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Gallows Hill
by Travis James
“Just get the ball, David.”
“Why should I, you touched it last?”
At least that statement was true. The ball had rebounded off of Johnny’s head before it flew off into a mass of weeds and brambles. “Listen ya little shit, go and get the ball or were going home.”David threw his arms down in protest and sloped off into the dense bushes to find the football. Johnny Morton sat down on the cool grass and listened to his brother’s protests as he walked off to search for the ball.
For the last few years David had suffered badly with panic attacks. No one knew what had started them. Most of the time it wasn’t too bad, but when David was hurt or scared it would grip and bite his body till he collapsed in a crying mess. Their father had died when David was only two and their mother wasn’t much help either; she spent most of the time drinking her life away in the pub. So it was always Johnny that was left to pick up the pieces. He didn’t mind really, but sometimes he wished he could do things on his--
David screamed.
Johnny ran headlong into the bushes. Large brambles tore at his school uniform like witches fingers. “Don’t move David, I’m coming!” Each time he thought he had found a way through; he was blocked by another wall of sharp thorns. But Johnny kept pushing through, oblivious to the talons that ripped into his skin. Eventually he broke through into a clearing. His brother was lying on the floor. “David?”
“I got stung by a stinging nettle.”
Johnny closed his eyes and breathed in the sweet summer air. He looked up at the darkening sky and said a silent prayer. Then he turned on his brother. “You stupid idiot!”
“What?”
“I thought you were badly hurt.”
“I am badly hurt,” David said, rubbing his bare legs. “It really stings.”
Johnny sighed. “I thought you might’ve had another attack.” He grabbed his brother by the hand and helped him up. “Come on lets go home.”David smiled. “I found the ball Johnny.”
Johnny smiled back.
His smile faded.
He could see something in the distance.
There were at least twenty of them and they were heading up the large hill that towered over their small village. Some thought the hill was haunted by the souls of dead soldiers who were executed on the huge oak that stood on its peak. Johnny thought it was a load of rubbish. In the middle of the crowd was a man, his face hidden beneath a black hood, his hands tied behind his back. Someone in the crowd pushed him violently and he fell over. Then he was dragged back to his feet and the procession continued.
“What is it Johnny?” David said, lifting himself up to get a look
“Just get down.”
“Who are they?”
“How the hell should I know?”
“But what are they doing with that man?”
Johnny was losing his patience. “Just shut up and watch.” The crowd reached the top of the hill and gathered under the large oak tree. Johnny could hear the man screaming. It was chaos, everyone was arguing and two of the men started fighting, leaving a woman in tears.
A feeling of horror washed over Johnny as he watched a man sling a rope over the branch of the oak tree. Then another man slipped the noose over the hooded man’s head and tightened it around his neck.
“Are they going to kill him?”
“Sshh.”
“But Johnny we can’t let them do it.”
“I told you to--” Johnny ducked his head. “Shit. I think someone saw me.”
The two boys hunched further down into the bushes and listened. The sound of the man’s screaming still echoed in the darkness. They waited. Finally Johnny said, “I think we’re okay.”
“What if someone saw us?”
“Look, no one saw us okay?”
“But what if they come and get us too?”
“Calm down David.”
“But... I...” David started to shake. His body convulsed as if gripped by a wild dog, twisting and contorting until he threw himself on the ground.
Johnny got to the floor and carefully lifted his brother into a sitting position. “It’s okay David, it’s just another attack.” He placed his hands on David’s cheeks. “That’s it, copy me, slow breaths in,” they both inhaled slowly, “and out.” Johnny held him close, feeling his brother’s every breath, until eventually his body was still. “Okay?”
David smiled. “Okay.”
Johnny slowly raised his head above the gorse bush. “It’s alright, they didn’t see us.”
“I want to go home now.”
