This Land of Monsters

by Tim Gabrielle

  “No. She was personally escorted to Fletcher the day you got here, before anyone else had a chance to talk to her. He knew she was important to your group and wanted her in control quickly. I’d say he’s done a pretty damn good job because she’s been drunk ever since.”

  “We needed her,” said Nash as he rubbed his eyes. “You have no idea how beneficial she could have been to us. I think she expected Sullivan to survive.”

  “The best we can do is continue to keep an eye on her. How was your first day outside the walls?” he asked.

  “I think you should go and talk with Emma,” said Nash as Melissa stood and joined him. “Everything’s okay, but you should speak with her.”

  “Alright,” said Dietrich, standing with a puzzled look on his face. “I’ll come by your place later.”

  The two of them stood together on the sidewalk as Dietrich disappeared down the street. The blinds were all pulled shut in Dianna’s house, with no signs of life at all as she lay blacked out in the upstairs bedroom.

  “I feel so bad for her,” said Melissa as she put her arm through Nash’s and leaned into him. “I have no idea what to do.”

  “I don’t think there’s much we can do. She’s a mess because of what happened to Sullivan and if Fletcher keeps feeding her booze, nothing will change. Dietrich is right, though; we just have to keep her safe.”

  The screams of the dead filled their ears as they made their way along the wall on the road to their house. The church bells began to ring again, indicating another atonement ceremony. Doors along the street burst open as people flooded into the streets, running toward the middle of town to join in the excitement.

  “We’ll skip this one,” said Nash, taking Melissa’s hand as he continued toward their home.

  “I think I’d be happy never going to another one of those ever again.”

  People continued to make their way toward the church as the two of them disappeared into their house. Nash closed the door and Melissa made her way into the kitchen. He turned to join her, but stopped at the sight of a dirty smudge right above the doorknob. He leaned forward and took a closer look, since he hadn’t noticed it that morning when they’d left for the day. He racked his brain, trying to remember if either of them had dirty enough hands to have left a mark and he knew that neither of them had. A loud banging jolted him from his gaze and made him jump backward away from the door.

  “Knock, knock, fucker,” said Duncan from the other side of the door.

  Nash double-checked that the door was locked before he headed to the kitchen, leaving Duncan alone on the front porch.

  “Was that Dietrich?” asked Melissa with her head inside the fridge as she pulled things out to make lunch.

  “Far from it,” he said as Duncan appeared in the window above the sink.

  “You two can’t ignore me forever,” he said, his face almost pressed against the window. “Why aren’t you at the atonement ceremony?”

  “Goodbye, Duncan,” said Nash as he pulled the curtains shut and Melissa stood nervously behind him. They stood motionless and watched his silhouette from behind the safety of the curtains.

  “I put my dick on your doorknob earlier. Enjoy that.”

  With that, his shadow moved away from the window and disappeared. Nash glanced from behind the curtains to see him walking across their yard, not leaving before he unzipped his pants and urinated on their grass again. Melissa had a can of disinfectant spray in her hand before Nash could even turn around.

  “He’s disgusting,” she said as she disappeared into the foyer to clean the doorknob.

  Nash unwrapped a granola bar and followed behind her as the church bells stopped ringing. The smudge from the door had been wiped away, smeared on the cloth that Melissa was now using to disinfect their front doorknob.

  “I wonder how often they do these ceremonies?” asked Melissa as she feverishly scrubbed the doorknob.

  “I imagine the people here aren’t the most stable or predictable. It’s a miracle he’s been able to keep any order at all.”

  “I feel so bad for Courtney and Jessica,” said Melissa, putting the can of disinfectant on the porch as she sat on the top step. “They were both so scared when we found them.”

  “They’re lucky we found them before any of his other people did. We shouldn’t be talking about this out here.”

