The Lodestone Files: The Things in the Shadows

by Robert J. S. T. McCartney

CHAPTER THREE

  NIGHT HAD COME at last and the heavy rain was the least of his worries.

  If dad sees me, my ass is grass.

  He scanned the parking lot and saw no one in view. Everyone who parked was either help or being served in the diner. He walked over to the old light-brown van. He readied the slim jim. He fiddled with it a bit, remembering how his grandfather had taught him.

  “The boy’s gotta learn sometime, James. I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve saved money doing this myself. Hell, I could have done a roadside service!”

  He grinned at the memory. At that time, he was thirteen. Of course, he did what any good-natured youth did, broke into a friend’s car and reclaimed his Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition DVD box cases. Idris, of course, used his powers for the greater good. That is, if breaking into a car counted as a ‘power,’ however not everyone was so understanding of his particular skills. For all he knew, this could have been a time bomb waiting to happen.

  He fiddled some more and pulled up. A click, and the door unlocked. “Still got it after all.” He grinned.

  He hopped inside, his eyes taking in all the strange things that littered the vehicle.

  “When were you going to tell me?” He heard a familiar voice in the backseat.

  Idris turned around in the drivers’ seat. “Cal?! What are you doing in here?”

  Cal sat there smiling at his ninja-like skills. “I got in here about five minutes ago.”

  Idris shook his head, “If dad catches us…”

  Cal shook his head. “Dad’s busy, and I think he might thank us for all that’s in here. Look at all this stuff!” Cal pointed at the various boxes that polluted the back with the different guns, knives, rations, and more in the cargo hold.

  “By the power of Grayskull…” Idris’ jaw dropped at the sight.

  Cal rolled his eyes, noting he only said such a thing because of one of his favorite movies, and Idris insisted it was the best action comedy flick ever made.

  Idris scanned over the dashboard of the old van; assorted yellow sticky notes polluted the cheap plastic wood paneling. These notes all displayed specific dates and times, and of a test subject known only as the Thing. He glanced down at the center console. Reaching down, he retrieved a CD case titled The Crystal Rock-Ship. On the cover, was Queen, David Bowie, The Doors, and other bands.

  Idris smiled to himself for finding such a rare gem. He had heard of this album from his father, only two hundred and fifty were produced for a private benefit concert and banquet. Very few knew the exact contents and further tarnished such exemplary music establishments—false or cheaply burned disks and other shoddy compilations. Plus, his father’s copy was stolen when he was in Chicago some years back.

  He pocketed the CD and continued to look around. In the back was a small surplus of assorted guns and other weaponry: boxes of ammunition, more files, and notes. He saw a tiny red light in the top left corner of the rear door.

  “Hey, Cal, what does that say?”

  A crudely written note below it stated that when aglow: 25 minutes until the other feds arrive.

  Cal turned around and closely read the note. “Something about 25 minutes until some other feds arrive.”

  What the hell does that mean?

  As Idris pondered on the significance the light played, he saw it ignite into its cherry red glow. The signal had already been made.

  The two hopped out of the van and got their story together. James had started walking outside when he saw the two brothers.

  “What the hell were you two doing?”

  “Dad! You’re not going to believe what kind of stuff is in here!” Cal piped, surprised by his father’s sudden appearance.

  “What are you doing out here dad? Shouldn’t you be in the diner with mom?” Idris calmly inquired.

  James shook his head, sighing. “Just like your old man.” He cleared his throat, “I asked you both a question.”

  Idris took a breath and calmly gave his answer. “I saw a red light in the back glowing, and there was a beeping sound. I thought it could be hazardous to the diner and the station. So I checked it out, since it’s abandoned, and no one has claimed it.”

  James looked at both boys, and then the van. Giving a nod, he folded his arms. “So? What’s inside it, Sherlock?

  “A lot of shi—er, stuff, Watson.” Idris casually replied.

  Cal giggled, while their father shook his head.

  “I almost regret ever allowing your Grandpa to show you how to use that thing.” He sighed.

  “Alright, well, let’s take a look. I have yet to call the police, so maybe I can give more information about it.”

  James poked his head inside the van and searched the interior. “Holy hell, it’s like a one-man army’s supply depot.”

  Cal and Idris glanced at each other.

  Their father pulled himself out of the van. “Did you boys take anything?”

  Both replied in unison, “No sir.”

  James eyed the two, studying them, and decided to believe them. “Alright, well, I’ll look a bit more in here and then telephone the cops.”

  Idris had a nagging feeling eating at him. “Dad? There’s a light in the back with a note that says in 25 minutes the other feds will arrive. Do you know what that means?”

  James hesitated and seemed reluctant to answer. He muttered to himself something incoherent to the boys.

  Idris took note of this. “What’s the matter, dad?”

