Monsterland

by Michael Phillip Cash

  The boat glided over the water, its bow making arrow shaped ripples on the still surface of the artificial lake. Iridescent dragonflies hovered over the water, frogs croaked, and the air became thicker. It grew darker, the dense brush growing over the water, the sound hushed. The howls began, softly at first, and then building in intensity and frequency as the strip of water narrowed. He had read somewhere that the water ride was behind glass walls to keep the patrons safe from the werewolves. He fidgeted restlessly. They were completely out in the open.

  The boat rode low in the water; Josh leaned over, splashing the palm of his hand on its dull surface.

  “Keep your hands in the boat!” the attendant shouted.

  Josh looked back, an alligator swerved close, his long snout snapping open as he snatched his hand from the water. He looked up at the speaker.

  “Indeed, the wildlife is real and not animatronics as originally reported.”

  “They’re not robots?” Wyatt demanded.

  “Dr. Conrad decided that if the monsters were real, so should all elements of the park.”

  Wyatt felt Jade move close so that their thighs touched. Taking a deep breath, he placed his shoulder in front of hers, as if he were protecting her.

  “As I was saying, Mr. Conrad and his staff stumbled upon an unexpected colony, that special May first day. They were in one of the waterways, much like this, when, all of a sudden, they made contact.”

  The boat lurched sideways, the impact sending them spinning in a half circle. Jade screamed, and Wyatt sucked in his breath, grabbing her around the shoulders and pulling her close. He heard Melvin shout with joy.

  The announcer laughed nervously. “With an impact very similar to that, Vincent Conrad made the discovery of a lifetime. He found a pack of werewolves living in—hey!”

  The boat was smacked again, this time propelling them almost to the other side of the bank. They craned their necks, peering into the dense water only to see muddled images of something swimming close to the boat’s side. The guide reached into his back pocket and whispered urgently into a two-way radio attached to the lapel of his shirt.

  Up ahead, Melvin stood, pointing to an outcrop of rocks. Wyatt heard Jade gasp. His own mouth went dry. Lining the boulders were five beasts, so large they blocked the light from above. Their long yellow teeth gleamed. Saliva dripped from their mouths like they were rabid; they panted deeply. Melvin stood at the prow, howling, his eyes closed in ecstasy. Josh pressed himself back into his seat so that his head almost touched his brother. Nolan crouched low.

  Wyatt looked at the wolves, their eyes bright with intelligence and something else. One walked out so that it was almost above them, his long body quivering with rage. His huge head lifted upward, his mouth opened, letting loose a long, chilling call. He turned, his eyes narrowing with menace.

  The boat stalled and then drifted. The attendant pushed his intercom frantically. He flicked the ignition, and the boat roared to life once again.

  Melvin reached up, his face filled with wonder.

  “Sit down!” the driver ordered. “Now!”

  “Mel!” Wyatt called, breaking his trance. “Sit.” He turned to the guide. “Is this part of the show?” he asked frantically. “Is it?”

  The man ignored him, his face solemn. Wyatt felt a mixture of fear and the niggling doubt that he was being made a fool.

  Melvin slid silently into his seat.

  They traveled under the ledge, so close they could hear the uneven panting. Drool dripped into the boat floor. Jade made a noise, moving so close she was practically underneath Wyatt. Slowly, the boat slid through the water. Wyatt turned around. The animals were gone, but he felt his skin crawl. He knew they were watching. Peering through the thick leaves, he searched the foliage, but could see nothing. Josh looked back at him nervously.

  “That was creepy. Right, Melvin? Mel?” Josh cried.

  Melvin was gone.

  “Melvin!” Wyatt stood on the rocking boat. The attendant cursed and ran toward the bow, his face white.

  The canopy over their heads stretched with the weight of something heavy. Jade screamed, burying her face in Wyatt’s shoulder. Nolan scrambled to move to the back of the boat. A hand dropped over the top of the boat, a Charleston Chew clutched in the palm.

  Melvin’s face appeared under the fringe—he looked like he had blond ringlets.

  “Melvin!” Josh yelled.

  “I want my money back,” Melvin called to the attendant. “It’s all fake.”

  He hopped into the boat, water sloshed over the edge, soaking their sneakers.

