She was resigned to the fact that this could be their last night on Earth. They had a car, sure, but where would they go? They couldn’t just drive around aimlessly looking for a place to crash every night. They couldn’t very well settle here, either. There was nothing left to scavenge, for the most part, and the land was too uneven and clay-ridden to grow crops.
So what would they do?
“Help me, mama,” she whispered. “Give me your guidance.”
A quick movement out of the corner of her eye suddenly caught her attention. Something shadowy had sped across the street, but was gone by the time she looked up. What was it? Was it a person? Was it some survivor who had become feral? Or…
Her eyes widened as she thought of the shadow people Jake had mentioned. Was it one of them? If so, why was it here? Were they dangerous? Would they attack?
The questions were endless.
No matter what the answers, she pressed her face against the glass, straining to see through the darkness. There was no movement this time; only the still shadows, and the gentle swaying of the bare trees against the gray sky. Maybe she had just been seeing things. She had been alone for quite a while before finding Jake; talking to herself, wandering aimlessly with no real destination. Maybe it had gotten to her a little, and this new transition was just part of returning to normalcy.
That happens, right?
Whatever the case, she kept her right hand at her gun belt, ready to draw, and send whatever came at her back to the darkness of death.
“Come for me then,” she whispered. “Come get me. I’m ready.”
Dan could see movement in the distance, beyond the houses that lined the west side of the street. He watched with unblinking eyes, ignoring the sweat that ran down his back and the goosebumps that had formed on his skin. Gone was the strong, pleasant thumping of a healthy heart; replaced by the uneven pounding of terror.
Drew appeared equally concerned, as his eyes were locked in to the shadows as well. Dan could also hear Max’s heavy breathing behind him. The guy was beginning to wheeze like an asthmatic, and Dan could tell he was about to lose his wits.
“Max,” he whispered. “Stay calm, buddy. We got this.”
“I am seriously about to shit my pants,” Max whispered back.
“Save it for the outhouse,” Dan replied. “We may have to run. That’s not gonna be easy with a pants full of shit.”
Max didn’t laugh, but Dan was sure he would see the humor in it.
“Here they come,” Drew said.
A few stumbling figures came into view around the corner of the farthest house. They were both mostly bare, wearing only scummy, ripped up pants. Their flesh was pale and covered in rot, and their gait was uneven, as if walking on partially decomposed muscles.
“Rotters,” Dan said. “Definitely the same group.”
The corpses wandered closer their way, followed by a host of others. If they continued their current path, they would likely pass by without even coming close to the gun store; if the three of them stayed quiet enough.
The remaining horde seemed to be avoiding their street. They continued on to the north, heading toward the center of town. Only a few of them had straggled away from the rest, but the chances of them coming close enough to spot the men were fairly high. Dan flicked the safety off his rifle just in case. He hoped the iron sights were fine-tuned enough to use, seeing as he had not had time to sight the scope.
He really couldn’t take that risk.
“Max,” he whispered. “Let me see that rifle.”
Max handed him the M4A1. Dan would have to use it since there was no guarantee he could hit anything with his new Blackout.
“What are you doing?” Drew asked.
“If that one in front gets too close,” Dan said. “I’m taking it out.”
Drew clenched his jaw, wobbling his head in half-hearted agreement. “Don’t fucking miss,” he whispered.
Dan raised the rifle and looked through the scope, zooming in on the creature’s decomposed face. Its lips were mostly gone, revealing its brown and yellowed teeth. Its left eye was missing, and the other bulged out of its socket. He doubted the creature could even see, much less spot them, but there was still the possibility that it could smell them.
Though the three other corpses had split away and chosen their own paths, the one-eyed monster still came in their direction. Dan had to make a decision. On the one hand, if the creature came too close, it might spot them. On the other hand, a suppressor was not really a silencer. Even when equipped, there was still the muffled bang.
“Fuck,” he whispered as the corpse came within twenty or so yards. “Gotta do it.”
