Call Me Martin

Pale morning light touched everyone’s eyelids and shone on the wooden floors. Sherman and his friend were the first to wake. Wilson’s snoring was a like a wood saw.

“Damn,” Sherman said. “He’s loud.” Sherman grimaced as his mind kept replaying the last seconds of his brother’s life, the creature swooping down and snatching his head off. Sherman made his way to the kitchen and an old fashioned white refrigerator. It was full.

“Hey!” Sherman shouted. “We have food; eggs, sausages, juice and coffee!”

Ari walked in and poked his head in the refrigerator.

“Did you say, ‘Coffee?’”

“Amen,” Sherman answered, pulling out a carton of eggs, butter and bread.

“Check the expiration dates,” Ari cautioned.

“Fresh,” Sherman answered.

“That’s odd,” Ari said, glancing over his shoulder at Charlene who strolled into the kitchen wearing only a brazier and jeans. She pulled out a court of milk and sniffed it.

“That’s odd?” Charlene said, reaching into a cupboard to pull down a glass.

“That sheriff referred to this as ‘Old Town.’”,” Ari began. “And by the looks of everything outside, it fits the bill, except for this.” Ari picked up a package of sliced bread and examined the date. “Fresh, very fresh. They stocked this refrigerator with enough food to fill us up. But why?”

“Hunters like their pray well-fed,” Martin said from the entrance to the kitchen. He wore a long black turtleneck. His fedora cast a shadow over his mask.

Ari nodded. “You’re right.”

“Who cares?” Wilson said, pushing past Martin to walk in the kitchen. “I heard something about eggs and sausages.”

“Coming right up,” Sherman said, reaching into a cabinet to pull out two frying pans.

They ate heartily. The horror of the previous night seemed to be behind them. Martin remained in a corner, eating lightly and drinking a glass of water.

Amber brought him food and sat next to him.

“Why you so quiet, Martin?”

“I like to take things in.”

Amber tilted her head.

“What does that mean?”

“I observe things,” Martin answered.

“I like you,” Amber smiled.

“And I like you.”

“Okay,” Wilson’s voice boomed as he walked towards the front door. “It’s decision time.”

Charlene, who had disappeared into a bathroom, emerged wearing a button-down shirt. “What are we deciding?”

“To stay or go,” Wilson answered. “I don’t like being a sitting duck. My vote is we gather whatever we can carry and head out, try to find a car or a phone that works.”

Sherman’s friend, who hardly spoken a word, suddenly walked to the center of the living room.

“I’m for finding us some guns, big guns and going after that thing that killed Sherman’s brother.”

“Wallace,” Sherman said. “Tremor pumped seven slugs into that creature.”

“He’s right,” Ari interjected. “We can’t fight these things. We can only find a way out. And we will.”

Wilson folded his massive arms.

“I’d rather fight than run.”

“You’re serious?” Ari asked.

Wilson looked around the living room.

“I say we make some weapons, maybe something long and sharp that could impale those motherfuckers.”

Wallace walked over to a floor lamp.

“Get me a knife, no four knives and plenty of tape.”

“There’s two other floor lamps upstairs,” Charlene said. “And you have a dozen knives in the kitchen.”

Ari glared at Charlene.

“You agree with them?”

“It’s not a debate,” Charlene said. “I won’t be a victim.”

Wilson walked out of the living room and returned a minute later with a role of duct tape. “Found it under the kitchen sink.”

Wallace rubbed his hands.

“Alright. Time to make some weapons.”

A half hour later, Wilson stood in the middle of the living room, holding up three makeshift spears. He wore a sleeveless shirt that revealed a muscular arm covered with tattoos.

Ari shook his head.

“I don’t know about this.”

Wilson smirked.

“I’m not asking you to go, but I want to find out where these motherfuckers nest and I want to take them out.”

“Take the battle to the other team’s end-zone, huh?” Ari asked.

“Bingo.”

“And that’s exactly what they want you to do,” Martin said from the corner of the room. “Leave the safety of this building, venture out and go on the offensive. Hunters love a challenge.”

Wilson scowled.

“What the hell do you know about hunting? You look like you can’t even pick up a twig.”

Martin looked away.

“I’m going with you,” Wallace said, hurrying to Wilson’s side.

“Me too,” Charlene said, unbuttoning the bottom of her shirt and tying it to reveal her bare midriff. She grabbed a spare and looked it over.

“Charlene!” Ari said.

Charlene rolled her eyes.

“What?”

“I thought…”

Charlene frowned.

“Thought wrong.” Charlene turned and patted Wilson’s bicep. “I dated a football player in college. I miss those plays.”

“Fuck you,” Ari muttered and turned away.

