Of Sudden Origin - Part 4 The Crucible

by Harwood, C. Chase

  Nikki flipped off the safety on her SCAR. Jon un-holstered his pistol and slapped Ben on the back. No more time for talk. They ran.

  Ham sat with his stricken wife and listened as the Fiends grew closer.

  “Gho,” she said.

  “I, I can’t.”

  “Gho or yhou’ll dhie.”

  “Can’t.”

  “Jusht end iht fhor me.” She reached out for a heavy piece of tree limb lying on the forest floor. “Uhse this.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Plhease.”

  But it was too late anyway. The Reverend, or what had once been the reverend, appeared, standing on a granite boulder above them. The jolly Saint Nick was now an obese monster - its once white beard smeared with blood and bits of flesh. Other former congregants quickly joined it. Their mouths and hands were covered in gore.

  The flight instinct took over Ham’s legs and he turned to run, only to be cut off by Big Alan Garber, now a Fiend, who grabbed him by the throat. With one swift jerk of his muscled fist, he tore the young newlywed’s larynx partially from his neck.

  The reverend threw his obese weight on top of Kelly, who cried out in fear. Several others held her down. The reverend got his face close to hers and sniffed her wound, sniffed her gasping breath and then turned his face away. She wasn’t fresh any longer; the infection had already taken hold. The instinct to kill and gorge was replaced by an instinct to preserve, if only by not killing the host. Kelly would live. She would lose her mind, and if she didn’t die of a secondary infection due to her horrific wound, she would join the legions of other Fiends - only to die of starvation on a lonely island in Maine.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The Wall

  Jon, Nikki and Ben were quickly back to the gravesite. At first they thought that Teddy had run, but then found him in a fetal position at the bottom of the shallow grave, thumb in his mouth. Nikki, who had only in the past few days let her heart feel open again, felt it suddenly slam shut. Jon was almost overwhelmed with this horrible turn of events. For a week they had found solace. For a week they had found happiness. For a week, they could almost let go of the horror that surrounded them.

  Both of these people, these strong people, who had survived when so many others hadn’t, looked at the terrified boy and became nearly catatonic as well. Fear and exhaustion left them with a paralysis of indecision - the primal part of them wanting to crawl in there with him.

  Then Ben spoke up. As a paramedic he had seen lots of folks with too much pain or trauma to process, move into a default mode of submission. Some folks let themselves float along, letting others decide life or death for them. Others simply gave up the ghost once and for all. Ben was a master at snapping people out of such temporary weakness. It was this personality trait that got him the militia leader job.

  “Eye’s on me!” he hissed. “You, boy with your thumb in your mouth, get up! Quit being a baby and get out of that hole!”

  Jon and Nikki snapped out of it.

  Jon chimed in, “Teddy, we have to move now.”

  Teddy stirred and looked up at them.

  “At-a-boy” said Ben, and he reached into the hole and grabbed the boy’s jacket yanking him up. Teddy reached out and Jon and Nikki grabbed hold as well. They didn’t have to say more. They could hear the Fiends crashing through the woods.

  Ben said, "We’ve got to somehow circle around to the boats. They’re all stocked with gear in the event of an emergency evacuation. I say we run north; the river side of the lake and let the current sweep us back down toward the boat inlet."

  “What about my dad and Amanda?” asked Teddy.

  They all hesitated. Nikki moved to speak but was interrupted by Ben. “If we’re lucky, we’ll see ‘em at the dock or on the water. Everyone knows to go to the boats if demons come ashore.”

  They all assumed that the lie appeased the boy. No one wanted to contemplate telling him that the rest of his family was gone as well. They underestimated him: “Don't call them demons.” Billy said. “It's regular people infected with a disease. I have to save my dad and sister.” With that he started running back toward the camp.

  Jon grabbed a fistful of his jacket and hauled him back. “Not that way.” Jon paused, letting the Fiends in the woods echo his statement. “They’ll kill you as sure as they’ll kill the rest of us.”

