by D. B. West
After several hours, and as many cups of coffee, Delmont got up to do a lap around the building and stretch his legs. He was in his early forties now, and his knees and lower back ached if he sat too long. He rubbed his eyes absently, which were burning faintly. Must be screen glare he thought, as he made his way back towards the mail room. If eye strain is the worst thing that happens to me, I’ll be luckier than most of these poor bastards. Ah hell, what I am complaining about… he wondered as he picked up a thick envelope addressed to him. At least I could find a job with a degree in political science. What was the name of that slob who graduated with me and was working installing guardrails? I bet he was relieved when he fell off that embankment…
His musings had him so distracted that at first he mistook the screech from the call center as a baby crying. The women that worked in there were forever bringing their children with them when school was out, or they were ill. Delmont had many times thought whimsically while listening to them screaming through the wall that Dante had been remiss in not making at least one level of Hell a combined law firm and daycare.
This screech, however, instead of turning into a vaguely recognizable “MINE” or “NOW”, went on and on, reaching a pitch that Delmont had heard a human make only a few times before…on a battlefield. He realized that his eyes were burning worse than ever, and there seemed to be an acrid smell in the air, like bleach. He clutched the thick package containing the hundreds of pages of documents to his chest, and ran for the center of the building, where the noise was originating.
The call center was jokingly called the “fish bowl” by the ladies that worked inside of it, as it was walled from waist to ceiling on all four sides by glass. It allowed visitors to see how a modern law firm worked, and also allowed management plenty of angles to look over employee’s shoulders. The ceiling was made of slide away panels, which allowed the IT department easy access to all the wiring necessary for the department.
As Delmont charged around the corner, he saw that those panels now littered the floor and the cubicles inside the fish bowl. He skidded to a stop, and felt his legs go numb at what he saw inside. His eyes were watering freely now, and he swiped at his face as if to clear them of the image before him.
He had worked in the call center for years before being promoted out. Two of his old coworkers were slumped back in their chairs, pinned down by the things that had burst out of the ceiling. They were jet black insects, each at least a foot long, with bodies composed of two segments and a dozen legs. They had a double row of bright yellow spots down each segment, which seemed to glow. For a second that seemed to stretch into eternity, his mind refused to accept what he was seeing. Then, as his vision cleared, the yellow spots swam into focus. He realized they were eyes, as the abomination pinning down his coworker Mandy shifted to bring him into line with its back.
He witnessed the creature extend some sort of proboscis from its forward segment, which it jammed into her still screaming mouth. A torrent of yellowish fluid spewed from it, overflowing her mouth and stifling her scream. Thick oily smoke poured from her cheeks as the substance melted away the flesh around her mouth and neck, then burned down into her abdomen. The creature shifted again, and from underneath its rear section, a thick, stinger like extension burst forth, shattering her ribs with its force. The stinger bulged sickeningly, and with a horrid slurping she began to collapse inward as the creature feasted on her.
Sensation returned to his lower limbs, along with a feeling of tingling warmth. The smell which had been burning his eyes seemed to be coming from the acidic substance which was still flowing out of the creature. He realized that he was leaning against the wall, pressing himself away from the windows, and knew that he had almost passed out. He could see dozens of the insects inside the call center, fighting over the occupants, knocking each other out of the way as they tried to pin down their victims and devour them.
He had taken all of this in, almost blacked out, and recovered his faculties all in just a few seconds. In those brief moments, one of the creatures noticed him, and leaped upon the glass directly in front of him. He could get a clear look at the underside of it now, and he saw the abdomen split open to reveal what he had thought was a stinger. It slammed it into the glass, shattering it and spilling the creature out towards him.
