The Ben Chatham Halloween Special: "THE DEVIL'S FOOTPRINTS"

Ok , here is the new Ben Chatham Halloween special, featuring RYAN HAWLEY as Ben Chatham:

"THE DEVIL'S FOOTPRINTS"

Part 1

Ben Chatham was lying languidly across his leather sofa enjoying a luxury Halloween soul cake; one of a cluster freshly delivered to Ben's apartment by Cambridge's exclusive delicatessen. He gazed across the room at Katie Ryan, who had called round to discuss Operation Delta's precarious financial situation:
"We just can't go on like this, running up a huge deficit every month", Katie moaned. Ben closed his eyes and laid his head back on the cushion:
"Katie this is so boring. As King James I once said, 'spend and God will send". As Ben spoke the phone rang. Ben let it go to the answering machine and a frightened voice echoed round the room:
"Ben... Ben Chatham, you've got to help me. My name is Scott and I'm calling from Grantchester... Gladstone Road. Its the devil.... I've seen the devil... he's walking the earth. He'll kill us all.... you've got to help us... aaaaahhhh........."
The phone went dead. Katie laughed sardonically:
"Obviously a nutter being pestered by an early trick or treater. " Ben yawned and cast aside his Daily Telegraph:
"You know what Katie, I'm going to investigate. Anything is preferable to sitting here listening to you drone on about our finances and I fancy a drive".

Later Ben and Kyle were driving through Cambridge towards Grantchester, the afternoon sun shining down:
"You know Kyle, whenever I go to Grantchester, I always think of Rupert Brooke: "..stands the church clock at ten to three? And is there honey still for tea?"
"Never 'eard of him," Kyle replied.
"You are so uncultured Kyle. So uncultured" Ben responded.
Arriving in Gladstone Road, Ben leaned out of the window of his classic car towards a woman walking a small dog:
"Excuse me madam. I don't suppose you know a guy called Scott who lives around here somewhere do you".
The woman frowned:
"Probably one of them students who live at number 9" she said coldly. Ben and Kyle drove down to number 9 and as they did so the woman turned round to look at the car. Her eyes had turned into dark black opals and the dog hissed like a snake. Ben jumped out of the car and knocked on the door of number 9. An emaciated girl of about 19 opened the door:
"Wh... Whaaat do y'y'you want" she stammered nervously:
"I'm Ben Chatham. Does a guy called Scott live here?"
"Oh God.. you've come. Scott's upstairs. He's in a bad w'w'w' way".
The girl led them upstairs to a cold, damp room with peeling wallpaper. In the corner a young man sat with his head resting on his knees shaking:
"He's.. coming.. tonight. The devil is coming for all our souls. I've seen him."
Kyle knelt down to Scott:
"Ere its ok like. We'll help you. Can you try to tell is slowly what you saw."
"It was the devil. He was here... in the back garden. Staring up at this window. He's left footprints."
Ben turned round and went downstairs, followed by the girl.
"What's your name? He shouted to her.
"A' A' A' Annie" she stammered.
"Show me these footprints please."
Annie led Ben out into a scruffy garden full of beer cans and general litter. The grass was muddy and as he looked down he saw cloven hoof prints.
"Well these could have been made by an animal. No proof of anything supernatural."

Ben went back into the house, followed by Annie:
"I must say, you look awfully thin and ill. Have you consulted a Doctor?" Ben asked.
"I'm ok. Its just I live on a diet of pot noodles and beer. Its all we can a'a'a'afford" she stammered.
"Then you need to work longer hours", Ben advised her. It was starting to get dark and Ben heard Scott screaming. He ran upstairs, where Kyle was trying to calm Scott down:
"Its coming. The dark. The dark. Halloween. He's coming for our souls. Must get to the church".
Scott ran past Ben and down the musty stairs and out the door. Ben and Kyle followed however they were shocked to see Scott suddenly stop and fall to his knees, clutching his head. The woman that they had seen earlier with the dog approached Scott from a side alley. However the dog had become a small demon on a metal chain and the woman's features had changed into those of a wizened crone. She pointed a wooden stick at Scott's head which suddenly exploded, sending blood and brain-matter flying.
"¤¤¤¤ing hell" Kyle shouted. He and Ben ran back into the house.

..............to be continued.

