Hell train, p.17
Hell Train, page 17
Ashley wiped the last of the spit off her face and growled in defence of her friend. “I would say the railing is too high. So stop with this bullshit.”
Jude was silent. He shuddered and tried to catch his breath.
Lily and the twins cackled. “Fucking do him,” said Lily. “I reckon we can get him over the railing.”
Ashley saw the pain and fear on Jude’s face and could take no more. She threw a punch at Lily but missed, yet it was enough to send the other girl dodging back a step. When Ricky turned to see what was going on, she shoved him hard. He tripped over his own feet and crashed against the railing. The resounding clonk of his head hitting the bars was satisfying, as was his pained tirade of curse words.
Ashley grabbed Jude and pulled him. “Move!”
The two of them took off along the overpass. The others didn’t pursue right away, waiting for Ricky to get back on his feet first. It bought Jude and Ashley a few seconds head start.
It had been a while since Ashley had sprinted at full pelt, and it made her realise now how much her breasts had grown. More and more lately, they got in her way, especially when she was dancing.
Street dancers don’t have ginormous tits. Why does my body hate me?
Jude was faster than Ashley, probably motivated by the fear of another beating, but he kept looking back and adjusting his pace. Sometimes she wished he would fight back against Ricky – throw a punch – but that just wasn’t who he was. Jude wasn’t a fighter.
Lily, Ricky, and the twins gave chase, yelling threats. Jude and Ashley had a small lead. The problem was there was nowhere to go. The entire area was closed between Redsow Woods and the playing fields. There were no houses for half a mile.
“They’re… gunna catch… us,” said Jude, already out of breath. He clutched his ribs where Ricky had punched him. “We have to… lose them somehow.”
Ashley looked back at their pursuers. Ricky’s face was bright red. He was blowing air out of his cheeks like an angry bull. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that it looked like he wanted to kill them.
Jude searched left and right. He pointed towards the woods on their left. “Let’s try to hide in the trees.”
“If they catch us in the woods, we’re fucked.”
Jude didn’t give her any choice. His panic caused him to leap into the ditch that ran alongside the path and head for the trees. The woods started with thorny bushes and spindly trees, but things grew thicker after a few metres. Ashley and Jude often trudged through the lighter areas when they were looking for something to do, but she didn’t fancy getting cornered inside the woods. At least on the path, a passer-by might intervene on their behalf. Sometimes you could even find the odd community policing officer taking a stroll.
It was a bad idea entering the woods, but Ashley had no choice but to follow her friend.
Jude leapt up the other side of the ditch and dashed between the trees. Ashley hurried in behind him. The two of them dodged through some thick bushes and ducked past the remnants of an old fence.
Ricky leapt into the ditch behind them. “You two are dead,” he shouted. “I don’t like having to run.”
“I’m going to cut your fucking throats,” shouted Lily.
Ashley put a hand on Jude’s back as they dodged through the bushes. “Keep going!”
Jude dashed to his left. In the direction of the golf course, the woods would gradually thin out, but in the direction they were heading, things grew denser and more overgrown. Countless bushes, branches, and ancient trees intermingled to form a near-constant obstacle course.
“We can’t go this way,” said Ashley. “We’ll break our necks if we keep going.”
“What choice do we have? How else will we—” Jude tripped and stumbled forward, landing on his side amongst the thorny weeds. Ashley lifted him to his feet and tried to get him running again, but it was too late.
“Got you!” Ricky moved past them and planted his feet. His gang spread out around them.
Jude and Ashley back-pedalled to where the ground disappeared into a massive drop that the local kids all called Devil’s Ditch. Thick bushes covered the ground all around them, but the slope was a steep drop comprising thick mud and hard stone. There was nowhere to go.
Ricky, Lily, and the twins closed in tighter like a pack of hyenas. Ricky glared at Jude, but Lily was grinning. She smirked at Ashley like a hungry serial killer. As much as people around the estate feared Ricky, Lily was the one who truly scared Ashley. The girl’s entire family was notorious for being a bunch of thugs – lunatics, really – and Lily’s dad was in prison more often than he was out. Both of her older brothers were psychos, and sometimes it seemed like Lily was determined to be even worse. While Ricky still attended school from time to time, Lily had been expelled a long time ago.
Ricky shook his head and chuckled, almost like he was admiring their spirit. “You made me run. I really hate having to run.”
Jude put his hands up. “Come on, man. Don’t do this.”
“Do what? Bury you in these fucking woods? Sorry, mate, but my mind’s already made up about that.”
Lily stepped up to Ashley, getting right in her face. “And don’t think Judy is the only one getting fucked up.” She reached into her jacket and pulled out a small length of black plastic. At first, Ashley didn’t know what it was, but then Lily pressed a button and a sharp blade flicked out the end. With a malicious grin, she brought the blade up against Ashley’s face and pressed the flat side against her cheek. “Maybe I should give you a messed-up eye like your boss-eyed boyfriend here.”
“Y-You’re not going to use that. Why would you do something so crazy?”
A few steps back, the twins were laughing, but one of them – possibly Danny – said, “Come on, you two. Let’s leave these losers to it and go get some beers. We can grab some from our dad’s fridge. This shit ain’t worth the trouble.”
Ricky had moved closer to Jude, but he stepped back now. He looked at the twins. “For real? A’ight, let’s bounce and go get drunk. They’ll be plenty of time to beat on these losers later.”
A wave of relief washed through Ashley’s stomach. Perhaps Ricky and his mates weren’t complete psychopaths. They’d had their fun, but enough was enough.
Lily pressed the knife harder against Ashley’s cheek. “Nah, I ain’t leaving till I see some blood.”
Ashley grunted as something bit into her cheek, and she realised Lily had turned the blade and cut her face. She hopped backwards, almost tumbling down the steep slope behind her, and fingered the wound. Her fingers came back bloody. Ashley saw red, literally and metaphorically. “You total fucking maniac. I’m gunna kill you.”
Ashley bunched her hands into fists and took a step towards Lily, which she knew was a stupid idea, seeing as Lily still held the knife, but she couldn’t stop herself. Rage seized her muscles and mind. She wanted to destroy Lily Barnes. But before Ashley got close enough to engage, Jude tackled her and knocked her backwards.
Then she was tumbling downwards.
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Hey, Reader. So you got to the end of my book. I hope that means you enjoyed it. Whether or not you did, I would just like to thank you for giving me your valuable time to try and entertain you. I am truly blessed to have such a fulfilling job, but I only have that job because of people like you; people kind enough to give my books a chance and spend their hard-earned money buying them. For that I am eternally grateful.
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Diary of a flummoxed father
Iain Rob Wright is one of the UK's most successful horror and suspense writers, with novels including the critically acclaimed, THE FINAL WINTER; the disturbing bestseller, ASBO; and the wicked screamfest, THE HOUSEMATES.
His work is currently being adapted for graphic novels, audio books, and foreign audiences. He is an active member of the Horror Writer Association and a massive animal lover.
www.iainrobwright.com
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Copyright © 2022 by Iain Rob Wright
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