Sarcophagus

by Ben Hammott

  “More from luck than design by the way you lunged at me with the knife.”

  The monster had decided to err on caution and was about to turn away to search for another food source when the delicious scent of fresh human blood invaded its senses. Hunger turned it back to the two humans. It focused on the blood leaking from one of them. Its stomach rumbled. Unable to resist the enticing aroma, it barged through the doors and rushed into the room.

  Both men watched the monster rush toward them. Both noticed it no longer limped.

  “Wait!” ordered Greyson.

  Fear numbed the pain from Tucker’s cut as he stared at the rapidly approaching monstrosity. He involuntarily shifted a foot back.

  Greyson grabbed Tucker’s arm. “Wait!”

  Tucker gulped. “The monster will be close enough to kiss if we don’t move.”

  Greyson waited until the monster was two leaps closer. “Run!”

  Both men spun and sprinted toward the T-Rex window.

  Tucker raised both guns and fired bullets in a pattern spread over the window.

  The window cracked, splintered and sent shards tinkling to the floor.

  Tucker leapt at the window and smashed through with arms protecting his face.

  Greyson was only a step behind. He jumped through the hole Tucker had made.

  Both dropped toward the ground.

  Hunger drove the monster on. It leapt after the human food it saw falling from its sight. As it passed through the opening, it thrust itself off the sides and stretched out its claws.

  Outside the museum, all heads turned toward the sound of gunfire and breaking glass. Suddenly, someone crashed through the T-Rex window.

  Another man quickly followed.

  The mayor smiled on seeing Greyson. Well, what do you know, he actually did it. His eyes remained focused on the smashed window for the monster he was certain would follow. He was shocked by its size and its ferocious form when it appeared. His admiration for Greyson went up a few notches.

  Mary put a hand to her mouth to stifle the shocked scream elicited by the sight of the large vicious monster. She looked on in horror as the monster grabbed at Greyson and hooked his foot.

  The soldiers, spread out below with their rifles aimed at the T-Rex window, had been informed of what would happen if Greyson was successful in luring the creature out, but the description they were given, that few believed, bore no resemblance to the huge thing that had just leapt through the window.

  The battle-hardened commander calmly watched events unfold. Though he had never been involved in anything like this before, his experience under enemy fire held him in good stead. He watched the two men crash through the window and then raised his large eyebrows in disbelief when the strange creature made its appearance.

  “Hold your fire!” ordered the commander. He could see the beast was too close to the two men to risk firing. Many of his soldiers hadn’t finished their training yet. The commander quickly scanned his line of men and picked out the individual that had impressed him most on the firing range. “Private Perkins, shoot the creature in the head.”

  Perkins already had the monster in the sights of his rifle and followed it down. His finger squeezed the trigger.

  The adrenalin coursing through his bloodstream made Greyson unaware of the few cuts sustained during his leap through the window. He looked down and was relieved to see the large inflated balloon in position directly below, the row of soldiers with their weapons ready to fire at the monster, and Mary ready with the two gold-tipped spears he had requested be made ready if the firepower failed to subdue the creature. Just as he thought his plan would be successful, something snagged his leg. He twisted his head around and was horrified to see the claw around his ankle and the monster’s cruel snarl directed at him.

  A shot rang out.

  The monster screeched when the bullet struck and blew part of its face away.

  A second bullet snapped its wrist.

  Feeling the claw relax its grip, Greyson pulled free and kicked out with his other leg.

  The monster’s head shot back from the blow.

  Perkins silently cursed as his finger stopped a hairsbreadth from sending the large caliber bullet shooting into the leg that had just appeared in his sights. He quickly adjusted and pulled the trigger.

  Tucker landed on the inflated balloon amidst shards of glass and bounced. As he rolled away to avoid being crushed by the man above him, he glimpsed Greyson kick the monster in the head. He rolled onto the ground as a shot exploded nearby.

  The monster screamed a pained howl when the bullet entered an eye and erupted from the back of its head. Its regenerative process immediately set to work repairing the damage, but lacking the energy to fuel it, the process would be slow.

