Shriek the lips across ragged tongue.
Convulsing together, sing violently.
Move the jaw, cry aloud.
Bound up the dead triumphantly.

Hey yeah!
I’m the one that you wanted.
Hey yeah!
I’m your SuperBeast.

Rob Zombie: SuperBeast.

It hissed, rage burned through every fiber of the body it wore as it tore it’s way through yet another bush, tearing with its hands-

It stopped suddenly, as though some fantastic realization had struck it, and stared down its new hands. Long, slender fingers, the skin now torn and bloody from the countless scratches inflicted from rampaging its way through the woods. It flexed the fingers, feeling the slight pain from the small wounds, then raised them to explore the planes of its new face. The lips twisted into a malicious grin as it felt the nose, the forehead, and the ridges of the eyebrows. Pure delight filled it. A new body! Finally, after centuries of frustration, it was free to spread itself as it wished. The stinging in its fingers was intoxicating; it had been so long since it had tasted the pure, raw pleasure of human pain, the delight of causing suffering. Curling the fingers into talons, it clawed relentlessly at its chest, shredding the shirt and tearing long, bloody marks into the soft skin. It threw back its head and laughed, as the human body it controlled screamed in agony. When it was done, the shirt hung off it in tatters, what little remaining soaked through with blood.

Its fury spent, it tore through the bush, pausing once on the other side to inhale deeply. It could smell the boy’s fear, thick and pungent, heading off in an easterly direction, and it charged through the trees, following the delicious scent. So, it was to be a hunt after all. The thought made it smile. It was going to enjoy this.

**

“Oh shit! Oh God…shit! Please don’t let it get me!”

In his short life, Ash had never experienced such overwhelming terror. He ran through the woods in a blind panic, unaware of what direction he was heading but not really caring, just as long as he managed to keep his distance from the monster that James had become. He tripped and fell over an exposed tree root in the path, dropping his flashlight, and for a moment panic and fear took over as the world was plunged into never-ending blackness.

“Oh God! Please…please…”

He felt spreading warmth in his trousers as he pissed himself, and he scrabbled blindly in the dirt, searching desperately for the flashlight. The sound of the monster ravaging its way through the foliage caused him to moan, and he quaked uncontrollably.

“Oh God…”

A sudden spark of light startled him, and he lifted his head from the dirt to see his beloved Pikachu, his small body flicking with static, a beacon in the darkness. Sudden hope filled him, and he scrambled to his feet, following the electric mouse.

Pikachu was unbelievably fast, but somehow he managed to keep pace, running as only someone in fear of his or her life can run. His lungs burned, screaming for air, and his legs felt like dead weights of lead. Despite the huge amounts of adrenalin pumping through his body, Ash knew he could not keep running forever. James was stronger and faster, and the crashing sounds in the near distance revealed that he was gaining on the terrified boy. With a gasp, Ash pushed himself on even harder, willing his body to last just long enough to find a place to hide. Just ahead he spotted a small grass covered mound, a burrow, probably the work of a Sandslash. He had no idea as to whether it was still occupied, but at that moment he didn’t care. The prospect of facing an angry Sandslash was much more appealing then being caught by the demon chasing him. He called out to Pikachu, who had also spotted it, and within a moment had disappeared into its dark confines. Ash skidded to a halt, then dropped onto his belly and slithered in, sneezing as he got dirt up his nose. It was a tight squeeze, but after a moment or two of desperate wriggling, he manage to pull his way into the burrow’s inner chamber, where Pikachu was waiting. Thankfully there were no other occupants, and Ash clutched his Pokemon to his chest, willing his heaving lungs to take smaller breaths, so as not to give away their position. He just hoped to God that thing didn’t find them.

There was stillness for a moment, and then the sound of foliage being torn from the ground made him jump, as a series of heavy footsteps came to a halt just outside the burrow’s entrance. Ash kept perfectly still, breathing through his nose, hoping that if he stayed quiet for long enough it would leave them alone. Suddenly, a sharp tickling registered in his nose, and he realized with horror that he accidentally inhaled more dirt. Shuddering, he buttoned the top of his jacket and pulled it over his nose, willing himself not to sneeze. But he was unable to stop himself, and the sound was explosive in the small burrow, like a gunshot. He sneezed several times, so loud that he couldn’t hear anything else. Then he regained control and looked up just in time to see an arm claw it’s way down the narrow tunnel.