Johnny knew that he should take David home. But he wanted to stay around. He wanted to see if the mob would actually go through with it. This was a once in a lifetime experience. Then again, maybe they should go, it was getting dark and it had started to rain. Their mum might be worried. Fat chance.
Johnny watched as two men took hold of the end of the rope and started to hoist the man from the ground. “They’re actually gonna do it,” Johnny whispered.
“Do what?” David said, peering over the bush.
“David, turn away.”
“But--”
“Do as you’re told!” Johnny shouted.
Johnny watched mesmerized as the four or five of the men began to pull on the rope, hoisting the man off his feet. The sight was horrific, the hooded man bucked and swayed in a violent convulsion. At one point Johnny thought that the man might even escape. But it wasn’t to be; his body finally went still. Johnny threw up.
Johnny couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed. A man had been killed. Why didn’t he shout, or run and get help? Hot bile rose from his stomach again.
Eventually the crowd began to disperse. Some of them ran; others just strolled away as if nothing had happened. The two boys sat in a stunned silence.“We’ve got to go and tell someone?” David said.
“Oh right, and who the fuck are we gonna tell?”
“Johnny, don’t swear.”
“I’m sorry David. But what we can do?”
David stared back up the hill. “Maybe he’s not dead?”
“Of course he’s bloody dead.”
“But I read in a book once that--”
“David just shut up, I know what I saw.”
Johnny looked over to where the dead man lay under the tree. “You’re right,” he turned back to his brother. “We have to check.”
David backed away. “Please, Johnny no.”
“But he could still be alive, come on.” Johnny started walking up the hill. “Are you coming or not?”
“I’m not going anywhere near a dead person, and that’s final.”
“Fine,” Johnny said, walking off up the steep hill. “Stay here on your own then.”
David looked behind him into the murky darkness.
“Johnny wait!”**
“Hello?” Johnny felt stupid; it was obvious the man was dead. He looked down towards his brother who had hidden himself behind a smaller tree further down the hill. “He’s definitely dead,” he shouted.
“I don’t care. I want to go home.”
“Alright in a minute, I just want to...” Johnny picked up a wet stick and prodded the dead man. He didn't move. He looked at the hood that covered the man’s face. Who are you? Johnny thought.
David joined Johnny at the top of the hill, but he kept a good distance between himself and the dead body. “What are you doing?”
“We have to find out who he is; I won’t be long, just stay there.”
Carefully, Johnny took hold of the black hood; it was cold and wet, but smooth like suede. Johnny’s heart was racing. He had to know what the man looked like. Come on just do it, he thought. Then in one quick motion he pulled off the hood. Johnny gasped. The man’s dark red face was set in a silent scream. There was blood seeping from his lips and his eyes cried crimson tears. The skin on the man’s neck had been pulled taught, leaving an inverted ‘V’ shape burnt on its surface. But there was no sign of life.
“It’s okay David, he’s--”
The dead man opened his eyes.
He started gargling and struggling for air. Blood bubbled over his lips as he tried to speak. “Pl... Please help me.”
David ran off screaming.
Johnny sprinted after him. “David wait!” Finally he drew level and grabbed his brother by the shoulders. “David stop.”
David punched and kicked Johnny like a wild animal. “Let me go,” he screamed.
Johnny held his brother tight by the arms and looked at him straight. “Calm down, ya gonna have another attack.”
“I don’t care. Let me go.”
“But that man is still alive.”
“I don’t care.”
“But we can’t just leave him there.”
The two brothers went through their panic attack routine again and finally David calmed down.
“We have to go to the police, Johnny.”
“But what if he dies before we get back?”
David looked up the hill at the struggling man. “He might be dangerous?”
“Yeah, and he might not be.” Johnny started walking back up the hill. “Come on, David, you can do this.”
**
Quickly Johnny started to loosen the rope that had torn into the victim’s neck. His fingers were cold and numb and the rope kept slipping. The man rolled over onto his back, gasping for air. His breathing was raw as he tried to suck in as much air as he could.
