Excerpt
The girl on the television screen was still running and falling. She stopped to rest
against a tree, and a hand holding a giant cleaver came out from behind the tree. The
girl’s eyes widened as the cleaver punched into her neck. Rudy laughed.
“Pretty sick, man,” Charlie said.
“What are you watching?” I asked.
“Friday the 13th—one of the sequels,” Rudy said.
“We raided a video store,” Charlie explained. “Grabbed a box in a hurry. It ended up
being mostly these types of movies.”
“That would be a cool way to kill a vampire,” Rudy said. “Sneak up on it and slice its
neck open.”
“You know that wouldn’t kill it,” Charlie said. “You’d have to take the whole head
off.”
“I know,” Rudy said. “I’m just saying it would be cool…if they did die like that.”
“No shop talk in the lounge,” Cooper said.
Sam stood. “I have to go to bed now.”
“Hey, sorry, man,” Charlie said. “We can stop.”
“Nah, I’m just tired,” Sam said, leaving the lounge.
Mary closed her bible with a smack. “Sinners,” she said, her eyes sparing time for
each of us. She shuffled out of the lounge after Sam.
“Loon,” Rudy said under his breath.
Cooper offered the group beers from a fridge, and I accepted. I wrapped my hand
around the cold can and thought, I deserve this, and I did. The world had gone to hell in a
hand basket and I wanted to be sedated.
We watched the rest of the movie in silence, except for the occasional comments from
Rudy that included “Cool” and “That would be a cool way to kill a vampire” and “No
one with an ass like hers should die so bad.” By the end of the movie, I was ready to cut
my own head off. I felt woozy after only my third beer and figured it was time for bed.
“Great movie, guys,” I said, standing. “Very realistic. Come on, Schiz. Time for bed.”
“Can I come, too?” Rudy asked.
“Do I know you?”
“What does that matter?”
I smiled and not because I was finding him endearing. He was ludicrous, which is
funny when you’re tired and drunk. “Good night, everyone.”
“Wait, take my flashlight.” Cooper handed it to me. I wasn’t about to face the dark
hallway without some protection, so I thanked him and took it. From outside the unit, I
heard the conversation continue.
“She’d sleep with me if I was the last man on earth,” Rudy said.
“You realize you just insulted yourself,” Cooper said.
Someone laughed. Maybe Charlie.
“Oh boy,” I whispered to Schizo. He looked up at me with perked ears. My light cut
the darkness ahead of us as we made our way back.
Revamp
FOR THREE DAYS, IT WAS DARK.
News reporters scrambled. This was the biggest story to come along in weeks.
They called it a blackout.
The last one was in New York City in 2003, but this one was different, special, because the grids in six major cities across the country had been fried, kaput, see-you-next-Sunday. Everyone with some jurisdiction blamed each other, and when there was no one left to blame, terrorism rode in on its gallant steed.
It was the media’s fault. They were so busy stuffing fanatical Muslims with a penchant for Allah and decapitations down the American citizen’s throat, that they never saw it coming. I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on them.
They were partially right.
It was terror after all, but a whole new kind. And when the lights came back on, things had changed.
The dark had brought us visitors.
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Trick or Treating!
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