Frostarc

by Arthur McMahon

  KABLAM!

  A hole the size of a fist exploded open in the possessed man’s chest. The demon inside screamed at a glass-shattering pitch and its eyes beamed as if the light was steam released under high pressure, its face stretching out like a ghoul’s to vent the explosions of light and noise. Kozz closed his eyes and plugged his ears. Like a goddamn banshee! He tried to protect his senses, but could not block its intensity, and he hollered back an unintelligible garble at the creature, doing all he could to escape the unearthly shriek. The body fell forward and landed at Kozz’s feet. The howling light ended just as quickly as it had begun. The knife stuck into the floorboards with the dead man’s grip still firm, but Kozz kicked the blade away and took in a deep breath.

  When that thing died it didn’t laugh like the one before. The glow in its eyes didn’t escape, it was extinguished. That fucker didn’t get away this time, I killed it. Kozz felt like he was going to pass out from the experience. His heart was pumping again and pain was starting to settle in. He tried to calm himself while marveling at what had just gone down. This is wrong. They must know this isn’t a disease by now. These people are possessed by something evil. Kozz noticed Red in his hand, still smoking from the kill. She’s happy. She hasn’t seen any real action in years, since before I ran away to this ice world. She’s a canon, a magnum, a gun deserved to be called so. Pops taught me to take care of her and use her properly, told me to take my time and not waste my bullet. She’s heavy. I can hold her true with one arm, most men would need two. She’s pining for more.

  Kozz stood up to get away from the dead body. The can that had smacked his ankle caused more pain than damage, and other than a throbbing ache Kozz felt no extra grief from the impact. He walked over to the pharmacy counter to find his medication. The lone light was bright enough to see well behind the counter, but it would still be a chore to riffle through the shelves of medication to find his prescription. He remembered how the young pharmacists never went back to look for his pills, instead they always bent below the counter and grabbed a bag marked with his name. He checked under the counter and found a small brown bag, then turned it around and on it written in black marker was “Kozz”. He opened the bag and inside the two small bottles rattled. One was for his depression, or so the doctor had called it, but he knew that it was more of a pill to control his anger outbursts. The other was for his chest pains, ischemia of the heart.

  Kozz walked over to the restroom and washed the blood and sweat off his face, cleaning the three gashes that were cut across his left cheek. His eyes were cold steel. “You’re one ugly dog,” Kozz said to his reflection, “but you’ve got class.” A small smile cracked the corner of his lips and he saluted himself. It was refreshing to see a somewhat normal face, one that was not stretched out of proportion or holding a murderous snarl.

  He sat on the toilet to rest and he let out a slow sigh. Thinking of the faces of the two men he had killed over the past few hours soured his thoughts. I’m sorry for what I’ve done, but I think I might've helped Moe and that other man escape their evil captors. Torn power cables and smashed cars, scuffled homes and an empty town. No way to get a hold of anyone. This is something serious. All I know is that whatever is happening is some freaky shit, and I’m sure I’ll see a lot more of it if I keep going on. I could go home and ride this thing out on my little ranch. I can find enough food in this town to last me a while if I have to. I might be lonely, but I’m sure I would be safe from whatever the hell is going on, the disease or whatever it is couldn’t survive the miles upon miles of frozen wasteland.

  And what about Priscilla? My darling Priscilla. That message said that this was a worldwide pandemic, but what if it has escaped to the other planets? What if it made it to Erde? I have to make sure she’s safe from it. Ten years since I’ve seen her, ten years since those bastards stole my son away from me, ten years since I abandoned my beautiful wife, but I had to. There was no other choice, no other way for her to be safe, but now she could be in danger again and I have to find her. “I sought solitude for good reason, but now I’ve got to get out.” I’m going to die cold and alone on these frozen plains if I stay much longer. At one time that seemed like it was worth it, it was what I was looking for. I wanted to die alone. I wanted to never be seen again. “Hell, it’s been long enough.”