He shrieked, pushing himself away from the ungodly terror, pressing his body against the back of the burrow. The thing outside growled, and the small amount of light from the moon outside was blocked off as it stuck its head in, causing the entrance of the burrow to cave in slightly. Ash pulled his knees to his chest, making himself as small as possible, and whimpered as it managed to thrust in it’s other arm, scrabbling as it slowly but surely pulled itself into the burrow. There was dirt everywhere now, as the burrow began to collapse in on itself, and Ash was certain he was about to be buried alive. Something hard stuck his foot, and he groped blindly until his hand came into contact with a baseball-sized rock, loosed from the burrow’s wall by the monster’s thrashing. Darting forward, he brought it down heavily on the creature’s knuckles, the wet cracking sound indicating he had hit his mark. It howled in pain, withdrawing it’s hand and hissing, then rushed forward again, it’s eyes glowing with white-hot fury. Ash hurled the rock straight at it’s face, and it struck it on the eyebrow, tearing open a painful looking gash. It shrieked, and withdrew completely, hissing and snarling in rage. All he could see were it’s feet, and he watched for a moment as it stood there, panting. It got down on it’s hands and knees again, and looked at him, the fire in it’s eyes burning brighter than before. It watched him for a second, as though it were contemplating something. And Ash stayed frozen, transfixed by the living nightmare in front of him.

A sudden smile curved its lips, and it grinned savagely at him. With a final hiss, it got up and ran off, it’s rapid footsteps fading into the night.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief as he listened to it retreat, not quite believing he managed to escape with his life. Now all he had to do was get out of this burrow and find his way back to camp…. He sucked in a breath as a terrifying thought occurred to him.

“Oh my God! Brock! Misty!”

**

“Jessie!”

Her entire body jerked as she was startled awake by the sound of a desperately screeching voice, calling her name. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she looked into the dark to see Meowth emerge at full pace from the trees, his countenance one of pure terror.

“What the hell…”

There was an urgent hiss near her ear, and she gasped with surprise as she saw Arbok, her body stiff, her tongue flickering in and out at a rapid pace, something she only did when she was extremely agitated.

“Arbok?” Out of the corner of her eye she saw James’ sleeping bag, unoccupied, and felt panic seize her. “Where’s James? Meowth, what happening?”

The cat latched himself onto her leg and began tugging furiously, urging her to get up. “Da Bad Thing…it’s here. Youse gotta get up, Jess. It’s gone afta dem kids.”

“What?” She stood up and shook him off. “Make some sense, would you?” She gestured fanatically to the empty space beside her. “Where the fuck is James? You were supposed to be watching him!”

“I was!” He was screaming at her, and she could clearly see that he was terrified out of his mind. “H-he ran off inta da woods ‘an I followed….” He swallowed, his tiny body shaking. “I tink he was gonna tie himself up, but dat kid interrupted him, and da Bad Thing came out cause it was too strong for him, and now it’s gone afta the kid. It’s…it’s gonna kill ‘em”

Jessie felt her blood turn to ice. “What are you trying to tell me?”

“Jim’s gonna kill ‘em, Jess. He’s gonna kill da kids.”

Jessie’s world shattered in that instant. “Oh my God.”

**

For the umpteenth time that night Brock checked his watch. Nine sixteen. That boy had been gone for at least half an hour. Just how long did it take to collect firewood anyway? He was freezing his ass off waiting for him.

“Where the hell is he?”

“Do you think maybe he got lost?” Misty asked, her tone worried.

“It wouldn’t surprise me. That kid could get lost in his own house.”

“Maybe we should go and look for him.”

Brock groaned. “Give him five more minutes. If he’s not back by then I’ll go and look.”

Suddenly they both heard something coming from the woods, and Misty leapt to her feet, relieved. “There he is!”

“It’s about time, dammit!” Brock shouted to the shadowy figure near the trees, unable to properly see in the dark.

“What the hell took you so long?”

The figure stepped out into the moonlight, and Brock gasped. Behind him, Misty screamed.

