EMP Antediluvian Fear

by S A Ison

  If they only knew how many men and women were on the mayor’s side, it would help. There would be no clear way of knowing unless they asked everyone, and that wasn’t an option, not if they wanted to keep their scalps. Wilber was pretty sure they’d end up in the coal mine themselves. He couldn’t blame Gerhard, when Jutta was riled, she was a force of nature. No one wanted to get in the path of that. He’d heard rumors about her, and shivered.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Hobo sat chained to the chair, he’d tried to free himself to no avail. He had rubbed his skin raw beneath the chains. He could barely move and his body screamed from pain, both from the drug and alcohol withdrawals he was feeling and also the discomfort of being held in one position. His bones ached and his spine howled, and there was no escaping it. Sleep was fleeting, and he had nothing but dark time on his hands, or hand or do I even have any hands he wondered.

  He could feel his naked butt, raw from shitting into the bucket below. His flaccid rump sagged through the hole that had been cut in the seat of the oak chair. The jagged edges of the chair’s seat now cut into his butt, he’d not been able to lift himself out of the hole. He could smell his own waste, which had mostly been diarrhea. Between that and the cold dampness of the basement, he constantly shivered, irritating his raw skin and his rump.

  The old bitch had even taped his penis downward with duct tape and it pulled painfully at the hairs when he tried to shift. She had offered to feed him, but at first, he’d refused and he’d spit at her. The look in her eyes had frightened him, they had nearly turned black. Then the old woman had left him for nearly a week before she came back down, at least it had seemed like a week. He no longer had any concept of time. He didn’t know how long he slept or how long he was awake.

  It wasn’t the same as loosing time when he’d been high or drunk. This was so much worse, he had started talking to himself, just to hear something in the dark hole. He listened to his stomach cry, it was hungry and so was making him hungry. He’d called out to her, crying for food and water, but she’d left him there and he was afraid she’d let him die. Then, she’d come down, and she’d fed him. He was glad that he didn’t have to eat his own flesh though. He wasn’t sure if he could or if that might push him over the edge. The edge was becoming very appealing.

  She fed him fruits and vegetables, some of them fresh, some from what she’d said she’d canned. He had to be fed by her hand, and he had to look in her face while she fed him. Her eyes were crazy and when she looked at him, it made his skin crawl. She had started feeding him four small meals a day, bowls of cooked or raw food. She also made him drink lots of water, which made him piss a lot. He could hear it fill the bucket below, and the stench of it floating up to caress his face. At least he wasn’t hungry or thirsty any longer.

  She came each morning and took the bucket and replaced it with a clean one. Soon, his excrement had become firmer, but it still burned, his butt was chaffed from not being cleaned. When he’d asked her if she were going to clean him, she’d laughed, spit coming out of her mouth and hitting his face.

  “I ain’t eat’n your asshole, you’ll do, you won’t die from a nasty butt.”

  No matter how loud he screamed and pleaded, neither she nor anyone else came to help him. It was dark right now and he didn’t know what time it was. She only came down to feed him. He’d awaken some time before, but he’d lost track of time. He wondered if the power had come back on, but no, she had always come down with those lanterns. He wished it would come back on so she could have her freezer back and he could leave. He couldn’t remember how he’d gotten there? Had she invited him?

  He shifted again and moaned, and then jerked when he heard the door above open. He saw the illumination of her lantern and heard her coming down stairs. He watched as she walked over to the table and place a bundle on it. He saw that she had an apron on, one with dancing chickens on it. She also had her sleeves rolled up above her elbows and he wondered at it. She set her lantern down and opened another solar lantern and the room became brighter.

  She turned and went back upstairs and came back a few minutes later with a pot, he could hear the water sloshing in it. He caught the scent of raw potatoes, carrots and onions. She walked carefully over to the table and sat the pot down. Under her arm, she had a shiny metal bowl. He saw her reach for some of her spices she kept down there and he sighed. She was going to feed him. But she usually just brought him down a bowl of something. He’d not seen her do this before and it made him nervous.

