Nightmare sky, p.20
Nightmare Sky, page 20
“Hey, check it out.” Derek nudged Alma’s shoulder and pointed past her periphery. An older woman swayed rhythmically toward the sky as she chanted premonition into the ether.
“Humanity has waited patiently for the cosmos to return us to the primordial wretchedness we once were! We thank it for this generous gift of allowing us to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh! Let us bask now as day turns to night in the eternal glory of the stars, and may we submit ourselves to the eclipse’s awe-inspiring and terrifying presence!”
Alma fidgeted in her chair, unnerved by the woman, and now keenly aware of their vulnerability in their macrocosm of existence. Out in the open, they were exposed and waiting. Dread hovered like a cloud, and Alma caught her breath.
“Sounds like someone is in totality already, if you catch my drift.” Derek chuckled, unfazed by the woman’s eerie divination.
Alma shook her head and checked the clock on her phone. Sixty seconds remained.
“I’m going to check the camera one more time.” Alma’s knees began to shake. She had to adjust positions to calm her nerves, otherwise she was sure she’d fall over in her chair.
“Come on, Alma, you always do this. Forget the screens and be here with me!” Derek begged.
“I will, I promise…right after I get this shot!” She should have felt guilty, but it didn’t stop her from getting up to adjust the tripod before Derek could protest further.
“Ten…nine…eight…” Alma tuned out the eclipse gazers who were dazzled by the brilliance of the last sliver of sun creating a diamond ring effect. She spent those final moments prepping her camera, checking the time for the shutter release. It was set to go off every thirty seconds, just as planned.
“Five…four…three…”
She was going to capture this moment. Like. Comment. Share.
“One!”
The park erupted in whistles and clanging of cowbells. Alma’s eyes were glued to the display screen on the camera, assuaged by the timely shutter of her camera. Her focus had been crystal clear; the screen showed that she had indeed caught the moment the moon blotted out the sun. It was the best photo she had ever taken. She couldn’t help but beam with pride.
She took a step back to look up. An obsidian orb hovered above with tendrils of white light undulating and illuminating the sky. It permeated omnipotence and absolute submission. It was as the woman said it would be: awe-inspiring and terrifying. It didn’t take much for Alma to see how someone could get lost in the caliginous beauty of the umbras’ influence.
Alma thought about the sky’s transformation and a pang of guilt stabbed her gut; she should have been squeezing Derek’s hand, counting the seconds in those last moments. Alma wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t forgive her for missing their own relationship’s window of totality.
An agonizing scream broke her trance. She turned around to find Derek on his knees, hunched over in a child’s pose. A guttural howl burst from his chest as he dug his nails into the fresh soil beneath him. Bile spilled from his lips into the grass, and he moaned in anguish. Without pause, without hesitation, Alma rushed to his side.
“Derek! Are you okay? What’s happening?” She reached out with trepidation, unsure how to help but hoping she could try.
Derek’s gaze shifted, and he met Alma’s stare. A steady stream of ichor oozed from his blackened eyes, scintillating the halo of light from above.
“R-r-run!!!” Bubbling clots of blood gargled in Derek’s throat as he collapsed under the pressure of the outlandish influence that overcame him.
Alma gasped as Derek mutated into a grotesque new form. Bones cracked to create sickening pops. His spine snapped, and his skull caved in. He became inhuman, a pulp of flesh that resembled dripping sludge with limbs and serrated teeth. His flesh bubbled under what looked like radiation burns, decaying before her eyes. Alma could not find the sound to scream as the Derek she knew vanished. The monster he became shredded sinew from muscles to expose the ulna and radius of his arms.
Alma stumbled back, unable to fathom what was happening. The frantic cries of park visitors echoed across the valley as they, too, succumbed to the violent phenomenon.
What was she supposed to do? Where would she go? Even if she made it out of here alive, who would believe anything she had to say?
Alma glared at the inky specter in the sky. Though she could not explain it, she knew the eclipse had something to do with this phenomenon. The orb flared solar rays back as if in affirmation.