The warmth that Delmont had felt flicker briefly in his legs suddenly blazed throughout his body. He remembered this sensation with a rush of euphoria. He had felt it dozens of times in Afghanistan during combat, but no amount of adrenaline in his civilian life had ever been able to trigger it again. The rage swept through him as he watched these people he had known for years torn apart. He felt his heart leap within his chest as every muscle in his body seemed to hum and vibrate with his pulse. The hideous insect that had broken through the glass raised its head, already leaking its molten venom. Delmont slapped the thick stack of documents he had been clutching down on top of the monster, and then stomped the file, grinding down on the creature as its putrid guts exploded onto the nearby wall. The insect’s viscera smoldered through the wood, sending up trails of greasy smoke.
Though the stairwell was only a few feet away, Delmont never considered fleeing. Instead he leapt over the low window sill that the insect had shattered, snatching up a letter opener and pair of scissors from the small desk in the cubicle. There were dozens of the creatures scurrying around the call center, several of which began to advance on him in short hops.
Delmont charged straight towards them, angling himself over to the large copy machine nearby. The closest insect exposed its proboscis, preparing to spray corrosive digestive fluid. Delmont slammed the letter opener into the appendage, then skewered the body with the scissors. Singeing his hand where the creature was impaled, Delmont released his weapons and jumped forward, bringing both of his feet down on the next one with a sickening squelch.
The acrid stench they released as they died scalded his nose and throat, and he could barely see through his streaming eyes. The creatures seemed to respond to their companions’ distress, and dozens of them swarmed towards him in a mass. Delmont stepped around the copier, which was still humming busily as it printed up a series of contracts. His shoe leather smoked from the insects he had crushed underfoot, and splatters of their fluids burned his hands. He hadn’t felt such dark joy in years, and his face was fixed in a grin as his deep baritone voice erupted in song:
Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
The insects never paused in their advance, unaware that this toast was their dirge. As the first few swarmed around the side of the copier Delmont heaved it over, crushing them explosively. Their ichor soaked his shins, and his khaki pants began to disintegrate. Without pausing in his song, Delmont flexed mightily and lifted the entire copier overhead, ripping the shoulders of his dress shirt with the effort:
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
He smashed the machine down onto the mass of chitinous bodies, shifted his grip, then brought it down again, stomping through a stinking mass of flattened shells. The drawers flew out and copy paper rained down around them as he continued to drive forward with the huge industrial printer. Once the last of the swarm lay twitching under him, he advanced across the room, still roaring his song:
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.
Individual bugs which had not left the bodies of those they were devouring sat bloated all around the room. Stopping at each cubicle, Delmont ripped out a monitor or desktop tower, crushing each of the monsters gleefully. The fumes from their shattered frames hung thick and oily in the air, finally bringing his song to an end as he gagged and coughed. Realizing that his chest, arms and legs were covered in acidic goo, Delmont ripped off his tie and the remains of his shirt, wiping at the welts seared into his fles
h. In the silence that followed his rampage, he heard hysterical sobbing coming from a tall cabinet near the far wall.
“It’s all right,” he called, moving closer. “It’s Delmont, I’ll help you get out of here.” Opening the cabinet, he found two of the team, Lena and Nadia, clutched together. “Don’t look at this,” he told them quietly. “Just head out this way and run by the receptionist desk. Hit the panic button. Then run out into the parking lot and look for a black Lincoln Navigator. There will be two men inside. Tell them to get their asses up to the second floor, Delmont needs them.”
Stunned, the two women stared at the towering figure momentarily. Delmont’s pants were shredded, his undershirt was pitted, and he was covered in seeping burns. Despite his warning, they looked around the room, then fled from the horrific scene through the back hall. Delmont wasn’t sure if they were more frightened of him or the carnage surrounding them in that moment. As the fury that had consumed him began to fade, pain and shock began to eat away at the edges of his consciousness, leaving him shaking. He quickly stepped into the back hallway to try get some clear air, as his stomach heaved.
A high pitched blare filled the hallway as one of the women pulled the fire alarm during their escape. Delmont saw a flurry of activity at the other end of the hall, as the staff who had been unaware of the terror taking place on the opposite side of the building began to file out. They seemed blissfully unaware of what had transpired, and as they drew closer to rear stair well he could hear them chatting.