  She turned around and smiled at him, her smile bright. He began to tremble. That smile meant no good he was sure.

  “What do you’uns want? Why is you’uns har? Whar’s is my vittles? Is that thar my food?” he asked, his voice quivering and cracking. It seemed to echo in the basement, mocking him, he could hear his own fear. He had to swallow, his mouth going dry.

  “Well Hobo, it’s time for me to do a little harvesting. I’m sorry to say I don’t have anything to numb you with, so this is gonna sting.” She said, though her smile didn’t diminish.

  “No, no. You’uns cain’t do this. Don’t do this Karma, don’t.” he cried, his breath coming in painful pants.

  She laughed hard, bending over at the waist. She laughed long and the tears rolled down her cheeks, she wiped at them with her wrists. She leaned back and hooted and stomped a foot. She shook her head, looking at him.

  “My name is Bella May, son.” She laughed, clearing her throat and used her wrist to wipe the tears from her eyes.

  “I’s thought you’uns said it were Karma?” Hobo asked, not understanding.

  “You know, if I had any doubts before, they are all cleared up. The world will not miss you Hobo dear. Not one whit.” She giggled.

  She turned away from him and went to the bundle she’d laid on the table and brought back a small clean rag. He began to ask what that was for when she shoved it into his mouth. She reached behind him and her hand came back with a roll of duct tape. She pulled a length and put it over his gagged mouth. He tried to avoid the tape, but her hands were fast and firm.

  “Sorry about that, but you’re gonna be too loud, and even my ear plugs won’t keep the noise out. At least this way, I can enjoy myself without the loud noise.” She grinned, her yellow teeth winking in the light of the lantern. She drew a wooden stool over and placed near him.

  His eyes bulged out as she laid out a knife, scalpel, clamps and a small saw. He shook his head wildly. He tried to rock his body, but the chains held him secure. She began to blur as his eyes filled with tears of fear and denial. He tried to scream no, but the rag was blocking him.

  His screams were muffled and he shook his head. His body shook with terror, though the movement was very slight and rubbed his rump against the jagged seat. He didn’t feel the pain, for the fear that was curling up through his gut and was biting into his brain.

  He watched the old woman walk back to the table and she grabbed the shiny metal bowl and came back and placed on the wooden stool and moved the stool under his confined hand. He screamed and screamed but it was nearly inaudible. His eyes rolled around the room, looking for some kind of escape, he could feel hot tears splash down on his naked chest. His body was vibrating violently with fear and knowledge that pain was coming his way. He could feel himself voiding, he could hear and smell it and he wanted to retch.

  “I can’t say this won’t hurt a bit, cause it’s gonna hurt like hell. Most of the time, I don’t worry about it, cause my meat is already dead.” She sniggered, her green eyes bright.

  She pulled another stool over and then sat in front of him. She grasped his hand and Hobo tried to avoid her, but he was tightly bound. He couldn’t look away as she picked up the small scalpel. He looked at her face and then the dancing chicken apron and then the scalpel. It just didn’t make sense to him. She took the blade and cut across his wrist. She held it firmly over the bowl. He watched the blood well up, but there was no pain at first and then he felt the burn and screamed in
to the rag in his mouth.

  He didn’t want to watch as the blood spurt from his wrist, some hitting the dancing chickens, some hitting her forearms. She picked up the clamps and clamped something that made the squirting blood stop. Most of it dripped into the metal bowl she’d set on a wooden stool, below his hand. He could feel himself voiding once more when she brought the small saw up and began to saw the bone. His scream went higher as the pain sent white hot razor blades into his brain and then he was gone.

  ֎

  David walked among the people in the shadowy mine, there was very little light. They’d not received the requested extra candles, and they’d been told that they had to make do with what they had. He was looking for that new man, Robby Rob. He knew in his gut that the scumbag had stolen food from Mary, and it would seem from a few of the children as well. He knew he should be shocked, but he wasn’t.

