Page 49 of Runt's Haunted Ride
Mortis laughed, and I pulled Kai back on the bike, keeping a hand on her just in case something changed.
He wasn't laughing his theatrical spine-chilling laugh from the circus. This was darker, deeper—the sound of something ancient and malevolent that had seen civilizations rise and fall. The laugh echoed off the stone bridge and the surrounding cliffs, multiplying until it felt like the entire mountain was mocking us.
"Oh, my precious pet," Mortis said, his voice dripping with false affection. "Death? Death is merely a transition. I will not say it again. Come, Kai." He held out his hand.
Kai leaned to the side of me. "YOU. HAVE. NO. HOLD. OVER. ME!" She slid back and wrapped her arms around my waist. In a quieter voice, "Whatever comes, Jack, it's you and me."
"You and me, little bird. You and me." I squeezed her legs.
Behind us, I heard movement and glanced in my mirror. My stomach dropped.
The clowns were advancing in a slow, synchronized line. Their filed-tooth grins gleamed in the headlight's reflection. Behind them, I could make out the possessed animals—deer, raccoons, even a black bear with glowing red eyes. They moved in that same jerky, unnatural way.
"Jack," Kai breathed against my ear. "They're going to herd us across the bridge."
She was right. The clowns and animals were creating a wall, slowly pushing forward. We had two choices: go backward into them, or go forward onto the bridge.
Toward Mortis.
"Fuck," I muttered, revving the engine. "Hold on."
I had no choice. I eased the Harley forward onto the bridge.
The moment our wheels touched the old stone, the temperature plummeted. My breath came out in visible puffs. I felt Kai maneuver my t-shirt so she had her hand against my stomach, no doubt to fight off the cold feeling.
The ghostly spirits' fog that had been hovering above and alongside the bridge began to descend, filling in around us. Thick, eyes glowing, they moaned, pressing in close, their translucent faces thrust into ours. Some were screaming silently, their mouths open in eternal agony. Others just stared with hollow, accusing eyes. A few reached out with smoky hands that passed through us, leaving trails of ice wherever they touched.
I could hardly see through the supernatural fog. The headlight seemed to be absorbed by the spirits rather than illuminating anything useful. I slowed to a crawl, terrified of hitting the railing, catapulting us off the edge into the gorge below.
A woman's ghost pushed her face directly into mine, her features twisted in grief. She looked like she'd been beautiful once. Her mouth moved, forming words I couldn't hear but could somehow feel:Help me. Please help me. It hurts.
Another took her place as we crawled on. A man this time, his facial features distorted.Save me. Save me.
"Keep moving," Kai said, her voice tight. "Don't look at them directly. Don't listen to them."
Behind us, the low hum of the clowns' motorcycles as they followed us onto the bridge. We were committed now. Forward was the only option.
Mortis had begun chanting. The words were in a language I didn't recognize—old, guttural sounds that seemed to come from the depths of hell. The rhythm was hypnotic, pulling at something primal in my brain. My gorilla stirred uneasily, wanting to shift, wanting to fight or flee. I held on to the bike but felt it wobble.
"No, JACK, listen to my voice," Kai whispered, and I snapped back, focusing on her. For the first time, I heard real fear in her voice. "No, no, no."
"What? What is it?"
"Just stick with me," she said, her voice shaking.
My blood turned to ice. "What?"
She leaned forward, and I felt her looking over my shoulder. "We're more than halfway across. A little more and we'll be within his reach."
The chant was getting louder, faster, growing. I could feel it in my chest and head—something oily and wrong trying to wrap around my consciousness. My hands started to shake on the handlebars.
An older woman's face flew into mine. Her sunken, saddened eyes stared into mine.Please don't let him hurt me anymore.
"Jack." Kai's lips were right against my ear, her voice urgent but controlled. "Hold on to the bike. Don't let go."
"What? Why?"
"Trust me. Do it now."
