This Is the End: The Post-Apocalyptic Box Set (7 Book Collection)

by Craig DiLouie

  “I saw the cloud in the portal, which is why I knew I was slipping him into that one. If it had been paradise, like a picture of the steel-blue waters of the Caribbean you see on office calendars, I’m not sure what I would have done.”

  “You saved me.”

  Samuel huffed, discomfort wracking his face.

  “I really don’t know if I can summon a locality or if it’s all chance. I don’t even know if I can open a locality other than that one. Major could be waiting for us when the next portal opens.”

  “Then we won’t be any worse off than we are now, right?”

  A howl followed by a series of growls made them both turn to face the entrance.

  “I have a feeling they’re coming after us at some point. When the reversion gets right up close, these wolves are going to get over their fear of this cave.”

  “I agree,” Samuel said. “And if the horde joins in, we’ll have our hands full.”

  Samuel watched Mara tuck a lock of black hair behind her ear, and he thought how sophisticated she would look in middle age. He imagined a shimmer of gray by her ear and a slender hand pushing her hair away from blue eyes that resonated with laughter and experience and life.

  “Do you think Kole is dead?”

  “Yes,” Samuel said. “Whatever that means here.”

  “He was broken,” Mara said. “On the inside.”

  “Aren’t we all?” Samuel said.

  “His pain was so deep he couldn’t live without it.”

  Another howl, this one more intense and louder, echoing through the cave like a gunshot. Mara watched Samuel’s face contort as though she could see the memories floating back to the surface of his mind.

  “I was sick. Middle of winter, aches, the flu, the whole thing. We had been married for quite a while at this point, kind of shed the little kisses and light touches of the first few years.”

  Mara flinched, and Samuel could see her holding the pain inside the best she could.

  “I was in bed and having a hard time falling asleep. We had a big mattress that left a lot of space between us. She reaches over and starts gently rubbing my back with one hand. This was not foreplay. There wasn’t any of that happening that night. She did it because she wanted to, and those couple of minutes of contact felt like a million dollars. It’s that feeling I miss. I ache inside for the intimacy that comes through years of friendship, disagreements, shared experience. It’s more than sex and more than physical contact. It’s a spiritual connection between two people, unspoken, real and powerful.”

  Samuel looked at Mara as she wiped tears away with the cuffs of her sleeves. “That’s what’s dead here. That’s what this place is missing. And if it is, maybe the cloud needs to eat it. The reversion needs to do its job and sweep this place from existence.”

  “It’s love. I wonder why you can’t say that word? Everything you described is love. Do you think it still exists elsewhere?” Mara asked.

  “Why? Why do you think it has to? Maybe love died like the summer breeze and the sound of gulls soaring over open water. Maybe love is lying in its grave with sunlight and goodness and righteousness,” Samuel said.

  “It has to exist somewhere else,” Mara said. “If I didn’t believe it did, I’d walk out there right now and offer myself to the wolves.”

  “But does it exist for us, Mara?”

  “We’re here for a reason,” she said.

  He thought about that for a moment. “I don’t know why I’m here,” he said.

  “You do, Samuel. We all do. Some of us haven’t remembered it yet.”

  Before Samuel could reply, a howl from the alpha male brought them to their feet as the wolf’s silhouette appeared at the threshold of the cave.

  ***

  The cloud continued its death march across the empty sky. The rolling swirls of slate and obsidian pummeled the air. All but a sliver of the eastern horizon remained untainted by the reversion. It dropped toward the surface like a heavy curtain. The cloud pushed down, placing a pillow over the face of the last remaining motion in this world. The silence overpowered everything, and distant vistas disappeared within the coming storm of nothingness.

  The trees of the locality leaned inward, exhausted from the continuous pull of the reversion. Some leafless branches touched the ground in homage to the unstoppable force engulfing the land and everything in it. Some could not fight any longer, their trunks snapping and toppling the head of the tree to the forest floor, leaving a ragged trunk sticking up from the ground like a broken tooth.