Finally Johnny managed to work the rope loose.
“Thank you,” the man coughed.
“What the hell were those people doing?” Johnny said.
The man looked at the ground. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“I was at home in bed, and someone started banging on my door, so I answered and …” He began to cry. “The next thing I remember is being pushed up this fucking hill.”
David winced.“Do you know who they are?” Johnny said.
“I’ve never seen them before in my life.”
Johnny turned towards the way home. He was shocked to see how dark it had got. The whole area had turned a muddy shade of grey, the only light they had was from the moon, glowing like a white sun. “We shoulda been home ages ago, our mum’s gonna kill us. Can you walk?”
The man tried to lift himself from the ground. “Any chance of a lift?”
Johnny held his hand out to the man.
“Johnny no!”
But it was too late.
The man grabbed Johnny’s arm and pulled him onto his fist. The crunch of Johnny’s breaking nose echoed over the hillside like a gunshot. His limp body hit the ground like a rock.
The stranger stood up.
David edged himself away. His body started to shake.
“Hey, don’t be scared little man.” The stranger held out his hand. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Get away from me,” David screamed. “You’ve killed my brother.”
The man laughed. “It was just an accident; I didn’t mean to hurt him.”He was lying; David could see it in the man’s nasty eyes. He was just like the man his mummy brought home that night. He said he wouldn’t hurt him either. David backed away slowly, looking behind him into the darkness, but there was nowhere to run. “Please don’t hurt me,” David cried.
The man smiled. His lips pulled back over his bloodstained teeth. “I wouldn’t dream of hurting you, I just want to be your friend.”
David prepared himself for the panic attack that would surely come, leaving him helpless and alone. He’d never been alone in his whole life.
The man edged himself closer.
David braced himself. But the panic attack didn’t come. He wasn’t shaking. A raw energy flowed from his stomach, through his veins and into his muscles. Fire rushed around his body, boiling his blood until longing to be released. His muscles tensed; primed for attack.
The man reached out a grimy hand towards him.
“Leave me alone!” In one quick move, David swung a large rock from behind his back and smashed it down onto the man’s skull with a sickening crunch. The stranger fell to the grass. David stared at the blood pouring from the fist-sized wound on the man’s scalp. Then he crawled over to the man’s limp body and swung the rock down again. “Don’t you ever,” David smashed the rock down, “touch my brother again.”
He let the rock fall.
Weeping, David crawled over to his brother’s lifeless form. “Johnny, please wake up.”
Nothing.
“Johnny you have to wake up.” David lay his head down onto his brothers’ chest.
A heartbeat?
“Johnny?”
Slowly Johnny opened his eyes. “David?”
“Johnny, thank God.” David collapsed into his brother’s arms and sobbed.
Johnny saw the stranger’s body. “What happened?”
“He attacked you Johnny, so I...” David burst out crying.
The stranger’s face was a mess. Blood had poured out of his skull, forming a huge puddle around his head. “David. What have you done?”
“I didn’t mean to,” David cried. “Please don’t let them take me away again.”
“Don’t worry David,” Johnny held his brother tight to his chest. “Come on, let’s go home.”
“But what if someone finds the body?”
Johnny looked up at the large oak tree. “Let’s just put him back where we found him.”
Travis James is a new horror writer from the south coast of England, UK. He had two stories due to be pulished last year. *BLOODLINE* appeared in the anthology *Darc Karnival*, published by *EVIL NERD EMPIRE* (http://www.evilnerdempire.com/main.htm) on the 11th December 09. Another story *THE SUFFERING* will feature in the *SNM Horror anthology* (http://www.snmhorrormag.com), *Bonded in Blood - A Romance in Red* was published mid December 09. His latest story *JANIES ROOM* is available to read now on the website *Dark Fire Fiction*. (http://usersites.horrorfind.com/home/horror/darkfire/) .
