woods and at the site. Essie tried to explain the glowing coffins in the woods without really saying undead, “It needs to be bulldozed.” Peter offered a saner explanation, “Sidney and his men were part of some cult. Those artists were also members. Together, they planned some unholy ritual that required sacrifices. We managed to arrive in time to stop them. Yes, Graves-n-Vance Detective Agency was able to solve the crime and thwart their plans.”

The reporters rushed to the phone to call in their stories. A mad rush to have THEIR version published first. Which gave Peter the opportunity to approach Mr. Strong. “Considering what we had to face, what we had to expose ourselves to, to arrive in time to rescue, I think your offered reward is justified.” But Lewis didn’t even look up as he ushered his family into the waiting car, “Yes, whatever. I’ll sent it to your office. I can’t thank you enough.”

The newspaper articles would tone down Phillip’s version. Days later follow-up articles reported the dig site empty. [a lone undead survived as was guided by Gla’aki to cover their tracks] There were stone coffins at the reported cabin, with fresh dynamite hole, but no glowing lights. Instead of bulldozing, the cabin was reported as a historical find related to the legendary Joseph Turner gang of union deserters.

BACKGROUND

Millennia ago, a Great Old One (Gla’aki) came to Earth imprisoned in crystal meteor that broke into shards scattered across Earth. One such shard in a lake within Green Mt National Forest, Vermont.

1865, Joseph Turner and gang of Union deserters came upon the lake and dream influence of Gla’aki. Them now undying servants helping to locate the shard to free the Old One.

Summer 1922: diggers and surveyors for new Somerset Reservoir found traces of meteor remains. They too have fallen under influence of Gla’aki and become zombies.

Reports of “precious metals” interpreted as “gold” by gang of thieves who have kidnapped 16yo Jane, daughter of Lucas Strong (head of Vermont Water Board), expecting gold ransom. Botched transfer, they have fled into the National Forest and are about to become zombies themselves.

Two of the gang members (leader Sidney Harris and Eugene Clayton) are the killers of Peter Grave’s parents. The leader’s description matches Peter’s memory: “[Sidney] One with flaming red hair and dull blue eyes, strangely wide smile. [Eugene] The other, jet-black hair, eyes just as dark, blank emotionless expression.” Wears his mother’s ring.

A group of artists are on a field trip into the woods. They are assaulted and destined to become servants too.

Two father-son hunting teams (Brian and Arthur Hall, Alistair and George Lawson) have entered the woods on a ‘right-of-passage’ quest. They too experience the dreaming. One team captured.

NEXT SCENARIO: https://wjr5oakley.blogspot.com/2023/02/overdue-book-dead-boarder.html