A New World: Untold Stories

by O'Brien, John

  Arriving at the place where the largest sand castle ever made was supposed to be underway, he sees that Sarah has managed to only dig a big trench, which has collapsed in places from the water lying in the bottom. Several buckets of wet sand have been upended seemingly at random. Sarah and Carol are busy trying to create castles out of the wet lumps, being only marginally successful.

  “Oh good, you’re here, Dad. I need help making the castles. Mom’s not doing a very good job.”

  “I think it’s beyond help,” Kyle mutters, grabbing a small plastic shovel as he kneels to help create the battlements.

  Hours later, without having created the largest sand castle ever, but still making the attempt, Carol asks, “Shouldn’t we be going if we’re going to make our reservation?”

  “Awww, Mom. Can’t we stay a little longer?”

  “No, angel. Your mom’s right. We need to get going, but we’ll come out and work on it tomorrow,” Kyle says.

  “But it’ll be gone by then. The waves will wreck it.”

  “We’ll come out earlier and build a bigger one,” Kyle says, rising and brushing the sand from his hands against his jeans.

  “Promise?” Sarah asks, looking up from a bucket of sand she just upended.

  “Yeah, I promise,” Kyle replies.

  They still have a couple of days left to their vacation before it’s back to the grind of Monday through Friday deadlines. But for now, it’s just them enjoying their time together. Gathering the buckets and shovels, they toss them into one of the large plastic bags and make their way back to their spot. Kyle shakes as much sand out of the blanket as he can and grabs a few of their other bags. Walking back through the deep, dry sand, they make their way to the hotel fronting the beach.

  After dinner, Carol has Sarah taking a bath to clean off the last remnants of sand. Kyle and Carol lay on the bed, relaxing for a few moments until their bundle of energy finishes bathing and begs to watch one of the many movies they brought, with Kyle hoping he doesn’t have to watch Toy Story for the thousandth time. It’s not that he doesn’t like the movie, but after seeing it every other day for the past few months, he’s ready for something else…anything else.

  Splashes come from the bathroom, along with Sarah’s voice as she narrates some storyline that she’s currently playing. From somewhere beyond the curtained window, a faint shriek sounds.

  “What was that?” Carol asks, lying next to him.

  “Probably someone enjoying a beverage or two,” Kyle answers, not moving.

  “Did you bring up the bottle of wine?” Carol asks.

  “Yeah. Maybe we can open it after sunshine goes to sleep.”

  “That will be nice,” Carol says with a tired sigh.

  More sounds come from outside, this time sounding like a chorus of screams, muted by the closed window and the fact that they’re on the third floor.

  “Really, Kyle, what is that?”

  “I don’t know, but I suppose you’re going to ask that until I actually get up and look,” Kyle answers with a smile.

  Carol gives him a playful push.

  “Okay, fine,” Kyle says, rising with a grunt. “But if it’s a bunch of party-goers, I’m going to join them and leave you with the princess.”

  Kyle moseys to the windows overlooking the parking lot and the tourist shops. Finding the separation of the heavy curtains, he pulls them aside and steps to the window, letting the drapes fall behind him.

  Outside, most of the surroundings are cast in shadow. In some areas, tendrils of fog have crept in from the sea, dimming his view of the area even more. Spots of light from lamp poles along the streets and from those within the parking lot itself cast circles of light on the sidewalks and adjacent roads. Where the fog has settled, the lights glow. Movement near one corner catches Kyle’s attention. He watches as a group of people emerge from around the corner and run across one of the nearby streets.

  “Well?” Carol asks from the other side of the curtains.

  “It’s like I thought. There’s a bunch of intoxicated people running through the streets,” Kyle replies.

  Watching the scene, partially out of boredom and being too tired to move, he sees a smaller group materialize from the same corner, apparently chasing the first ones, or at least following the same path. The second group is gaining quickly on the larger one. The ones in front of the second one are on the heels of those lagging behind. Observing the weird commotion, he sees a couple of the ones from the pursuing group leap and tackle the stragglers. They go down and the second group becomes frenzied, pouncing on them and attacking them relentlessly.