  Tears filled the boy’s eyes and his mouth twisted from anger to hatred. Then just as quickly the anguish was replaced by resolve. He wiped his eyes, listened to the movement among the trees and turned, getting his bearings. “I know the best way. Follow me.”

  Jon let him run. He, Nikki and Ben followed as best they could.

  They reached a natural granite wall that subdivided much of the eastern part of the island and had been used as the demarcation line between the settlement and Jon and Nikki's space. It had natural steps cut into it, offering purchase for small trees and damp mossy outcroppings. The peak was perhaps forty feet high, making it impractical to take the long way around.

  Teddy was already halfway up when the others reached the base. They all began to climb at different points. It was slick going and Jon found himself at a steep dead-end when only half way up.

  Teddy reached the top and looked down on them. He loudly whispered to Jon, “Can’t make it from there.”

  Jon let out a quiet, “Fuck”. And started back down.

  The Fiend’s whoops and shrieks echoed off the rocks and bounced among the trees. It was impossible to tell how far away they might be. As Jon reached the forest floor again, Nikki and Ben made it to the top and joined Teddy watching Jon search for a better route.

  “There," Nikki whispered loudly and pointed. “That’s the way I used.”

  “Oh, Lord,” said Ben. He pointed into the woods below. The Fiends were charging right for Jon. Nikki shouldered the SCAR, aimed and fired. A chunk of tree flew off next to a Fiend’s head. The deranged human didn’t even flinch. It had spotted Jon on the lower rocks and started to run even faster. Others saw this and ran harder too.

  “Jon, climb!” screamed Nikki. She fired again and this time she gut shot what had once been Alan Garber. The burly giant doubled over and then looked up, snarling at the people on top of the wall.

  Jon found himself slipping on the rocks and he painfully fell to a lower ledge, bruising his thigh - Like a late night encounter with fear in a lonely parking lot, Jon’s arms and legs fumbled about like stricken fingers on jangling car keys. He told himself to calm down and breathe, pay attention to his climb. Then a hand slapped against his foot providing him with a fresh dose of adrenaline. He suddenly leaped up the cliff-side, hop-scotching like a mountain goat.

  Ben said a quick prayer and shot the Fiend that was trying to duplicate Jon’s effort. The poor former congregant bounced back down to the forest floor with a sickening crunch.

  Nikki put out a hand and pulled Jon up the last few feet. He bent over, his hands on his knees and breathed hard toward the ground. “Just give me a sec."

  Nikki slapped him on the ass. “Too bad.”

  They turned and ran.

  Teddy was in the lead again, but then he got winded as well and had to slow down. Nikki's Marine training was doing right by her and she forged ahead of the group, the rest following as best they could.

  A little farther on, Nikki spied an inlet, the river portion of the lake meandering by in the distance. “It’s straight ahead.” She charged forward and ran into the inlet startling what seemed like hundreds of small birds. They burst into the air and flitted about in a chirping panic.

  “Wait. Don’t go in that water!” yelled Teddy.

  Nikki turned. “Why? The river’s right there.”

  The rest of the group caught up and stopped at the water’s edge.

  “That’s the place where Jerry Halverstrom was drinking from. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t. He didn’t like the camp water and he hated sharing a canteen.”


  Nikki lifted her hands from the water and looked at it dripping off her fingertips. “What are you saying?”

  Teddy caught his breath. “I’m not sure, but he drank that water. Lot’s a birds pooped in it. He got sick”.

  Jon said, “Maybe you should get out of the water, Nikki.”

  Nikki waded back to shore, careful not to splash. “You think the water is passing the disease?”

  “I’ve always thought that,” said Jon. “I just didn’t know how. Maybe it’s in the bird poop. Why not?”

  “Come on, this way,” said Teddy and they followed him along a deer path to the water’s edge. They looked around to make sure they weren’t being followed and then jumped in. The current naturally swept around the island, carrying them along the shore and then down the channel to where Nikki and the Fiend had had their fight.

  The dead Fiend was still there, the top of its head still breaking the water, its bloated body bobbing in the current. They had to swim hard to stay close to the island lest they be swept out into the larger lake.

