Wasteland Read online

  Curiously, on the other side stood nine stainless steel boxes. Ten by ten by ten feet, they were enclosed on all sides including the tops. The steel thickness measured six inches. The doors were missing on three of them, and the twisted steel at the jams suggested the doors had been ripped off. The remaining six were all intact, and eight-inch squared windows on the doors were equipped with bars.

  "What the hell are those for?" David asked shining the flashlight around the inside of one of them.

  No one answered. Sam observed the scattered debris around the barn with growing trepidation. Cables, some thin, some thick lay strewn about. Steel pipes and large spools of copper wire littered the ground. A couple of carts the size of gurneys lay haphazardly on their sides. Tarps scattered the floor here and there. A welding helmet cast aside. Plastic tubing lay like a transparent snake. PVP piping like old bones.

  "What the hell was this place?" David asked then promptly tripped over something. He caught himself before completely tumbling to the ground.

  "Fuck," he hissed then bent to seek out the culprit. It was a hatchet. Dull in color, he ran his thumb against the edge of it then gripped the handle. "Never know when it could come in handy."

  ***

  The barn looked solid enough, David said, and thought it would provide adequate protection while they waited for dawn. Sam was starting to feel okay again about everything. Hopeful they would be all right.

  "It's big enough for a fire," David commented, shining his flashlight up at the ceiling.

  "You think that's a good idea?" Mary asked. "We could burn the place down . . . with us in it."

  "Naw," Todd said looking up. "It's big enough, and those missing boards from the roof will act like a vent. We don't have to make a bonfire."

  "It's either that or get through the night in the dark," David told her. "I can't keep this flashlight on forever."

  "All right," Mary agreed quickly.

  Light outside was fading fast, so they hastily gathered branches and sticks. Sam kicked at the dry, broken wood from the stall doors and added that to the pile. Although David said it had been fifteen years since he started a fire, he moderately impressed Sam by getting one started in less than ten minutes. Bet you're glad I smoke now, she thought. If it weren't for her lighter they'd have nothing to light the fire with.

  Changing into heavier clothes and sitting in front of their bright, warm fire buoyed their spirits a bit. David dug through the duffle bag and passed out drinks - water for Mary and beers for everyone else.

  For the first time since the boat hit the rock, (something Sam convinced herself was what disabled his boat), they spoke on lighter subjects and sipped beers. The guys told funny stories to entertain the girls. Even Mary got to giggling. It was actually kind of fun.

  It didn't last long.

  ***

  Mary was the first one that had to pee. She stood and aloud wondered where.

  "Either outside or in a stall," Todd told her. He lay on his side, propping his head in his hand. "Do you want me to come with you?"

  When Sam observed the surprised look on Mary's face, it dawned on her that the two had yet to sleep together. They'd been dating a month. Sam couldn't remember the last time she waited that long with a new partner before testing the sexual waters. It certainly wasn't like that with David. Their first date three months ago ended in an urgent, lustful night of sex. And their relationship had been a sort of turbulent, feisty affair since. They argued almost incessantly. Sam displayed fast-talking, articulate wit when it came to David. He seemed to like a good argument and they went head to head more often than not. But Sam was growing weary of the fight. It had its excitement and the make-up sex was like no other, but it was exhausting having those mental fists up all the time.

  "No, I'll be all right," Mary said and grabbed the flashlight.

  "Wait," Sam dug a tissue from her purse. She smiled at Mary. "It's clean."

  In the firelight Sam could see her face turn red. Oh, no. That had embarrassed her. God forbid anyone know she has to wipe, Sam thought then immediately felt bad for her insensitivity. Mary really was a sweet woman.

  "What's up with her, man?" David whispered to Todd after Mary walked away. "She acts like she's twelve years old. Or does she have some sort of nervous condition?"

  "David!" Sam slapped him on the leg.

  "What?" David laughed. "I'm just saying it wouldn't be a bad idea for her to lighten up a little, that's all."

  Todd just smiled wanly and shook his head.

