The Rain | Part 1 | The Beginning

by Standlee, Marietta

  If this story is suppressed, then this is happening everywhere. And it frightens me. Not just that, the maniacs are getting more organized, but also the lack of information our government is letting out about it.

  “Is this the end, then?” I ask a day later at the breakfast table.

  Martin shakes his head. His voice is filled with emotion, wanting to convey his optimism while trying at the same time to be cautious. A weird combination, but it works for him. “No, don’t ever think that. There is always hope. Things will change, though.”

  I appreciate his honesty and take a big bite of my breakfast sandwich. Despite the unsettling topic of the end of the world, my appetite is stronger than ever. Which I entirely blame on the workouts Martin puts us through.

  Yesterday morning’s training was interesting, to say the least. Several boys and girls from yesterday joined us. It’s like we are building our own small army, and it’s scaring the shit out of me at the same time as it is strangely reassuring.

  The day of the attack, we were forced to spend the night in the locker room, listening to the nerve-wracking pounding on the roof and door. The sounds never ceased, never gave us a chance to find rest or sleep. Some of the boys and I kept a close eye on the others to see if anybody else would crack.

  After Mr. Heffner’s initial break down, we had to subdue him again, and then one of the girls became hysterical. I was the one who punched her out. None of the boys wanted to hit a girl, and she didn’t leave me much of a choice. It had been either that or bind and muzzle her.

  I was right about one thing, though. As soon as the last raindrop fell, our phones worked again. Interestingly, at the same time, as the pounding on the roof stopped, the pounding on the door stopped as well. When the sheriff finally arrived, all the maniacs were long gone; only the dead remained in the gym.

  There were twenty-five dead maniacs, six kids, and two teachers. It could have been so much worse, though. The officials reprimanded Blake and me halfheartedly for bringing weapons on to school property. But since everybody hailed us as heroes, the sheriff had a hard time punishing us. I could tell he didn’t want to either. He settled for two days suspension, which suited Blake and me just fine since it meant we could get some rest. At least we thought we would. Martin, however, had not only other plans but was also relentless.

  The very next morning, we picked right up where we left off. And, as promised, more kids joined us, but when they were allowed to go to school, Blake and I resumed our training for the rest of the day. That night I took a hot bath and fell into my bed, without even eating my dinner, and was asleep the instant my head hit the pillow.

  And today, bright and early, at two-thirty in the morning, Martin wakes us, and we are in the woods by three, like clockwork. To my amazement, the kids from yesterday show not only up, but they have multiplied, including the two freshmen we had to peel off the wall. I learn their names are Eric and Michael. They appear somewhat ashamed of their performance from two days ago, and I admire their willingness to do something about it.

  Martin splits us into two groups, and to my astonishment, has me in charge of one and Blake the other. We are to annihilate the other team, and Martin hands out laser guns and tags instead of regular weapons.

  Each group is ten people strong, and I note happily that Maggie is on my team. As well as Eric -one of the newbies, Ace and Jose from my old team, and then there are Bobbie and Tao -both boys are new to the football team as well as Caren, Lennard, and another guy, whose name I always forget. It’s something like John or James.

  Blake’s group gets to move out first, while Martin is taking my team and me for a ride in his truck. He takes us further into the forest for about fifteen minutes before he leaves us literally by the roadside, warning us ‘not to get ourselves killed.’

  The road he left us on is an old forest road; tire tracks are partially overgrown. How Martin finds these spots is beyond me.

  He has been training me long enough, though, because I can actually make out the small deer trail leading further into the forest. That’s where I will take my team to, but first, we need to get off this road and into the woods.

  When you really listen for it, you can hear how alive the forest is, even at almost four in the morning, or especially at four in the morning, when the sun is slowly rising and waking all the little and big forest critters up. Crickets still chirp, birds begin their singing. The undergrowth is rustling, probably mice and other small creatures.

