Secret of Mars

by Eric Johnson

  “But,” Tom protested.

  “Sit over there.”

  “I forgot my lunch bag,” Winston said.

  The attendant threw him a pack of nuts from the shelf. “Quiet.”

  Winston’s face paled. “The kid with the bomb.”

  “You can’t think about that,” Emmett said.

  “He was gone in a puff of smoke. Did it hurt?” Winston asked.

  “Winston!” Emmett said sharply.

  “Quiet. Listen up.” The attendant got up and pulled down a large box from a high shelf with lost and found written on it. He handed out backpacks. “Rest here for a while, but be quiet. Then fill these up. Fill the packs with food. Not candy, but the nuts, energy bars and water. You’re going to need it.”

  “Why?” Tom asked.

  “Because you can’t stay here. This isn’t the first time you’ve tried to kill me.”

  “Nuts give us a rash.”

  “Beggars kid, now shut up.”

  “We can’t go out there,” Tom said desperately. “Look I’m sorry. I called out. I didn’t know you were on the trail. Please let us stay, we’ll be killed.”

  The attendant didn’t answer.

  “I don’t know what we are going to do,” Winston cried.

  Tom snapped at the attendant. “Why did you let us in, when you didn’t let anyone else?”

  The attendant’s eyes widened, and he growled softly, “Quiet. Don’t be stupid, you’re kids.”

  Tom took the packs and filled them as instructed. He sat down across the room from the attendant, forcing himself to stay still and rest. “Thanks for letting us in.”

  The screech of low flying jets startled them. Bottles rattled on the shelves. “That’s not normal,” he said.

  A moment later a rapid succession of explosions that sounded like Fourth of July fireworks shook the building.

  “That’s the weirdest thunder,” Winston said.

  “More like the air show I went to last summer,” Tom informed them.

  “Those were military jets and explosions.”

  “I told you it was everywhere,” Emmett said.

  The hum of the refrigerator compressors buzzed on and off, and the lights flickered several times. The electricity went out. The attendant raised his hands and clapped his knees. “Okay, that’s it. We’re definitely staying here and we need to make the best of it until rescuers come and get us. The jets attacked something. That means this is really big. So now maybe you will understand how screwed we are.”

  “We’re going to my house.”

  “Through that?” The attendant chuckled in disbelief. “I see you’re just going to hang out there until all of this is over. You haven’t got a chance in hell.”

  Raindrops started to patter on the roof of the store, drowning out the sounds of the creatures at the gate. “Then we can stay?”

  The attendant nodded and they settled back to rest, sitting in the timeless silence of the dim storeroom, and listening to the drumming of the rain.

  Without the air conditioning the room was a sweltering sauna. Sweat rolled down Tom’s face. His mind played tricks on him and he jumped at every creak and thump. He couldn’t relax, dreading the thought of creatures crashing in at any moment. Staying still became impossible.

  Wrappers crinkled, amplified by the quiet. Emmett and Winston sat obediently crunching on candy. Tom told himself it would be alright, desperately wanting to believe that it was safe in the store, but his gut told him otherwise. He needed a plan.

  They could have all the candy but he needed a cold drink. The coolers were out front. The attendant was on his phone playing a game. Quietly he got up to go and get one.

  “Where you going?” Winston asked.

  Tom put his finger to his mouth, silencing Winston. The tumbler clacked as he turned the lock slowly. Emmett looked up he motioned for him to stay. “Thirsty.”

  “Don’t go out there. We’re safe here,” Emmett said. “Don’t mess it up. We can put a sign in the window. That way people will know we’re here.”

  The attendant panicked, dropped his phone, and lunged for Tom. “Stop, you idiot.”

  Tom slipped out of reach of the attendant’s flailing arm, and crept to the front of the store.

  The attendant peered through the crack in the door, ready to lock it at a moment’s notice. “Get back here now,” his voice was a harsh rasp.