  “I’m reporting you as soon as we get back!” The employee stomped over to Melvin, making the boat rock dangerously.

  “It’s a hoax. There are no werewolves. Vincent Conrad is a big phony.”

  “You can’t get your money back,” Josh said, pulling the candy from Melvin’s hand. “You didn’t pay to get in.”

  “Just sit down,” the worker told him.

  “Or what?”

  “It’s the rules.” He looked behind them, realizing they were creating a traffic jam of boats. “Look, it’s going to get better.” He scanned the faces in the boat. “I’ll let this incident go. It’s opening night, but you have to obey the rules. Fasten your belts please.”

  Melvin made a rude sound.

  “You won’t be sorry. I promise.”

  Melvin hopped over the seats, Nolan slid back into his place, and Jade took Wyatt’s hand, lacing her fingers with his.

  The ride attendant grabbed the wheel, pressed the throttle, and the boat chugged forward. “It’s all real; you’ll see,” he promised.

  Wyatt looked back as they passed the large outcrop of rocks, seeing the jerky movements of the wolves, and pointed to them. “They’re harmless, Jade. It’s not real.” He leaned close, whispering in her ear. “It’s probably all fake.”

  “You better hold on!” the attendant warned.

  The boat suddenly dived down a vertical drop that had to be at least fifteen feet. The echoes of their loud screams sounded canned, as though they were in a cavern. They landed with a jarring thud that doused them with cold water. He lost his grip with Jade’s hand as they both clung to the rails. The boat rocked, dipping so deep that water sloshed over the sides. Wyatt’s eyes adjusted to the misty, thick air. He looked at his brother, who sat with his mouth open, his breath coming in pants. Wyatt was as white as a marble statue, his eyes bulging from his head. He could barely make out Melvin in the front of the boat. He slid his hand over, taking Jade’s cold fingers within his own. He heard her expel a deep sigh. He looked sideways, and saw a ghost of a smile on her lips. He had the urge to kiss her, but squeezed her fingers instead. He felt the softness of her hip next to his. It was twilight, on a bayou, the sound of croaking frogs filling the atmosphere. Jade’s head was pressed against his chest. He held her close, their beating hearts pounding in unison. Up ahead, they heard the steady sound of screams mixed with wild howls.

  Banjo music filled the cavern. The air was oppressive; low-hanging Spanish moss dipped into the water. Fireflies lit up the gathering darkness. It appeared to be twilight.

  “Look up, the sun is setting,” the attendant whispered, gesturing to the manufactured sky.

  The lake was covered by the dome, creating a weird echoing sound. The water amplified the splashing of the boats.

  The guide gestured to the glass ceiling. “That glass is impenetrable. Four elephants can stand on it. It won’t even crack.” His voice was a sibilant whisper.

  They heard other attendants repeating the information to their passengers.

  “Werewolves can eat four elephants for breakfast,” Melvin challenged loudly. Several chuckles emanated from nearby boats that had heard Melvin.

  An artificial sky turned from lilac to purple. They watched a thin strip of fiery sunset line the horizon, painting the choppy waters crimson. The sun dipped low and then winked out. The thick glass was transparent. Dark, hulking shadows
flitted past them. They made out the silhouettes of men and heard primitive cries of “No!” mixed with howls that seemed to come from the bowels of hell.

  Melvin was out of his seat, causing the boat to rock again. “Werewolves have a superior sense of smell.”

  Jade looked around nervously. “Do you think they can smell us through the glass?” she whispered. Wyatt placed his arm around her narrow shoulders. She fit against him as if they were made for each other. He caught Nolan turning around, the whites of his eyes gleaming in the gathering darkness. The boat shuddered violently, and Nolan grabbed the bar in front of him.

  This time the attendant’s eyes darted around the space above him, his stance alert.

  “Come on, already!” Melvin called out. “Show yourself!”

  Jade peeked from her haven in Wyatt’s arms. Wyatt noticed that Nolan and his brother sat closer together.

  Melvin pointed, crowing with excitement.

  Pressed against the glass, a man stood, his face a mask of agony, his hands gripping his head.