  So that’s it then, I’m not going home. I might return one day, but that won’t be for a good long time. Kozz fired up a stogie. Sometimes a hard think is enough to send my ticker racing. The pain it brings is like a swift kick in the nuts. It’ll make me drop to my knees and beg for mercy, something no person has ever been able to do, but I’ve been good lately. Between my medicine, the cigars, and some smarts I’ve had good control over it, though that might change soon. It may not be too good for my heart to get all charged up, but it feels damn good. I shouldn’t enjoy this, but I am.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The Boy

  Kozz rummaged through the remaining goods on the drug store floor. He found a leather bag and loaded it with his prescriptions, several packages of dehydrated of food, a few meal bars, bandage wraps, and some other odds and ends, then he strapped it onto his shoulder and went out the door. Kozz welcomed the outside chill and set out for his truck, taking a new path back and cutting through the dip in the middle of the street. The direct route to the main streets took him through a thin alley, bordered on one side by a wire fence and the other by the back ends of homes.

  Along the path Kozz spotted another light shining in the night. A back porch light hung from its holding by a solitary wire, still emanating a faint, frost-covered glow. The geothermal generator in the yard was still running and had kept itself warm and free of snow. White powder around the home sparkled as Kozz walked, reflecting the bulb’s light like a shimmering sea on a moonlit night. He approached the back windows and looked inside, seeing that nothing was left but a hefty-looking table in the center of the house. Kozz moved on, the homes growing in size and decoration as he neared the main streets.

  Thud.

  A hollow sound in the distance. It could be anything, thought Kozz, maybe a garbage can falling over or a door swinging in the breeze.

  Bam!

  A small explosion out there somewhere, like a large firecracker. Kozz was not sure what was going on, but Red had found her way into his hand. The noise was far away and he did not feel an immediate threat, but the sounds changed and amplified as he approached the main streets. An extended scraping sound, like a rusty knife on sheet metal, made Kozz cringe.

  He reached the street, exited the alleyway, and down the road he saw a sight that made his heart drop. Shit. Two bodies were tearing at his truck. He saw that many of the tires had been popped and the energy cell compartment was opened and bent back. “Get your asses off her you dirty freaks!” Kozz’s shout caught their attention. A tall, thin man bounded through the snow towards Kozz, and not far behind was a child struggling to move through the deep snow.

  “Tell me someone’s in there you dirty bastard!” Kozz held Red with one arm, straight like an arrow towards his assailant. The tall man ran through the drifts with ease and was soon close enough for Kozz to see the glow in his eyes. “Hey day-glo, is there anyone in there who can hear me?” The creature was unmoved by Kozz's words. It stomped forward and raised its hands like a carnivorous beast ready to pounce on its prey. The creature was close. “Last chance, buddy.” It ducked its head forward and charged like a bull. Red shivered with excitement. Closer it came, the demon almost leaped from the man’s eyes. Closer. Red braced herself. Close enough.

  KABLAM!

  Half of the man’s face was gone, its remaining eye beamed like a flashlight in the night and it gurgled its scream through the blood that poured down its throat. The man’s body fell forward and the demon’s deathly howls were muffled by the snow. The boy followed the trench-like path the man had made and ran at Kozz. He was small with thin, shoulder-length black hair that reminded Kozz of a fistful of string. The b
oy crawled over the hills of snow as he approached Kozz, white eyes gleaming like the moon.

  Shit. There’s no fucking way I can kill a kid. The boy found a solid piece of ground and jumped into a sprint. Kozz noticed the screwdriver the kid held in his hand and Red dropped to his side, sliding back into her holster. I’ve gotta do something. Doesn’t matter if he might try to kill me, he looks too much like— The boy lunged forward, hacking with the screwdriver. Kozz brushed him to the side, but the kid swung back and grazed Kozz’s thigh with the tip, cutting through his jeans and a few layers of skin. Kozz bent down to grip the boy’s arm and ripped the tool out of his hand, tossing it into the distance where it disappeared into the deep snow.