  Gideon, Elliot and Steven Stroh, a Beattyville policeman, were helping him look for Robby Rob. Stroh had been put in the coal mine because he had vehemently disagreed with the sheriff and mayor. Especially over the murder of a fellow officer, Howard Deets. They were trying to track down the elusive man who’d been stealing out of the mouth of babes. Robby Rob disappeared and no one had seen him. It was difficult finding anyone or anything in the dusty darkness. There were dozens of shafts and holes and grottos and so spread out, a man could easily elude detection.

  The three men met back up near the entrance, it was getting close to supper and they knew Robby Rob would show his face then. David went to check on Mary. He bent and asked if she was okay.

  “Yes, I’m fine. I think I need to walk around, my body hurts from sitting in once place.” She said, struggling to get up from the pile of covers.

  David took her hand and arm and gently lifted her and held onto her while she gained her balance.

  “I think I should walk more, I think it isn’t good for me to just lay around all the time.” She said.

  “Just make sure you have Julia or Mary Lou, or one of the other women with you. You don’t need to fall, there are a lot of open shafts, old ones. You’ll also want to stay near the entrance, that is about the safest place.” He advised her. With Robby Rob down here, he knew the man was a predator, and David knew the women were in danger of assault.

  He and Mary walked around the cathedral like cavern. David made sure to keep the light in sight, not wanting to get near any of the darkened recesses. There were plenty of trip hazards. He walked her around for about ten minutes, and he watched as she stretched her body. She was trying to work the kinks out.

  “Maybe every few hours, have Julia and her boys help you out, get you up and going. That should help with the aches. Get your muscles moving.”

  “All right David, thank you, I will.” She said and he led her around, his arm supporting her back. They walked in circles around other people and children. There were candle stubs spread out, but it was little help.

  David walked her back to her pallet and helped her sit down. “Thank you, David, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She said, her voice quivering a little and he saw her wipe at her face, moving the mask over her mouth and nose.

  “I’ve told you before Mary, we are all we have here. We have to take care of each other until we get out of here. You don’t need to thank me.” He said softly, smiling though he could barely see her.

  He heard the squeak and squeal of gears, “That’s dinner, I’ll be back with something and we can sit and have a nice meal together.”

  She laughed, “It almost sounds normal.”

  “Yeah, I’m sad to say that it does.” David laughed.

  He walked back to the entrance and waited with others as the platform worked its way down. There were two men, who had bandanas masking the lower part of their faces. They had guns and they had accompanied the food down and everyone grew silent, waiting to see what would happen. David knew it didn’t bode well if men with guns showed up. He wondered at the bandanas, was it to keep their cowardly faces hidden or to keep the coal dust out of their lungs?

  “All right, listen up. Thar is a need fir people ta work in the fields. Gots some crops a comin near ta harvistin. Some of the women and some of the men’ll come wit us tamarra. Ya’ll kin figure it out, but we’ull need bout fifteen. Iffn you’uns work on the farm, you’uns a git ta bring back somma the food.” The man said loudly.

  “Oh, so we’s gonna be slave field hands?” a man shouted in the back. David thought it sounded like Robby Rob. He bumped Gideon and nudged Stroh and they slowly shifted backward a fraction.

  “Shut the fuck up boy.” The man yelled and pushed the food cart off the lift. The gears began to scream and David turned away, saw Julia and asked her to take Mary food. He then started looking for the man, from the voice that had given a hint of its location. It had come from near C shaft. He tapped Gideon on the shoulder and nudged Stroh and nodded his head. The men worked their way through the throng, and David saw a tall thin shadow, and picked up his pace.

  David saw the shape turn and go into one of the shafts, and he and Gideon turned on the lamps on their hardhats. Stroh brought up the rear. They saw a light go on ahead of them and they picked up their pace, nearly running. They had to keep low so they wouldn’t smack their heads on the low ceiling, especially David, he was six inches taller than the other two men.

  They wove in and out of corridors and dead ends, and had to back track. They could hear the footsteps running ahead and then they stopped. It echoed along with their own steps and gave no help in the hunt. David and Gideon slowed and walked as silently as they could, Stroh was wheezing but held his hand over his face. David tried to shallow his breath, but he was winded. He turned his head this way and that, listening for some kind of clue.

