by Russ Watts
“Laurel, can you look after the girl for a second?” Mackenzie gave Laurel a gentle nudge in the direction of Alyce. “This can’t go on.”
“Myles, let him go,” said Mackenzie as he reluctantly joined the fight. There was anger in Myles’ eyes that he could identify with. He would do anything to protect Amy too, and Myles was only doing what felt natural, defending his family. “Myles,” said Mackenzie again, resting a hand gently on his shoulder.
Myles took his arms off James, and stepped back, leaving a little space between them.
James knew he could pull the knife out and cut Myles quickly, but he had been saving it for the guide. It felt like they were all ganging up on him, and he was going to have to be careful. He was still outnumbered and couldn’t rely on Vic for support. James pointed a finger at Myles. “You’ll keep, old man. You’ll fucking keep.”
Mackenzie stepped between them, knowing another outburst from James would only rile Myles up more. “No, James, this stops now. Like it or not, we are all in this together. That thing is right outside the door. One step outside and you’re history. Take a moment.” Mackenzie turned to Myles. “We all need to take a moment, okay? Chris is hurt, and we don’t know what we’re facing. Let’s just wait a minute, get a drink, and then check outside. If it’s gone, we can get back on the bus and go. If not…”
Mackenzie trailed off, unsure how to finish that sentence. What if it didn’t leave? What if it simply retreated underground and waited for them to come out of the store? What if it decided it couldn’t wait and wanted in? It could easily smash the store to bits, and yet it had waited. Something had made it stop. Mackenzie wanted to go, to get to Amy, to San Diego, to get Laurel to safety; yet he had a horrible feeling they were going to be stuck here a long time.
“Whatever,” said James as he brushed past Mackenzie. “Come on, Vic, let’s see if we can’t find something stronger to drink than poxy water.”
As James and Vic began to search through some boxes in a far corner, Mackenzie turned to Myles. “Try not to let him get you worked up like that. He’s all mouth. He’s just scared.”
Myles offered a sheepish apology. “Sometimes I just snap, you know? Like I lose sight of what I’m doing.” Myles looked at Laurel playing with Alyce. “You got kids?”
“One. Amy. She’s in San Diego. Hopefully staying out of trouble. She’s with…” Mackenzie never quite knew how to explain. He had raised Amy as his own, and he thought of her as his daughter. But biologically, he had had nothing to do with it. He didn’t feel much like explaining the complications of his family with Myles, and settled for a simple response. “She’s with her friend, John. He’ll look after her.”
Myles nodded. “You think it’s gone?” He reached down and picked up a bottle of water. Breaking open the cap, he took a swig and offered Mackenzie the bottle. “What was that?”
Mackenzie hoped that James and Vic would find something stronger. It wasn’t noon yet, but he could do with a cold beer to take the edge off. “I don’t even know how to answer that. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen. You see how it came up out of the ground like that? How can something so big survive underground without us knowing about it? The tremors must be it moving through the earth.”
“And the quakes,” said Myles. “They’ve got to be linked, right?”
“It’s like this isn’t real, like we’re living in a fantasy or a fairy tale. Giant beasts roaming the desert attacking people? I mean, am I dreaming? You’ll be telling me the Brewers are going to win the series next.”
Myles smiled. “You keep dreaming, Mac.”
The building shuddered briefly, and everyone tensed up, waiting for impact. The building shook for two seconds, and then quietened down.
“It’s still here, isn’t it?” Myles didn’t need an answer. They all knew the answer.
As the room remained silent, Mackenzie heard a faint sound. It was a high-pitched whining sound, almost like the mewing of a kitten. It was muffled, and at first he thought he must be imagining it. But the more he listened, the more certain he became that he was hearing it.
“Myles, you hear that? A sort of whining noise. What is it? Not that monster, surely?”
Myles frowned. “No way. It sounds like, well, it sounds like a dog. It must…oh, shit, Beers!”
“Myles, wait!”
As Myles bolted out of the room, Mackenzie ordered everyone else to stay put. Mr. Stepper and Akecheta wanted to follow, but they were of more use keeping an eye on James and Vic. Mackenzie ran after Myles and finally caught up with him in the store. Myles was standing by the door, his hand on the handle, and he was clearly about to go outside to get Beers. The problem was that the monster was still out there. It was standing over the bus, just doing nothing. It was as if it was waiting for them.
