Into the Dark tdt-2

by Patrick D'orazio

  Her skull shattered with an audible crack, which was followed by a sudden eruption of the soft, yielding contents of her head. A foul puddle spread outward as her body landed on top of the messy remains. The ripened corpse burst with a rush of liquid as the thin skin surrounding her legs broke open. Black gruel splashed the cement and left a sodden mist in the air.

  George gagged and looked away. The two teens continued to peer at the woman’s remains, fascinated. After a moment, Ray nudged Teddy. “Told ya she would jump.” Teddy pushed him back, and they laughed at one another.

  George tried reprimanding the boys, but as he glanced back at the body for another split second, he looked green around the gills. He turned away to bend over as he breathed heavily.

  “Did you see her? She was looking straight at us when she fell. She didn’t even care that her head was going to get smooshed. All she wanted to do was eat us. That was awesome, man!” Ray said in awed disbelief.

  The two boys chatted animatedly with each other, excited by this new discovery. Jeff looked on while George worked to regain control of his stomach. After a few seconds, Jeff moved between the teenagers.

  “Okay, guys, enough.” He grabbed them both by the shoulders. They looked at him, and the grins disappeared. Jeff could see the fear in their eyes hiding behind the false bravado the strange little event had brought out in them.

  “Fun’s over.” He continued to hold their shoulders and moved them gently so they were facing the body. “Take a good look at her and try to understand something, okay?”

  Ray and Teddy glanced curiously at each other and then back at the body congealing on the hot pavement.

  “Those things aren’t human anymore, boys. They only care about one thing, and that’s ripping you to pieces. It’s just that simple.”

  Ray looked like he was going to offer up a smart-ass rebuttal when Jeff moved his hand from the teen’s shoulder to the back of his neck. The adult gave it a squeeze as he pulled Ray around until their faces were inches apart. Ray let out a little yelp and stared at Jeff with fear in his eyes.

  “Listen,” the reluctant leader said, glaring at the pimple-faced kid, “I don’t have any idea how you got lucky enough to survive this long, but the fact is that you won’t last much longer if you keep thinking those things are a joke.” Jeff squeezed both Ray’s and Teddy’s shoulders harder until they both winced. He moved his eyes back and forth between the two boys.

  “You think because most of them are slow and stupid that you can outwit them? There are millions of those freaks out there. Millions with nothing better to do than hunt you down and rip your heads off. And that’s if you’re lucky. Because the alternative is a nightmare you don’t want to face.”

  Jeff pushed the boys away and glared at them. He was trembling with rage as images of his dead family filtered through his mind. Ray and Teddy looked at him, their faces pale as the desire to retort fled in an instant.

  “Do I make myself clear?” Jeff almost snarled.

  They nodded solemnly. As Jeff stared at them, the headache flaring up worse than ever, he rubbed his eyes gently.

  “Good.”

  “Can we get going? Where there’s one of those things, there’s probably more.”

  Jeff opened his eyes and looked at George. The pale blond man’s skin had a light green tint to it, and he had his hand clamped over his stomach.

  Jeff nodded and took a deep breath to clear his head. He gave Teddy and Ray a small smile. They still looked a little frightened of him, but both tried returning it.

  “Well, we all know what to do. Let’s get to it.” Jeff turned to the store again. They moved past where the woman had fallen. Just as Jeff had suspected, she was pretty ripe. The smell was overpowering.

  “Jesus Christ, that’s foul.”

  They moved to the front door. Jeff glanced inside and saw that much of the contents of the shelves were gone, at least toward the front of the store. There were still plenty of darkened aisles and the storeroom to check out. The fact that he saw nothing moving inside was an added bonus.

  “Okay, give me your backpacks, boys. We’re going to try to fill them all.”

  Teddy looked past Jeff, staring inside the store as he handed over his bag. “You sure no one is in there?” He looked almost embarrassed for asking. “I mean, there was one up on the roof, so you never know where they’re hiding, right?”

