Empire's End - Time of Doors Season 1 Episode 4 (Book 3): Post Apocalypse EMP Survival - Dark Scifi Horror (Time of Doors Serial EMP Dark Fantasy Apocalyptic Book Series) Read online

  Harvey set up behind the counter and thunked the heavy rifle’s bipod down on its surface. He scanned the parking lot, saw the quick movement of a scaled body-part pass behind a car, then took a few shots, shooting through the vehicle.

  And then, just as suddenly as they showed up, the snake women were gone...

  All three of the men still in the fight scanned the parking lot with their weapons. The only sounds were Officer White groaning and struggling against the repulsive snake-arrow whipping around in his arm. Mendez loaded a couple more shells into his mag tube.

  “What are we gonna do?!” Mendez said.

  Becker lowered his rifle.

  “Okay,” the sergeant said, looking around at everyone. “First, get that snake-thing out of White’s arm. We’ve gotta keep moving to the gun shop, or we’ll be overrun next time we’re attacked! We’re almost out of ammo...”

  “What about drinks?” Harvey asked. “What’d you find?”

  Becker nodded at a couple of women’s purses sitting on the floor against an aisle shelf. They bulged with their contents, surrounded by little drifts of red sand on the linoleum floor.

  “Energy drinks in the purses. Take a purse.”

  “Purses?” Harvey said.

  “There were some purses and shit scattered around,” Mendez said.

  “Anyone else noticing that we’re not seeing any bodies around here?” Harvey asked.

  White screamed suddenly, and Harvey looked over. Mendez stood over him, wrestling at the snake-arrow, and wrenched it out of his arm! It was like a snake—just like a real snake, held in Mendez’s fist. The thing tried to bite him, but he was holding it just behind the head, and its body and tailed whipped around in a frenzy to get free!

  “Demon snake,” Mendez said, then threw it to the floor and stomped on its head with his boot before the creature could recover.

  Officer White leaned against the wall, holding his left arm, shocked and in pain.

  “Pull it together, White,” Becker said. “We’ve got to move on.”

  “Yes sir,” the wounded cop replied, reaching down to retrieve his shotgun with a grimace.

  Harvey picked up a purse with a few Gatorades and such inside, then, looked at Price...

  Petrified. Turned to stone.

  He couldn’t believe it, but there it was!

  Then again, there was a lot of crazy shit he was seeing—zombies and demons and giants and weird abomination creatures made from human body parts torn apart and fused back together...

  Detective Price stood solid; his skin, clothes, armor, even his rifle, all grey and textured—solid stone. He was still in his aggressive stance behind the counter. His finger was still pulling the trigger! But the rifle—it just stopped working when it turned into solid rock...

  Harvey reached out and touched him, then immediately regretted it when a wave of nausea and terror swept through him.

  But for the grace of God, there go I, he thought.

  It could have been him.

  Fuck that. There was no God here. This was Hell...

  They got moving.

  After divvying up the remaining ammo (all of Price’s ammo was turned to stone), they each took a purse of fluids, each paused to drink some from the coolers before heading out, then stepped back out into the crimson light of the swirling sky and back to Swenson Street, heading south to Flamingo. Harvey turned dour when Becker declared that Harvey didn’t need any more 9mm rounds, since he still had the M60 and a magazine of pistol ammo left.

  Once they reached the intersection, the officers all stopped to examine the body of the gigantic demon Harvey had killed in the street before they took refuge in the liquor store.

  It was a massive monster, already partially covered with the red sand now constantly blowing through. Its lower body was covered with thick brownish-black fur, and its upper body was slick and pink and muscular—like a twenty-foot-tall satyr with legs too thin for its weight. It had viciously clawed feet, and unnaturally-long, thickly-muscled arms ending in broad hands with long fingers tipped with black talons. The giant’s neck was just a cairn of corded muscles, and its jaws were wide and shaped like a big moon, full of rows of shark’s teeth! It had short, curved horns on its head, but Harvey had already seen that. The most interesting thing was the weird ribcage prison-type-thing in its chest...