  Wyatt sat transfixed, their eyes meeting, and, this time, he knew the contact was real, and he shivered. The man’s eyes blinked, his eyes turning golden. The LED moon appeared overhead, full, its pocked face mocking the man. He climbed on the struts holding the dome, lifting his face toward the beacon in the sky, letting loose an earsplitting howl. The veins stood out in his neck; his hand fisted and pounded the glass. He had a collar fitted tightly around his neck, a green pinpoint of a light under the jaw.

  The boat stopped moving. Wyatt noticed there were four other boats bobbing around them. Another man jumped onto the dome, wailing an answering howl, then another. Soon the glass was dotted with creatures, their eyes narrowing, their backs elongating, and Wyatt and his friends craned their necks around the opaque canopy to observe as silent witnesses as the miserable creatures’ bodies developed four legs, their noses changed into snouts, and their teeth became long, yellow fangs. The green lights on their collars multiplied until it looked like the dome was dotted with alien eyes.

  He heard Melvin say, “Whoa!” His voice was filled with wonder.

  His own breath had stopped in his chest. Jade’s glorious blue eyes peeked out from behind her hands. She whispered, “This is so wrong. In so many ways it’s…it’s wrong.”

  Melvin stood tall, his chest puffed outward, letting loose a loud howl that silenced the wolves. The water lapped, and only their harsh breathing filled the cavern. Melvin called out again, and a cacophony of howls answered him. His face looked ecstatic, and Wyatt shivered.

  “Stop, Mel.” Josh pulled at his hand. “You’re too weird, dude. Really.”

  Melvin shook him off, pulled out his cell phone and started filming.

  Nolan followed suit and then Josh. Wyatt looked around, noticing everyone had their cell phones in their hands. The lights bobbed in the water as if the room was lit by hundreds of candles. The wolves wailed. Wyatt picked up his phone and then shoved it back in his pocket. He thought about recording the experience for a second, then paused, his face warming. Jade was right about this place. He felt ashamed for even wanting to preserve a moment on film of another living thing’s pain, even if it was a monster.

  A motor whined, and the striped canopy rolled back like a convertible on a car, giving them a clear view of the snarling wolves overhead. Wyatt heard the sound of multiple boat engines roaring to life. The attendant yelled, “Hold on!”

  They gripped the rails on the seats as the front of the boat lifted half off the water and started racing down a tributary. The water narrowed to a rushing river, the glass coming to surround them like a tube, a handspan above their heads. Claws scratched the glass, nails clicking as long gray shadows ran next to the boats. Jade screamed, her face inches from the window, a wolf the size of a small car racing in tandem with them. His yellowed eyes watched intently, the golden glow eliciting no warmth. The green lights on their collars bobbed along as they chased the boats.

  Inhuman wails mixed with menacing growls filled the chamber. Melvin stood, holding onto the metal pole, his face rapt with wonder. Nolan was frozen, his fingers holding the sides of the boat in a death grip. Josh had slid down, his face bleached.

  The boat picked up speed, but the creatures kept up the pace; their seven-foot-long bodies and long legs stretched to obscene proportions. Wyatt could hear their impatient panting; he could swear he felt the heat of their breaths on his cheeks.

  Ahead, a pinpoint of light teased them. The boat picked up speed, the wind rushing past them, the wolves howling like mad, falling behind as they made their escape.

  The teens turned to see the animals slowing, turning to chase after another boat. The boat filled with laughter, even the attendant joined in. “Don’t forget to purchase your photo at the booth on the way out,” he added.

  “Photo?” Melvin asked.

  “Yeah, of your faces as we went down the first waterfall—59.99 plus tax. Thank you for experiencing Vincent Conrad’s Werewolf River Run.”

  Stark LED floodlights blinded them as they emerged from the tunnel, the sounds of the park intruding.

  Melvin leaped off the boat onto the dock, his face beaming. “That was ah-mazing!” he crowed. “Wanna buy the photos?”

  “Not for 59.99.” Nolan stepped off, putting his hand in front of Wyatt, rudely pulling Jade from the vessel. “I wasn’t that impressed,” he said with cocky self-assurance. Wyatt stiffened and then felt himself deflate. Jade was not his girl. She was with Nolan. He backed away.

  Melvin wandered off, pulling out his wallet. “Well, I want them,” he mumbled to no one in particular.

