And Soon Comes the Darkness

by Angelique Archer

  Suddenly the clawing and pounding stopped, and once more, the women were thrust into uncertain silence.

  “Maybe it went away,” Luella murmured. Her hand was clutching at the neckline of her nightgown, balling the material in her fist, blatantly terrified.

  A shadow moved past the bedroom window, and in the next second, a clawed hand broke through the glass, straining and swiping wildly.

  Instinctively, Olive climbed over Luella’s bed and jumped into the closet. She pushed against the paneled door, trying to slow her gasps of fear.

  Luella began to scream and call for help, but Olive rapidly shook her head inside the closet, tears streaming down her face as she sank to her knees, paralyzed in fear.

  Through the thin slats in the window, she could see the pale, ghastly creature crawling atop Luella’s bed. It inched forward on all fours over her body, hissing and snarling.

  The woman begged for mercy, her words choked by sobs. Just as it neared her face, it stared at her for a moment, glowing sockets of emptiness hovering inches above her eyes.

  From her hiding place, Olive saw the sharp clawed hands slice into Luella’s abdomen, and each time they lifted from her body, arcs of blood would be splashed across the walls.

  Olive pressed her hands to her ears to block out Luella’s wails of agony. She rocked back and forth in the closet, silent screams forming in her throat, but never leaving her lips.

  It seemed as though everything was mired in time, the minutes passing like hours, the hours passing like days.

  It had been some time since Luella had been taken away, her body carelessly dragged by the creature across the hospital bed and through the broken window. Olive had heard her flesh ripping as the creature tugged at her motionless form, forcing it over the jagged shards of glass that clung to the window frame.

  It wasn’t until she recognized a familiar voice yelling through the house that she slipped from her hiding place and waited against the bedroom door.

  “Mom!” Mitch shouted. He pounded against the door, and Olive hastily moved the dresser aside.

  “Mitch!” she cried, clinging to him as he came in. “I’m so sorry, Mitch.”

  He looked at her in desperation. “Olive, where is she? Where’s my mother?”

  Olive’s blue eyes were filled with sorrow.

  When he saw the blood and strips of skin along the windowsill, he covered his face with his hands and fell to his knees.

  Olive felt a wave of guilt and nausea wash over her. She should have tried to save Luella. Instead she hid in the closet like a coward. She laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

  He stayed crouched for a few minutes, and while Olive couldn’t see his face, she knew he was crying.

  Finally, he rose to his feet and cleared his throat. “I know where we should go. We can find help there.”

  Taking her hand, they ran out the front door and down the dirt road that led to Mindy’s.

  They dodged between the trailers, pressing themselves against the flimsy vinyl siding and paused to be sure they weren't being followed. There was a large expanse of space from their hiding place to the nearest trailer, with no trees or other obstructions to conceal them from view.

  “Alright, coast is clear,” Mitch told her. “Come on.”

  They started running again, Mitch faster than Olive. He made it to the next trailer before she did, peering around the corner of it. Only a handful of trailers were left before they got to Mindy’s.

  They could make it.

  “Ready?” he asked. When she didn’t respond after a few seconds, he turned around apprehensively. “Olive?”

  A horrible screech reverberated nearby.

  Those things were coming back, resuming their wicked hunt.

  Without even thinking, he burst out from the side of the trailer in search of Olive, not caring if the creatures saw him.

  Olive lay on the ground beside the last trailer they’d passed, next to a flowerbed lined with large stones. Some of the stones were scattered, their perfect symmetry disrupted, and Mitch knew she had tripped over them in their mad dash for the adjacent trailer.

  She struggled to get up, clearly favoring her left ankle.

  He rushed to her side, reaching under her shoulders to pull her to her feet.

  Her eyes were wide, and she seemed surprised he was there.

  “I think I rolled my ankle,” she said, wincing. A thin sheen of sweat shone on her forehead as she examined the injury.

  “We’ll check it out at Mindy’s. For now, we gotta move.” Mitch placed her arm over his shoulders, and the two hobbled over to the trailer.