  James shook his head. “Nothing, Idris. I found the owner’s name here, so I’m going to phone the police and have them deal with it.” He began to walk towards the station entrance and then turned around. “You two should get inside…I don’t want anything to happen to you two.

  Cal and Idris both shivered upon hearing this, and curiosity began to nip at them more and more.

  They had snuck in the back door for shipping and receiving and were not far from their father’s office. Both looked to one another in silence, trying to hear the conversation taking place.

  “Hi, is this Cheryl Plain? I have a van here that I believe is yours. The police said you—oh…uh huh…OK, thanks. Yeah, we’ll be here.” James hung up the phone and sighed heavily.

  He picked the phone back up and then spoke urgently to whoever was at the end of the line. “Hey, yeah it’s me. Are you able to get us? Uh huh…alright. If we don’t, then the two will. Knowing him, he’ll figure it out and know where you are. Thanks. Yeah, we’re going to need it.”

  There was a silence, then a loud crashing sound against the wall. Idris and Cal immediately entered in response. They saw the phone smashed on the floor, and their father’s desk cleared of everything.

  “Dad, are you OK?” Idris inquired hesitantly.

  James sighed heavily. “Yes, son.”

  “Well, what’s the matter?”

  “I need you to get your mother, and you two need to pack lightly. We need to leave. Lock the doors, and tell the last few customers to leave—that the meal is free. If they ask why, say there’s an emergency in the town, and it requires an evacuation.”

  Idris and Cal both looked to one another, scared.

  “Dad, what—”

  James slammed his fist down on his desk. “Do what I say! Go, now!”

  It was a rare opportunity that their father would exercise anger, and this was not shaping up too well.

  They did as their father asked them to do. No one questioned them, not even their mother. The customers had all taken their meals to go and hurried out to their vehicles promptly. The family headed to their little rooms to pack lightly. Then…it started. The power and the lights went out.

  James looked to the ceiling with Mary. “Son of a bitch…”

  Mary looked to James. “I’ll get the boys.”

  James nodded. “OK, I’ll get the gun and whatever else. We have to move quick, though.”

  Together, they snuck out the back door, hoping to elude the fast-approaching silhouet
tes in the front. They panted as they pushed themselves hastily ran up the hill only to come to a dead stop. At first, they couldn’t tell what laid before them. Maybe it was the thick fog that had suddenly crept across the town, or maybe it was the uneasy feeling that tonight was the night that this family would be whole.

  Their hairs on the necks stood up in the frigid evening, the rain having lightened up significantly. It seemed like a haunting was about to take place, as a hungry, thick, dreadful fog had set its eyes on this small family. No one made a sound. No one dared move. The confusion of the night’s events still grasped at them all.

  “What the hell are they?” their father whispered, his arms blocking his family.

  Lazily, the dark silhouettes all drifted towards them. Fog shrouded, misshapen, and malformed marionettes—dancing to the ballet of a sinister destruction and death. Waltzing their way towards their victims, and for what reasons? Series of crimson vines shimmered brilliantly under the twilight’s veil to each limb, to each…thing. They all grinned, a most sinister grin, as they came closer every passing moment. Their eyes—it could be said they were lifeless—dull and black, as black as the night itself; save for the moon’s silver reflection in the whites of their eyes. However, every so often, there was a glimmer of something orange…fierce, and sinister—a scanner assessing weaknesses and pinpointing precise measures of dealing death.

  “What do you want from us?!” James shouted.

  Still, they marched.

  “Please, leave us alone! We never did anything to you!” Their mother pleaded.

  Still, they marched.

  Cal tugged on his big brother’s arm. “Idris, what’s going to happen to us?”

  Idris looked down at Cal, restraining the fear—for himself, his parents, and his brother. “We’re going to get out of here; that’s what. Don’t worry, Cal.”

  Cal smiled half-heartedly at his brother’s assurance, but he was no fool.

  Their father frantically searched about them for exploiting an opening. “Boys, I want you to take your mother and run. Now!”

  “Dad, no, we can’t just leave you!” Idris and Cal pleaded with their father.

  “James, I am not going to leave you to—this—whatever the hell these things are!”

  “Honey, just trust me. Take the boys and go. I will be okay. I promise.”

  James reached from behind his waist and pulled out a .45 revolver, his father’s gun. He aimed for the things’ head and fired a shot, dropping it to the ground.

  “I said run, now!”

  The boys and their mother turned around and hurried down the hill. James fired a few more shots and was sent tumbling down the hill.

  “Dad, are you alright?!” Idris rushed to his father’s side.

  Together, the boys and their mother helped James to his feet.

  “They ate—the ones—I killed,” James panted, watching the top of the hill.