  "So, what do you think this place was? Because I'm betting it wasn't a farm." David asked.

  "No one with cows and pigs, that's for sure." Sam added.

  "I'll bet it was a lab of some kind," Todd said.

  "A lab?" David threw more branches in the fire.

  "Yeah, look at all this weird shit laying around."

  "But a lab in the middle of a forest?" Sam frowned and wondered. "If it was a lab, why hide it from the rest of the world?"

  "Maybe they had to come to what they were working on or testing." Todd offered. "Maybe it's something around here they needed to be close to."

  "All right! That's enough!" David commanded. "Next thing you know you two will be coming up with an Area 51 scenario. Maybe this is Area 52." He laughed.

  Sam and Todd looked at each other over the fire, neither laughed with David.

  ***

  Mary pulled the stall door open and ran the light around the room. Empty, except for a few spider webs.

  Spider webs I can handle. Having my boyfriend hear me pee is out of the question.

  She and Todd never had intercourse and Mary never had it at all. There was no way she'd pee in front of him. She wished Sam had offered to go with her. Another girl, Mary could go around, maybe, but not a man.

  It wasn't just that though. She didn't want to be alone in the dark. All evening she tried to recall what she'd seen in the forest while David climbed that dangerous looking old pine. White and sort of billowy like a person wearing a really big shirt or a cape, perhaps. But it disappeared so quickly, she second guessed seeing it at all. Yet the fleeting impression kept tapping her memory, and now, being alone in the dark stall made her imagine it more vividly.

  Determined to urinate as quickly as possible, Mary dropped the flashlight, then her pants to do her business. She heard the others voices faintly, and the soft, comforting crackle of the fire.

  About the time she was ready to wipe she heard movement from a far corner of the stall. The flashlight's beam, being partially buried in the putrid old hay didn't reach beyond a couple feet. She heard it again. It sounded like something shifting its weight around.

  Impossible. This place was empty.

  Again there was movement, like something shuffling its way up to the top corner of the stall. It sounded big. Then a smell hit her. A smell like rotting, stinking meat so thick it almost had a solid quality to it.

  No longer thinking about wiping, she pulled her pants up, gagging from the stench. An animal, she thought, fear building stronger by the second, a big damn animal got in here somehow.

  Blood red eyes illuminated from the upper dark corner. A deep, guttural chuckle issued softy. Not human. Not animal. Evil, and somehow aware. Mary tried to move, tried to get away but her terror paralyzed her.

  "You're all going to die." Barely a whisper, but Mary heard every syllable with intense clarity. It chuckled again.

  That was the breaking point. In a single leap she charged for the stall door, screaming. She landed outside on her hands and knees, but flipped herself around on her butt and looked wildly as the door began to ease shut.

  Todd ran to her side. "What's wrong? What happened?"

  "Some . . .something . . .in there!" She grabbed wildly at Todd's shirt, still gawking at the stall. Todd pulled her into a tight hug.

  "What?" David came over, his
voice strong and unfettered. "What's in there?"

  When Mary didn't answer David moved towards the stall.

  "No!" Mary screamed. "Don't go in there. Don't-"

  "Mary, shut up! It's probably just a goddamn rat." He yelled back, not pausing. Mary watched him, her eyes wide, Todd on one side of her, Sam on the other. She wanted to tell him what she heard. The promise of death, but her mouth couldn't form the words.

  David disappeared in the stall. Get out, get out, Mary wanted to scream, but she held her breath and waited.

  What seemed to be an eternity, he emerged holding the flashlight. "Nothing."

  "There was something in there! I heard something. I smelled something."

  "Mary, listen to me." David leaned down and grabbed her shoulders. Todd's hand went up defensively against David.

  "I'm not going to hit her!" To Mary, he said, "You need to pull yourself together. There was nothing in there. Just go see for yourself-"

  "No!" She screamed, then softer: "No."

  "David, maybe you shouldn't - " Sam started.

  Suddenly there was a fluttering in the air behind David. It came from the stall.

