by Josh Olsen
Clark braced for what would come next, unsure if he had the strength to fight through once more as he had so many times before.
“I know, I know.” She whispered out softly. “I just…I miss you.” Her head rested on Clark’s shoulder, her soft cheek rubbing on the flannel.
Clark raised an eyebrow, he turned to face her, for once unafraid.
“I miss you too. God dammit I miss you so much.” Clark cupped her hands in his, bringing them to his lips. His firm, worn hands completely covered her thin feminine fingers.
“So don’t go then. Stay with me.” She whispered, her kind eyes watching his, observing.
“Cass I can’t. I can’t live in the past. I can’t stay.” Clark said back, his eyes watering with an encroaching lonesomeness.
Her eyes stared off, thinking.
“I understand.” she said back. “Just….don’t forget me.” Her thin figure seemed to wisp away into a thin mist that Clark could not hold onto. The warmth of her embrace turned to a cold chill of solitude.
Clark stared at the floor. On his knees he turned to a photo, faded from dust and sunlight he picked it up. Softly, he brushed away the grime with his palm.
“I won’t baby. I won’t.” He sighed out. setting the photo once again on the shelf.
Scooping the gun and shells off the carpet, he turned to leave. Staring up at the ceiling as he floated about his thoughts.
His own eyes in the photo stared at him as he left the room.
Cass had protested the photo at first, her being so pregnant. But she relented under Clark’s reassurance. After all, when would they ever come to the Grand Canyon again?
Would they even have time for themselves to travel anymore as they had loved so much these past years? Even after the baby arrived? Cass’s mind had raced with anxiety and doubt clinging closer to Clark’s arm as the tourist took their picture.
He was all she needed, her rock, her reassurance that everything would work out, that they would be happy, be together forever, grow old together. She sighed with content. Clutching Clark’s large, muscular arm tighter, leaning into it, she smiled happily for the photo.
Chapter 44
The jeep gave the last of its life to the men as it struggled with even the slightest of curves and bumps in the road. The chains dug hard into the asphalt and dirt below the frozen ice. The wheels whirred and choked as they fought the incline up the hill to the Paradise. The engine gagged and sputtered on the gas it sucked in from the cold.
Macklin jerked awake quickly, scaring the hell out of everyone else in the car. But after looking around for a moment, cold sweat running down his forehead, he simply grabbed the rifle near him, clutching it. Transitioning back into the present almost seamlessly, he sat quiet, staring out the window as they drove. He ignored the blood running down his hand, dripping onto the floor, the shards of glass dug deep into his hand but he didn’t notice.
Rounding the final corner, pulling back the curtain of pines, they saw it.
The Paradise was almost unrecognizable. The once proud and extravagant building hid in the darkness in shame. Glass was shattered everywhere as the headlights revealed, the smashed crystal sparkling on the snow. Not a single light flickered in the darkness, a ghostly wind howled throughout the abandoned building.
“Oh my God.” Clark said, his eyes scanning the structure.
What few cars remained were torn to shreds, unrecognizable, save for the shreds of rubber that still clung to the tires. Power poles leaned lazily against the building, wires swung limply in the breeze, walls were torn to shreds, claw marks and blood left behind painted a ghastly picture in the minds of the group. Clark popped the Jeep door open swinging out into the snow. Quickly, he jogged towards the building.
“Clark.. Goddammit!” was all Jason managed to get out before the door swung shut once more cutting him off.
The wide, double automatic doors swung open and shut, jammed on a leg that lay in the snow and dirt. Clark choked back vomit as he kicked the limb out of the way, pulling the doors open. Glass crunched below his feet as he shone his light inward. Rifle pointed out as he scanned the lobby.
Turning back to the Jeep, he gestured for Jason.
The jeep rolled forward toward the chaotic scene. The window struggled to roll down with the frost that clung to it.
“The doors are gone, you can drive right into the lobby.” Clark said, his eyes scanning his surroundings.
“Why the hell would we do that?” Billings quipped back in the dark.
“Protect it.” Jason said out loud, thinking.
“Exactly,” Clark said back, “If shit goes south, at least we won’t have to go far to make a break for it, and that thing can’t tear up the car if we’re watching it.”
Billings scoffed, turning back forward, silent.
“Bring it in Jason, I’ll watch your back.” Clark said, rifle pointed out into the darkness.
Jason rolled the jeep forward, letting his snow covered boot off of the brake. Sparks flying, the doors slid slowly open. The ghostly beam of the headlights shone into the massive lobby. Glass and blood covered the floor, furniture was tipped over and torn to shreds. The jeep hummed steadily in the darkness of the lobby, two slim beams of light shone out into the dark. Illuminating the blood covered wall and broken window.