  The boys looked at one another. At the peak of the hill, there were fewer things; however, a few were more sizable. More and more red vines seemed to protrude and lash about wildly around it. The eyes in these larger ones appeared to glow more like a raging fire, especially, at their father.

  James took a step back and nearly collapsed.

  Mary searched her husband over. “What’s wrong, James?”

  “Ah, my leg, that red shit nearly tore it off. I can’t feel it anymore.” James’ eyes only stayed upon the encroaching beings. “You two, take your mother and go!”

  “I’m not leaving you!” Mary pleaded.

  James slowly got to his feet. “I’m not going to have a debate, honey. Please, go with the boys!”

  Mary began to sob hysterically. “I love you, James!”

  “I love you too,” he whispered. James began to reload the gun, the intruders nearly within reach.

  As Idris and Cal began to escort their mother to safety. They heard rustling in the brush before them.

  Idris stopped dead in his tracks. His heart began to race into a frenzy. “Both of you wait.”

  Everyone all waited.

  Then the beings all came in the same fashion the others did.

  With each of these…things; you could hear them humming to some unknown tune. All of them were all hunched over, sharing that same damn sadistic grin. On one, though, it was far too much, like it knew it was going to get one of the family members. The surprise being just which one was going to be the lucky winner of this hellish contest.

  Idris shifted his gaze upon them, side by side, as they all took steps back away from the row of ‘black coats.’

  “We need to find another way,” he whispered aloud.

  Mary stepped before them; arms stretched to protect her children.

  Idris and call both cried for their mother, “Mom, no!”

  “I want both of you to run!”

  Cal began to cry. Idris grabbed his brother’s hand and started to bolt for the front of the diner.

  Gunshots echoed in the back lot. Idris and Cal looked back to see their father rushing for Mary. Behind him, a hulking mass now pursued James. The ruby string was more abundant and fierce. No longer was it the ridiculous tap dancing marionette—it was a beast beyond any recognition. The reddish-brown leathery skin shined in the moon’s glow, the rain still falling. It must have stood at least twelve feet tall now—lanky arms, hunched over much like the ‘black coats’ were. Malformed claws protruded on its arms and legs, resembling spikes, or sickles. Still on its face was that fucking messed up grin. The eyes changed rapidly—yellow to red, to orange, and back to yellow. The thing was salivating as it pursued its prey.

  James turned his head over his shoulder to see the thing in pursuit. He glanced back ahead to the “black coats” nearing his wife. He had a plan and doubted it would work, but he thought came to mind, I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit by and do nothing!

  “Mary,” he shouted out.

  A big smile stretched on Mary’s face. “James, you’re OK!”

  He grabbed a hold of his wife and pulled her back with him. Allowing themselves to be surrounded.

  Mary’s stomach turned. “James? What are you doing?”

  “I have an idea, but I can’t promise anything,” he panted.

  The large thing grew nearer to them as did the ‘black coats.’ If his idea worked now, it would be what saved them or doomed them. James noticed the gaze of the ‘black coats’ turn up towards the beast.

  “Yes, it might just work!”

  One by one, the beast grabbed a “black coat” and devoured them wholly. The break for James and Mary had at last come. They began their escape towards their children. James hobbled on. His stomach turned as he saw a thick red vine rush past him.

  He shrieked his wife’s name, “Mary!”

  She had turned around, but it was already too late.

  The thing had changed again, sprouting a new array of red vines—thicker and longer. Black ooze dripped onto the ground. It more closely resembled a giant blob that was forming fast.

  The vine had a hold of Mary’s left arm. The boys started to run towards their mother when she pleaded, “No, don’t you dare! Both of you run! Get out of here. We love you both!”

  Their father had begun unloading the remaining bullets into the thing. Mary sobbed hysterically—in pain…and at the lost salvation. However, it was all about to get worse for her.

  Another vine rushed and grabbed her right leg. There was a tearing sound. Maybe it was her waitress’ outfit. Maybe it was the sound of her muscles, bone, and tissue—her entire arm, and leg were ripped right off. Ruby red blood squirted and spurted across the dark grassy lawn. Mary’s voice reached a hysterical feverish pitch as her scream fell silent.

  “No, Mary!” James rushed to his wife’s bloody side. He took his belt off, trying to use it as a tourniquet on her thigh…what remained of it. “Mary, no, oh God! Just hang on!”

  She looked up at him. Her face now pale under the moonlight. Her body was shaking immense
ly, growing colder every passing moment. “I love you, James. I…am…so sorry.”

  He looked at her puzzled. “Shh, shh, don’t be.” He kissed her forehead and caressed her head, rocking her in his arms. “Hang on, just hold on...”

  She was dead.

  The wandering cloud finally passed over, allowing the moon’s light to shine once more.