  The horde remained, most fastened to the last piece of solid matter. As the reversion continued to churn from the west, the horde began to revert as well. Clumps of undead flesh fell from their bodies in silent mounds of rotted bone. Teeth and hair trickled from the creatures’ heads, followed by limbs no longer strong enough to withstand gravity, the lone natural force left virtually untouched. Scraps of clothing long ago turned into dirty, gray remnants floated to the ground in silence. Some of the creatures standing on the edge of the clearing collapsed on themselves, leaving a pumping, empty jaw on the ground spewing nothing but meaningless silence.

  The pack suffered along with the horde. The alpha male’s hunters hunkered down in a clearing not far from the cave, but several remained motionless and still for far longer than natural. Two of the hunters lay with their noses nuzzled underneath their tails, the rise and fall of their chests no longer visible. The alpha male strode amongst the wolves and noted the change, one he felt within.

  It must be now. Nothing will remain.

  Of the six hunters with their muzzles in the dirt, three stood in response to the alpha male.

  The horde shall join. There is not much will left in the dead flesh, but it is His command.

  The hunters growled and circled their leader. They paced back and forth, staring at the black hole in the mountain. The alpha male trotted forward and circled around. Three dozen members of the horde shuffled, their legs dragging them toward the entrance to the cave. Several more attempted to march until their atrophied bones dropped them to the ground in a pile of dirty fabric and grey flesh. Seeing the movement, the alpha male looked into the sky as it closed in on the tops of the few trees brave enough to reach up.

  The alpha male brought his ragged army to the edge of the clearing until he could feel the subtle exhale of the mountain coming through the mouth of the cave. He paced back and forth, growling and snapping at the air.

  Come out. We are not done.

  ***

  “We can’t stay here.”

  “I know.”

  Mara lowered her head and wrapped her arms around her torso. Samuel moved closer to the entrance, where silent movement caught his eye.

  “The alpha male is calling me out. He must sense the end of the reversion drawing closer.”

  “I’ll come with you. I’ll fight, too.”

  Samuel smiled at Mara and nodded, knowing she would do so regardless of what he said.

  The water running down the walls of the cave intensified, but silently. Samuel turned and paced the edge of the walls, his eyes searching for anything that could be of use. Mara watched and then did the same, starting at one end of the main cavern until she worked her way back to Samuel. Neither gathered anything useful.

  “Think, Samuel. Can you reopen the portal in a different locality than the last one?”

  Samuel closed his eyes and let the nothingness encompass his inner vision. He waited without hope, knowing the knowledge to open a portal was escaping him, like the old horror movies when the car wouldn’t start no matter how many times the ignition was turned.

  “It’s there, but I can’t access it. I can’t say if I could open something, and if I could, I’m not sure where we’d land.”

  Mara looked toward the entrance, where several of the hunters joined the alpha male in his pacing, accentuated with growls.

  “Maybe this is not our last stand. They don’t seem to want to enter here, the wolves or the h
orde. Maybe we push through the cavern and go deeper into the mountain.”

  She wrinkled her nose in disgust and shook her head back and forth. “I’d almost rather have my throat ripped apart by the wolves.”

  Samuel nodded in understanding. “It could come to that anyway. Let’s try to avoid it, but we may have a last stand.”

  Before Mara could answer, the alpha male crossed the threshold with a yelp. His cry broke the silence of the reversion like the crack of a whip. The other hunters followed, all enduring the hurt caused from crossing over into the cave. The horde came next, slagging forward and oblivious. They shuffled in single-file, arms dangling and heads cocked to the side as if held to their shoulder by an impenetrable force.

  “C’mon,” Samuel said.

  He ran into the labyrinth of tunnels that led deeper into the mountain, hoping to avoid the dead ends. He heard Mara’s breathing and her feet slapping against the dry powder on the cavern floor. The growling of the wolves came too, reverberating through the cave not far behind.

