Sunlight cut into the dark room. It blinded Thomas for the sudden moment. As Thomas leaned away to recover, Neal came in to finish the job. He reached through the tiny hole and started to pry at the surrounding bricks. He pulled, pushed, prodded, and knocked at the bricks to start making the hole big enough for all of them to get out of their death trap.
Another brick fell to the dicey water below. Then another. As each new brick fell the next one was easier to pry loose. Quickly, the hole was big enough so Neal could lean out and take a look around.
Just above him was the roof of the mausoleum. It protruded from the wall several inches. He felt around the surface of the roof. There were several spires and decorative flairs that allowed for handgrips.
“Thank God,” said Neal. He pulled himself back inside to report to the others.
“You’re going to have to pull yourself over and onto the roof,” he instructed. “There are plenty of things to grab on to. I’ll go first, and help pull people up.”
“Hell no,” argued Cara. “Ladies first. I’m going up.”
Without listening to any argument she waded through the chest high water and climbed up to the perch where Thomas and Neal were.
“I should go first,” said Neal.
“Screw you,” said Cara. “If you start going out there I will push you off.”
“Just go,” said Thomas to Cara. He knew they did not have time to argue. Then Thomas pulled out his lighter and handed it to Cara. “Keep this dry.”
“This is bullshit,” said Neal.
“I don’t care,” said Thomas. “We’re all getting out of here. The faster the better. That means stop talking and start moving.”
Cara stuck her upper body through the hole. She shifted her body to look upward toward the roof. Thomas grabbed hold of her feet to help prop her up and give her leverage to move forward.
Emma remained on the coffin in the center of the mausoleum. The water was beginning to trickle over the surface of the coffin and flow up against her feet.
“Give me your hand,” said Thomas reaching out his arm toward Emma. His left hand gripped the decorative framing of the inside of the mausoleum while he stretched out to reach Emma.
Cara couldn’t make the turn onto the roof. She struggled to get her body over the few inches that the roof stuck out from the wall. Her hands were red and scraped from holding onto the stone décor for dear life.
“Move it!” Neal shouted at her. He shook his head at Cara’s dangling lower body. Cara kept trying to get her leg over the roof’s edge, but she could never get it high enough.
“I’m trying!” Cara shouted back.
“Fucking women,” cursed Neal. “I could have pulled you up.”
“Shut up,” said Cara.
Then Neal reached through the hole and put one hand between Cara’s inner thighs and the other on her knee that dangled in the air.
“Hey!” Cara shouted at the sudden invasive touch below her waist.
Neal ignored her. He pushed as hard as he could with his weak leverage from standing on statues inside the mausoleum.
But it was enough. He gave Cara the necessary height to get her leg over the roof and finish pulling herself over the ledge and safely onto the roof.
Emma was just close enough to grab hold of Thomas’ hand. She was on her tip toes at the edge of the coffin working to get a good grip on Thomas so she could move forward toward her escape.
Then the coffin below her feet grumbled to life. It rocked against the current of the water that was now consuming the entire object. Emma slipped. She lost her footing on the coffin and her hold on Thomas’ hand, falling straight into the water and its growing current.
The water swirled around the mausoleum carrying Emma with it. She struggled to keep her head above water as each turn tried to drag her under or knock her into the wall.
In the center of the room the coffin began to shift violently back and forth. Thomas and Neal watched helplessly as Emma couldn’t fight against the strong current developing.
“She’s gone,” said Neal. “Let’s go.”
“She’s not gone,” said Thomas. Then he jumped into the water after Emma.
Neal turned his back to Thomas’ actions. He began to climb out of the mausoleum and into safety on the roof with Cara.
“Where’s Emma?” Cara asked when she saw it was Neal emerging through the hole in the wall.
“She fell into the water,” said Neal. “Thomas went after her.”
“The water level is almost to the entrance we broke in through. They don’t have much time.”
“They’re probably dead,” said Neal, coldly.
Thomas swam hard against the current to catch up to Emma still erratically being pulled around the mausoleum by the water. Her head bobbed up and down from the water’s surface, unable to catch her bearings any longer.
The coffin jerked hard in the water. It shuffled on its base made only easier by the powerful current. After several thunderous bumps the coffin slid off of its base and tumbled into the water. The lid of the coffin slipped off and a skeleton fell out into the rushing waters.
Then the skeleton swam with the current. Oil and crud covered the undead’s bones like a coat of skin and muscle.
Finally, free from its tomb the undead monster swam the perimeter of the mausoleum scoping out the location. Then it honed in on its prey.
“It’s alive!” Thomas shouted. He managed to grab hold of Emma. Together, Thomas hurried to get to their escape. The current pushed them faster toward the hole near the ceiling. The two of them collided with the wall. Thomas grabbed hold of the wall and didn’t let go.
“Hurry,” said Thomas. “Get through the hole. I’m right behind you.”
Emma scrambled out of his arms and up the wall. She was up out of the water just before the undead monster charged forward toward Thomas.