  Nash opened the door and let her inside when a round of cheers scattered into the wind as Fletcher delivered another deathblow for the crowd. They sat together in the kitchen and ate cans of fruit as they talked about the twins they’d met that morning. The streets became loud again as the people of the Mansion made their way through the streets, hooting and laughing from the show they’d just witnessed.

  “I hate this place,” said Melissa as she looked past Nash and outside the window in disgust.

  “I know. Try not to focus on it too much. Eventually, it’ll be different.”

  A gentle knocking sound came from the foyer as they exchanged a nervous glance. Melissa walked to the kitchen window and craned her neck, trying to see who was there with no luck.

  “I swear it better not be Duncan,” said Nash as he walked slowly to the foyer. He was relieved to see Emma and Dietrich standing outside, waiting patiently to be let in.

  “Let’s have a drink,” said Dietrich as he held up a bottle of whiskey as he and Emma entered the foyer.

  Melissa went into the kitchen to retrieve glasses while Nash led Dietrich and Emma into the living room. The furniture was brand new and still smelled of new leather. Melissa placed four glasses on the coffee table before sitting next to Nash.

  “Those two girls don’t have any clue how lucky they are that you found them,” said Dietrich, leaning forward as he poured the whiskey into the glasses. “A set of twin girls would for sure go right to his personal collection.”

  “He’d have no way of telling if they’d turn into a howler or a slowpoke,” said Nash as he grabbed his and Melissa’s glass and sat back on the couch.

  “He’d accept the risk,” said Emma, drinking the whiskey in one shot and then poured herself more.

  Melissa and Nash held their glasses in front of them, smelling the liquid nervously. Dietrich smiled at them as he watched them silently debate the alcohol.

  “I’m not too worried about the drinking age these days,” said Dietrich with a smirk. “You don’t have to partake if you don’t want to.”

  Nash and Melissa looked at each and shrugged before clinking their glasses together and downing the liquid. Melissa immediately spit it back into the glass and coughed while Nash placed the glass on the table with a grimace on his face. Dietrich poured himself more while he and Emma laughed at their reactions.

  “Wow!” said Nash with a smile and a cough.

  “That’ll be it for me,” said Melissa while putting her glass back onto the table.

  “How about some cards?” asked Dietrich as he unwrapped a deck of cards and shuffled them quickly.

  The four of them played cards and talked throughout the entirety of the afternoon. The laughter and lightheartedness was finally broken by the church bells ringing once again as sunset approached. The street outside once again erupted into fits of wild laughter as the group made their way to yet another execution.

  “People don’t learn around here, do they?” asked Melissa.

  “It’s rare that it happens twice in one day like this but when Fletcher finds someone skirting his system, he doesn’t hesitate to drop the hammer,” said Emma, as she gathered up the cards and placed them back in the package. “We should go. We missed the last one and he usually expects us to be part of them.”

  “Lucky you,” said Melissa as they all stood together.

  “This was a lot of fun. Took my mind off everything going on around here,” said Nash as they moved into the foyer together.

  “Well, we’ll make sure to do it more often,” said Dietrich as he opened the door and let Emma outside. “Have a good night, you two.”<
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  Nash and Melissa followed them outside and stood on their porch as Dietrich and Emma joined a group of three people walking toward the ringing bells. The sun was creeping toward the horizon and cast an eerie glow over the Mansion.

  “I am unbelievably tired,” said Melissa, yawning as she leaned against him.

  Nash led her to their bedroom. Melissa kissed him on the cheek before she disappeared into the shower, leaving him in the hallway outside their room. The sound of the shower filled the upstairs as he went into Samantha’s room. She was sitting at the edge of her bed, smiling at him as he came in to visit her.

  “Hey Sam,” he said as he pulled back the covers of her bed and helped Samantha to her feet. She met his gaze with the same goofy smile she always wore. “It’s time for bed.”

  Nash situated her under the blankets and stood beside her, looking down at her clueless face. Having her in the house with them still felt strange to him but her absent-minded smile almost conveyed a sense of appreciation.