  The store cooler was up front next to the register. Cold air eased Tom’s discomfort. He thought he was going to pass out if he stayed in the stuffy backroom any longer. With an eye on the security gate he grasped a bottle. It was still ice cold. He twisted the cap, slowly releasing the carbonation. From the shadows behind a store rack he peered outside into the thick rain. He drank deeply. The chaos moved away and calm took over.

  Out on the street, creatures stood still with their heads pointed to the sky, perfectly choreographed like a weird flash mob. Their numbers had grown.

  Apprehension turned to cunning as Tom stared out at creatures. They looked like they were sleeping. What he needed was a ride. The keys for the cars in for repair hung on hooks behind the cash register.

  Why not? he smiled. He watched his dad drive a million times, easy-peasy. The problem was that the U-Mart was a repair shop and there was no telling which cars would work.

  Behind him the security gate rattled. Needles of goose flesh rose up on the nape of his neck, and he froze. Tom turned his head slowly; faces peered in at him through the gate. Standing out in the open to get the car keys was a big mistake.

  Suspended in a mosaic of horror they broke free and began their thrum of deconstruction on the security gate. It started slowly and worked its way up to a frenzy. And like the ringing of a summer camp’s dinner bell it drew in others. They came en masse. Weakened from the earlier assault, the security gate was torn from its mountings under the weight of the attackers.

  Blinded by terror, Tom found himself back in the storeroom breathing fast and shallow. The attendant demanded to know what he had done. The sounds of smashing glass and of tearing metal answered his question.

  The attendant grabbed a crowbar and shook his fist at Emmett and Winston. “Get your packs. Your friend ruined everything.”

  Not knowing what to do, Tom stared at the twins. “I was thirsty.”

  “Now! I swear I’ll feed you to them if we get trapped.” The attendant pushed Tom out of the way and pulled Winston and Emmett to their feet. He opened the back door a crack and peered out. “It’s clear. On the count of three we run.”

  Tom tightened the straps on his pack and was ready to run into the shop yard of the U-Mart. “Okay, ready,” he nodded.

  “Three,” the attendant said, skipping one and two. He opened the door and ran.

  Pedal to the Metal

  Following the attendant, they stepped out into the downpour. The attendant hopped up on the hood of a car, stepped across the roof and started to climb over the back wall of the U-Mart parking lot into the neighboring lot. “W-wait! where are you going?” Tom yelled.

  “I’m out of here. Call it pay back for the park.” He jumped over the wall, leaving them behind.

  Tom fumbled with the keys in his trembling hands. If they didn’t work, they were screwed. He mashed the buttons hoping for a beep.

  “What now?” Emmett backed towards the door. “Inside?”

  “I’ve got a plan.”

  Alarms beeped and chirped, and they piled into the closest car that unlocked. Fast food trash was strewn across the dashboard and seats.

  “You can’t drive!”

  Tom jammed the key into the ignition. “Buckle up.”

  The engine choked, whir click, whir click. He turned the key again; no love. Over the patter of rain, the attendant could be heard screaming.

  He pounded the steering wheel. “Don’t do this to me!”

  Winston gripped the back of his seat. “It’s not going start.”

  “These cars are in for repair. This isn’t a
plan, it’s a death sentence.” Emmett went for the door.

  Creatures poured out of the U-mart’s back door, tripping over each other; greener and more purple, their tentacles even longer than before. A botanical garden of terror.

  “Hang the hell on.”

  “It’s broken. We need another car.”

  “Which one? Which one? We can make it, there’s time if we go now.”

  “I can get it. C’mon, c’mon!”

  Fists and tentacles pounded on the car’s windows spidering the glass. Arms hammered on the roof, denting it in. “Start!”

  A creature smashed its fist through the driver’s window, showering broken glass over Tom. It reached through and grabbed him by the shirt, lifting him off his seat. He tried to pull free while working the ignition. “Get off me! Help!”

  “How?” Winston

  “Hit it!”

  Winston found a screwdriver and stabbed it in the arm.

  The engine suddenly came to life. He slammed it into drive and stomped the accelerator hard to the floor. But the creature got a second hand on him and he had to let go the wheel.