  He leaned Olive against the side then checked their surroundings for the creatures.

  “Mitch,” Olive whispered.

  He turned to look at her. Her blue eyes were full of tears.

  “I’m so sorry. I should have done more to help your mother.” She unsuccessfully tried to hold back a sob. “I hid in the closet like a coward while that thing... tore her apart. I did nothing!” She shook her head incredulously. “You came back for me just now, and I didn't deserve that. You should have left me for them.”

  Mitch took a deep breath. “This place, these people... they’re all I’ve ever known. With my mom gone, I have another hole in my life. I’m not going to lose you, too.”

  “But you hardly know me,” Olive protested.

  “Maybe. But we take care of our own here, and the moment you set foot in Wichita Springs, you became one of us.” He blushed a little. “And... you’re important to me.”

  Olive sniffled and wiped her eyes, but a small smile appeared on her lips. “Alright, Casanova.” She tentatively put weight on her battered ankle. “I think I can make it.”

  He wrapped his arm around her waist, and they continued the journey until they saw the bright, cheerful Christmas lights of Mindy’s diner, a welcome beacon in an otherwise harrowing storm.

  Chapter VI

  THE VALLEY OF ASH AND SHADOWS

  M indy’s was dark except for a couple strands of Christmas lights lining the windows on the inside. Several frightened people were within, anxiously sitting at tables or standing warily by the windows, improvised weapons and flashlights in their hands.

  Mitch and Olive went to Mindy who, true to form, was tending to some of the older survivors with wet rags and bottled water.

  “It’s good to see you made it, Mindy,” Mitch told her, hugging the older woman in relief.

  “The Lord’s our Shepherd. He’ll guide us from this darkness,” Mindy asserted.

  “How can we help?” Olive asked.

  Mindy shot her a smile. “That’s sweet of you to offer. We could sure use it. Javier is preparing some food for the others. Would you mind serving it to that table over there?”

  Olive nodded politely and went to the kitchen, Mitch not far behind her.

  She gave the room a cursory glance, seeing only two men with hunting rifles. “We need more guns. They’re going to come here, and we’ll have nothing. Throwing pots and pans at them won’t work.”

  “I know,” Mitch said quietly as they walked toward the kitchen. Hot plates of hamburgers and mac and cheese were lined along the counter, waiting to be served.

  “It’s only a matter of time before they find us,” Olive emphasized more loudly, no longer hiding her fear. She was frustrated with these people and their lack of preparation. She knew she was being unfair, and that she herself had nothing to contribute when it came to defending anyone, but Olive was battling a mélange of emotions, and her handle on them was quickly dissipating.

  Scared faces looked up at them as they went past, taking notice of what she was saying.

  Mitch set his plates down and grabbed her shoulders. “I know. But we accomplish nothing by scaring everyone in here.”

  Deep down, Olive knew he was right. Why was she behaving like a pathetic child when he was trying to be brave for everyone else, even after losing his mother less than an hour before? She w
asn’t sure if there was anyone left on this earth who cared about her, but maybe she deserved that. After all, she’d already gravely let down the one person who was her only friend. Olive inhaled a shaky breath, reached for the remaining plates on the counter, and followed Mitch.

  As they both arrived at a table, Mitch recognized Betty and Bill, residents of the southern side of Wichita Springs.

  “Well, whatever is happening, it seems like this ‘thing’ is stopping all engines from working. I tried my truck and my generator, and I got nothing,” Bill explained to Betty.

  “If that’s the case, how does Mindy have these lights?” Olive inquired, pointing to the Christmas lights.

  “Mindy is a bit of a prepper. She thinks the end times are coming.” Mitch shrugged. “She might not be so wrong after all.” The couple at the table nodded in agreement.

  Mindy joined them, holding a giant gallon Ziploc bag of various batteries. “I wanted folks to know this was a safe haven for them, so I strung up some of my old lights that ran off AA batteries.”