“Jesus,” Jason breathed out.
“Shitty thing is,” Macklin sighed out, loading his rifle. “Is the only people still up here were probably employees….locals.” Macklin pulled the action on his rifle shut loudly, hopping from the Jeep.
“Hold up.” Billings whined out, as Clark joined the men at the side of the Jeep. “The plan was to use a spotlight, just how the hell do we do that with no power?”
The men looked at each other, it hadn’t crossed their minds.
“Well there has to be a backup generator or a switch somewhere. Auxiliary power or something.” Jason said.
“There is!” Macklin exclaimed. “That snow storm last month! This place was the only part of town that had power and all the lines were knocked out.”
“Well shit kid,” Clark said. “That could be anywhere, look at the size of this place.” Clark shone his flashlight over the ceiling, the once grand Chandeliers were missing, torn straight from their perch, they lay in pieces on the ground.
Jason looked at Billings, “Well Gary, now’s the time to prove us your worth.” He scowled at Billings, inching closer to him, “You were in the the thick of it with those Sanders shits. Surely they showed you around the place a time or two.”
Billings’ eyes darted back and forth at the men staring at him. “I know where it is, but hell if I’m going down there. I don’t care what you say.”
Jason pulled flashlights from a duffel bag in the jeep, tossing one to Clark. “Oh you’ll care.” he said, moving closer to Billings. “You’re gonna take Clark right to it or we’re gonna tie you to the Jeep and let that fucking thing come right for you if you say otherwise.”
Switching on one of the flashlights Jason waved it around the room, examining it. “So Gary,” Jason held an anger on his voice that frightened even Clark standing at his side. “What’s it going to be?
Billings stood staring back in the dark, staring for a moment.
“God Dammit.” Billings took a flashlight from Jason and walked toward a maintenance closet, pulling it open. The door squeaked as it pushed a mound of snow over on the carpet.
Billings turned back to the men, “Well, come on God Dammit, no time to waste.”
The men followed Billings’ shadow into the closet, their eyes adjusting to the dark.
Billings shone a flashlight on a floor layout map, pinned to the wall, the men squinted at it trying to make it out.
“The second basement here,” Billings said, his finger casting a shadow on the map as he traced over it. “There’s a maintenance locker with a mobile generator. It’s got wheels, but fuck if that matters with the elevator out. Me and old reliable here, are gonna ha
ve to haul that heavy thing up here if we want to get the spotlight going.”
Clark scowled at Billings, restraining the muscles that twinged and itched in his fist.
“Why drag it up here?” Macklin asked, arms folded squinting in the dark.
“Cause queerboy, if that thing corners us down there with no exit, you two won’t be around much longer.” Billings tore the map from the wall, folding it up. “Any more questions?”
Jason turned to Clark, putting a hand on his shoulder. “For the love of god Clark, be careful down there.”
“Macklin” Jason said, turning to the door, “Let’s find a good spot with our backs to the wall. Somewhere to keep watch.”
“Shit.” Clark said to himself, pulling his rifle up off the nearby table, “Let’s go already.”
Hurriedly, Billings led them both to the maintenance shaft. A large, sealed metal door that let out an audible “whoosh” as they pulled it open, the metal door creaked as it swung heavily against the wall. Slipping inside, Clark pulled the door loudly shut behind them, locking it from the inside.
A darkness they had not yet known waited inside of the shaft, no windows let any of the light from the shining moon outside in. Clark struggled with his pocket, fumbling to produce the flashlight from it. Clicking the switch, he lit it.
The shaft was truly an abysmal place, water stained walls cornered them on both sides, smelling of damp carpet and mold. Cracked bricks chipped from the walls, coating the wet floor in a scarlet powder. Rusted pipes and doorless frames stood stretched out in the long hallway that awaited them.
Clark took the lead, Billings shook as he shined the flashlight down the hallway. The light danced on the walls, causing their shadows to jump and shake on the floor and walls. Their eyes playing tricks on them.
Shots echoed high above their heads. Clark jumped, turning to make a break for the door. Billings large, heavy arms stopped him. “Don’t! If we don’t get that generator we’re all as good as dead.”
“Fuck!” Clark yelled, ripping the radio from his belt, he switched it on. “Jason!? Jason?! Are you alright?!” Nothing more than static and fuzz answered, the concrete walls suffocating any signal that fought to escape the walls. “Shit!”
Jason ran to the vent, the hole in the wall the creature had escaped into. Firing several more shots aimlessly into the darkness of the vent he tore a flare from his belt, striking it. The bright red light burned in the dark sizzling on the cold snow of the vent as he tossed it inward.
