Frostarc

by Arthur McMahon

  A few reserve lights turned on within the building, sufficient to see with but not enough to blind Kozz after being in total darkness. The solid object was the control panel Kozz had been looking for, much closer than he expected. On top of the controls was Moe writhing in pain with old blood dried around his mouth and streaked across his arms, but he quickly gathered himself and launched again at Kozz. Now able to see, Kozz landed a blow across Moe's face and watched the man fall to the ground.

  Kozz jumped on top of his friend and held him down. He could only see the whites of Moe's eyes with red capillaries along their undersides, and the surreal glow was still present. Moe strained and squirmed as he tried to free himself from Kozz's grasp, but the little man did not have enough strength. This must be the disease. Kozz leaned back as Moe growled and bit at his face. No, this isn't a disease, this is a demon. Something evil has taken over. It can't be him any longer. This isn't Moe, this is some murderous beast. If I let him— it go, it's just going to continue trying to kill me like it did that other fellow.

  Kozz let go of the creature with one hand and crashed the butt of Red across its face. “Wake up Moe!” He slapped again. “Get that thing out of you and come back!” The creature used its free hand to scrape and claw at Kozz's side. “Last chance, buddy.” He delivered one more devastating blow across its face, knocking several teeth out of its mouth. The demon that was Moe started to laugh, gurgling blood as it did. Wake up dammit! Come on Moe, snap out of it! Moe's free arm grabbed the knife that was attached to Kozz's belt, but Kozz gripped the arm and snapped it at the elbow like a twig. The creature screamed out in pain as it dropped the knife, but the crying wails morphed into a wicked laugh and the creature swung its broken arm at Kozz's face.

  That's it then. Goodbye Moe. Kozz planted his hands on the creature's throat and squeezed, the laughter becoming a squeak. Kozz pressed harder until no more sound could escape the creature's throat, but its face carried on as if it were still laughing. Laugh all you want you damn demon, it's over for you. Kozz put his weight into the force of his grip. The soft light disappeared from the creature's stare and the clawing hands stopped. Looking into the eyes as they rolled back into place, Kozz saw Moe. A look of fear and confusion glazed across his friend's face and Kozz released his hold, but it was too late. The demon had left and Moe's body went limp. Kozz had killed his friend. His heart lurched and the pain of it knocked him to the ground.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Ghost Town

  Puffs of smoke billowed from the tops of chimneys, floating northward with the mild wind. The sun descended behind the valley plains to the west, fading the blue sky into carnations of pink and purple. Night approached and on flickered the warm and inviting lights of the tiny cabins and cottages that lined the main streets of Edgetown. Couples strolled the cobblestone paths as children chased each other around the ornate streetlights and under tiled benches. Aromas of ginger, cinnamon, and fresh baked bread wafted about, enticing the chilled to enter any one of the colorful shops for a hot meal and a cup of spiced tea. Candles glinted in the frosted windows, unshaded so that any passerby could see the little trinkets and wide smiles that waited inside.

  Kozz parked his large vehicle on the outskirts of town and walked past the cute tourist villa that supplied Edgetown with most of its wealth. Several blocks behind the shops were the homes and byways of the local residents where the streets were either dirt or hard-packed ice. Most of the ramshackle homes were only slightly larger and better kept than Kozz's own shack out on the ice fields. Snow slid off the high-peaked roofs, creating large piles between the houses. Treading feet flattened the pathways, the roads by tires and plows, but everywhere else was claimed by the ever falling snow as it was considered too much hassle to maintain. Few homes had the money for outdoor warmers, and those that did only used them for gatherings and special occasions.

  Across from the local mechanic's shop was Kozz's destination, McMick's Tavern. When Kozz walked in he was greeted by familiar faces, those that always knew when he would be coming in for his occasional visit. He took a seat at the bar. “Hey doll,” he yelled to the bartender, “would ya mind fixin' me up a cup of hot cocoa?” Kozz lit up a cigar and yammered with his friends, trading stories and politics.