  "What the fuck . . ." David turned. "There was nothing-" But before he could finish, something came flying out over their heads. Mary screamed shrilly. The rest of them joined her.

  The size of a Frisbee, its wings curved like a butterfly's but appeared leathery, like a bat's. The black diamond shaped body had a sucker for a mouth. It flapped noisily around their heads without grace like it could barely hold its own weight up.

  Mary gawked in horror. Although there were no eyes, she felt marked. It warbled in the air a moment, teetering, and just as all her childhood nightmares came rushing back to her, so did the thing rush at her.

  ***

  It hovered in the air for a moment then struck like a cobra diving on Mary. On either sides, Todd and Sam screamed and scrambling away backwards using their hands and feet, resembling a couple of human crabs. The thing attached itself to Mary's face. The leathery beating of its wings muffled her screams. She jerked wildly trying to free herself, trying to fight the thing off.

  "Jesus!" Todd screamed. "Do something! David, do something!"

  "Aw, fuck!" David yelled, and charged Mary. Acting without intention, he kicked at the thing, but managed only to connect with Mary's jaw, which broke instantly. "Oh, God, oh God."

  Sam heard bones breaking under the beast, and a sound of sucking after that. She wanted to help Mary, wanted the courage to reach out and rip it off her face, but she couldn't move. In a matter of seconds Mary's screams ceased. Her movements dimmed to spasms and twitches.

  David clenched his teeth and then his fists. He ran at it again and bashed it with the flashlight, feeling the instrument sink in the body. Yet, it did no more damage than if he would've hit Play Dough with a Pickup Stick. Again he backed off looking sickened to have been so close to it.

  Sam felt pretty sick herself.

  The thick slurping sounds continued. Like the sound of a straw at the end of a milkshake, Sam thought as the remnants of her sandwich and chicken salad rolled around her stomach.

  The sucking stopped. Noisily flapping its wings, the thing rose. All three of them held their hands up in defense. Again, without grace, it lumbered through the air like it was drunk. Or full, Sam thought and shuddered. The leathery beating of its wings created a small wind, and suddenly, it shot off through the open barn doors and into the night.

  ***

  Mary was dead. Her jaw thrust upward in a revolting position, and there was a ragged, bloody hole in the middle of her face.

  Sam crawled away on hands and knees and threw up. Heaves wracked her body, as she choked up foamy beer and the remains of her lunch. Black dots hindered her vision. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

  She wiped her mouth with the back of an arm and turned to see Todd crawl to Mary and touch her ankle, softly crying as he did so. A wave of pity washed over her. No matter the horror that just occurred, Todd lost his woman. A woman he loved, and perhaps planned to propose to one day. And now that woman was dead. Without warning or provocation she was gone.

  David paced the length of the barn running his fingers through his hair. He looked sick and scared. Shakily he pulled at one of the old tarps on the ground. It lay plastered in a clump, and it took several shakes, sending dirt and debris flying to get it unfolded to a crinkly, stiff, cover. He pulled it over Mary's body much to Sam's relief.

  One by one they gathered by the fire. Sam fed it branches and twigs, keeping busy while her brain attempted to process what just happened. But concentrating on the fire couldn't rid the images of Mary's body flailed and bucking around, or the sounds of her muffled screams under those disgusting bat-like wings.

  "What was that thing?" Todd whispered.

  She could only shake her head.

  "The fucking devil is what it was," David said.

  "I think we are in big trouble," Todd voice wavered.

  "We'll be all right." And just saying it made Sam feel stronger.

  David scowled at her and venomously said, "Easy for you to say. You weren't the one who got close enough to that thing to smell it. Neither one of you did anything except run away like cowards. If that thing comes back don't look to me to save your asses."

  "It won't come back. Once daylight comes we'll get out of here and be all right. Just keep thinking of that."

  Todd cast her a look filled with anxiety and fear. "But what if it does come back? What will we do?"

