A knock came at the door just as Sophia was complaining to
Jack about being late again. She sighed heavily as he
constantly argued back. She paused and looked around the
lavish living room-like office. "Jack! You're going to be
late for class, yet again."
"Well, then, it won't be anything new," he stated as he
straighted his button up shirt. Then the knock came again,
interrupting Jack. "HOLD ON A MINUTE!" He turned his
attention back to Sophia, who had the most impatient look on
her face.
"Are you going to get that?" Sophia questioned him.
"Fine," Jack said allowing the fight to dissipate. He jerked
the door open to see a dark skinned woman standing before
him. He was shocked. "You!"
"Were you expecting the Easter Bunny?" Maya Rajah asked with
an annoyed tone to her voice.
Jack turned as if he was going to allow her access to the
room, but he slammed the door as he spun.
"JACK!" Sophia cried out.
"What?" He returned as Sophia moved to the door and pulled
it open.
"I'm glad to see you too," Maya stated as she entered the
room and sized Jack up.
"I'm sorry, Maya," Sophia apologized.
"Why exactly is she here?" Jack asked angrily. "The last I remember she was trying to kill us."
"I told you, Jack, she's here for our lunch date," Sophia answered. She paused for a moment and looked at the clock. "You're late."
Jack followed her eyes to the clock and noticed the time. He spun around on a heel and dashed out the dark wooden door in a rush. He jogged down the corridor, though careful not to bump into anyone or knock them down.
"What a wonderful boss you have," Maya said coldly.
"I'm so sorry about him," Sophia spoke sympathetically. "I don't know what crawled up his skirt."
"It's ok," Maya replied. "Are you ready?" She looked at Sophia's blue jeans with frays designed into the seams. Her eyes noticed the scuffed brown leather boots, then followed the feminine body up her thighs and slightly wide hips to her waist. The sandy blonde girl wore a tight fitting v-neck shirt which was red.
Maya's dark skin was accented with her orange collared shirt. She also wore dark jeans which looked brand new. She shook her head swishing around her short black hair that had recently been highlighted.
"Yeah, let's go," Sophia stated as she picked up her wallet and headed out with the woman. She never carried a purse, since they were too easily stolen and also very feminine. Sophia was a tom boy at heart. Why else would she work in the grit and the dirt and the mud?
***
Jack darted across the grassy knoll outside the center of the school yard that was known as The Quad. He made his way through the Quad and down the hillside toward his building. He reached out and grabbed the railing on the steps, jerking himself around and up a few steps. He skipped as many steps as he could without looking crazy or falling. Finally, he reached the entrance, breathless. He tried to catch his breath as he walked quickly down the hallway. He turned into his room from the back and everyone turned to look at him. He was ten minutes late. "Hi, class."
***
Sophia and Maya walked slowly down the sidewalk of the campus toward the restaurant nearby. It had a variety of foods from various cultures all over the world.
The building was a beautiful white with a crimson border, roof, and doors. The sign on the roof was black outlined in red, reading simply: The Spot.
Sophia held open the door and allowed her guest access first. When Maya was in, she followed behind her. The mixture of aromas was strong enough to knock one off guard. At one point, it smelled as if you were in India. Then another, you were in Mexico. Then America. Then China.
"So, what's your cardiovascular poison?" Sophia asked with a slightly mischievous smirk.
Maya didn't give a confident look to her host. She had heard how bad American food was on the heart and the arteries, but all fried food and fast food was bad. She had a great figure and didn't want it ruined in the land of the obese.
***
Jack stood before his class more composed than he was before. He had been sweating from all the running, but now in the air conditioned room, he was dry. "Alright, class," he spoke as he looked around. "Inca civilization. . . like many Central and South American civilizations was wiped out by the Conquestadores."
"We already know all of this," a student called out.
"Yes, but did you know that some might have survived? The Moche people, the builders of the great Machu Picchu, might have survived the onslaught of the white man."
"What are you saying?" A brunette in the front row asked.
"That part of the Inca Empire continued on," Jack continued. "The moche were believed to have not been killed off by the Spanish, but by climate changes."
"But Machu Picchu was destroyed by the Spanish, right?" Another student asked.
"The Spanish did arrive there, but the residents had been killed by smallpox," Jack explained.
"So, how could they have survived?" Another student questioned.
"Anyone here read a book called 'The Moche Migration'?" Jack asked. "It was written by a man, a close friend of mine, named John Baxter."
***
"So," Maya said sitting with Sophia at one of the tables. "What happened with you and Jack?" She looked down at her cheeseburger and fries.
"Nothing to tell," Sophia said, avoiding the question. She dug her fork into her sambal sotong, which was an Asian dish that Maya recommended. Sambal sotong was a chili paste with garlic and onions and squid. "Are you sure this is good?"
"Come on," Maya said staring at her burger. "We said we'd recommend food to one another and try it. Now, what's with you and Jack? I do remember you kissing him on my plane." She took a bite of her burger.
Sophia sighed and took a mouthful of the sambal. She paused for a moment and received a stare from Maya, who awaited a comment. "This isn't bad." suddenly, she reached for her glass of tea. "Hot! Hot!"
Maya gave a smug smile.
"Funny," Sophia said with a red face. "Ok, Jack and I didn't make it too far. We tried dating a few times."
"Mmhmm," Maya moaned as she sipped her tea.
"I don't know," Sophia admitted finally. "Jack seems afraid."
"Afraid?" She almost laughed out loud. "Why would Jack be afraid? Or better yet, what is he afraid of?"
"I don't think he's afraid of women, or me," Sophia explained. "I think it's deeper. I haven't quite figured it out, yet, though."
"Commitment issues?" Maya asked.
Sophia shook her head slowly. "I just don't know. Something is bothering him though."
"He'll come around. Don't worry."
***
"John Baxter?" A student asked. "He was that older archaeologist who went down into the Peruvian jungle along the Inca trails from Machu Picchu to Cusco, right?"
"He followed in the footsteps of the Incas, yes," Jack replied. "He was a great mentor to me. Many of his theories led me to question things, to look deeper."
"So, what do you think, Mr. Canyon?" A young female red head questioned.
"I think many secrets lie within the jungles of Peru," he said simply.
The doors in the back burst open causing an uproar in class.
"Great," Jack said to himself, though the room echoed a little. "Someone is later than me." He looked at the person walking. No, they were stumbling. "Not only late, but drunk." He jumped off the stage and headed toward the person. "Excuse me! Excuse me!"
Then he noticed her. It was Clarissa, one of Baxter's colleagues. She fell, but was quickly caught by Jack.
"Get me some water," Jack cried out as he fell to the floor with her. "Clare? Can you hear me? Clare!"
"Jack," she spoke with a parched voice. "John." She couldn't say anymore. She closed her eyes for a moment, but was shaken by Jack.
One of the students brought Jack the glass of water from his table on stage.
Clarissa sipped it slowly before speaking again. "John," was the only thing she could say. She handed Jack the journal that belonged to John Baxter before she quit breathing entirely.
"Clare," Jack said softly. "CLARISSA!" Tears streamed down his face, because he had known this woman for most of his years in archaeology. She and her twin sister had been there for him when Emily died. He would never forget all that they had done for him. He buried his head into the woman's dusty and cobweb-covered safari jacket. Then he glanced over at the weathered journal.
***
"You know, this is really against my religion," Maya told the sandy blonde girl about eating beef.
"Well, from what you know about the religion spectrum, it shouldn't matter," Sophia replied as they sat idle in conversation. They had finished lunch only moments before. "Religion is just a bunch of rules. In fact, they're not even given out by God."
"True," Maya said as they were interrupted by a cell phone ringing. It was Sophia's phone.
"It's Jack," she sighed heavily as she turned the phone on silent mode.
"Not going to answer that?"
"He probably just wants to bother us," Sophia responded as she folded her arms. She was getting tired of Jack's bickering and had considered quitting many times. "It can't be that important." She glanced at her watch. "Besides he's still in class."
"You should ask him what is problem is," Maya added as she glanced at the door.
Sophia got the hint. "Let's go," she said rising to her feet. She led the way out of The Spot cultural restaurant. "How are things over at Mount Sinai?"
"Well," Maya stated as she exited and headed down the sidewalk. "It's quiet. Nothing like two years ago." She and Sophia shared a laugh. "Though, I suppose you never mentioned to Jack that you and I have been friends since then."
"Or that we meet frequently for lunch," Sophia admitted as she looked down at her feet.
"It's ok," Maya comforted her. "I don't mind being the mistress."
Sophia pulled her phone from her pocket as it began to ring again. "Jack."
"Answer it, hon," Maya said as they came to a halt.
Sophia decided it was best to go ahead and answer the call, but she sighed heavily before doing so. "What is it?"
"I need you," Jack said abruptly. "Now."
"Hi," she responded sarcastically. "How are you?"
"I'm sorry about earlier, Soph, but this is important," he told her. "It's about John Baxter, Clarissa, and Marissa."
"What is it?" Sophia asked in an annoyed tone.
"They're dead."
Sophia's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She could hardly swallow. She had been so rude to Jack just to be rude and mean, since he had been earlier. Now, she felt the complete opposite. She felt horrible and sad. She could not even form words.
"Just meet me at your father's museum," Jack said. "I'm on my way there now."
"Why?" Sophia asked, but she received no answer. "Jack? Jack?" She paused for a moment. "Jack Canyon?" She slammed her flip phone closed and stuffed it into her pocket. "Come on, Maya, we're heading to the museum. Something's come up that requires attending to."
"Never a dull moment with Jack, eh?" Maya asked as she marched with Sophia to the parking lot outside of Jack's office. She stopped in awe of the car Sophia was climbing into.
Sophia smirked at the Indian woman. She might have been a tom boy, but she still loved her convertibles. After all, her other car was ruined by her boss and his usual trouble.
Maya sat down in the passenger seat of the Pontiac Solstice.
.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Curse of The Spider Queen | CHAPTER THREE
Words: 2017
Friday, June 13, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Curse of the Spider Queen | CHAPTER TWO
words: 2389
"Oh, God, Jack!" Sophia Stone could hardly catch her breath as she panted deeply. Sweat poured down her face causing some of her hair to stick to the side of her face. "Jack," she said exasperated. "You're killing me. Stop."
"Oh, Sophia, I'm so close," he told her excitedly. "Just a little longer."
Sophia breathed deeply trying relax, but she couldn't. "Come on, Jack!" She paused for a breath. "I can't take much more of this pounding."
"Where's your stamina?" Jack asked.
"If you don't stop, we're never doing this again, because I'll never be able to walk after this," she stated.
Jack stopped and stared at her. "Fine, we'll rest here."
"Help me with my pack," Sophia pleaded.
Jack walked over to her and took the weight of the pack off her shoulders as she slipped her arms out.
"Thanks," she said gratefully as he set the pack down. She sat down on a nearby stump and pulled the canteen off her pack. "Why are we out here again?"
Jack looked back at her from where he was standing. He had been looking out at the landscape of the mountains. Then he pointed out at the horizon. "You see that?"
"What?"
Jack pulled her up and pointed at a stone structure in the distance. "That."
"Yeah, what about it?" Sophia asked, unsure of what he was getting at.
"That is the temple that I was talking about, Soph," he stated. "I told you we were close."
"It's in the side of a mountain," Sophia pointed out the obvious.