  Linda, the bartender, filled Kozz's ears with the terrible tales of her tragic love life which she had experienced since his last stroll into town. Kozz could be patient when he chose to be, and women frequently told him that he was a good listener. He was her big teddy bear with a shoulder to cry on for the evening.

  He stayed the night in town and stopped by the local drug store early the next morning. The young girls behind the counter always greeted him with a smile and had his prescriptions ready to go. The elderly pharmacist Todd was one to ask his regular customers for favors, and so Kozz, in no rush this way or that, was willing to shovel snow or lift some boxes for the ornery fart. He appreciated how silly it was for a business man to ask so much of his customers, but being the only pharmacy in town meant he could handle business however he wanted.

  After lending a hand, Kozz walked over to the grocery story and grabbed as many goods as he could carry. The cashiers had stopped asking if he wanted help carrying his groceries to his vehicle once they learned he had to park on the outskirts. Bags upon bags hung from both of his arms as he trudged his way back to his rig. Kozz hefted the groceries up into his truck's cabin and placed them on top of his mattress.

  This was how Kozz had spent his last trip into town and many of those before.

  Hours were spent grieving his fallen friend and searching the warehouse for any clues as to what was going on. Kozz had fiddled with the computer systems as best he could and saw that all communication devices were inoperable. All he found were some power cables that had been slashed and ripped from their holdings. Unable to contact outside assistance, Kozz could not even offer Moe and the other deceased man the respectable closure they deserved. He could call for no one to take the bodies away, and the frozen dirt was impossible to dig through. Left unsatisfied and confused, he wasted the day away without anything to show for it. I don't know if that demon that was inside you died, but at least you passed on without it in you, Moe. At least I had done that much for you.

  As Kozz approached Edgetown with the weight of his murdered friend on his conscience, he sensed an unusual stillness. Night was falling again and only a few faint lights could be seen amongst the assemblage of buildings. The houses looked cold without the smokey chimneys and soft candlelight that were the staple of the tourism-inspired main streets. The city-folk nearly faint when they see this gingerbread village of a town with all the brown buildings and white trim. Kozz drove into town, seeing that there was no one around the streets who would be bothered by his huge rig. Looks like Edgetown closed down early tonight. Word must have spread about this disease, this damn evilness, and kept all the travelers home. Kozz had seen Edgetown close down early before because of severe drops in tourism during the colder months of the year. But this is different. This town looks dead, feels dead. Shit is going down. Maybe there is someone here to find, someone to tell me what is going on. Besides, I gotta get my meds.

  Kozz parked his truck and shoved open the driver door. The rig quieted as he stepped down into a knee-deep drift of white fluff. The town looked unkempt, taken over by the never ending snowfall. Streets were buried and snow drifts settled between the buildings, reaching as high as the lower edges of some roofs, the waves of white left untouched by man or machine. The warm and inviting shops and homes Kozz had known were now cold and lifeless, placid frost having crystallized across the windows that were once occupied by dancing candlelight. Not a single streetlight was lit and every one was wrapped in a sheet of white.

  Kozz inhaled the cold air into his lungs and tasted stale bread. The crunching under his boots echoed and was the only audible distraction from his own breathing. Silence and solitude were his home, but feeling such seclusion in this part of town gave Kozz the c
hills. He walked down the road and found that plowing through the snow with a busted ankle was proving to be a pain. But my truck's got too wide a load to fit through those skinny alleys the locals around here call streets. He turned down a pathway and trekked through the drifts, dragging his sore foot through the snow.

  The rustic and weathered houses hidden a few blocks back were no livelier than their main street counterparts and appeared to be abandoned like the rest of the town. Everything was succumbing to the snow. Without the stubborn persistence of people to fight for and protect their land, the town was quickly losing its battle with the forces of nature. Kozz could find no tracks in the snow, no movement in the windows or vehicles on the road to indicate the existence of life.

