DIRTY BEAST

The East End, The Southport Docks, Southport, New Jersey, United States (2002)….

Swollen clouds of the most ominous shade of gray were almost at the point of bursting as they loomed over the busy docks of Southport, New Jersey. The opaque setting was further intensified by the onset of dusk as many a worker set about changing their shifts to either made their way home or start their duties in rapid succession. The rumbling crackle of thunder filled the air as many a worker found themselves concerned about the current weather conditions. Despite the storm, it was just another routine day of work for a newly promoted dock security worker whom had come down to take on his shift and examine the cargo of both imported goods and exported goods respectively. He was an average looking man in his mid to late forties, a bit on the portly side in terms of weight and he had a good deal of experience under his belt when it came to shipping and managing the docks. He didn have anyone at home so the long nights never bothered him, the pay was decent and it was a welcome distraction from occasional lonely nights.

The lone worker made his way along the familiar route to check in with the docking manager and look into the occasional cargo manifests of the ships. He was more or less the only active worker on the docks at the time as everyone else had either gone home or went indoors due to the storm. Rain beat down heavily as he moved about with his waterproof flashlight looking over the already docked vessels and making his way to the recent arrivals. The waters below were thick and choppy in the wake of the storm and gave even more cause for concern about the rising water levels.

Nothing seemed out of place and everything in order as he continued with his rounds as the storm continued to rage and the oceans waves began to reach new heights splashing over the docks and beating against the vessels already docked. The winds howled and made it difficult to see and keep ones balance given the severity of the storm but he remained steadfast and did continued to do his rounds anyway.

The ringing of a numerous bells out at sea signaled the arrival of a strange vessel devoid of color and almost skeletal in appearance as it began its swift approach without regard for regulation or the docks that it was preparing to smash into. The dock worker barely got out of the way in time as the enormous vessel, which appeared to have been a foreign cargo ship carried via the storm and the angry sea to its final destination it seemed. It struck the edge of the docks bow first and made a most horrible whine as the metal scraped against metal and the rocks below due to the speedy arrival.

Scrambling to his feet after the near fatal collision, The dock worker managed to locate the flashlight he dropped in the process as he braved the storm and the strangeness of the situation by electing to investigate the recent arrival. To his horror, he discovered that no one seemed to be at the helm of the vessel and it was looking more and more like there wasn a crew to man the ship to be found.

Unbeknownst to him, someone had been aboard the vessel and their presence was hidden via the darkness and the flashing lightning of the storm. Poised, the lone being prowled the vessel until it leapt from the aged metal ship onto the docks with no intention of giving a formal report. With speed unheard of it moved as if no effort was put in at all.

The sound of the groaning metal had gotten the now terrified dockworkers attention as he nearly fumbled his flashlight looking around in wide angles to see if he could identify anyone that had been on the docks with him. Inside the building the sound of anything was drowned out by the constant chatter and the rumbling of thunder. He would have been on his own had he chosen to call for help and hed lost his radio when he was nearly hit via the tip of the vessel when it slid into the docks.

The lone figure seemed to allow the worker to feel a sense of false security before finally stalking him throughout the endless rows of transport crates and containers that lined the docks. An unseemly notion of absolute panic filled the body of the lone dockworker briskly moving between crates at the docking port of the warehouse district of Southport, New Jersey. He could feel the heat from an encroaching darkness that surrounded him and it was unlike anything he had ever known. The little light he had flickered after a few moments before finally burning out, it was apparent that his flashlight had taken a bit of damage when he dropped it along with his radio and clipboard when the strange vessel arrived.

Wide eyes were stricken with terror as the figure continued to rush from darkened crate to darkened crate in a bid to hide from something or someone that was apparently hot on his trail. The brief flashes of lightning provided a bit of light for his limited vision as he continued to move about the darkened docks terrified of what had come off that ship be it man or beast, his dark blue uniform could be seen in the small measure of reflection of the moons light as he moved hoping to avoid whatever fate befell the original crew of the long forgotten vessel.

Unfortunately, his pursuer had taken notice of it and gave chase. With lungs burning and muscles never before used rapidly succumbing to the agony of lactic acid, the dock worker found himself at a dead end as the churning of the waves below the docks got his attention along with the stench of foul sea air and the decay of numerous corpses that had been the reason for his fright to begin with.

A low and ominous growl filled his ears as his beating heart became the only sound aside from his rapid breath for several moments between rumbling thunder and cracks of lightning in the distance. He had barely any time to scream as the moment the lightning flash passed and darkness was upon him so had been the creature whom had stalked him just patiently waiting for the chance to devour the unsuspecting man while they were well away from witnesses.

His last moments were those of agony and regret as he had not lived a full life in his own mind due to not even having a family to miss him when hed been gone. By the time his body hit the ground all life had been drained from him due to the efforts of the creature whom had stood wrapped in darkness as pale as the moonlight and naked as the day it might have been born.

The glow of its eyes, a menacing red hue as it licked the bright crimson from the sides of its mouth savoring the sweetness of the fresh blood this poor man had provided. Another rumble of thunder and a flash of lightning lit up the distant sky and the creature had disappeared leaving no trace of its existence nor its whereabouts due to having pressing business to attend to in this strange new place.