  Greyson landed, bounced, and bounced again when the monster struck the balloon and sent out a chaotic ripple through the air cushion.

  The monster dug its claws in. Air hissed from the rips it made. It climbed unsteadily to its feet on the undulating surface and snarled at the human.

  The ripples through the balloon prevented Greyson from escaping the monster that crawled toward him.

  “Greyson!”

  Greyson looked toward the voice. Mary threw something to him; a spear. His hand snatched it from the air.

  The monster appeared at Greyson’s feet. He stabbed at it with the spear. The tip grazed the side of its head when the monster dodged away. The monster screeched as the scratch smoldered and bubbled. Greyson thrust the spear at it again. The monster grabbed the weapon by the shaft, yanked it from his grasp and threw it away. Its powerful legs straddled Greyson as it moved toward the human’s face so it could see and taste the puny creature’s fear. The soft yielding surface, fast deflating from the air escaping from the rips made by the monster, made it impossible for Greyson to scramble free. He stared at the approaching monster. The flesh around the horrific wounds pulsated as its body attempted to repair the damage. After everything he had been through, he was still going to be killed by the monster he had brought here. If he had been a defeatist, he might have thought it a fitting end, but he had been through too much to give up now. He brought his knee up into the monster’s chest. It had no effect. The snarl it directed at him seemed almost like a grin.

  The monster stopped with its face directly above the human’s that had caused it so much trouble and pain and placed a claw on his shoulder to hold him in place. Saliva dripped from its jaws when they opened to take their first bite.

  Greyson winced when talons bit into his shoulder. Even though he knew it was useless, Greyson punched ineptly at the powerful beast with his free fist. Gunfire erupted. The monster screeched and jerked as bullets entered its flesh. It looked at the flashes in the darkness that brought pain. Its overworked repair system sent out messages insisting it be supplied with nutrition. Its senses demanded it flee and seek a safe haven to recover.

  The monster refocused on the human. It would take the feast with it and flee to a quiet place so it could eat and recuperate. It would then return and kill all the humans. Its spreading jaws lowering toward Greyson’s face, sent out a waft of fetid breath that brought tears to his eyes. Greyson clamped them shut to block out the view of the monster’s teeth coming closer.

  The gunfire stopped.

  A woman’s scream pierced the air.

  Greyson’s eyes sprung open. The monster had turned its head. Something landed on the monster’s back. It screeched a painful howl and rolled to the side. Greyson scrambled away as the monster writhed in agony. Surprised to see Mary reaching out a hand toward him, he grabbed it and let her help him to his feet. He noticed the spear sticking out of the monster’s back and the smoke rising from the charred, bubbling puddle of flesh that crept out from the wound.

  Mary glanced at Greyson’s injuries. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m not sure ‘okay’ is the right word. I’m bruised, battered, grazed and cut, and I’m sure my hair’s a mess, but unless the mons
ter has infected me with some terrifying flesh-consuming parasite, I should survive.”

  Mary grabbed his arm. “Come on, let’s move so the army can finish it off and go get you patched up.”

  The commander ordered two soldiers armed with flamethrowers to move in. The men took positions at the edge of the all but deflated air cushion and aimed the flamethrowers at the writhing, smouldering monster. With a ferocious roar, jets of liquid flame shot from the weapons and enveloped the creature in their deadly burning embrace. Skin that hadn’t yet been consumed by the creeping death that emanated out from the spear in the monster’s flesh, crackled and peeled back under the intense heat. Its frantic, pain-wracked movements lessened and then stopped. A second twin burst stripped the flesh from its bones.

  Greyson and Mary joined the mayor, the chief inspector and the commander who had gathered to one side to observe the evil monster’s destruction. All eyes focused on the gruesome mass of charred flesh and scorched bones; all that remained of the monster.

  Tucker rested a hand on Greyson’s shoulder. “Well, we did it. It’s dead.”

  “You’d think so, but I made that mistake before. I won’t make it again.” Greyson held out a hand to Tucker. “Thanks for your help and sorry about the cut.” He added guiltily.

