Finally giving in to Todd's persistent efforts, Dana agreed tospend the weekend with him at Clingman's Dome, a towering limestone mountain which was pock-marked with caves and surrounded by rustic cabins and a national forest.
Both of them found excuses to leave work early on a Friday afternoon and they arrived at the cabin after about an hour's drive to the north, most of it uphill on a winding two-lane road.
"Isn't this lovely," said Dana as Todd unloaded the last few items from the trunk.
"Sure is," he said. "I've been meaning to come here more often, but it's been a while. It's a nice, relaxing place and also an unusual place because some people say it's haunted or something. But I don't believe in any of those old Indian stories or all of that hocus-pocus, do you?"
A bit tired from what been a long work week, they stretched on on the bed.
The sun was just beginning its slow descent west as the two enjoyed a quiet moment.
Suddenly, a thick fog coated the sky, shrouding the brilliant hues of the sunset.
Todd looked at his watch.
"It's getting dark a little early today, isn't it?" he said.
"Well, maybe it's just the time change," said Dana. "I don't guess we're used to the new time, yet."
Silently rolling in, the fog crept over their cabin, bringing with it a foul stench that smelled like death itself.
Dana sniffed.
"God, what is that awful smell? Did you fart, Todd?" she asked.
"Hell, no. I've got better manners than that, baby," he said. "I don't smell anything, but I've got this sinus trouble, you know."
He sniffed, too, now, as the odor grew worse than ever.
"Well, I am beginning to smell a little something now," said Todd. "It wasn't me, really. Maybe a dog or cat or maybe even a possum died up under the house or something. Or, hey,maybe it was a skunk. We are out here in the middle of the woods, you know. All kinds of animals are in the area."
"Yeah, don't remind me," said Dana, rolling her eyes.
Todd sniffed under both armpits, now.
"You know, baby, maybe I ought to go take a shower," he said, just to be on the safe side. Dana nodded.
A few minutes later, there was a loud crackling noise and Dana ran to the window.
All was dark now except for a bright orange glow coming from the entrance of the limestone cave which the cabins overlooked.
"Good lord, what is that?" she said.
Then, there was an ear-splitting explosion that sounded like a bomb going off. A long tongue of fire shot out of the cave and danced in the air. The foul smell was almost unbearable now. It was as though hell itself had yawned and breathed its awful breath on them, smelling of dead men's bones.
Dana took a deep breath, too startled to scream.
As she gasped for air, three creatures like nothing she had ever seen before came running out of the side of the mountain which was illuminated by the fire as bright as daylight.
Now she screamed as never before.
Todd came running out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist, slinging water everywhere.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
She didn't answer, just pointed a trembling hand toward the window.
The three creatures were about the size of ponies and had frazzled,unkempt pony manes. They had the face of a lion, the body of a giant rat, the feet of a lizard, the long toenails of a sloth, the wings of a bat and the razor-sharp tail of a scorpion.
Their color was like nothing of this world. It was a cross between baby-puke pink and the purple of an old man's gums.
Their fierce eyes were red and fire-like. Their long, jazzed toe-nails were a deep purple,nearly black.
Todd stood speechless.
Dana wrapped her arms around him so tightly that he thought she might squeeze the life out of him. Her body trembled like a human earthquake.
Todd's towel fell to the floor, but neither of them noticed.
Intertwined, they watched as the creatures half-jumped and half-ran toward the cabins. They caught one man outside by his car and ripped the flesh off of his body as effortlessly as someone peeling a banana. Blood gushed everywhere like is was spurting from a small geyser until there was nothing left of him but a crumpled skeleton and his Atlanta Braves baseball cap.
Dana opened her mouth to scream again, but nothing came out.