  “Goodnight, friend,” he said as he left her alone in the room.

  The shower was still running as Nash walked into the bedroom, kicked off his shoes, and took off his shirt. He contemplated joining Melissa, but the exhaustion of the day compelled him to lie on the bed and wait his turn. The rhythmic beating of the water against the shower floor echoed in his head as he closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep.

  Chapter 26

  Nash woke up to the smell of blueberry pancakes. The early morning sun illuminated the room as he tossed the heavy comforter to the foot of the bed. There was a bluebird on the tree outside his window, singing its morning song as Nash got to his feet and stretched his arms high above his head.

  “Nash! Breakfast is ready!”

  His mother’s voice echoed through the house as he opened his door with a yawn. The light outside his room was blinding, stopping him in his tracks to rub the sleep from his eyes. The sound and smell of crackling bacon bombarded his senses as he made his way down the stairs to the kitchen where his mother was waiting for him.

  “I hope you’re hungry, I made extra today!”

  Her voice sounded strange to him, almost as if someone was trying to impersonate her. The light from outside continued to blind him as he walked passed the windows. He used his hand to shield the fierce glow. He squinted through the light and saw their front yard glimmering outside. The light gave everything a shimmering, hazy shine, as if it were a mirage at the end of a highway.

  “Honey, come eat,” said the voice in the kitchen, still sounding strangely foreign to him.

  The kitchen was bathed with the same wild glow as every other room in the house. His mother stood in front of the stove with her back toward him as she continued to cook. Nash sat down at the table and watched her with a smile, ready to devour his favorite Sunday breakfast.

  She began to hum a song he didn’t recognize as she moved a pancake from the skillet to a plate already piled high. He watched her as she rhythmically moved back and forth from between the bacon and pancakes while she hummed a song and bobbed her head to the tune. The crackling of the bacon was interrupted by a sound in the distance, a familiar sound that seemed to vibrate the harsh light in the kitchen. He listened intently as it approached, getting louder and closer. He wracked his brain and tried to pinpoint the source of the sound.

  He felt a sudden wave of terror as he realized the source of the sound. It was a low, deep chuckle that radiated through his mind like a hot iron. It was something he thought he’d never have to hear again and something he’d never wanted to hear again. Coming closer, second by second, was the unmistakable giggle of Barry.

  His mother stepped back from the stove and dropped her spatula. The laughter got louder, almost seeming to be right outside the window as the metal spatula came to rest on the tiled floor. The laughter stopped and sent the room into a deafening silence that seemed to numb his mind. His mother’s terrycloth robe had loosened slightly, and the fabric belt fell to her side. The light blue strap hung loosely beside her, the tip drenched in blood and dripping onto the floor.

  “Mom?” he asked, frozen in fear and unable to move from behind the table.

  She stood for a moment, motionless, hardly even breathing while Nash continued to watch her from his seat. The fabric belt of her robe continued to drip endlessly, creating a pool of blood on the tile below. Her head turned slightly toward him; the room was so quiet he could hear the tendons in her neck stretch.

  ****

  Nash opened his eyes in the darkness as Melissa breathed softly beside him. Moonlight had replaced the harsh, shimmering glow of the sunlight in his dream. He laid still in the darkness and thought about his mother making breakfast for him as Barry’s laugh echoed in his mind. As time went on, he found he didn’t think about his mother as much as he had when he was alone on the road with Duncan. Even if it had just been a dream, he found himself wishing he’d been able to see her face again.

  He gently removed the comforter and sat on the edge of the bed. The stench of the days sweat reminded him that he’d fallen asleep while waiting for the shower. He undressed slowly, his head still swimming from his dream as he turned on the water. The water took a moment to warm up but steam quickly filled the room. The hot water rolled over him in waves releasing the tension in his shoulders and clearing his mind.

