sequel to mudcakes series

     "Whoa, it's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you, you're jumpy. Here 

catch." He tossed the bible at her.

     She caught it deftly. "Thanks. Sorry, it's just that I don't trust

 anybody. Hope you guys don't mind me wanting to be alone."

     Jeff stared at her inquisitively. It's cool. Most people come out 

here for just that reason. I got this Tag-Along, aka, Tails with me,

but . . . "

     "Hey, cut the crap!" Dan was unwilling further verbal 

depreciation for sake of the girl, though he knew his friend was

 trying to be humorous for her sake.

      "Naw, we hang out on mountain backpack trips 'cause it's good 

for company and safety." He took two sidesteps diagonally from 

her to distance 

himself from her. He figured her to be about 14 or 15 years of age.

     "Did you hear about the Dude who went off in the New Mexican 

Desert, I think it was. He got pinned between two massive 

boulders and after 3 days decided to cut his forearm off to

free himself? He used a dull

bladed pocket knife . . . they made a movie of . . . "

     "Damn Jeff, do you have to talk about that. We don't even 

know this kid, I mean girl, . . . sorry, we don't wanna scare you.

 My name's Dan." 

He took 12 quick, short strides toward her with backpack still on 

and his arm extended, offering a handshake.

     This time she didn't recoil, but stood her ground. "My name's 

Corey."

     She shook his hand tersely and briefly.

     "Cool mudcakes. I used to make 'em as a kid too, with my 

brothers and sisters. Where you headed?" Dan asked as he too, 

stepped back, removed his backpack and sat on a rock 20 feet 

away from Jeff and Corey.

     "Do I have to tell you?"

     "Sorry. You are skiddish aren't you?" I mean no harm and not 

tryin' to pry, just curious an' bein' friendly."

     "Dan, stop with the personal questions. Corey, my name's Jeff."

He neither stood or offered a handshake. We're headed for the high

country. Gonna do some parts of the John Muir trail, stay out a 

month or so. Heard a scream 2 nights back like we said earlier 

and freaked us out. Figured it was you which is why we followed 

you. No other reason. And no other reason to hang out here either. 

Personally, I'd feel good about hangin' out with you just for 

tonight. Dan here got attacked in his sleep the same night we 

heard you scream. It was you that screamed, right?"

     "Yes. It was." She stared back at him unappreciatively. "I told

you already, I got a cut on my collarbone, remember?"

     "I'm not meaning to put you down for screamin', hell, I don't 

blame you. You shoulda heard Dan scream."

     "D****t Jeff! I said stop usin' me as a put down."

     "Dude, I'm not pickin' on you, just makin' a point. When I saw

that hairy thing on you, I screamed too. But then I started prayin'.

     Corey lost her resentment. She relaxed her gaze at the two 

young men. She shifted her weight to her left hip and asked, 

"Somethin' attack y' guys too?"

     "Yeah, It was Some Thing alright," answered Jeff. It wasn't 

real, I mean it was, but it was able to dematerialize."

     "Jeff said it was on me." Dan offered. I don't remember much. I 

thought it was a nightmare, but little by little, I'm gettin' quips of 

memory bites. Like back on the trail, I felt it's presence, then a 

shadow darted past. Caught it from the corner of my eye. I kinda 

smell it now. It feels dirty, like . . . " He reconsidered. He was going 

to say he felt sexually violated, but thought the better of it considering 

Corey's age and insecurities around Jeff and he.

     "What do you mean dematerialize?" Asked Corey.

     "Why don't you sit down?" Jeff motioned to a nearby rock that 

was well away from he and Dan in consideration of her. "I mean, 

yeah. I was in my sleepin' bag when I woke from sleep. I hear moans 

and then muffled screams. This huge hulk of a thing, smelled like s**t 

and sulfur, was on Dan. Looked hairy. Huge red eyes, turned to look

at me when it heard me prayin'. I think it felt me prayin'. Y' know, telepathically."

     Corey found the rock Jeff offered her and sat intrigued, but 

remained quietly listening.

 Jeff sensed her interest in further of his recounting. 

     "Damn, Jeff, now I vividly remember those big red eyes. 

Massive and burning hot! Hot like outta Hell!"

     Corey suddenly fell forward, her head on her knees, sobbing.

     "What's wrong Corey? I'll stop. Sorry." Jeff stood up and 

started to walk toward her to put his arm around her shoulders, 

but again refrained.

     "It's just that it was what happened to me. I was violated! 

Just like back home by my mom's pervert boyfriend. You tellin' 

me just brings it back!"

     "Okay, I'll stop."

     "No. It's alright. I wanna know what happened afterwards. 

How'd you get away from it?"

     "We didn't. While I was prayin' this gigantic bright human

lookin' entity, angel came outta nowhere. It looked like it was 

made of ultraviolet light. Y' ever see someone welding? The 

light was intense like that, but brighter. It shoulda hurt my eyes, 

but it didn't. I think I was more scared of it than I was of that 

fricken, Mothman Dude. At least that's what I'm calliin' it."

     "That's so cool. I wish I'd had help as good as you. I mean, 

I know I'm still alive because something made that same monster 

get off me. It didn't finish it's plan to rape and kill me I think, 

but it sure did a lot of damage to my camp. It said some awful 

things to me and cursed God before it attacked me."

     "How'd you get out of there. What made it leave, I mean?" 

Dan asked the question this time.

     "Same as you. She turned to Jeff. I started quoting scriptures 

while it was on top of me. It was dark. It smelled the same as 

you said. It reeked of sulfur and death. I've smelled dead animals, 

the kind filled with maggots y'know. Stinks bad. I thought it 

was a human being though. I thought it was, until I thought 

about demons and how real they are when mentioned in the bible. 

Then I knew it was not human or nightmare. I knew it was a 

demon spirit. So, yeah, materialize dematerialize? Yes. Wicked, 

evil? Yes. After that night it's scarier to be up here by myself, but 

I've got nowhere else to go. I'm not going back home anyway. I'm 

scared, but I'm gonna stay up here. After what happened to me 

back home, no way. You guys telling me that it happened to you, 

makes me feel better in a way. I know I'm not crazy."