The Aberration (5 page)

They all jumped when Guy slammed the shotgun on the table.  “Let’s all pretend I’m not the only one with brains for once. 
Think.
  Third shift isn’t going to show up.  Why?  Because this whole place is flooded.  Maybe they’re dead, or even turned into those Others.  Maybe the whole city is like that.  Maybe…

He took a deep breath.

“Maybe the whole world.  There’s no telling how far this has spread.”

Drake groaned as he slumped back into his chair and wrapped his arms around his head.  Fran looked at Michael, who appeared as stunned as she felt.  Rob stood slack-jawed; one eye twitched uncontrollably.

“We wait it out,” Guy said.  “So far they haven’t made it inside.  We’ll see if the sun rises.”

“I
can’t
.”  Apprehension contorted the muscles of Michael’s face.  “I
can’t
leave Cynthia by herself with this going on.”  His eyes darted wildly.   

“I have to get
out
of here, I have to…”

“If the city is like this, she’s probably dead already,” Guy said in his doomsayer voice.  His voice was almost hypnotic; Fran wanted to cover her ears from the certainty in his tone.  Michael choked on a sob as Guy droned on. 

“Or trapped like we are.  In which case you’d be better off waiting here than risk dying out there.  You’re no good to her dead.  We have to stick together.  We have to act as though we’re the last people left alive.”

Fran caught hold of Michael’s arm.  “He’s right.”  She hated to say so, but she’d do anything to keep Michael from leaving, even if it meant agreeing with Guy.  “You’d do no one any good running out into that.  Stay with us until the morning.”

Michael’s chest heaved as though he’d run a marathon.  His eyes squeezed shut.  “
Cynthia
…” 

Finally, he nodded.  “Ok.  Ok, dammit.  But you’d better be right, Guy.  You’d
better
be right.”

“You guys have
lost
it.”  Drake leaped to his feet.  His mouth seemed too large as the words tumbled out.  “Are you forgetting that something tore Greg to
pieces
?  Probably threw Reese off the building, too.  Something is in
here
, right now.  Waiting to attack again.  I’m not gonna die at this goddamn job.  I’m getting the hell
outta
of here.”

“You’re welcome to go, Drake,” Guy said.  “But you won’t make it.  Not on your own.  And not with those Others guarding the exits.  But you’re right.  Something is in here.”

He tapped the shotgun on his shoulder.  “And we’re going to have to kill it.”

Everyone silently stared at each other. 

Michael slowly cleared his throat. “You mean… actually search the mill for whatever… killed Greg?”

“And Reese.”  Guy’s face was expressionless.  “That’s right.  You can bet that it won’t be satisfied with just one kill.  It’s either hunt… or be hunted.”

Fran shook her head.  She had to be the one to make them see reason.  Anything but go along with Guy’s insane ideas…  “We don’t even know if the thing is still in the mill. Wandering around looking for something that tears people apart sounds like the
last
thing that we should be doing.”

Drake nodded.  “That’s what
I’m
saying. I… saw what that thing did to Greg.  I’m not going
anywhere
… unless it’s the hell out of here.”

Rob tittered nervously.  “Uh, well.”  He scrubbed his hands together.  “Uh… I suggest we vote on the best option, since…”

Fran tried hard not to flinch as Guy gestured with the shotgun.  “I suggest we
don’t
.  The Aberration only grows more severe the longer it manifests.  Think -there are tools in the maintenance shop that can be used as weapons.  And we still have electricity…”

As if on cue the lights snuffed with a dying groan, plunging them in darkness.

12

The Second Cessation

Fingers dug painfully in Michael’s arm.  He had to stop his automatic reflex in mid-swing upon realizing it was Fran.  Her chipmunk squeal was the only identifier; the sudden death of illumination cast them all into the realm of blindness.  She clutched like an attacking squid; every time he detached one grip, several more seemed to latch onto him.  All the while he silently prayed this wasn’t the nudge that sent Guy over the edge of insanity and into a panicked shooting frenzy.

Instead, it was Guy’s composed voice that broke through their startled cries.  “Everyone calm down.”  Oddly enough, he sounded completely logical.  “The emergency lights should kick in right about… now.”

