Chapter 8

[seymoure]

Chapter 8
“A Night Made of Death”

       The grassy knoll looked down on the town. The septet took reconnaissance positions still out of site of those below.
       From differing pockets on differing compatriots came “The Eye.” This creation of Mr. Mike (with an assist in the optics department from Dr. Thursday) and glowed with a low red light. Covering the infra-red spectrum, the device allowed the group to see things that, otherwise, would be cloaked in darkness.
       What they saw took their breath away.
       The small town was nothing unusual in itself. It looked like towns all around the country. With the exception, that is, of the fact that within its borders nothing was alight, and nothing was moving. It was night, but not that late.
       What was wrong was just outside the town limits.
       Standing, touching foot-to-foot, circling the entire area of Cedar City, was a living wall.
       Not a human one, mind you, but living. Or, so it would seem.
       With green-blue skin and standing a full 7 foot each the creatures did not move. The skin they possessed was a pasty texture and was non-reflective.
       “What are they, Doc?” whispered J.J.
       “I’ve seen one before,” came the answer.
       The things heads were nearly cubes, but with slightly rounded edges.
       As the dials on “The Eyes” were tuned to bring up the maximum amplification of image, there was a low gasp came from the crew.
       There was a uniformity of everything to do with the things, include the most unsettling aspect.
       The eyes were open, showing no division between any ball and pupil. The eye socket was filled with a solid ball the same color as the skin.
       The mouth was nothing more than a slash in the lower part of the head.
       And there was no nose evident anywhere, not even a nub.
       “They don’t move at all do they?” Baxter queried.
       “Not like Borneo, huh?” J.J. snorted, but no one answered.*(*See “Doc Faustus & The Dancing Zombies of Borneo”)
       The horror was interrupted by a sound from above.
       All eyes turned up to see an large plane coming in for a landing within the town boundaries.
       “Mat,” Mary Jane asked, “What language is that on the side of the plane?”
       Bergoin was considering something when the question was asked. With only a slight thought he answered, “German. It’s German.”
       “Leaping Lightning!” burst the words from Baxter, “What do you think Germans would want here?”
       Mr. Mike was scowling. “Ya think it’s got something to do with their new Chancellor?”
       Bergoin gritted his teeth and said, “I don’t like that guy, or the things I’ve read about what he believes in.”
       Doc was fully on the ground, staring into the city as the plane came down on the main street. An eerie musical sound moved up and down the scale.
       Everyone was heartened by that sound.
       Then it stopped.
       They all turned their eyes to the street that had acted as a landing strip.
       A gasp came up from the group. Coming out of a building came a half a dozen of the guards that were identical to those ringing the town limits.
       These gargantuans ringed a slight man who was hard to see at first. Then they backed off and the man in the middle came into view.
       He barely looked like a living man. He looked more like a cadaver. With black, deep-set eyes, pointed ears and amazingly amounts of sharp teeth coming from his head. He did not seem to touch the ground as he moved.
       The plane opened its hatch and several guards (though much more normal than those outside the plane) took up stations down the ramp. And then out walked the man who was the focus of everyone’s attention.
       Slight with a green uniform, and a small mustache he walked towards the cadaverous man, who bowed in greeting.
       Now the entire troop went back into the factory and the silence of the area was louder than ever before.
       “This ain’t good!” spat Mr. Mike.
       “It may be many things, “ Mat said, “But, good is none of them.”
       Mary Jane leaned towards Doc and said, “What do you think?”
       “Death & Horror were married in Cedar City tonight. Their offspring will change the world, if we don’t stop it.”
       Somewhere in the distance a single brave cricket sang its plaintive song.
©2005 C. Wayne Owens