Thomas was forced to let go of the wall to defend himself from the undead. The current took both of them away from Emma and the hole in the wall. The undead clawed at Thomas as they cascaded through the water in the mausoleum. Thomas grabbed hold of the undead’s wrists. Then he pushed his feet up against the boney rib cage of the monster and pushed hard against it. The left arm of the undead creature ripped out of its socket. Thomas lost his grip on the monster’s other wrist and the two were separated as Thomas sunk under the water’s current.
Cara and Neal watched as the water was leveling off into the first hole in the wall. The undead creatures swarming outside the mausoleum were starting to take notice. One creature swam up to the entrance of the mausoleum curious of the development then swam away. A few more inches and there would be a clear passage inside.
“They’ll be getting inside soon,” said Neal.
“They can’t go in yet,” said Cara. “Emma is still down there.”
“They’re gone,” said Neal. “It’s just us now.”
“I can still here her,” said Cara.
“They aren’t getting out in time,” said Neal.
“Then we need a distraction,” said Cara.
Suddenly, she struck Neal across the face. Her nails cut into his skin and scraped across his eyes.
“Oh, fuck!” Neal shouted in pain. He was blinded from Cara’s attack. He swung several wide punches, but only connected with air. Then Cara kneed Neal in the groin. Neal screamed out in pain once again and keeled over onto the roof’s surface. He couldn’t see and the pain of Cara’s last strike was devastating. He felt his stomach drop. The roof underneath him was swirling.
“You will never touch me again,” said Cara. Then she pushed Neal over the edge of the roof near the entrance of the mausoleum. Neal splashed into the water hitting several of the undead in the process.
The undead creatures were quick to swarm their newest victim. Neal screamed out in agony as he was pulled underwater by the vicious claws of the undead.
Emma waited inside the mausoleum fo
r Thomas to resurface. The water was getting close to her feet from where she was hanging near the ceiling.
Thomas reemerged to the surface with the undead creature on his back. The monster had its right arm wrapped around Thomas’ neck. Its claws were dug into Thomas’ chest while it gnawed on Thomas’ ear.
With one hand Thomas pulled at the creature’s head to try to tear him away. With the other he waved off Emma, signaling her to escape.
“I’m not leaving you,” Emma shouted back. She watched as Thomas was once again pulled away to the other side of the mausoleum by the water’s current.
Thomas rounded the corner and he was headed back toward Emma. The undead creature would not let go of its grip around Thomas’ neck. As the water picked up speed Thomas swam hard with the flow of the current. The whirlpool started to pull Thomas to the left to circle the mausoleum. Again he shifted his body. The two combatants were turned around now. Thomas kicked hard with his feet and he slammed the undead creature into the wall just below Emma perched in front of their exit.
Emma kicked hard at the head of the undead monster. The creature was pinned down by Thomas’ weight. There was no escape. She fought brutally to kill the living skeleton. Thomas held himself in place along the wall while Emma continued her strikes. Finally, the head rolled off of the undead creature. Its arm lost hold of Thomas’ chest and its body began to drift away with the current.
Thomas exhaled a breath of relief. He turned around and began to climb out of the water. Emma moved quickly. She began to scurry through the hole near the ceiling, allowing space for Thomas to climb up.
In the water below Thomas’ feet, blood mixed in with the sludge and filth coming from the hole in the floor and the water outside the mausoleum. Then the first undead creature from the outside made its way in. It was closely followed by another.
“Move faster!” Thomas instructed. Emma reached up for things to grab hold of to climb up and over the edge of the roof, but her speed was a hindrance as she couldn’t get a good grip. Her hand slipped. She dangled on the edge of the roof with only her left hand. Her legs were still slotted in the hole in the wall, helping her keep her balance.
Thomas looked down. There were now several undead bodies swimming inside of the mausoleum, and more were piling in. Floating along the surface with the creatures was the horrified stare of Neal. His head was detached from the rest of his body as it bobbed along the water’s surface.
Emma struggled to get herself over the ledge. She was exhausted. She had been dangling near the ceiling inside and outside the mausoleum for some time now. Her right foot was over the ledge. She just needed to pull herself up.
Then Cara came to the rescue. She grabbed hold of her sister’s pants and pulled Emma up the rest of the way. Emma made it far enough she was able to scurry clear of the roof’s edge, out of breath and thankful to see the sun again.
Thomas was right behind her. He lifted himself through the hole and over the ledge with less trouble than Emma. The undead creatures reached out for his feet as Thomas shuffled himself away.
On the roof, Thomas fought hard to regain his breath. He spit the taste of filthy water out of his mouth. His ear was nearly bitten off. Cuts and bruises covered his upper body. He looked over at the two sisters.
“What happened to Neal?” he asked.
“He slipped,” said Cara. “There was a tremor when he was climbing onto the roof. He fell into the water.”
“Oh,” said Thomas. “Do you still have the lighter?”
“Yes,” said Cara, presenting the lighter he had given to her earlier.
“Now what?” Emma asked. She was looking out to the cemetery around them. The field was now covered by a lake of contaminated water. Several headstones and crosses still protruded across the water’s surface like beacons of hope. “We’re gonna have to swim for it.”
Thomas peeked down below back into the hole they had climbed through. The undead creatures were piling up inside of the building, looking for the last traces of the now three survivors.