  The boy thrashed about. Kozz pulled him in and wrapped him up in a tight bear hug, holding his arms so that only the boy’s feet were free as they kicked in the air. Kozz squeezed, and the boy squirmed. The child grunted like an angry ape and whipped his head around, gaining enough stretch to bite down on Kozz’s arm and rip off a piece of flesh. Shit, what if it is an infection? This little bastard might have given it to me. Kozz compacted his arms, his bulging muscles crushing the boy, suffocating him. Something popped, likely one of the boy’s ribs. Kozz held for a moment longer and then threw the kid to the ground.

  The fire-eyed boy arched in pain when he hit the hard street. He tried to recover, but Kozz dropped a knee on his chest, putting his weight into the knee and twisting it. The boy, the demon, writhed in pain. “Say goodbye, kid.” Kozz grabbed Red and slowly motioned her towards the boy’s head. “Your time is up.” Kozz set Red between the child’s eyes and a smirk appeared on the boy’s face, widening into a devilish smile as Kozz’s face went grim. “Burn in hell.” Kozz’s right forearm flexed as he tightened his grip, placing a finger on the trigger. The boy chuckled with the demonic double voice like Moe had, one soft like a child’s voice and the other heavy like a diesel engine. Kozz put pressure on the trigger and started to pull it back.

  The glow in the boy’s eyes vanished, and Kozz saw a familiar fear and confusion in the child's brown eyes. Sweat and melted snow soaked the boy’s forehead, causing his hair to stick to his head like a mop. His eyes darted all around, examining the setting. He focused on the gun that poked his forehead and the grisly glare of the old man that held it, then he became aware of the prominent pain in his chest. His lips quivered.

  The shock of seeing the boy’s transformation held Kozz in his position for a moment before he lifted himself off of the child and backed away, trying to show as best he could that he meant no harm. The boy scuttled backwards until he settled in a deep drift of snow. He panted and heaved, wincing at the pain he felt with every inward breath. The boy’s world had abruptly morphed into a blackened twister of fear, confusion, and pain. Kozz was the first to speak.

  “I’m not gonna hurt you anymore, kid. It was the demon that held you that I was after, and it’s gone now. You’re safe.”

  The boy’s defensive posture did not change. He could not remember what had happened to him, but what Kozz was saying sounded right, even if it did not make any sense.

  “As far as I can tell,” said Kozz, ”you and me are the only sensible people left in this town now. It was only me until I tricked that demon out of you.” The boy held his chest with one hand and touched the center of his forehead with the other. “I held Red to your head, but she didn’t thirst for your blood. One of your ribs is fractured. Maybe broken, but I doubt it. I’m sorry about that.” He stepped towards the boy, but stopped short as the kid looked like he was about to bolt. “My name is Kozz. I once had a son about your age, his name is Jake. What’s your name, kid?”

  The boy tried to speak. “C-ca…” He coughed and cringed at the pain before working his way around it. “Caleb. I’m Caleb.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Caleb.” Kozz grabbed his leather bag and showed it to the boy. “I’ve got some bandages I just picked up from the store. Let’s wrap you up and then head over to my truck. They’ll help you heal better and I’ve got some aspirin for the pain.”

  Caleb examined the area, noticing the lack of lights and people. He saw the dead man down the street and then looked away. Something had happened that he could not remember. The town was different. He knew that Kozz had killed the man only minutes earlier, he felt like he should have a memory of it, but he had no other choice than to trust him at the moment. He nodded towards Kozz and tried to stand on his own.

  Kozz took two of the rolls of medical wrap out of his bag and walked over to Caleb. The boy’s muscles went stiff when Kozz neared. “This is gonna hurt, but it’s gonna help. You’ll pull through. Caleb’s a strong name.” Kozz wrapped the bandage around the boy's thin torso and over his bony shoulder. The child backed away as he was being wrapped, considering escape, but Kozz pulled Caleb close so that he could properly tend to the boy's injury. Kozz offered Caleb four aspirins and some water, but the boy only accepted the drink. Kozz put the pills away, impressed by the boy’s toughness. He wrapped his bite wound and hoped that he was not going to turn into one of those demons.

