Chapter 7: Chop chop

  The road looked quiet enough, but by now Liam knew that did not mean anything There could be anything lurking behind or even inside the houses.

  They edged along the road with Liam in the lead. Slowly they worked their way along the road.

  A man suddenly appeared from a picket hedge twenty yards away and started pushing a green bin towards the pavement. He was within a few yards of the pavement when a tentacle emerged from the bushes. The tentacle wrapped around his head and dragged him through the bushes. There was a loud scream and then nothing.

  “Bloody idiot,” Brian said. “It’s blue bin day and they already collected in the morning.”

  Liam just looked at him as did Misha.

  “What?” Brian said. “It’s important to know which day is which for the bins. I always set mine out at 6am.”

  Liam just shook his head. They wouldn’t have to worry about bin collection for a while if ever. He wanted to find a way around the tentacled creature but he knew that for every second they delayed another monster could come along. They needed to find a way to lure out the monster and then kill it.

  Liam looked at his band of merry people, judging their abilities. Misha looked the more capable. She held that machete like a woman who would not let anyone get in her way.

  He pulled them closer.

  “I will distract the creature - try to pull it out of its hiding hole. Brian you hit it with your disbelief spell and then Misha you chop the tentacles to pieces. As soon as you attack I will join you and try to go for its head or whatever it has.”

  “What do I do?” Jessica asked.

  “Stay here with Buffy and look out for other monsters.”

  Jessica firmed her lips and nodded. She took a hold on the dog’s collar. “Stay here with me Buffy and I will protect you.”

  Liam allowed himself a momentary smile before turning to face the challenge. He wished he had his metal rod with him. His mana points were running low after the last battle and only ticking back up slowly. He calculated that they were regenerating at about one per minute.

  “Here,” Misha said. She reached into her backpack and pulled out another machete in a light brown sheathe.

  “A machete?”

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Don’t be an ass. This is a naga dao. I am using a moplah. Very good for chopping. I have one more in bag, a hengdang. It is Sanjeev’s favorite so you’re not getting that. Don’t lose this one or you may see how good I am at chopping.”

  Liam took the sword and pulled off the sheathe. The blade flared towards the tip and as she said looked perfect for chopping.

  “Thanks.”

  He moved forwards. His heart beat loudly in his chest and his grip on the sword felt slippery with sweat. He wiped his hands on his suit pants and moved forward.

  As he approached the monster he thought, I really need to get a change of clothing. This suit is terrible to fight in.

  He was now feet away from where the man had been taken. He did not detect any movement so he took another step and then another.

  He was just about to move again when a tentacle speared towards him. He dove tot the right under the tentacle. Another tentacle came towards him and he managed to dodge this one too. The two tentacles wove back towards him and he swung out with the sword. He managed to cut halfway through one of the tentacles. The other however wrapped around his chest.

  The creature pulled Liam towards the bushes.

  “Now!” he shouted.

  Brian stepped forward and a look of constipation passed over his face. The pulling stopped just for a few seconds.

  “Better hurry,” Brian said. Sweat dripped off his brow. “It says the creature is resistant.”

  Misha moved quickly. With quick steps she approached the closest tentacle and chopped furiously. Within a second the tentacle lay writhing on the ground.

  A loud high pitched shriek sounded from behind the bushes and the stub withdrew. The tentacle around Liam loosened. He could sense that the creature was trying to withdraw. It was obviously not used to tackling more than one at a time.

  Liam grabbed hold of the tentacle with his free hand and pulled as hard as he could. There was some resistance but he kept pulling.

  “Help me, Brian.”

  Brian came over and grabbed the tentacle. Pulling together they started to make headway. A creature that looked like a cross between a yukka and a koala bear appeared from the bushes. It had thick sturdy legs and its two arms were tentacles - well one of them was a stub now.

  Liam let go of the tentacle and surged towards the creature. He slashed down and cut deeply into the monster’s head. Misha was soon next to him copping away. Within seconds the creature fell to the ground limply.

  “What the hell was that?” Brian asked. He still had hold of the tentacle. As if just realizing he let go and wiped his hands on his trousers.

  Liam was looking through the hole in the bushes. He could see the partly dismembered corpse of the man in the dressing gown. He deliberately stood in front of the hole. No one needed to see that.

  “I don’t know,” Liam said. “But we need to move. That noise could attract more.”

  “You know I expected more people to be on the streets,” Brian said. “I know most work but still…”

  Misha laughed. “This is London, mate.”

  They signalled for Jessica to come over. She took a long look at the creature.

  “What’s happening, daddy? Will mummy be here soon.”

  Liam cursed. He never even thought about her having a mother. What must be going through the child’s head. Luckily she could not see the corpse.

  “Mummy will be here soon,” Brian said. He did not look like he believed it.

  “It should be kicking out time for school soon,” Misha said.

  Liam cursed. That would be chaos. Children on the streets with all of these monsters around…

  “We need to hurry,” he said. “Come on, let’s pick up the pace.”