A Tiny Place

Hellfire, brimstone, the fury of God, nature and man brought down on humanities head. A world consumed by nature and un-nature alike.
Where humanity twisted and changed hunts itself on a bedeviled earth. Men now only live on tiny islands of peace, in the cracks of chaos, in the tiny places far away from the blighted lands where ‘they’ roam.

In a small village called Greenwic deep in the black eyed forest in a place who’s location is only well known to the village’s two hundred inhabitants a rifle shot rings out from a forest watch tower in the twilight hours.

“How is he?” Mayor Seymor shouted up the ladder.

“He’s fine, just fine, why don’t you come up and see for yourself” Doc Oppren shouted down.

“Was it one of them?” the mayor  asked training the good doctors riffle on the black forest around the watch tower. They were the first on the scene; the militia would not be far behind them.

“Unless you know a man who can ripe a ribcage in two I would say so” said the Doctor dismounting the ladder.

The mayor sighed and handed the doctor his rifle, an ornate lever action thirty-aught-six. “Anything special about it?”

“It ain’t another big one if that’s what your asking, no. My guess is he’s the stalking type. Double the guards and let the farmers know to sleep in shifts. Won’t nobody sleep well this  week.”

“Put him in a bed sheet and bring him to my house” the doctor shouted when the militia men arrived. In such a small town the good doctor filled many roles including those of undertaker, druggist, and occasionally when ‘they’ found their way in, poisoner.

After a few minutes of direction and searching the pair were staring at the small hole in the wall where the thing that had killed Martin McMay had dug under the village wall. A twenty foot amalgamation of concrete, steel, tin, wood and anything else sturdy that could be piled high and strong enough to keep the outsiders outside.

The hole as it were was underneath the cab a crushed school bus that made up the base of that part of the wall and looked as if it had been dug by a giant mole.

“I suppose that’s where he got in then” Doc Oppren said training his rifle on the black void. There might be more and he was not taking any chances. The last time he did he’d received the large scar that ran down the left side of his face which had almost been taken clean off by one of their claws.

“Boys, get some concrete and plug that hole” Mayor Seymor said directing the militia. “It’s going to be a long day Doc and I’m sure Pauleens cooking breakfast already” the mayor raised his eyebrows and nudged his long time friend. The pair had often shared breakfast after such grim work.

“I could eat” was the doctors response as he shouldered his heavy repeating riffle.

The two walked for sometime through the blue and red light of the early morning. the lands to the east of the villages burned continually casting the sky with a constant crimson glow.

“be honest with me Op what are we in for?” said the mayor lighting one of his famous hand rolled cigars. He grew the tobacco himself during the good years when food was plentiful.

“It tore him to piece with its claws and then ate his insides with its jaws. Metal jaws. If I had to guess he’s fast and quiet. Poor bastard probably never heard him creeping up that ladder” said  the doc waving the smoke away.

“This one ain’t immune to bullet though right?”

“I don’t know. Guessing from the size I’d say not though. You take my advice?”

“I did” the mayor said with a chuckle. “Check it out” the mayor pulled a long heavy revolver from his coat. “four sixty. Ain’t she a beaut”

“Can you even shoot that thing?” said the doc as he marveled at the hulking pistol. Damion the town gunsmith had out done himself this time.

The mayor nodded towards a sparrow sitting on a fence post about thirty feet away. The good doctor plugged his ears just in time for the sparrow to disappear in a cloud of feathers and red mist. The sound was deafening even with plugged ears.

“It wont be like last time! This time I’ve got this baby!” the mayor shouted half deaf; placing the revolver back into his coat.

“Let go eat! I’m getting peckish!” the doctor shouted back.

The two continued down the road and into the sleepy little village tucked into a tiny place among the black trees.