Chapter One: The Town of Yore

Chapter One

Yore was a small quiet town. So small in fact, that it rarely appeared on maps. Ones only luck at finding the town would be to look for hours upon hours on the internet. Yore was founded practically in the middle of nowhere. Desert stretched for miles and tall great mountains towered over taking their claim of most of the rain water. Yore lay on the foothills barely surviving each year. The town only consisted of two thousand people. In a town such as this everyone knew each other and was either a friend or enemy. Nothing could exist in between. One was either rich or poor. Nothing could exist in between. One was either popular or shunned. Nothing could exist in between. Each year the population of this town declined mainly because those who did not consist of the higher class didn’t  wanted to stay in that small hell. Why would one want to find such a place? This question was being asked by Brian Murphy, even though he already knew the answer.

Brian Murphy was what a child may call a detective and what an adult may call an investigator. He came from a much larger town that was about thirty miles north of Yore and about thirty times better. He was only known for some smaller cases, but at least he existed, and his existence was all the town of Yore needed. Now he drove down to the small private hell.

Normally all that happened in Yore was dull and overall boring. But the latest event had the entire town in a dark, excited buzz. On June 25 a man by the name of Zack Carter was found dead in the most strangest and gruesome way. Across his neck was a bite that tore at some of the nerves and jugular; a bite that seemed to be caused by a human mouth. His body was found in a rarely used street and in a pool of his own blood. Such a scene of murder would make the strongest minded men shutter. But there was something still more sickening about the body than the blood and the bite marks. Spread across his face was a wide psychotic smile.

A picture of the body had been sent to Brian Murphy the night before leaving. Usually he was used to the blood and the guts and gore in any circumstance, but that smile tossed his mind and made his imagination run wild. Nightmare formed in his sleep, most of them consisting of an indescribable but definitely existing murderer chasing him and wearing that same psychotic smile of the victim.

Brian came along the street exit. The sign indicating the towns existence had worn and was only barely readable. The road was cracked and deteriorated. Potholes lay in every port of the road. The ride was anything but smooth.

"You think they would at least fix the roads down here," he grumbled, trying to keep more control of his vehicle. After a few minutes of driving down the road, he spotted old abandoned one story buildings.

Who in their right mind would want to live in such a place Brian thought to himself, Probably better for a town like this just to die off." Slowly his mind started to wander into the random things in which one might, see, hear, or feel. It was in this moment of mind-wandering that he felt completely free. There was no focus on anything that was visible, only on that which he had left behind. Oh, how he wished to be back  in the city with its smell, its sounds and its feel of the... Lost deep in his thoughts Brian failed to see the object in the road. After running it over, he pulled off to the side of the road. On his cars front wheels and bumper was a splotch of dark liquid.

"Stupid animal, out of all things they have to die in the middle of the road," Brian murmured. He hopped back into his car and started to drive back to the corpse in the middle of the road to go put whatever it was out of the way of anymore traffic. Though none would ever come.

As he got closer, a terror gripped his heart. The mutated bloody mess appeared to be human, and indeed it was. He pulled over again, next to the corpse. Thoughts filled his mind. Had he killed this man? Was he himself a homicidal murderer? He jumped out of the car to more closely observe the man.

Replaced with guilt came another familiar horror that had stained him only the night before. He had not killed the man and that was somewhat a relief but what he saw made him grow pale and before taking another look he vomited. One tire went across the stomach nearly cutting him in half. On the neck was a bite mark similar to the one that was in the photo of Zack Carter and on his face was t;he same grotesque smile. Another victim had been claimed by the murderer.

Brian raced down the road in his car to the town. The town itself was desolate and no one seemed outside.  He went to the police station to report the second murder. He parked next to another car that had tinted windows, and through the windows he could see a man with his head back in a deep sleep.

After opening the car door and tripping to get out and scraping up his pant leg and knee, he rushed to the door of the police station and burst inside to announce the murder... but they already knew. Brian opened the door and a horrible smell of blood and heated flesh fill the air. Thirty men and women laid dead, some without bites, and some with, but all had the Smile. Brian frantically went around to every building trying to find someone alive. Everywhere he went carnage covered the floors. Each man and woman dead in the same way. Although he was nearly going crazy he began to notice one small detail. Everywhere he looked there was no children. All that were under the age of 14 seemed to disappear. But children or not the scene was gruesome to behold. Who would do such a thing? Brian ran for another hour searching for someone, but all was in vain.

Brian ran out of the grocery store that he had just searched and pulled out his phone to call his hometown. He dialed the number but lost connection. He tried many more times trying to get hold of someone, when suddenly a sound made him turn around and jump. Behind him was the car that he had parked next to when he first arrived. Of course, why hadn't he tried the man who was asleep in his car. The car began to slowly pull up and Brian though shocked by all that had happened waited for the man to pull up. The window began to roll down when Brian started talking. "What happened here? Why is everyone d..." The window finished its course and the man was now visible and on his neck was the same bite mark and on his face the same smile. Suddenly the car sped up and Brian dodged out of the way. The car came around and sped again towards Brian. Brian ran back into the store where he had just been and jumped over the many bodies and ran through the isles. The man in the car got out and followed. In his hand was a butcher knife. Brian threw stuff to the ground to try to stop the living dead but it easily dodged out of the way.

Brian turned down one of the isles suddenly hoping to lose the dead man and it seemed to work. He finished running down the isle and to the exit. He turned around just in time to see the man in hot pursuit, all the while still wearing the same smile. Brian may have gotten away eventually but unfortunately he tripped on another corpse and crashed into a shelf with paint and tires. This gave enough time for the dead man to finally catch his prey and kill Brian Murphy. As the knife impale the neck of Brian a smile spread across his own face. His body slumped and he died. As for the living dead, after filling out it's duties it fell to the floor just as lifeless as it had been before.

Reviews

[♥(heatherawesome..]

love it

[Middling]

There is some good descriptive writing, but it seems to lack flow in some places. Try to take the disjointed parts out of it.

[Senseless whatever]

Good write. Your descriptions are right on and help keep the writer. You may want a reread as there are a few scattered typos.

[TadKent]

That... was awesome. Haha. It made me want to play Resident Evil 5. = p
I want to read more! Keep writing! I had always wanted to write something like this, or be involved with writing. Yore seems like a dark, terrifying place. Love it. :) PLease send me a read request when you get the next chapter up.

[HorrorMaster]

very good story

[R E Tree]

Lots of imagery in this thats very descriptive. And the small town described is a bit like the town I am living in now. Except mountains don't tower over me and there is less then two thousand people living here. But the people are the same as you have described. I can't believe I can relate to this. I like how you have made Brian Murphy character he sounds interesting and cool. The murder is shocking and I would love to read on. Oversall I think its captivating

[Ruarc Cinaed]

Wow...Amazing job, once again. I'm definitely going to read on.

[Sera]

well put together clear with a great tone :) exellent job!!

[Coyote Poetry]

The story is very strong. You brought me in with a peaceful description of a quiet town and turn the story to action and escape.I like this story. I will read on.
Coyote