The Night the Sky Fell (16 page)

A dozen creatures played crack-the-whip and flung the last creature towards the wounded motel clerk. As he fell to the road, several dozen babies covered him and attacked him with their singular tooth. A man with a shotgun ran to the street and shot at a flung creature that fell to the street. As he continued shooting at the air born flung creatures, Tricia headed out of the motel room as some babies fell on her windshield oozing green.

As the trio crammed into Tricia’s car, she turned the ignition with success. She then turned on the windshield wipers and plunged the water button causing the ooze to spread throughout the window which apparently blinded her. She grabbed a pillow case and opened the door to remove the filth. Tricia repeatedly uttered, “Disgusting!”

While Tricia was somewhat satisfied with the windshield, other people were occupied with fighting off the creatures. Tricia staggered back into the car. Ann was thinking about the way these creatures were acting in teams. “Perhaps they were ‘sending.’” she thought. Then she realized that they might have a leader. She was going to think about that some more after they were all safe.
 

Amongst the Tricia chatter of expletives, Peyton yelled out, “Are we going home?”
 

The girls screamed, “Yes!” Tricia cracked her gum and Peyton seemed to comprehend that things were normalizing. The more Tricia cracked her gum, the more Peyton found it to be soothing.

As they approached Skyline Boulevard, creatures ran after Tricia’s car. The monsters attached themselves to the sides of the tires and gnawed away at the rubber tires. The first tire that blew out resulted in that wheel to be riding on its rim. The grinding rim against the pavement created some deliberate driving maneuvers. The creatures that attached themselves to that wheel had splattered to the pavement. The loud sounds from the grinding brought more creatures. The other tires blew. The car rolled on all four rims making a grinding sound that brought even more creatures.

Crawling babies were after Mrs. Kadet. She ran into the street screaming and jumped on the hood to get away from some creatures. Tricia’s slow rolling screeching car decelerated to a few miles per hour. For a moment, Mrs. Kadet avoided the creatures. Several creatures jumped on the hood and attacked Mrs. Kadet’s eye. Her eye partially unhinged. Mr. Kadet ran over and covered her with a jacket. He picked up the weeping Mrs. Kadet who was cupping her eye. He ran carrying her back to his house. The girls screamed.

Unaware, Peyton asked, “Why are you two screaming?”
 

Ann responded, “We’re almost there, Peyton.”

As the car rolled to a stop, creatures approached by walking, flinging and jumping. Holding a fire poker, Banks Blackhorse ran from the Powers’ house covered with blankets. The Monarch Raven watched the action from the Powers’ roof.

Tricia opened the door and handed Peyton to Banks who immediately covered him.
 

Banks told Tricia while smiling to Ann, “I’ll be right back.” As he ran with Peyton in his blanketed arms, “Hey, Sport, I missed you!” Julie opened the door to let them in as Stan ran out for Tricia. Banks followed as he skewered groups of creatures. Banks grabbed Ann, “Welcome…back.”

Julie gathered wood near the fireplace. She started a fire as Tricia hugged her. Julie understood the forces that controlled Tricia and gave her a hug. Words of apologies poured out of the teens’ mouths but for the first time the men found them unnecessary.

Ann and Banks locked eyes. There was so much that each wanted to tell the other. Ann, as always, prioritized her thoughts with others in mind. She concluded that first she must confront her parents and spend quality time with them. Once she felt that she was forgiven and once the status quo was recaptured, then she would move on to Banks Blackhorse who was very high on her list. She needed to communicate that this was the time that she must spend with her parents. She spoke to Banks lovingly with depth and tenderness. Banks understood. He so much wanted to hold her in his arms and let her know the admiration he felt for her. He wanted to kiss her all over and let him know how he ached during her absence. But, for now, Banks simply said, “I understand.” This prompted an involuntary touch from Ann to Banks. She simply slid her fingers over his hand with a glowing smile. And somehow, the depths of despair that Banks Blackhorse endured from last night were gone.

Next door, Dassi and Murray dressed in thick coats, heavy gloves, and ski goggles. Dassi carried the medical bag and each carried an umbrella. Despite Murray’s bandaged wounds, the couple made a run for it to the Powers’ house. Banks let the couple in as a creature clung to Dassi’s coat. Stan stabbed it and threw it into the fire as the creature roared to its demise.

In the kitchen, Tricia, Ann and Peyton quenched their thirsts. In the living room, Murray sat down. From inside his jacket a creature peered out. Banks followed the creature as it hopped to the kitchen and attacked the refrigerator. It tried to open the door of the fridge. None of them had seen the sort of behavior before. Astonished, Tricia grabbed cooking mittens, picked up the creature and tossed it into the microwave. Tricia and Ann gave a ‘thumbs down’ to one another and Tricia pushed the start button. The creature roared and then splat green. They chimed, “Gross!”
 

As Stan ran in, Tricia’s gum cracking ceased, “Dad, we nuked a baby!” “That’s my Sweetpea.” He hugged his daughter as the gum cracking continued.

Banks eyed the refrigerator then eyed the microwave. He nodded as if he understood the meaning of its behavior.
 