“Myles, hold on,” said Mackenzie.
“I can’t leave Beers out there. He’s helpless.”
Mackenzie could see the puppy, still tied up where Myles had left him.
“I can’t believe I forgot him. Alyce would be devastated if anything happened to him. Look, that thing’s not paying any attention to us. I can slip out quickly and get him. I’ll be back inside before it even notices anything.”
Mackenzie looked through the cracked window pane up at the thing’s face. There were two sharp incisors poking out from its upper jaw, and a steady stream of saliva dripping from them. Its eyes were almost closed, and he couldn’t tell if it was still looking at them or not. It felt like it was, but Myles had a point. Why hadn’t it taken the dog, or even attacked the shop?
“Okay, you move slowly, and get Beers. I’ll hold the door open for you. Just be careful, okay?” Mackenzie slowly opened the door, and felt warm air hit his face. “Slowly, Myles. We don’t want to startle it. Get Beers, and get your ass back in here.”
Myles slipped out and began to creep forward stealthily, as if he were a trained soldier sneaking up on an enemy. As he approached Beers, the puppy’s whining got louder. When it finally saw Myles, the puppy began to get excited, and then began yapping again.
“Come on, Myles, hurry it up,” said Mackenzie beneath his breath. He held the door ajar, half-watching Myles, and half-watching the monster. It still hadn’t moved. Maybe it was resting, or maybe it just wasn’t interested in them. Mackenzie didn’t like it. It felt like Myles was taking an age to untie Beers. Every second they were out there and every time the dog opened its mouth, it felt to Mackenzie that they were going to alert the monster to their presence. “Come on,” he hissed to Myles.
Myles nodded, and then freed Beers. As Myles tried to grab the puppy, it ran away from him. The second it was free, it made a mad dash toward the monster and took up a spot in front of the store where it began barking loudly.
The hairs on Mackenzie’s neck stood up as the monster turned to look at the puppy. Beers continued barking at it, trying to defend its master, and Mackenzie knew just what Myles was going to do. The monster turned its head, and lowered its body so they could all now see its red eyes were wide open.
“Yakazar-yakazaaaar.”
Mackenzie shuddered. When the creature uttered that noise, every bone in his body ached. There was something primordial about it, something unnatural. The monster drew back its head and then took a step forward. It was about to pounce. Mackenzie shouted to Myles.
“Get back here. Quickly, Myles!”
Mackenzie saw him turn toward the door, and then hesitate. Myles looked back at Beers. He was twenty feet away, far too close to the monster for Myles to reach safely. And yet, he didn’t want to leave the dog to die.
“Don’t, Myles, just…”
As the monster lifted its feet and reached a clawed hand out toward Beers, Myles ran. Mackenzie held the door open, not knowing if he should rush out there to help, or stay where he was. Beers was seconds away from becoming dog food, and as Myles ran across the dusty cracked road, Mackenzie knew there was little he could do but watch.
And pray.
CHAPTER 6
It was the glasses rattling in the display case that disturbed Sharyn. They started out just vibrating and clinking together, like jumping beans on a hot tin roof. She put down the dishcloth and watched them dance, before she suddenly realized the whole kitchen was shaking. There was a sort of humming noise too, like electricity was flying around her, making the air warm and fuzzy.
“Rusty? Rusty, you hear that?” she yelled. “The whole damn kitchen’s shaking!”
The vibrations started to grow stronger, and she took hold of the back of a chair to steady her feet. She didn’t know what to make of it. Earthquakes used to be pretty rare in Goodsprings, but lately they had been growing in number, and strength.
“Rusty, get your ass down here, right now!” Sharyn cursed silently and grabbed the dish that was threatening to throw itself off the table.
Ever since he’d been laid off last year, Rusty had spent more and more time in bed. Sadly for Sharyn, it only involved sleeping or occasionally eating Cheerios, much to her disgust.