The lights clicked on, effusing the room in a reddish glare.  It was just the right amount to be insufficient; a hellish glow that twisted shadows and spawned perverse misinterpretations. 

Guy’s silhouette was rooted in the same spot, shotgun resting on his shoulder.  “Listen –the mill’s still running.” 

Michael realized Guy was right.  Outside the lab the roar of the mill was distinctly audible, a whirring, emotionless organism unimpressed by the theatrics that took place within its innards.

“Uh… well then, uh…” Rob was on stammer mode again. 

Michael decided to take over.  “Then it means someone cut off the lights… purposely.” 

“I
knew
it…” Drake looked ready to return to his shell-shocked mental haven.  “I
knew
living through the night was too much to ask.”

“Uh… exactly what I was going to say.”  Rob was a nervously twitching scarecrow in the shadows.  “This outage changes things.  It means we’re up against someone, uh… intelligent.  Now I don’t know if I buy what Mike and Guy claimed to see out there.” 

He raised a hand to stifle their retorts.  “Fear can make the mind do funny things, after all.  I uh, read a book about it.  The point is… uh, I’m leaving.  No, not going to stay another minute here.  I’ll take my chances, thank you.”

They looked at Guy.  Michael realized that they had begun to defer to him for some reason.  That had to make them at least as crazy as he was. 

Surprisingly, he just shrugged.  “OK, Rob.  We have to find out one way or the other.  You lead.”

~*~

It took only moments to negotiate the reddish hallway and descend the darkened stairs that led to the security door.  They bunched around to peer through the narrow window at the front office and the exit door.  Guy’s eyes narrowed.  There was a terrible feeling of familiarity.  He blinked, wincing as his vision distorted…

~*~

Everything was slightly blurry, like peering through the lens of an out of focus camera.  Pale, waxen moonlight streamed in from the narrow windows of a long, dark hallway. 

Too long.  It walls seemed to stretch for eternity, lined by endless banners depicting the Nazi swastika.

Captain Guy was in pursuit.  He was dressed in WWII army fatigues, a bayoneted rifle in his hand.

A hunched, snarling, bestial figure in a Nazi officer uniform ran ahead of Guy, panting. 

Guy closed in, polished boots flashing.

Something blurred past his face with a snakelike hiss.  Time slowed long enough for him to see the silver-tipped arrow.  It flashed forward, striking the creature between the shoulder blades.  The beast staggered forward with a agonized grunt.

With a wild roar Guy leaped, bowling the creature over.  It squealed, eyes rolling fearfully in a boar-like face.  Guy stabbed downward with his rife, sinking the bayonet deep into the creature’s stomach.  It gurgled in agony.

Black blood pooled on the carpet.

Guy stood over the beast as its tusked, hideous faces quivered.  Antenor joined him, also dressed as a WWII British officer.  He carried a modified crossbow.

Guy made himself watch as the hideous creature died.  “I would have caught it.”

“I know.  But why make things harder?  Dead is dead.  This was the last one.  The Aberration is over.”

“It’s becoming more difficult each time.”  Guy tightened his fist.  “I feel… weary, like a body behind on years of sleep.”

Antenor looked Guy in the eyes.  “There are fewer of us now.  Every time an Aberration unfolds, we lose a few more.” 

The grisly creature sagged, black blood bubbling on its twisted lips.  The men were silent for a moment before Guy spoke.

“What happens when all of us are killed?”

Antenor sighed.

“Best not to think about it.  Remember, each time one of us dies, the others gain in strength.  That is the only advantage, if there is such a thing.  We may dwindle, but those remaining become that much more resilient. 
That much more harder to kill
…”

~*~

“Uh… Guy?”

Guy whirled around, his eyes wild.  Michael took a wary step back.

“Kinda… lost you there for a minute.”  Guy continued to look around as if he didn’t know where he was.  Michael suppressed a groan. 
Just what we need right now.  The only person armed with guns loses his grip on reality.

Drake pushed his way forward.  “If you’re not gonna look, at least move out the way.  We can’t see anything.”

He peered outside.

“
Shit
.”