How much was stolen from her in those last moments that were supposed to be full of bliss? And Derek—she’d never know whether they could have repaired their relationship. She’d missed her last moments with him because she focused on taking the perfect snapshot for her followers. Overcome with rage, hot tears streamed down her face.
Screw the likes, comments, and shares. Derek’s death would not be in vain. Somehow, she’d show the world what had happened to him, even if that meant sharing her photographs postmortem.
Alma snatched the Rebel T-6 off the tripod and ran straight into the writhing mound of bloodlust. Teeth gnashed at flesh. Bodies recoiled and entwined with one another. Limbs flew overhead and landed at Alma’s feet, only to be snatched for consumption. She inhaled the fetor of decimation and knew it was only a matter of minutes until she, too, would be devoured by the gelatinous mound of malice.
Alma was in awe of the gore. Despite the horror of it all, somehow, this was the closest she’d ever felt to truly living. Maybe it was the thrill of terror rushing through her veins, but the high of existing in the space between life and death was invigorating. Addicting. It was validating, even. A spurt of crimson red splashed across her body and the camera lens, but she continued to photograph the slaughter anyway.
Alma never felt the horde of undead pull her down under the weight of their masticated limbs. Even amid the butchery, adrenaline prevented her from feeling any pain. Shutter after shutter, she captured the carnage, hunger, and gobbets of flesh and tendons as they were stripped from her bones.
Only when the bloodthirsty throng ripped the Rebel T6 from her hands did Alma’s psyche rejoin her body again. The intensity of her suffering overcame her. Pain pulsated in the gaping wounds of her limbs and torso as a haze of teeth and nails sunk into her flesh.
Her eyes dilated, and she fixed her gaze on the sky. The crushing weight of the bodies above made it impossible for her to breathe. The black orb flared at her once more. Underneath the agony and sound of her screams, Alma was finally present and living in the moment—just as she promised.
DON’T LOOK UP
DON’T LOOK UP
EMERSON SEIPEL
“Alright Elena, I’m heading out!” I called up from the base of the stairway. My voice echoed along the old wooden panels lining the walls, magnifying and carrying it throughout the tiny house.
“Marco, wait!” she called back, running down the stairs to meet me. Her face was flushed, and she panted slightly as she looked up at me, worry creasing lines into her forehead. “Do you have to go?”
“Yes, little sister,” I said in the most patronizing tone I could muster, reaching a finger out to flick her on the nose. “Even in the Apocalypse, we still have bills to pay, and I have to go to work. People still get sick, and until the world actually ends, it’s my job to take care of them.”
“Don’t talk like that,” she scolded, and for a moment the fear in her voice actually made me feel bad. “You don’t think the world is actually ending, do you?”
“Nah.” I shook my head with what I hoped was a nonchalant smile. “The world will be around long after humanity is gone.”
“Marco…” A pout furrowed her brow and she poked out her lower lip.
“Listen, we’re fine until we’re not. And until that moment comes, we’re just going to keep on keeping on, business as usual, right?”
“But it’s dangerous at night,” she said. “Can’t you switch to a day shift? Or get a different job?”
“Listen.” I bent down slightly to look into her eyes. The golden flecks in the deep brown orbs caught the light like so many stars in the sky I could no longer see. “The night shift pays better. It’s just you and me now, so we need all the money we can get.”
“I could—”
“No.” I cut her off before she could get too far down that line of thinking again. “Like you said, it’s dangerous out there. I work, you study, that’s the deal, remember?”
“I should be doing more to help.” She looked down as she shuffled her feet, wringing her hands as though she could squeeze out every drop of guilt.
“You do help. You take care of the house. You cook the food. You keep me grounded,” I said. “I would be lost without you, Elena. Just like one of those Gazers out there.”
“Okay…” She still sounded unsure.
“Now, listen…” I said, pulling on my hoodie and grabbing my keys from the hook by the door. “You remember the rules. Lock the door behind me. Don’t answer it for anyone while I’m gone. Keep the curtains shut tight and the TV off.” I leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Do your homework and get some good rest.”