  Jeff shrugged. “I have no idea.” He lifted his bat. “That’s why I plan on bringing my good friend here.” He glanced up and down the street. “Keep your eyes open and stay close by, and you should be okay. Just let us know if you see anything, and we’ll come running.”

  Jeff turned back toward the door.

  “Do you want my rifle?”

  Jeff stopped. Teddy was holding the weapon in front of him, ready to hand it over. He was looking at both of the men, waiting to see who would take it.

  “I don’t want it. I’m crap with guns anyway, but thanks for the offer, Teddy,” George said. He looked over at Jeff expectantly.

  Jeff groaned inwardly. It was a tempting offer, but he knew how Michael would react if he returned to the van with the rifle in hand. They were already at each other’s throats.

  He shook his head and sighed, regretting the words as he spoke them. “Nah, but thanks anyway, Teddy. We’ll be fine.”

  Jeff set his hand on the door, testing it. It wasn’t locked.

  “Okay. The two of you hang out in the parking lot. If you see anything, bang on the door or… whatever.” Jeff threw his hands up, not sure what signal they should arrange. He was beginning to feel like this whole thing was one giant snafu waiting to happen.

  The boys nodded, despite whatever reservations they might have. Jeff looked over at George. “You ready?”

  George was busy squinting through the door, trying to see inside. He was leaning forward, moving his head as if tracing a path through the aisles with his eyes. He looked skeptical but resigned to his task. When Jeff nudged the big man, he straightened up. Taking a deep breath, George nodded.

  Jeff looked back at the teens one last time and winked, realizing it was his turn to show a little false bravado. He pushed on the door, holding it open with his back. George cracked his knuckles before he moved past Jeff and went inside.

  They crept forward, the door following Jeff until it swung shut. He held his bloody bat like a sword and handed George one of the empty bags with his free hand. They spoke quietly as the boys watched. George nodded as they moved off into the depths of the store.

  Chapter 14

  Teddy leaned forward, cupping his free hand against the glass to try to catch a glimpse of the men as they descended into shadow. When Ray nudged him, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

  “Don’t do that!”

  “Take it easy, man!” Ray laughed as he backed up.

  Teddy gave his head an angry shake and gripped his rifle possessively. “Man, I almost shot you!”

  “I’m sorry!” Ray’s smile faded. Teddy had not swung the rifle around, and Ray knew that there was little chance he would have done much more than shoot himself in the foot. The greasy-haired boy moved back even farther and gave his Berretta a reassuring touch.

  Ray was the bigger and older of the two teens, and he guessed that was probably the reason Michael had given him the handgun. Teddy had the Springfield Model 70.30–06 that he had snagged from his father’s collection, but Michael confiscated it the moment he realized Teddy had no experience with it or any other firearm. After a while, he gave it back, commanding the boy to learn how to use it.

  Teddy forced himself to calm down and smile at his friend. Ray returned the grin, and all was forgotten.

  The two had become fast friends from the moment they met at the old factory where the group had hidden at first. That was before Michael had come across the RV dealership and the glistening, titanic motor homes they had commandeered.

  Ray knew he was the geek in their relationship, and it was likely Teddy w
ouldn’t have given him the time of day before things had fallen apart. But being the only kids their age in the group made it pretty easy for the slightly rotund, acne-scarred boy to find a connection with the smaller but incredibly athletic Teddy.

  They shared little in common. Ray loved Mystery Science Theater 3000 and World of Warcraft, while Teddy’s passion was for soccer and wrestling. Still, their differences didn’t seem to matter to either of them now that their new hobby was just trying to stay alive.

  “You want to go exploring?”

  Teddy gave him his best fisheye. “What?”

  Ray’s smile got larger. “Come on! Let’s just look around the building a little bit. There’s nothing out here.” He casually waved his arm in front of him, taking in the street and the rest of the town.

  Teddy pulled the rifle close to his chest and wrapped his arms around it. “Since when are you so brave?”

  Ray rolled his eyes and laughed. “Yeah right. You think I’m being brave? Bullshit.”

  “Bull true!” Teddy countered, matching the grin on his friend’s face. “You’re trying to act all macho and shit just to show Jeff you can handle yourself.”