Outside the office window the Others were indistinct figures in the rain, but Michael didn’t need to get closer to know that they stared directly at them with their nonexistent eyes.  He couldn’t be sure, but they seemed to shift suddenly.  As if… awakening.

“Whole place is probably surrounded.”

“I can’t see
anything
,” Fran said.  “Looks like people out there.  I can’t tell if they have faces or not.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Guy said, suddenly focused again.  “You know you can feel it.”

Again, he was right.  Just looking at them made Michael want to cover his face; their presence prickled his skin like dirty syringes. 

“We… we
can’t
go out, can we?” Drake said.

“No.  I told you.  This is our stronghold.  We’re better off in here, at least until morning.”

Sweat beaded on Rob’s forehead.  “There uh, there may not
be
a morning.  I can’t take this.  Not for a whole night.  Not for another hour.  They could already be inside. 
Something
turned off the lights. 
Something
killed Greg.  You say it killed Reese too.  So who’s going to be next?  You?”  He gave a wild, half-hysterical cackle.  “Me?  No.  Look –they’re not even moving.  I’m leaving when I have the chance.”

Guy’s face never wavered from staring at the Others.  “Fine.  Go.  If you make it to your car, we’ll follow.  If you don’t…”

Rob swallowed hard.  “You’re… uh, you’re not… uh…”

“Coming with you?  No.  I don’t think we have a chance out there.  But if anyone wants to leave with you… I won’t stop them.  Free country.”

No one moved. 

Rob swallowed again.  “Will you at least lend me one of your…”

Guy shook his head.  “I can’t.  We’re going to need them.  How would I get it back if you…?”

“Right.”  Rob nodded vigorously.  He looked like he just bathed in sweat. 

“It’s not too late to change your mind,” Michael said.  “Guy’s right –we need to stick together.”

“
No
!  No… I uh, I
need
to go, you understand?  I
need
to go.”

Guy’s gaze stayed on the Others outside.  “Your choice.”

Rob nodded.  “Ok.  Uh, all right…” 

He placed his hand on the door handle. 

They stepped back in unison.  Guy raised the shotgun.

Rob opened the door.  Even his hair glistened as he paused to remove his fogged eyeglasses.  “Well, uh…”

Guy shoved him through and quickly shut the door.

“What the
hell
?” Michael said.  “Guy, what…?”

“Guy!”  Rob pounded the glass.  “
Guy
!”

“You have the door code, Rob.  You can enter anytime you want.  But if you open the outer door, you’re on your own.  We can’t take the risk.”

Rob took a shuddering breath.  He looked at the office window, then back at them.  His face firmed, and for the first time he appeared calm and composed.  He placed the glasses back on his face.

“I’m leaving.  You all can go to
hell
.”

He strode to the exit door.  For a long moment he waited, watching the silent and still forms in the fog.  He pushed down on the handle and cautiously slid the door open, just a crack.  Streams of water drizzled in, gently spattering him.

He eased the door slightly wider.

The force of being snatched was so violent that his shoes hung in the air after his body was yanked through.  To Michael they seemed to drift like newborn snowflakes as Rob’s screams drenched the air, each one more bloodcurdling than the last.  Wet sounds accompanied the screams; shrieks that seemed to go on forever, on and on until Michael covered his ears while Fran sobbed into his chest.  Drake screamed as well, howls of madness that mingled in concert with Rob’s death shrieks.

Rob’s shoes hit the ground.  Michael realized that only seconds had passed.

When the screams ended, the silence was almost deafening; a sudden rush of stillness that crashed down like shattering glass.  Guy was the first to look through the narrow door window.  His eyes bulged and his mouth went completely slack.

“My
God
…”

Michael didn’t want to look; yet some perverse impulse gripped his neck muscles and forced him to turn and see what macabre scene would give Guy pause.

The Others had pressed against the office window, streaking it crimson with blood-painted fingers.  Again they made not a sound, but this time their appearance was distinctly different.

One and all, they all bore the same face.  It was almost unrecognizable, but it was Rob, his face hideously distorted by a caricature of his never-ending scream…

13

Transmogrifying Trepidation

Guy stood frozen as the Others slithered through the open office door dripping wet, silent as the rain that accompanied them; gliding marionettes on lax strings.  The floor flooded with streams of crimson water.