“Did you know there was going to be a fire drill today?”
“No, you don’t suppose this is real do you?”
“Where are we supposed to meet up outside? I never pay attention to these things.”
Delmont stomped over to them, yelling, “Move people, move! This is no drill! Get out of the building now!” His scorched flesh and tattered clothing did what the actual fire alarm could not. The other employees, wide-eyed with shock, began to run down the stairway.
A painting fell from the wall as a huge crash came from the breakroom, further down the hall behind Delmont. Determined to help everyone out of the building before succumbing to the exhaustion and pain of his injuries, he jogged towards the commotion. He heard the sound of glass breaking as he threw open the door of the break room, then stood thunderstruck as his overtaxed brain tried to absorb the new terror facing him.
More ceiling panels littered the room, as though this creature had also burst forth from the ductwork above. It appeared to be some sort of insect as well, but Delmont’s eyes refused to process what was before them. It took a moment to take in the enormity of the creature, as it stood well over six feet tall, with a shining black abdomen perched on four thick, segmented legs. Its thorax was perched atop it at an angle, so that the creature stood upright, with four more appendages in front of it. The lower two ‘arms’ were clutching the vending machine aloft in its segmented claws, while the upper two limbs greedily unwrapped chocolate bars, stuffing them into a wet, hairy maw. Two rows of multiple eyes were perched atop the head, and a double pair of thick, gleaming mandibles closed spasmodically as the candy disappeared into its gullet.
Delmont’s hand was still on the door handle. None of his co-workers were in the room with the spider-mantis horror, and he was a man who knew when to pick his battles. “Nope,” he said quietly. “Nope, nope, nope,” as he began to pull the door closed.
He could hear the scuttling of the creature’s spindly legs as it raced towards the door. Its limbs ended in sharp, pyramid shaped claws. The claws spread open to form three digits, one of which it wedged into the doorframe to prevent Delmont from closing it further.
His eyes bulged as the spider exhaled a stinking breath through the crack in the door. It was as tall as Delmont, and they were face to face with only a narrow span of wood between them. Putting both hands on the door handle, he strained to slam it that last inch. “Donaldson!” he roared. “Stanley! Get over here! WITH YOUR GUNS!”
The spider chuckled, more of its fetid breath wafting across Delmont’s face. His nose was running freely from the stench, and he was gasping for breath. The monster had a candy wrapper caught on one of its mandibles.
“Chock. O. Lut,” it hissed through the crack. Scuttling to brace itself against the wall, the spider used the leverage to throw the door open wide, dragging Delmont back into the room. Its two upper limbs slammed down, the wedge shaped tips burying themselves into Delmont’s upper arms. Lifting him from the floor, the spider slammed Delmont onto the counter, using its lower limbs to sweep away the microwave and the Keurig that he held in such high regard.
“You,” it hissed directly into Delmont’s face. “You. Chock. O. Lut. You. Del. Mont.”
Delmont squirmed in agony as the creature’s claws dug into his thickly muscled deltoids. He grabbed both of the spider’s top legs, struggling desperately to pull them free as the monster leaned into him. The legs were covered in wiry hairs that ripped at the flesh of his hand.
“FUCK YOU!” he roared into that hideous visage. “YES…I’m Delmont” he cried, as the spider spread its claws, ripping his upper arms. He pulled his knees up to wedge into the creatures torso, trying to push it back. The pain was immense, but it had cleared his mind of the initial shock. His exhaustion was gone, replaced once again by the soaring euphoria of battle.
“Yes!” it hissed. “Dark. Sweet. Del. Mont. My. Prize!” it screeched, as its mandibles lunged towards Delmont’s face.
