Spud, Dave and Biffa watched Claude inhorror. This wasn’t a dog – it was a huge hairy beast of a thing that theythought as big as a pony.
“Shall we help ‘em?” said Dave.
“Just run for it!” said Spud.
The three boys sprinted away into darkwoods but something incredibly quick and strong grabbed each of them in turn,ripping chunks out of their faces. Blood spurted down their t-shirts andleather jackets as they swooned and fell to the floor, somehow made immobile.Lord Percy stood over them, a curse playing softly on his bloody lips.
“They are very young,” he said.
Hippy and Joker ran through an openingthat led to the tents in the adjacent field. Hippy found it difficult to keepup with Joker – he’d taken his beloved guitar and had it slung over hisshoulder. They found the dark shape of their tent in the gloomy light, unzippedit and crawled inside. The boys were panting for breath but tried to be asquiet as possible.
Claude ran into the field and lookedat the line of tents. He couldn’t see his prey, so sniffed the air and prowledslowly forward. Inside the tent, Hippy took the guitar off his shoulder andnoticed the front was splattered with blood.
“Oh no,” he whispered, “look at that.”
“Don’t say a word,” said Joker, “orit’ll know were here.”
Hippy nodded solemnly, staring at theblood on his guitar. He had a cloth in his pocket that he used to polish it, sohe pulled this out and gave it a gentle wipe.
“Good as new,” he said with a smile.
He put the guitar down very carefullybut it tapped against a metal lantern and let out a discordant hum. There was agrowl from outside the tent, followed by a ripping sound, as sharp claws madelong cuts in the tent wall. The boys looked on in horror as Claude’s gnashingsnout, head, ears and paws came into the tent.
Davy, Jimmy and Mick ran as fast asthey could to the line of motorbikes. They each pulled out their bikes andstarted it up. Davy and Jimmy rode off, their wheels spinning on the dirttrack. Mick paused for a moment to put on his helmet. As he lifted it, ready tolower onto this head, Lord Percy’s mouth fixed on the back of his head, tearinginto his scalp.
“Argh,” screamed Mick. He was in agonybut he managed to say, “Ride like the wind lads, go and get help!”
Lord Percy could see the two boys ontheir metal contraptions screaming away into the distance. He reached out toBeauty, his faithful steed, and asked her to be brave.
Jimmy and Davy were neck and neck,riding up the dirt path. They were almost out the campsite when a huge darkshape moved in front of them. The big black horse reared up on its hind legsand whinnied loudly. Jimmy instinctively swerved to avoid it and smashed intothe gatepost by the main entrance. He was thrown off his bike and landed insome bracken.
Davy hit the horse full in the chestand the animal tumbled over with his bike underneath it. He felt agonizing painas a flailing hoof stamped into his chest. The horse struggled wildly,immediately getting to its feet. It gazed at him with cold black eyes,seemingly unharmed by the collision. Davy was under his bike, in a lot of pain andwondering if anything was broken. He was about to move when he felt a sharp andvery intense pain in his hand. He turned his head and the world began to slipaway... Lord Percy was holding his arm, sucking Davy’s blood.
Jimmy opened his eyes and gasped forbreath. He was flat on his back and badly winded. He looked up and saw thelooming shape of a tall man standing over him. He was calm, debonair and verylouche, but his purple velvet jacket was stained with dark patches of blood.
“Who are you?” said Jimmy.
The man replied casually, in anaristocratic accent. “My dear sir, I’m your new master.”
Grace appeared beside him, her yellowpolo neck was spotted with blood.
“Is he the last one?” she said.
“Yes,” he said, “bring him to Og.”
The girl smiled as she bent over Jimmyand bit slowly into his cheek, muttering a prayer to Arddhu Og. He felt aswooning in his head, leaden limbs. He was powerless to resist.
T’was a party this night to match anya harvest festival! You have done well and shall be rewarded my sweet Lord! Seehow your body is transformed.
Lord Percy felt very strange. For asecond he felt a sharp pain race through his entire body. When it stopped hefound himself taller and more muscular, with a jaw line that was longer andwider. There was a loud cracking sound and Percy fell to his knees, screamingin agony. He bowed his head and covered his face with his hands. The lumps he’dnoticed earlier either side of his forehead were now growing longer andbecoming pointed. He felt with his hands, with a mixture of horror andpleasure, the buds, that were growing into two small curled horns. When it wasdone Percy stood up and looked at his servants. He no longer felt like Squireof Brimstone Manor, the ruler of Underwood parish. The last vestiges of Percyhad slipped away. He had become something different, a creature bent furtherinto the folds of Og’s embrace.
“We’ll be riding to Brimstone Manor –to take back my home,” he said. “I am here on Earth as Og’s champion. This isthe start of her conquest.”
Grace looked up dolefully at Percy’sstrange sculpted face, his glowering yellow eyes and cured horns. She felt theswell of love, an overwhelming desire to follow him always.
“Yes Master,” she said in a tremulousvoice.
ChapterFourteen - Distant Memories
With the introduction of coproxidrol into thebloodstream and, if necessary, a 16 volt shock to the cerebellum, the dreamstate can reveal what is blocked by memory. This is not always a guarantee ofsuccess and can induce coma in certain patients.
– Extract from Severe MemorySeverances – A Radical Treatment
– By Doctor Oliver Smallwood, ClinicalPsychologist, 1944.
“Don’tlook so scared, William. This will not hurt as much as you think,” saidProfessor Nox. He was standing over Bill, holding a large syringe full of clearliquid.
They were
