Call Me Martin

A cool April wind blew down the street, stirring dead leaves and debris. In the 20 minutes they had been in the hardware store, several dark clouds had crept over the horizon moving directly above the town. A single rain drop spattered on the cracked asphalt as they crossed the street.

Ari paused to see Martin close behind him, carrying a can of turpentine and the empty wine bottle.

“I totally forgot,” Ari remarked.

“I never forget,” Martin said, his head pivoting in both directions. “I think we should get inside.”

Just then, a black shadow sailed down the street and made a bee line directly towards them.

“Inside!” Ari shouted and grabbed the door. It was locked. “Come on. Sherman, Amber. It’s us!” Ari pounded on the door, glancing over his shoulder at an immense black shape that dove towards them.”

The door lock clicked and Sherman stood, his lips quivering.

“Ari, man, we thought you were…”

Ari shoved his way inside, with Martin close behind him. A whirlwind of dust and leaves blasted the window as Ari slammed the door shut and paused to catch his breath. He bent over, wheezing.

A dark shadow fell over the window and slowly moved away.

Little Amber hurried over to throw her arms around Martin.

“Shh,” Ari said, closing his eyes. “Nobody breathe.”

Ari put his ear to the door, listening.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Martin whispered. “It might pick up your scent.”

Ari slowly backed away from the door and motioned for everyone to move into the kitchen. The patter of rain on the large front window caught everyone by surprise.

Little Amber’s cheeks puckered and exploded in a heavy exhale.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Ari. I have to breathe.”

Ari smiled.

“It’s okay, Amber. I think we’re safe, right, Martin?”

Martin’s head slowly pivoted towards the front door and window.

“For now.”

Sherman glanced at the window.

“Man, we were thinking they got you.”

Ari coughed. “

“We were in the hardware store. We met someone who lives there.”

“Who?” Sherman asked.

Martin set the turpentine and wine bottle down on the floor and hugged little Amber. “She’s lived there for seven years. In the basement.”

“Damn,” Sherman said. “And she never tried leaving?”

Ari glanced at Martin.

“She tried, probably a few times, but she gave up. Now, she’s pinning her hopes on sending a distress call.”

“Fuck that,” Sherman said. “I’m about getting my black ass out of this place.”

“I hear you,” Ari said. “But we do it right.”

“We learned some things,” Martin said as Amber took his hand and led him towards the couch.

“Like what?” Sherman asked.

Ari stood erect and turned the dead bolt on the front door.

“We learned that this town is surrounded by a lake on one side and a forest on the other two sides, leaving the way we came in as the only real way out.”

“That sucks,” Sherman said, looking at Martin and Ari. ’Unless, one of you guys can swim across the lake and get help.”

“Not going to happen,” Ari said. “According to our friend across the street, they put something in that lake, something dangerous.”

“Like piranhas?” Sherman asked, his mouth twisting.

“Worse, much worse.”

Ari looked at Martin who nodded in agreement.

“We have to bide our time,” Ari said, looking Sherman in the eye. “We make whatever weapons we can, and I don’t mean the little spears that Wilson, Charlene and Wallace left with this morning. You know your history, Sherman?”

“Military history, sir.”

“Do you know what the Polish Army did at the beginning of World War II, when Germany invaded Poland?”

Sherman shook his head.

Ari took a deep breath.

“Hitler spent many years modernizing the German Army; mastering mechanized warfare, creating and implementing Blitzkrieg. When he invaded Poland, he waged a 20th Century war against a 19th Century opponent. As a last-ditch effort, the Polish Army charged German tanks on horseback. Can you imagine? Poland fell quickly as did France less than a year later. The lesson is don’t march into war until you are properly equipped.”

Sherman nodded.

“Okay, so are we gonna make us a rocket launcher?”

Ari glanced at Sherman.

“Given enough time we probably could. But I suspect, we have less time than we realize.”

“Didn’t you say that chick in the hardware store has been here for seven years?” Sherman asked.

“Those things never saw her,” Martin said.

“What?” Sherman asked.

“When her group went out to confront the creatures, she stayed behind. Ari and I have definitely been seen.”

“But not you two.” Ari said, looking from Sherman to Amber.

“What about last night when we are on that road?” Sherman asked. “Your torch, my brother emptying a whole clip of 9mm shells?”

“That was one creature,” Martin said. “A probable scout who saw the torch, smelled our fear and went for the one amongst us who had a weapon.”

Sherman looked at his reflection in Martin’s dark sunglasses.

“You mean, Amber and I are safe as long as we stay here, inside this place?”

“Yes,” Martin answered. “Just like the woman across the street.”

Sherman’s dark eyes wandered up to the ceiling.

“I ain’t staying in here for no seven years. They don’t even have TV.”

Ari chuckled and pulled out his cell phone.

“Forget TV. Give me cell phone service.”

“Amen,” Sherman said, slapping his pocket. “Nothing. No bars.”

Martin slowly turned his head toward the door.

“We have company.”

Sherman stepped back and bolted for the kitchen to retrieve a butcher knife. He returned a moment later.