“What about the masked man?” Wallace asked.

Charlene laughed.

“He’s tiny.”

“Sherman?” Wallace asked.

“No,” Sherman said. “I’ve seen enough stupid things. If a 9 mm couldn’t drop that thing, how are you gonna do it with spears?”

Wilson exchanged glances with Charlene and Wallace.

“We’re going to aim for the right place.”

“Yeah,” Sherman said, his head bobbing. “News flash—that sheriff said ‘friends’ as in more than one. Guess you never took an English class when you were playing college football.”

Wilson glared at Sherman and motioned to the door.

“We’re first going to that gas station and see if there’s any fuel in those tanks. We can make Molotov cocktails, burn their asses.”

Ari nodded.

“Not a bad idea. You’ll need some empty bottles and some strips of cloth.”

“Thanks for the lesson, Professor,” Wilson said and motioned to the door. He looked down Charlene’s cleavage and smiled. “After this is over, I’ll show you some things from my playbook.”

Ari frowned and turned away. He ignored the creak of the door and as Wilson, Charlene and Wallace stepped out onto the narrow walkway.

“Man,” Sherman said to Ari. “She really dissed you.”

Ari looked at the Sherman and nodded.

“Wouldn’t be the first time. She’s an attractive woman, probably goes for the alpha male type, someone who has a prestigious position or makes a lot of money or is physically powerful.”

“That’s called a biatch,” Sherman remarked. “It used to be mostly white chicks who were that way, now a lot of wanna-be black diva’s are going that route. I’m going to be a Marine and I’m going to get stationed in the Pacific and find me an Asian chick.”

Ari smiled and patted Sherman on the shoulder.

“I’m sorry about what happened to your brother. I lost my brother 10 years ago.”

Sherman nodded and walked to the window. He pulled open the shade. The warm midday sun shone on the glass. The street outside was empty. Patches of gravel and grass formed a checkerboard on the swale areas. The church and the hardware store across the street were bleached white with several broken windows.

“What is this place?” Sherman asked, stepping aside to let Ari look out.

“It’s a killing field,” Ari answered.

“What’s that?”

“A place where people go to be killed. In this case, it’s a hunting ground for something that is definitely not human and like no animal you would ever find in a zoo. I got a good look at that thing that killed your brother, Sherman. It looked a lot like a gargoyle.”

“What the hell is a gargoyle?”

“You see them on Gothic cathedrals. Many cultures across the world have legends that depict winged creatures with demonic faces descending from the skies. Some take human women as their concubines. Others, feast on human flesh. Some legends speak of outbreaks or cycles in which these demons attack, then hibernate and attack again. I remember reading about a bus on this route that ran off the road at night, killing everyone on board. It happened exactly seven years ago. I suspect, if you go back, you’ll find other bus crashes, vacationing families, hitchhikers, truckers all vanishing about every seven years.”

Ari paused, realizing that everyone was listening.

“Perhaps, these creatures have been around as long as we have. Perhaps, they are really demons, conjured up by the people who used to live in this town. Maybe they come from another world or some other realm. One thing for certain, the townsfolk that captured us last night have made a bargain with these creatures—bring them pray to hunt in exchange for life.”

“Damn,” Sherman said. “Maybe we should go and help the others?”

Ari glanced at Martin and little Amber.

“I don’t know how much the four of us can really help.”

“I can fight,” Sherman said. “I kicked Tremor’s ass last year when he cursed out Mama.”

Ari nodded.

“I have no doubt you can fight, Sherman, but you’re a robin going against a peregrine falcon.”

Sherman narrowed his eyes.

“I hear you.”

Ari pressed his face against the window.

“Where are they?”

“You want me to find out?” Sherman asked.

Ari turned to he boy.

“Yes, but let’s wait.”

“I can run fast.”

“Faster than those things?” Ari asked.

Sherman bit his lower lip.

“I don’t know, man, but what do we do if Wilson, Charlene and Wallace don’t come back?”

Ari shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

Sherman pressed his face against the window, his breath fogging the glass.

“Should we just wait for someone to rescue us, Mr. Ari?”

Ari stepped back and folded his arms.

“It all depends on who’s looking for us.”

Little Amber wiped her face and approached Ari.

“My auntie will be looking for me unless…”

“Unless what?” Martin asked.

Amber turned to Martin.

“I stayed with my auntie last year, when I was seven. She had her a man that liked little girls so they sent me back to my Mama but then my Mama got taken away by the police and the police took me to this place with a lot of bad girls and I got beat up, so child services people asked my auntie to take me.”

“What about her boyfriend?” Martin asked.

Amber shrugged.

“She said that he’s not around anymore.”

“What if he comes back?” Martin asked.