"Apparently, there's some kind of hidden entrance at the top," he said. Then he gave her a cocky smile. "Don't worry, we'll find it. Then we'll be the first people here in a thousand years."
"And this is the Temple of who?"
"The Temple of Gaia," Jack told her before realizing his arms were around her waist. He quickly released her and took a step back. "The temple was supposedly lost during an earthquake. I guess it slid into its current position."
"And no one thought to check the side of the mountain?" Sophia asked taking her seat again on the stump.
"Well, some miners discovered it; and the IAI wants us to explore it," he told her. He had taken on a few jobs with the International Archaeological Institute since he founded it a year ago.
It had been two years since Jack and Sophia came down from Mount Sinai. He became quite famous and rich and in demand since then. With the money he gained, he put it towards a better future for archaeology with an international institute that could work with the United Nations on securing artifacts all over the world. Sure, it seemed legitimate, but Jack needed the IAI to fund his adventures of rescuing lost relics that are potentially harmful to mankind if in the wrong hands.
Also, within his time, he became a part time teacher at the local university in the archaeological department. It didn't go well at all, either. Jack was often bombarded with questions and interviews about Mount Sinai, God, Noah's Ark, and Eden, as well as the Book of Origin. Not to mention the college girls in love with his rugged looks and adventurous appeal.
He cut lectures down to twice a week and spent as much time away from his campus office as possible. The free time helped him establish the IAI and talk to the UN. Jack asked several colleagues to join the IAI supervisor's board. Long time friends, such as Fred Morris and Sophia's father, joined to support the betterment of collecting and restoring antiquities.
Jack looked at Sophia for a moment. "Are you rested up?"
"Yeah, I'm ready," she responded as she placed her canteen back into her pack.
"Alright, let's go get the Arrow of Apollo," he told her as he moved forward.
Sophia slipped her pack onto her shoulders and followed her boss through the terrain once more. She was silent for only a few minutes before talking again. "So, what's your plan for this year?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you keep complaining about the teaching position," she mentioned.
Jack sighed heavily. "I don't know what to do, Soph. All the students care about hearing from me is about the Book of Origin and all that religious mumbo jumbo."
"You're still not a believer in God?"
"No, I believe in that big blue ball of energy on Sinai, but that mystical and mythical God in the Bible, I don't."
"Some people thought your views were outlandish," she reminded him.
"Thanks for bringing that up," Jack responded. "I had the proof right there in the Book of Origin." He sighed. "See? This is what bothers me. I mean, the religious people, even after finding and translating the Book of Origin, they still refute the find."
"Well, you could've allowed them access to God's lair, you know?"
"But then everyone would swarm Sinai looking for answers to the meaning of life," he replied. "Maybe I should just give up teaching. It wouldn't bother me so much if I could teach about something other than my adventures."
"That's what they're interested in," Sophia announced. "Not archaeology itself, but the fun and adventure behind it."
Jack shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I enjoy teaching, but I want to teach about civilizations long gone. Not the wet and wild river ride that included very angry Brazilians mercenaries and guns."
"See," Sophia pointed out. "That sounds far better than anything you have to say about Babylon or Atlantis." She gave him a slight smile before he used his arm to block her path. She looked down at his arm, which was across her chest. "Not exactly the kind of place I like you touching, Jack Canyon."
"Sorry," he apologized. "I just don't want you to miss your step." He pointed down at the bridge that led up to the top of the next mountain. Some of the boards were missing.
Sophia looked down at the broken board she would have stepped on. "So, how do we get across?"
"Very cautiously," he told her. With that, he stepped onto the closest board and started across. He glanced back once in a while to check on Sophia. "Just watch your step."
"Why do I always get into these messes?" She asked aloud, but mostly to herself. "If I didn't work for you, Jack, I would have a nice office job that's safe and secure."
Then the bridge jerked.
"Oh, shit!" Sophia cried out.
"Don't move!" Jack called to her. Then it jerked again. "GO! MOVE!"
"Make up your damn mind," she yelled as she began to run toward Jack.
He caught a glimpse behind her of the frail rope giving in to their weight. "Not good," he told himself. He grabbed Sophia's arm when she drew closer and dragged her along as they ran across the failing bridge.
Then the rope bridge jerked and snapped at the other end making it fall.
Jack pulled on Sophia's arm tossing her over onto the firm ground at the other end of the bridge before it completely collapsed.
Sophia rolled forward and into a tree, which she leaned her back against for support. She looked around for Jack, but couldn't find him. "Jack?"
A masculine hand reached up over the cliff and gripped the ground. Jack pulled himself up onto the top and rolled onto his back for a moment.
"I thought I lost you," Sophia said sadly.
"I didn't know you cared that much," Jack replied as he tried to catch his breath.
"No, but had you died, I wouldn't have been able to find my way home." She gave him a smug look. She picked herself up and straightened her clothes when she stood. "Now, come on," she spoke. "We're almost there."
Jack sighed and rolled his eyes as he got to his feet. "A while ago, she was complaining," he told himself.
"So, where is that secret entrance that you spoke of?" Sophia asked.
"How am I supposed to know? That's why it's a secret." He looked down the side of the mountain at where the temple had slid to. "Interesting."
"What? What is it?"
"Nothing," he responded to her question. "Just interesting it didn't just fall to the bottom." He turned away from the edge of the cliff and started searching for an entrance. "You know, we could just repel down and climb through the face of the temple. It would be easi-"
It was as if the ground had opened up and swallowed Jack whole, because in an instant, he was gone.
Sophia moved toward the hole that he had fallen into so she could find him. "Jack?"
"I wish you'd stop calling out my name," he said angrily as he stood and dusted himself off. "Makes me feel like a child."
"Well, you do keep getting into situations like a child would, you know, like falling into deep holes."
"Are you going to stand up there and tell me everything I've ever done wrong, or are you going to come down here and help me?" Jack asked her, adding tone to his voice.
"I'm capable of both," she replied before sliding down into the hole. "Lead the way, mischievous one."
Jack gave her a stern look before proceeding down a corridor. The hall turned left and right and left and right again and again, over and over. It was like a freaky maze of turns.
"Do you know where you're going?" Sophia asked.
"I'm a guy," Jack answered in an annoyed voice. "I have a great sense of direction."
"Great, we're lost," Sophia argued. "Maybe we should ask for directions."
"Well, alright, but I don't think these guys would be helpful," he said as he pointed at some cocooned bodies on the wall. All that was visible were their skeletal heads.
"Who are they?" Sophia asked, disgusted.
"Worshipers," he replied as he continued down the stone wall hall.
As they proceeded, they entered a large chamber that locked down on them. The entrance was closed and there was no way out.
"Son of a bitch," Jack mumbled as he noticed his foot was on the mechanism that caused the room to lock down.
"Can't blame this one on me," Sophia stated as she looked around the room. "Come on, genius, find a way out."
Jack sighed heavily and rolled his eyes are his secretary. He stepped forward a few feet, quickly pausing as a large rod on the other side of the chasm in the center of the chamber.
"I wonder what that's for," Sophia spoke as she examined the rod.
Then a stone to Jack's right slid open and another rod with u-shaped iron pieces arose from the hole. "Horseshoes?"
"Must've been a big horse," she mentioned as she saw the large horseshoes.
"They've always been this big," Jack explained. "Ever get a new horseshoe set from a store? Big damn horseshoes, I tell ya."
"So, what's this have to do with anything?"
"I think it's the way out," Jack said. "Though, I wonder how many I have to put around the rod."
"Jack, don't move," she said. "You're on a pressure plate."
"Shit," he muttered.
"I found something," Sophia told him. She ran her hand along the ancient Greek writing. "It says you can't move from your spot and have to get one shoe around the rod. You get three tries. Miss and die."
"And who ever said you couldn't get hurt playing horseshoes?" Jack said sarcastically. "Alright, here goes." He picked up one of the shoes and tossed it across toward the rod, missing it. "Hm, I wonder how it knows when you've had three turns."
Sophia noticed when the horseshoe landed that a small stone receded into the floor. "Um, Jack, that side is entirely make of pressure plates."
"Great," Jack groaned as he picked up his second shoe. "Here goes." He hurled the second one across to the rod, but missed once more.
"Jack, I don't intend to die in this chamber," Sophia announced.
Jack's jaw tightened in annoyance and anger. He didn't even notice Sophia picking up the last shoe. "Do you think you can do better? Huh?!"
She reared back like a softball pitcher and threw the iron horseshoe around the rod. It spun as it hit, and whirled around the rod.
Jack gave her a look and continued to stare at her.
"What?" She asked as she caught his glare. "My father was a horseshoes champion in his youth and thought he could turn me into one. I learned how to play, but never made it to a tournament."
"Show off," Jack told her.
The door on the other side of the chamber opened as a stone slid across the chasm and met the other side, forming a bridge for them to cross.
"Ladies first," Sophia offered in humor to the sore loser.
Jack shook his head and continued through the chamber. Once they exited, they entered another corridor. "I'm sick of all these halls and rooms and death traps. Why can't anything ever be easy?"
"Well, Mr. Adventure, where would your fun be then?" Sophia asked punching him in the shoulder.
"Just once I would like a simple and easy task," he told her as he entered another chamber. He spotted the golden arrow upon a pedestal in the center of the chamber where a beam of light shined down upon it.
"Well, here is your simple and easy, Jack," Sophia told him.
"Yeah, that's the scary part," Jack stated. "This is too easy."
"But we just accomplished a task, so maybe this is our reward."
"It's never that easy, Soph," Jack said as he took a cautious step forward. Nothing happened, so he took another and another. Finally, he was at the pedestal. He took a deep breath and reached out for the arrow. Once it was in his hands and free of the stand, he stood still. "It can't be that easy."
Sophia simply shrugged. "Don't just stand there waiting for the place to fall down around you. Let's get out of here while we still can."
Jack placed the Arrow of Apollo into the pack on Sophia's back and lead the way out.
"Oh, God, Jack!" Sophia Stone could hardly catch her breath as she panted deeply. Sweat poured down her face causing some of her hair to stick to the side of her face. "Jack," she said exasperated. "You're killing me. Stop."
"Oh, Sophia, I'm so close," he told her excitedly. "Just a little longer."
Sophia breathed deeply trying relax, but she couldn't. "Come on, Jack!" She paused for a breath. "I can't take much more of this pounding."
"Where's your stamina?" Jack asked.
"If you don't stop, we're never doing this again, because I'll never be able to walk after this," she stated.
Jack stopped and stared at her. "Fine, we'll rest here."
"Help me with my pack," Sophia pleaded.
Jack walked over to her and took the weight of the pack off her shoulders as she slipped her arms out.
"Thanks," she said gratefully as he set the pack down. She sat down on a nearby stump and pulled the canteen off her pack. "Why are we out here again?"
Jack looked back at her from where he was standing. He had been looking out at the landscape of the mountains. Then he pointed out at the horizon. "You see that?"
"What?"
Jack pulled her up and pointed at a stone structure in the distance. "That."
"Yeah, what about it?" Sophia asked, unsure of what he was getting at.
"That is the temple that I was talking about, Soph," he stated. "I told you we were close."
"It's in the side of a mountain," Sophia pointed out the obvious.
"Apparently, there's some kind of hidden entrance at the top," he said. Then he gave her a cocky smile. "Don't worry, we'll find it. Then we'll be the first people here in a thousand years."
"And this is the Temple of who?"