  Kozz approached a house he was familiar with, Linda’s place. Broken glass hung askew from the window nearest to the front door, most of it scattered on the sill and within the snow on the wooden deck. The door was propped open. That broad is always in some kind of trouble or another. No vehicle in the driveway. Might be some guy roughed her up, or maybe she fled with the rest of them and someone robbed her while she was gone. Linda was the usual bartender at McMick’s. She was always getting herself involved with the wrong guys and Kozz had saved her neck more than once. She often repaid him with a free place to stay and drinks on the house.

  Kozz stepped up onto the deck and opened the front door with one hand while the other gripped Red. Snow had blown into the living room, creating white trails that faded from the door and busted window into the shaggy brown of the carpet. A tall lamp which had stood near the window was now knocked over, but everything else seemed to be in place and it did not look like anything of value had been taken. The kitchen was a mess, but only in a way that reflected Linda’s level of cleanliness. The bedroom held an unmade bed, an armoire with drawers all opened at various lengths, and a closet with a missing door. Everything’s still here. Clothes, jewelry— that girl must’ve been in a hurry to leave everything behind. Kozz used her restroom and noticed that all of her toiletries were still there. He exited her home with more questions to answer.

  The sky above was a deep orange with spotted gray clouds that faded to a dark blue in the east, and a soft snowfall drifted sideways in the light wind. Kozz continued down the road, but he stopped in front of Linda’s neighbor’s house where a large snow-covered lump sat in the driveway. Kozz walked over to it and brushed away the snow, revealing a red taillight. Goddamn, first vehicle I’ve seen since coming here. He pushed more powder away and found that the hood was open and bent back. What the hell? He dug out the snow that covered the energy cells and found them smashed. More digging exposed slashed hoses and torn belts. What is this shit? Someone had ripped the working parts of the vehicle to shreds and the rest of the vehicle was left undamaged. Those power cables back at the warehouse, was that Moe? I don’t know. Did another one of those demons do this? More puzzle pieces filled Kozz’s mind and he struggled to fit them together.

  He turned to the house and saw more shattered windows. Red came out of her holster as Kozz began to fear the possibility that the town was not only empty, but dangerous. He walked to the front door to see if anybody was inside and found that the door frame had been splintered by forced entry. He pushed the door open slowly, finding a room full of overturned furniture. His eyes fell on a cracked indent in a wall that was spotlighted by the sunlight which came through the doorway. In front of the wall was a tipped sofa with tan fabric that was streaked with dried blood. Kozz steadied himself and made his way to the other end of the room, eyes and ears open. He peeked around the edge of the sofa and found a bloodied man’s body, frozen on the floor at the base of the wall. Damn, it is them. It’s here too. I’ve gotta get my meds and get the hell outta this place.

  Kozz left, not wanting to search the rest of the home. His years of bloodshed and death should have been behind him. He did not want the memories to surface, and he struggled to keep the thoughts of his son concealed from himself. He lit up a stogie and used it to calm himself. It was against doctor’s orders, but a good cigar helped Kozz control his thoughts and settle his aching heart. Escaping the past was a daily battle for Kozz, one that he thought he would never win.

  He picked himself up and blazed a trail down the road. The chill of the snow had worn through the thick layers of Kozz’s boots and his feet began to go numb, the pain in his ankle subsiding with the loss of feeling.

  Kozz turned a corner and saw a light on ahead a few streets near McMick's tavern. Maybe there is a soul left around here after all. As he approached his destination Kozz realized that the source of the light was the drug store across the street from McMick’s. With any luck he could get his medication and find someone to talk with.