Amber swallowed.

“I don’t know.”

Martin walked over and knelt down in front of Amber. He reached his gloved hands out and held her hands.

“Is your mama in jail?” Martin asked.

Amber’s eyes grew bloodshot.

“Yeah. They didn’t let me see her because she hurt somebody in jail really bad and…and…”

“How long is she going to be in jail?” Martin asked.

“The judge told my Mama 20 years. She killed this guy who paid her money to…” Amber shut her eyes and shook her head.

Martin stood up and hugged Amber.

“Damn,” Sherman said, looking at Ari. “I thought I had it rough with my Mama’s boyfriend beaten on me and Tremor.”

Ari looked away.

“Some are born into lives of bliss. They skate along on smooth roads. Others, others have to crawl through jungles.”

Sherman looked Ari in the eye.

“You had some bad stuff happen to you, huh?”

Ari nodded.

“My brother and I watched our mother get raped by her lover right in front of us when we were kids. She liked bad boys; bikers, drunks, you know what I mean. Not every Jewish lawyer has a charmed life, Sherman.”

Sherman pressed his hand against a window.

“I don’t want to die in this stupid place.”

Ari took a deep breath and looked at Sherman.

“Neither do I.” He turned to Martin and Amber. “Look, there’s got to be a way out of here. I had an appointment with a Chicago law firm. They will call the bus company. That bus driver has a supervisor who will know that the bus never made it to Chicago. The highway patrol is probably already looking for us.”

“The last bus was found in a ravine,” Martin said. “The bus we rode in is probably a burnt shell by now.”

Ari ran his fingers through his hair.

“They do forensics, look for remains.”

“Did they ever find the passengers from that bus seven years ago?” Martin asked.

Ari shook his head.

“I don’t know. I only read the article because I’m so damned obsessive compulsive. I can’t even get on a plane or a ship or…”

“You saw your mother raped in front of you,” Martin said. “Forgive yourself, Ari.”

Ari opened his mouth to speak but Amber suddenly ran to the window.

“I heard something.”

“What?” Ari asked.

“A scream, a woman’s scream.”

“Charlene,” Ari said, approaching the door.

“You going out there?” Sherman asked.

A guttural scream echoed from down the street. There was a sound like ripping cardboard, followed by a final wail that chilled everyone to the bone, then silence.

“We have to,” Ari said, his voice breaking.

“It’s over,” Martin said, “the screams, the struggle.”

Ari’s vision grew foggy.

“We can’t just let them die.”

“They’re already dead,” Martin said. “Give it a minute. The thing that attacked us last night and killed Sherman’s brother did not come back for the rest of us. Think about it.”

Ari wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve.

“You’re saying they get their fill and don’t come back for seconds?”

“No,” Martin said, drawing close to the window. “They will come back. This was lunch. They’ll be back for dinner.”

“Why didn’t they attack us here?” Sherman asked.

Ari moistened his lips.

“I think I can answer that.”

“Okay?” Sherman said, shuffling his feet.

Ari walked towards the kitchen and stopped. He looked up at the dark rafters. “I don’t think they know we’re here. These buildings are probably well insulated. Others must have taken refuge here and they must have either ran or tried to take these creatures on. We can probably stay here indefinitely, providing Sheriff Crew-Cut gives us supplies. Sooner or later, any sane person will want to leave. It’s human nature.”

Ari turned and headed toward the door.

“Anyone want to come with me? I’m just going to take a look. Sherman?”

“Hell, no,” Sherman said. “I saw what they did to my brother. It gave me enough nightmare material to last a lifetime. Ain’t no drug or drink that will shut that out of my mind.”

“True,” Ari said, turning the door handle.

“I’ll go with you,” Martin said.

“NO!” Amber shouted. “Don’t leave me.”

Martin got down on his knees and took Amber’s hands.

“I’m not going to be long. Sherman will be here.”

Sherman walked over and looked down at Amber.

“That’s right, little sister. One of them gargoyle creatures comes in here and I’ll jack his ass up.”

Ari smiled and motioned for Martin to follow him. He pushed the door open, the warm air hitting him in the face. The wooden stoop creaked under foot as he and Martin stepped out. Ari scanned the sky before stepping onto the gravel path that led to the street.

“I hope this is safe,” he muttered, looking in both directions. The flower shop next door was dark. The street itself was covered with leaves and islands of dirt. Several gaping pot holes formed a chain. The gas station loomed ahead.

Ari turned to Martin.

“What do you think?”

Martin seemed to sniff the air.

“We’re safe for now, but not for long.”

“Okay,” Ari said, hurrying towards the road, the gravel crunching under his feet. “Let’s be quick.”