Ice Rift

by Ben Hammott

  “Shit! I don't know. I want to, because that'll mean you're as sane as I am, but if what you say is true, there's a vicious monster on the loose out there somewhere. Something I'm finding very hard to come to terms with.” He joined Scott at the window. “You have to admit, it's a bloody difficult thing to believe.”

  “That doesn't mean it's not true, and I assure you, that thing wasn't human.” Scott turned, picked up his cup from the table and sipped of the cold coffee.

  Suddenly, a monstrous face with peering savage eyes and hungry gnashing teeth slammed against the window.

  Pike screamed, staggered back and toppled to the floor.

  Scott stared at the monster. The cup slipped from his grasp and smashed on contact with the floor.

  The monster scraped a claw down the window. The high pitched screech sent a shiver down their spines. It slammed a clawed fist on the toughened glass, but failed to break it. The monster glared at them and disappeared.

  Scott looked at his shocked friend. “Do you believe me now?”

  Shaking with fright, Pike nodded.

  The Hunter monster slunk around the hut in its search for a way inside. It paused at a stack of angle-iron left over from when the huts were constructed and stared at it for a few moments while its brain processed their usefulness. Snow cascaded from the length it picked up. It crossed to the nearest window and struck the glass with the metal bar.

  Scott helped his friend to his feet.

  A boom reverberated through the hut.

  “That wasn't the wind,” Scott stated. “It's trying to get in.”

  The two men rushed into the hall when a second boom rung out.

  Pike pointed at a door along the corridor. “It's coming from Henry's room.”

  Caution guided their nervous approach to the door. Scott turned the handle and pushed the door open. The window shattered. Glass sprayed into the room. Snow and ice borne by the howling wind rushing through the broken window, picked up loose sheets of paper and swirled them erratically around the room. The monster poked its head through the window and growled savagely. Scott pulled the door shut. There was no lock and no chance to barricade it.

  With a fear-shrouded voice, Pike asked, “Do you think it can open doors?”

  The monster slammed against the door. Wood splintered.

  “I don't think that's going to be a problem for it,” said Scott. “Let's drop back to the mess hall.”

  “Then what do we do?”

  Scott glanced at Pike. “I haven't thought that far ahead.”

  Wood splintered. The door collapsed into the hallway. Carried by its momentum, the Hunter smashed into the opposite wall and tumbled to the floor.

  Scott paused outside the mess hall door. “Grab your cold weather gear, I think we're gonna need it.”

  They grabbed their clothes and entered the mess hall.

  “Give me a hand to shove the table against the door. It should buy us some time. ”

  Pike grabbed the other side of the table and together they carried it over to the door. “Now what? That won't stop it for long.”

  The Hunter climbed to its feet and moved along the corridor.

  Scott knew his friend was right. His gaze around the room halted on the window. “Put your gear on. We're going outside.”

  They hastily pulled their cold weather clothes on and climbed through the window. Scott glanced at the door when the monster slammed its weight against it. The table juddered an inch. He dropped down into the snow.

  The door burst open. The table screeched hesitantly along the floor. The Hunter entered and turned its head around the room. Its eyes settled on the windblown ice pouring through the open window. It crossed the room and peered out. One of the two legs was standing a short distance away. Sensing its next meal would shortly be upon its lips, it climbed through the window and rushed at its prey. Though the defenseless creature backed away, it made no attempt to flee. The Hunter sensed a trap. Its prey's eyes briefly flicked to the side. The Hunter turned to see what had attracted its attention. Something large and red filled its vision.

  Just when Scott thought his plan would be successful and the monster would be struck by the Sno-Cat driven by Pike, it leapt into the air a moment before the vehicle hit. The monster had the reflexes of a mongoose. It landed on top of the Sno-Cat uninjured and angry.

  Scott ran and was soon swallowed by the blizzard.

