Excerpt: The Devil's Scream

PRELUDE
“Run Emma!” David screamed over the rushing water of the rapids. Terror rushed through Emma’s veins increasing her adrenaline as her feet moved faster than she thought possible.
Without turning back Emma descended the hundreds of stairs, which led out of Devil’s Hole. Her breath came fast, her heart beat so fast and hard it hurt. She kept moving though, even when the cramp in her side that radiated down her leg threatened to send her falling backwards. Fear kept her moving, kept her running for her life through the dark.
She thought David must have been right behind her when she heard footsteps drawing closer. There was no way she was stopping to look back, she knew David was strong and would soon catch up to her.
“I don’t think I am going to make it up!” She called out between raspy breaths. Her bare feet were cut and ached from the stones and branches digging into them, but upward she climbed.
David didn’t answer her. The only sound was the footsteps, which drew ever closer. Emma felt her pockets as she ran, desperately searching for her cell phone. It was almost an impossible task, but she managed to dial nine-one-one. She kept running. The Niagara Gorge was deep and hard enough to get out of walking.
“I need help!” She screamed into the phone when she heard the voice of the dispatcher answer. “I’m coming out of the gorge. My friends were attacked by someone…something.”
Emma wanted to cry when she dropped the phone. It had given her a dull, neon light, which wasn’t much, but at least it broke through the darkness a little. She cried out when pain ripped through her shoulder. Something had grabbed her and was trying to pull her down. He body lurched backwards with such vigor it took all she had to stay upright on her feet. Fear again built up the adrenaline she’d thought could get no stronger.
“Get off of me!” Emma kicked at the figure she could only see the shadow of. It was large and not quite human shaped. Its head seemed deformed and its arms were long and thick as they grabbed for her. Emma was thankful for the self defense classes she had taken when the figure flew backward and she was again able to attempt escape.
The lights of the parking lot above came into view. A surge of hope made her legs move even faster. She was almost out, almost free. She prayed help would be waiting when she got to the top. Just as she was about to emerge from the trees she felt something rip into the flesh of her ankle, followed by an inhuman screech, it was a horrible sound that pierced her soul and brought her to her knees on the asphalt of the parking lot.
Emma covered her ears to no avail. The sound was too loud—too deafening. Her head was ringing, tears stung her eyes and just as the flashing lights of police cars pulled in everything went black.