He peered through the scope again, getting the corpse right in his sights. He put the reticle right on the thing’s forehead, waiting for it to wobble its way into a steady position. When he was satisfied with his aim, he pulled the trigger.
The rifle “poofed”, and the corpse went straight down to the street. Dan scanned the other ones, looking to see if they had heard anything. Much to his relief, they continued on their march. Dan’s heart settled down again, and he sighed in relief.
“Good shot,” Max said. “I hope I can become that skilled at stealth sniping.”
“It’s not over yet,” Dan said. “As I remember, there was a stalker among them back on the highway.”
Drew’s eyes widened as he, too, remembered the stalker. Though Cliff had led it away with the drone, it was probably still in there somewhere. And if it was, it was only a matter of time before it too would come their way.
The cold night wind stung Cliff’s face as he stood atop the scaffolding. The makeshift watch tower creaked with every gust, prompting him to hold on to the top of the fence with one hand as he stood guard. His teeth chattered, and he felt the cold all the way to his bones.
He had volunteered to take first watch, knowing that the others were much too tired from all the work they had done earlier that day. Cliff was in far better shape than they were, and was still full of energy by the time the sun had gone down. Now, he stood alone, gazing into the distance with blind eyes.
Though he had his IR scope equipped, his previous visual sweeps had revealed nothing. It was just a matter of keeping his ears tuned to the sounds of the night, and his innate senses open wide.
He leaned his rifle against the fence, rubbing his hands together to warm them. Though he was freezing, the temperature was still not as cold as it should be. There was something about the comet that had changed the weather somehow. Winter was here, but at the same time, it wasn’t.
But, it was still cold as shit.
Turning his eyes to the north, he noticed that there was a bright spot among the clouds. It wasn’t a star; it was far too large. He hadn’t noticed it before, but now it was plain as day. Whatever it was, it showed through the thick clouds with an orange hue, not too far above the horizon.
Was it the comet?
Cliff shook his head. He wrapped his coat around himself tighter, putting his arms in his armpits. He continued to stare at the bright spot, his mind flashing him a slideshow of horrible and terrifying possibilities; a comet strike, mass extinctions, Earth exploding; Marvin the Martian laughing as he fired his P38 Space Modulator.
He chuckled out loud. “Alright, alright,” he said to himself. “That’s enough of that shit.”
There was a metallic bang off in the distance that startled him. He quickly grabbed his rifle, turning toward the sound, and peered through the IR scope. He saw nothing as he swept from side to side. It clearly sounded like something landing on the steel panels of the office roof.
His hands began to shake, not just with the cold, but because of the fear as well. His focus was strong, and he saw every detail in the IR image; every moving branch, every gust of heat that came from the rooftop, and every wispy glow that rose from the dying fire in the center of their shed complex.
There was nothing else.
He lowered the rifle, keeping his gaze directed at the office. Maybe Eric had gotten up and was rooting around somewhere looking for food. Or maybe Travis had come out the door of his shed and went into the office, accidentally slamming the door. Anything was possible.
Another clank sounded from a pile of cars to his right. It was a clank and scratch at the same time. He looked through the scope again, seeing the faint, fading glow of several spots on the cars. Something was there, or had
been
there recently. He froze, searching left and right, up and down, seeing nothing but blue and black.
And a huge yellow glow that filled the view of the scope!
He fired impulsively just as something impacted him. He was knocked back, and his rifle flew from his grasp. He heard the hissing and growling of his attacker as he was flipped over the top of the fence. The barbed wire cut into his pants, ripping them as he tumbled over to the ground below.
He landed with a rough impact that knocked the wind out of him. Before he could regain his bearings, the rocks at the edge of the gully gave out, and he went sliding down. His attacker followed, growling and gnashing its teeth as he tumbled to the bottom.
He heard the impact of his attacker landing nearby, and the whip-like sounds of its tentacles poising to strike him. One word crossed his mind; the name that Dan and Drew had given the beasts.
Stalker.
Eric was awakened by the muffled sound of a single gunshot. He knew Cliff had a suppressor equipped, and leaped up as he realized Cliff was in trouble. He pulled on his pants and boots, grabbing his jacket, and fumbled around for his shotgun. When he emerged, he saw Travis closing the door to his own shed.