  Bill chuckled. “Battery-powered Christmas lights… The only person in Wichita Springs who would ever think of that.”

  Another woman, Sue, slid into one of the chairs at the table after listening to their conversation. “Sounds like there are only two of those wretched things. I saw them dragging the bodies back to the mine when I came here. I don’t know what for. Maybe they’re planning on… eating them… or something,” she muttered, folding her hands together before bringing them to her face as if in prayer.

  Sue had lived near Mitch and his mother since he could remember. His thoughts drifted to his mother and what could have only been horrific and agonizing final moments for her.

  “Well, whatever is happening, it’s got something to do with that mine,” Betty replied. “People are saying the guys haven’t been back from the mine in a couple days. No one’s seen ‘em.”

  Olive’s ears perked, and she straightened attentively. “My dad works in the mine. Gareth Hayes.” She looked at Mitch hopefully. “What if he’s there? What if he’s hurt and needs our help? We have to go to him!”

  The creatures’ otherworldly screams interrupted her. They were still far away, but there was no mistaking that they were headed in the direction of Mindy’s.

  Mitch saw the color drain from Olive’s face, and he put his arm around her. “Hey,” he said softly. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll figure it out.” Looking at Mindy, Mitch called out, “We need to reinforce the windows and doors. Pile up anything you can find, and let’s try to make some kind of blockade.”

  “Great idea, Mitchell,” Mindy replied. She was smiling, but Mitch could tell she was nervous. “Alright, folks. Let’s get moving!”

  Within seconds, everyone was grabbing what they could—shelving, tables, chairs—and shoving the items against doors and windows. After a solid hour of hard work, Mindy’s seemed to be decently fortified.

  As the most able-bodied of the group, Mitch and Bill were given the guns and positioned themselves behind the cash register, ready to defend the remaining townsfolk from the demonic presence that was overtaking Wichita Springs.

  Mindy handed glass bottles of alcohol, shredded souvenir t-shirts, and lighters to some of the adults to prepare Molotov cocktails.

  Olive went to the largest window in the general store side of Mindy’s and peered through the makeshift barrier. The ash falling from the sky floated delicately to the ground like snowflakes, but instead of a cozy Christmas white, the ash painted the landscape in a bleak, apocalyptic gray.

  Distant movement caught her attention, past the trailer homes leading to the lake. Two spindly creatures were fighting over a body. One finally struck the other so hard that it skidded along the frozen surface of the lake, eventually rising to a crouching position and shaking its head before sullenly skulking away. The other ghoul watched the weaker one retreat, then began to drag the body toward the direction of the mine.

  Her pulse raced as she imagined her father at the mercy of the creatures, and she backed away from the window into Mitch who had been standing behind her.

  “They’re out there.”

  “Outside Mindy’s?”

  “Further off. Near the mine,” Olive clarified.

  She turned away, but Mitch reached for her and pulled her to him, embracing her tightly. “It’ll be okay, Olivia. I promise.”

  ***

  After a while of sitting in tense anticipation, people began to grow weary and restless. Bill stood up from behind the register and stretched.

  “Maybe they aren’t coming back,” Sue offered. “Maybe they had enough and will move on. Like animals who’ve had their fill.”

  Those near her visibly grimaced.

  “We ain’t dealin’ with wolves here,” one person retorted, his tone condescending.

  All of a sudden, a scratching noise jolted the patrons of Mindy’s from their debate.

  Everyone tried to pinpoint where the noise had come from, and some were studying the ceiling.

  Mitch put a finger to his lips and signaled to the others that something was on the roof. He knew it was one of the creatures probing for new ways into the diner.

  “Is it Santa?” a child asked his mother.

  She quickly placed a hand over the boy’s mouth and looked at the others apologetically.

  But it was too late. The monster had heard him. It let out a screech which was answered by the same cry from a distance.

  “They’re communicating,” Olive told Mitch.