  It’s pretty too; ferns grow everywhere as well as berry bushes. Which are not quite in season yet, but some blooms are beginning to sprout -probably because of the unnatural heat; they must think it’s later in the season.

  Thick trees surround us from all sides, with vines growing along their trunks and moss growing up their sides. It smells like woods, a smell I absolutely love. But today, there is just a hint of something too sweet in the air. I’m not sure where or what it is. Typically, the forest smells more masculine, damp, and like bark and mushrooms, but not today.

  The hint of sweetness is making me want to flare my nose and go in search of its source. The urge is strong, but we have other things to do; we are on a mission. I evaluate the ten faces staring at me expectantly.

  “Alright, I hate losing, so I hope you are all well aware that this is not an option.”

  Giggling erupts from Caren and Maggie; I give them both my famous most intimidating glare. “I’m not joking. Check your gear and make sure your guns are ready.”

  I’m acutely aware my group consists of more new people than Blake’s. He also has Jose, Cory, and Drew from our old team. Plus, three more new guys from the football team. It seems unfair, but by now, I’ve learned that Martin rarely does anything without a reason, so I sigh and tell my group to follow me as quietly as possible.

  I’ve only been training for a few short weeks, but this group following me…. let’s just say a herd of elephants would be quieter. I stop them for a minute to demonstrate how to move around more quietly. The key is to keep a low center of balance and to set the toes and balls of the feet first and lightly down. Then to pay attention to how the weight shifts while creeping forward.

  A few minutes later, I grudgingly give them credit as they seem to have it down. Even the giggling from my best friend and Caren stopped. Instead, all I hear is heavy breathing as we make our way uphill through dense foliage, moving away from the path.

  Maggie sees it first. “What the hell is that?”

  She points at a strange-looking plant, hidden in the middle of an array of ferns. Its bright orange leaves seem to glow, and the tiny veins inside pulse blood red. Never in my life have I seen a flower like this before. Something about it reminds me of the iridescence of the rain; I shudder. Eric takes a picture.

  “I’ll show it to Mrs. Shultz later; she’s my biology teacher, she’ll know.” He announces.

  The sweet smell I noticed earlier is more pungent here; I wonder if it is coming from the plant. Suddenly the urge to get out of here, fast, rushes through me. The creepy vibes I’m getting from the flower is beginning to freak me out. I’m about to tell everybody to keep moving when I spot a black bug making its way up on one of the leaves. I’m not sure why my curiosity sparks, but I decide to observe the bug for a minute. It doesn’t even take that long. Before I can blink, something akin to a tongue slithers out of the strange plant’s stem, it engulfs the bug and pulls it inside. A shudder goes through the plant and the tiny veins that were blood-red at first turn purple before turning back red.

  We all stare at each other as if we saw a ghost.

  “What the hell?” Maggie asks.

  “I have never seen anything like this,” Drew adds.

  I stand up and notice something else. The entire forest has gone eerily quiet. No bird is singing, no cricket chirps. There is not even the annoying sound of a buzzing insect. Granted, it’s still early in the morning, but lately, it has gotten so hot, crickets chirp almost nonstop. And now there is not
hing. It’s a nearly deathly silence. A silence that gives me goosebumps and makes me feel as if ice-cold fingers run up and down my back. The eerie quiet is surrounding us and feels oppressive. I search around. The sensation of being watched is intense, but I’m not sure if I’m really feeling it or if my overactive imagination is reacting to the stillness of the usually lively forest. Either way, I think I’m done with the war games for today.

  I pull out my phone, no signal. I wrinkle my forehead and turn to the others. “Is anybody getting a signal?”

  Phones get pulled and turned on in unison, shortly after heads shake at me.

  “Do you normally get service around here?” Ace asks.

  I shrug: “I’m not sure, I haven’t been to this part of the forest before, but we get service where we first met this morning.” I put my phone back. “We need to get out of here.”

  “Yeah, let’s get those guys.” Caren agrees enthusiastically.