  “No I’m not.” The words were not defensive. Ray looked at Teddy and dropped his grin. “I just don’t want to get ambushed is all.”

  Teddy paused as he thought about it. “You think we could get ambushed here? We should see someone coming if we stick to the door.”

  Ray shrugged, but looked excited. “Maybe, but I think there’s a chance we could be surrounded pretty quickly if we don’t check things out. There could be any number of slugs around the back of the building creeping up on us as we speak… on both sides!” His eyes were wild with possibilities. When Teddy looked around, he saw nothing, but Ray’s vivid imagination created new and dangerous possibilities in his mind.

  He looked back at Ray. “I don’t want to move. If something happens to Jeff or George, they’ll need us to help out. I don’t think we’ll hear them if we’re not close to the door.” Despite the firmness of his words, he sounded uncertain.

  Ray nodded reluctantly, but didn’t look happy with Teddy’s response. He slumped against the wall of the general store, crossing his arms. Teddy watched as he pouted, kicking at pebbles and sending them skittering across the parking lot. He sighed, knowing their discussion wasn’t over.

  “What?”

  Ray looked at his friend and shook his head. “I just feel useless standing here, man.”

  Teddy raised an eyebrow. “Ray, nothing is happening, and that’s a good thing. We might get back to the RVs alive if we don’t do anything stupid.”

  “I know, I know,” Ray grumbled. “But I at least want to check around the building. I think I would feel better if I did.”

  “Why?” Teddy caught himself before he raised his voice, but only barely. He looked around, embarrassed by his excited outburst. He continued, whispering. “What do you think you can do? Shoot one of those things? Draw attention to yourself? Draw attention to us? If one of them comes around the corner, fine. Shoot it. But don’t go looking for trouble. Because I guarantee you’ll find it. And then what?”

  Teddy stood, his arms crossed, rifle at his side. He stared up at the taller boy and watched Ray’s expression change from frustration to anger.

  “I can handle myself, Teddy, just as well as you can. I’ve made it this far. You’re not my fucking father, so I don’t want to hear one of your lectures.”

  Teddy barked out a harsh laugh. “Now you sound like Jason. He whined about wanting to come with us because he can handle it, but he’s just a little kid.” He went in for the kill. “You’re acting like a little kid.”

  Ray’s eyes narrowed. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. He was bigger than Teddy, but knew that wouldn’t help much if he got into a fight with the compact, muscular boy.

  “Fuck you.”

  “Good one, Ray. Real witty. Ya slay me.”

  “Go to hell.” With that, Ray turned away in a huff. He moved toward the side of the building.

  “Ray!” Teddy hissed. “Come back here!” Ray’s only response was to flip him off as he kept moving.

  “Raaay! Come on, man… okay, I’m sorry! Please come back!”

  Ray hit the corner with a grunt and his back bounced off the brick surface. It hurt, but he ignored the pain as he pulled out the Beretta. After a couple of seconds, he remembered the safety and flicked it off. Taking a deep breath, he peeked around the corner and saw the dumpster and the metal door.

  Ray examined the trash receptacle. It was nondescript and small, with the doors at chest level rather than head height, like some of the larger ones he had seen behind most businesses. The side-by-side doors on top of it were made of plastic.

  Sweating profusely and knowing Teddy was watching him, Ray turned the corner and moved down the wall, hugging it. He glanced over at the building next door and saw no movement. The coast was clear. He slithered farther down the wall, his back to it as he stared at the dumpster.

  Ray’s heart raced as he imagined what was inside the container. It stood away from the general store by a few feet, and he could see that the rear of the building was overgrown with knee-high thick weeds.

  He stopped a few feet from the door on the side of the building. Ray nudged his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose and ran a sleeve across his damp forehead. His glasses had seen better days, but were still intact. The scratches on the lenses were a hassle, but he’d gotten used to it.