"The Temple of Gaia," Jack told her before realizing his arms were around her waist. He quickly released her and took a step back. "The temple was supposedly lost during an earthquake. I guess it slid into its current position."
"And no one thought to check the side of the mountain?" Sophia asked taking her seat again on the stump.
"Well, some miners discovered it; and the IAI wants us to explore it," he told her. He had taken on a few jobs with the International Archaeological Institute since he founded it a year ago.
It had been two years since Jack and Sophia came down from Mount Sinai. He became quite famous and rich and in demand since then. With the money he gained, he put it towards a better future for archaeology with an international institute that could work with the United Nations on securing artifacts all over the world. Sure, it seemed legitimate, but Jack needed the IAI to fund his adventures of rescuing lost relics that are potentially harmful to mankind if in the wrong hands.
Also, within his time, he became a part time teacher at the local university in the archaeological department. It didn't go well at all, either. Jack was often bombarded with questions and interviews about Mount Sinai, God, Noah's Ark, and Eden, as well as the Book of Origin. Not to mention the college girls in love with his rugged looks and adventurous appeal.
He cut lectures down to twice a week and spent as much time away from his campus office as possible. The free time helped him establish the IAI and talk to the UN. Jack asked several colleagues to join the IAI supervisor's board. Long time friends, such as Fred Morris and Sophia's father, joined to support the betterment of collecting and restoring antiquities.
Jack looked at Sophia for a moment. "Are you rested up?"
"Yeah, I'm ready," she responded as she placed her canteen back into her pack.
"Alright, let's go get the Arrow of Apollo," he told her as he moved forward.
Sophia slipped her pack onto her shoulders and followed her boss through the terrain once more. She was silent for only a few minutes before talking again. "So, what's your plan for this year?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you keep complaining about the teaching position," she mentioned.
Jack sighed heavily. "I don't know what to do, Soph. All the students care about hearing from me is about the Book of Origin and all that religious mumbo jumbo."
"You're still not a believer in God?"
"No, I believe in that big blue ball of energy on Sinai, but that mystical and mythical God in the Bible, I don't."
"Some people thought your views were outlandish," she reminded him.
"Thanks for bringing that up," Jack responded. "I had the proof right there in the Book of Origin." He sighed. "See? This is what bothers me. I mean, the religious people, even after finding and translating the Book of Origin, they still refute the find."
"Well, you could've allowed them access to God's lair, you know?"
"But then everyone would swarm Sinai looking for answers to the meaning of life," he replied. "Maybe I should just give up teaching. It wouldn't bother me so much if I could teach about something other than my adventures."
"That's what they're interested in," Sophia announced. "Not archaeology itself, but the fun and adventure behind it."
Jack shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I enjoy teaching, but I want to teach about civilizations long gone. Not the wet and wild river ride that included very angry Brazilians mercenaries and guns."
"See," Sophia pointed out. "That sounds far better than anything you have to say about Babylon or Atlantis." She gave him a slight smile before he used his arm to block her path. She looked down at his arm, which was across her chest. "Not exactly the kind of place I like you touching, Jack Canyon."
"Sorry," he apologized. "I just don't want you to miss your step." He pointed down at the bridge that led up to the top of the next mountain. Some of the boards were missing.
Sophia looked down at the broken board she would have stepped on. "So, how do we get across?"
"Very cautiously," he told her. With that, he stepped onto the closest board and started across. He glanced back once in a while to check on Sophia. "Just watch your step."
"Why do I always get into these messes?" She asked aloud, but mostly to herself. "If I didn't work for you, Jack, I would have a nice office job that's safe and secure."
Then the bridge jerked.
"Oh, shit!" Sophia cried out.
"Don't move!" Jack called to her. Then it jerked again. "GO! MOVE!"
"Make up your damn mind," she yelled as she began to run toward Jack.
He caught a glimpse behind her of the frail rope giving in to their weight. "Not good," he told himself. He grabbed Sophia's arm when she drew closer and dragged her along as they ran across the failing bridge.
Then the rope bridge jerked and snapped at the other end making it fall.
Jack pulled on Sophia's arm tossing her over onto the firm ground at the other end of the bridge before it completely collapsed.
Sophia rolled forward and into a tree, which she leaned her back against for support. She looked around for Jack, but couldn't find him. "Jack?"
A masculine hand reached up over the cliff and gripped the ground. Jack pulled himself up onto the top and rolled onto his back for a moment.
"I thought I lost you," Sophia said sadly.
"I didn't know you cared that much," Jack replied as he tried to catch his breath.
"No, but had you died, I wouldn't have been able to find my way home." She gave him a smug look. She picked herself up and straightened her clothes when she stood. "Now, come on," she spoke. "We're almost there."
Jack sighed and rolled his eyes as he got to his feet. "A while ago, she was complaining," he told himself.
"So, where is that secret entrance that you spoke of?" Sophia asked.
"How am I supposed to know? That's why it's a secret." He looked down the side of the mountain at where the temple had slid to. "Interesting."
"What? What is it?"
"Nothing," he responded to her question. "Just interesting it didn't just fall to the bottom." He turned away from the edge of the cliff and started searching for an entrance. "You know, we could just repel down and climb through the face of the temple. It would be easi-"
It was as if the ground had opened up and swallowed Jack whole, because in an instant, he was gone.
Sophia moved toward the hole that he had fallen into so she could find him. "Jack?"
"I wish you'd stop calling out my name," he said angrily as he stood and dusted himself off. "Makes me feel like a child."
"Well, you do keep getting into situations like a child would, you know, like falling into deep holes."
"Are you going to stand up there and tell me everything I've ever done wrong, or are you going to come down here and help me?" Jack asked her, adding tone to his voice.
"I'm capable of both," she replied before sliding down into the hole. "Lead the way, mischievous one."
Jack gave her a stern look before proceeding down a corridor. The hall turned left and right and left and right again and again, over and over. It was like a freaky maze of turns.
"Do you know where you're going?" Sophia asked.
"I'm a guy," Jack answered in an annoyed voice. "I have a great sense of direction."
"Great, we're lost," Sophia argued. "Maybe we should ask for directions."
"Well, alright, but I don't think these guys would be helpful," he said as he pointed at some cocooned bodies on the wall. All that was visible were their skeletal heads.
"Who are they?" Sophia asked, disgusted.
"Worshipers," he replied as he continued down the stone wall hall.
As they proceeded, they entered a large chamber that locked down on them. The entrance was closed and there was no way out.
"Son of a bitch," Jack mumbled as he noticed his foot was on the mechanism that caused the room to lock down.
"Can't blame this one on me," Sophia stated as she looked around the room. "Come on, genius, find a way out."
Jack sighed heavily and rolled his eyes are his secretary. He stepped forward a few feet, quickly pausing as a large rod on the other side of the chasm in the center of the chamber.
"I wonder what that's for," Sophia spoke as she examined the rod.
Then a stone to Jack's right slid open and another rod with u-shaped iron pieces arose from the hole. "Horseshoes?"
"Must've been a big horse," she mentioned as she saw the large horseshoes.
"They've always been this big," Jack explained. "Ever get a new horseshoe set from a store? Big damn horseshoes, I tell ya."
"So, what's this have to do with anything?"
"I think it's the way out," Jack said. "Though, I wonder how many I have to put around the rod."
"Jack, don't move," she said. "You're on a pressure plate."
"Shit," he muttered.
"I found something," Sophia told him. She ran her hand along the ancient Greek writing. "It says you can't move from your spot and have to get one shoe around the rod. You get three tries. Miss and die."
"And who ever said you couldn't get hurt playing horseshoes?" Jack said sarcastically. "Alright, here goes." He picked up one of the shoes and tossed it across toward the rod, missing it. "Hm, I wonder how it knows when you've had three turns."
Sophia noticed when the horseshoe landed that a small stone receded into the floor. "Um, Jack, that side is entirely make of pressure plates."
"Great," Jack groaned as he picked up his second shoe. "Here goes." He hurled the second one across to the rod, but missed once more.
"Jack, I don't intend to die in this chamber," Sophia announced.
Jack's jaw tightened in annoyance and anger. He didn't even notice Sophia picking up the last shoe. "Do you think you can do better? Huh?!"
She reared back like a softball pitcher and threw the iron horseshoe around the rod. It spun as it hit, and whirled around the rod.
Jack gave her a look and continued to stare at her.
"What?" She asked as she caught his glare. "My father was a horseshoes champion in his youth and thought he could turn me into one. I learned how to play, but never made it to a tournament."
"Show off," Jack told her.
The door on the other side of the chamber opened as a stone slid across the chasm and met the other side, forming a bridge for them to cross.
"Ladies first," Sophia offered in humor to the sore loser.
Jack shook his head and continued through the chamber. Once they exited, they entered another corridor. "I'm sick of all these halls and rooms and death traps. Why can't anything ever be easy?"
"Well, Mr. Adventure, where would your fun be then?" Sophia asked punching him in the shoulder.
"Just once I would like a simple and easy task," he told her as he entered another chamber. He spotted the golden arrow upon a pedestal in the center of the chamber where a beam of light shined down upon it.
"Well, here is your simple and easy, Jack," Sophia told him.
"Yeah, that's the scary part," Jack stated. "This is too easy."
"But we just accomplished a task, so maybe this is our reward."
"It's never that easy, Soph," Jack said as he took a cautious step forward. Nothing happened, so he took another and another. Finally, he was at the pedestal. He took a deep breath and reached out for the arrow. Once it was in his hands and free of the stand, he stood still. "It can't be that easy."
Sophia simply shrugged. "Don't just stand there waiting for the place to fall down around you. Let's get out of here while we still can."
Jack placed the Arrow of Apollo into the pack on Sophia's back and lead the way out.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Curse of The Spider Queen | CHAPTER ONE
Words: 848
Present day. . .
"John," a voice called through the radio, but there was too much static for it to be heard clearly. John Baxter was standing before a large and corroded stone wall with text. He was copying it down in his leather-bound journal and translating it.
"JOHN!" The voice came through clearer this time.
"What?" He replied angrily. He was so close to finished this.
"Clare and I are over at Site B," she told him. "We've found something you might want to see."
"Well, I'm currently busy translating-"
"You really should see this," she stated. "This could be a break through."
John sighed heavily before responding. "Fine," he said slamming his journal closed. "I'll be there in a moment, Marissa." He looked at the carved words on the wall. "I'll return to you soon." He ran his hand along the text before heading out of the chamber. He had been working at the newest area of the temple, which they designated: Site E.
Once he arrived at Site B, an abandoned portion of the expedition, John spotted Marissa with her twin sister, Clarissa. "Clare bear?"
"John, I'm sorry if we've pulled you away from something important. . ." Clarissa responded upon seeing him. "It's just that we've found this, well, we're not sure."
"It's a door," Marissa announced. "Or at least that's what I've translated it to say. Take a look."
John stopped for a moment before examining the door. "Why are you two here, anyway? We left Site B days ago."
"Well, we came upon a scroll at Site F and it lead us back here," Clarissa explained. "It mentioned paces, turns, and halls. Then finally, this." She pointed up at the door.
"I tried to translate it according to what we believed the language was," Marissa added. "Looking at it, it appears to be Incan, or some form of it, with a hint of Latin. Now, I'm not saying our initial assumption was incorrect, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what this says."
"Well, what do you have so far?" John asked when she paused.
As she spoke, she pointed at the text, so he could follow along. "The path is ahead. Laid behind the door way. Enter and be dead. The curse. . . I dunno."