  “You feel it too?” Ace asks; both of us ignore Caren, who appears ready to pounce on somebody, oblivious to Ace’s and my unease.

  Ignoring Caren, I nod. I don’t need to ask Ace what he means. If the California trip taught us anything, it’s paying attention to our senses.

  “Let’s get back to the trail where Martin dropped us off,” I order.

  The others notice that Ace’s and my demeanor have changed. But to their credit, nobody asks any questions as we track back towards the trail. It doesn’t take long before we are back on the forest road.

  I feel a bit better being out in the open instead of under the canopy of the trees, where all kinds of things could lurk. We are more exposed this way, but the advantage of seeing what is coming outweighs it.

  For the first time, I think about bears and cougars. Martin gave us a spiel on what to do if we ran into one of those hunters, but I still don’t fancy meeting up with any sharp-toothed wood critter. Especially today, where we don’t even carry real guns.

  “What kind of weapons did you guys bring?” I ask.

  Most kids stare helplessly at their useless lasers, but some like Ace and Jose brought a knife or two. Even Maggie pulls out a good-sized hunting blade. I’m impressed. It’s not much, especially if we run into a wild animal, but it’s better than nothing.

  We march back down the hill without a hitch, but I catch Ace throwing worried glances into the forest surrounding us on both sides more than once.

  “Did you see something?” I ask wearily.

  He shakes his head. “No, it’s silly; it’s more like a…. feeling.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean, like somebody is watching you?”

  “Exactly.” He nods.

  “Let’s keep our eyes open and get back.” I assert.

  Maggie lets out a shriek of fear as something small and furry dashes out of the underbrush, right in front of her. It runs full speed across the path before vanishing in the bushes on the other side.

  She laughs. “Just a bunny.”

  We hear it almost the same moment as we see it. Loud rustling in the underbrush announces it before it breaks free with a mighty shriek and the all familiar hissing sound. But it’s not a maniac. It’s a little bigger than a turkey, with an impressive, furious beak, which I’m sure can do a lot of damage. The body is covered in what seems to be a mix of feathers and fur, but it is so fast on the bunny’s trail, I can’t get a good visual on it.

  “What the hell was that?” Eric yells, jumping back.

  “It looked like a turkey.” Ace ventures.

  “Turkey’s don’t chase bunnies.” Maggie states.

  Caren screams and points at a tall bush. A set of menacing amber eyes stare straight at us. A shiver goes down my spine; instinctively, I reach for my knife. The eyes bore into me; the pupils are dark black, narrow, and oval-shaped like the ones of a reptile.

  They seem to study me, just before something fast jumps out at me. I barely have time to scream, step back, and raise my knife. I’m thankful for the weeks of training that have sharpened my reaction time, saving my life. Instead of raking across my body, the sharp claws of my unknown assailant scrape down my arm.

  A shriek of pain coming from the thing -which is almost my size, lets me know I at the very minimum injured it, just like it hurt me. Before I can step forward, the creature vanishes back into the bush, and all I can see are strong hind legs catapulting a lizard-like body back into the thick of the forest.

  “What the fuck?” Ace exclaims.

  “Did you get a look at that thing?” Eric asks with wide eyes.

  Caren is on the verge of hyperventilating.

  John or James, or whatever his name is, clears his throat. “I think we should get out of here.”

  I nod my agreement mutely. The pain in my arm seeks my attention, and I twist to look at the damage. Several long, ugly scratch marks and blood mar my skin. Whatever the thing was, its claws got me as good as I know my knife got it.

  It takes us about thirty minutes to get back to our meeting point. All of us keep up a constant vigilance towards the bushes and trees on either side of us, which slows us down tremendously.

  I’m more than happy when we finally reach Martin, who is surprised to see us back so soon. Without much stealth, we stomp into his campsite.

  “Where are the others?” I ask by way of greeting.

  “What happened to your arm?” Martin retorts, going for his backpack.

  “I have service again,” Jose states and calls somebody, hopefully, Blake or one of the others from the opposing team.

