Moondeath

by Rick Hautala

  He wondered how the fire could still be burning since last Friday night, and concluded that, this far into the mine, there were no drafts that could have put it out or fanned it to burn fast.

  Suddenly he froze, his eyes darting about when he heard a faint, shuffling sound.

  There’s someone hiding over there, he thought. Over there!

  He pressed his back against the cold wall and waited tensely for the sound to be repeated. There was enough light from the campfire to see, so he didn’t want to chance turning on his flashlight and revealing his presence. As he listened intently, the sound repeated. His heartbeat almost stopped as he saw a shadow on the far wall shift. Then, from the far end of the corridor, out walked Julie Sikes.

  “God! No!” Bob whispered.

  She was naked, and her body had somehow, miraculously regained its youth. Her full, firm breast and smooth belly were lit from the glow of the fire. She smiled at Bob with a vacant stare as she walked slowly toward him.

  Bob remembered the revolver, hanging uselessly in his hand, and he raised his arm, taking careful aim. He squeezed the trigger once, twice, three times. The roar filled the mine as the pistol spit orange flame. The bullets hit Julie, making her body twitch slightly, but she continued walking toward him. Walking through the burning fire, scattering embers on the ground, she stiffly raised her arms toward him. With a choking gag, Bob’s hand opened, and the revolver dropped to the ground. A thin smile spread across Julie’s face as she got closer to him. Her thick black hair framed her pale face, empty of emotion.

  “Ahhh,” she said, coming up to Bob and encircling his waist with her arms. She pulled him closely to her body and held him tightly. The bone-deep cold of his wounded arm spread through his body at her touch. She tilted her head back and drew Bob’s face closer. “I knew you’d come.”

  Bob tried to pull away, gasping for breath. “I, I. How can you be? How…” The cold of her touch penetrated him, drawing his strength from him.

  Julie looked up at him with deadened eyes. Her smile widened, displaying her pearly, pointed teeth. “You don’t understand?’ she asked softly.

  Bob shook his head, trying to find air enough to scream.

  “Don’t you understand? Feel your arm, the one that was bitten by the beast. You should understand. More than anyone else in town, you should understand. But if you don’t, if you don’t.” She moved her face closer until Bob felt her frozen breath on his face. “You will. Within a month, you will.”

  His scream was cut off as she pressed her cold, dead lips against his mouth.