  “I should damn well think so, but I suppose it worked and I’ll soon get it patched up, but next time you need help to defeat a monster, please, whatever you do, don’t call me.”

  Greyson smiled. “I promise.”

  Tucker made his way to the ambulances he noticed parked a short distance away.

  “Well, Greyson,” said the mayor. “I’ve been to a lot of openings during my time in office, but I have never been to one like yours. You might be the hero of the hour, but you were directly responsible for bringing that monster here and accountable for the killings it carried out. However, I am certain if you had known of the risk, you would have dropped the sarcophagus into the ocean when you first discovered the monster was alive.”

  Greyson nodded solemnly. “If I’d had any inkling the monster I believed I had killed aboard the Amazongas might have survived, I would have done exactly that. The deaths it caused onboard and here at the museum will weigh heavily on my mind until the day I die.”

  “There will be repercussions after an investigation has been carried out,” stated the chief inspector, “However, I imagine it will be hard to pinpoint the blame on you to any severe degree. The regenerative powers of whatever that thing was is beyond our comprehension.”

  Greyson stared over at the smoldering mass as the sound of the flamethrowers jets ceased, and the men backed away. The scent of the monster’s charred flesh filled the air. “We’ll need to gather up every scrap of its flesh and dispose of it in some way to ensure it can’t survive,” warned Greyson. “I’m not sure how much of itself it needs to regenerate, but it’s not worth taking any chances.”

  “I have people arriving soon who will scrape up what’s left of the monster into metal containers. It will then be taken to a laboratory where it will be dissolved in acid. The barrels will then be sealed, entombed in concrete and dropped into the ocean. That should ensure its permanent demise,” explained the commander.

  “I agree,” said Greyson. “If there’s nothing left, it can’t come back to haunt us.”

  Greyson noticed Mary at the edge of the crowd staring at the smoking mass of burnt flesh and walked over to her.

  “It’s finally dead,” said Greyson.

  “I had my doubts, but your plan worked,” said Mary. “What happens to the exhibition now?”

  Greyson shrugged. “I have no idea, and to tell you the truth, I no longer care. However, knowing the museum management, they won’t let a few deaths stop the show from going on. They’ll use the publicity all this has caused and reopen as soon as possible.”

  Mary looked at Greyson. “And what will you do?”

  Greyson looked at the building that had lost its appeal after all that had happened. “I didn’t realize it before, but I think Kramer has the right idea. He has no interest in all of this.” Greyson’s arm swept across the museum’s impressive façade. “All he cares about is being out in the field, discovering the lost or the unknown, and I admire him for that. As much as I hate the heat and the myriad of bugs that thrive in the Amazon jungle, I am considering going back to Kramer’s lost city to help him explore it.”

  Mary grabbed his arm gently. “Sounds exciting. I might join you…if you want me to, that is?”

  Greyson looked at Mary as if he was seeing her for the first time. She was rather striking. He wondered why he hadn’t noticed that before. He immediately knew why; work and concentrating on climbing the ladder of success, but not anymore. If his near-death experiences had taught him anything, it was there was more to life than a career. He placed a hand over Mary’s and smiled at her. “Yes, Mary, I believe I do. But for now, I am famished. How about we find somewhere that’s still open and grab ourselves a late lunch or an early breakfast.”

  Mary smiled. “Sounds divine.”

  “I’m buying. It’s the least I can do to thank you for saving my life.”

  Mary grabbed his arm and smiled coyly. “It will do for starters.”

  With their arms linked, Greyson and Mary turned away from the museum and the charred remains of the monster being shoveled into containers, and pushed through the crowd.

  THE END

  Coming soon

  Ice Rift 3 – Siberia

  Horror Island

  A few interesting facts relevant to the story

  Maya

  Maya or Mayan?

  Maya is the correct word to use as the adjective in noun phrases such as: Maya culture, Maya Civilization, Maya calendar(s), Maya hieroglyphs, Maya glyphs, Maya astronomy, Maya pyramids, Maya religion, Maya ritual, Maya warfare, Maya food, Maya hairstyle, Maya clothing, Maya folklore, Maya heritage, and so on.

