by Maxey, Phil
“What if it is aliens?” said Wyatt speaking between sips of his soup.
A mixture of sighs, and people shifting their seating positions rippled around the room.
“I mean, they must have had a reason to do all they have done right? It can’t all just be random?” continued Wyatt.
Most eyes seem to settle on the doctor, who looked pensive.
“Let’s just for one moment say it is what it looks like. It’s some kind of advanced space faring race that is in this video. There are a lot of questions that we can’t possibly have any chance of getting answers too—”
“Why are they here?” said Diaz.
“Yes,” said Raj.
“Did they create the Cascade and why?” said Miles.
“Yes.”
“What the hell were they doing in that city?” said Fiona.
“Yes.”
“Will they let me fly their spaceship?” said Michael.
“Ye… well…”
Michael laughed. “I’m joking doc.”
“Are they done with us…” said Bower. His tone was more of a statement than question and most in the group took in a deep breath in response. A silence fell upon the now stuffy room, as each person contemplated the possibility that the Cascade was just a part of something else. Something larger.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Something clattered on the roof, as the rest of the house creaked and moaned in reply. Abbey sat up huddled in layers of blankets, on an old double bed. One small candle burned on a nightstand next to her, as she read a small paperback book and a strong wind howled in the night outside.
After the encounter with the helicopter they had flown another few hours, until it got too dark to continue. Eventually she spotted an old house on a hill, at the edge of a small town, and they landed and crept inside just as the final vestiges of light for the day slipped behind the nearby forests and hills.
She could sense Mo who was downstairs somewhere, and she could also sense the other E.L.F’s who were prowling through the thick woods just a few miles from her. The latter though were not making any headway in the direction of the house so she wasn’t overly bothered. The building was a bit exposed though so sleeping would be at a minimum.
She turned the page on the old book which told of a small town, haunted by the priest who used to inhabit the town’s church, when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. A bobbing light in the forest further up the hill the house was on.
She immediately blew the candle out and walked around the edge of the bed, keeping the point of illumination in her view so not to lose it.
“What the hell is that?” she said to herself.
She reached for her rifle and held it up looking down the sight. On locating the tiny speck of light she watched it moving between the trees. She strained her eyes, but it was still impossible to make out more detail. The way it was moving though looked like it was being carried by a human. A man out in the middle of the night? Another Cascader?
The light stopped moving.
Even though every instinct she had told her to stay where she was and just watch this mysterious light move off into the distance, the idea of communicating with another human being was strangely compelling. She grabbed her pack and her rifle then ran downstairs, past Mo who was in the kitchen and out into the yard at the back. The night air was bracing and she tried wrapping her jacket around herself more tightly. As she traipsed up the slope towards the fence at the back and forest beyond she looked up at the bright moon, and then back at the house. Mo was useful to have to get her out of difficult situations, but he was also likely to get himself and her shot if she stumbled across the wrong kind of person.
She reached the fence, and climbed over it, landing awkwardly on the leaf covered muddy ground. She then looked into the complete dark of the trees ahead of her, trying to remember where she saw the light, but there was no sign of it.
Screw it.
“Hello!” she shouted into the shadows.
She walked forward up the increasingly steep ground.
“Hello! Is there anyone out there? I mean you no—”
Mo?
She could sense intense panic and fright emanating from her pet. She then heard him shrieking, coming from the house she had just left.
“Mo!” she quickly climbed back over the fence and ran down the slope just about staying on her feet.
The cone of a flashlight waved around the kitchen, and then went out, and the back of the house was plunged once again into darkness.
She ran across the yard holding her rifle in front of her, pulled the kitchen door open and charged inside.
“Uh?”
A large net had been placed over Mo, who was fighting against the cords, trying to free himself.
A noise made her whip around. The barrel of a rifle wavered a few inches from her nose.
She froze and lifted her arms, just as the blinding light from a powerful flashlight came on in front of her.
“Put the rifle down real slow,” said a gruff male voice.
“What do you want?” said Abbey trying to see beyond the intense light in front of her.
“I just told you what I want.”
She slowly lowered her arm. Just as she was about to place the rifle against the kitchen counter, the man shot forward and grabbed it, always keeping his rifle pointing towards her.
“That thing belong to you?”
She wasn’t sure at first what he meant, then she realized he was referring to Mo struggling and now hissing behind her.
“Yes.”
“How you control it? It’s like your pet?”
“Something like that yes.”
“We really do live in strange times.”
“Look I’m just passing through, I’ve got a few supplies you can take, if you just let me and my pet go.” A strange odor filled the room, which she couldn’t pin down.
“What’s stopping me from taking your stuff, anyway? You’re not exactly in a strong bargaining position young lady.”
“Well, my friends will be here soon, you better let me go!”