“And you remember your rules,” she chided, the only figure of any real authority in my life. “Keep your hat on and your hood pulled up. Don’t talk to strangers. And don’t look up.”
“I won’t look up,” I promised, taking her hands in mine and giving a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be home in the morning. Call me at the hospital if you need anything.” Another quick peck on the head, and I pushed her back toward the stairs. “Turn around until you hear the door close, then lock it and go back to your schoolwork. Goodnight, little sister.” I pulled my hood up over my ball cap and ducked my head, heading out the door and into the world beyond.
I shoved my hands into my pockets as I heard the door click behind me, Elena sliding the deadbolt securely into place. My feet beat a staccato rhythm against the pavement as I made my way quickly toward the hospital. I wasn’t necessarily scared out here in the growing dark, but I wasn’t stupid enough to stay outside any longer than I had to, either.
It had started as a star, an extra notch appearing in Orion’s belt late one night in mid-September. Astronomers, professional and amateur alike, were initially excited about the sudden appearance of a nova in the night sky. They turned their telescopes toward it, and that was when the problems first started. They peered into their eyepieces and looked at their computer screens, and simply never stopped looking. They lost all motivation to do anything but stare at this mysterious new celestial body. As the object grew in the sky, appearing earlier and earlier, more people began to take notice, stopping whatever they were doing at the time, simply to stare off into space.
Pictures, telescope images, videos of the phenomenon were all dangerous, all captivating unsuspecting people right out of their daily lives. We called them Gazers, because once they caught that first glimpse, that’s all they were anymore. Mindless zombies, staring at the night sky.
When morning came, and the stars disappeared, they raged and thrashed, tearing out their hair and clawing at their own bodies until their hearts stopped beating. Incoherent and mournful screaming filled the air in every corner of the city as the Gazers breathed their last breaths, tearing themselves to pieces at the loss of their beloved star.
The street lights flickered as I made my way toward the hospital, but my path was well lit. Whatever it was that haunted the night sky now shone brighter than the moon, providing enough light to see clearly as I neared my destination. Temptation pulled at me, curiosity whispering in my ear as I walked, and I hunched my shoulders against it.
Just one peek, it lilted in the back of my brain. A quick flick of the eyes can’t hurt. Just to see what all the fuss is about…
I collided with something hard and heavy, cursing under my breath as I fell to the ground. Instinctively, I curled in on myself and covered my eyes, waiting for my death. Did I see it? Did I look? The seconds ticked by as I mentally checked myself for injuries or psychological trauma. No, I was still functioning. I didn’t inadvertently catch a glimpse of the alien body stalking all of humanity.
I hopped back to my feet, keeping my head lowered. I dusted myself off before looking around to see what I had so gracefully crashed into in my distraction. A man stood on the sidewalk, tall, muscular, and utterly still. His eyes were glazed over and raised toward the heavens. He seemed completely unbothered by the fact that another human had run into him, as a line of drool collected at the corner of his mouth, dribbling down his chin. His eyes sparkled in the sparse night light, reflecting something huge, a massive, glowing ball of—
No. I quickly averted my eyes.
Don’t look.
I wasn’t sure if catching the reflection of the thing in his eyes was enough to doom me to share his fate, but I didn’t want to take the risk. I reached out toward the Gazer and took his wrist in my hands, my fingers pressing firmly over his pulse point. His heart beat steadily under my fingertips, a calm but constantly burning ember that I knew would be extinguished when morning came.
I took a breath to steady myself as I let the man’s hand drop back to his side. There was nothing I could do for him now. The Sweepers would pick him up eventually and take him to wherever they kept the Gazers. The news claimed that they were sedated for their own safety and held in a government facility, but I had my doubts. As the number of Gazers grew, and the rest of humanity dwindled, it seemed more ethical to euthanize them.