It was James, and he looked as though he’d been to hell and back. He was hunched over; his body caked with dirt and dried blood. His shirt hung off him in tatters and despite the filth that covered him; Brock could see the half dozen or so score marks that were torn into his flesh, like he had been attacked by something with razor sharp claws. It was his eyes however, that disturbed Brock the most. They seemed barely human, and were light from within with crimson madness, causing them to glow unnaturally in the darkness. Brock staggered backwards, half scared out of his wits. Something told him that they should not hang around.

James wasted no time. Crouching low, he sprinted towards them at an unbelievable speed. Brock barely had time to push Misty out of the way before James slammed into him, forcing him to the ground. Misty screamed, frozen in terror, and Brock yelled out to her while he struggled.

“Go! Get out of here! NOW!”

She turned and made for the nearest tree, leaping up and catching the lowest branch on the first try. “And I thought I was really bad at climbing trees.” A voice in her head stated rather absentmindedly as she swung herself up. She turned to watch the scene playing out below her.

Foaming and spitting, James grabbed Brock by the hair and began viciously banging his head on the hard ground. Pinned beneath him, Brock struggled until he managed to free an arm, and brought his fist around to connect with James’ nose. James screamed, bringing both hands up to protect his face, and Brock took the opportunity to push away from him. Snatching up a dead tree branch from the ground, he swung it wildly at his attacker, the thick wooden end slamming painfully into James’ shoulder, almost knocking him over. Brock brought it around again for a second go, but James roared, grabbing the club in both hands and snapping it like a dry twig. Before Brock could react he had gripped his arm and pulled him towards him, causing Brock to fall on top of him. Stunned, he flailed around for a moment, and then screamed as white-hot pain exploded in his neck as James sunk his teeth into his throat.

“Oh God! Oh Jesus! Someone help me!”

**

Jessie ran.

In the distance, she could hear the screaming. She couldn’t tell who it was, but she was certain that it was one of the kids. In front of her, Arbok trailed James’ scent, moving at lightening speed as she tracked her way through the forest. Meowth clung to her shoulder, claws digging into her flesh.

There was another scream, closer this time, and Arbok pushed on further. Jessie struggled to keep up, her heart pounding. She just hoped they would get there before…

A dark blur collided with her from her right, and she yelped in alarm as she felt the unknown person’s body force her to the ground. Meowth screeched, and without thinking, attacked the dark, flailing shape. Arbok reared up and hissed, her hood flaring out.

The shape in front of her let out a wailing shriek. “No! No! Don’t kill me, please!”

She immediately recognized the voice. “Ketchum? Is that you?!” She pulled a stunned Meowth off him and grabbed him non-too gently by the shoulders, forcing him to look her in the face. “My God. Are you alright?”

He looked at her blankly for a moment, his tear-streaked face a mass of confusion, and then he pushed her violently away from him and quickly stood up. “Of course I’m not alright! That crazy boyfriend of yours just tried to kill me!”

She pushed herself to her feet, her heart racing at the sound of James’ name. “You’ve seen him?”

“Y-yeah, I’m seen him!” He began to stutter, enraged at what had happened to him but also frightened out of his mind. “M-me and Pikachu caught h-him trying to tie himself to a tree, then he went all nuts an-and a-attacked us!” He sniffled, wiping his jacket sleeve across his nose, and then regarded her with a terrified expression. “He’s probably gone after Brock and Misty!”

He grabbed him again. “Which way to the camp?”

“I d-don’t know!” He wailed. “I got lost! I was trying to find my way back when..”

Another scream interrupted him, and he gasped. “Brock!”

Nestled safely in Ash’s arms, Pikachu let out an urgent squeak. Surprised, Ash dropped the rodent, who landed on all fours and stood rigidly still for a moment, his ears twitching as he honed in on the sound. He let out a triumphant ‘Pika!’ then dashed off into the undergrowth.

“He knows where dey are!” Meowth yelled. “Quick! Afta him!”

**

Misty picked up the biggest rock she could find and hurled it with every once of strength her body would allow.

“Get off him, you prick!”

