Frostarc

by Arthur McMahon

  Daryll and Kozz went around to everyone, giving words of encouragement and trying to lift morale. After a few minutes they brought all the men back to their feet and gathered the group together. Many of them wanted to turn back, but Daryll again warned them that they would not survive the trip ahead without getting more supplies. Kozz asked them to be brave for their friends and loved ones back at the camp, those relying on the warehouse team to return with what was needed for everyone to move forward.

  The group pushed onward and left the dreadful buzzing behind them. The number of dead bodies decreased the further they distanced themselves from that particular intersection. Daryll took the lead with Freddy and they marched forward, trying to inspire the others behind them. Kozz remained in the back and helped push ahead anyone who was having second thoughts. Many of the men had never seen death before, and the scene they had just walked through had shocked the strength right out of them. The stronger members of the team worked together to reignite the courage in the hearts of the terrified men. It took effort, but soon everyone was marching forward of their own will, until a terrible scream stopped the entire crew in their tracks.

  Caleb was showing Kelly how to use the pistol that Tim had given her when a distant scream from somewhere in the town caught the attention of the camp. It echoed through the streets like an eagle’s call in an empty canyon.

  “Oh no!” one woman yelled.

  “What was that?” demanded a man.

  Everyone ceased what they were doing and listened, looking towards the town. There was nothing else to be heard, but that single scream was enough to instill fear in the members of the camp. Some people started to panic, some went to hide, some wanted to run into town to help the surplus team. Tim hollered orders and visited with the panicked to gain control over the situation and calm the people. “No one is going anywhere,” he said to everyone in earshot. “We've made a plan and we're stickin' to it. It was just one scream, coulda been anything.”

  “He's right,” said Kelly as she looked at Caleb. “Just one scream. Maybe someone just got spooked.”

  Caleb lowered his eyes to the pistol in his hand. “Didn't sound like someone got spooked. Sounded like someone who got hurt real bad.” But we've gotta be strong, thought Caleb, like Guthrow was. He didn’t give up because he was scared. He didn't give up because he was hurt, and he helped his crow friend when it needed him. Caleb looked up at Kelly and saw that tears filled her eyes. It was time for Caleb to be there for his friend. “Didn't sound like anybody we know, though.”

  “No,” she said not only to him, but also to herself. “No, it didn't.”

  Caleb pulled her hand away from her watery eyes and held it tight. "They're gonna come back. We'll be seeing them again in no time." Kelly looked at Caleb and smiled with her wet cheeks.

  Samuel ran over to Tim, but the man was preoccupied with calming down everyone else in the camp and ignored the boy. After seeing that he could not get Tim's attention, he looked over to Caleb and Kelly and ran to them.

  “I'm scared you guys,” he said.

  “Don't worry Samuel,” said Kelly. “I think they're fine. And it didn't sound like your pa.”

  Samuel calmed down after hearing her words. He sat down next to them and ripped out handfuls of grass from the ground. They all sat in their own personal tribulations for a while until Samuel spoke. “I'm sorry for telling on you, Caleb.”

  “It's ok,” said Caleb. “I didn't know everyone would think it was such a big deal. I mean, I'm fine now.”

  “My pa still doesn't want me to play with you,” said Samuel. “He's afraid that you might hurt me.”

  “I'm not gonna hurt you.”

  “That's what I told him, but he doesn't believe me.”

  “This is way more than you guys should have to handle,” said Kelly. “You're just kids. You shouldn't have to worry about crazy stuff like this. You're both acting very mature about it.” As she finished what she was saying Kelly realized that their situation was also way more than she should ever have to handle. She played with the clam shell pendant that hung around her neck and thought about Richard and her family.

  The scream was deep and painful. Every person in the surplus team focused their attention down the street to where the sound had come from. A heavyset man loped out of an office building a block away, then he tumbled forward and tripped down the short flight of stairs that led to the street. Most of the group ran forward to aid the man. He was moaning in pain when they arrived. The back of his shirt was drenched in blood, and fluids pooled on the ground beneath him.

  “Run,” he cried out, barely able to turn his face off of the pavement towards the others. “They found us.” He spit up blood and continued to cry as snot and tears and sweat poured from his face. Luciele and Richard bent down to the man’s side wanting to do something for him, but his wounds were too much. “Their eyes...” said the man, weak and guttural. “They killed us...us all.” He cried into the growing puddle for a moment longer before going silent forever.

  One of the men from the group turned around and ran back down the street towards the camp. Daryll and a few others yelled after him, telling him that they had to stick together, but he just kept running. The man ran into the distant fog and disappeared from sight. Most everyone else in the team backed away from the building and stared into the windows, knowing something was in there that would attack them if given the chance. They decided to not venture into the building to look for the monsters or whoever else may be inside. The team was not looking for a fight. They wanted to make their way to the surplus supplies while avoiding any contact with the infected, if they could. The purpose of this excursion was survival, not revenge, and they had to move forward.

