Lightning Strike: Part Three: Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

 

 

            The cool, night air burned down Trisha’s already raw throat as she sped through the trees. She blindly darted through tree limbs and thistle bushes. She could hear James crashing about behind her and she picked up speed out of desperation.

            She had to get as far away as she could before he caught her. She had to do everything in her power to get her daughter out of this mess. Her mind pumped out accusations to her just as quickly as her arms whipped at her sides. Why hadn’t she just left everything well enough alone? Why didn’t she let James continue thinking he was in control? Why did she really think she could pull any of this off without her getting caught? Sure, she thought the cops would find her before James ever did but-

            “Trisha, you b***h!” James shouted behind her. He sounded as if he was right on her heels. She could hear each labored breath burst from his lungs. “I’m going to kill you.” He growled as Trisha lurched under a low hanging dead limb. She heard James barrel through it without hesitating.

            The tree coverage was so thick in this portion of the woods that the moonlight was only able to break through at various intervals. Trisha could barely see where she was going. Only momentary flashes of light from far off lightning strikes lit up the path ahead of her.

            One of these small burst of light is what helped Trisha save her own neck. Trisha was running out of steam. Her legs felt as though they were about to give way, when the sky lit up in front of her as lightning streamed through the thick branches overhead. Almost camouflaged by thick brush and darkness was a pit in front of her, a large mound of fresh dirt piled high beside it. Trisha didn’t know how deep it was or how it got there but she knew that she didn’t have time to slow down.

            James was right on her heels and if she tried to stop he would surely charge at her, causing them both into the hole. Trisha had to jump. She gathered all of her remaining steam and hurtled herself over. Trisha was surprised by how easily she vaulted over the hole, momentarily caught off guard, her knees buckled as her feet hit the wet slippery carpet of leaves on the forest floor.

            As her skidded to a stop she quickly pivoted on her hips to brace herself for the solid body of James to land on top of her. Trisha gasped as James shot to the edge of the pit before he noticed its existence. He lunged towards her but he was able to make too little of an attempt too late. His body flew across the void before he lost his balance and came crashing down against the wall of the hole closest to Trisha.

            A sharp crack reverberated its way through the trees as Trisha saw James’ neck bend against the solidness of the earth before his body disappeared into the hole like the jaws of mother earth swallowing him whole.

            Trisha scooted to the edge of the pit and looked down. James body was crumpled against the outer wall of the hole. Six feet deep and with a rocky bottom, Trisha thought that there was no way James could have lived through the collision. His head rest limply on his shoulders like a broken bobble head doll.

            For the slightest second Trisha allowed herself to breath easy. It was done he was dead at last. She could go get Emmy and leave, of course she would have to explain everything to Lance and let him make the decision of whether he would hate her or not but either way Emmy would be safe and that was enough for her.

            Then Trisha remembered this feeling before as she drove away from that bastardly town with Emmy safely in the back seat. She would never have dreamed that she would have ended up here. James had fooled her once and she couldn’t let that happen again. She shakily looked around her and her eyes landed on the high pitched shovel that was thrust deeply into the pile of dirt beside her.

            With a grunt Trisha pulled it from the ground and looked down at James. Grabbing the shovel by the very end of the handle, she raised it high above her head and with all of her might brought it down into the hole. Trisha felt the impact before her mind registered it. A thick meaty thud vibrated up the shaft and into her arms. Quickly after that, warm splatters crisscrossed her cheeks and arms as she quickly raised the shovel above her head again and again as she chopped and slicked into her now completely dead husband’s body.

            Breathing deeply, Trisha looked down into the hole. The shovel, now slick with blood, slipped from her grip and padded to the ground. Where James had been was now an almost unrecognizable heap of bloody meat. Both legs were a tangle of bone and ripped denim material. His stomach looked like it had been ripped open and from in had spilled yards upon yards of bloody ribbons. His head was the only thing that was recognizable. His neck had been almost completely severed and his head now rest awkwardly on his shoulders. His jaw hanging crookedly open in a look of a Cheshire cat grin.

            Trisha felt a momentary wave of nausea pass over her body before she looked away. There was nothing else to do but find Emmy and Lance. He would help her to bury James and then she would sort everything else out. Trisha didn’t know why this pit had been placed here but now she thanked whoever had dug it in the first place. Whoever they were had saved her life.

            Trisha turned in what she assumed to be the direction of the cabin and took one step before halting with a gasp. Duncan stood only five feet away with a smile on his lips as he walked towards her from the cover of a nearby bush.

Reviews

[Marie]

Another good chapter. The description of James's body at the end was almost too gruesome, but it will pass, since this isn't a YA book. I saw quite a lot of simple mistakes in this which have to be fixed.

[Tabitha t]

I will go back over my work and see if I can weed out any more errors. Thank you for the review!

[Craig2591]

Good chapter. A little graphic for me, but that's my own personal tastes. Nice twist at the end.

[Tabitha t]

The next chapter is a bit worse but in other ways. I will have to put it on the mature reading list just to warn you. I want this to be shocking but unable to resist. I hope you dont find it too uncomfortable to read.

[Craig2591]

Hey, if I can make it through The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I can make it through this.