  There is only one exception to this rule, which in turn has one exception. This is the first complication: Mayan is (mostly) always used (instead of Maya) to refer to the languages that Maya and Mayans speak or spoke. Mayan language is the most generally correct form but Maya language has a very specific meaning as the proper name of one Mayan language.

  The Maya Empire, centered in the tropical lowlands of what is now Guatemala, reached the peak of its power and influence around the sixth century A.D. The Maya excelled at agriculture, pottery, hieroglyph writing, calendar-making and mathematics, and left behind an astonishing amount of impressive architecture and symbolic artwork. Most of the great stone cities of the Maya were abandoned by A.D. 900, however, and since the 19th century scholars have debated what might have caused this dramatic decline.

  Serious exploration of Classic Maya sites began in the 1830s. By the early to mid-20th century, a small portion of their system of hieroglyph writing had been deciphered, and more about their history and culture became known. Most of what historians know about the Maya comes from what remains of their architecture and art, including stone carvings and inscriptions on their buildings and monuments. The Maya also made paper from tree bark and wrote in books made from this paper, known as codices; four of these codices are known to have survived.

  Carter and Tutankhamun

  On November 4, 1922, British Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. Tutankhamun, nicknamed King Tut, was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled from 1333 BCE (when he was just nine years old) until his death in 1323 BCE. After he died, Tutankhamun was mummified, according to tradition, and buried in a tomb filled with artwork, jewelry, and treasures. Shifting desert sands quickly hid the tomb, and it lay undiscovered for more than 3,000 years.

  On November 4, Carter discovered the first step of a staircase. The next day, his team exposed the whole staircase, and by the end of November, Carter had excavated an antechamber, a treasury, and the door to the tomb itself. After making a tiny breach in the door, Carter saw a room filled wi
th gold treasures and the sarcophagus containing Tutankhamen’s mummified body.

  It would take Carter 10 years to clear out the tomb.

  He died on March 2nd, 1939, at his home Kensington, London.

  Interesting links

  Wonderful Things: Howard Carter's Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb

  1922: The discovery of Tutankhamun, in color.

  Scans of King Tut’s Tomb Reveal New Evidence of Hidden Rooms

  Tutankhamun’s Curse

  Flashlights

  Before I used flashlights in Sarcophagus, I checked they were available in the time period the story is set in.

  From the beginning of history, humanity has a need for portable light sources. Torches, candles, oil lamps and kerosene lamps were designed to be carried around but they could be dangerous because they have flame as a source of light. Inventions of incandescent electric light bulb and of dry battery at the end of the 19th century enabled solution for this problem.

  First dry cell battery was invented in 1896.

  In 1899, English inventor David Misell invented the first flashlight. It had three D batteries placed in a tube that acted as a handle of the device.

  As batteries improved, flashlights became more reliable and provided longer illumination times.

  Links: Flashlight History - Who Invented the Flashlight?

  (Please note the following sample has not been edited or proofread and is subject to change)

  HORROR ISLAND (Extract)

  Where All Your Nightmares Come True

  PREFACE

  Meteor

  The meteoroid approached Earth almost lazily at 25,000 miles per hour and entered its atmosphere at an angle of 42%, which proved optimal for its size to survive the extreme heat peeling away its mass. The friction rapidly decreased its cosmic velocity and a few miles above the Earth’s surface, it reached its retardation point. Just as the many thousands that fell to the Earth each year, the meteor succumbed to gravity and arced to the ground at 200 miles per hour. Though the ocean below spread out for miles in all directions, fate angled the meteor toward a small patch of green and brown amongst the blue expense. It struck the side of a hill and threw up clods of earth and vegetation as it gouged a small trench down the slope until it plopped into the stream at the bottom with a hiss of steam. The rapid change in temperature cracked the meteorite as it sunk to the streambed. For years, it laid dormant while the organism within fed on the nutrients the current washed over it.