  The portly teen stared at the tall grass at the back of the building and the dumpster beside it. He swung the nine millimeter back and forth between the small gap at the edge of the building and the lid of the trash receptacle. Ray’s heart was pounding so loudly that for a moment, he thought the sound was coming from somewhere else. His eyes darted back and forth until he was sure there was no threat, and more sweat dripped into his eyes. After he blinked, he could have sworn he saw the dumpster move.

  Ray attempted to keep moving forward and realized he couldn’t. Something was in the dumpster, of that he was certain. All he could think was how stupid it had been to come back here and how he was going to stand there, frozen in fear, as a swarm of ghouls came climbing up out of some trash bin to tear him into bite-sized pieces.

  He barely heard the noise behind him as he began to hyperventilate. Swinging around, he almost pulled the trigger on the Beretta. The diminutive figure pressed up against the wall behind him ducked, almost diving to the pavement.

  “Jesus, Ray! What the fuck?”

  Ray gaped at Teddy, his weapon pointed at his friend’s head. His finger remained rigid on the trigger, but his eyes swelled with recognition. He moved the gun until it was pointed at the ground. Ray’s legs felt like water, and he nearly slid down the wall but managed to stay upright.

  Teddy peeked out from behind the shield of his arms.

  “S-s-sorry, man,” Ray stuttered. “I thought you were one of them.”

  “You thought I was one of them?” It took a moment for what Ray said to sink in. Teddy’s fear departed, and a warm trickle of anger took its place.

  He stood up and gave Ray his most irritated look. “You’re fucking crazy, man.”

  “I said I was sorry! You didn’t want to come and then you sneak up behind me. What did you expect?”

  “Well I didn’t expect you to shoot me!”

  They stood across from one another, silent. Slowly, Ray began to smile. Teddy saw it, and his lip began to curl up. He resisted, trying to look like he was still upset, but in a matter of moments, a smile was in full bloom.

  They laughed quietly at each other, and Ray stuck out his free hand. “Truce?”

  Teddy stared at the hand and then nodded. They shook on it. “Truce.”

  “I’m sorry I tried to tell you what to do,” Teddy said after a few moments, his smile fading. Ray looked away, embarrassed by the apology and trying his best to act nonchalant.

  He shook his head. “No problem. It’
s cool.”

  The smile returned to Teddy’s face. “So let’s check this place out, together.”

  Ray’s eyes brightened. “Awesome!”

  Teddy glanced past Ray toward the dumpster and door. “You check the door yet? Is it unlocked?”

  Ray shook his head and looked slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t get that far.”

  Teddy nodded. “You were playing it safe. Probably a good idea.”

  Ray nodded vigorously in agreement.

  Teddy walked past Ray. “So let’s check it out.”

  Ray looked surprised at his friend’s relaxed attitude and watched as the smaller boy moved toward the door, the rifle loose in his left hand. He ran to catch up just as Teddy jiggled the handle. He glanced at Ray and shook his head.

  “Locked.”

  He moved toward the dumpster, but Ray put a hand on his shoulder. Teddy turned with a question on his face.

  “I think there’s something in there.”

  Teddy tried to crack a smile, thinking it had to be a joke, but his lips tightened as he saw the serious expression on Ray’s face. The smaller boy swiveled his head to look at the dumpster, shifting the rifle up to his shoulder as he did.

  Ray moved beside him, the Beretta pointed at the metal box. He looked over at Teddy and whispered, “I heard something, I’m sure. I think a slug crawled in there and is just waiting for us to get close.”

  “Are you positive? Wouldn’t the dumpster be moving? I mean, it would have heard us talking, right?”

  Ray paused, considering as Teddy inched forward. He swallowed hard as he walked next to his friend. Ray was the closer of the two to the dumpster, and with every step they took, he could feel his heart beating faster. They stopped when they were about ten feet away. There was no movement or sound coming from the metal box.

  “Switch places with me,” Teddy said.

  “Huh? Why?”

  “Because I have the rifle,” Teddy explained. “I’m going to lift the lid with the barrel. That way if one of those things is inside, it won’t be able to grab me.”

  Ray nodded. “Okay, good plan. But before you do, I’m going to check around the corner. Last thing we need is one of those things springing up on us while you’re checking out the dumpster.”