  The pavement was slick with old oil and rain. The tires squealed, not gaining traction. Blue smoke billowed up as Tom fought to break free. He bent its fingers back and tore at its tentacles, but it held tight. If it weren’t for the seatbelt he would have been ripped from the car.

  The wheels bit into the pavement and the car launched forward out of the repair yard. Tom didn’t have control and sideswiped the first car in his path, mashing the creature off the car, leaving its arm in his lap. The arm twitched and grasped for his family parts. He threw it out the window, and grabbed the wheel, but he was going too fast and crashed into a car at the pumps. Stars filled his eyes and blood trickled down his forehead. Tom raised his hand and wiped the blood away from his brow. Emmett and Winston were a distant echo in his head. “Go! Go! Go!”

  Again, he pushed the accelerator hard to the floor. The wheels spin, but the car didn’t move. The bumper was interlocked with the other car. The creatures caught up and pounded on the bodywork.

  Tom cranked the steering wheel left and right, but the car didn’t budge. The rear end slid across the wet pavement, pointing the front toward the store. The screech of the wheels acted as a beacon, guiding the creatures through the smoke. He slammed the car into reverse. “Stuck. We’re stuck.”

  “We’re surrounded.”

  He kept his foot down on the gas. The car tore free, shooting backwards across the parking lot. Running over the creatures, their bodies popping under the wheels. it slammed into a post, bouncing Winston and Emmett out of their seats.

  “Seat belts!”

  The car fishtailed out of the parking lot, parting the oncoming mob, and hit the street. The engine roared as they headed for home, for safety.

  Tom spiked his fist in the air. “Nothing can touch us now. We got away! We got away!”

  “I knew we could do it.” Emmett high-fived Winston.

  Tom drove faster. The quicker they made it to his house the better. “Do you doubt me now?” he looked back at Emmett.

  “Look out!” Winston said.

  A speeding car flipped and slid into the intersection right in front of them. Tom slammed on the brakes, but the pedal stayed flat on the floor. He stomped on the pedal again and again. “No brakes.”

  Tom swerved, clipping the car, causing it to spin 360’s in the middle of the intersection just as another car crashed into it. It popped up into the air on impact, its wheels landing on top of the other car with a dull metal crunch.

  Emmett clutched the seat. “Slow down.”

  “Shut up.” Tom said coldly.

  Winston could barely contain his excitement. “That car flew onto the other!”

  “There.” Emmett grabbed Tom’s shoulder. “Our street’s down that way. Go that way!”

  Tom threw his hand off. “We’re sticking to our plan. Sit back and don’t get in the way.”

  Three blocks further on, Tom screeched the tires turning onto his street, and coasted down it. The car gradually slowed to 15 mph and that gave him a chance to take in the neighborhood. “It’s quiet, everything looks normal.”

  “How are we going to stop?” Emmett asked.

  Tom’s nextdoor neighbor’s Suburban was parked in front. “Just like we did at the U-Mart. Hold on.”

  Glass fell from the driver’s door onto the street as Tom stepped out.

  He ran to his house and burst through the front door, sure that his dad was home. It was silent. “Dad!” Something was wrong; he was sure his dad would be home from work. The fish in the tank next to the window stared at him hungrily. Where was he?

  The back door was open, the glass broken. “Dad!” he called again. The contents of the kitchen cupboards were all over the floor. Out on the patio his mini-bike was gone. He ran from room to room shouting for his dad, then outside to the front.

  His neighbor was there, holding his arms crossed and staring at his car. “You hit my car! That’s it, Stinson, I’m calling the police.”

  Tom’s eyes widened as if he remembered something and, ignoring his neighbor, he went back into the house. The home security system could track him. They had never used it because of the service charge, but this was an emergency. “Phone, call dad,” he shouted at the wall sensor.

  “Service unavailable.” the phone replied. “Battery backup enabled.”

  The neighbor pounded on the door. “Get out here, Stinson. If I have to come in and get you there’s no telling what will happen.”

