Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-17082538-20150308053541

The Shepherd

(Huff huff)

I sprint as fast as I can, although I know that I can’t escape. I can’t escape from him.

The shepherd.

My family, my wife, our three kids, my eldest child’s girlfriend and her sister, had decided for the holiday we would go out to the countryside, to enjoy the view and have a nice picnic. We stopped off by a local park, covered in a thick and dense forest, a nice and beautiful fog has decided to kick in. My eldest son told me earlier today that he planned to ask his girlfriend to marry him today, and it seemed as if nothing could go wrong.

Then he came.

He came out of no where, while my family was enjoying our day. He was noticeably tall, like 7 feet at least, shrouded in a cloak, that seemed as if it had been worn throughout the ages. His hands were covered by degraded gloves, that still covered his skin. The clothes may have been a different color long ago, but now they are a dull grey, and seemed to be covered by an ash like substance. The smell of sulfur seemed to emanate from his presence, and mixed with the scent of what may be burning flesh. As soon as he came stumbling out of the forest, he seemed as if he was injured, as he was limping.

My wife had become immediately concerned for him, as she feared that he was hurt. If i could go back now, I would have sprinted to him, and stabbed him with my cutting knife. She put her hands on his shoulders asking “Sir are you all right? You smell as if you have you had been in a fire---erghhh” My wife never finished her thought. The man grabbed her by the throat, and lifted her off the ground.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Honey!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, but for some reason I couldn’t move

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Mom!” My two youngest children (My daughter the middle child, and my other son) call out, but they can’t move either.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Suddenly a burning aura surrounded the man and my wife, and the man himself began to be lit on fire, and my wife was burning “AIIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!” she screams out in pain, as her flesh melts

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“HAHAHAHAHAH!” the man laughs, as the flesh of my wife melts. within moments my beautiful wife has melted into a puddle of melted flesh, leaving only a charred skeleton in his hands. The man then crushes the neck, letting the charred bones fall down, only the head remaining in his hand. The man begins chanting something unintelligible, and a flaming  portal opens above my wife’s flesh puddle and charred skeleton, and somehow, and i think it was because he wanted me to see, I saw his smile, it was toothy, and broken, as if he had the jaw of a wild animal. He then thrust his hand into the portal, and pulled out a black shepherds cane with fire swirling all around the cane, as if a volcano was contained into a shepherd’s cane.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Suddenly, I was able to move again, and I began to realize something, He’s toying with us. He could of just annihilated all of us as soon as he approached us, but he...he is a showman. He’ll show of his skills, and then let us have a chance, before it all ends. This all suddenly came to my head, I realize that he must have put this in my head, but suddenly I didn’t care, I had only one thing I wanted to do. “RUN!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, and took off sprinting, with my family, and my son’s girlfriend and his sister following close behind me.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I realize now that is exactly what he wanted.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I continued sprinting when I noticed that my son’s girlfriend’s sister was catching up to me. She was fast, and she started passing me. Then a fireblast whizzed by me, and hit her, and she was turned into a charred skeleton. “NO!!!” My son’s girlfriend screamed. However she had no time to mourn. Stopping means death.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">My youngest son then tripped while we were running. I stopped for a moment, to consider my options. He is my son, i have to help him. But then a thought came into my head, he will catch up. In a flash, I came to regret this horrible moment for the remainder of my soon to expire life, I ran away, I ran away from my fallen son, as a monster approached him to end him. “Daddy!!!!” He screeched at the top of his lungs.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">With tears in my eyes, I ignored him, and kept running. I only looked back once, to see him being picked up by the shepherd, and then teleported my son away.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I was too panicked to be shocked.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Too panicked to care.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Then we hit the fence. It was one of those cheap gated fences, but it also had expensive looking barbed wire, bad combination. “Dad what do we do?” My eldest asked. He was in a clear panic, and seemed to be in early stages of shock.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Isn’t it obvious? We climb” I said, in the most commanding voice i could muster, which came out stuttered with my voice cracking. They could hear my fear

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“But the wire...” My son’s girlfriend stammered, but she never finished what she was going to say. We could feel the air getting hotter, and we knew the Shepherd wasn’t far behind.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Climb or die.” My daughter said, and jumped up, with amazing speed and strength

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“ARGHHHHHH!” the roar of the Shepherd was all the incentive we needed to join my daughter in our frantic, and seemingly sisyphean plight to escape the flaming maniac behind us. Me and my son’s girlfriend jump on the fence and begin to climb up, while my son struggled to climb up the fence.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Fuck!” My son yells as he continues to struggle with the fence.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“AIIIEEEEEEEEEE!” My daughter screams as her arm got caught on some of the barbed wire. I feel as if I should in some way console her, but then again, I got to make it up there to. She’s a tough girl.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">By some miracle we all make over that damn fence, with my son and me sustained some minor wounds, and my daughter having some major injuries in her arm, and my son’s girlfriend having no noticeable injuries. Just when we thought we had a moment of clarity, the fence began melting, as the Shepherd was lifting up his hands, melting a hole in through the fence. Damn he has some awesome powers.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">In an instant we all took off sprinting, as our lives were in danger, however less than a minute later I noticed my daughter wasn’t with us. I turned around and saw her on the floor, not moving. I continued a steady pace while going backwards, seeing the Shepherd step on her head, shattering her skull. “NOOOOOOOO!” I tried to yell, but the words came out muffled somehow.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">‘Leave her dad, we can’t dwell on this now.” My son said harshly to me for a moment. How fast had he turned from a sweet boy about to propose to his girl to this hardened survivor. Turmoil can harden people.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">We continue sprinting for what seems like ages, until my son’s girlfriend yells “Stop!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Me and my eldest son stop, in utter terror and confusion. “What?” I stammer.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“He’s not behind us anymore.” My son’s girlfriend said, in a quivering.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“She’s right.” My eldest son confirms, and we look around. The nice sunny day we started with has transformed into a fog of ash and burning flesh, I can no longer make out any distinguishable features.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Just when we started to feel safe, i felt a strange heat come over me, and i realized it isn’t over yet. “Run!” I yelled at the top of my lungs and sprinted away, not checking to see if they followed me.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“AIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!” I hear my son’s girlfriend scream

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Followed by the sound of my son yelling “No!, Dad where are you? Help meeeeeeeeeeeeee!” before he falls silent.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Then i hear the sounds of grunting, which was not coming from me. It was him, the Shepherd. He was coming for me

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">(snap)

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“ARGHHHHHH!” I grunt as i fall to the ground. Damn branch tripped me. As i try to stand up I fall down to the ground. “FUCK!” I yell. My leg, it hurts, i think i sprained or broken it. I’m not a doctor.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“HAHAHAHAHAHAH!” The shepherd laughs, as he approaches me. I start to crawl away, hoping--no praying that i can escape. But he grabs me, and picks me up, putting me directly to his face. “Oh don’t worry I won’t kill you. I have plans for you...so many plans. It’s not over for you yet” and with that, a circle of fire surrounded us and everything went red.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(255,255,255);white-space:pre-wrap;">Although I know it’s not over yet... <ac_metadata title="Just wrote this, it&#039;s only a draft...review/advice?"> </ac_metadata>