  Dismayed that his friend had abandoned him to face the horror alone, Pike tilted his head at the cab roof the monster's claws screeched across. He locked the doors and turned the vehicle sharply in an attempt to dislodge the uninvited passenger. Claws scraped across metal as they scrambled for a purchase on the smooth surface. Pike spun the wheel in the opposite direction. Metal buckled when the monster toppled to its knees. He yanked the wheel again. There was no scraping of metal this time, evidence the creature had found something to hold on to.

  Pike twisted his head and glanced at the trail of bulges in the roof made by the monster moving to the front. He refocused his attention forwards. He had to do something. The frightening head appeared upside down in the windscreen. Pike slammed on the brakes. The vehicle's sudden halt shot the creature off the roof. Caught in the glare of the headlights, Pike saw the full effect of the monstrosity that had invaded the camp. Its pale body, claw-tipped limbs and a mouth not built for kissing was a vision that would haunt him for the rest of his life, which he thought might not be that long. The monster kicked up snow and ice when it landed and tumbled across the ground. Pike gunned the engine and let the clutch out.

  Scott ran from the storeroom. He witnessed the creature thrown from the roof and heard the Sno-Cat's engine rev. Pike was going to ram the creature. The vehicle lurched forward to an abrupt halt. In his panic Pike had stalled it. Scott rushed across the camp.

  Pike turned the key. The engine stuttered, but failed to start. “Just like in the damn movies,” he cursed.

  Pike glanced out. The creature rose to its feet and staggered, as if dazed. The engine started. Pike shoved the Snow-cat in gear and coaxed the machine forward before the monster regained its senses. He peered through the snow and ice at the splash of colour he'd glimpsed behind the monster; it was Scott. Though he'd no idea what his friend was up to, Pike was glad he'd returned. He brought the vehicle to a halt; if he struck the creature with Scott so close, he might kill them both. He gunned the engine to keep the monster's attention focused on the Sno-Cat.

  Scott threw something over the monster's head. The creature gagged, clawed at its neck and staggered back. Scott deftly avoided the claw that lashed out at him, ran around the struggling monster and over to the Sno-Cat.

  When Scott drew closer, Pike noticed the coil of wire in his hand. Scott disappeared from view when he knelt by the front of the vehicle, but quickly reappeared and looked at Pike. “Drive!”

  To avoid stalling again, Pike gradually pulled away to get traction and then pressed hard on the gas pedal.

  The Hunter ripped at its skin, drawing blood in its frantic attempts to free the thing wrapped so tight around its throat it bit into flesh. It barely managed to dodge the speeding Sno-Cat. The corner struck its side and sent it spinning. Pike drove ten yards before the wire yanked taut. The loop of wire around the monsters neck snapped closed. Blood sprayed from its neck when its head flopped to the side and landed face up in the snow. Pike witnessed the monster's decapitation in the mirror. He brought the vehicle to a halt and climbed out. Blood spraying from the creature's neck froze to form gruesome ice crystals the wind carried away. The body toppled to the side and flopped to the ground.

  Pike walked over to Scott and looked at the horrific face of the monster; even in death it was terrifying. “Where in Hell's name did this demon come from?”

  With a worried frown upon his brow, Scott stared across the ice. “Though it belongs in Hell, that's not where it came from. It could only have come from one place― the rift.”

  Return to the ship

&n
bsp; JACK, JANE, THEO, AND RICHARD watched the Hunters advance.

  The tremors started again. One was so forceful it almost spilled them to the ground.

  Jack kept his eyes on the approaching Hunters when they split apart. He thought they were either wary of the flames or planned to attack the two on the edges, Jane and Theo. He swapped places with Jane. The nearest monster snarled at him. Jack lunged and prodded the fire at its evil face. It leapt back.

  “They are afraid of fire,” stated Theo, happily. “Hold on, Jack, I'll nip back and make a couple more torches. Richard, come and help.”

  Glad to be moving away from the two monsters, Richard readily followed Theo.

  They returned a few moments later with three more flaming torches. Theo handed one to Jane. They spread out in a line and waved the flames at the creatures. The Hunters hungry eyes constantly observed the humans behind the flames when they reluctantly backed away. Monsters and humans swayed unsteadily when the ice again shook violently; the rift was definitely on the move. Loud crashes echoed from along the tunnel behind them.