  James stared into the eyes of his wife. Hysteria began to set in, “No, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO!!”

  A series of crimson vines clung to Mary’s other left leg.

  “You can’t have her, you son of a bitch!”

  James used the gun like a club and bashed the vines into a black-red bloody pulp, off of his wife’s body. The thing seemed screech in pain, retracting the damaged appendages.

  “I’ll kill you!” He stumbled as he reached to his feet and removed the last four bullets from his pants pocket. Foaming and blinded with rage he slowly walked towards the blob, aiming for that goddamn stupid grin. “Di—ie!”

  The final four shots rang out.

  At first, the thing seemed dead. It collapsed and did not stir. James started to laugh hysterically, unaware of what it was doing.

  “Boys, boys, it’s dead!” He yelled, laughing hysterically.

  He was all alone.

  He walked over to his wife’s body. Blood soaked and in a pool of her own. He knelt beside her.

  “Honey, I did it…I did it.” He caressed her face, streaks of blood formed, and followed his strokes.

  James felt a strange sensation, and then nothing. He turned around to see the red vines digging into Mary’s body, jerking it out of his arms.

  James rushed to his feet, and in vain, attempted to go after her. “NO, NO, NO, GOD DAMN IT! NO!”

  Into the very-much-alive thing, she went, causing him to drop to his knees.

  It would soon change…again.

  Much of the blob, or whatever the hell it was, fell to the ground. Inside the dark goo, was something else, something that tore at the darkness and demanded to be free. Finally, a hand punctured the makeshift bubble. It was human, or rather at least it appeared to be. Inch by inch, more of the being became uncovered, and soon, James only gazed on in awe.

  So beautiful. James searched for the words but only found silence.

  It had become her.

  Finally, she slowly rose up from the taint and approached James.

  “Mary…”

  Heat radiated off her, (James’ memory recalled the memories of the first time they showered together and the love they made) as she stood before him now, looking down. Her body, bare in the moonlight, with the rain steadily falling. Droplets ran down her cheeks, down her neck, conforming to the outlines of her breasts, arms, stomach, and legs. He touched her stomach, warm to the touch and ran his fingers up and down her arms. Splotches of ebony and crimson still tainted her—the ashes from which she had risen from, reborn from the dark pitch of Hell—beautiful, radiant—a twisted phoenix. However, as much as James knew she had died in his arms. He was aware that this was all wrong, that this wasn’t his beloved.

  He stood up before her, numb, whether it was the sensation of the vines that slowly were enveloping him, or if it was that everything was coming to an end, and it didn’t matter anymore. He stared into her big blue eyes.

  He ran his hands over her cheeks, “So cold…” They stared back, unwavering, perhaps searching and absorbing everything. He ran his fingers over her ruby lips. Memories continued to flood his mind, and with this, he was satisfied. James dropped his gaze. “If you’re going to kill me...do it quick, please.”

  “I know you…” she muttered.

  Surprise struck him, as he glanced back to her eyes, a sliver of hope presented itself. “You know me?”

  “James...” she whispered.

  “Mary, I am so sorry,” he sobbed as he instinctively clung to her.

  A sadistic grin sprawled across those ruby lips. “Yes...she tasted absolutely delicious, James.”

  His eyes widened as he pushed away from the doppelganger. She stared at him, noting the surprise, yet, confused. He knew that he was going to die, that had been from the start. He was with her, and that was all that mattered to him.

  “You’re not resisting? You’re quite interesting.” She continued to grin.

  “It’s all over. At least now, we can be together.” James closed his eyes and embraced the false Mary once more. He felt the vines and twine that protruded from her back in a crude mockery of a pair of wings. They wrapped around him tightly, engulfing him wholly. As they constricted him, he could feel the popping and snapping of bones inside of him. He clung more forcibly to her.

  He started to cough hard; blood began to pour from his nose and mouth. He retracted his breath, the vines having already wrapped around his torso, and continuing their way up.

  He stared into the cold eyes once more that squinted with that damn smile. “Before I go, I have something I want to give you.”

  There was a click, and then something fell to the ground. James smiled to himself. “Burn in Hell, you monster.”

  Mary, I’m sorry, and I love you.

  The thing looked down at James’ hand, but it was already too late. Much like it was for Mary before, this was the end, but for them both. James embraced her one last time. Its eyes widened as the explosion had been initiated and consumed them both wholly.

  Under the fast-dying rain, the moonlit twilight sky was bright and clearing to emptiness. In a small radius from where they stood, there was a disgusting confetti of what was James and the would-be Mary. Pieces, limbs and all that was large enough to survive littered the diner’s backyard. The ground was a crude porridge of sable, verdant and crimson pools. Nothing moved. Nothing sighed. Nothing.

  It was finally all over.