  “There are some strange creatures in the woods,” I inform Martin between clenched teeth as he cleanses my scratches.

  “What did that to you?”

  I shake my head. “I have no idea; it was so fast. But there was this plant….”

  I fill him in about our encounters while crying out in pain occasionally when he adds another stinging potion to my wounds.

  “I think that first thing we saw was a turkey,” Eric declares.

  “Like I said, turkeys don’t chase bunnies,” Maggie reiterates her earlier point.

  “Maybe the other thing we saw chased both of them?” I wonder out loud.

  Ace’s voice is confident. “No man, whatever that thing was, it was after us. I felt it watching us.”

  John or James snickers. “Sure, you felt it. Whatever, Gordy.”

  “Shut up, Hugo.” Drew turns on him.

  Hugo? I liked John or James better. Who in the world names their kid Hugo, I wonder?

  “What’s going on?” Blake arrives breathlessly with the rest of his group. He takes in his dad, doctoring my arm, and rushes over. “You okay?”

  Martin looks up. “I want to get that plant. Think you can find it again, Viv?”

  “Absolutely. Just take me to where you dropped us off.” I assure him eagerly.

  “What plant? Who did that to you? What’s going on here?” Blake wants to know.

  “I’ll explain later, Blake; get the lasers and tags. Hand out weapons, then take these guys back home.” Martin orders his son. “And keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual.”

  “What are you going to do?” Blake asks apprehensively, looking from his father to me and back. I can tell he is dying to find out what happened.

  Martin winks at me. “I’m taking Viv for a hike.”

  Chapter 16

  “This is indeed a strange-looking plant,” Martin exclaims.

  We finally made it back into the dense forest. It didn’t take me long to find the spot where we encountered the plant. The sweet smell I noticed earlier leads us right towards it. Nervously I search around, my gun ready in hand; I wish I had a rifle instead.

  Whatever was out here earlier seems to have moved on. The birds chirp away as I swat at flies buzzing around.

  “Vivian, make yourself of use and get me the shovel from the truck.”

  I clench my teeth. Anybody else would have received a smack upside the head talking to me like this, but I grudgingly give Martin
the respect he deserves. He is a good leader and trainer, so I let his choice of words go and rather pity Blake and Colin for having grown up with this. And then I consider that Colin might come by his arrogance honestly. His dad is not much better.

  I find the shovel and drop it in front of Martin, narrowly missing his boots. He eyes me questioning, but I smile sweetly. Sometimes playing the girl card does pay off.

  “See if you can find a large container or something. I want to dig this plant out and take it to a friend of mine.”

  “Yes, Sir.” I mock salute and go back to the truck. After some rummaging, I find a couple of plastic bags. When I get back to Martin, I sense it again and notice the sounds around us have died down.

  “Martin?”

  “I hear it.” He says in a clipped voice.

  He got his gun ready by his side and digs a little faster. I keep an eye on our surroundings. Every little snap of a twig makes me spin, gun pointed. Martin reaches for the plant.

  “Stop,” I scream and smack his hand back.

  He looks at me half amused, half annoyed, so I explain: “We don’t know what it is, use the plastic bag.”

  “Good thinking.” he praises, to which I can’t help but beam.

  His praises are few and far between, so every little thing counts. I put my gun down to hold the other bag open while he uses the others like gloves to pull out the small plant.

  The flower is just barely the size of his hand, and he carefully deposits it into the bag. Suddenly, something comes zipping out of the underbrush. A sharp beak attacks my bare legs, and I scream out while jumping back.

  Martin, who crouches on the ground, loses his balance as I smash into him. The attacking beak keeps hacking at my leg while I try to smack it away, and it goes for my hands instead.

  It’s the turkey-like looking creature again. Whatever it is, it’s ferocious, and it’s hurting me. Martin finally gets his balance back and grabs the thing by the long neck. Within seconds he breaks its neck, and we can finally get a good look at the thing.