  “Phone, where’s my dad?”

  “Last known location of Carl Stinson’s mobile device: Place of employment Metzger’s Hardware, 327 State street.”

  Tom’s knees weakened and he sank down against the wall. He hit his hands on the floor and stomped his feet. He fought to calm himself. Damn it. What am I going to do now? Get over it. Every plan goes wrong at some point. You adapt, see where you are, and move on towards your goal. Don’t think of failure. Only think how you are going to make it. Resolutely he stood up, he would hide until his dad got home. He could barricade his bedroom and everything would be fine.

  The neighbor kicked his screen door. “I’m calling the police, you hear me?”

  A scream from outside pulled him to the front door. He’d forgotten Winston and Emmett. A creature was grabbing at them through the broken car window.

  “That’s right, get out here,” the neighbor said.

  Picking up his skateboard, he charged out of the door past his neighbor, attacking the creature from behind. He thrust the skateboard into the back of its head, the tail sinking in deep. The creature collapsed in a heap with its skull crushed.

  “What did you do?” the neighbor mashed the buttons on his phone. “You killed that person. Have you gone insane?”

  “Get out of the car now!” Tom ordered Winston and Emmett.

  They were hysterical. “Take us home, you promised.” Emmett gripped his seatbelt.

  “There’s no way I can get you home right now.”

  “When?”

  “I don’t know. Just wait until my dad gets home, he will know what to do.”

  Up the street, creatures were coming. Tom pulled the door open and tried to drag them out of the car. “All I want is you guys to cooperate, we have to get out of here. We gotta go fast.”

  “You could have taken us home,” Emmett said. “We passed our street and you kept going.”

  Winston climbed into the front seat. “The keys, where are the keys?”

  “What’s wrong with you two? Get out of the car. I get it, you want to go home and you’re scared, but stop being stupid about it.”

  He heard his dad’s voice in his head. Take our government for instance. With them, bribery gets you everywhere. And he decided that he wasn’t above it himself. In a tempting but shaky sing song voice he said, “There’s Rocky Road in the freezer.”

  Reluctantly the Winston and Emmett climbed out. Again
, Tom urged them to hurry but they moved slowly and he pulled them by the arms.

  “Don’t pull us.”

  The neighbor approached, shooting video. “What are you doing to those boys? Leave them alone!”

  “Hurry,” Tom said, “keep your eyes on the door and move.”

  But they did what everyone else does when told not to look. They looked. The neighbor looked too, screamed, and disappeared into his own house.

  “I told you not to.”

  Tom slammed and locked the door. “I can’t believe how many are coming.”

  “Do you know what you’re doing?”

  “We aren’t safe in here. I know that. I think we only have a minute or two before they are at the door.”

  “Thinking and knowing are very different.”

  Tom paused, “We’re going to get out of here to a safe place where they can’t get us.”

  “But we are inside. Like the library, like the U-mart, none of those places were safe. Get to my house where my dad is, that’s what you said. So, where is he?”

  “Not here,” Tom said Emmett was right, every plan he had failed. “Tree fort! If the creatures can’t climb, we will be safe up there, and out of reach. We can pull up the ladder and there’s no way for them to get us.

  “It’s raining, we’ll be miserable. Does it have a roof?”

  Tom grabbed a pack of bottled water and the ice cream from the freezer. “Follow me.”

  Emmett Wanted to See

  The tree fort was a ramshackle of splinters and rusty nails. The kind of thing that seemed a good idea at the time, but never got completed. A rotting wooden ladder was propped up against the entrance.

  “This is your big idea? It’ll fall apart if we get in it,” Emmett said.

  “It’s this or be eaten. Climb!”

  Inside, the tree fort was worn and dirty, like many of the things in Tom’s life. Rain dripped through the loose roof boards, and blew in through the window. The carpet squashed as they crawled in. The years of tracked-in dirt had turned to mud and stained their pants.

  “Be careful. Some of the boards will snap if you step on them wrong. Help me pull the ladder up.”