  “Help me out,” Harvey said, putting down the M60 and trying to pry the ribs open. There was a lot of room inside the cavity within—it was like the inside of an economy van!

  “No fucking way!” White said. “Get away from that thing!”

  Mendez stepped up, dropping his gun onto its sling and pulling against the ribs on the opposite side of Harvey. All of the team stared into the gaping red hole opening up with morbid curiosity...

  “Bodies,” Harvey said.

  Of course there were bodies inside...

  They were all dead, crammed into the large blood-red space, some of them sticking to the walls of white rib-bones with bright red muscular sheathing webbed in between. Normal people, all dead, all twisted together—probably for the massive monster to eat later?

  But how would it eat with no stomach? Harvey thought.

  Harvey saw the glint of metal on dark brown, and tugged at the leg of a police officer entwined with the pile. He pulled out the deceased form of someone whose nametag identified him as “R. Perez”, who no one recognized. There was no apparent cause of death—no wounds. Either the big demon poisoned him inside that big, red cavity, or it killed Perez in some other way that wasn’t apparent. At any rate, Harvey could use what the dead man had. He inspected Perez’s duty belt, pulled out an extra mag from a slimy belt-pouch, then pulled the guy’s Glock and removed the mag.

  “Well there you go, Swanson,” Becker said with a frown. “You’ve got your ammo...”

  Harvey nodded and stood, and they kept moving south.

  “Shouldn’t call them Medusas, by the way,” Mendez said suddenly as their boots crunched through the gathering red sand.

  “Quiet,” Becker snapped.

  “What do you mean? Those are Medusas, from ancient mythology!” Harvey replied. “Greek mythology, obviously. They even fucking turned Price to stone...”

  “Not exactly,” Mendez replied. “They’re called Gorgons. Medusa was just the name of one of them—the one Perseus killed.”

  “Gorgons, huh?” Harvey replied, stepping over a large row of red sand that was accumulating between cars.

  “Well, look who’s such a smart fucking guy,” Becker replied, dripping with sarcasm. “Shut the fuck up and pay attention to your surroundings won’t you? Code yellow, assholes...”

  Officer White stayed quiet and brought up the rear. Harvey checked on him from time to time as they moved forward, eventually passing a large stucco apartment complex on the east side of the street. Flagpoles lined the entire complex with yellow and red pennants that fluttered violently in the hot wind. The apartments went on for quite a while, and the squad stayed low between abandoned vehicles as they moved, because they heard the squishing, plopping sounds of a mass of abominations nearby, along with the sounds of other demons and the distant screaming and wails of civilians doomed to terrible deaths...

  Past a gated lot in front of a multistory building was another huge stucco apartment complex, with a long-term lease apartment building across the street that was half-demolished. It was as if a giant fist from the heavens had come down and just smashed half of the building into rubble! Harvey didn’t understand how that could have eroded so quickly, in just less than a day, short of a huge fire, which obviously wasn’t the case. A great, big banner whipped in the breeze, partly torn, that told passers-by to check it out! Newly renovated units now available!

  The piles and piles of rubble were already red with the sand that was constantly sweeping across everything with the scorching winds.

  Just as they were approaching the corner of Swenson and Flamingo, the air grew loud with burning gasses, and Harvey k
new that something major was on fire up ahead. For the most part, aside from when they were fighting or listening to demons torture people nearby, the landscape was pretty quiet. But then again, Harvey knew that he’d suffered some serious hearing damage. He didn’t even want to think about how much he was missing because of all of that loud gunfire in his face...

  Up ahead, on the corner, was a gas station. The roof structure over the gas pumps was collapsed, and the small storefront building, along with the island of pumps and its ruined canopy, was on fire.