  Kozz helped Caleb stand up. Walking was excruciating for Caleb at first, but he quickly learned how to breathe and lean properly to avoid the sharpest pains. Kozz offered to carry Caleb, but the boy had none of it. “Grandma,” said Caleb. “I want to see my grandma.”

  “Sure kid. We’ll go find your grandma after stopping by my rig.”

  Kozz was dismayed as they approached his truck. Seeing the damage up close broke his heart. “My girl,” he said. “What did you do to my girl?” Kozz walked over to the front of his truck and put a hand on her grill like he was feeling for a pulse. Several of the tires had been slashed, more than he had spares for. Everywhere the truck had dents and screwdriver-sized puncture wounds. The energy cell compartment was opened and bent back like the other vehicle he had seen, and inside the energy cells were shattered and many of the other parts had been ripped and torn. Kozz knew how to repair most of the damage, but his experience was limited and even if he had all the necessary parts it would take him days to get her back in operating condition.

  Caleb did not know much about vehicles, but he knew that the truck was enormous and looked to be in bad shape. “Who did this?”

  Kozz was flabbergasted. “You mean you don’t remember doing it?”

  Caleb stood wide-eyed, afraid of evoking Kozz’s anger. He shook his head.

  “Caleb, the demon that was inside you did it. That demon and the one inside that dead man back there.” Caleb’s first instinct was to deny such an accusation. “I only killed the man because his demon was going to kill me. That’s why I had to hurt you, Caleb. Your demon tried to kill me too. I wasn’t able to save that poor guy, but I saved you from the evil that held you.”

  Caleb’s mind was racing, trying to recall the truth that Kozz spoke. It was there, but he could not access it. He felt like imploding from the disarray of his memories, the frustration of the emptiness in his mind. “I c-can’t remember. I think it’s true, but I can’t remember. Kozz, I can’t remember.” The boy wept. Kozz balanced himself in the quake of the boy’s sorrow, trying not to crack himself. He moved forward to hold Caleb, but the boy backed away. He may have felt the truth of the situation, but he still did not trust the man that had held a gun to his head. Kozz let the boy cry out his worries, his concerns, and tried to figure out what they were going to do now without a vehicle.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Confusion

  Caleb pointed in the direction of his grandma’s house, noting that it was not a far walk. Kozz thought she may have left town like everyone else, but it was possible that she had stayed behind, wondering where her grandson was. His hopes were not high.

  Only a couple of blocks away, the home was small and subdued, perched further back from the street than the other buildings. Soft light seeped from a side window. Caleb moved forward towards the door, but Kozz held him back.

  “I’ll make sure it’s safe first.”

&
nbsp; “But Kozz, she’s in there.”

  “Wait outside until I come get you.” Kozz pulled out his knife and handed it to Caleb. “Use it if you need to.”

  Caleb did not have the breath to argue. Kozz opened the unlocked door and walked inside with Red ready to draw. The air was musty and cold. The furniture was neatly in place and untouched trinkets decorated every inch of shelf space, none having been packed and taken away. Thick carpet brushed ice and snow off of Kozz’s boots as he crept about the house. He made his way to the hallway at the other end of the living room and saw the same soft, stagnant light under a doorway at the far end. He heard a low, unintelligible murmur coming from the room.

  The hallway was thin enough that Kozz had to squeeze his way through. The noise became louder as he approached the door and he recognized the sound.

  “Warning. A fatal disease is spreading...”

  His body shivered at the remembrance of the deafening message. Kozz pushed the door open with his free hand, the other held his protector. The hinges squeaked like scurrying mice as they slid on their pivots. A small telepod displayed a gray screen with the warning message playing on a quiet loop. The muted light dispersed throughout the room and led Kozz’s eyes to a horrifying mess on the master bed where a figure almost not recognizable enough to call an old woman laid battered and eviscerated on top of the mattress.

  The mess was a dark red stain in an otherwise colorless room. Kozz would have considered himself faded to such a sight after living a life such as his, but a decade of gore sobriety had weakened his gag reflex. He backed out of the room and down the hall, half falling and half leaping onto the living room couch.