Cynical, Elena always called me. As though my views on the world at large were somehow a negative. I generally preferred the term realist. If we wanted to live, we couldn’t look at the thing in the sky, couldn’t study it. Everyone who tried, died the same terrible death. And if we couldn’t study the thing, we couldn’t figure out how it was affecting people. We couldn’t find a cure for the Gazers. Keeping them alive was a waste of manpower and resources. Better to put them, and everyone else, out of their collective misery.
“Hey, Marco!” A voice called to me as I stepped onto the tile floor of the Emergency Department. The astringent scent of disinfectant burned my nostrils, and I wrinkled my nose against it out of habit. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”
“Might as well have.” I removed my hat and hoodie and stashed them under the desk at the center of the room. “I had a run in with a Gazer.”
“You didn’t see it, did you?” Randy gripped my chin in one hand and shined a penlight into my eyes with the other. “You didn’t get a look at the thing in the sky?”
“If I had, I wouldn’t be here…” I shoved him away, batting his hands off me. “I’m fine. Just wasn’t looking where I was walking, and I bumped right into him.”
“Was he already gone?” His tone took on a grim quality that I wished I didn’t understand.
“Yeah,” I said. “Dead to the world and everything in it. Everything except for the star.”
“You know that’s no star, right?” Randy leaned in and whispered, one eyebrow cocked.
“Alright, genius…” I rubbed the back of my head. “What do you think it is?”
“Aliens, my dude,” Randy yelled in a whisper.
“Aliens,” I deadpanned.
“Yeah, they’re catching people with their light, hypnotizing them and robbing them of all sense. Then the Sweepers collect them all through the night and hand them over to the extra-terrestrials to study.”
“Ahh,” I said, nodding in a knowing gesture. “That explains why you haven’t been caught yet. They’re looking for intelligent life.”
“Hey!” He punched my arm in mock offense. “Well, they haven’t caught you either!”
“Yep,” I said, putting on a show of solemnity. “You’re right. One of these days, you and I will be the only two dumbasses left on the entire planet.”
“Then we just need to find a few dumbass ladies to repopulate Earth with us.” He winked.
I laughed at the ridiculousness of the statement. “Yes, they would have to be dumbasses to fall for the charms of the likes of us.” I snickered. “Then we’ll have a whole planet of dumbasses and the aliens will leave us alone.”
A shrill scream interrupted our jovial banter, and Randy and I both rounded the desk to meet it.
“Help!” A woman cried as she stumbled down the hallway toward us. “Somebody please, help me!”
As I ran to the woman, I could finally see the source of the shriek echoing through the hallway. She held desperately to the thrashing, flailing form of another woman, a younger woman, howling bloody murder.
“My daughter!” she screamed at me as I arrived. “Help her, please!” She relinquished her hold and the struggling young woman collapsed gracelessly into my arms. She screeched into my face as her fingers clawed at her own, rending deep gouges into her cheeks. Her eyelids flapped uselessly, tattered pieces of skin falling around her face as blood pooled in the sockets where her eyes used to be. The viscous crimson liquid spilled over and smeared down her cheeks as she fought against my hold.
“Gazer!” I shouted to Randy as I attempted to restrain the violently thrashing woman.
He pulled the older woman off to the side as I picked the younger one up and hauled her toward a gurney.
“Get me the Midazolam, now! We need to sedate her!”
The woman howled and flailed on the bed, snapping her teeth viciously as I held her wrists, trying to keep her from harming herself further. Randy ran toward us, uncapping a needle as he approached, pushing her dress out of the way and jamming the syringe into her thigh. The woman jerked violently as he pushed the plunger and administered the sedative. She continued to thrash and shriek as the minutes passed, the sedative showing no signs of slowing her down.
“How much did you give her?”
“Six milligrams!” he yelled over her screeching. “That should have knocked her out cold!”
The woman curled her body, planting a foot against my shoulder and kicking with more power than a person her size should have been able to wield. I crashed back against the wall, the breath knocked violently from my lungs. My feet slid out from under me, bringing me to the ground with a hard thud. Gasping desperately for air, I crawled back to the gurney as the woman returned to clawing at her face.