As Sharyn felt the shaking start to calm down, she heard a thumping noise from above, and then the sound of feet running down the stairs. Rusty appeared wearing nothing but a pair of stained, Superman boxer shorts, holding a lamp shade above his head.
“What the hell was that?” he asked, his eyes wide and his dishevelled black hair sticking to his greasy forehead. Stubble ran from his nose to his chin, and flecks of dried cereal were stuck to his cheek.
“What the hell do you think? Another of those freaking quakes, that’s what.” Sharyn frowned when she saw her husband. “Is that my reading lamp? What the hell are you gonna do with that?”
“What?” Rusty lowered his arm and put the lamp carefully down, knowing better than to anger his wife when she was already in a foul mood.
“Look at the state of you. You’re not going to find work looking like that.”
Here we go again, thought Rusty.
“Never mind that, what’s with these shakes? I thought the Goddamn house was falling down.” Rusty walked over to Sharyn and planted a kiss on her cheek.
“You need to brush your teeth as well,” she muttered as she returned to the dishes. There was a time she thought it was cute when he wandered around the house in nothing but his underwear. In fact, there used to be a time she was turned on by it. Now she was just sick of his laziness, both in appearance and attitude.
Rusty groaned and sat down, ruffling his hair as he poured out a bowl of Cheerios. He splashed milk on the table and began munching noisily.
“You’re like a child, Rusty,” said Sharyn. “Look at you. Never mind the damn quake; at least it got you out of bed. Are you gonna get dressed and get out there to find a job? Well?”
Rusty sighed. “You know, I don’t feel so good today. I think the quake shook me up. Maybe I’d better take it easy today. I’ll look tomorrow. My back’s giving me shit, and…”
“Christ on a cross.” Sharyn threw the dishcloth in the sink and scooped up her handbag from the sideboard. She marched over to the door and turned back to look at Rusty. He was staring out of the window, spooning piles of cereal into his mouth. A single Cheerio escaped his jaws and fell to the floor. She watched as he picked it up, blew on it, and then popped it back in his mouth.
“Rusty, so help me, you’d better clean your shit up before I get home. I’ve got to help Derek get the bar ready for the Sharp’s anniversary dinner tonight. I’ll be back later this afternoon.”
Sharyn opened the front door and grabbed a yellow cardigan from a chair. Rusty was still staring through the window, paying her no attention. She sighed, and cursed. “Rusty, you hear me? You gonna clean up today?”
There was no answer.
“I’m not really going to Derek’s, you know, I’m going on over to Randy Wyatt’s place. He’s going to screw me all morning in every position we can come up with. After he’s through with me, I’m going to let his two boys have a crack. Young Pete, he’s hung like a horse. Probably snap me in two, but what the hell, you only live once.”
Rusty continued munching silently and staring out of the window, caught up in his own world. Sharyn slammed the door as she left the house they had shared for thirty years. “Asshole.”
She walked in silence towards the road and paused. Did he really care that little? It was understandable he would be low on confidence since losing his job, but he paid her no attention and showed no interest in anything. Had he given up on everything? There used to be a time when he hated seeing her go off to work. There was a time when he would kiss her three times, once on each cheek and one on the lips, before he would let her leave the house. Now all he did was stare at nothing, or when he could be bothered, at the TV. She could walk around naked, and he probably wouldn’t bat an eyelid. Maybe she should swing by Randy’s farm and fuck him. Maybe that would wake Rusty up. She knew deep down that she would never do anything like that. As much as she wanted to get a reaction out of her husband, to see him stirred back into life into the vivacious man she had fallen in love with, she doubted she could ever bring herself to have an affair. She left that stuff for the celebrities, and Nancy Sharp.
“Morning, neighbor!” Nancy Sharp pulled her white Cadillac up to the kerb. It was immaculate and polished, and as usual, had the top down, just like Nancy.
“Morning,” replied Sharyn, wishing she hadn’t paused. Nancy Sharp was always sticking her nose in, desperate for gossip that she could spread around town. The only thing that spread faster around Goodsprings than Nancy’s gossip were her legs. It was amazing that Mr. Sharp hadn’t heard about it. Both of them were too self-absorbed to notice the real world. They had made a fortune out of the local mining industry, and now that the last of the mines had closed down, they seemed to enjoy flaunting their wealth as the town died. Half the population couldn’t afford a car, certainly not a Cadillac.