"No," John corrected. "The path is ahead. Laid behind this gate. Enter and be dead. Go back before it is too late. The curse of the Spider Queen resides. Nowhere can you hide."
"Why must it all be in rhymes?" Clarissa asked.
"Poets usually wrote these things on scrolls for someone to carve into walls and doors," John admitted.
"What's the difference in a door way and a gate?" Marissa asked.
"A gate was generally a break in the wall," John explained. "Often times, it was a better way of keeping unwanted things out."
"Or in," Clarissa stated as she looked at the words "curse of the Spider Queen" again. "Maybe we shouldn't be here."
"Oh, come on," John shouted. "I've been doing this sort of thing for thirty years. There are no such things as curses."
Marissa and Clarissa just gave glanced between themselves.
"You two have been with me for the better part of those years, too," he added. "Now, come on. Let's open this gate."
"I don't see a release," Clarissa told him. She felt along the wall for one. "Nothing."
John examined the door's edges to see how it might have been sealed. Then finally he felt something. "Wow. This was well hidden."
"What?" Marissa asked curiously.
"This," John said as he pressed in a small stone that unlocked the door. He rose to his feet as the large gate slide open. He pushed his safari hat's brim up, sitting the hat high on his head. He gave a cocky grin as everything settled and they saw a sarcophagus in the middle of the room.
"Is that. . .?" Marissa asked as John stepped forward into the room.
He looked at the dust and cobweb-covered coffin. "The Spider Queen," he said.
The room began to shake violently and some of the stones in the walls fell down around the expedition team.
"It's collapsing!" Clarissa yelled out. "Let's go!" She and her twin sister darted out, but John didn't follow. She turned back and re-entered the room. Grabbing him by the arm, Clare dragged John along. "We need to go!"
The gate to the room began to seal again forcing them out. As they progressed down the corridor, all the doors they had opened were shutting.
"Shit!" John exclaimed. "Run! Now!" He urged the women to keep moving and keep picking up speed. They were back to Site A, but still not out of the temple which spanned several miles.
They spotted the exit, but the door was already half way down. Before they could reach it, the door lowered another two feet. When they arrived, Clarissa slid underneath it, but with little room for anyone else to exit.
John tossed her his journal. "Find Jack Canyon. Jack--" Then the door was closed completely.
Present day. . .
"John," a voice called through the radio, but there was too much static for it to be heard clearly. John Baxter was standing before a large and corroded stone wall with text. He was copying it down in his leather-bound journal and translating it.
"JOHN!" The voice came through clearer this time.
"What?" He replied angrily. He was so close to finished this.
"Clare and I are over at Site B," she told him. "We've found something you might want to see."
"Well, I'm currently busy translating-"
"You really should see this," she stated. "This could be a break through."
John sighed heavily before responding. "Fine," he said slamming his journal closed. "I'll be there in a moment, Marissa." He looked at the carved words on the wall. "I'll return to you soon." He ran his hand along the text before heading out of the chamber. He had been working at the newest area of the temple, which they designated: Site E.
Once he arrived at Site B, an abandoned portion of the expedition, John spotted Marissa with her twin sister, Clarissa. "Clare bear?"
"John, I'm sorry if we've pulled you away from something important. . ." Clarissa responded upon seeing him. "It's just that we've found this, well, we're not sure."
"It's a door," Marissa announced. "Or at least that's what I've translated it to say. Take a look."
John stopped for a moment before examining the door. "Why are you two here, anyway? We left Site B days ago."
"Well, we came upon a scroll at Site F and it lead us back here," Clarissa explained. "It mentioned paces, turns, and halls. Then finally, this." She pointed up at the door.
"I tried to translate it according to what we believed the language was," Marissa added. "Looking at it, it appears to be Incan, or some form of it, with a hint of Latin. Now, I'm not saying our initial assumption was incorrect, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what this says."
"Well, what do you have so far?" John asked when she paused.
As she spoke, she pointed at the text, so he could follow along. "The path is ahead. Laid behind the door way. Enter and be dead. The curse. . . I dunno."
"No," John corrected. "The path is ahead. Laid behind this gate. Enter and be dead. Go back before it is too late. The curse of the Spider Queen resides. Nowhere can you hide."
"Why must it all be in rhymes?" Clarissa asked.
"Poets usually wrote these things on scrolls for someone to carve into walls and doors," John admitted.
"What's the difference in a door way and a gate?" Marissa asked.
"A gate was generally a break in the wall," John explained. "Often times, it was a better way of keeping unwanted things out."
"Or in," Clarissa stated as she looked at the words "curse of the Spider Queen" again. "Maybe we shouldn't be here."
"Oh, come on," John shouted. "I've been doing this sort of thing for thirty years. There are no such things as curses."
Marissa and Clarissa just gave glanced between themselves.
"You two have been with me for the better part of those years, too," he added. "Now, come on. Let's open this gate."
"I don't see a release," Clarissa told him. She felt along the wall for one. "Nothing."
John examined the door's edges to see how it might have been sealed. Then finally he felt something. "Wow. This was well hidden."
"What?" Marissa asked curiously.
"This," John said as he pressed in a small stone that unlocked the door. He rose to his feet as the large gate slide open. He pushed his safari hat's brim up, sitting the hat high on his head. He gave a cocky grin as everything settled and they saw a sarcophagus in the middle of the room.
"Is that. . .?" Marissa asked as John stepped forward into the room.
He looked at the dust and cobweb-covered coffin. "The Spider Queen," he said.
The room began to shake violently and some of the stones in the walls fell down around the expedition team.
"It's collapsing!" Clarissa yelled out. "Let's go!" She and her twin sister darted out, but John didn't follow. She turned back and re-entered the room. Grabbing him by the arm, Clare dragged John along. "We need to go!"
The gate to the room began to seal again forcing them out. As they progressed down the corridor, all the doors they had opened were shutting.
"Shit!" John exclaimed. "Run! Now!" He urged the women to keep moving and keep picking up speed. They were back to Site A, but still not out of the temple which spanned several miles.
They spotted the exit, but the door was already half way down. Before they could reach it, the door lowered another two feet. When they arrived, Clarissa slid underneath it, but with little room for anyone else to exit.
John tossed her his journal. "Find Jack Canyon. Jack--" Then the door was closed completely.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
THE AGE | Alternate Ending
ALTERNATE ENDING # 3
Once we were settled again, I pulled out my tablet and woke it up from sleep mode. As soon as it was completely booted, I noticed it was picking up the wi-fi signal.
"What are you doing?" Amelia asked me.
I looked up at her with sleepy eyes. I always got that way when in front of my computer. "I just thought I'd check to see if there is any news on what happened or if anyone else is alive."
"Well, I can tell you easily what happened," Amelia said as she sat down next to me. "It's all my fault."
I gasped and couldn't catch my breath after that initial moment of surprise. "Wha-what?!"
"It was an accident," she explained. "It started out with a single dog. We had it quarantined in the lab, where we were running tests on it. It had an unknown disease similar to rabies, but it was much more vicious and advanced much faster. We needed a time table, so we brought in another dog. The thing was that it wasn't passed on through biting, but through mating. Even the offspring showed signs of infection. Before we knew it, the 'creatures' were advanced mentally, too."
"They got smarter?" I asked, still in shock.
"Yes," Amelia replied. "Like any dog that learns to sit, shake hands, lay down, play dead. Though, these animals began to show more advanced thinking skills. They could figure out how to open doors. I don't mean just building doors, but car doors, too. Eventually, they got loose one night and started to turn other dogs. They saw humans as threats and started to kill them."
"How did it spread so fast?" I questioned Amelia.
"That I don't know," she responded. "I didn't hear of any other cases of this disease. It's possible there could have been, but this one dog in the lab seemed to be the only one in town infected. I don't understand it. I didn't have enough time to study it."
"How do we stop it?"
"You can't," Amelia stated. "There is no cure. At least, not one that I could find."
"Do you think anyone else is alive out there?" I glanced over at her. I couldn't hate her for something she couldn't control. Besides, she saved me from rape.
The door behind us slowly opened. I assumed it was Johanna returning from the break room. I felt chills rush over me and my heart pause when I heard the growl of the rabid canine. I looked up and noticed the gleam in its eye. I could not decipher if it was hunger or anger or just pure joy of killing. I wanted to move more than anything, but I was frozen stiff from fear. "Nice doggy," I said out of sheer stupidity. Even Amelia wasn't moving, or if she was, I couldn't hear her. Then the snarling beast lunged at us!
I woke up in my bed at home. I couldn't believe it. It was just a dream. A horrid, gruesome, macabre story all mushed up in my imagination. I wiped the sweat from my brow as I sat up in my bed. The crack in my door widened, but I didn't see anyone enter. My mind jumped to the idea that maybe the vicious dogs in my dream were real. My heart began to pound violently in my chest. I tried to look around for any furry killing machine, but saw and heard nothing.
A brown hairy shape jumped up at me forcing me jump back. I relaxed when I saw it was the short and stocky dachshund. "Carson," I spoke, pulling him onto my bed and cuddling with him. "You scared me."
He stared at me for a moment before I realized what he wanted. “Do you want out?”
He raced out of my room and for the front door. I smiled and followed the fur ball out. I opened the front door and saw the empty, trash-ridden streets with empty cars left unattended. My dream hadn't been a dream at all. Maybe it was a premonition. . .
Once we were settled again, I pulled out my tablet and woke it up from sleep mode. As soon as it was completely booted, I noticed it was picking up the wi-fi signal.
"What are you doing?" Amelia asked me.
I looked up at her with sleepy eyes. I always got that way when in front of my computer. "I just thought I'd check to see if there is any news on what happened or if anyone else is alive."
"Well, I can tell you easily what happened," Amelia said as she sat down next to me. "It's all my fault."
I gasped and couldn't catch my breath after that initial moment of surprise. "Wha-what?!"
"It was an accident," she explained. "It started out with a single dog. We had it quarantined in the lab, where we were running tests on it. It had an unknown disease similar to rabies, but it was much more vicious and advanced much faster. We needed a time table, so we brought in another dog. The thing was that it wasn't passed on through biting, but through mating. Even the offspring showed signs of infection. Before we knew it, the 'creatures' were advanced mentally, too."
"They got smarter?" I asked, still in shock.
"Yes," Amelia replied. "Like any dog that learns to sit, shake hands, lay down, play dead. Though, these animals began to show more advanced thinking skills. They could figure out how to open doors. I don't mean just building doors, but car doors, too. Eventually, they got loose one night and started to turn other dogs. They saw humans as threats and started to kill them."
"How did it spread so fast?" I questioned Amelia.
"That I don't know," she responded. "I didn't hear of any other cases of this disease. It's possible there could have been, but this one dog in the lab seemed to be the only one in town infected. I don't understand it. I didn't have enough time to study it."
"How do we stop it?"
"You can't," Amelia stated. "There is no cure. At least, not one that I could find."
"Do you think anyone else is alive out there?" I glanced over at her. I couldn't hate her for something she couldn't control. Besides, she saved me from rape.
The door behind us slowly opened. I assumed it was Johanna returning from the break room. I felt chills rush over me and my heart pause when I heard the growl of the rabid canine. I looked up and noticed the gleam in its eye. I could not decipher if it was hunger or anger or just pure joy of killing. I wanted to move more than anything, but I was frozen stiff from fear. "Nice doggy," I said out of sheer stupidity. Even Amelia wasn't moving, or if she was, I couldn't hear her. Then the snarling beast lunged at us!