  Samuel dashed left and then right until the tunnel narrowed. He felt it drop downward as gravity helped propel him forward. Samuel reached out and steadied his gait by using both hands to guide himself deeper into the cave. Several times, he felt the scree from Mara’s feet hit the back of his legs, which propelled him faster.

  The cavern twisted and turned, the tunnel clamping down on the two refugees like a slowly closing iris. The utter darkness kept Samuel from lunging forward faster than he would have liked.

  “Wait.”

  He stopped, surprised words still carried through the dying air of the locality. Samuel felt the icy touch of Mara’s fingers on his back as she came up behind him.

  “Listen.”

  They stood in the black silence, hearing nothing but their own exaggerated breathing.

  “Maybe we lost—”

  Before Samuel could finish, a howl penetrated the air and rang in his head with the force of a thunderous church bell. He knew it was the alpha male and the pack was closing the distance.

  Mara pushed him, and Samuel picked up the pace. He felt an aching in his lower back from running in a crouched position and wondered how long it would take for the muscle cramps to drop him to the ground in agony. The chasm continued ever downward and became more of a pipe than a tunnel. Samuel bounced his head off the cavern’s ceiling of the rock above, and he was forced to draw his arms in closer to his body as the walls crept inward. He felt Mara behind him, and he also felt her impatience. Samuel imagined her thin frame navigating through the space faster than his, and the frustration she must be feeling as their pursuers would come upon her first. He pushed on as the jagged edges of the rock drew blood from his battered knuckles. Samuel led them down another passage that widened enough to allow him to run again, but—still crouched. He heard Mara breathing hard a few feet behind.

  The tunnel dumped them into another open cavern, although it wasn’t as expansive as the one inside the entrance to the cave. Samuel ran to the center and spun in time to see the tunnel toss Mara out. She scrambled and stopped next to him, the space illuminated by an eerie glow coming from the walls. Samuel thought he could feel the stone lowering in an attempt to snuff him and Mara from the locality.

  The alpha male’s cry came again, this time closer. Samuel swept Mara behind himself with one arm as he readied for the onrush of attackers.

  Now we finish and He releases us from our duty.

  The alpha male picked through the passage until his head appeared in the darkness, like a newborn entering the world. The rest of the animal came next, along with three more wolves. Samuel could not see the horde, but figured they were on their way as well.

  “I don’t know what you want from me,” Samuel said.

  Mara craned her neck forward, unsure if he was talking to her or not. When she saw the alpha male and Samuel’s gaze directed at the wolf, she stepped back and listened.

  But you do. We are hunters, and you are our prey.

  “And the horde? What role does the undead play in your hunt?”

  Samuel felt a mental chuckle come from the leader of the pack.

  Beacons. Markers of our prey. They follow the misery and consume what is left behind by the hunters. The horde will fight for the scraps.

  The alpha male stood seven feet from Samuel, his hunters forming a semicircle, blocking the passage leading back toward the surface. Samuel looked over his shoulder and saw two tunnels on the opposite wall.

  You may enter those, but we will find you.

  “The reversion is coming and it will destroy you, too.”

  There is nothing the sky will bring that will cause us more pain.

  “Back in the cabin, you attacked. . .”

  Samuel let his words hang, unsure whether or not it was a question the alpha male could answer.

  It only delayed this meeting.

  “So you expect us to lie down while you tear out our throats?” He felt Mara’s hands on his hips as she moved closer to him.

  No, but it shall come to that.

  Samuel shifted, his muscles tensing and adrenaline flooding his system.

  What have you done with the scarface?

  Samuel smiled, sensing what could be a slight crack in the wolf’s stone will. “Banished. Opened a portal and sent him through it.”

  He will return. He has unfinished business with you as well.

  “Not without me, he won’t.”

  You will go to him, whether you desire it or not.