“How’s Rodney?” asked Sharyn politely, not giving a damn.
“Oh, he’s just fine, fine. He’s gone over to LA to check out an investment property.”
Sharyn tried to forget the foreclosure notice the bank were threatening her with. Mortgage repayments were nigh on impossible with Rusty out of work, and here was her old ‘friend’ Nancy investing in rental properties.
“So he’s out of town this week?” The sun was shining on the white car, and Sharyn had to shield her eyes as she looked at Nancy. At least the engine was still running, which meant the conversation would be a short one.
“Oh, he’s back this afternoon. I wouldn’t let him be late for our special anniversary tonight. Twenty five years and still going strong. You’re going to Derek’s place now to get set up, right? It’s going to be a wonderful night. I’ve got a few errands to run before Rod gets back. I’m using the time to give myself a few treats, you know? I’m just off into town now for a manicure and a facial. I don’t know if I could survive without my weekly treatments.”
Sharyn knew that one of Nancy Sharp’s weekly treatments was a visit to Randy Wyatt’s farm. Rodney had the local businessmen’s meeting on Tuesdays, and Nancy used the time to get herself checked up by Randy. Rumour had it that Pete was getting in on the action too. Looking at Nancy, it wasn’t hard to see why. She still looked good for her age, and she didn’t hide her body. She dressed in clothes that were meant for women half her age and clearly loved the attention it brought. There was a time Nancy had even made a play for Sharyn one drunken night a few years back. Nothing had happened, and nothing had been said of it since. Sharyn tried to keep Nancy at arm’s length, which was difficult. Nancy made it her business to know everything and everyone in town. It was as if she and her husband owned the whole place. Nobody liked them, but the truth was that without their money, the town probably wouldn’t last more than a year. There was no investment, no business, and more and more people gave up and left each year.
“You hear about Charlie Howitzer? Had a whole section of his farm go right out from under him yesterday. Said he thought
a bomb had gone off. A sinkhole or something. Strange business. Poor Charlie’s been struggling since Maryanne left him. Maybe I should check in on him, see how he’s doing, you know?”
“You know, I really have to get going,” said Sharyn. There was little doubt that Nancy would pay Charlie a visit and provide him with some much needed consolation. It didn’t sound that odd if a sinkhole had appeared. What with the earthquakes, and the old coal mines and abandoned tunnels under the town, it happened. “I’ll be seeing you, Nancy. Take care.”
“You want a ride? You walk all the way in this heat, and you’ll sweat all the way.” Nancy pushed open the side door and sat up, revealing her ample cleavage.
“No, thanks, I enjoy the walk. The fresh air does me good.”
Obviously disappointed, Nancy closed the door. “Okay, well make sure you clean Derek’s place up for tonight. If there’s anything wrong, I’ll know who to come looking for.”
Nancy winked, laughed and then the Cadillac roared off, showering Sharyn in a cloud of hot dust.
“Enjoy fucking Randy,” said Sharyn as she waved Nancy off, ensuring her neighbour was out of earshot. “Maybe he and Charlie could tag team you?”
As the car turned a corner and disappeared, Sharyn began walking. She had to give Nancy credit, she sure had confidence. She could have almost any man she wanted, and usually did. Sharyn couldn’t be like that. Derek’s bar was a mile away, and it wasn’t much of a walk, but that was about all the exercise she got these days. Rusty had lost his sex drive months ago, so they were lucky to get it on three times a year. It was almost as if Nancy knew too. She flaunted everything and made sure she got all the attention. People like Sharyn just sank into the background when she was around. There was no way Sharyn was about to accept a lift from Nancy. She would only have to endure more talk about how rich Nancy was, or even worse, fend off the woman’s lecherous advances. The day was hot and the air thick, but Sharyn was used to it and it was quite pleasant walking through suburbia to get to work. She liked to look at the other houses, looking at how they’d been painted, how the gardens were, and imagine what was going on inside. She knew most of the people who lived in Goodsprings. There weren’t many places to hide, and if there was any news, then Nancy always made sure everyone knew about it.