  “Whoa,” Kyle comments.

  “What?” Carol asks.

  “There’s a big fight going on in front of the hotel.”

  “Are we going to be okay?”

  “Yeah, probably just a bunch of local kids ganging up on others,” Kyle says, continuing to watch.

  Screams of pain drift to the room from the fallen.

  “Should we call the cops?” Carol asks.

  “I’m sure someone already has. They’ll more than likely be showing up soon.”

  Some of the second group bypasses the ones fighting on the ground, continuing to chase the others. Below, in the parking lot, Kyle observes another large group streaking among the parked cars. They are running in and out of the shadows created by the light posts, screaming loudly and heading for the hotel entrance. As they pass through the circles of illumination, Kyle sees that they are pale, almost glowing in the light. A tendril of fear grips his stomach.

  More screams erupt in the night, some from seemingly far away, others closer. Kyle watches as other groups come into sight, pursued in the same manner as the first ones he witnessed. In seeming moments, chaos explodes in the streets below.

  Still standing behind the curtains, transfixed by the sight of so many running people, Kyle says, “Um, hon. Get Sarah out of the tub and dressed.”

  “Why? What’s going on, Kyle?”

  “Just get her dressed,” Kyle states.

  He hears Carol scramble off the bed and make her way quickly to the bathroom. She knows when Kyle’s serious and, if he’s spooked, then there’s a good reason.

  “Awwww, Mom. Just a little longer. I’m in the middle of a game,” Kyle hears Sarah from the bathroom.

  “Now, Sarah,” Carol says.

  Transfixed by what is going on outside, it’s hard for Kyle to push himself away from the window. He parts the curtains just as a towel-wrapped Sarah emerges from the bathroom. Screams now seem to be coming from within the building.

  Probably from those I saw heading this way, Kyle thinks, beginning to throw some of their clothing in a suitcase.

  “I don’t want to wear that one. It’s all sandy,” Sarah says, eyeing the summer dress Carol is holding out to her.

  “Wear it,” Carol says, digging a fresh set of socks and underwear from a small suitcase.

  “Are we leaving?” Carol asks, directing her attention to Kyle.

  “Yeah. I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t have a good feeling about this. One suitcase, we can come back for the rest. We have the room for a couple more days so we should be fine.”

  Shrieks grow louder from the direction of the hallway, along with the sound of people passing by in a hurry. Hearing others leaving, Kyle’s heart pounds harder. The twinge of fear he felt earlier rises. Still not knowing what is going on, he knows he needs to get his family out. They’ll deal with what is happening in the morning, and perhaps feel a little foolish for panicking. That’s tomorrow, this is now.

  “Can I take Teddy?” Sarah asks, now clothed in her summer dress.

  “Yeah, you can take him,” Kyle says, zipping a suitcase closed.

  Sarah wraps her teddy bear close, wrapping it in her small arms.

  “Okay, let’s get the fuck out of here,” Kyle says, with the shrieks outside rising in intensity.

  “Kyle, your language,” Carol admonishes, nodding toward Sarah, who
is staring at Kyle open-mouthed.

  Without responding, he hoists the suitcase off the bed and extends the pull handle.

  “Okay, hon, hold mommy’s hand and stay close,” Carol says.

  Opening the hotel door, the screams, previously muffled, become distinct. Several people are making their way down the hall with their luggage. Most have panic written in their eyes and Kyle imagines he must look the same.

  Carol, with Sarah in hand, turns toward the elevators.

  Grabbing her shoulder, Kyle says, “No, we’ll take the stairs.”

  They turn in the hall and head toward the end, going against those making their way to the elevator. A green lit exit sign glows at the end of the hallway. Pushing the door open, he holds it for Carol and Sarah. Once through, he takes the stairs quickly, the luggage bumping behind him. As they descend, the screams grow louder and more intense. Kyle hopes he is doing the right thing by leaving and isn’t leading his family into the middle of what is going on.