  Not a block away from the drug store Kozz passed by The Dawson Inn. Other than a couple of evenings spent at Linda’s, The Dawson Inn was Kozz’s usual stop for the night in Edgetown. The Dawsons never had a child, and so they treated Kozz like a son who visited home every so often from college. Mrs. Dawson always made sure Kozz had a good home cooked meal in him before he went to bed, no matter how much he may have eaten at the tavern earlier in the day. Mr. Dawson was full of extended tales that were adorned with life lessons and morals for Kozz to learn. Their inn looked like all of the other homely buildings off of the main streets, but inside it was quaint and full of smells that made Kozz feel like he was child again, back home with his parents in the good days. He adored the couple and was saddened to see that their home looked as empty and cold as the rest. The Dawsons, too, had fled town.

  Kozz’s hope to find life at McMick’s was erased before he was even able to look inside. The sunken doorway had been completely entombed in snowfall. Trying to enter the tavern would require a lot of digging, and it was not worth the effort.

  Light from the drug store escaped onto the snow-covered road and highlighted something Kozz thought was peculiar. The light created a shadow that ran down the center of the road where a dip had been created. A path. Kozz looked back at his own trail, a rough trench in the deep snow. The recent powder may have softened it up a bit, but that’s a person’s path. That’s for damn sure. Someone’s been through here.

  Red in his hand, Kozz sneaked close to the window of the drug store and dropped down into a squat. He turned his head and looked back over his shoulder with Red gripped in both hands and hanging between his legs. Inside he could see that the light was coming from behind the pharmacy counter and that the aisles of assorted goods inside the store had been ransacked. Most of the shelves were completely empty and what was left had been scattered across the floor. People must’ve bought up all the supplies they needed before making the trip east towards the city. Another dim source of light appeared. Two small lights bobbed up and down in one of the aisles. Kozz almost jumped at the realization. They were eyes. Lord! It’s one of them. Another one of those damn demons.

  Kozz could have blasted it right then and there, but he did not know if they were all murderous. And then there was Moe. It seemed that Moe had returned to his normal self the moment before Kozz had ended his life. The man inside the pharmacy was hefty and balding, perhaps someone's father. Kozz might be able to save him. Maybe there was a chance.

  Kozz got on his knees and crawled under the window towards the front entrance. He then slid open the front door without making a sound and turned himself sideways, slipping through the entrance and stepping into the store. The floor was littered with odds and ends that were left behind in the evacuation.

  Kozz stepped towards the man and put Red away to appear less intimidating. “Hey buddy, let’s talk.” The man’s head popped up over the aisle’s shelving, white eyes glowing. Kozz put his hands up palms-open towards the man. “No harm, no trouble.” The man’s head dropped and Kozz heard the fast thunking of the heavy body sprinting down the aisle. “I don’t want to hurt you, friend.” The body rounded the corner and charged, but Kozz held his ground. The demon-eyed beast hissed a throaty growl and leaped at it
s prey. The man was much larger than Moe and could do some serious damage, so to avoid taking the blow Kozz hunkered down low and used the man’s forward momentum to lift the chubby body and hurl it over and behind himself. The man tried to latch onto Kozz and gashed three long fingernails across his cheek as it flew into the air. It crashed through several rows of shelves and was buried under the rubble, gurgling wet noises as it attempted to uncover itself.

  “What’s your name?” shouted Kozz. “Come on now. Fight off that damn demon and give me your name!” Objects flew through the air as the demon-eyed man hurled the store’s scattered goods at Kozz. He dodged a pair of pliers and blocked a couple pieces of broken shelf with his forearm, but a can of chili hit him square in his sprained ankle and Kozz yelled out with a cry of agony as he fell to the ground. The creature launched more objects at him and Kozz blocked what he could. “Fight that damn thing inside of you. Wake up and give me your name!” Kozz lifted himself into a sitting position with his arms and Red left her holster. A ceramic serving plate flew past his head like a frisbee and smashed into a wall. “Tell me now if there is a sane person in there or—” the body stood from the rubble, brandishing a long kitchen knife. The creature staggered over the mess and slashed the blade in Kozz’s direction. Red found her aim. The demon found its footing and rushed forward.