  The building that had big, red words, promising ice, soda, and groceries, burned with a big plume of black smoke that rose steadily into the crimson sky like a sooty waterfall pouring ever-upwards, and intense blue and red jets of roaring flames emitted constantly from where the gas pumps themselves used to be! All around the tank fires were twisted hunks of blackened metal and burning plastics of what used to be the pumps, trash cans, and the metal roof.

  “Whoa,” Mendez said. “I thought those pumps had auto-shutoffs or something.”

  “I guess they don’t anymore,” White replied.

  Over the roaring jets of pressurized flames, Harvey was able to make out the sudden sounds of screams and snarls and other wet noises from behind them, and he turned to look back up Swenson from where they came...

  He pivoted the machine gun around to face the crowd of people stampeding out of the apartment building to the north, streaking across the sandy street, running in all directions as they screamed and fled from the myriad of zombies and demons just behind them, leaping and slashing and grinning with mouths of slavering fangs and extra-long fingers tipped with savage claws reaching for mortal flesh! A sickening tide of rolling and bouncing body-part abominations followed, bursting out over the retaining wall onto the street with a speed that surprised Harvey, chasing the survivors with random forearms, hands, feet; gibbering and belching with rude, stitched mouths that dripped pus and bile behind them!

  As Harvey raised his weapon, and his teammates also turned to react, he realized that there was no way they’d have enough ammo for all of them. Just as several blue-fire-eyed zombies peeled off from the chase to dash toward his pitiful group of four, Harvey lined his sights up on the first long-tongued monster heading his way, and firmly squeezed the trigger...

  2 - Megan McKinney

  Zion National Park, UT

  If Megan pushed all of the weird stuff out of her mind, the rustling trees and huge rock formations towering over her, blotting out the dimming light of the evening, would let her think that tonight was just like any other night in Zion National Park...

  Her sneakers crunched on the gravel of the trail in time with her brisk pace, and the young woman stared ahead, watching for danger in the road before her.

  She had no reason to think that there was danger—not yet—but the way the tourists were all changing had her on edge. Especially the way that they were all focused, seemingly, on her.

  Ramon followed, his steps light and inconsistent on the trail behind her.

  “How far are we going?” he asked.

  She kept her eyes forward, but felt his burning into her.

  “It’s about forty miles to St. George.”

  “Oh, I know. But to the Ranger Station...?”

  “Don’t you remember, Ramon?” she asked. “We jogged and walked this way twice just yesterday! The Ranger Station is a bit south from the campground.”

  “Maybe we should just go wait in your car...?” he offered, the end of his sentence spiraling toward a question mark.

  “Why? It’s dead.”

  “I dunno...” he replied.

  The two of them walked in silence for a while, Megan listening to the sound of the wind, their footsteps, and the Virgin River on their right...

  The night darkened, the beautiful light of the sunset setting the canyon sky on fire and blistering the red and white ridgetops with pink and orange strokes, gradually fading until the entire world around Megan was dark blue.

  An animal moved through the brush on her right, and she gasped, jerking her eyes across the river!

  So stressed, she thought.

  The men with the golden eyes were getting more and more aggressive—more and more weird. She didn’t see them treating anyone else that way—just Megan. Normal guys dressed in clothes from sporting goods stores, there with there with their wives and children—staring at her like they wanted to rape her. Kill her. Eat her?

  Megan shook her head.

  She had no idea. She’d never seen it before...

  Crazy stuff.

  Ramon’s eyes were turning gold, too. Hopefully he wouldn’t get all weird on her as well...

  As if he wasn’t already.

  What a wimp, she thought.

  Either his mind was being warped by whatever crazy distortion was being brought onto everyone who touched the golden monoloth in the park, or, he was just totally falling apart in this ‘crisis moment’. He was never very strong—that part of him always left her uneasy, always afraid to totally commit to a serious relationship, and the fault was glaringly obvious now.

  Ramon was a man-child. He still lived with his mom, for God’s sake.

  What was she thinking?