I woke up in my bed at home. I couldn't believe it. It was just a dream. A horrid, gruesome, macabre story all mushed up in my imagination. I wiped the sweat from my brow as I sat up in my bed. The crack in my door widened, but I didn't see anyone enter. My mind jumped to the idea that maybe the vicious dogs in my dream were real. My heart began to pound violently in my chest. I tried to look around for any furry killing machine, but saw and heard nothing.
A brown hairy shape jumped up at me forcing me jump back. I relaxed when I saw it was the short and stocky dachshund. "Carson," I spoke, pulling him onto my bed and cuddling with him. "You scared me."
He stared at me for a moment before I realized what he wanted. “Do you want out?”
He raced out of my room and for the front door. I smiled and followed the fur ball out. I opened the front door and saw the empty, trash-ridden streets with empty cars left unattended. My dream hadn't been a dream at all. Maybe it was a premonition. . .
THE AGE | Alternate Ending
ALTERNATE ENDING # 2
Once we were settled again, I pulled out my tablet and woke
it up from sleep mode. As soon as it was completely booted,
I noticed it was picking up the wi-fi signal.
"What are you doing?" Amelia asked me.
I looked up at her with sleepy eyes. I always got that way
when in front of my computer. "I just thought I'd check to
see if there is any news on what happened or if anyone else
is alive."
"Well, I can tell you easily what happened," Amelia said as
she sat down next to me. "It's all my fault."
I gasped and couldn't catch my breath after that initial
moment of surprise. "Wha-what?!"
"It was an accident," she explained. "It started out with a
single dog. We had it quarantined in the lab, where we were
running tests on it. It had an unknown disease similar to
rabies, but it was much more vicious and advanced much
faster. We needed a time table, so we brought in another
dog. The thing was that it wasn't passed on through biting,
but through mating. Even the offspring showed signs of
infection. Before we knew it, the 'creatures' were advanced
mentally, too."
"They got smarter?" I asked, still in shock.
"Yes," Amelia replied. "Like any dog that learns to sit,
shake hands, lay down, play dead. Though, these animals
began to show more advanced thinking skills. They could
figure out how to open doors. I don't mean just building
doors, but car doors, too. Eventually, they got loose one
night and started to turn other dogs. They saw humans as
threats and started to kill them."
"Do you think anyone else is alive out there?" I glanced
over at her. I couldn't hate her for something she couldn't
control. Besides, she saved me from rape.
"I'm counting on it," she said just as the door to the room slowly slipped open.
I assumed it was Johanna, but when there was only silence I began to wonder. I looked up immediately to find a large number of snarling teeth in my face. I froze. Tears slowly filled my eyes, but I couldn't cry. I couldn't take my eyes off the beast in front of me. I start to look up at Amelia, but the dog lashed out at my throat.
Once we were settled again, I pulled out my tablet and woke
it up from sleep mode. As soon as it was completely booted,
I noticed it was picking up the wi-fi signal.
"What are you doing?" Amelia asked me.
I looked up at her with sleepy eyes. I always got that way
when in front of my computer. "I just thought I'd check to
see if there is any news on what happened or if anyone else
is alive."
"Well, I can tell you easily what happened," Amelia said as
she sat down next to me. "It's all my fault."
I gasped and couldn't catch my breath after that initial
moment of surprise. "Wha-what?!"
"It was an accident," she explained. "It started out with a
single dog. We had it quarantined in the lab, where we were
running tests on it. It had an unknown disease similar to
rabies, but it was much more vicious and advanced much
faster. We needed a time table, so we brought in another
dog. The thing was that it wasn't passed on through biting,
but through mating. Even the offspring showed signs of
infection. Before we knew it, the 'creatures' were advanced
mentally, too."
"They got smarter?" I asked, still in shock.
"Yes," Amelia replied. "Like any dog that learns to sit,
shake hands, lay down, play dead. Though, these animals
began to show more advanced thinking skills. They could
figure out how to open doors. I don't mean just building
doors, but car doors, too. Eventually, they got loose one
night and started to turn other dogs. They saw humans as
threats and started to kill them."
"Do you think anyone else is alive out there?" I glanced
over at her. I couldn't hate her for something she couldn't
control. Besides, she saved me from rape.
"I'm counting on it," she said just as the door to the room slowly slipped open.
I assumed it was Johanna, but when there was only silence I began to wonder. I looked up immediately to find a large number of snarling teeth in my face. I froze. Tears slowly filled my eyes, but I couldn't cry. I couldn't take my eyes off the beast in front of me. I start to look up at Amelia, but the dog lashed out at my throat.
THE AGE | Original Ending
ALTERNATE ENDING *The ORIGINAL Ending*
Once we were settled again, I pulled out my tablet and woke it up from sleep mode. As soon as it was completely booted, I noticed it was picking up the wi-fi signal.
"What are you doing?" Amelia asked me.
I looked up at her with sleepy eyes. I always got that way when in front of my computer. "I just thought I'd check to see if there is any news on what happened or if anyone else is alive."
"Well, I can tell you easily what happened," Amelia said as she sat down next to me. "It's all my fault."
I gasped and couldn't catch my breath after that initial moment of surprise. "Wha-what?!"
"It was an accident," she explained. "It started out with a single dog. We had it quarantined in the lab, where we were running tests on it. It had an unknown disease similar to rabies, but it was much more vicious and advanced much faster. We needed a time table, so we brought in another dog. The thing was that it wasn't passed on through biting, but through mating. Even the offspring showed signs of infection. Before we knew it, the 'creatures' were advanced mentally, too."
"They got smarter?" I asked, still in shock.
"Yes," Amelia replied. "Like any dog that learns to sit, shake hands, lay down, play dead. Though, these animals began to show more advanced thinking skills. They could figure out how to open doors. I don't mean just building doors, but car doors, too. Eventually, they got loose one night and started to turn other dogs. They saw humans as threats and started to kill them."
"How did it spread so fast?" I questioned Amelia.
"That I don't know," she responded. "I didn't hear of any other cases of this disease. It's possible there could have been, but this one dog in the lab seemed to be the only one in town infected. I don't understand it. I didn't have enough time to study it."
"How do we stop it?"
"You can't," Amelia stated. "There is no cure. At least, not one that I could find."
"Do you think anyone else is alive out there?" I glanced over at her. I couldn't hate her for something she couldn't control. Besides, she saved me from rape.
The door behind us slowly opened. I assumed it was Johanna returning from the break room. I felt chills rush over me and my heart pause when I heard the growl of the rabid canine. I looked up and noticed the gleam in its eye. I could not decipher if it was hunger or anger or just pure joy of killing. I wanted to move more than anything, but I was frozen stiff from fear. "Nice doggy," I said out of sheer stupidity. Even Amelia wasn't moving, or if she was, I couldn't hear her.
"I'm so sorry, my dear," Amelia said as she moved around to stand behind the large animal. She laughed. "They can open doors because they're smart? I don't think so. Smart, yes, but not that smart, hon."
"You're the one who allowed them into the Civic Center?" I asked in shock.
"Yeah," Amelia said with a cocky grin. "See, the thing is, they don't bite the hand that feeds them. This isn't a Frankenstein story, Valerie."
As the dog's snarling teeth drew closer, I closed my eyes tightly. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." I couldn't think of anything else but prayer. Blame my mom for that one.
"Prayer will not help you," Amelia taunted me.
I continued on. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." I could feel his drool upon my lap.
"I'm sure the others are done with Johanna," Amelia said looking in the direction of the break room.
"Why?" I asked in the midst of praying in my mind now.
"Hold it," she told the canine. "Why? I had no choice in the matter, really. It was feed them or be eaten. I figured this town could offer them a great plain of food. It started at the university. Then things go out of hand with the mating and from there we had an entire pack."
I shifted to try to leave, but the dog blocked me.
"Like any dog, they all learn tricks," Amelia told me. "You teach them tricks and show them food, they listen. They rely on you. I really don't want to keep him from his meal." Amelia turned and exited the boardroom.
It was all a game to her. To bring her pets food. Mad scientist bitch. . .
The leader of the pack lunged at my face and tore into my throat. It shook its head and ripped at my body. It's sharp teeth shred through it like hot knives through butter. The pain was short lived. Life fled my body then.
Once we were settled again, I pulled out my tablet and woke it up from sleep mode. As soon as it was completely booted, I noticed it was picking up the wi-fi signal.
"What are you doing?" Amelia asked me.
I looked up at her with sleepy eyes. I always got that way when in front of my computer. "I just thought I'd check to see if there is any news on what happened or if anyone else is alive."
"Well, I can tell you easily what happened," Amelia said as she sat down next to me. "It's all my fault."
I gasped and couldn't catch my breath after that initial moment of surprise. "Wha-what?!"
"It was an accident," she explained. "It started out with a single dog. We had it quarantined in the lab, where we were running tests on it. It had an unknown disease similar to rabies, but it was much more vicious and advanced much faster. We needed a time table, so we brought in another dog. The thing was that it wasn't passed on through biting, but through mating. Even the offspring showed signs of infection. Before we knew it, the 'creatures' were advanced mentally, too."
"They got smarter?" I asked, still in shock.
"Yes," Amelia replied. "Like any dog that learns to sit, shake hands, lay down, play dead. Though, these animals began to show more advanced thinking skills. They could figure out how to open doors. I don't mean just building doors, but car doors, too. Eventually, they got loose one night and started to turn other dogs. They saw humans as threats and started to kill them."
"How did it spread so fast?" I questioned Amelia.
"That I don't know," she responded. "I didn't hear of any other cases of this disease. It's possible there could have been, but this one dog in the lab seemed to be the only one in town infected. I don't understand it. I didn't have enough time to study it."
"How do we stop it?"
"You can't," Amelia stated. "There is no cure. At least, not one that I could find."
"Do you think anyone else is alive out there?" I glanced over at her. I couldn't hate her for something she couldn't control. Besides, she saved me from rape.
The door behind us slowly opened. I assumed it was Johanna returning from the break room. I felt chills rush over me and my heart pause when I heard the growl of the rabid canine. I looked up and noticed the gleam in its eye. I could not decipher if it was hunger or anger or just pure joy of killing. I wanted to move more than anything, but I was frozen stiff from fear. "Nice doggy," I said out of sheer stupidity. Even Amelia wasn't moving, or if she was, I couldn't hear her.
"I'm so sorry, my dear," Amelia said as she moved around to stand behind the large animal. She laughed. "They can open doors because they're smart? I don't think so. Smart, yes, but not that smart, hon."
"You're the one who allowed them into the Civic Center?" I asked in shock.
"Yeah," Amelia said with a cocky grin. "See, the thing is, they don't bite the hand that feeds them. This isn't a Frankenstein story, Valerie."
As the dog's snarling teeth drew closer, I closed my eyes tightly. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." I couldn't think of anything else but prayer. Blame my mom for that one.
"Prayer will not help you," Amelia taunted me.
I continued on. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." I could feel his drool upon my lap.
"I'm sure the others are done with Johanna," Amelia said looking in the direction of the break room.
"Why?" I asked in the midst of praying in my mind now.
"Hold it," she told the canine. "Why? I had no choice in the matter, really. It was feed them or be eaten. I figured this town could offer them a great plain of food. It started at the university. Then things go out of hand with the mating and from there we had an entire pack."