  “Bastards,” said Kozz to no one in particular. “Damn demons are tearing our world apart.” He grumbled under his breath, seething at the thought of whatever was happening to humanity. He wanted to destroy whatever was causing it. It pissed him off, but it was damn exciting.

  Fear propelled the group forward, and even Kozz found himself looking over his shoulder to make sure they were not being followed. The group, which had been spread wide when it first entered town, was now packed together like a can of sardines. No one wanted to be the odd man out if something was to attack.

  But Kozz did not like crowds. He stopped in his tracks and let the others slide by him. Luciele and Richard noticed he had fallen behind the group and they stepped back to join him.

  “What's the matter, Kozz?” asked Luciele.

  “I felt stifled,” he said.

  “Being close to some of those guys is tough,” said Richard. “Some of them smell like ass.”

  “Couldn't have put it better myself,” said Kozz. “Too paralyzing being stuck in a crowd like that anyway. I could hardly turn around to see behind us. They're all scared and walkin' too fast, I couldn't scan the area quick enough at that pace.”

  “You really do look everywhere, don't you?” asked Luciele.

  “Everywhere, darlin'.” Luciele thought about reprimanding Kozz again for calling her a condescending name, but she did not feel offended by it anymore. She completely trusted Kozz, a man she had met not long ago, and she was comfortable with him calling her by that name. That's just how he talks after all, she thought.

  Luciele watched his face as they walked. Kozz's expression was stoic and he did not appear to be looking around, did not appear to be observing his surroundings and scanning for danger. He appeared to be looking straight forward, aloof and uninterested. The rest of the men were turning their heads, craning their necks and jumping at every odd sound, but Kozz never wasted the energy. He was truly focused. After watching him intently for a few moments, she saw his eyes flicker ever so slightly. She saw his pupils change, growing and shrinking in rapid succession as he altered his focus on object after object. His senses were trained to drown out the noises of the world and listen for the dangerous subtleties that hid in the silence.

  Kozz's eyes
turned towards Luciele. She jerked her head backward, realizing she had stared for too long. Kozz huffed and cracked a smile as Luciele turned red in the cheeks.

  Freddy stopped at an intersection and spoke with Daryll, then they changed direction and turned down a wide avenue. The rural housing was replaced by large apartment complexes and office buildings. Nearly every window was smashed, the sides of the streets glittering as the foggy mists left water droplets on the fallen shards of glass. They walked down the avenue, their feet crunching the debris with every step.

  Kozz felt a heavy dose of adrenaline pump into his system as he walked down the avenue. A number of small signs told him that something had changed when the group turned down the street, though he would not have been able to say what they were if anyone had asked. The odd feeling had caused his senses to heighten and his prudence to increase. Luciele commented on his change in posture, the way he was now stalking down the street, but he ignored her to maintain his focus on his surroundings. Kozz was about to tell the others to slow down and take more caution, but the blast of a rifle shot interrupted his thoughts before he could speak and he watched Freddy fall to the ground.

  Kelly took Caleb and Samuel down to the water's edge. She tried to coax others into joining, but they all chose to hide inside their tents instead. The boys skipped rocks and Kelly taught them about the variety of shellfish in the shallow waters of The Great River to pass the time and help take their minds away from any unsettling thoughts. The bang of a bullet ricocheted through the streets and emptied out over the campground. A few people panicked at the sound, but most were in control of their emotions this time around. Just like the previous scream that had come from inside the town, there was only one shot that rang out. The surplus team had guns, and they might have to use them. That meant they were still out there, and they were still alright.

  Samuel started to weep again, but Caleb and Kelly comforted him and he soon relaxed. Everyone was stressed, and if people started to have mental breakdowns it would only compound the problem. Caleb asked the others if they wanted to hear a story. Kelly and Samuel both thought it would be a good idea. Caleb ran back over to his campsite and opened up his backpack. He pulled out one of his comics and ran back to the shore. They all sat down on the pebble beach and Caleb read aloud from his book.

  A push.

  A push and I'm falling. From where I stood a moment ago I could see the city in all of its glory as the twilight reflected glowing reds and oranges off of the glass buildings, enlivening the skyline with dancing flames. Now I'm falling. All of that beauty and end-of-the-work-day satisfaction has disappeared. The warm lights have been replaced by the blackness of the street and the scum and dirt all around it.

  I'm falling. It's taking so long. I catch my image on the reflective tower as my bloated body tumbles through the air. My hat is gone and the thin hair on my head reaches upward, upward in desperation at the ledge I left behind. The shock in my aging, round face is punctuated by the excessive white in my gaping eyes. I don't scream.

  Sounds are different now. The noise of the city has muffled and louder than it all I hear the voices of my loved ones—. My teenage son Curtis tells me that he'll be a professional sports player someday, my beautiful wife Shelby hums that song she wrote for me when we married, and a couple of my close buddies laugh with me like we were back sharing stories at the pub. And the wind, the wind is loud.

  The people below are getting closer, a few have become onlookers and one of the cabbies is rubbernecking to see what they're pointing at. The streets are brimming with men and women who are stuck in rush-hour traffic and just want to be home. There's nothing they can do, they only watch. I must look like a chubby, spiraling silhouette against the fiery sky. I should be down there with them, I should be going home.