  Silence returned to the room as he turned off the water and stepped through the shower door. He dried off quickly and brushed his teeth, something else he’d forgotten to do before he accidently fell asleep. He slipped on a clean pair of boxer shorts and stood at the bedroom window, looking out across the dark Mansion. Most of the houses had electricity but the streetlights were left off during the night, coating the streets in darkness. He could see patches of orange glowing here and there where people sat around fires.

  A small shriek came from Samantha’s room, just loud enough that Melissa stirred slightly. Slowpokes would sometimes shriek during their sleep, something he’d always known but still took some getting used to. He pulled the comforter over Melissa and left the room to check in on Samantha. The moonlight illuminated the room enough for him to see her still tucked into her bed where he’d left her. Her eyes fluttered endlessly behind her eyelids as her lips moved from a smile to a grimace over and over again.

  “What do you dream about?” he whispered to himself out loud.

  He imagined Samantha getting glimpses of her old life, which brought smiles to her face before flashes of her life now chased them away. He left her alone and made his way down the staircase, heading to the kitchen to get a drink. Walking down the moonlit staircase as if he was walking through a ghostly storybook, he reached the kitchen and took a can of soda out of the fridge. Soda was something he missed terribly from before he hit the road with Duncan, and having a fridge full of it was one of the perks of living in Fletcher’s compound.

  The sound of the can opening echoed through the silent house as he lifted it to his lips and drank half of it in two gulps. He put the can back in the fridge and stood in front of the kitchen window, looking out across their dark yard. He’d already learned to ignore it, but the sound of the dead behind the wall echoed loud throughout the night; a constant reminder of what was hidden just out of reach.

  Just as he turned to leave the kitchen, a small orange light appeared at the edge of their grass before it faded into nothing. He watched for a moment until it appeared again, only to disappear once again.

  “Damn you,” he whispered into the darkness. “What are you doing here?”

  The cigar faded in and out a few more times before it shot across their yard like a falling star. Nash strained his eyes through the darkness just enough to see Duncan’s silhouette fade into the night.

  “Unbelievable,” he said and left the kitchen to make sure the doors were locked and secured.

  Chapter 27

  On the two-month anniversary of settling at the Mansion, Nash and Melissa collected supplies outside the walls wi
th Emma like they did every other day. The routine never changed; they collected supplies, looked for survivors, and marked the houses with their spray paint. In the time since they found the twins, they’d discovered no other survivors in the suburb surrounding the Mansion.

  “I’m not feeling this today,” said Emma, the bags under her eyes dark as she spray painted an orange X on the door of a house they just searched. She used a cloth to blow her nose before throwing it onto the grass. “What do you say we pack it in early?”

  “Probably for the best,” said Nash as he comically stepped away from Emma as to not catch her cold.

  “Oh stop, if you’re gonna get it, you’d have it already!” she said and tossed the spray can at him playfully.

  “Ok, stop flirting, you two,” Melissa laughed.

  Allan greeted them with a smile, as usual, and kissed Emma on the lips before they made their way down the manhole. The three of them climbed out of the sewer and into the streets of the Mansion just as the church bells began to ring.

  “We’ll skip this one,” said Nash, walking with Melissa toward their house as Emma disappeared into town.

  “I need to ask you something,” said Melissa as they made their way down the road.

  “Oh boy,” said Nash, knowing a serious discussion of some sort was on it’s way.

  “This might sound strange, but have you ever felt like someone else has been in our house?”

  Nash thought back over the last months and tried to recall anything he could to support her question. “I remember finding a really distinct dark smudge on the inside of our door in our first few days here. I don’t think either of us had left it. We got distracted and I think you cleaned it after that so I forgot to mention it to you. Why do you ask?”

  “I dunno. Maybe it’s just a feeling, but I’ve noticed little things here and there. Nothing big, which is why I never mentioned it to you.”

  “The night of our first day outside the wall, I caught Duncan watching our house from the road in the middle of the night.”