I shifted to try to leave, but the dog blocked me.
"Like any dog, they all learn tricks," Amelia told me. "You teach them tricks and show them food, they listen. They rely on you. I really don't want to keep him from his meal." Amelia turned and exited the boardroom.
It was all a game to her. To bring her pets food. Mad scientist bitch. . .
The leader of the pack lunged at my face and tore into my throat. It shook its head and ripped at my body. It's sharp teeth shred through it like hot knives through butter. The pain was short lived. Life fled my body then.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The Age | SHORT STORY
words: 3811
We're not sure how it all began. Most of us just remember
waking up to the end of the world. My name is Valerie
Harper. It was days ago when I had just lain my head down to
sleep in my bed. My parents were still awake and setting the
alarm after checking the doors to make sure they were locked.
It was a dreamless night.
The next morning I arose to find myself alone. I stepped
outside my room and called for everyone, but no one replied.
I checked all the rooms, but found nobody home. My parents
vehicles were still in the garage, but the door was open. I
stepped outside in my panties and long t-shirt.
It was a macabre scene. Blood along the driveway and down
the street. Cars were either parked or crashed into
something. Garbage was thrown about. What happened?
I went back in and made sure the door was locked and the
alarm set. I quickly dressed myself in slightly baggy cargo
pants and a tank top. I wasn't sure what I was dealing with
or what I was going to do. I remembered my dad was an avid
hunter. So, I decided to gather some things. I laid out my
tablet PC in it's bump case on my bed with all its power
cords and accessories. I stored it into my backpack and then
moved to my parent's room.
Once there, I set out the things I thought I could carry. I
got his large knife, binoculars, and a handgun. I hated
guns, but what was a girl to do in a moment like this?
From there, I made my way to the kitchen and searched for
simple items of food that would come in handy and were easy
to carry. PowerBars and Paydays were easy enough, and made
of peanut butter. Those were always good for energy and
protein. My pack was now full, but I needed drinks. Water
would be best, but I did not know if it was contaminated. I
gathered a small vinyl cooler and stored as many Gatorade
drinks as I could. I had a sturdy blue clip I kept my keys
on. I removed those keys and attached the small cooler to my
pack. It was heavy, but I could handle it. I used to hike
in the mountains during my summer break from college.
I took a deep breath and moved out of the house and made my
way down the street. It was an eerie feeling to do so. I
noticed all the vehicles were dead. The gasoline had been
ran out of them. No one was in sight. No animals either. I
feared to be the only human left alive.
We lived several miles from town and it was a hell of a walk
for me with all this weight. I took breaks every few miles
and always checked for wi-fi signals. Nothing.
I found my way through some of the streets and always saw the
same thing. There weren't any dead bodies, just blood and
lots of it. Of course, there was still trash thrown about,
as if something had rummaged through it.
I located the one place I believed people would retreat to in
a crisis situation, and I hoped, I prayed someone would be
there. It was getting dark and I didn't want to be alone.
I reached the Civic Center as the sun began to sink and the
sky grew dark. That's when I heard it. It was the most
horrific noise ever. It was a cross between a growl and a
screeching sound. It sounded like nothing of this world.
Was it aliens? Did aliens do this?
I beat and bashed on the door to the Civic Center and prayed
someone would respond. The noise was getting closer. They
wanted ME!
I turned to see what was sneaking up behind me, but it was
too dark. Suddenly, my back was against the door. As the
creature got closer, I fell backwards and then heard the door
slam. I looked around and I was safe.
This had been our home for the past three days. No one knows
for certain what happened. Everyone's story is different.
Some say it's aliens. Others speak of absurd government
projects about plagues and zombies.
Johanna Mahler, a young girl half my age, became my closest
friend. She took to me and looked to me for help. Everyone
had stockpiled the food from the Center laid it all on top of
a table with several drinks. Sure, people had their secret
stashes and stayed away from those, but this was the first
uniform thing we've done. Everyone was so freaked out about
the problem at hand, I had to offer up a plan to keep
everyone alive. The food idea wasn't much. In fact, it was
common sense.
That night we heard an awful noise of crying and screaming
and that horrid alien growl. We all assumed people were
being attacked. Then came the bashing. That was the night
that SHE came.
They allowed her in. Her name was Amelia Carlisle, a
pathologist at the University. I knew who she was. She
wasn't one of my professor's, but I had heard stories about
her. She was working on something for the government. I
couldn't remember what exactly, but it was a virus. Then
again, it might've been a cure to an ailment. She had so
many projects that I had been told about. Of course, those
could have been rumors.
Against everything that I had heard, she was a nice woman.
She was polite, well kept, and well educated. She became
friends with me.
Everyone else wanted to know what had occurred, but she wasn't
sure. She had been traveling with her family to get here
from the University and had done so quite well, but upon
getting here, they were attacked. She was the lone survivor.
She had no clue what it was though. She had not clearly
seen the creatures.
The creatures, that what we called them. They only attacked
at night, so we thought they were allergic to the light,
which could have been caused by some mutation. That lead us
to believe this was a vampire-like disease.
That also lead us to today. We sat at the breakfast table
discussing our next move.
"Oh, come on!" I complained loudly. "We know their attacks
are only at night. They're resting during the day. Everyone
who has ever arrived here claims to have only seen these
creatures at night.
"Maybe we should try to locate them," Mr. Johnson spoke.
"Maybe they can see reason."
"We don't even know what these things are," Amelia added.
"They could be extra-terrestrial for all we know."
"Exactly," I stated. "Now, Mr. Johnson, we desperately need
to get supplies. The mall is less than five blocks away."
Mr. Johnson rubbed the bald part in the center of his head.
Then he looked up at me and nodded. "Fine, but it is too
dangerous for you to go alone."
"Listen, I'll go with Amelia and Johanna. The less of us
there are, the less likely we'll be attacked or get
separated."
"I believe Amelia and Johanna should go with two men. We may
need your help here, Val." Mrs. Johnson chimed in just once.
She looked at Mr. Johnson as he adjusted his glasses.
"Fine," I replied as I stood and gave my pack to Amelia.
"I'll be fine." I could tell the blonde pathologist was
apprehensive about leaving me alone.
I couldn't remember much of the next several minutes, since
it all went by in a flash. Amelia and Johanna had gone with
some other women and two men, Jack Bright and Martin Finn.
After that, I found myself in my corner of the Center, but I
wasn't alone.
Mr. Johnson brought his son, Robert, over to talk. I
remember wondering why it took Mr. Johnson and another man,
David Ross, to bring the boy. The second they came too close
for comfort, I froze up.
I was forced onto the ground by the two older men while Bobby
tried to procreate with me. I gritted my teeth and squirmed
and kicked and wished to hell I could reach the knife in my
boot. I wanted to castrate that mother fucker trying to
grope me.
She must've forgotten something or came back on a whim. My
pants were barely unbuttoned when Amelia returned. I sat up
to see Mr. Johnson holding his nose. I also noticed the
blood spot on the wall. David limped away like a pup, and he
held his hand. Amelia shocked me with her show of force.
Though, I did get my wish. She had my pack, so she must have
gotten my dad's hunting knife out. She held against Bobby's
groin.
"Back the fuck off!" She yelled at him. "I'll cut your
balls off faster than you can blink."
He was speechless and slowly backed away from the mad woman.
I don't know if it was some motherly instinct, but I
appreciated her help. I very much like being a virgin and
planned to stay that way until I married.
"I knew something didn't feel quite right," Amelia stated.
"Now, if anyone wants a go at us, you'll be the one picking
your dick up off the ground."
She was amazing!
I rose completely to my feet and walked with Johanna. The
two of us with Amelia walked to the door.
"We're going to the mall to gather supplies," Amelia barked
at them. "We'll be back before dark, if we can. If not,
we'll return by breakfast." Then she stepped out. I
followed my savior and dragged Johanna along.
It was the tensest moment I had ever experienced in my life.
I looked down at the scared red headed Johanna. "It's okay,"
I told her, trying to not only calm her, but myself too. All
three of us were silent for the entire five block walk to the
mall. My mind stopped thinking about what might have been
and worked on what might come. I worried they would not
welcome us back.
The streets were desolate except for vacant cars and trash, whether newspapers or garbage. The parking lot of the mall was the same as the town. With no one to clean it up, everything was in shambles.
Upon entering the mall, I felt safer and relaxed. Being outside where those things were, freaked me out. It made me more fearful. My mind never crossed the thought that these creatures could be inside.
Amelia continued onward to the food court. I hoped for a cooked meal, or a few cooked meals. Most of our past few meals were cold. It was horrible.
We all set down anything we had in our arms or on our backs. Then we searched for anything that would be great to carry back. We had been there for hours stocking up some bags we found in a department store with frozen foods. We even found several small camping stoves.
"Would you girls like anything to eat before we have to head back?" Amelia asked. "You name it, I'll cook it."
"I'm dying for a spicy chicken sandwich," I told her as I stared at the menu. Even though I told her what I wanted, I continued to stare. The food looked so lovely compared to the potted meat, cheese, and crackers.
"I want a cheeseburger," the ten year old Johanna stated excitedly.
"Coming right up," Amelia smiled and began to work.
The three of us would have a time hauling all this back to the civic Center. My mind shifted to that as we waited for Amelia to finish cooking. Johanna was too young to carry much. With that in mind, I walked off to find something that could be dragged. A rolling suitcase would work perfectly.
Johanna was eating by the time I returned with a suitcase.
"How dare you start without me," I joked.
Johanna just giggled and continued to stuff her face. She was like the sister I never had.
Amelia brought around my food and set down her plate before sitting herself. She had something from the Chinese booth. She took to us and became our surrogate mother. She was amazing and so protective. "All right, you two," she said once she finished. "We better get a move on before the night catches us."
"Well, I believe everything is ready to go," I told her as I gathered all that I could. She did the same, as did Johanna, and we all marched out.
We thought we could make the five blocks before the sun faded completely, but we were wrong. We made it half way before the howls came. Chills rushed down our spines and we ran as fast as we could. They were right on our heels for a few blocks, until we dropped some of our weight.
Johanna dropped her suitcase and was able to speed up. She was so scared, but I didn't blame her.
We reached the civic Center and beat on the entrance door.
"Let us in!" Amelia cried out as she continued to bang on the door. "We're being followed."
"You lead them here!" Mr. Johnson stated. "We're not compromising our compound."
"We have supplies," Amelia pleaded. "Let us in! Let Johanna and Valerie in."
"No," Mr. Johnson replied.
"You son of a bitch!" Amelia yelled out and turned to see the beasts getting closer. She looked around quickly for a place to escape to for the night. She pulled out my father's handgun and fired at the shadows. "GO! THERE!" She pointed to the closest building.
I grabbed Johanna by the hand, dropping all our supplies and rushed to the building, which had large glass windows on the ground level. I pushed the door open and forced Johanna inside before turning to look at Amelia.
She was running toward us, but fell. She continued to fire at the approaching attackers to keep them off her. They closed in faster and were ready to pounce on her.
I could see the teeth of the creatures and the drool drip from their teeth. The rest was too dark to spot. I grabbed Amelia by the backpack and dragged her in just in time. Johanna closed the door, but was knocked down as one of the creatures jumped at it, trying to get her.
Amelia and I rushed the door and put our bodies' weights against it. That's when I saw the attackers completely. They were rabid looking canines. "What the hell?"