  Will I feel the pain? Of course, I'm feeling it now. My body is out of its element and doesn't know what to do. My muscles, my organs ache in anticipation of the cement below. I don't know what to do. I ask God for forgiveness, in case that whole thing has been true all along. I wish I could call my family and tell them I love them just one more time, just one more time.

  Nearer and nearer they come to me, and larger do their numbers grow. There are plenty of people watching me now. I'm sure one of them is taking pictures or video and this'll be all over the news by the end of the day. What am I worrying about that for? Never mind it.

  The ground is close now, but I see the metal outcroppings that decorate the perimeter of the building at the 25th floor. Should I even try to grab them? I won't be able to hang on. I might just wind up impaling myself or bashing my head. Doesn't matter, it's my only chance. It probably only takes me a split-second to fall far enough, but it feels like there is enough time to consider all of the possible approaches. I stretch out my arms and grip with my hands.

  I'm not moving. My whole world goes haywire and my body is pumped full of adrenaline and pain and laughter in its confusion. My body was braced for impact with the solid ground and when I stopped moving it thought I had been pulverized into a pile of goop.

  But I'm hanging from this wonderful decoration, this beautiful ornament. Thank God for the architect who made this aesthetic decision. My right hand is at my side, my left is up in the air. I'm not holding on to anything. My left arm is wedged between two not quite smooth, not quite sharp pieces of black metal. I can see that the arm is dislocated from my shoulder and has been shredded to ribbons. I'm dangling twenty-five stories up from nothing but my elbow joint and a few scraps of ligaments or tendons or whatever they are that haven't ripped yet.

  Something feels wrong. Not pain, not yet. I can just feel my injuries. The blood trickles down my side at first, then it begins to flow. My white shirt and tan pants turn a dark red. I feel a similar sensation on my leg. My left thigh, just above the knee, is bleeding and broken. I didn't even know that my leg had hit anything, but it must have slowed me down enough so that my arm didn't sever completely.

  The pain, now I feel it. The sensation hits me like a kick in the nuts. All reservations of preserving my manliness are gone. I scream, and I scream loud. If you couldn't hear me from a mile away, even over the noise of city traffic, then you weren't listening. Dangling from bits of my body I never thought I would see, my blood pours like a waterfall off of my brown shoe to the ground below and I'm screaming like a goddamn banshee.

  My body turns away from the street and towards the glass of the building that I hang from, that I scream from. I'm right up against the building now and can see inside. There are office desks and machines everywhere, and about two dozen people who just stare. A couple of them cover their faces and run away from the horrid view that is me. I see these people through my reflection, and seeing what they see isn't pretty. My eyes are even wider than before, and now I'm screaming, staring at the people inside who just watch. They see a fucking maniac before they see a man in dire straits.

  I scream loud and kick the glass because it feels right. I'm not even thinking about how all this movement might cause the rest of my arm to give way, I only kick and scream. A young man inside gets the right idea and picks up a chair, swinging it at the glass. He gives it a couple of good swipes before the chair breaks. Someone hands him a fire extinguisher and one smack with that does the job. The kid puts a little too much effort into it and nearly falls out of the hole he has made, dropping the fire extinguisher to the ground below. No one is standing on the pavement directly below and the metal can lands on top of an empty vehicle, its alarm adding to the maddening din of the city.

  They pull the young man back and a couple of older guys begin clearing away the glass, making the hole big enough for a man my size to fit through cleanly. I'm still screaming, but I don't think my voice is as loud anymore, it's hard to tell. Inside they realize that they won't be able to easily pull me inside with my arm the way it is, so they reach out and tie a couple of cords and wires around my torso and good leg. One of them, a balding man in an expensive suit, tries to make a
tourniquet around my bleeding left thigh.

  The dying screams turn to cries and a couple of tears squeak out, though I think most of my moisture has escaped with the blood. My mind starts to fade in and out. A wave of warmth and blackness washes over my head a couple of times. The pain pulses and dulls until a sharp, white feeling hits my forehead and I'm out.

  I wake up in a white room with a bright white light. My eyes adjust themselves and try to focus for a solid minute. I'm all by myself. I try to feel around my body to make sure I'm actually here, but most of me is held down and cast up. I'm here alright.

  A few minutes pass and a nurse walks by. She peeks in and expresses shock and joy to see that I'm awake. She must be new to the profession. She runs off to get the doctor. The doctor tells me all the medical stuff, how they had to cut off my arm to get me down and that they're doing everything they can to save my leg. I tell her that they can cut off whatever they want as long as I'm still here with my wife and kid.

  I've been out for four days. She says that my wife and son have been here every day and are out right now getting dinner, but they'll be back soon to catch me up on the rest.

  I rest.

  I wake up to warm hands on my face. Shelby. I open my eyes and she smiles. I hear Curtis jump from his seat and he gives my remaining hand a strong squeeze. I'm still here.