by Maxey, Phil
Meg did her best to ignore how that was possible. That those who owned them did not even have time to climb into the driver’s seats and get away before the spores floating on the wind, entered their lungs, turning them into something else. She hated the new world, but she was damn sure she wasn’t going to let it take her as well. It had claimed too many. People needed to fight back, to survive. She wanted to be part of that. As the frequency of restaurants, motels and offices grew greater and closer to the side of the road, images of her late husband scrolled across her mind. She missed him, but was glad he didn’t have to deal with what she was having to. One day soon she would be with him, but before then there was work to be done.
She glanced at the boy. “You’ll stay in the car. I might have to go outside, but I won’t go far. Okay?” He nodded. “We’ll stay for about ten minutes, and if there’s no one there, we will leave. And I need you to keep watch. If you see anything moving towards us that isn’t human, shout, let me know. Got that?” He nodded again. She sighed. “Don’t worry. Soon we’ll be with the others.”
Be there, Jess.
Just visible against the lighter sky to the east was a dome of a large building.
“You see that?”
“I think so… what is it?”
“The place we need to be.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
5: 16 p.m.
Landon looked out into the rich darkness. His eyes were well adjusted but still weren’t much use. The even darker walls of buildings loomed on three out of the four compass directions, the biggest being to the north, the capital building. Its subdued gray stonework catching what little light there was from the sky. He didn’t want to know what lurked within its confines…
Concentrate. One of these vehicles has to be what we need.
He had already traced his hands over a few sedans and one pickup, but all were modern with security that would stop him starting them even if he gained entry.
He jogged to the next, but straight away he could tell its curves put it within the last decade. A stench drifted on the chill wind, which was picking up. The trees nearby rustled as he moved to another vehicle, this one’s shadow larger than the previous. His palm slid across cold metal, moving in a linear fashion then reached a sharp corner. Whatever it was, it was old, maybe 90s. He felt an empty space above the back.
Pickup.
He quickly moved to the driver’s side, the glass reflecting a hint of light and flicked his flashlight on, making sure to keep it pointed down. Worn leather seats sat behind round dials and a molded plastic dashboard.
Yup, this—
A noise echoed around the nearby pillars of brick, not natural, but not menacing. This was purely mechanical. He stood and looked towards the direction from where he thought it was coming from. Was that a vehicle moving towards the capital building?
Cones of light bobbed up and down above the hill in front of him. He ran towards them…
A few hundred yards away, Meg tried to make sense of the void beyond the headlights. The huge building at the back of the small park was obvious. But there was no sign of anyone out there, between the trees and statues.
“This has got to be the place…” she said to herself. “Can you see anything?” she said to Tye.
“Nothing…”
She slowed the old truck then turned left into a small parking lot where a few vehicles still resided. “We’ll drive over the grass and stop at the bottom of the steps. If they’re here, they should see us.”
She tried her best to see beyond the headlights, but the glare made the surrounding area even darker. They bumped up a curb, clipping a trashcan but kept going. She slid the window down, hoping to better see laterally, but instead she just gained a lungful of stink, as if what they were heading towards was not an early twentieth century building but a mound of rotting trash.
Tye’s breathing became rapid and labored at the same time. “The monsters are here, that’s their smell!”
Meg agreed but couldn’t see any sign of movement in the dark around them. The pickup came to a halt on the concrete, the numerous stone steps rising up to their left. She tapped the wheel. “Come on, Jess, where are—”
A screech rang out from somewhere above, within the building.
“They’re here! They’re here!” said Tye.
“It’s okay! We’re lea—”
The engine died, as did the headlights, plunging the cabin into darkness.
“No, damn it!”
She fumbled beneath the steering column, trying to locate the wires.
Another screech, this time deeper, tore from the building above them, then another and another, each animalistic sound overlapping the previous, filling the air with a chilling chorus.
“They’re coming to eat us!” shouted Tye.
Meg looked up, trying to see what Tye could, but her aging eyes couldn’t see anything in the black void they were within. “Come on, kid! we have to get out and run—”
Something heavy banged on the window, making her jump towards the passenger’s side in fright.
“Meg!” shouted Landon, the form of his face just visible on the other side of the driver’s window.
Her heart felt as if it would explode, but she pushed her door open, grabbing her pack and the pistol then turned to the boy. “Get out this side!”
Tye scrambled across.
“It won’t start!” she shouted to Landon then felt his hand on her arm pulling her with him. Throwing her hand out she did the same to Tye, all three now running across the concrete then soft ground, following the dancing tiny spark of light which was Landon’s flashlight. She had no idea where they were heading, but the stench of the things was thicker, as if they were running through sewage and at the back of her mind, a voice screamed that the ground was shaking.
They suddenly arrived at a downward slope and each struggled to keep their footing on the slippery surface, stumbling down then falling off the edge of a small wall onto the sidewalk.
Jess’s voice burst from Landon’s radio. “There are… things, a mass… moving towards you!”
There was no chance for him to respond and the three of them pushed their arms and legs, sprinting across the street then side walk, then down the alley until Landon crashed through the door he entered earlier.
