by Nathan Jay
“Quick, Dad! Run!” whispered Wilson. Dustin took one step and paused. He turned around to look at the cabinet closest to the window.
“Wait! I’ve got to get the gun,” he whispered.
Wilson shook his head.
“Forget it! I can protect us! You don’t need it!”
Dustin tiptoed over to the cabinet and inched it open. He grabbed the small metal box containing his handgun and the bullets from the top drawer. Slowly, he backed away from the window.
Suddenly the window exploded, and the beast stuck its face through the glass. The creature let out a blood-curdling growl and swung its massive paws at the edge of the window, trying to make room for it to get inside. Dustin ran across the room to the basement door and went inside. He quickly retrieved his car keys and locked the basement door while Wilson and Michael stared at him from the bottom of the stairs, terrified. There was a thud against the door as a shadow moved underneath it. The monster lowered its nose to the crack and began to sniff. Dustin ran down the stairs and grabbed a can of paint from the bookshelf. He took a lighter from his pocket and began spraying the paint. As soon as Dustin placed the flame in front of the spray, flames started shooting from the can. He quickly ran up the stairs, aimed the fire underneath the door, and continued spraying. The children watched as the bottom of the door caught fire.
“Dad!” yelled Michael. “The door!”
Still, Dustin continued spraying. The monster let out a scream and smashed its paws against the door. Dustin stopped spraying and backed away from the door. After a few seconds, the beast let out a painful moan. Slowly, the creature moved away. Dustin ushered the boys over to the sofa sitting in front of the television.
“We’ll hold up down here.”
Wilson lowered his face into his palms. The pain coursing through the side of his face was excruciating. It felt like a thousand fire ants were crawling beneath his skin. Suddenly the room began to dim. Unable to sit up anymore, Wilson fell back on the sofa and fainted.
“Wilson?” asked Michael. When his brother didn’t respond, Michael began to panic.
“Dad! Wilson!”
Dustin went over to Wilson and looked at his face.
“We can’t stay here long. The demon is close.”
“But where are we supposed to go? Wilson is supposed to guide us.”
Dustin looked around the room.
“Go to the bathroom and get a towel. Wet it and bring it back so we can keep your brother cool.”
As soon as Michael ran to the bathroom, Dustin kneeled over his son and whispered.
“Let the ancestors guide you.”
Chapter 23: Finding His Way Through Dreams
Wilson knew he was dreaming. Although his dream had the same surreal feel as all the others, his senses knew it was a dream. It was midday, and he was sitting in the front seat of his father’s car at an old gas station in the middle of nowhere. The car's inside was stifling, resulting from his father turning off the car engine to pump gas. A strong wind was blowing up dust clouds, making it difficult to see his father pumping gas into the car. Wilson sat in the front seat with a cold soda on his lap. Potato chip crumbs covered the front of his jeans, yet he continued digging into the large bag to shove handfuls of chips into his mouth.
“I said you could have some, not all of them,” complained a familiar voice from the backseat. Wilson turned around to see his brother with an extended arm beckoning for the bag of chips. His father was wearing an old cowboy hat, which seemed to be three sizes too big for him. His father pushed up the gallon-sized hat to see the prices on the pump as the car appeared to drink an endless amount of gasoline.
Suddenly, a red convertible sports car pulled into the gas station. Wilson could tell by her long brunette hair sticking out from underneath her sunhat that the driver was a woman, but he couldn’t see her face. As if she were a race car driver, the woman stood up in the driver’s seat and leaped out of the car, her floral dress blowing in the dusty wind. She ran up to the vehicle Wilson was in and yanked the gasoline pump out of the tank. Wilson tried to look at her face, but her sunhat shadowed her face. Suddenly, she slapped her open palm against Wilson’s window to get his attention. Slowly, he lowered the window.
“You can reach me if you hurry! My plane is in that city,” her soft voice said.
“What city?” Wilson asked.
The woman pulled off the hat and smiled – it was Wilson’s mother!
“The mountains are safe. That thing hasn’t come here yet, but it’s moving fast. You can reach me before it does.”
“Where are you?”
Suddenly his mother reached into her bosom and pulled out a gun.
“Get out of here!” she yelled. Wilson turned around to see where she was aiming her gun. A large black cloud appeared on the road from far away. Wilson yelled for his father, but nothing came out of his mouth.
“Forget about him!”
“No! That’s my Dad!”
“They’re going to kill him anyway. He’s of no use to you!”
Wilson watched as his mother started firing bullets into the dark cloud.
“He’s coming for you! There isn’t much time! You have to leave now!”
Wilson started searching for his father, but he couldn’t find him.
“Dad! Where are you?” he screamed. Suddenly the car started, and the engine revved. Wilson looked in the driver's seat. Michael had started the car.
“Time to get the fuck out of Dodge,” the little boy said. He stood up on the gas pedal, and the car shot out of the gas station towards the road.
“What are you doing? We can’t leave Dad!”
Michael reached into his jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
“Shit’s fucked up, Wilson. But don’t you worry. I’ll take care of those fuckers. Here, grab the wheel.”