  Sam thought a moment. "We have that ax, and - " She grabbed the unburned end of a branch that was being fed into the fire. The other end glowed bright orange and yellow flames licked the embers. "We'll burn it."

  Todd nodded but looked doubtful.

  Sam stared into the fire, telling herself to stay strong.

  Think of sunshine and following that old road out. We'll find a blacktop. A nice, smooth blacktop road. We'll hitch a ride to the nearest town and go to the police and let them deal with this. She thought of home in the city loaded with people, and the only creatures were squirrels and birds and dogs that people walked through well-groomed parks.

  Sam concentrated on all those things and every time Mary's bucking body popped up in her mind, she shut it out and thought of home and daylight.

  What was that thing?

  But she shoved that thought away. She didn't know what it was, and knew she would go crazy trying to rationalize it.

  Just shut it out. Home. Sunshine. Sidewalk caf?'s. Busy offices. Loud traffic. Coffee shops. Malls. Television with a bowl of popcorn. My warm comfortable bed. Oh, God, that sounds so good. The sound of her Saab as she cruised through town. The feel of her coffee grinder in her hands and the aroma as it ground fresh beans to flakes.

  She glanced up from the fire. "You've got to be kidding."

  David and Todd were falling asleep.

  They lay on their sides, and although they continued to watch the fire, every blink became slower until they stayed shut.

  Shock. She thought. They're in shock.

  "Hey!" She yelled. "Hey, stay awake!" But they were out. Sam considered shoving them awake, but decided against it. Let them sleep. A few more hours, and the sun will come up, and we'll be out of here anyway. Just because you can't sleep doesn't mean they have to stay awake too.

  She fished through the duffle bag grabbed a can of beer. It was warm and a little foamy, but Sam couldn't help wishing she had several more of them.

  I want to sleep, too. Just drink one after another and go to sleep. And when my eyes open it would be light.

  Sam took a deep breath, focusing on the white flame, deep in the fire.

  Whatever's going on, I'm not going to lose my mind. Just get through the night. That's all I have to do. A few more hours till daylight and home.


  From the corner of her eye she caught a quick movement from the tarp covering Mary.

  A lot can happen in a few hours, Sam thought, fear pinching her stomach.

  She watched the tarp thirty feet away. Another motion. This one more slowly, and for a moment Sam could imagine Mary's dead white arm stroking the underside of the tarp like a kitten's paw inside the womb.

  Sam tried to call out David's name, but all air seemed trapped in her throat.

  Another movement and this time Sam heard the raspy sound of skin against heavy fabric.

  Mary's head popped out from under the tarp.

  "Da . . .Dav . . ."

  Thick dark liquid bubbled out of the gaping hole in Mary's face. The ooze bracketed her mouth and dripped off her chin. Her eyes were black. No white corneas. No brown iris's. Just black swirling orbs reflecting firelight.

  "David. Todd." She blubbered. They slept on.

  The corpse smiled. Or rather the lips turned up like one. There was nothing happy or funny about that smile. It scared the hell out of Sam.

  It sat up and raised an arm very quickly, shaking the hand like a little kid who has to use the bathroom badly, but must ask permission from the teacher first. The tarp fell away from the body. It was naked.

  Where did her clothes go? Sam thought wildly. What the hell is going on?

  "David . . .David." Her voice had little volume.

  With jerky, quick motions the body began to rise to its feet. Its spastic, convulsive movements reminded Sam of a marionette puppet. A puppet being controlled by shaky, clumsy hands.

  "David!" There. Louder. Good.

  "Hmp! What?"

  "The body."

  David raised his head, squinting at Sam with sleepy bloodshot eyes. The grogginess faded when he saw the look on her face, then vanished altogether when he followed her gaze.

  Like a drunk, Mary's pale, naked body spun and stumbled around the tarp in jerky, unbalanced movements.

  "What the fuck . . ." David's left leg shot out, kicking Todd in the shin. He woke instantly.

  "What the hell-" then he saw. "This can't be."

  "It's evil," Sam whispered, feeling chills run like a river up her spine.