Meg and Tye did the same. He slammed it closed behind them, looking for anything to put up against it, but the corridor was bare. Something thundered into the narrow space outside and he turned, putting his back up against the few inches of wood.
His light shook in his free hand as the three of them listened to their own heavy breathing, then the sound of something walking or was it slithering? Just a few feet away on the damp ground of the alleyway.
He raised a hand to his lips, but Meg and Tye needed no encouragement to stay silent or even to stop from making a movement.
The sound of the awkward lumbering thing grew fainter, but intermittent screeches still rang out in the distance.
Each of them crept away from the door, as the one at the opposite end creaked open. Landon flicked his light up to his wife’s face which was one of joy on seeing Meg.
They moved into the basement area which was now lit by a few candles and Jess flung her arms around the older woman. “I can’t believe you made it back here!”
Landon looked at Arlo, then to the stack of wooden furniture in the corner. “Help me get that against the outside door.”
Meg smiled as both women pulled apart. “You won’t believe what happened. Run into some—”
“Oh! I have the vaccine!” Jess turned, quickly walked to an area at the back of the room, where some chairs had been placed as well as a small table.
“You found your friend’s place?”
Jess nodded, letting out a sigh while opening the silver case. “Yes.” She pulled one of the small bottles, handing it to Meg then quickly counted the remaining twelve bottles and closed the case.
*****
6:
45 p.m.
Jess stood in the tiny room of the church’s spire and looked through the scope of an AR-15 rifle to the world outside. Dark forms moved within the sea of darkness which covered the nearby streets and open areas. The sounds had stopped, but the things had settled into a constant circling motion around the building she and the others were in. The scope lacked any night vision and she wanted to be surprised at how well she could see in the dark, wanted to believe that the change hadn’t actually done anything fundamental to her, but there was no doubting it, she could see far better than she could before, despite the almost uniform blackness. Once all of this was over, she was sure she was going to have to run a whole lot of tests on herself, and Sam to determine just how different their bodies were, but that was for another time. Right now she was happy to have the gift of enhanced vision.
It also wasn’t lost on her that it wasn’t long ago she was in exactly the same situation. Her life had become one long bid to stay alive, to stay ahead of the death which now lurked on the streets and buildings of every city and town.
She shook her head. The thought was too depressing. Not the emotion she needed.
They’re alive…
Somehow Josh and Landon had not only made it out of the motorhome, but had found their way back to her and Sam. She wasn’t a religious person but that was something close to a miracle.
A crackling from her radio made her jump. She figured that when Biochron realized where she and the others were heading they gave up on her. No matter how valuable she might have been to them, they weren’t going to go on a suicide mission. That meant though that they were free to use the radios.
“How’s it looking? Over,” said Landon. Part of her wanted to scream that she could see in the dark really well, but she couldn’t take seeing his reaction. He was married to something not entirely human.
“They’re still out there. Moving around the building. Maybe a few hundred. Too many for us to get through. Over.”
“Any getting closer to the entrances? Over.”
“Not that I can see. How’s Josh and Sam? And Tye? Over.”
“All three are quiet. Hardly talking to me or each other. They’re scared. Over.”
“We all are.” She looked at her watch. “Daylight in about twelve hours. Tell them that once it’s light the things will leave and we can get out of this place, and the city. Over.”
“You believe that? We’ve seen them in the daylight as well. Over.”
“I… yes. Tell them that. Over.”
“Okay… I love you. Over.”
She smiled. It’s funny how mere words can make you feel warm inside, she thought. “Feeling’s mutual. Over.”
A few hundred feet below, Landon looked over to the table and the three youngsters together beneath it, their backs against the far wall. Sam and Tye had a book in their laps, but Josh was turned to the side, away from them. The boy stroked Donnie who seemed to be subdued. Landon wondered just how much the animal sensed the unnatural things outside.
“So—”
Arlo made him jump a little. He had forgotten he was sat in front of him, Arlo being against the left wall near the stairs to the ground floor.
“— What you do before…” Arlo briefly looked away, retrieving the memory. “Police officer.” He flashed a joyless smile. “My mind’s a little mixed up.”
“What did you do?”
“Professional game player.”
“Like a chess master or something?”
Arlo scoffed. “No. War games and stuff. Used to play from my van… when I could get a good connection. Had an online channel. Did pretty well for myself.” He looked glum, his glasses teetering on the end of his nose. “Not really the most useful skill to have in the middle of all this.” He pushed them back up.
Landon wanted to say things would one day get back to normal, but in his heart he felt differently and he lacked the energy to lie. “You’re immune. Millions of others weren’t.” Arlo looked down and Landon immediately regretted his tone. “I’m just saying. If we make it four more days, then you get a chance to be anything you—”
Something clattered in the corridor to his right. He got up, pushing the door open slightly and angled his flashlight to see to the other end. A chair had fallen from the tangle of pieces of furniture that were stacked in front of the external door.
“What’s happening?” said Josh from beneath the table.