Johanna put her back against the wall as she stared out at the fierce dogs. They appeared wild and hideous. Their fur was mangy and their mouth foamed. The thing that shocked us the most was their size. These creatures were three times their normal sizes.
Amelia latched the door to keep the dogs out. We all prayed they didn't wise up and break through the glass. With that eerie thought pervading our nightmares, we searched the building for a more suitable place of safety.
On the top floor, there was an executive board room with lots of space and couches to sleep on. Next door to that room was a small break room with simple snack foods. It would work for one night. Another precaution we took was to lock all the doors we came through.
Johanna had no problem sleeping since we were safe for now. I, on the other hand, could not sleep a wink. My mind was still on the creatures outside. How could they have gotten so large? Why are they so vicious?
There came a sudden loud bang followed by a crash. Amelia jumped up to look outside and spotted the Civic Center under attack by the creatures. They had broken in, somehow. They discovered a weak spot.
"I guess old dogs can learn new tricks," Amelia stated coldly as screams came echoing from the Civic Center.
I swallowed hard and wondered if we were next. I was so glad Johanna was sleeping like a rock. It was the best sleep any of us had had since all this began. I blocked everything from my mind after that and lay down to sleep. Amelia did the same.
The next morning, we woke up to a brighter day. We felt wonderfully rejuvenated from the slumber we obtained that night. Breakfast consisted of dough nuts from the break room and tea that Amelia had made.
"I'm so glad things settled down," I told her. "I don't think I could take staying with those people any longer."
"Well, you might need to put up with it once more," Amelia told me.
I furrowed my brow and gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"
"We need to get whatever supplies they have left and bring them here," she told me.
I felt my heart drop drastically. That sounded like an adventure into a morgue. I nodded hesitantly.
"Let's go," she said. "Johanna, wait here, okay?"
She nodded.
"Lock the door behind us and only open it for us," Amelia continued.
Johanna nodded again.
I followed the older woman out of the room and down the stairs. The coast was clear, so we continued on to the Civic Center. It was just as I thought it would be. It was gruesome. Body parts and blood everywhere. It was different than before. Some of these bodies were just mangled beyond recognition while others were gone, which meant those were meals. The dogs never left any behind before. What did that mean? I figured that meant this was out of anger.
"Bobby," I said with a slight smile as I saw the bloodied and gory crotch of the boy eaten out. Of course, his hands and head were gone, but I knew it was him.
"Here," Amelia stated as she gather the few supplies into a single bag. "It's not much, but it will do for a time. I noticed some of our food is still outside too with a couple of camp stoves."
"We can get them on the way out," I told her as I looked away from Bobby's body.
"Well, I'm ready," Amelia told me as she shook the bag showing me the spoils of the search. It wasn't much at all.
On the way out, I grabbed all I could carry. I was shocked the beasts didn't bother it, but I think they have more of a palate for fresh meat.
As we climbed the stairs of our new domain once more, I spotted a wireless router. My tablet could pick it up. The power worked fine from what I had seen so far in the places we had visited or stayed in.
Luckily, I had left the tablet PC in sleep mode, which preserved the batteries considerably without turning the computer off. Of course, the tablet had two batteries that were connected simultaneously.
Once we were settled again, I pulled out my tablet and woke it up from sleep mode. As soon as it was completely booted, I noticed it was picking up the wi-fi signal.
"What are you doing?" Amelia asked me.
I looked up at her with sleepy eyes. I always got that way when in front of my computer. "I just thought I'd check to see if there is any news on what happened or if anyone else is alive."
"Well, I can tell you easily what happened," Amelia said as she sat down next to me. "It's all my fault."
I gasped and couldn't catch my breath after that initial moment of surprise. "Wha-what?!"
"It was an accident," she explained. "It started out with a single dog. We had it quarantined in the lab, where we were running tests on it. It had an unknown disease similar to rabies, but it was much more vicious and advanced much faster. We needed a time table, so we brought in another dog. The thing was that it wasn't passed on through biting, but through mating. Even the offspring showed signs of infection. Before we knew it, the 'creatures' were advanced mentally, too."
"They got smarter?" I asked, still in shock.
"Yes," Amelia replied. "Like any dog that learns to sit, shake hands, lay down, play dead. Though, these animals began to show more advanced thinking skills. They could figure out how to open doors. I don't mean just building doors, but car doors, too. Eventually, they got loose one night and started to turn other dogs. They saw humans as threats and started to kill them."
"How did it spread so fast?" I questioned Amelia.
"That I don't know," she responded. "I didn't hear of any other cases of this disease. It's possible there could have been, but this one dog in the lab seemed to be the only one in town infected. I don't understand it. I didn't have enough time to study it."
"How do we stop it?"
"You can't," Amelia stated. "There is no cure. At least, not one that I could find."
"Do you think anyone else is alive out there?" I glanced over at her. I couldn't hate her for something she couldn't control. Besides, she saved me from rape.
The door behind us slowly opened. I assumed it was Johanna returning from the break room. I felt chills rush over me and my heart pause when I heard the growl of the rabid canine. I looked up and noticed the gleam in its eye. I could not decipher if it was hunger or anger or just pure joy of killing. I wanted to move more than anything, but I was frozen stiff from fear. "Nice doggy," I said out of sheer stupidity. Even Amelia wasn't moving, or if she was, I couldn't hear her. Then the snarling beast lunged at us!
I woke up in my bed at home. I couldn't believe it. It was just a dream. A horrid, gruesome, macabre story all mushed up in my imagination. I wiped the sweat from my brow as I sat up in my bed. The crack in my door widened, but I didn't see anyone enter. My mind jumped to the idea that maybe the vicious dogs in my dream were real. My heart began to pound violently in my chest. I tried to look around for any furry killing machine, but saw and heard nothing.
A brown hairy shape jumped up at me forcing me jump back. I relaxed when I saw it was the short and stocky dachshund. "Carson," I spoke, pulling him onto my bed and cuddling with him. "You scared me." He burrowed underneath the covers and got comfortable, before falling asleep again.
We're not sure how it all began. Most of us just remember
waking up to the end of the world. My name is Valerie
Harper. It was days ago when I had just lain my head down to
sleep in my bed. My parents were still awake and setting the
alarm after checking the doors to make sure they were locked.
It was a dreamless night.
The next morning I arose to find myself alone. I stepped
outside my room and called for everyone, but no one replied.
I checked all the rooms, but found nobody home. My parents
vehicles were still in the garage, but the door was open. I
stepped outside in my panties and long t-shirt.
It was a macabre scene. Blood along the driveway and down
the street. Cars were either parked or crashed into
something. Garbage was thrown about. What happened?
I went back in and made sure the door was locked and the
alarm set. I quickly dressed myself in slightly baggy cargo
pants and a tank top. I wasn't sure what I was dealing with
or what I was going to do. I remembered my dad was an avid
hunter. So, I decided to gather some things. I laid out my
tablet PC in it's bump case on my bed with all its power
cords and accessories. I stored it into my backpack and then
moved to my parent's room.
Once there, I set out the things I thought I could carry. I
got his large knife, binoculars, and a handgun. I hated
guns, but what was a girl to do in a moment like this?
From there, I made my way to the kitchen and searched for
simple items of food that would come in handy and were easy
to carry. PowerBars and Paydays were easy enough, and made
of peanut butter. Those were always good for energy and
protein. My pack was now full, but I needed drinks. Water
would be best, but I did not know if it was contaminated. I
gathered a small vinyl cooler and stored as many Gatorade
drinks as I could. I had a sturdy blue clip I kept my keys
on. I removed those keys and attached the small cooler to my
pack. It was heavy, but I could handle it. I used to hike
in the mountains during my summer break from college.
I took a deep breath and moved out of the house and made my
way down the street. It was an eerie feeling to do so. I
noticed all the vehicles were dead. The gasoline had been
ran out of them. No one was in sight. No animals either. I
feared to be the only human left alive.
We lived several miles from town and it was a hell of a walk
for me with all this weight. I took breaks every few miles
and always checked for wi-fi signals. Nothing.
I found my way through some of the streets and always saw the
same thing. There weren't any dead bodies, just blood and
lots of it. Of course, there was still trash thrown about,
as if something had rummaged through it.
I located the one place I believed people would retreat to in
a crisis situation, and I hoped, I prayed someone would be
there. It was getting dark and I didn't want to be alone.
I reached the Civic Center as the sun began to sink and the
sky grew dark. That's when I heard it. It was the most
horrific noise ever. It was a cross between a growl and a
screeching sound. It sounded like nothing of this world.
Was it aliens? Did aliens do this?
I beat and bashed on the door to the Civic Center and prayed
someone would respond. The noise was getting closer. They
wanted ME!
I turned to see what was sneaking up behind me, but it was
too dark. Suddenly, my back was against the door. As the
creature got closer, I fell backwards and then heard the door
slam. I looked around and I was safe.
This had been our home for the past three days. No one knows
for certain what happened. Everyone's story is different.
Some say it's aliens. Others speak of absurd government
projects about plagues and zombies.
Johanna Mahler, a young girl half my age, became my closest
friend. She took to me and looked to me for help. Everyone
had stockpiled the food from the Center laid it all on top of
a table with several drinks. Sure, people had their secret
stashes and stayed away from those, but this was the first
uniform thing we've done. Everyone was so freaked out about
the problem at hand, I had to offer up a plan to keep
everyone alive. The food idea wasn't much. In fact, it was
common sense.
That night we heard an awful noise of crying and screaming
and that horrid alien growl. We all assumed people were
being attacked. Then came the bashing. That was the night
that SHE came.
They allowed her in. Her name was Amelia Carlisle, a
pathologist at the University. I knew who she was. She
wasn't one of my professor's, but I had heard stories about
her. She was working on something for the government. I
couldn't remember what exactly, but it was a virus. Then
again, it might've been a cure to an ailment. She had so
many projects that I had been told about. Of course, those
could have been rumors.
Against everything that I had heard, she was a nice woman.
She was polite, well kept, and well educated. She became
friends with me.
Everyone else wanted to know what had occurred, but she wasn't
sure. She had been traveling with her family to get here
from the University and had done so quite well, but upon
getting here, they were attacked. She was the lone survivor.
She had no clue what it was though. She had not clearly
seen the creatures.
The creatures, that what we called them. They only attacked
at night, so we thought they were allergic to the light,
which could have been caused by some mutation. That lead us
to believe this was a vampire-like disease.
That also lead us to today. We sat at the breakfast table
discussing our next move.
"Oh, come on!" I complained loudly. "We know their attacks
are only at night. They're resting during the day. Everyone
who has ever arrived here claims to have only seen these
creatures at night.
"Maybe we should try to locate them," Mr. Johnson spoke.
"Maybe they can see reason."
"We don't even know what these things are," Amelia added.
"They could be extra-terrestrial for all we know."
"Exactly," I stated. "Now, Mr. Johnson, we desperately need
to get supplies. The mall is less than five blocks away."
Mr. Johnson rubbed the bald part in the center of his head.
Then he looked up at me and nodded. "Fine, but it is too
dangerous for you to go alone."
"Listen, I'll go with Amelia and Johanna. The less of us
there are, the less likely we'll be attacked or get
separated."
"I believe Amelia and Johanna should go with two men. We may
need your help here, Val." Mrs. Johnson chimed in just once.
She looked at Mr. Johnson as he adjusted his glasses.