  A single pound on the doors rattled the store. Seconds later, the pounding was joined by scratching and booming, almost as if the creatures were taking turns throwing themselves fully into the doors.

  “Get ready!” Mitch yelled, hoping the barricades could withstand the impact. He knew the glass wouldn’t hold much longer.

  As he predicted, the doors immediately shattered, and the cobbled-together barricade exploded out as the creatures propelled forward.

  All at once, panic engulfed Mindy’s. Mitch and Bill fired the hunting rifles as quickly as they could, but the creatures were fast and nearly impossible to hit. They hunkered low to the ground, evading the bullets as they sprang toward the survivors.

  It took the monsters no time at all to wreak havoc, easily swiping and slicing their claws through sinews, muscles, and flesh.

  Mitch stopped firing for the briefest of seconds, realizing that their sharp blows appeared to wound and not kill. Once they had disabled everyone in the diner, they would presumably bring them all to the mine.

  He blinked twice and re-focused his aim. There was nothing else to think about, but this moment and the need to survive.

  One of the things leapt across the counter that Mitch was behind, forcing him to duck and scramble backward to avoid being attacked. Bill’s reaction time was slower than Mitch’s, however, and the creature swung forward, cutting him across the face. The end of its claws caught on the skin of his left eye socket, tearing it all the way to his scalp.

  Bill screamed and grabbed his face, just as the creature hoisted him into the air and dragged him across the counter.

  Mitch quickly stood up and fired, hitting the thing multiple times. Aside from angering it further, the weapons seemed to have little effect.

  Several of the survivors had fled the diner when the creatures began their assault. Fear was consuming the last remaining members of Wichita Springs, and as Mitch watched the demon drag Bill’s writhing body away, he realized he was not immune to it.

  “Now, Olive!” he shouted.

  Fire erupted onto the creature, setting it ablaze. It shrieked in agony, releasing Bill, before hurling itself outside toward the lake.

  Olive yelped in pride and reached for another cocktail, throwing it at the creature as it fled.

  A muffled scream came from the kitchen. The second ghoul, perched on a table in the diner, watched its cohort escape for a moment before swiveling its head in the direction of the scream.
>
  Olive hadn’t noticed it, but Mitch did. And his stomach turned when he saw what exactly had captured the creature’s attention.

  Mindy was standing in the kitchen, holding a large butcher knife in both of her hands. Behind her were two children and their mother. The knife wobbled in her grasp as she shook in trepidation, but a hard look of determination was etched on her face.

  The creature sank its torso lower toward the floor as it crawled on all fours to them. Tangled in its claws was hair and blood.

  Was it smiling? As it crept closer to Mindy and the small family, the corners of its lipless mouth formed a sinister grin.

  Mitch’s rifle was a bolt action with the ammunition tube beneath the barrel. Even though he’d already fired his last round, he spun the rifle around and wielded it like a baton before jumping over the safety of the counter toward the monster.

  Olive saw him disappear into the kitchen and grabbed the closest thing to her, a large, heavy flashlight, and ran after him.

  Mitch yelled as the rifle came crashing down on the back of the demon. The creature whirled around just as he opened both arms and tackled it to the ground. It struggled against him as Olive brought the flashlight down on its head. The blow itself didn’t seem to be more than a nuisance to the creature, but the moment her fingers slipped and turned the flashlight on by accident, the bright LED glow shining into its inhuman eyes, it began to shriek and flail.

  Still atop the creature, Mitch noticed that there were raw, grotesque burns appearing on the monster’s face, marking the area of the flashlight’s beam.

  All of a sudden, it made sense to him, why the power had been drained from Wichita Springs, why Mindy’s had been the last place the creatures hunted.

  “Olive! Do it again! They hate the light!” Mitch exclaimed excitedly.

  Olive brought the flashlight closer to the creature, jabbing it against its skin as she screamed and laughed at the same time.

  The creature roared in agony as its translucent flesh sizzled and smoked. It thrust its shoulder against the hard floor, dislocating it, then managed to slice upward with its claws.