Ari frowned.

“Really now?”

Just then, there was a thump at the door. Little Amber screamed. Martin reached down to take her hand.

Several more thumps came again.

“Whatever is out there, knows we’re in here,” Ari said, slowly moving towards the door.

“Don’t open it,” Sherman said, hurrying to the window. “Damn, there’s a tall girl outside here carrying a huge duffle bag.”

“Rebecca,” Ari said, walking hastily to the door and unbolting it.

Rebecca stood, straining to hold onto the large duffle bag.

Ari grabbed it and grimaced as it nearly dropped on the floor.

“Remind me not to challenge you to a wrestling match.”

Rebecca slapped her bicep. “300 push-ups per day.” She glanced at Martin and looked Ari in the eye. “I’m tired of being alone. I just want to be with people again. If you don’t mind.”

Ari looked at Sherman, Amber and Martin.

“I don’t make the decisions here. If you’re all okay with it?”

Sherman shrugged.

“More women, the better.”

Martin nodded.

“We have room.”

Amber nodded.

“Yeah, we have room.”

“Thanks,” Rebecca said, stepping in and shutting the door behind her. “I brought wine, some food and my toys.”

“TOYS?” Amber asked.

Rebecca’s face creased into a half-smile as she approached Martin and Amber.

“Sorry, but maybe we can find a toy somewhere.” Rebecca looked at Martin. “Is she your daughter?”

Martin shook his head.

“Yes,” Amber said. “Martin is my daddy.”

Rebecca’s demeanor changed. She turned toward Ari, her eyes bloodshot.

“I have a husband and a daughter waiting for me in Chicago.” She closed her eyes. “God, my daughter must be 13 by now and my husband…” She shook her head. “He probably gave up on me after the 72-hour period.”

Ari lowered his head.

“There’s nobody waiting for me. What about you Sherman?”

“My mama in Louisville. She’s freaking right now, I can tell you. On the phone with the police every hour.”

“What about you, Martin?” Rebecca asked.

Martin slowly shook his head.

Ari walked over to bolt the front door and cautiously moved to the window and ever so slowly parted the curtains just an inch. The rain had stopped, and sun light glittered off the asphalt. His eyes wandered skyward towards a patch of blue sky.

“Do any planes fly overhead?” He asked.

Rebecca walked over to join Ari at the window. Her breath was heavy on his cheek and reeked of tuna and wine, not a great combination, Ari thought.

“We’re far from any flight path. The best we can hope for is some rich guy cruises over in a Lear Jet and decides to develop this area.”

“Too bad,” Ari mumbled. “There’s a big mirror in my room upstairs.”

“I know,” Rebeca said. “I explored every inch of this place. You’re hoping to signal a plane, S.O.S. Good idea if we were near a flight path.”

Ari stepped back from Rebecca and the window and looked at Martin.

“What if we caused something to happen here?”

“We already talked about an explosion,” Martin said.

Ari frowned.

“I was thinking more of a sewage leak, maybe going into that lake. If we could abruptly change the composition of the water and the color, we might…”

“We might get somebody’s attention like the EPA,” Martin said.

“What’s the EPA?” Sherman asked.

“Environmental Protection Agency,” Martin answered.

“They monitor bodies of water, using satellite imagery,” Ari said.

Rebecca laughed.

“We need a lot more shit then all of us can produce.”

Ari nodded.

“There must be a main line somewhere.”

“And how long would it take for some EPA bureaucrat to look at a satellite photo and send a team out to Lake Monster Bath?” Rebecca asked, her lips twisting.

Ari took a deep breath.

“I don’t know, a month, maybe two.”

“Try a year, if at all,” Rebecca said as she made her back to her duffle bag and retrieved a homemade radio. She set it down on a walnut coffee table and put her hands on her hips. She looked at Sherman. “Have you explored the attic?”

Sherman squinted.

“There’s an attic here?”

Rebecca nodded.

“A big one. Full of conduit, insulation, old umbrellas, coffee makers, crap, all crap.”

Sherman shook his head.

“I ain’t going up there and get bit by bugs and all sorts of stuff.”

“I thought you want to be a Marine.” Ari said.

Sherman rolled his eyes.

“I ain’t volunteering for jungle duty. I want South Korea or Okinawa.”

“They send you where they need you,” Ari said, turning to Rebecca. “Why did you mention the attic?”

Rebecca reached into her duffle bag and pulled out a spool of wire.

“I just need to run a wire up there. Ideally, I would like to shove one of those conduits through the roof.”

Ari looked at Rebecca’s radio.

“You think it will work?”

Rebecca shrugged.

“If not, there’s always the barn, providing those pipes we saw are hollow.” Rebecca looked at Sherman and Martin. “I just need someone small enough with enough strength to make a hole in the roof, cut some conduit and give us an antenna.”

“You got insect repellant?” Sherman said. “In case something wants to crawl on my leg.”

Rebecca motioned to the kitchen.

“There’s bug spray under the sink. Take your pick.”