Landon looked back to his son. “It’s fine. Just a—” Splinters and lumps of wood exploded towards him, hitting the door he was holding, almost knocking it from his hand, but he dropped his flashlight regardless. He started to bend down, desperate for its flickering light, but in the glow from the basement, he caught a glimpse of a face in the gloom at the far end of the corridor. Almost human in appearance but distorted in anguish, as if it had been stolen from its previous owner. Giving up on the light with had fallen within the corridor, he grabbed the shotgun near the door, placing it in the gap and fired. Its boom illuminated the narrow space and the multi-legged thing which was creeping over the remains of the broken chairs, cupboards and shelves. It recoiled from the shot, scurrying back into the shadows. Landon slammed the door closed, looking at the remaining pieces of furniture then the frightened faces. “We need to barricade this door.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
7: 32 p.m.
Groans and expletives came from below Jess, from the ladder to the spire room. Meg’s red face appeared. In her hand was a flask. Jess quickly moved forward, taking it from her then leaned down, offering her hand. Meg clasped it and with one motion was lifted almost completely out of the opening.
“Whoa, you’re a lot stronger than you look!”
Jess awkwardly smiled. Then held the flask up. “Thanks for this. You would think being in a building surrounded by monsters would keep you awake, but not so much.” She took the plastic cup from the top. “Will you join me?”
Meg smiled then nodded.
Jess poured some cold coffee into the cup, then handed the flask back to Meg. “How you feeling?”
“Tired. Can’t remember the last time I slept. Once this is all over, I think I’m going to find a hole somewhere, climb in and sleep for about five days.”
“I hear that. Is it secure downstairs?”
“As much as it can be. Got some heavy shelving units in front of the basement door. So that route out is now cut off. Only way in and out of the basement is the stairs to the ground floor. Tracey’s inside the church, keeping an eye on the main doors and windows.” Meg nodded towards the small triangular panel of glass and the slight sparkle of some stars in the sky. “Clear night. Going to be cold.” She got up and looked out, but the city below was still a mass of vague shadow. “How you can see anything out here, I don’t know. I guess I’ve got to the point I need glasses!”
“Oh, I’ve always seen well in the dark…” Jess wondered how obvious her lie would be to the older woman.
“Right…” Meg let out a sigh. “I’m not sure if I would want to see what’s out there. But it would seem in the morning, we’re going to know anyway. Any plans on how we get out of here? If the things don’t want to leave?”
Jess had spent the last hour thinking about just that. She had asked Landon if there were any secret tunnels in the basement that led to the sewers or other buildings. In the movies when people were trapped in a building, there was always a secret tunnel that would lead them out. But there wasn’t. So the next idea was to cause a distraction. Get the creatures to chase after something else and give them a chance to slip out in a vehicle. Landon said he found one that they could use in the parking lot, on their west side, but they still needed to get to it and then get it started. If that was even possible, with creatures around effecting the flow of electrons. It was a long shot at best. She looked at Meg and smiled. “I have some ideas.” This lie she sold better.
Meg slapped her own thigh. “Good! That’s all I need to know!” She took a sip from the flask and gr
imaced. “Good grief, this is—”
Landon’s voice came from Jess’s radio just as screeches rang out from somewhere outside. “They’re… Corridor… trying…”
“Say again?” said Jess. “Are they inside? Over.”
“They’re trying to get into the basement! We’re holding them back for now! Over.”
Meg dropped the flask and started to climb down.
Jess took a quick glimpse outside again. Were there even more shapes moving in the dark? “I’m coming with you!” she said, following Meg.
In the basement, something solid slammed into the door to the corridor, making the kids yelp and the dog bark. Landon shook his head then stopped the movement, noticing Josh looking at him. He looked to Arlo. “It’s not going to last.”
“What are we going to do!”
The sound of footsteps came from the stone steps, drawing their attention.
Tracey, out of breath, staggered into the smokey air of the basement. “Their breaking through the windows in the church! And the rear door to the parking lot!”
More footsteps were followed by Jess and then a bellowing Meg, who immediately bent over, placing her hands on her hips. Jess started to speak, but before the first word left her mouth an impact on the door, left a shuddering black claw trying to create a larger hole.
Landon raised his shotgun. “Everyone get upstairs! We have to make a stand up there!”
The claw pulled back, taking with it a good chunk of the top part of the door, while a mass of tentacles or maybe antenna squirmed on the other side.
“Come on, kids!” said Meg, grabbing a candle and shepherding the three of them between the shelves to the ascending steps.
Landon and Tracy both fired repeatedly at the thing emerging, making it screech and fall back into the darkness beyond the failing barrier. “Go!” he shouted to those around him. “I’ll hold it—” The heavy shelves flipped back towards him, sending him staggering back into a stone pillar just as they crashed down on top of him. Jess screamed, running towards the heap of wood, trying to locate Landon beneath it as brown tentacles wrapped around the door frame, ripping it from the stonework. Tracey fired her rifle repeatedly into the darkness of the corridor, Arlo the same with his handgun.