"Fine," I replied as I stood and gave my pack to Amelia.
"I'll be fine." I could tell the blonde pathologist was
apprehensive about leaving me alone.
I couldn't remember much of the next several minutes, since
it all went by in a flash. Amelia and Johanna had gone with
some other women and two men, Jack Bright and Martin Finn.
After that, I found myself in my corner of the Center, but I
wasn't alone.
Mr. Johnson brought his son, Robert, over to talk. I
remember wondering why it took Mr. Johnson and another man,
David Ross, to bring the boy. The second they came too close
for comfort, I froze up.
I was forced onto the ground by the two older men while Bobby
tried to procreate with me. I gritted my teeth and squirmed
and kicked and wished to hell I could reach the knife in my
boot. I wanted to castrate that mother fucker trying to
grope me.
She must've forgotten something or came back on a whim. My
pants were barely unbuttoned when Amelia returned. I sat up
to see Mr. Johnson holding his nose. I also noticed the
blood spot on the wall. David limped away like a pup, and he
held his hand. Amelia shocked me with her show of force.
Though, I did get my wish. She had my pack, so she must have
gotten my dad's hunting knife out. She held against Bobby's
groin.
"Back the fuck off!" She yelled at him. "I'll cut your
balls off faster than you can blink."
He was speechless and slowly backed away from the mad woman.
I don't know if it was some motherly instinct, but I
appreciated her help. I very much like being a virgin and
planned to stay that way until I married.
"I knew something didn't feel quite right," Amelia stated.
"Now, if anyone wants a go at us, you'll be the one picking
your dick up off the ground."
She was amazing!
I rose completely to my feet and walked with Johanna. The
two of us with Amelia walked to the door.
"We're going to the mall to gather supplies," Amelia barked
at them. "We'll be back before dark, if we can. If not,
we'll return by breakfast." Then she stepped out. I
followed my savior and dragged Johanna along.
It was the tensest moment I had ever experienced in my life.
I looked down at the scared red headed Johanna. "It's okay,"
I told her, trying to not only calm her, but myself too. All
three of us were silent for the entire five block walk to the
mall. My mind stopped thinking about what might have been
and worked on what might come. I worried they would not
welcome us back.
The streets were desolate except for vacant cars and trash, whether newspapers or garbage. The parking lot of the mall was the same as the town. With no one to clean it up, everything was in shambles.
Upon entering the mall, I felt safer and relaxed. Being outside where those things were, freaked me out. It made me more fearful. My mind never crossed the thought that these creatures could be inside.
Amelia continued onward to the food court. I hoped for a cooked meal, or a few cooked meals. Most of our past few meals were cold. It was horrible.
We all set down anything we had in our arms or on our backs. Then we searched for anything that would be great to carry back. We had been there for hours stocking up some bags we found in a department store with frozen foods. We even found several small camping stoves.
"Would you girls like anything to eat before we have to head back?" Amelia asked. "You name it, I'll cook it."
"I'm dying for a spicy chicken sandwich," I told her as I stared at the menu. Even though I told her what I wanted, I continued to stare. The food looked so lovely compared to the potted meat, cheese, and crackers.
"I want a cheeseburger," the ten year old Johanna stated excitedly.
"Coming right up," Amelia smiled and began to work.
The three of us would have a time hauling all this back to the civic Center. My mind shifted to that as we waited for Amelia to finish cooking. Johanna was too young to carry much. With that in mind, I walked off to find something that could be dragged. A rolling suitcase would work perfectly.
Johanna was eating by the time I returned with a suitcase.
"How dare you start without me," I joked.
Johanna just giggled and continued to stuff her face. She was like the sister I never had.
Amelia brought around my food and set down her plate before sitting herself. She had something from the Chinese booth. She took to us and became our surrogate mother. She was amazing and so protective. "All right, you two," she said once she finished. "We better get a move on before the night catches us."
"Well, I believe everything is ready to go," I told her as I gathered all that I could. She did the same, as did Johanna, and we all marched out.
We thought we could make the five blocks before the sun faded completely, but we were wrong. We made it half way before the howls came. Chills rushed down our spines and we ran as fast as we could. They were right on our heels for a few blocks, until we dropped some of our weight.
Johanna dropped her suitcase and was able to speed up. She was so scared, but I didn't blame her.
We reached the civic Center and beat on the entrance door.
"Let us in!" Amelia cried out as she continued to bang on the door. "We're being followed."
"You lead them here!" Mr. Johnson stated. "We're not compromising our compound."
"We have supplies," Amelia pleaded. "Let us in! Let Johanna and Valerie in."
"No," Mr. Johnson replied.
"You son of a bitch!" Amelia yelled out and turned to see the beasts getting closer. She looked around quickly for a place to escape to for the night. She pulled out my father's handgun and fired at the shadows. "GO! THERE!" She pointed to the closest building.
I grabbed Johanna by the hand, dropping all our supplies and rushed to the building, which had large glass windows on the ground level. I pushed the door open and forced Johanna inside before turning to look at Amelia.
She was running toward us, but fell. She continued to fire at the approaching attackers to keep them off her. They closed in faster and were ready to pounce on her.
I could see the teeth of the creatures and the drool drip from their teeth. The rest was too dark to spot. I grabbed Amelia by the backpack and dragged her in just in time. Johanna closed the door, but was knocked down as one of the creatures jumped at it, trying to get her.
Amelia and I rushed the door and put our bodies' weights against it. That's when I saw the attackers completely. They were rabid looking canines. "What the hell?"
Johanna put her back against the wall as she stared out at the fierce dogs. They appeared wild and hideous. Their fur was mangy and their mouth foamed. The thing that shocked us the most was their size. These creatures were three times their normal sizes.
Amelia latched the door to keep the dogs out. We all prayed they didn't wise up and break through the glass. With that eerie thought pervading our nightmares, we searched the building for a more suitable place of safety.
On the top floor, there was an executive board room with lots of space and couches to sleep on. Next door to that room was a small break room with simple snack foods. It would work for one night. Another precaution we took was to lock all the doors we came through.
Johanna had no problem sleeping since we were safe for now. I, on the other hand, could not sleep a wink. My mind was still on the creatures outside. How could they have gotten so large? Why are they so vicious?
There came a sudden loud bang followed by a crash. Amelia jumped up to look outside and spotted the Civic Center under attack by the creatures. They had broken in, somehow. They discovered a weak spot.
"I guess old dogs can learn new tricks," Amelia stated coldly as screams came echoing from the Civic Center.
I swallowed hard and wondered if we were next. I was so glad Johanna was sleeping like a rock. It was the best sleep any of us had had since all this began. I blocked everything from my mind after that and lay down to sleep. Amelia did the same.
The next morning, we woke up to a brighter day. We felt wonderfully rejuvenated from the slumber we obtained that night. Breakfast consisted of dough nuts from the break room and tea that Amelia had made.
"I'm so glad things settled down," I told her. "I don't think I could take staying with those people any longer."
"Well, you might need to put up with it once more," Amelia told me.
I furrowed my brow and gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"
"We need to get whatever supplies they have left and bring them here," she told me.
I felt my heart drop drastically. That sounded like an adventure into a morgue. I nodded hesitantly.
"Let's go," she said. "Johanna, wait here, okay?"
She nodded.
"Lock the door behind us and only open it for us," Amelia continued.
Johanna nodded again.
I followed the older woman out of the room and down the stairs. The coast was clear, so we continued on to the Civic Center. It was just as I thought it would be. It was gruesome. Body parts and blood everywhere. It was different than before. Some of these bodies were just mangled beyond recognition while others were gone, which meant those were meals. The dogs never left any behind before. What did that mean? I figured that meant this was out of anger.
"Bobby," I said with a slight smile as I saw the bloodied and gory crotch of the boy eaten out. Of course, his hands and head were gone, but I knew it was him.
"Here," Amelia stated as she gather the few supplies into a single bag. "It's not much, but it will do for a time. I noticed some of our food is still outside too with a couple of camp stoves."
"We can get them on the way out," I told her as I looked away from Bobby's body.
"Well, I'm ready," Amelia told me as she shook the bag showing me the spoils of the search. It wasn't much at all.
On the way out, I grabbed all I could carry. I was shocked the beasts didn't bother it, but I think they have more of a palate for fresh meat.
As we climbed the stairs of our new domain once more, I spotted a wireless router. My tablet could pick it up. The power worked fine from what I had seen so far in the places we had visited or stayed in.
Luckily, I had left the tablet PC in sleep mode, which preserved the batteries considerably without turning the computer off. Of course, the tablet had two batteries that were connected simultaneously.
Once we were settled again, I pulled out my tablet and woke it up from sleep mode. As soon as it was completely booted, I noticed it was picking up the wi-fi signal.
"What are you doing?" Amelia asked me.
I looked up at her with sleepy eyes. I always got that way when in front of my computer. "I just thought I'd check to see if there is any news on what happened or if anyone else is alive."
"Well, I can tell you easily what happened," Amelia said as she sat down next to me. "It's all my fault."
I gasped and couldn't catch my breath after that initial moment of surprise. "Wha-what?!"
"It was an accident," she explained. "It started out with a single dog. We had it quarantined in the lab, where we were running tests on it. It had an unknown disease similar to rabies, but it was much more vicious and advanced much faster. We needed a time table, so we brought in another dog. The thing was that it wasn't passed on through biting, but through mating. Even the offspring showed signs of infection. Before we knew it, the 'creatures' were advanced mentally, too."
"They got smarter?" I asked, still in shock.
"Yes," Amelia replied. "Like any dog that learns to sit, shake hands, lay down, play dead. Though, these animals began to show more advanced thinking skills. They could figure out how to open doors. I don't mean just building doors, but car doors, too. Eventually, they got loose one night and started to turn other dogs. They saw humans as threats and started to kill them."
"How did it spread so fast?" I questioned Amelia.
"That I don't know," she responded. "I didn't hear of any other cases of this disease. It's possible there could have been, but this one dog in the lab seemed to be the only one in town infected. I don't understand it. I didn't have enough time to study it."
"How do we stop it?"
"You can't," Amelia stated. "There is no cure. At least, not one that I could find."
"Do you think anyone else is alive out there?" I glanced over at her. I couldn't hate her for something she couldn't control. Besides, she saved me from rape.
The door behind us slowly opened. I assumed it was Johanna returning from the break room. I felt chills rush over me and my heart pause when I heard the growl of the rabid canine. I looked up and noticed the gleam in its eye. I could not decipher if it was hunger or anger or just pure joy of killing. I wanted to move more than anything, but I was frozen stiff from fear. "Nice doggy," I said out of sheer stupidity. Even Amelia wasn't moving, or if she was, I couldn't hear her. Then the snarling beast lunged at us!
I woke up in my bed at home. I couldn't believe it. It was just a dream. A horrid, gruesome, macabre story all mushed up in my imagination. I wiped the sweat from my brow as I sat up in my bed. The crack in my door widened, but I didn't see anyone enter. My mind jumped to the idea that maybe the vicious dogs in my dream were real. My heart began to pound violently in my chest. I tried to look around for any furry killing machine, but saw and heard nothing.
A brown hairy shape jumped up at me forcing me jump back. I relaxed when I saw it was the short and stocky dachshund. "Carson," I spoke, pulling him onto my bed and cuddling with him. "You scared me." He burrowed underneath the covers and got comfortable, before falling asleep again.
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