  Samuel caught motion beyond the wolves. He looked at the black velvet curtain of darkness and saw a humanoid shape breaking through. The first of the horde appeared, one arm missing and another dangling by a strand of ligament. The creature’s head sat askew, with the top portion missing as if one of the pack had torn it away.

  Mara came closer. Samuel could feel her nervous fingers gripping the back of his shirt.

  I am sure you are not.

  “Let’s go,” he said, turning and pulling Mara with him.

  They sprinted for the tunnel on the left and dashed through the darkness.

  You will tire.

  Samuel ignored the alpha male and pushed through the passage until it narrowed to a place where he was forced to drop to his knees. He imagined the pack coming upon them, lunging with full force while they supplicated.

  “What did he say?” Mara asked.

  “More of the same,” Samuel said.

  The passage emptied into another natural space. This one, however, appeared to be circular, without another corridor or passage springing from it. Mara and Samuel stood, his back creaking with the motion. They spun all the way around until they realized there was no way out. The alpha male padded around several smaller rocks and stopped, waiting for the rest of the hunters to flank him again.

  Now?

  Samuel shook and balled his fists at his sides. Mara walked backward until she felt the frigid stone on her back like the breath of the dead.

  Within moments, the first members of the horde entered the space and remained behind the alpha male and his hunters. The subterranean tunnels continued to glow with an ambient light that allowed Samuel and Mara to see the shapes, but it dimmed significantly from the aura cast closer to the surface.

  “I would rather try to slip anywhere than let you taste our blood.”

  Go ahead.

  Samuel closed his eyes, unsure what mental capacities he used to open the portal for Major. He felt the frustration mount as if he were a diligent pupil disappointing his teacher. Mara began to cry softly, holding the sobs to her chest with both arms.

  The alpha male turned his nose to the ceiling and barked at the hunters. They stepped forward and pressed closer to Samuel and Mara.

  Enough. It is time to finish.

  Samuel bent at the waist and crouched, his feet and shoulders spread. He raised his fists into position and stepped toward the alpha male. The two warriors moved to the center of the space while the rest watc
hed.

  “Wait,” Mara said, stepping from the wall. “Wait, Samuel.”

  He turned to face her and the alpha male cocked his head sideways.

  “Come here.”

  She extended her hand, palm up. Samuel looked at the alpha male, the hunters and the horde. He looked back at her and saw the conviction in her eyes.

  “Please, Samuel. Come here.”

  He reached out and felt the power pulse through his body as their hands locked.

  Chapter 15

  “Another round?”

  Samuel blinked and looked down at his folded hands on the polished, mahogany bar. He blinked again at Mara sitting next to him on the stool. She wore her hair bundled on top of her head, curls dangling on her cheek like onyx earrings. The dark mascara accentuated her eyes. Her red lipstick could hypnotize any man. Samuel looked at her foundation, delicately applied to her porcelain skin in a way that defined gothic beauty. He felt satisfaction, contentment, even a peaceful calm emanating from her.

  “Where are we?” he asked.

  Mara winked and turned to the burly bartender standing before a wall of mirrors and bottled spirits. She ignored Samuel’s question and answered the bartender’s.

  “Yes. For both of us,” she said.

  With a swift swipe of his rag, the bartender smiled and cleared the condensation left by the previous round. He turned to toil and clang bottles together while ice clinked in the bottom of the glasses. A thin layer of sweet tobacco smoke hung just below an intricately carved ceiling. Ornate posts straddled the bar as patrons moved about.

  “Don’t know the name of the place, but it’s really old. They built the bar before prohibition and then opened it up again afterward. Most of it has been restored. Even the ghosts that haunt it have come back.”

  Mara winked, catching the light in her eyes with a dazzling smile. Her brilliant teeth shone between ruby lips. Samuel felt mesmerized by her beauty, and yet a deep sadness seemed to reside below the surface, one that hurt like an ache in his chest.

  “You look stunning,” Samuel said. He felt as though he was gawking at his sister dolled up for prom.