The Headless Tiny Part 2 - Eroyan

He spoke of an evil in the woods something he thought would never bother us. It kept to it-self and though Henry heard it move around his home some evenings the offerings he left for it seemed to appease it. Something about being small yet powerful and that George must have offended it somehow. That we should go now before we offended it that we could not protect ourselves from this horror. At that he picked up his axe and began to head home. We all stared dumbly as he walked back down the gully. The Sheriff said he had, had enough of this voodoo nonsense that it was a villain that we had to catch before he possibly killed again. Most of us took courage in his words and continued on with him deeper into the woods. Though I did turn back and watch Big Henry just disappear out of sight thinking what could scare such a large man like him. I turned and caught up to the others but in hindsight I should have looked down. What Big Henry saw was at my feet and couldn’t be seen in the light of Bill’s lantern. As I ran to catch up with the others the faint greenish glow of a tiny hoof print faded behind me.

The night grew darker and the wind more chill as we moved through the woods. The night sounds making us nervous till we finally stopped and decided we should go back and resume again in the daylight. That’s when we heard it a low whispering on the wind as if a voice was nearby. Steeled with the thought we had found George’s murderer we headed toward the sound. Our way was barred by a dense thicket and thou we were fearful of trying to enter the voice drifted from inside and we knew we must. As carefully as we could we crept into the thicket doing our best not to cry out as our skin was scraped or curse as our clothing caught. Finally we broke through.

The moon light shown bright in the small clearing we entered. The ground was covered in a thin mist that seemed to swirl as we stepped carefully through it. We readied ourselves for as soon as we entered the clearing the voice stopped. It was quiet very quiet, no sound seemed to enter this area or escape all we heard was our own breathing and beating hearts. Carefully we moved around searching for were the villain was hiding. Moving around the small mound in the middle and arriving grouped together on the other side. None of us had seen anything but the thicket around us and the small mound in the middle of the mist.

Nervousness grew on me and I felt we should leave. I said as much but the others would have none of it they had heard the voice the fact it stopped when we entered had to mean the villain was here. I whispered desperately as I looked at the small mound in the mist, uneasy growing on me more and more and the words of Big Henry haunted my mind. I begged them not to go closer to it to turn and leave with me. But closer they went as I was torn between fear and my people, and stood stock still holding my pistol tightly watching them. The Sheriff and Justin leveled their rifles as Bill had found something. My Skin began to crawl and fear leapt into my throat preventing me from crying out. Bill leaned down and shown his lantern onto the mound reaching out.

The mound erupted into mist and dust as if something was waiting for him just under the surface. I could only watch as an unholy laughter filled my ears. I heard the muted gunfire of the Sheriff and Justin as Bill screamed. It leapt from the ground as easily as a fish jumps from water. Black as night and eyes burning red hellfire crawled along its body as the mount snorted more mist into the clearing. The thing on its back was laughing as it landed and turned its hellish mount around toward the three near the mound. Its body glowed ghostly in the moonlight and I could see the cape swirl about it. Its hands gripped the reins of its beast tightly and it decaying boots kicked its flanks spurring the beast towards my friends.

I tried to raise my pistol but fear had its tight grip upon me and I could not move. The thing had no head save a pumpkin that burned from inside with hell fire. It moved and grimaced evilly at my friends as it bore down on them. The Sheriff and Justin fired again as Bill stumbled away from the horror dropping his lantern. I could have sworn they had hit it but it just laughed that cursed laugh as it road toward them. Suddenly from thin air it seemed to produce another pumpkin flickering with greenish hellfire and the mist recoiled from the hooves of its beast. I could see the tiny flames on the ground where it rode. The Sheriff ducked in time but Justin,, Oh Gods poor Justin didn’t see it coming! The thing threw its creation and hit Justin on the head and ….my god his head just popped off. Just right off and vanished in an inferno of hellfire. That’s when I did scream finally my fear finding my voice as Justin’s body crumpled to the ground.

Bill was already tearing through the thicket and I didn’t wait either. I sprinted into the thicket tearing my clothing and my skin but I didn’t care. I had to get away from that god forsaken laughter. I heard the Sheriff fire again and then to my horror heard him scream as I burst out into the woods from the thicket. Bill was just ahead as I took off behind him. We both ran as if the devil himself was behind us and for all we knew it was the devil. Gasping for breath I caught up to Bill who was holding onto a tree and panting as well. Silently we looked back praying that the horror could not leave the thicket.

From the darkness it arouse like a demon from hell. One moment it was empty dark forest the next there it was that cursed head glaring at us both. I turned to run and felt a hard blow to my head. Dazed I saw Bill run for it dropping his club. I fell and heard him yelling to take me not him. I heard the hoof beats of the beast draw close. I raised my head watching the burning eyes of both beast and rider bearing down on me. Crying out I raised my pistol to futile defend my life.

Just as my finger tightened on the trigger the horror leapt over me and ran down Bill. I don’t know what happened to Bill I just know I could hear his screaming. I shivered and couldn’t move again I hugged the ground and panted as I felt like my heart would burst from my chest. I lay there for what seemed like eternity smelling the damp earth listening to the chill wind and watching the shadows dance. Finally I got up and made my way toward town. I jumped at each twig breaking as each odd light that shown in the woods. I could barely breathe for the fear that still gripped me. It did not relax till I finally saw the lights of the church through the trees. With praising to almighty God I moved as fast as I could into the field just beyond the edge of the woods and to my horror let out a small croak as I stopped in my tracks.

It sat astride its nightmarish beast and looked at me as if a hunter that studies its prey might do. It said no sound no laugh just looked at me. I could not raise my pistol for I could not move just looked down at this thing. It recollection it was no higher beast and all than my knee. But it put such fear in me I don’t think an army could have stopped it. It moved closer and I tried not to scream till it got so close I could feel the cold chill of its hellfire. It looked up at me and looked into my eyes, it felt as if the horror was going to swallow my soul. Then from the darkness from the pit of hell itself I heard it speak.

“I have enough heads tonight.”

Then it turned and rode off back to its hellish home. A final horrifying laugh of the horror and beast ringing in my ears, I fainted and was found the next day there bleeding dirty and alone. They never found Bill or Justin or the Sheriff. They couldn’t find the thicket or the mound I told them about. Big Henry would never say if he knew where this horror lived or not. But he is the only one that will still speak to me from the town. Everyone else thinks I’m crazy but I know better. I know a night will come sometime in October with it will return. When some fool will make it angry and it will ride again.

“Beware! Beware!” I will shout, “For the Headless Tiny Rides Tonight!”