Ok folks, here is the second part of this story:

"THE DEVIL'S FOOTPRINTS" Part 2

Ben and Kyle ran back into the house, where Annie was collapsed on the floor in the hallway sobbing. She had seen Scott's head explode. Ben knelt down to comfort her:
"I'm sorry that your boyfriend is dead. However you need to pull yourself together and come with us. No time for sentimentalism".
Annie screamed and sobbed some more. Ben rolled his eyes:
"Oh come on doll, you're overdoing it now. We need to get out of the house before that demonic woman arrives. *To Kyle* Kyle yank her up and follow me."
Ben strode down into the kitchen and opened the back door. Kyle helped Annie to her feet:
"Ere I'm sorry like. Ben can be a heartless ¤¤¤¤ sometimes. But we do need to get out."

They followed Ben out into the back garden, where he was staring down at the cloven footprints:
"I've had a thought. These footprints form a trail. I guess we ought to follow them." Ben followed the footprints down the litter strewn garden and towards a side gate which led out into a filthy alleyway. Ben went out into the dark alleyway which smelt of urine and damp . As he looked for traces of the footprints a middle-aged man approached him, wearing a business suit and raincoat. He looked Ben up and down:
"Oh hello. You're new here I see. Hmmm. Very nice. I'll give you £50 for an overnight stay." Ben stared at him angrily:
"How dare you. I can see that this alley is used as a cruising zone and I am pleased by your appreciation of my looks however I assure you that I am here fore other purposes. In addition, I am worth far more than £50 so kindly piss off."
The man gave a bemused scowl before turning and walking off. Ben pulled out his £5000 phone and switched on the torch append shone it around the alley. As he did so he could see the figure of an old tramp quivering in the corner. Ben approached him:
"You there. Can you tell me if you saw something animalistic in this alleyway earlier." The tramp quivered:
"What 'ere? There's animalistic goin's on all the time down 'ere so there is. But there was summat else earlier."
"What exactly?"
"Ere its cold 'ere tonight so it is. You got a wee dram 'o' whiskey?"
"No I haven't. Now tell me what you saw."
"It were 'horrible so it were. Hair all over its legs an' glowing eyes. It went through the gate into the back 'o that disused warehouse there."
The tramp pointed to another gate further down the alley. Ben strode off towards it, followed by Kyle and a still sobbing Annie.

Ben, Kyle and Annie soon found themselves standing in the grounds of a disused, corrugated iron warehouse. A group of children were guarding a bonfire with a makeshift Guy on it, amusing themselves by throwing lit sparklers at each other. Ben approached them:
"We ain't doin' nuffink mate. Ere you got any money for our Guy?"
Ben frowned:
"No I haven't. I suggest you get a paper round and...."
Ben was interrupted by a unnatural growl from within the warehouse.
"Ere Daz, its back, that thing its back", one of the children said fearfully. The first boy looked scared and ran to a box behind the bonfire, lifting out some Molotov cocktails, which he gave to Ben:
"Ere mate, you can 'ave these. We're off."
The boys ran off as another growl came from within the warehouse. Annie screamed.
"Oh for pity's sake shut her up Kyle. I'm going in there to confront this thing, whatever it is."

Ben pushed his way through a triangular hole in the corrugated wall of the building. It was pitch dark inside and there was a pungent smell of death, akin to a mixture of rotten fish and diahorrea . Suddenly a figure loomed up in the distance, with a strange red glow across its body and red eyes. It resembled the devil, with a goats legs and satanic face.
"What are you? " Ben shouted, handing the Molotov cocktails to Kyle:
"I am Ezal. The cloven one. I have risen to avenge the death of Azal. You puny humans have given us much entertainment. But now you must be cut down to size."
As he spoke the old woman and the demonic dog appeared by his side. Ezal's eyes glowed brighter.
"Now Kyle", Ben shouted. Kyle lit the Molotov cocktails with his cigarette lighter and lobbed them at Ezal. They fell next to his feet, igniting some litter within the warehouse. Ezal and the others were enveloped in flames:
"We will return... you will pay for this humans....." Ezal shouted.
"Ere I thought you liked it hot" Kyle shouted at him.
"Come on Kyle, I suggest we leave before this whole place goes up", Ben shouted, giving his charismatic smile.

Later Ben and Kyle were visiting a recovering Annie in Grantchester's private Psychiatric Hospital.
"Thank you Ben, thank you for all you've done for me. I don't think I could have got over what I saw happen to Scott without coming to this place, so thank you for paying the fees. You're an amazing guy."
"I know I am", Ben said, giving his charismatic smile.

THE END