  The camp’s boat inlet was hidden among tall reeds at the southwest tip of the island and it was there that the current met the larger side of the lake and slowed down. They swam until they found the opening to the small channel and then they set their feet down in the thick silty muck.

  A cool breeze had built up, bending the reeds around them, rubbing the stalks together, and creating a peaceful sound that countered their reality. It said, relax and rest, let the day’s stress roll off your shoulders. The idea that the shore was potentially crawling with deadly infected seemed to almost make a mockery of nature’s tranquil side. The rubbing reeds also masked the small group’s own sounds, helping them to sneak forward, but also making it impossible to hear what might be around the next bend.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Safe Harbor

  As they drew close to the beachhead, they stopped. By unspoken agreement, they would rest a moment before walking back into the cauldron. It was a chance to listen and observe as well as work up more nerve. Nikki and Jon kept an ear and eye out while Ben closed his own and whispered a quiet prayer. Teddy started trembling - the water was cold. Nikki pulled him close and wrapped her arms around the boy.

  When three minutes passed, Ben opened his eyes. “Okay, shall we do this?”

  Nikki released Teddy and gently held his face in her hands. “We can’t go wandering about looking for them. If they made it, they’ve likely already left. Hopefully they aren’t paddling back to shore somewhere else in search of you.”

  “I understand. Let’s go.”

  They found it easier to swim, even in three feet of water, rather than to try to walk in the mud, but eventually they had no choice. When the reeds thinned out they could see the small rocky beach where the boats were tied up, none of them missing. Teddy let out a defeated sigh.

  The congregation had a few rowboats and canoes and two powerboats. Will Parker’s boat was there too. No one needed to explain to Teddy that his dad and sister hadn’t gotten away. The boy simply let silent tears stream down his cheeks while he bravely moved forward. All three adults felt compelled to lay a reassuring hand on him.

  The village lay just beyond the shore. Nikki held up her hand and they all stopped to listen. The birds and insects had once again become still; the woods filled with the sounds of walking death. Fiendish grunts bounced among the buildings, but from the water side of the boats, it wasn’t obvious where the sounds were coming from. She put her hand down and they continued to wade forward slowly.

  The two boats that were worth their trouble were Will Parker’s Chris Craft and the pride of the congregation, a Bayliner deck boat, sporting an enclosed head.

  Ben pointed at the Bayliner and whispered, “Got the keys in it.”

  Without a word, they all crept up the stern swim platform and silently climbed onboard. With their heads above the waterline they could see onto the shore – and those on the shore could see them. At least twenty-five former parishioners were feeding on almost unrecognizable, bloody red meat. The victims had likely been running for the boats when they were brought down. The monsters turned almost as one at the new movement.

  “Oh, shit!” Nikki leveled the SCAR and started firing at the same moment the Fiends stood up to charge. Ben ran to the helm and twisted the keys. The engine fired right up and he slammed the gearshift into reverse. Mud and silty brown water churned under the propeller, but the boat wasn’t going anywhere – it was still tied off at the bow! The line pulled taught, causing the Bayliner to fishtail back and forth in its struggle to break free.

  Beneath their feet they heard a girl’s muffled scream. “Amanda!” yelled Teddy who threw open the door to the head. There, crouched into a corner was Amanda Costas, tears and terror filling her eyes. Teddy jumped into the space with his sister and slammed the door shut.

  As the Fiends hit the shallow water, Jon ran forward, firing his pistol. The dock line was pulled too tight to untie. Nikki ran forward and brought down the congregation’s building engineer, young George Mickelson, just before he launched himself at Jon. They kept shooting until empty, too many, no time to reload. Killer animals grabbed onto the front railing. Jon & Nikki kicked at their hands, their faces, trying not to trip, Nikki struggling as the lightweight rifle offered little heft in its new role as club. Suddenly a strong fist clamped around the stock and she found herself in a tug of war with the former Lukei Jansen. The big blond Fiend snarled and laughed with delight at the competition.