“What the fuck was that?” Travis asked, half asleep.
Eric flicked his tactical flashlight on and pumped his shotgun. “Grab your gun,” he said. “Follow me.”
He sprinted out of the protected circle of sheds, making his way across the gravel lot. Shining his flashlight up, he saw that Cliff was no longer atop the scaffolding. As he neared the structure, he shined his light around, desperately searching for his friend.
“Cliff!”
he shouted.
“Cliff!”
Below, he heard scuffling and growling. Something was happening in the gully below. Though even with his flashlight he could see nothing down there, there was a recent collapse of the rocks along the edge.
“Shit,” he said.
Travis ran up, bearing his hunting rifle. “Get on the tower,” Eric said.
“What’s going on?” Travis asked, climbing up.
“Cliff’s down there in the gully,” Eric said, rushing toward the gate. “Keep us covered.”
Eric’s heart pounded as he ran. He hoped he could make it in time to help Cliff. If not, they would have one more body to bury.
And one less family member.
Cliff heard Eric calling his name, but was too winded to call back. He had managed to dodge the creature’s first attack, and was now running blindly through the pitch black forest. The creature was right on his heels, and he could feel its vile presence at his back. Its growls and hisses were unearthly, stinging Cliff’s ears and threatening to drive him to panic.
He was terrified.
A rock in his path caught his foot, and he sailed forward, landing roughly on his chest and scraping his palms on the rocks. The sting was unbelievable and he groaned with the pain. The creature growled again, leaping over him to cut him off.
He stood as fast as he could, looking around for any place to run.
Before he could even think, his body pushed him back toward the camp. The creature resumed its chase, crunching through the underbrush at an unbelievable speed. Cliff was nearly out of breath, but he pushed on.
Then, he heard the crack of a whip again, and felt the stinging snap of a tentacle on his back. He was lurched forward roughly, and the pain coursed through him like poison.
“Motherfucker,” he grunted.
He drew his blade, turning to face the horror that he could not see. Now was the time to use his training and fight his attacker in the dark. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds the creature made. It was close, and stepping to the side, trying to get behind him. He turned quickly, slashing his blade out before him. He heard it cut through the air.
“Come here you fuckin’ prick,” he growled.
He heard the whipping sound again, but dodged and slashed with his knife. This time, he felt it cut through something. The creature howled in pain. Cliff smiled, gritting his teeth and laughing through them like a madman.
“That’s right, bitch,” he taunted. “Daddy’s home, and yo’ ass is mine.”
The creature roared with a deafening, hellish wail. Its teeth glistened in the moonlight, which was now poking through the gaps in the thick cloud cover. Seeing his chance to make a targeted attack, he lunged. Though the creature ducked and struck out with its claws, Cliff anticipated its move and zigzagged at the last second, tossing his blade to the other hand and stabbing down at the creature’s neck.
He felt it connect the hard, rubbery flesh; penetrating a small amount, but glancing off for the most part. Still, the stalker screeched in pain, lashing out with its tentacles. Cliff was too slow to dodge them, and felt one them wrap around his neck. He grabbed the appendage with his left hand, squeezing and pulling with all his might. The stalker’s great maw opened, revealing its razor teeth and the snake-like tongue that whipped around as it sped toward his face.
He let his knees go limp and fell out of the tongue’s way, barely escaping the sharp barbs at its end. With his knife hand, he sliced at the tentacle, cutting into the tough flesh several times. The creature writhed and flailed its claws, pulling Cliff toward it. He growled, throwing his feet up against the stalker’s chest, pushing back to avoid being drawn into the reach of those deadly fangs.
Then, the creature’s face was illuminated by a bright light. Through his struggles, Cliff followed the beam of light to its source, laughing as he saw Eric’s shotgun poised to fire.
“Shoot it!”
Cliff shouted.