The rock bounced off James’ shoulder with a dull thunk, almost breaking the shoulderblade. James threw back his head and roared, dropping Brock like an old rag doll, then turned to regard her with a hateful glare. She yelped, making again for the tree, scrambling up onto the second lowest branch. Below her, James had forgotten Brock for the moment, and seemed intent on getting her back down to earth. He charged the tree, snarling, and Misty clung on for dear life as it shuddered under the force of his attack.

“Oh please please go away please God please don’t let me fall please please God…”

Frustrated, James leapt; clearing the first branch and snagging the one she was alighted on. As he began to haul himself up, Misty kicked out with her feet, grinding her heels onto his knuckles. She made to land on right in his face, but he grabbed her foot just as she lashed out. Screaming, she kicked out with the other, succeeding in knocking him across the nose. With a yelp, he let go, dropping back to the ground and almost causing her to lose her balance and fall out as well.

Hissing and snarling, he clawed at the tree for a second, and then backpedaled a few steps, ready to charge it again. Misty tightened her grip, readying herself.

A dark purple blur appeared from nowhere, knocking him off his feet. He howled in pain as he connected with the earth, and Misty’s heart leapt into her throat.

Arbok!

“Misty! You alright?”

Tears of relief flooded her vision as she saw Ash, Pikachu, Jessie and Meowth emerge from the trees. Even the sight of the two thieves was a welcome one.

“Ash! Thank God!”

“Ketchum!” Jessie yelled. “Get out your Bulbasaur!”

Ash wasted no time. Rummaging around in his bag, he pulled out a pokeball and called out Bulbasaur, who took one look at James and immediately started quaking. James screeched, pushing Arbok off him and charging them, foaming with rage.

“Quick! Use sleep powder!” Jessie yelled.

Despite its fear, Bulbasaur obeyed, emitting a thick spore of powder into the air. Jessie, Ash and the others quickly dove out of the way, and James realized too late he was heading into a trap. He attempted to skid to a halt, but his momentum carried him straight into the spore cloud. He spluttered, attempting to protect himself by covering his nose and mouth, but the spore had already worked its magic. After a few seconds his eyes rolled back into his head and he crumbled to the ground, unconscious.

Misty waited until the air had cleared, then dropped out of the tree to join Ash, who had just managed to rouse Brock. The older boy was battered and bruised, and his neck was slick with blood from where James had bitten him. Tearing off part of his friend’s sleeve, Ash folded it and pressed it against the wound. Brock groaned. “Where’d you learn to do that?”

Ash smirked. “Not as dumb as I look, huh?”

He groaned again. “Jesus. That crazy son of a bitch took a chunk right out of me.”

“It’s all right now. Bulbsaur used sleep powder on him, so he’ll be out for a while.”

Brock merely nodded, then let his head rest again on the ground.

“Ash.”

The young boy looked up in surprise to see Jessie standing behind him, holding a length of rope. “Could you help me, please?”

He blinked in surprise, then nodded. Leaving Misty to tend to Brock, he followed her to where James laid unconscious. Seeing him up close like this revealed the true horror of his condition. His face was a mask of blood, dirt and foam, and he made strange gurgling sounds as he breathed. His shirt had completely ripped away; revealing the mass of self inflicted wounds on his chest and torso, plus others that had been made in self-defense. Ash sucked in a breath, then turned his eyes to look at Jessie. Her expression was completely unreadable, and Ash wondered how she could have seen all this and not broken down herself.

“Help me tie him up, would you? He won’t be happy when he wakes up.”

“What are you going to do? After this, I mean.”

“I’m going to take him back to Team Rocket HQ in Viridian. They’ve got doctors there.” She knew she was giving away vital information by telling him the location of headquarters, but she didn’t care.

He didn’t seem to care either. “Can they help him?”

She was silent for a moment. “I hope so.”

He nodded, then added. “I’m sorry.”

She started, and blinked at him in surprise, then bent down and proceeded to tie down her best friend, the one person she could say without doubt she loved, like an animal. “Yeah. I’m sorry too.” Her eyes stung as tears finally forced their way out of them to patter onto James’ face.

“I’m so sorry.”

To be continued….

Once again, this chapter was inspired by the book Thor written by Wayne Smith. Good book. Read it, I command you. I’ll try to be more original with the upcoming chapters.