The man sighed. “You’re not the best liar in the world either. I must admit I’m curious how you control them, usually I just kill them, and eat them if I have to.”
The idea of someone eating Mo made her feel a little queasy.
“I’ll tell you what, you show me how you control them and I’ll let you continue your journey.”
“And you won’t… harm my pet?”
“As long as he behaves, no.”
“Okay. Can I have my gun back?”
“Ha, no I can’t do that.”
“Fine, but take that light out of my face, I can’t see you.”
The middle-aged, largely gray haired man, who was wearing a cap put his large flashlight down on the counter.
“My names Burt, Burt Ruskin.” He walked forward and sat on a stool near the counter, his rifle pointing more to the floor but still in her general direction.
Abbey relaxed a little and sat on another nearby stool. “I’m Abbey Reisner. If you don’t mind me asking, why are you out here? Everywhere I’ve seen is mostly deserted.”
“That’s a long story, first tell me how you control your creature.”
A number of options ran through her mind, from snake charming to drugs, eventually she settled on the truth.
“You know about the Cascade?”
“I do.”
“Well it not only affected animals, it also affected some humans—” She noticed he sat back in his chair a little. “—There’s no need to worry or be concerned, I’m still human, it’s just now I can sense the E.L.F’s.”
“E.L.F’s?”
“Evolved life forms.”
“And you can control them too?”
“Yes.”
“So that makes you an E.L.F too?”
Abbey had never thought of herself like that before. “Yes, I guess.”
Burt rubbed his hand
over his stubbly chin. “I see. How do you know if you have been affected? How did you know?”
“There’s a transitioning period, trust me you’ll know.”
“Looks like I wasn’t effected then.”
“Look, I’ve told you what you wanted to know, why don’t you tell me that long story?” She could sense Mo’s fear and frustration behind her. She stepped down from the stool. “My pet, he doesn’t like to be under that net, can I let him out?”
Burt lifted his rifle in her direction again. “Slow down there, if I let that thing out, what’s stopping you from doing some kinda mind thing and setting it on me? I saw those monkey things swoop down and grab plenty of people in the town back when it all kicked off.”
“I’ll make him go outside.”
Burt sat silent for a few seconds. “Fine, but remember I’ve got this rifle on you.”
She walked to the net at the back of the kitchen, untied some knots and pulled it quickly off Mo, who continued to hiss in Burt’s direction.
“Mo, it’s okay, I need you to go outside, come on.” She walked backwards, and then stood between the man with the gun and her E.L.F corralling him through the door she came in just a few moments before. She then quickly closed it. Mo stood on the other side still growling at the man.
She closed her eyes and Mo immediately turned and took to the sky. She then put her pack on the counter and pulled a bottle of water from it, holding it out to Burt.
“You first,” he said without taking it.
“You’re not very trusting are you?” She quickly opened the bottle and took a sip, then offered it again. This time he took it and took a few mouthfuls, handing it back.
“When you just closed your eyes, and that thing—”
“His name is Mo.”
“—That thing obeyed, so it’s like telepathy or something?”
“Or something.”
He lowered his gun but still kept hold of it. Abbey didn’t bother asking him about her own rifle which was still near his boots. In the back of her pants, her handgun sat snug in case she needed it.
“Why you out here alone? Even with your gift, I guess it’s not going to work on fella’s who are looking for a young lady such as yourself.” he said looking at his flashlight.
“It’s a long story.”
He smiled.
“I’ve got some candles upstairs, if you’re okay with me leaving the room.”
“Sure.”
She ran up the stairs, grabbed the few candles that she had planted in various places, and came back down and lit them. She then stood a few on the counter.
“I’m on my way to Boston, and I can take care of myself if it comes to that.”
“Boston’s a ways from here. Why Boston?”
“My parents lived there.”
“I hate to tell you this Abbey, but the chances of them being alive—”
“I have reason to believe they might still be. But I’m still waiting for your story.” She turned and opened one of the cupboards which she knew from before was full of canned food. She could hear him sigh from behind. “I don’t need all the details, just the short version will do.” She reached in and pulled out a jar of olives. “You like olives?”
“No.”
She sighed and put them back, looking for something else. “Go on…”
“Me and my family lived in a place out in the woods. Had ourselves about twenty acres of good land. We grew our own crops, I hunted. We kept ourselves to ourselves and only came into the town when we needed to.”
“Is that why you survived? Because you were out there?” She looked through the kitchen window to the woods nearby.
“I survived, but my family didn’t.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I like them.”
“What?”
“What you got in your hand.”
Abbey realized she was holding a can of fruit in syrup. “Oh, yes.” She set about finding something to open the can with.
“Pass them here.” She did, and he produced a large knife which made short work of the top of the can.
She pulled two bowls from a cupboard and he poured them into them. She then sat down on a stool.
“You still did well to last out here alone, against the creatures.”