Wilson grabbed the steering wheel and steered the car along the empty road. Michael stood up and grabbed the triangle from his pocket. Like a madman, he started firing lasers into the black cloud. Suddenly lightning started shooting out from the cloud in all directions.
“I got those fuckers for you, bro.”
“Where’s mom?”
“What?”
“She was standing by the car!”
Michael sat back down in the car seat and took a long drag on his cigarette.
“Shit’s fucked up, bro.”
Suddenly, Michael slammed on the brakes, and the car screeched to a halt. A herd of buffalo stood in the middle of the road.
“Go around them!” screamed Wilson. Michael stood up in the car seat again and yelled towards the herd of buffalo.
“Huh? What?”
Wilson was terrified. The cloud was getting closer.
“What are you doing? Let’s get out of here!”
“She’s where? North Carolina? Where? Asheville?”
Suddenly, the animals turned towards the vehicle and started charging.
“Back up! Back up!” yelled Wilson. Michael turned and smiled at his brother.
“Why are you afraid? Death is only the beginning.”
Suddenly, the herd of buffalo crashed into the car.
Chapter 24: The Getaway
Wilson sat up on the couch and removed the towel from his head. Michael was sitting at the end of the sofa while his dad was standing in front of the tv.
“How long was I out?” he asked Michael.
“Not long. Ten minutes.”
Wilson stood up and walked to his dad.
“I know where we’re supposed to go.”
“Where?”
“North Carolina.”
Michael walked over to them.
“North Carolina? Who do we know in North Carolina?”
“Mom’s there.”
“She is? But I thought she was in Paris.”
“Her plane got sidetracked. That’s where she is.”
“But how are we going to get to her? Look at the news.”
Wilson
watched as people got attacked by strange creatures that he’d never seen before. A news reporter attempted to give a report and was bitten in half by what looked like an enormous lizard. Another video showed a child being chased by wild dogs before the large animals caught him and ate him alive. A man attempted to fight off a slimy black creature with long teeth and glowing red eyes. The man fired his gun and hit the monster twice in its chest. Unfazed by the weapon, the beast released a burst of red lasers from its eyes and vaporized the man. Another video showed two corpses jumping on an elderly woman and biting into her face until she stopped moving.
Suddenly, Wilson felt a sharp pain in his face, and he bent over. He went to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His face was getting worse. The veins covered all his face, and his other eye was bloodshot. He walked back out to his father and brother.
“We need to leave. Now! Grab the food. Mike, I need you to get your weapon ready. I’m going upstairs to get the car.”
Michael looked scared, but Wilson knew his brother was ready. He’d seen that same determined look on his face when they played video games. Accepting that his sons were the leaders, Dustin grabbed the bags and headed to the stairs. He stepped aside on the stairs to let both Wilson and Michael pass. Wilson turned to his brother.
“Remember what Grandma Noya told us. Your job is to protect what I can’t see. Okay?”
“Don’t worry about me, bro. Let’s do it.”
Wilson opened the door and immediately saw the mouth of a giant snake as it stood up to bite him. As if it were nothing, Wilson extended his open hand like he was grabbing something. As he closed his fist, the snake's head crumpled in on itself, and the snake fell to the floor. Wilson took one step and saw an animal that looked like half-human and half-bird. Its body was human, but its skin had feathers. It had a large beak that opened and closed, revealing a tongue with eyes. Wilson tapped his eyelid, and his eyeball began to glow. He held his breath and flexed his ribcage. After aiming at the creature, Wilson pushed outward through his eye. A long stream of fire shot from his eye and engulfed the monster in flame. Wilson turned to his little brother.
“Put your back against mine! If anything attempts to attack me, you kill it. If something tries to attack you, say my name, and I’ll jump in to attack.”
“That’s a bet!”
The two boys put their backs to one another and inched through the kitchen and into the living room. Several of the large wild dogs tore through the hallway towards the boys. Michael was ready. He placed the beasts in the center of the triangle and pressed a corner. The wild dogs started shaking and glowing violently until their bodies exploded, sending blood and intestines everywhere.
“This fucking shit is cool!” yelled Michael. Wilson paused and beckoned to his father that it was safe to come out. Dustin took off running and met the boys at the front door.
“Dad, give me your keys.”
Dustin handed his car keys to Wilson and threw the bag of food over his shoulders. Wilson readied himself and grabbed the doorknob.
“Okay. One…two…three!”
Wilson swung open the door and took off running towards the car parked in the driveway. Just as he did, the ground opened behind him, and thousands of glowing spiders crawled out of the earth.
“Wilson! Watch out!” screamed Michael. He put as many creatures as possible into the center of his triangle and pressed on each corner. Ooze and spider blood splashed everywhere. Suddenly Michael froze. There were monsters all over the neighborhood, and they all turned towards them.
“Wilson! Hurry!”
Suddenly there was a scream, and all the monsters turned to look up into the sky. Wilson yelled to his brother.
“It’s him! Let’s go!”
