Subject:
John Crabtree
*Underwater Welder that used to work on Oil Rigs, but moved out to Alaska for new opportunities and ended up in Twinpines.
Working Title "Cervid Shadows"
A no-nonsense, retired, underwater welder that worked on an Oil Rig moves out to a remote Alaskan town. When he is accosted by a local who threatens him and tells him he hates him, leading to an altercation where he gets forced into a fight.
The local police arrest him and that's when he notices something odd about this little town. The police have warrants for all kinds of local wildlife and actively hunt them down voraciously. John, While cooling down in a cell as officers sort the fight out, overhears a conversation about ‘Vampire Deer’ but the conversation is quickly interrupted.
Later that day after he is released for self-defense but sternly warned to mind himself. Especially since he is new in town and already in the Police station on the first day. Due to the unplanned extended stay in the local city jail, John misses his City Works interview at town hall for a welding job to fix the infrastructure.
However, before he can complain, the Mayor himself shows up and expresses concern because he missed the interview. The Mayor looks relieved and repeatedly stresses that they could use a man of John’s talent, and quite a few places need work. Having someone on staff would save on contracts.
John agrees. They make a plan to meet out at the local power station and do some repairs, apparently some wildlife got tangled up inside and did some damage. However, on the next day when arriving to the station and seeing the extent of the damage he is blown away. It looks like a small car rolled through. The local police sternly watch him with open intimidation, while the Mayor, continues to explain how it looks worse than it is and tries to defuse the situation.
They come to a conclusion to start work right away, the Mayor even offering generous hourly rate. It is a much required facility, the power station. However it’s going to be an all night job and he’ll likely have to work really late.
And so he works, deep into the night. Until the twilight hours emerge and a dark wind blows. It isn’t strong yet the chill it brings bites hard enough to make John catch his breath. Cold enough to cut off the fuel to his torch, at least until he tries to relight it and realize the fuel is out. He could have sworn he had half a tank left.. Then he hears a sound, the pealing of tires on the dirt path.
The irrefutable baying of wildlife and the harsh, terrorizing crunch of metal. Frozen in place, holding his breath for reasons he doesn’t know why. Until seconds later the screams start. Wet, crunching sounds and sobbing as life is torn from the bodies of the destroyed vehicle. Every fiber of his being tells him not to move… not to breathe. Yet can mortal men survive without breath?
A soft exhale and inhale is provided by him. It was all the beast needed and he heard movement. Quiet movement, yet pervasive, his head lifts as the hair on the back of his neck raises. He catches a shadow, it looks like a person.. A disembodied person.
No, it’s just a head.
It’s being held in the jaws of a massive, eight foot tall Vampire Deer with a bloodstained maw. A pair of cruel eyes pierce the fence, letting him know it sees him. It drops the head and walks away. He looks down as it rolls impossibly towards him and comes to a stop. The accusatory eyes of the head bore into him. It speaks..
“Why didn’t you help me..?!”
He thought he was done for.. A tentacle, impossible long reaching out from the mouth reached for him until.. Something stopped it.. It was the Coven of Light.. They were.. What were they? Who sent them.. Where are they? It was important..