“How many are still out there?” Thomas asked.
Emma and Cara looked down towards the water of the cemetery. A handful of the creatures were still swimming through the muck and water. They were all on their way toward the entrance of the mausoleum.
“We’ll have to jump out on the other side,” said Emma. “And then swim like hell.”
The water was now about four feet deep throughout their area of the cemetery. Across the lake of terror they could still see Thomas’ truck parked along the road that was several feet above the ground. The sinkhole had not yet grabbed the street near the truck, but the three of them could see down the road the asphalt was crumbling.
“Climb down slowly,” said Thomas. “Maybe they won’t notice us if we’re quiet. And keep the lighter dry.”
Emma was the first to begin the decent off of the roof of the mausoleum. She stopped as she approached the surface. The water looked clear. There was no sign of any of the creatures. She dipped her first foot in the water. It was cold. But nothing happened. Nothing was coming for her. Then she dropped both of her legs into the water going waist deep. Her body shivered from the freezing temperature of the water.
With grace she pushed off of the building by several feet. She moved quietly through the water, keeping her head above the surface. Emma bit down on her teeth to keep them shut. She didn’t want to make any noise. Even the sound of her teeth chattering could disturb their escape.
Thomas was the next to get into the water. Emma had not been attacked yet. He moved as fast as he could to join her. Emma kept a look out. The water remained still around them.
Cara was the last to get down. She kept her right arm high, holding the lighter, as she slid into the water. She stood up in the four feet of water as she approached Emma and Thomas.
“Get ready,” said Cara. She turned to the mausoleum and aimed for the hole they had escaped from. A handful of undead creatures were still making their way into the entrance of the building on the other side.
With a snap of her fingers, Cara created a flame with the lighter. Then she threw the lighter with her best shot.
The three survivors did not wait to see what was going to happen. They ducked into the water and began to swim as fast as they could away from the coming chaos.
The flame danced in the air on its way toward the mausoleum. It bounced off of the rim of the hole in the wall and fell inward to the undead creatures and the methane water they were swimming in.
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the cemetery. Flames shot up into the air. The shockwave rippled across the water. The escaping group could feel it brush up against them under the water.
Cries from demonic undead creatures rang out over the sound of the explosion. Stones, statues, crosses, and body parts were flung into the air in every direction.
Then the fire began to spread. Flames reached out across the methane mixed water and began to race across the surface of the entire sinkhole consuming the cemetery.
Chapter 11
Emma, Cara, and Thomas swam hard through the fiery water of the cemetery. They had to stay under as long as they could to avoid the flames at the surface.
The tremors became a constant presence. The earth shifted as the lake of flames further descended into hell. Smoke wafted into the sky blocking out the sun.
It was getting hard to stay under the water. Emma tried to keep her eye on Thomas as they swam through the murky waters. He was the one with the keys to the truck. Cara stuck close to her sister. Emma’s legs came in and out of view through the filthy water. Together they pushed further to the edge of the cemetery and the rising wall of dirt that lead to the street.
Trees surrounding the perimeter of the cemetery began to topple over. The fire was spreading to their bases quickly weakening their foundations. Every time a tree fell into the water its shockwaves knocked the group further apart from each other.
> Emma’s lungs were demanding oxygen. She needed to surface soon, but fire was still above them. Then a new tree collapsed into the water directly in the path of the three swimmers. It broke through the surface of the flaming water in front of Emma. She ducked down deeper into the shallow lake to avoid getting crushed by the giant tree.
The tree landed between Emma, Cara, and Thomas. The women hurried around the tree to catch back up to Thomas. Emma fought against the force of the water, but Thomas slipped through her vision. She paused under the water looking for the correct direction. She looked up. The surface of the water was bright as day, but she knew it was only the flames that were luring her in. She needed air.
With a nudge on her shoulder, Emma looked over to see Cara continuing to swim forward. She was not stopping to wait for Emma. Emma looked back toward the last place she thought she saw Thomas. There was no sign of him. She looked up again. Her lungs were burning. She had to surface.
Just ahead was a clear opening in the water. Emma swam for her opportunity. She broke through the surface of the water gasping for a fresh breath of air. Even with the smoke contaminating the air, Emma breathed deeply relieved to finally be above the surface. Fire surrounded her. The heat scolded her face. The smoke burned her lungs. She looked around for any sign of Thomas or Cara. Visibility was minimal. The water was almost taller than her now. She had to swim in place to keep her head above water. She looked all around the area. She saw the street. It was only twenty feet away. She was almost there. Then Cara emerged out of the water at its edge. Emma called out for her sister, but Cara didn’t hear her.
The fire was still spreading. Emma dived back under and continued to swim toward the street. She just needed to make it to the street. She and Cara could still get out. They could make it, meet up with Thomas, and they would all survive this horror.
Only thirty feet away, but it might as well have been a different world, Thomas reached the edge of the sinkhole they were all stuck in. His truck was just up the ledge. The wall of dirt was only eight feet high. Thomas could feel the street with his hands when he reached up to the top.
We Woke The Dead Page 7