  Ben picked up his shotgun, pumping and firing while tears poured down his face, his former friends and neighbors dying under his own hand. He fired until he ran out of shells and then charged forward with his knife. He reached between Jon and Nikki and hacked at the dock line. The Fiends were coming at the boat from the sides now – it was almost too late – then the rope’s final strands snapped. The engine was still in full reverse and the boat charged backwards away from the shore. Jon had to grab Nikki by the arm to keep her from pitching over the bow as she gave a sharp final tug on the SCAR, yanking it out of the Fiend Lukei’s hands and leaving the creature floundering in the deeper water.

  Without someone at the helm, the Bayliner started to turn in a wide circle, pointing itself back toward the shore. Ben stumbled back and threw the throttle into neutral. Then he flipped the wheel around and slammed the big engine into full forward. The propeller slid right over Lukei the Fiend, churning the water red.

  Ben drove out of the little reed-filled harbor and onto the lake, only stopping when he had them a hundred yards from shore, in deeper water, nothing trying to kill him.

  Nikki pulled on the door to the head but it was latched from the inside. “Teddy, Amanda. We got away. It’s safe. Can you open the door?”

  Teddy opened the door and stood protectively in front of Amanda. “My sister’s not sick and she said my dad got away. He ran to where your camp is”.

  Nikki looked at Jon then Ben. Ben said, “I guess we best drive over there”. He steered the boat toward the eastern end of the island.

  Nikki turned back to the children, “Amanda, how do you feel?”

  The fear stricken girl clung behind her brother and shivered.

  Jon kneeled at the door as well. "Honey, are you shivering ‘cause you’re scared or because you feel sick?"

  Amanda spoke into her brother’s shirt, “Scared”.

  Teddy spoke up, “She said that everybody tried to get her and Dad. They had to run in separate directions and he told her to hide in here.”

  Amanda spoke up, “My daddy said he was going to find you guys for help.”

  Nikki nodded, “Well, if it’s like it was last time, we’ll find your father right there.”

  As the boat got closer to Jon and Nikki's corner of the island, they saw Steven Costas in a tree near the shore kicking at several Fiends on the rocks below. One was the reverend himself. Nikki aimed the SCAR, then hesitated as she recognized Martha and R
obert Brown, the couple who with their daughter Melissa, had joined Nikki and Jon at dinner their first night.

  Both Fiends hissed and laughed at the occupants of the boat with wide, hungry eyes. Nikki and Jon pulled their triggers.

  The reverend stood alone now. He laughed with wild Fiendish glee and then ran at the approaching boat. Nikki's bullet hit him square between the eyes.

  Ben, wiped away a continuing flow of hot tears as he let the boat coast toward the shore. Just before touching the rocks he shifted into reverse for a moment to stop the momentum and put it in neutral.

  Steven climbed down from the tree while still keeping an eye over his shoulder. He smiled, waving at his kids with the nonchalance of a man suffering from mild shock.

  “Daddy!” yelled Amanda.

  “That’s twice you folks have saved me and my kids. God has clearly sent you to be our guardian angels. Ben, I’m glad to see you made it. Any others?” Steven turned again at the sound of more crashing footsteps in the woods.

  “No. Better hop aboard, Steven,” said Jon.

  Steven quickly waded out and jumped on. His children shot forward and clung to him as Ben backed up and the pulled away from the island.

  Everyone sat in silence as the boat moved slowly over the flat windless water. Finally Jon spoke up, “Guess we better take inventory of what we got on this thing.”

  Ben wiped away his tears and said in a lifeless tone, “Provisions for twelve people, ten days. Check it every week m’self. Make sure the water’s fresh. Just checked yesterday.”

  “Okay. So where do we go from here?”

  “Emergency spot is the other large island on the lake. We call it Two Harbors. Well-protected anchorage. Just a little too small and too close to land to set up the church there. It’ll be fine for us. Fishing’s good. There’s still plenty of summer left to grow some food.” He nodded at the coolers that held the provisions. “Got seeds in there. Probably some berries on the island.”