You're Never Safe

There is a city in North Carolina named Gastonia, just outside of this city is Gaston County. In Gaston County there is a rock house that sits in the middle of a field. In this house lives a family of three, a father, mother, and their son. The father's name is James, the mother's is Cynthia, and the son's is Luke. Luke loved to play in the woods surrounding the field, he was there so late some days that his father would send their German Shepard to go retrieve him. Luke pretty much knew the layout of the woods by the time he was nine. 
One his ninth birthday he decided to invite two friends over and have some fun. They had cake and did all the birthday things such as open presents. They went out to play basketball and seen Luke's father walking across the field coming back from his hunting trip. 
Luke noticed that he had a worried look on his face, his mother who had been standing on the front porch seen it too. She took James by the hand and led him into the bedroom for questioning. As she sat James down on the bed she caught a glance of something almost spider-like disappearing into the woods. She immediately looked at James for confirmation of the sighting. He nodded, as he had seen it as well, more than once. 
He began to describe the events that took place in his deer stand not even an hour ago. He had gotten up at 4:30 to go hunting about two miles away from the home. His stand was in a tree facing a small clearing about 50' by 60' wide. He had climbed up and sat his gun in his lap staying motionless for hours after that. Around ten o'clock he began hearing footsteps so he raised his gun and rested it on the guard rail at the front of the stand. After around twenty minutes the noises halted as quick as they had started. James slowly turned his head to the left to see if he could get eyes on whatever was walking by. 
He sat like that for a minute before his neck began to cramp so he turned back towards the clearing. It was then, at that moment, he seen what brought back all the fears he had long forgotten as a child. The fear of a monster in your closet, or being left home alone and believing there was something inhuman on your front porch. Everything came rushing back, all because of the creature that he was looking at. It was flat with four limbs with curled talons on the end of each one, its limbs went straight out and a ninety degree angle down. It had a wide mouth and seemingly endless black eyes, James noticed the absence of a nose and ears. 
Its jawline protruded at least an inch from its face and appeared to be crooked. Its body was black except the bone white spine that stuck out and ran the length of its back. It sat like a statue, not moving anything at all. James, terrified, tried to keep still until it left. Ten minutes passed and James began to wonder if his family was safe, or if he'd even see them again. He pushed those thoughts away and replaced them with questions on what this thing was. 
Then, like it had never been there, it was gone. James looked for signs of its former presence. Things like bent grass or footprints in the mud, but he found nothing. After he gathered the courage to get up he started on his way home, watching for any signs of the beast. Carefully he made his way back home. 
Now, back in the bedroom with James explaining all this to his spouse, who looked horrified. Just as he finished his tale his son walked in and asked if he could go play in the woods with his friends. The two parents looked at each other briefly before James finally told Luke to just stay in the field and play basketball or something. 
Luke, surprised that for the first time in his life he was denied access to his favorite place in the world, simply nodded and returned to his friends. He informed them of what had been said as he passed the football to Louis, a 4'9" mid-wight Hispanic. Louis had no interest in sports so he quickly passed it to Mark, a 4'12" Caucasian. 
They proceeded to play until they got bored, then Luke went in to get some water. He discovered his parents were sleeping and took that opportunity to run for the woods with his two companions. 
They had been in the woods for about an hour before they heard footsteps, Luke knew his father must have woken up and sent his dog after them. They were down in a bottom so Luke had to climb to the top of the hill to meet his dog. While he was climbing he figured out that the footsteps were none of his dog's, so he ducked behind a tree and signaled for the other two to do the same. 
Luke heard the animal get to the top of the hill so he peered out from behind the tree and what he saw made him freeze. He started to panic at the sight of the creature but being raised in the woods had taught him not to panic in any situation. 
Once while he was playing out in the snow he stumbled and snapped his ankle, he kept his calm and waited on his dog. He had tied a note to the dogs collar and sent him back which led to his rescue. Things like that helped Luke stay calm, even though he was only nine. 
He moved back behind the tree at the same time Louis screamed. The creature moved down the hill snatching up Mark and fleeing to the woods before anyone realized what had happened. The boys wasted no time getting to the house. 
They got to the edge of the field and seen squad cars all around the house along with police officers infesting the area. They were greeted at the edge of the yard with questions and stern looks. The boys didn't even try to catch their breath before explaining what had happened, and gave an exact description of the beast. 
Two older officers winced at the description as they had seen it long ago and had hoped it would never return. The officers called even more backup and set out to look for Mark. 
James waited for hours before finally seeing flashlights and men appear through trees at the far side of the forest. As they got closer he seen the look of disbelief and disgust on their faces and he knew something bad had happened. He was told they had found Mark...or what was left of him...hanging upside down in an old Oak tree, mutilated and nearly decapitated. 
James nodded and understood that it was a bad idea to tell anyone, even his wife. The police had to keep quiet because everyone of age had heard of the "Araneae Demon" from forty years ago. They didn't want to spark up a whole national crisis. Louis stayed the night at Luke's because it had already been dark and everyone was really extremely drained anyway. 
They all sat in the living room and watched TV for a while before James and Cynthia went upstairs to bed. Luke and Louis slept in the floor. After exchanging a few words they settled back and fell asleep. Luke woke up around three and thought he heard noises, he reassured himself that he would be safe once he was asleep. He couldn't have been more wrong. As soon as he got to sleep he was awoken by the sound of shattering glass and the screams of Louis, as the demon had him by the ankle. 
Luke jumped up to grab the fire poker and lashed out at the creature.It shrieked due to the poker piercing its tough skin and scrambled away. James came barreling down the stairs with his ten gauge shotgun at the ready. He seen the sliding glass door pushed in and that there was almost nothing left of the screened in deck. He helped Louis to his feet and yelled for Cynthia to come down. They had to get to safety, away from this thing. They quickly packed and left a note for the police explaining where they were going and what had happened. 
Two hours later and they were in Conway, South Carolina. Where they had family to stay with. They had stopped and got Louis's parents and explained everything. Louis's grandmother who lived with them nodded at the mention of the demon, she knew all about it since she was a little girl. 
After about a week or two they found a house to rent and lived there for a month or two before they began to see people disappearing and never returning or being found in a tree all messed up. They wanted to believe that they had escaped and that they were safe now so they brushed it off. 
Another two weeks past, and Luke and Louis were walking home from school. They had got home and smelled a metallic odor lingering in the air. They walked in the house to find their parents gone with blood everywhere. Both boys knew deep down inside that there was no safety; there was no escaping this thing. It was going to be their death. They stood in the doorway just as a screech came from down the road a little ways. Luke and Louis looked at each other, both knowing that death had found them, and they could run no longer. 
There was a loud crashing sound and Luke felt weight pressing down on him. He stood ready to face his assailant, but found that he was beside his bed. He had been under his mattress and his dad was standing on the opposite side of the bed laughing. 
Luke- "Dad......?" 
James- "Yes son?" 
Luke- "Why was I under my mattress?" 
James- "You wouldn't wake up and it's your birthday so I flipped it over on you, plus Louis and Mark are on their way." 
~Don't ever believe that you are safe. Know that you aren't; your fears will always find you no matter where you reside. Thank you for reading my first pasta, I hope you like it.~
Category:Beings