  A couple of others join in the stairwell, making their way quickly to the first floor. Something bad is happening by the number of people taking flight.

  Perhaps they know something I don’t.

  Kyle doesn’t notice much in the way of his surroundings. He just wants to get his family out of the hotel, to their car, and out of town. He doesn’t care about the rest of their vacation, he just wants out and his family safe.

  Pushing the steel fire door on the first floor open, he rushes through, holding the door. A chorus of high-pitched shrieks fills the hallway that they empty into. Feeling a shot of adrenaline pound through his system, he looks down the hall toward the lobby. In the dimly lit corridor, people lie on the floor, unmoving. One person kneels over one of the nearer bodies. Kyle immediately thinks it’s someone checking on their condition.

  The medics must be onsite already.

  The person raises their head. Even in the gloom, Kyle sees dark stains covering the lower portion of their face. The person lifts its head higher and lets out an ear-piercing shriek, surreal in nature. He’s never heard a sound like that come from another human being.

  “Out! Out now!” Kyle screams to Carol and pushes her toward the glass exit door just to the side.

  The dim figure rises and starts down the hallway toward him, faster than he’s ever seen anyone move. He bangs into the exit door just behind Carol and Sarah. The chill of the night is barely felt under the intensity of the adrenaline coursing through him. He exits into a tendril of fog that swirls around him. Kyle remembers how quickly the second group caught up with the fleeing one. He knows that if the one streaking down the hall toward him gets through the door, he and his family will meet the same fate as the others. Dropping the suitcase handle, he turns to press against the door, forcing it to close faster.

  The pneumatic arm of the door fights against him. Through the glass, he sees the person racing toward him. Still pushing, he glances to the side to see Carol and Sarah have stopped for him.

  “Get to the car. Lock the doors and if I’m not there in two minutes, leave!” Kyle commands.

  “But, Kyle…” Carol says.

  “But nothing. Go!”

  With another look, Carol turns and runs, gripping Sarah by the hand.

  As Kyle watches the figure streaking toward him, he still can’t believe what he saw.

  He really couldn’t have been eating the other one, could he?

  The door inches closed. Then, with a suddenness that startles him, the door pushes the last inches as if there wasn’t anything fighting him to begin with. Without seeing what happens to the person, and leaving his suitcase lying on the ground, he turns and races after his family, seeing their dim outlines in the fog ahead.

  With the mist, it’s hard to tell where the shrieks are coming from. All he knows is that he has to make it with his family to the car. Everything narrows down to that one goal. He catches up with Carol, picks Sarah up in his arms, and they run along the side of the hotel. With shapes passing in the fog around them, they round the corner of the lodge and cut across the lot, making for their car.

  The sound of their feet running on the pavement mixes with others in the surrounding area, barely heard through the multitude of cries coming from seemingly every direction. Several misty figures pass to the side. Kyle flinches involuntarily, not knowing if they are part of the group attacking or not. Several gunshots ring out nearby.

  Kyle, carrying Sarah, and Carol enter the parking garage. The sound of their running echoes within the concrete enclosure. The fog hasn’t penetrated the structure, bringing everything into a distinct focus. Their car, thankfully on the first floor, comes into view. Kyle panics thinking that he left the keys in the room.

  I’ve doomed them with whatever is going on because I forgot the fucking keys, he thinks, angling toward the vehicle.

  His onset of panic leaves as he feels the key ring heavy in his front pocket, scraping against his leg as he runs. Setting Sarah down, he heads to the side door and, with screams surrounding them, unlocks it.

  “Get in and climb over the seat,” Kyle tells Sarah, thinking there isn’t time to unlock all of the doors.

  As Sarah scrambles inside, Kyle runs to the other side. Unlocking the door, he jumps in. The slamming doors reverberate throughout the structure.

  We’ve made it, Kyle thinks, pushing the lock button with everyone inside.

  Normally, Sarah would be asking a thousand questions about what is happening, but she remains silent in the rear seat.