“Macklin!” Jason shouted overhead to Macklin who leaned on the bannister of the next level. “Get Clark on the radio! We need to warn them!” Jason squinted into the dark red light of the vent, trying make something out.
“Nothing but static!” Macklin called back, running to the stairs, descending them quickly.
“Shit.” Jason whispered under his breath, running for the maintenance door.
“Well where the fuck is it?!” Clark shouted in the darkness, smashing another lock from the row of lockers with the butt of his gun. Tearing the metal door open, he searched it frantically. Pounding could be heard now on the maintenance door far down the hallway. Clark aimed his rifle into the darkness up the row of stairs, waiting for the door to burst open at any moment.
Billings stood behind him, tearing open more lockers as he searched for the generator. “Clark! Clark! I found it-“ Billings voice cut off. A loud crashing noise could be heard behind him. The sound of metal sliding on concrete.
Clark raised an eyebrow in the dark. “Billings? Everything alright?” Clark spun around, staring at Billings down the dark hallway. Billings stood still, shaking, his light shaking as he shone it upon something on the floor. A metal grate, from one of the air vents.
“Macklin!” Jason shouted behind him, “Try to find another way around!” Jason slammed the heavy catering table once again into the heavy metal door, the thick wood of the rolling table cracked and splintered with each impact.
Gary Billings turned up to look at Clark in the dark. His light shining into Clark’s eyes, blinding him.
“Clark?” he asked. His voice whimpered out a weak and pitiful cry.
It was then that the thing appeared behind him, its enormous figure hidden in the darkness.
“Oh my God, Billings!” Was all Clark could get out before the claws burst through Billings’ chest, knocking the flashlight from his hands. Billings shrieked loudly, mouth spilling blood as he was ripped backward into the darkness.
The flashlight spun and rolled towards Clark on the ground. Billings frantic gurgled cries could be heard down the hallway in the distant. In one motion, Clark snatched the light from the ground, scrambling to the locker where Billings had stood.
The creature shrieked loudly down the hallway, causing Clark’s hair to stand on end. Reaching the locker, he stooped to grab the generator when something hit him. Hard.
Billings corpse was heaved out from the darkness, striking Clark hard. The force caused him to fly backward, crashing through a door at the end of the hall. Laying in a mess of stagnant water and splintered wood, Clark’s eyes spun, trying to get their bearings. Billings’ limp corpse lay on top of him, the heavy body pinning him to the floor as he struggled.
Clark’s eyes adjusted to the darkness of the hallway, scanning the distance, he froze. Out of the darkness, the creature strode forward, its powerful legs bounded off the floor with each step, its massive, rotting muscles twitched with every move. Its full form shrouded in the darkness of the shaft. Clark struggled to break free, the thing was inches from his face. With a loud screech, the thing opened its massive jaws, latching onto Billings corpse. The massive teeth sunk straight through the body, piercing Clark’s leg, puncturing almost to the bone.
Clark screamed, shaking in the darkness, the creature pulled backward, ripping the corpse from him, tearing flesh from his leg.
Clark screamed in the dark, his hands fumbled in the darkness, grabbing at his wound that spouted blood. The creature dragged the limp corpse of Gary Billings backward into the darkness, heaving it over its head far down the hallway. Clark shook as he fumbled for his shotgun in the dark, the thing had noticed him. Slowly, it strode closer to him by the second, it snarled in the darkness, sickly saliva dripping from its fangs.
Leaning his head back in pain, letters glowing in the dark caught his eye.
AUXILIARY POWER SWITCH.
Clark clutched at the wall to his side, bracing and pulling himself to his feet. Blood still spurting from his wound had coated his hands, causing him to slip and fumble with the switch.
The creature was hardly a foot away now, it snarled and hissed at him, rearing up, ready to pounce.
The thing leapt through the air at Clark just as he slid the latch of the switch upward. It’s razor sharp claws tore deep into his arm, knocking him backward into the wall. Clark sat dazed against the bricks as the lights switched on loudly. The floodlights of the basement kicked on audibly, shooting a blinding light all throughout the room.
The creature screamed, rolling backward onto its side, fumbling in the darkness, its black eyes struggling to adjust.
Clark wasted no time, snatching his shotgun from the ground, he aimed it at the writhing creature, unloading a shot point blank into the creature’s side.
The thing let an ear piercing shriek from its hideous jaws, echoing off the stone walls of the shaft. Clark clutched his ears, eyes squinting and teeth gritting from pain.
Snapping to its feet, the creature bounded down the hallway into the vent, its heavy body wincing with each leap. Dark blood dripped on the stained concrete floor as it ran, scrambling into the vent it disappeared. It’s hind legs narrowly missing being hit by another shot from Clark’s gun, far at the other end of the hall.