  Richard glanced back. Large chunks of ice crashed to the ground. “The cavern's collapsing!”

  Cracks appeared in the ice tunnel walls. Another tremor brought down more ice. A large lump fell between the team and the monsters and exploded on contact with the ground. Confused about what was happening, the Hunters howled.

  Jane glanced at the cracks forming in the ice tunnel before her eyes. If they didn't hurry they'd never leave. “The tunnel's breaking up. Move or we'll be buried alive.”

  As if to emphasize her warning, the end of the tunnel where it met the cavern collapsed. A wave of falling ice sped toward them.

  Jack shot a glance back at the approaching avalanche of ice. “Let's go.”

  The Hunters also recognized the danger. With the humans on their heels, they turned and fled down the tunnel. They reached the bottom, dived into the ice tube and slid to the bottom.

  The humans arrived a few moments later. Accompanied by the disconcerting ice crashing to the ground all around them, the four survivors crowded the top of the ice tube.

  Worried about re-entering the ship, Jane peered down the uninviting tunnel. “They could be waiting for us.”

  “I'd be surprised if they weren't, but we've no choice,” Jack answered. “I'll go first and hold them back if they're there. The rest of you follow me down.” He turned to Richard and held out a hand. “I'll need an axe.”

  Richard reluctantly handed it over.

  Jack sat at the lip of the sloped tunnel and pushed himself off. He jumped to his feet with the torch held out when he arrived at the bottom. He turned and stared at the rip in the ship's hull. No monsters were present, though he suspected they weren't far away.

  Jane came down next. With the flaming torch held before him, Jack cautiously thrust the torch through the ragged opening. No shrieks or sounds of movement greeted the flames. He peered through. There was no sign of the Hunters.

  Theo arrived and stared nervously at the hole.

  Jack noticed his anxious gaze. “Wary of the flames or frightened by the falling ice, they seemed to have gone in search of easier prey.”

  Theo scoffed. “I'd be surprised if there's easier prey than us down here.”

  Richard sat on the top of the tube and waited for Theo to move. He turned when ice crashed to the ground behind him and sprayed him with ice. He glanced up. The roof collapsed. Tons of ice fell toward him. He pushed himself down the tube. Large and small pieces of ice slid and tumbled down behind him.

  A loud rumble caused those at the bottom to look up the tube.

  “Inside!” ordered Jack.

  Richard slid across the ice. Jane grabbed his hand and yanked him into the ship as the avalanche arrived to fill the space outside, spraying ice into the ship.

  When it had settled, they stared at the opening highlighted in the flickering torchlight. It was packed solid.

  “We're trapped!” stated Richard, ominously.

  “There's one consolation,” said Jane. “No more monsters can escape.”

  It brought Richard no comfort whatsoever.

  “But neither can we,” said Theo. “How will we get out now?”

  “Let's go find Lucy, and then we can worry about escaping.”

  “I'm already worrying,” said Richard, worriedly. “From the increase in tremors it's a good indication the ice this ship is trapped in, will soon be adrift.”

  “Then I suggest we hurry,” Jack told him. “Form a circle so we can protect our flanks from a surprise attack.”

  When the protective circle of flaming torches had been formed, they crossed to the exit and passed through. The corridor was clear. They broke the circle and while Jack and Jane faced forward, Richard and Theo walked backward. Though progress was slow, they eventually neared the part of the ship where Jack and Jane had hidden Lucy. Though they'd heard an occasional distant shriek, so far no monsters had made an appearance.

  Jack halted the small group and whispered, “Just around the corner is where the monsters were feeding on the Clickers Jane killed. I'm hoping they've feasted and left, but if they're still there, don't panic. We must stay together and drive them away with the flames.”

  Jack cautiously approached the end of the corridor and peered around the corner. Apart from the remains of three devoured corpses, no monsters were in view. He led the nervous team across to the door that led to corridor where they would find Lucy in a nearby room.