  Megan paused. Ramon’s footsteps on the path behind her faltered, and she felt his hands tentatively collide with her shoulders.

  “What is it??” he whispered.

  Up ahead, Megan saw the shadow of a small kiosk. She knew that it was the shuttle stop in between the Lodge and the Mount Carmel Highway. There would be a small shelter—just a little roof for shade—on either side of the road, and a trailhead on the east side. Just a little past the structure was a side-road for the workers; she’d never been up that way before.

  She listened.

  Would they run into any crazed tourists with golden eyes up there in the dark?

  “What do you think is up there?” Ramon whispered.

  “Be quiet!” she replied. “Listen...”

  Satisfied that they were still alone, Megan continued, pausing to take out her flashlight when they reached the shuttle stop. She clicked it on and swept the white beam through the two small structures and the trees beyond. Stepping onto the concrete platform under the west roof, she walked out to the fence, shining the light down to the water of the low river. The stream glistened as it rushed on, unconcerned.

  Megan looked back at Ramon.

  “I’m gonna pee. Stay here,” she said.

  “Okay,” he replied, slinking back to one of the structure’s posts to lean against it.

  Megan stepped around the edge of the concrete platform and followed the gravel run-off down to the shore of the Virgin River. She still didn’t detect anyone around them; no sounds other than the constant trickling of the flowing water.

  She pulled down her tights and squatted, shining the light across the river into the trees and field on the other side. Ramon started humming up above on the platform...

  When Megan finished, just before she stood, she swung the white beam of her light out across the river once more, then gasped. For just an instant, she thought the light picked up on the reflection of two golden eyes, shining back at her like cat eyes in the darkness, from across the water...

  Her stomach filled with cold fear, and Megan stood up like a shot, pulling her leggings up as she went, and shined the light out across the river again!

  Nothing.

  Her heartbeat quickened, and she suddenly felt like the night was full of monsters, watching her from the darkness...

  “What the hell?!” she whispered to herself, if only to comfort her own mind with the sound of her voice.

  She flashed the light all around the field across the Virgin River, zipping the beam around, seeking out the reflective eyes she was sure she saw...

  Did deer’s eyes reflect in darkness?

  Lots of animals’ did.

  Her muscles felt like springs, and her backpack and gear felt weightless as her body grew taught an
d prepared for fight or flight. Megan wasn’t sure how long she stood there, flashing the light around in the darkness, before the more rational part of her brain reminded her that she should save her batteries and move on...

  “What is it?” Ramon asked from above.

  Megan spun and flashed the light on his face. He was leaning up against the fence, looking down at her, and peering out into the darkness. The gold in his eyes seemed to shine in her light.

  This was turning bad, she thought—getting worse all the time. Something really bad is going to happen here...

  “Let’s keep moving,” she said, clicking the light off and dashing back up the incline to the road. Megan took off heading south on the pavement, struggling to keep from breaking into a run. She heard Ramon’s feet start up uncertainly, then, he hurried to catch up to her.

  Could she even trust Ramon? What if she told him about the gold eyes in the dark? Would he be in on it? Would he turn on her when whatever transformation he was undergoing was complete??

  “This is crazy...” she said to herself.

  “What?” Ramon asked, following right behind her. “What do you think? Are you okay? What are you thinking?”

  “It’s alright, Ramon,” Megan replied, looking back at him over her shoulder. “This place is just getting a little creepy.”

  “I agree,” he said. “At least—is it weird for me to think so? I think I agree...”

  “Let’s get to the station,” she replied, and they continued quietly to the south as the sky turned from dark blue to black...

  Megan tried to avoid conversation for a while. There was definitely something off about Zion right now, and she knew that she’d need to keep full situational awareness to stay on top of things. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they was being stalked; that there were men or beasts with golden eyes in the woods just outside of her vision, rustling through the thin tree trunks of the elm and boxelder, and deftly dodging through the underbrush and chunks of granite.