The Black Pathway

Mary and Gary watched in horror as Howard Trenton walked past their hiding place, carrying Shark over his shoulder.

“Fucking hell, he’s got her with him… shit… I thought that he’d just leave her back where he knocked her out.” Whispered Gary.

“Yeah, well he hasn’t… we’ve got to do something, Gary. We’ve got to do something now.” Mary replied, with rising panic in her voice.

“Yeah, I know… but he’s got that fucking knife.” Gary pointed out.

“I don’t care, Gary. We’re just going to have to take our chances, hope that we can get the weapon from off him. Look, now’s our chance.” Said Mary. Howard Trenton was moving away from them, facing the opposite direction. “Let’s rush the bastard, take him down from behind.” Mary suggested.

“Okay.” Replied Gary, but before the pair had the chance to even emerge from the bushes, Howard Trenton had stepped off, sidewards, and was no longer in sight.

Mary looked at Gary, alarmed.

“Where did he go? Where the fuck did he go?” She said.

“I don’t know… he was right in front of us just a second ago.” Gary replied.

“What are we going to do now?” Mary asked.

“Well, he couldn’t have gone far.” Answered Gary, climbing out of the bushes. He took Mary’s hand, and helped her out from the undergrowth. “Come on.” Said Gary, moving in the direction where they had last seen Howard Trenton.

“Fuck, it’s go

“Can you hear that? Can you hear that, Mary? It’s a helicopter.” Then there was a sudden, savage pain in the base of Gary’s skull, followed by an incredible, blinding light. Gary Ackley’s short time on the Earth was over, but a new journey for him had just begun.

***

Howard Trenton carried Shark Mako over one shoulder, and Mary Broderick across the other; the former was still unconscious, but the latter wasn’t, though she may as well have been. Mary was in a complete state of shock, having watched her friend, Gary Ackley, be butchered to death just moments earlier.

“Do you want to know something fu

Mary stared down at the ground, blankly, as Howard Trenton continued to talk to her.

“The good news, Mary, is that you’re go

From somewhere nearby, a police helicopter could be heard.

“Don’t worry about them, Mary. They’ll probably be scouring the Black Pathway looking for us, except we’re not on it, are we? Fucking coppers… actually, that’s one of my regrets. I know that I’m either go

“JUST FUCKING SHUT UP, YOU ANNOYING, SELF-PITYING LITTLE SHIT!” Screamed Shark Mako suddenly, whilst at the same time grabbing, and then squeezing, with all of the strength that she could muster, Howard Trenton’s private parts.

Howard Trenton instinctively clutched down with both of his hands, letting go of both Shark and Mary. Shark slid from off Howard, so that she was standing right in front of him. She slammed her fist hard into Howard’s face once, twice, three times. He went staggering backwards, dropping Mary to the floor in the process. Shark ran across to Howard, grabbing at his broken arm as hard as she could. His scream pierced the silence of Skerrington Forest. The young woman wrenched down again on Howard’s limb, completely dislocating it from his shoulder. Howard slumped to the floor, clutching at his arm, almost crying with the pain that he was experiencing. Shark ran over to Mary, who was still in a catatonic-like state.

“We have to run. Now. This is probably our last chance.” Said Shark. Mary stared through her friend, as if she were invisible. Shark grabbed Mary by the shoulders and shook her, roughly. “Did you hear me, Mary? We have to run. Do you understand?” Asked Shark. Mary slowly gazed towards Howard Trenton.

“He murdered Gary, too.” She whispered.

“We’ll be next if we don’t run. Are you ready to run, Mary?”

“I’m ready.” Mary answered. The pair took one last look at Howard, who was in too much pain to do anything, and then they took flight, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

“You’re wasting your time!” Howard called out. “I can track you by your scent! Did you hear me, bitches? I can track you by your fucking scent.” He repeated. Howard Trenton began to giggle to himself, before waving dismissively in the direction where the two women had fled. “Get yourselves a good head-start. It won’t make any difference. I’ll still catch up with you. I’m go