Michael remembered what his grandmother told him about the weapon. Quickly he tapped all three corners of the crystal triangle. Suddenly it started glowing and shaking in his hand.
“Let’s go, Dad! Once this goes off, we only have a certain amount of time to get away!”
Dustin and Michael ran to the car and jumped into the passenger side. After grabbing the keys from Wilson, Dustin started the car and peeled out the driveway. As the car turned onto the street and accelerated, a dog with the head of a human baby gave chase.
“Holy shit!” Michael yelled. The sight of the hybrid monster made Wilson want to vomit. He raised his hand and crushed the animal into a heap of mush and bones in the road without looking. The triangle that Michael was holding began to buzz and vibrate more violently. There was a spark of light, and suddenly the weapon released a red ball of energy that rose to the roof of the car and began to burn a hole in it. Michael ducked down in the backseat.
“Were you supposed to activate that thing in the car?” yelled Wilson. As sparks rained down from the roof of the car, Dustin crashed into a mailbox. Everyone exited the car as smoke poured out. They all watched as the red ball of energy grew massive as it rose high into the sky. Suddenly, all the monsters turned to run.
“Look at them running!” yelled Michael. “Run, you bitches!”
“You almost took us out, too!” yelled Wilson. Michael shrugged.
“Grandma Noya never told me how this thing would work,” he confessed.
“Get back in the car,” said Dustin. Both boys climbed back into the car. Dustin floored the gas, and the car raced out of the neighborhood and made a turn onto the highway. Just as it did, a loud explosion rattled the vehicle, and everything plunged into darkness. Cautiously, Dustin slowed down and pulled the car to the side of the road. Seconds later, the light returned.
“Wow!” exclaimed Michael. Wilson looked around the highway. There were hundreds of dead monsters lying everywhere. Dustin opened the car door and climbed out to look at the carnage.
“I didn’t know there were so many of them.”
Wilson didn’t budge. Instead, he yelled at his father.
“Dad, we need to go if we’re going to get to mom before the same thing happens there.”
Dustin climbed back into the car and pulled out onto the highway. He frowned as he drove over the corpses of the dead animals littering his path. Eventually, the road cleared, and he was able to increase his speed. Michael exhaled and let his head fall back onto the backseat. He looked up at the giant hole in their roof and smiled.
“North Carolina? Good! Anything to get out of here!”
Wilson laid his head against the window. The pain in his face had mostly disappeared. He closed his eyes and prepared for the long trip. He hadn’t realized that he missed his mom so much.
Chapter 25: Judgment
“Where are we supposed to be going?”
“Asheville.”
Dustin looked at the GPS on his cell phone and frowned.
“Asheville? That sounds like a very country place. Do they have an airport?”
“I’m only telling you what the dream told me. It wasn’t detailed.”
Dustin mumbled and continued driving. Wilson lowered the visor and looked at his face in the mirror. Although his right eye was still bloodshot, his other eye had returned to normal, and the veins in his face were gone. Wilson tilted the mirror and looked at his brother in the backseat. Although the wind was blowing into his face from the hole in the roof, Michael snored like a baby. Wilson grabbed his father’s cell phone and searched the internet.
“I’m surprised we still have cell phone service. The only thing on the radio is that emergency warning recording.”
Wilson found the airport address and typed it into the GPS.
“I found the airport.”
“Good. I was hoping we didn’t have to stop to get directions from anyone. We should enter and leave as quietly as possible.”
“Leave? I’m not sure we’re supposed to. I didn’t see anything about leaving in the dream.”
“We’ll let you rest. I’m sure you’ll get another vision sooner or later.”
Dustin continued driving until he was within a few miles of the airpo
rt. As he got closer, he yelled at Michael.
“Hey! Wake up! We’re almost there.”
Michael woke up and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. After spotting the bag of food on the seat next to him, he reached in and ripped open the box of donuts.
“Anybody want a donut?” he asked. Wilson held up his hand, and Michael passed him one. Dustin ignored his sons. They had arrived at the airport.
“We need to get in there quickly. We don’t know how much time we have,” said Dustin as he climbed out of the car. Wilson shoved the donut into his mouth and wiped his sticky finger on his jeans. His brother hopped out of the car and followed his father. As they walked close to the entrance, Wilson could see a large group of angry people yelling and screaming at a row of police officers blocking access to the building. Dustin and his sons weaved through the crowd until they made it to the entrance. A woman was arguing with one of the police officers.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but you can’t come in.”
“My flight leaves in thirty minutes. Let me in!”
“You can call the airport for a refund. All flights are grounded.”
“Grounded?! What do you mean?”
“Haven’t you been watching the news?”
A short chubby man interrupted the police officer.
“My daughter’s flight landed an hour ago. She’s only twelve years old. I need to pick her up.”
The officer shook his head.
“You can’t go in. We’re going to release everyone from the building within the hour.”
The man exploded.
“You all have been telling me that for over an hour!”
Suddenly, another police officer moved close to the man and extended his baton.
“Sir, you need to back up before we arrest you.”