  Theo and Richard looked at the grisly chewed carcasses; hardly any flesh remained on their disarrayed bones. Both knew they'd suffer the same fate if they were caught. Unable to avoid stepping in the pools of congealing blood, they left bloody footprints in their wake. On reaching the door, Theo and Richard faced the corridors that led off to the left and straight ahead and held torches ready to fight off any monsters that appeared. Jane positioned herself beside the door control while Jack prepared to face whatever lay on the far side of the door when it opened. He held a flaming torch in one hand and a raised an ice axe in the other. Jane opened the door.

  The first thing Jack noticed from the light of the flaming torch he thrust through the doorway were the smashed and hanging blue emergency lights; only a couple remained lit. Their swaying movements indicated it had been done recently. The shadows cast the length of the corridor wavered back and forth, creating a spooky scene for them to enter. One light had a dodgy connection and flashed on and off similar to a strobe light. Jack guessed the monsters were responsible― further evidence of their intelligence. It felt like a trap.

  Richard felt Lucifer squirm beneath his jacket and knew for certain its fur would be bright red. “The monsters are coming.” He laid a reassuring hand over the lump in his coat and waited for the nightmares to arrive.

  Theo glanced at Richard and was about to ask how he knew, when they arrived.

  Shrieks rang out from all directions.

  It was an ambush.

  *****

  Scott and Pike entered the main hut and slipped out of their cold weather clothing.

  “We need to get help. If there are more of those things in the rift, the others will be in trouble.”

  “Who will you call?” Pike asked.

  Scott looked at him. “Everyone!”

  *****

  The Hunters in the corridor the far side of the door rushed at Jack and Jane when they peered through the opening. Caught in the flickering strobe light, they appeared and disappeared, seeming to lurch forward in slow motion.

  The Hunter monsters Theo stared at filled the corridor as each scrambled forward in the haste to be first to reach the limited meal on offer. “Jack! We need to do something, fast!”

  The mass of clawed limbs and sharp teeth that rushed at Richard, were just as eager to reach the food before the others claimed it. Screeches, howls and scraping claws came from all three directions.

  Aware that fighting on three fronts would result in them all being killed, Ja
ck decided on the only solution he could think of. “Everyone through the door and use the flames to hold them back.”

  They scrambled through the doorway. As soon as they were through, Jack closed the door. When the edges met he smashed the door control with the axe.

  Jane glanced at the smashed control and then at Jack questioningly.

  Jack shrugged. “It might work this time.”

  They spread the width of the passage and held out the flaming torches. The monsters slowed and stopped a short distance away. The Hunters on the other side of the door slammed into it. Their muffled shrieks and howls and the pounding on the door indicated their frustration and anger at being denied a meal. When one was injured in the melee, they turned on each other.

  Jack glanced along the corridor. “The room where we put Lucy isn't far away, so let's see if we can force the Hunters back far enough so we can join her. The room will be easier to defend than the wide corridor.”

  They waved and prodded the flames at the snarling monsters as they cautiously moved forward. The Hunters backed away from the flames.

  Theo stabbed at one that swiped out a claw. It squealed when the flames licked at its skin.

  Richard glanced at Theo. “I'm glad we've got these torches, we'd be dead without them.”

  They hadn't gone very far when a thin tube slithered from the ceiling and pointed its nozzle at Richard's torch. A jet of white foam shot out, smothering the flames instantly. Richard cursed. Theo's torch was next to be extinguished.

  Jane tried to keep her torch away from the nozzle now directed at her flames, but it moved just as quick. When the foam shot out, she threw the torch at the monsters in a last ditch effort to drive them back. The monsters screeched and leapt back from the flaming missile. Jack glimpsed what he thought was the room where Lucy was, almost level with the monsters. When the extinguisher turned in his direction, he rushed forward and frantically waved the torch from side to side, driving the monsters further back. He snatched up Jane's torch as another nozzle slid from the ceiling. He pressed the door button with his elbow. “Everyone inside.”