Delmont was ready. As the head lunged forward, he released his grip on its appendages and grabbed the lower set of fangs, pushing the spiders head upwards. Rage and terror coursed through him with every beat of his heart. Focusing all of his effort on his forearms and hands, he spread the spider’s jaws, watching the spongy flesh around its maw rip apart. As the creature attempted to pull its head back, Delmont jerked the fangs straight down, ripping the lower set out of its face. Black ichor spewed over his forearms as the creature screamed in agony. Dropping the lower mandibles, Delmont attempted to grab the upper set, as the spider leaned its weight into him to hold him down.
Still screaming incoherently, the spider whipped its head back down, bringing its hairy, oozing maw down onto Delmont’s left hand. He realized too late that those hairs in the thing’s mouth were actually teeth, as the creature’s throat closed on his hand. Reacting instinctively, he did the worst possible thing, ripping his hand free of that dripping vice. With an audible gulp, the creature gave a rapturous shiver as Delmont stared at the mangled, squirting stump of his left hand.
His vision narrowed and his body trembled with the agony that swept through him. “Yes,” the creature hissed. “Fear. Me.” The spider still had its upper appendages pinning Delmont’s shoulders, but it abruptly ripped them free as gunshots exploded throughout the room. Ricochets whined all around them, and the floor to ceiling glass of the breakroom’s back wall shattered as bullets flew wildly. The spider spun to face the two agents who had burst into the room, hissing and spewing black goo from its torn mouth.
The two agents continued to fire, emptying the clips of their pistols. A faint shimmer a few feet around the spider was the only sign of what was occurring as the bullets continued to deflect around the room. Agent Donaldson took a step back out of the room, yelling, “Reloading!”
Agent Stanley, closer to the creature, dropped his pistol and pulled a taser from under his jacket, just as the spider descended upon him. Lashing out with all four of its upper limbs, it impaled the agents head and throat, ripping his skull apart with one powerful jerk. The taser slid across the floor, coming to a rest near Delmont’s feet.
Agent Donaldson grimly slapped a clip into his pistol, stepping forward over the body of Agent Stanley as the spider spread its legs invitingly. Donaldson dropped to his knees as the spider again lashed forward with its upper limbs, narrowly missing his face. Scrambling forward, he began firing the pistol directly into the creature’s thickly armored torso. This close, the shimmer that had
deflected the earlier rounds did not appear, and the spider staggered backwards as Donaldson emptied his clip into it, the bullets exploding out of its back and upward into the ceiling.
Screeching, the spider lashed out at the agent, two of its appendages striking his chest and sending him sprawling into the hall, where he crumpled motionless against the far wall. Gasping and bubbling from its torn maw, the spider turned back to Delmont, who kneeled by the counter clutching his mangled hand to his chest. The monster recoiled slightly at the look of blazing hatred on his face, then lunged forward, intent on finishing its meal.
All four of the upper appendages speared towards Delmont’s torso. Delmont slammed his forearms into the spider’s upper limbs, spreading them wide, but could do nothing as the lower set slammed into his abdomen. The crackling of the taser was the spider’s only warning, as Delmont fired the weapon he had scooped up directly into one of the monsters rolling eyes. The prongs of the taser pierced the eyeball just before Delmont brought the weapon down viciously, splattering the eye as he buried the weapon into its head.
The spider whipped its head back, screaming in agony, and ripped its claws free of Delmont’s belly. As the monster staggered backwards, Delmont collapsed to the floor. He didn’t need to smell the stench of bowel to know that he was mortally wounded, the pain was all consuming.
Grinding his teeth, he forced himself back to his feet as the creature plucked the taser from its mutilated eye. The spider grabbed Delmont’s arms with its lower limbs, almost gently this time, lifting him closer to its face.
“Eye…for…an…eye,” it hissed softly. Delmont struggled feebly against the limbs pinning him to the creature’s torso. His lower belly had been shredded by those hideous claws, and the blood pouring from his wounds was robbing him of the last of his strength. Despite himself, he could not restrain his screams as the spider’s upper limbs approached his face.