“When the big ones come by, I hide in my cellar. I lay traps for the smaller ones.”
She swallowed. “And you eat them?”
“Some of them are not that different to what was around before, bobcat, elk, even bear.”
“At least we know they’re not poisonous,” she said while chewing on some peach halves.
He smiled, leaned down and picked up her rifle putting it on the counter close to her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The huge fur covered beasts bounded along the highway with their people transports tied behind them. After some experimentation, Clovis and his people discovered that two six legged bear like creatures to each vehicle was more than enough to pull them along at well over forty miles per hour. They could even rotate in new creatures when some tired as the pack was twelve strong.
Suddenly each creature in turn skidded to a halt, making the drivers of each of the pickups slam on their brakes.
The rear door to the first pickup flew open and Clovis jumped out looking at the flat overgrown fields around them.
Bryan and Lilly looked at each other inside the pickup, neither of them having any idea why they stopped just twenty minutes after starting out for the day.
“I’m not getting out,” said Lilly.
Bryan sighed then opened the door, walking between the pickups and avoiding getting too close to the panting creatures which stood six feet off the ground even on all fours.
“What is it?” said Bryan to Clovis.
“There’s something coming this way.”
“E.L.F’s? Should we find cover?”
Clovis remained silent, but the look on his face troubled Bryan for the large man looked confused.
“No, we stay here. I’ll take care of it.” He climbed up on top of the first pickup. “Get me the scope.”
Bryan ducked back into the vehicle, grabbed the nineteenth century telescope and passed it up to him. Bryan watched as he scanned the landscape, eventually stopping, looking towards the east.
“Take the ropes off my boys.”
Bryan looked at the huge beasts nearby, hesitating to move.
Clovis continued looking through his scope. “I won’t ask you again doctor.”
“Yes, okay, but I might need some help.”
Clovis didn’t respond as Bryan walked away, requesting some of the others that were sat in the back of the pickups to jump out and help him. Most were reluctant to move, but some did and soon the ropes were falling from the backs and necks of the snarling creatures.
The beasts sprang forward into the three-foot long grass of the fields around the road, and the others in the pack joined them, sniffing the air.
Bryan walked back to Clovis, who hadn’t moved.
“Done.”
“Tell the others to arm up, use the nearby trees as cover.”
Bryan didn’t ask why. He turned and told the others, and they all grabbed hold of what rifles and guns they had and ran to the trees nearby.
Bryan didn’t join them, instead he returned to the front of the first pickup, which Clovis was still standing on the hood of. He then heard and saw what the man with the scope already had. A rumbling accompanied dust rising up a few miles further along the road.
Clovis’s ‘boys’ spread out, with an even split of six on both sides. They scraped at the ground with their huge paws, and growled more intensely as the rumbling increased.
Bryan then saw what the source of the ground shaking was. A four legged creature looking like a cross between an elephant and a crocodile, was striding towards them. But that wasn’t all. To each side were more E.L.F’s, some so strange Bryan rubbed his eyes trying to focus better on what they coul
d be. And then he saw the strangest thing of all. Accompanying each E.L.F was a human being, either walking alongside or riding on top of, as was the case with the large dinosaur looking breast leading the way.
“Are they Cascaders?” Bryan said it more to himself, and immediately regretted voicing an opinion remembering who was standing above him.
“Yes.” Came the growled reply.
Clovis jumped down from the hood, leaned inside the cabin and grabbed his shotgun. He then strode confidently forward, keeping to the center of the road. As he did his pets stayed level with him. After a few moments the other E.L.F’s and their people stopped moving. The guy who sat on top of the largest, climbed down and started walking towards Clovis.
Everyone’s heart beat faster than they preferred.
Clovis and the man who was wearing a leather jacket, with a beard and mustache not dissimilar to a pirate, stopped ten feet from each other. Bryan, ignoring everyone else hiding best they could, walked forward keeping to the grass verge so he could hear what was being said.
“You’re in my way,” said Clovis.
“That’s a matter of opinion,” said the man.
“My opinion is you’re in my way.”
The man looked to each side at the sharp teeth and spiked fur clawing at the ground and air, just a few tens of yards away.
“So you’re like us? A Cascader?”
“What of it?”
The man turned slightly to those standing behind him. “We’re the same. We used to fight for a human, now we fight for ourselves.” He then did something that surprised Clovis and those who were watching. He stepped forward and held out his hand. “I’m Erin Santiago, of Irish and Hispanic stock.”
Bryan fully expected Clovis to lower the barrel on the shotgun and blow this strange man away, but instead he shook his hand.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Abbey walked uneasily through the thick forest in the early morning sun. She had no idea where she was going and no idea how to get back to the house where she had slept for a few hours the night before. She had learned some more about the man who lived in the woods, enough to take him up on his invitation to see his home, but not enough to fully trust him.