  Kyle fumbles with the keys. Eventually finding the right one, it takes a couple of tries before he can insert it into the ignition. Several figures enter the garage from the far side.

  “Hurry, Kyle,” Carol says breathlessly.

  Without waiting for Sarah to get into her seat and buckle in, Kyle starts the car. It comes to life with a roar. Throwing the shifter into reverse, with the figures closing quickly in, he punches down on the accelerator. The tires screech as the car lunges backward. Turning the wheel, he puts it in drive and heads toward the exit, leaving a single patch of rubber on the smooth concrete surface.

  Kyle breathes a sigh of relief as they exit the garage. They made it out of the hotel. He’s still not sure what is happening, but seeing people attack each other, and the one appearing to be eating another, he really doesn’t care. They are out and will drive out of town, all of the way home if need be.

  Steering down the driveway in front of the hotel, he enters one of the streets, turning for the highway a short distance away.

  “Kyle, are they chasing us?” Carol asks, looking through the rear window.

  Kyle turns to look. Misty figures can be seen running under the fog-bound lights. He doesn’t notice his coming to an intersection, nor the motor home.

  Thrown forward, he hears the rending shriek of metal being torn. He slams against the rapidly deployed air bag and faintly hears a scream emanating from Carol. The back end of the car rises into the air and then slams back to the paved surface, bringing the car to a halt.

  The tinkle of broken glass comes to a quick end. Stunned, Kyle pushes the white air bag down. Ahead, he only sees the smashed-in aluminum side of the vehicle he hit.

  “Sarah! Are you okay?” Carol calls.

  Kyle hears Sarah crying in the back seat, worried that she wasn’t buckled in and has been hurt. He startles when something slams against the side window. Turning, he sees someone standing by the windowpane, hammering against it. Carol screams, causing Sarah to cry harder.

  Reaching down, he finds the keys and turns them. The car only gives a grinding noise and doesn’t start. The powder residue from the air bags, like fine talc, drifts slowly on the air inside. More darkened figures surround the car, the street lights making each a shadow as they begin pounding on the windows. Kyle turns the key again with the same result as the side window cracks, then shatters.

  High-pitched shrieks fill the night. Hands reach inside, clawing at him. In his awkward position, Kyle fi
ghts the reaching arms.

  There are so many of them, Kyle thinks, feeling hands grab his arm.

  He manages to fend them off, feeling only an occasional scratch against his cheek, but he is slowly being pulled from the vehicle, his buckle having broken in the crash. Bucking and thrashing in an attempt to break free, he feels the remains of the glass in the window scrape against his side.

  “Kyyyyyle!” he hears Carol scream as he is pulled from the car.

  He slams onto the ground, the impact nearly knocking his breath away. Whipping around and writhing, he attempts to break free. He needs to gain control and save his family. There are too many. He feels the weight of several on top, pinning him down. Teeth sink into his cheek and tear. He screams from the pain and from not being able to get to Carol, to get to Sarah…his princess.

  He hears another window shatter and, through the bodies of those around him, glimpses a multitude next to the car. He fights but he can’t break free. Warm trickles of blood flow down his cheek.

  “Mooooommmm,” Sarah screams.

  And enveloping sickness seeps into Kyle. Anger at not being able to help. Sick at hearing Carol and Sarah scream.

  My dear sweet girl. Noooo. Please, no. Save her please. I’ll do anything. Just please let her be okay.

  Through his thrashing, a mouth finds its way to his neck. Red agony penetrates his anger. He feels a warm spray against his chin. The fog-bound lights above dim, their yellow glow turning gray. They fade and blink out.

  Black Hills, South Dakota

  Bill isn’t sure if he’s lucky or cursed. He’s still alive, so there is that. But at this moment, he questions how good his fortune is. Given all that he’s gone through in the past months, he would have guessed that he was on the positive side, but now, he’s not so sure. He pulls himself along the ground another foot, his body pushing through pine needles and branches that make up the forest floor.