  “Are you kidding me? That was intense. You were a wreck,” Josh said to Nolan.

  Jade looked longingly at Wyatt as Nolan brushed past them. “Let’s try to find Theo and Keisha,” Nolan said, dismissing them. “Did they answer anybody’s texts?” he demanded impatiently.

  CHAPTER 15

  “Look, Howard Drucker.” Keisha pulled Howard into the commissary, losing Theo. “I’m tired of waiting for you to notice me.”

  They both jumped as the doors slowly descended, alarms warning the crowd away from the hermetically sealed portal. They turned in silent awe as the heavy metal slid into place, followed by a sucking noise.

  Howard spoke as if he hadn’t heard her, his voice filled with curiosity. “It’s a vacuum.”

  Keisha wandered to the sealed door, momentarily diverted. Her own love for science overtook her hormones and attraction to Howard. “Nothing gets in or out.” She ran her hands along the smooth surface of the vulcanized seal. “Not any odors.”

  She turned, looking at her shorter companion. She considered the gentle slope of his shoulders, the lightly freckled complexion, his total lack of animal attraction, and, yet—she shrugged—she was attracted. Not mildly, not slightly—there was no denying it—she was in total overload of obsession for this peculiar boy. While she could explain magnetic shifts in the polar ice caps, she couldn’t understand her primal desire for Howard Drucker, but he filled her every waking moment with his keen intellect and sensitive understanding of anything from climate change to the study of chiaroscuro in Renaissance art.

  A guard smiled benignly. “Mr. Conrad created this seal especially for the comfort of the inhabitants. Not only the odors, but sound as well.”

  Howard nodded sagely. “The mere sound of food would trigger all sorts of responses.”

  Keisha agreed, “Like Pavlov’s dogs.”

  “Huh?” The guard cocked his head.

  “A Russian scientist proved that if you ring a bell every time you feed a dog, it conditions the animal to associate the sound with feeding time,” Keisha informed him.

  The guard shook his head. “I don’t think those monsters need no bell.”

  “No, you see,” Howard explained patiently, “it was an experiment.” He paused to look at the guard’s glazed eyes. “Oh, forget it.”

  Keisha pulled him toward the line that served cafeter
ia-style food. There were three different sections: a fine-dining restaurant that was cordoned off in readiness for important guests, a casual coffee shop, and, finally, a full cafeteria that served massive volume. The noise level in the hall sputtered and then grew silent. A huge group of men in suits were escorted by uniformed officers toward the expensive restaurant. Vincent Conrad walked with President McAdams, followed by ambassadors, military types, and others in the retinue.

  “Wow, President McAdams,” Howard said in awe.

  “I wouldn’t mind eating with him,” Keisha said softly. “That would make for some interesting conversation.”

  Howard pulled back. “Don’t you want to wait for the others?”

  “Do you have to do everything with Wyatt and Melvin, Howard Drucker?” She moved closer to him. “Don’t you ever want to do anything on your own?”

  Howard shifted nervously from foot to foot. “We’re hardly alone.” He gestured to the crowds rushing around them. He felt strangely naked here with Keisha. What could she possibly see in him? He winced. Words clogged his throat; he didn’t know what to say. What if he said something dumb—she would hate him. Keisha was beautiful, from the top of her wild hair to the tips of her sandals. She was so smart; she understood Shakespeare like no other student in the class. Howard gulped, sweat dotting his forehead. Something stupid darted through his usually trustworthy brain. He searched that betraying organ for a clue on how to proceed, and, while it knew every mountain and crater on the moon’s surface, it drew a big blank on polite conversation with a pretty girl.

  Keisha’s dark eyes surveyed him, a frown on her face. Howard was short, so short that he barely reached her shoulder.

  He had a wry wit, but the pithy remarks dried on his parched tongue. The room narrowed to the two of them. His eyes drooped, and he saw Keisha through a strange spangled veil. He watched her eyes spark and then her lips widened as she moved closer to him. She was so close their breaths intermingled, and Howard swore his glasses were fogging up.

  He couldn’t stop the next remark in the same way he couldn’t fight the tide or the pull of a full moon. “Don’t you want to see the vampires?” he whispered.