Eric’s shotgun blazed, and Cliff saw the stalker’s face blown apart in the flashlight’s beam. It howled like an angry banshee, releasing its hold on him. Another blast threw the stalker away just as Cliff landed. He recovered quickly, but struggled to get to his feet in the loose dirt. The stalker pounced once more, lashing out with its claws, just missing Cliff’s back as he rolled out of the way. He backstabbed with his knife, feeling it plunge its way through the creature’s back.
One last shotgun blast sounded, and the creature fell to the ground, quivering and gurgling as its life slipped away. Cliff stayed on his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. Eric stood frozen and wide-eyed, his shotgun still aimed at the stalker.
Breathless, Cliff stood, watching as the stalker’s movements subsided, and it was still. Eric blasted it again, laying open its back, and exposing its foul, gray innards. Cliff approached it slowly; wary of any movements he might see.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Eric asked.
“I just wanna make sure it’s dead,” Cliff said, kicking the body.
It quivered like gelatin, settling down after a few long seconds. Cliff kicked it again, this time pushing it onto its back. The two men both gasped when they saw its face.
“What the fuck?” Cliff growled.
“Oh my god,” Eric said, lowering his shotgun.
Cliff took a closer look. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The remainder of the creature’s head was covered in a sparse layer of wiry, black hair. Its shattered face, half covered in its original human flesh, still bore the large, crooked nose it had in its human form. Even the hazel tint of the eyes was the same.
“It can’t be,” Eric said. “No way.”
“It is,” Cliff said, breathless and shocked beyond compare. “It’s fucking Melanie.”
Eric shook his head, backing away in horror.
“Eric, man,” Cliff said. “We gotta get this thing to your dad.”
Eric stopped, shook his head for a moment, then appeared to regain his senses. He stepped forward again, nodding his head in agreement. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah. He’ll want to see this.”
“Do we take the whole thing?”
“I don’t know, man,” Eric said. “I suppose so.”
Another flashlight beam began dancing in the forest. Eric turned his shotgun toward it, allowing its light to identify who it was. The shocked face of Travis appeared. He was carrying a rifle in one hand, and a large flashlight in the other.
“You guys alright, man?” he asked.
Cliff chuckled. Not just at Travis’ expression, but his question as well. Hippies were hilarious even after a traumatic event.
“Take a look,” Eric said, pointing at the stalker.
Travis shined his light over and picked his way through the weeds to see the body. He bent down and shined his light in its face, then shot up quickly.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he snapped. “What the fuck, man?”
He put his flashlight hand on top of his head, staring at Cliff. The beam of his light quivered as his hand trembled.
“It’s her,” Cliff said. “I know it. Eric knows it. And now you know it. Right?”
Travis shook his head and pointed the flashlight back down at the creature’s face. “Man, it’s… oh fuck… seriously? Yeah, man. Yeah. It’s her. Definitely her. Whoah.”
“Dad,” Eric said. “We’ll drag it up to the office for you. You should get back up there and make sure Lena and Toby are alright.”
“Yeah,” Travis said, still shocked and wide-eyed like an acid tripper. “Yeah, man. Alright. Yeah, I wanna take a better look at… whatever, man. Yeah.”
Underneath a bright cluster of battery-operated fluorescent camp lights, the men laid the Melanie-thing’s body on a tarp on top of the cafeteria-type table. They were in the main area of the office building, all of them crowded around to see the mutated body of someone they all hated.
Its appearance was frightening, to say the least. Its skin was off-white, glistening with slime, and translucent enough to see the faint lightning-like dispersion of greenish veins. The limbs were long and thin, with tightly corded musculature, and hardened plates in places where one would wear body armor. The head was about human sized, with the wiry black hair that Melanie had in real life; albeit sparse and matted. Her eyes were still somewhat human-like, only smaller, and deep set behind thicker cheekbones.
Needless to say, no one spoke.
Travis walked around the body, using a ruler to move things around in order to get a closer look at all its parts. Lena and Toby watched with horror, both of their faces frozen in a twisted grimace of disgust. Travis himself was dumbfounded, and his face was blank.