Grandpa

A dark figure appeared in my peripheral vision, the footsteps stopped when I did. Then started up when I resumed walking. A scraping sound went along with what sounded like a cane and whoever was using it tried to subdue its noise.

I quicken my step, trying to reach the subway and get on a train before whoever it was caught up to me. Reaching the last car before it left the station, I jumped on, looking around to see if I could get a glimpse of the people who were behind me. Several, two women and three men arrived, getting on just before the doors closed.

An elderly person who carried a cane sat three rows from me. Another dark man in an overcoat had sat down before I had a chance to look if he was carrying anything in his hands. Watching him from the corner of my eye, he paid no attention to me or anyone else,  just sat looking out the window. The old man sat talking to a woman beside him. He reminded me of a grandpa.

Maybe I just had let my imagination run wild and nobody had been following me after all. I settled down reading my book as my stop was last on the route. When I looked up only a few passengers were left, dark man and grandpa and one woman. Dark man got off at the next stop, leaving the remaining three of us. He had a walking stick.

As the train neared my station grandpa smiled over as the last woman got off the stop before mine. A slight chill ran through me, shaking off the feeling I ignored him, got up, and moved closer to the exit door. When the train stopped I would jump up, surprise would be on my side and run for the stairs and would be gone when he emerged. He got up moving closer to the door as the train stopped. I was through the doors as they opened.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I looked up to see the dark man coming down towards me, how had he gotten to this station so quickly?  I only hesitated a second and turned to run back down the stairs, tripping as I reached the landing. The old man was starting up the stairs towards me and caught me before I fell. The shadowy figure appeared on the stairs coming towards us. I had nowhere to go as his walking stick came down and hit the old man across the knees, losing his balance he fell backwards towards the platform missing going over onto the track by inches. I bent to help him when I felt a hand grab my neck and pull me away.

Dark guy was sneering, his teeth showing a yellow tinge. His sinister brown eyes boring into my face sent shivers up my whole body. He started to drag me into an alcove, pulling at my coat as I struggled to get free. No one was around to hear my screams and this man was going to rape or kill me. 
As he turned at a sound behind us, I was able to kick him hard in his groin he bent over from surprise as grandpa came up and smashed his cane into the mans face. He was in frenzy now coming at us slashing his stick wildly. Moving us closer to the platform, I could hear a train coming. Hoping someone would come and help us from this maniac.

He grabbed hold of the old man's jacket. I grabbed the cane and hit him over the head and heard a loud cracking sound like I had broken a bone, he staggered losing his balance as I lunged towards him pushing him onto the track as the train came screeching into the station.

He would not be bothering anyone again as he lay dead under the train.

Grandpa picked up his cane, checked it for damage, turned towards me telling me he had to go now as his dinner would be waiting. He shuffled away. 


As passengers got out of the train to stare at the mangled body I melted into the crowd and went home.

Group Walk

The day started out warm, sunny and a great day to go hike trails that had little usage.

The brush was thick in some places and clear in other, the path sagged along the banks of the river. Four of us girls had decided to take a lunch and have a good day trying to reach the top of this steep mountainous area, which few dared to travel. Only seasoned hikers boasted on reaching the top. Marie and Jen had worn shorts, their legs showed many scratches and we had only begun.

As we pasted the river, the incline became steeper, the bushes became denser, Marie and Jen decided to turn back as they were not enjoying the day. Karen and I dressed with long pants and long sleeved shirts prepared for the day, keeping a fast pace after saying goodbye to the others. The higher up we got the more beautiful the scenery became. The trail became switch back and very dense and we could only see a few feet ahead after each corner we turned.

We could hear men’s voices in the distance but could not see them. Karen and I looked at each other and headed off the trail farther into the bush. We just did not want to have to carry on a conversation with any one or have to listen to guys trying to hit on us. They were walking at a fast pace only a few feet from us, as the two of them passed us typical hikers, with all the equipment, ropes tied beside their backpacks.

We headed back out to the trail and started looking for a place to rest, and stop for lunch. We could hear water running and then a waterfall came into sight, perfect place to soak our feet and eat. Never giving another thought to the men that had passed.

The day was full of fun, laughter and a good workout, as we took the last few steps to the top, so proud of our accomplishment, we sat in awe of the beauty below us for so many miles. When it became close to dusk we decided to head back while we still had daylight to guide us home. Amongst the trees, it became dusk faster than expected, so we hurried down the trail at a jog.

That is when we saw Jens blond hair lying with a rope around her throat. Her body covered in blood, her cloths scattered amongst the bushes, her underwear lying beside her. Her eyes were open, her mouth at a strange angle, her jaw looked broken. I took my jacket off covering her the best I could to give her some dignity in death.

Karen took a reading of where we were in silence, both afraid to speak. Fearful of what would happen when we emerge from this surrealist fog.  We had to get help in spite of our fright. Unable to talk about what we had just witnessed, we continued downhill in a daze.

We found Marie  less than a quarter of a mile away. The only difference her eyes were closed and she lie in the bushes, thrown away like a piece of trash. I tried my phone, nothing, were we going to be the next in this bizarre killings.

Was it the two hikers that had passed us who did this? Karen tried to get a signal on her phone with no luck. Mine no better, the only thing that we had on our side, with any luck they did not know we were here. On the other hand, they could be waiting down the trail. We slowed and crept quietly towards where we had parked the cars, optimistically the cars would not give them any clue as we had only two cars parked in the lot.

As we came close to the end of the trail, there sat the two men drinking beer beside a car. With no one else around, they were waiting for us. We slowly backed up the trail put our packs down and dug until we found our knives.  We would not be an easy target for these animals. As I turned on my phone it rang, I was sure they would hear it and come after us. I yelled into the phone to send the police, and then we both ran into the deep bush beside the trail,trying to hide as best we could. We heard a car door slam then screech away.

The screeching woke me.