Jubbokko - The Vampire Tree

Pulling one of the rolled up sleeping bags from the back of his range rover, David Lindsay handed it to Julya Smith standing behind him.
He watched her unzipping the mesh door to the nearest tent, focusing on the long legs emerging from under the pair of tiny shorts that she was wearing.
Grabbing the remaining sleeping bags from next to the guy sleeping in the back of the range rover, he walked to one of the other tents set up on the grass. Coughing outside the zipped up door, he waited for it to open.
“Go away.” The female voice from inside the tent was followed by giggling.
David remained standing outside, “Harry, I’ve got your sleeping bag out here.”
“Hang on.”
After about a minute, the door was unzipped and Harriet Dicks popped her head out, snatching one of the rolled up sleeping bags from his grasp.
Half hidden under a blanket inside the tent, Freddie Cheetham waved at him quickly as Harriet zipped the door back up.
He approached the last tent, only half erected in the shade of a tree. “Want a hand?”
“I can manage, thanks anyway.” Monica Price glanced towards the back of the range rover, “Sleeping beauty hasn’t woken up then?”
David looked back, “Brian always said he could sleep through anything.”
“Probably just faking.” Monica smiled, “I’ll bet you he suddenly wake up when I’ve done all the hard work.”
“I’ll get him up.”
Watching David begin walking back towards the range rover, Monica hammered another peg into the ground. It fell to one side and she pulled it up out, “Come look at this.”
Turning about half way towards the range rover, David returned and looked down.
Glancing up at him, she showed him the peg. “It looks like blood.”
He grinned, “Maybe you killed a sleeping vampire.” Kneeling down, he took a long look at the small hole in the ground. “Probably caught some animal that has a home under there.”
“Like a bunny rabbit.” Monica continued looking at him, “I hope it’s okay.”
“Probably is.” He stood up, watching Julya removing the portable stove from the back of the range rover. “Looks it’s almost time for lunch. Why don’t you give Julya a hand and let me finish here?”
Monica nodded, “Okay.”
Watching her approach Julya and begin helping with pulling out the folding table, David turned his back on them and began hammering in another peg.

Dropping the paper plates into a black bin bag, David glanced at Monica and Brian.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”
Brian shook his head, “Let’s see, hiking out across the Scottish Highlands so you can pop the question to my sister at some out of the way beauty spot she’s always wanted to visit or staying here to set up everything up for when you get back. What do you think?”
“Okay, just make sure everything’s ready when we get back. I’ve spent weeks setting all this up, do not blow it for me.”
Monica grinned, “I’ll keep an eye on him, just in case he tries watching the footie.”
“I’ll see you later.” Heading to his tent, David unzipped the door. “Ready yet?”
“Just a minute.” Julya zipped up the little bag and slung it over her shoulder as she emerged from the tent. “All set.”
He glanced back at Brian and Monica as Julya began walking towards where Freddie and Harriet were waiting, giving Brian a quick and stern look.

Reaching the top of the hill overlooking the campsite, Julya gave David a quick kiss and began running down the path.
Walking up behind him, Freddie saw the camp looking the same as when they left. “I thought Monica would have stopped Brian screwing this up, guess I was wrong. Sorry, mate.”
David took his time walking down from the hill, “I’ll bloody kill him.”
Julya’s scream made him and Freddie begin running.
Reaching the tents, David saw her standing still. Approaching her, he turned to see what she was staring at.
Brian was lying slumped against the side of the tree by his tent, blood still dripping from the gaping wound on his chest onto one of the exposed roots of the tree.
“Where’s Monica?”
David glanced back at Freddie, “Check the tent.”
Approaching it, Freddie unzipped the door and looked inside.
Monica was lying face down on top of the open sleeping bag, a broken branch from the tree deeply impaled in her throat.
Stepping inside the tent, he covered her with the sleeping bag and returned outside. As soon as he looked at David and Julya, he shook his head.
“Damn.” David looked at each of the others in turn, “We’re getting the Hell out of here before this nutter comes back.”
Rushing into her tent, Harriet emerged with the blanket. “We should cover him before we go.”
David nodded, “Make it quick.”
Approaching Brian’s body, Harriet began to place the blanket over him.
The ground erupted as the roots of the tree began lashing around between Harriet and the others. One of the branches slithered around her throat and began to tighten.
Trying to rush past the flailing roots, he reached her as another branch ripped into her back. Trying to pry away the branch choking her, he felt more branches moving to hinder his attempt.
Rising in front of her, one of the roots tore into her abdomen. Falling back as Harriet was lifted away from him and flung away onto the ground several feet away from him, he watched more roots burst up through her flesh as she stopped moving.
Making a dash between the flailing roots back to where Freddie and Julya were standing, David’s foot was caught in one of the still unmoving roots and he smashed down onto his face.
Blood dripping from his nose, he looked up at Freddie and Julya.
Julya screamed when one of the roots shot up from the ground and plunged through his left eye.
Grabbing Julya’s wrist, Freddie pulled her towards the range rover. Dragging her to the passenger side, he opened the door and pushed her onto the seat.
Looking back at the tree’s flailing roots, he fastened her seatbelt and began rushing to the other side of the range rover.
One of the roots smashed through the windscreen and into Julya’s throat, pinning her to the leather seat.
Stumbling and scrambling away from the tree, he reached the road and glanced back at the tree in the distance, the flailing roots settling back into the ground.