  Then he heard the scraping of boot on rock and nudged Gideon who heard it as well. They walked slowly forward, their lights moving back and forth over the cave walls. Stroh stayed behind, his wheezing becoming worse and turning into a cough. David heard Stroh back up and away from them. Up ahead they saw an opening and David turned off his light and went ahead of Gideon. His large body blocked most of Gideon’s light. He crept up to the low opening and waited for Gideon to come closer.

  Just as he suspected, Robby Rob was hiding deeper within the opening. David’s mouth turned down when he saw the tell-tale paper towel of stolen food. As Gideon drew abreast and shined his light into the hole, Robby Rob bolted out. David easily caught the man by his scrawny neck. Stroh came running up, sweat running rivers down his face, streaking it with the coal dust.

  “Let go man… le.. le..let me go!” Robby Rob choked out, spittle flying from his mouth. His yellow eyes rolled around, looking for an escape.

  “You little thieving bastard, steal from children and pregnant women, will you? You aren’t worth the oxygen you breathe.” David snarled, his face close to Robby Rob. He shook the man like a rag doll, Rob’s legs dragging the ground.

  “I’s was hongry, them thar women and young’un’s aint doin nothing. I’s a man, I need that food mo than they’s does.” Robby Rob whined.

  David began to walk, his pace fast and he could hear Gedeon and Stroh trying to keep up. Robby Rob clawed at David’s massive hand but it did no good. David’s vicelike grip would not loosen.

  David turned down another shaft and came to an opening that had been boarded up and painted red. David kicked the boards down and Gideon ran up, putting his hand on David’s shoulders.

  “David, what are you gonna do?” he asked, breathless.

  “I’m going to put this asshole where he can’t do anyone any harm. I plan to go and work on that farm, to bring Mary back food. I can’t protect her with this animal roaming around.” David snarled.

  “Don’t ddd..ddoon’t throw me down thar!” Robby Rob screamed, his legs kicking wildly. His hands were trying to hit David’s face.

  “David, I understand your anger. But you drop him down there, that’s just plain murder.” Gideon said, his voice
low.

  “With him, it isn’t murder Gideon, I know this peckerwood, he’s a bad’un. If you turn your back, he’d stab you an rape your wife.” Stroh said, his voice still holding a wheezing note.

  David looked at Gideon. “Before this all went down, I would agree. I would have whole heartily agreed with you. I’d never think of doing anything remotely like this. But Gideon, this is a predator, and he will hurt, kill or even rape those he wants or whoever gets in his way. Letting him live, that is waiting for someone else to get hurt or killed. Can you live with yourself if that happens?” David asked, his voice deadly calm now.

  Gideon looked him, then at Stroh, and then he looked at the ground. David continued, “I will live with the guilt or whatever comes, but I cannot let this man lose around those women and children.”

  Before Gedeon or Robby Rob could say anything, David gave a mighty shove and let go of the man’s throat. Robby Rob rocked violently on the edge of the precipice and screamed, his arms wind milling wildly. His face twisted in a mask of fear and horror. Gideon stepped forward to grasp the man’s arm, but David blocked his way. Stroh reached out and held Gideon’s arm and Robby Rob fell back, his scream echoing down the deep open shaft.

  They heard a couple meaty thumps before the screaming stopped and they didn’t hear a landing, the hole was deep. David stared into the hole for a few moments and then turned to Gideon, whose face was white as a sheet, all the blood drained. Stroh had his filthy hand on Gideon’s shoulder.

  “You okay Gideon?” David asked softly, his eyes searching.

  Gideon cleared his throat, then answered, “Yeah, David. I’m okay, I guess you’re right. It’s just…” Gideon stammered.

  “I know, it’s just not how we are, we don’t do the things these assholes do so easily. But we have to Gideon, if we want to get out of here, get our loved ones out of here, then we’ll have to change. We will have to become stronger and more ruthless to those who want to harm us.”