Banks attempted to call Chief Dan, but there was no connectivity. He tried the landline and it failed. Tricia told Stan about Mrs. Kadet’s eye and they thought that they should relay the information to Murray. Murray wanted to go over to their house, but the others warned against that. Julie tried to call her on her cell but that proved to be futile. Others discovered that their cells were useless. Banks wondered if all was back to normal…as normal as possible…back at the Compound. He realized that he must contact his uncle for advice to bring an end to the creatures.
 

Ann sensed Banks’ quandary and comforted him with one of her special touches that Banks’ pined for. “Ann, it’s nice to be with the old you again.”
 

“I like the old you too.” Banks turned to her quizzically. She patted his chest: “I think the old you had no necklace.” He gets it and smiles.
 

Peyton grilled, “Do the creatures have purple hair and green blood?” Banks and Ann share a mouth opening look. “Yes, Sport. They do.”

Dassi checked Murray’s wounds. Ann watched her mother’s skilled hands and then Ann looked at her own hands. She realized that her mother was dressing the wounds that Ann created. This thought brought about a wave of tears. Banks understood instantly what was happening to Ann and he suggested to Ann that perhaps she might help her mother. Ann nodded in agreement and prepared a large bowl of hot water for her mother to work with. What Murray saw was a team of medical helpers working on him. And the team was his beloved family. He reassured Ann that the wounds were minor and that he would heel without much difficulty.

Tricia was on a more important venture. She hunted for a fresh pack of gum. Julie poured Scotch for the adults while gulping down her gin and tonic. Peyton drilled and grilled Banks. And Stan watched all as a tear slides down his face. Yes, Stan Powers ignored the outdoor happenings for the moment because in the living room of the Powers’ house, Stan felt that his prayers were answered. Stan thought he got his family back.

The sound of silence became more eerie and ominous as the sounds of the outdoors creatures quieted. Stan thought instinctively that something was going on. Ann thought that the creatures were in a state of receiving orders from someone or something. Ann could sense what Stan was thinking as he peered out the window.
 

Ann felt that Stan had this under control…after all it was his house and he was concerned for the wellbeing of all. Ann exited to the kitchen with the other women to help prepare lunch as Murray slept on the sofa.
 

Banks ran Peyton’s bath upstairs as Peyton undressed sniffing his clothes that retained the odor of the motel bathroom from the previous night.

Peyton grimaced, “I smell.”
 

Banks sniffed too, “Me too, Sport. How did you know about the colors of the creatures?”
 

Peyton answered, “Picked it up from Ann and Tricia.”
 

Banks nodded to himself and ordered, “Get in the tub, Sport.” Banks picked up Peyton’s eye drops. He opened the vial. He paused. Closed it again and scooped it into his pocket. He could do that later. Banks needed to address the bath and clean clothes for Peyton, “Be back in a moment, Sport. You need clean clothes and underwear and these clothes are rancid.” Peyton giggled.

Holding his nose, Banks downed the stairs carrying Peyton’s stinky clothes. He tossed them in the washing machine.
 

Julie yelled from the kitchen, “Peyton and Banks, lunch is ready.” As Banks climbed the stairs he yelled to Julie that they would be down in right after Peyton’s bath.
 

CRASH! The front window shattered and a large tree branch swung into the living area. Creatures rushed in through the window and Stan grabbed a large knife. Twenty creatures attacked Stan. Some babies hopped on the shoulders of others so that as a unit they would be the same height as Stan.

Murray rose from the sofa startled. Tricia screamed as another twenty were flung into the room.
 

Stan yelled, “Quick, everyone to the pantry!”
 

Julie screamed, “Peyton. Peyton!” Forty more things jumped through the broken window. As Stan stabbed creatures, he was forced to backpedal. He covered Julie who continued to scream for Peyton. Tricia aided Stan while he fought off babies by guiding Julie toward the pantry.
 

Dassi, Murray and Ann were first to get into the pantry. Tricia and Julie made it in as Stan attempted to press forward to go after Peyton. But he was overcome by the team of creatures and he was needed to seal the door once in the pantry.
 

Once inside, Stan sealed the steel panic room door. Creatures grouped together on one another shoulders and gnawed at the steel door.

Inside the pantry, six frightened people huddled together. Stan made this room the family safe place. Or as Peyton would put it, “This is the room in case the terrorists come.” Amongst the huddled group were food & water, candles & matches, radio & TV and a small refrigerator & stove. The hideous gnawing noise outside their door combined with the roars, silenced their screams.
 

Julie was an emotional wreck. She whispered to Stan, “Peyton.”

Upstairs in the locked bathroom, Banks covered Peyton with towels, bath mats, toilet covers and rugs. He checked the bathroom closet and found a stack of folded towels. “We’re going to make a run for it, Peyton.”
 

Peyton whispered, “The safe room?”
 

“Yep, Sport. Ready?”
 

“Ready when you are, Banks.

Banks peered out the bathroom door. The stairway appeared clear. He crept to the stairway carrying Peyton. He grabbed the bannister with one hand while carrying Peyton with the other. Then instantly, Banks was covered with creatures. He lost his balance and fell a few steps down protecting the covered Peyton. He tried to fight them off, but there were too many of them. At the bottom of the staircase a swarm of creatures grabbed hands.
 

Banks eyed them, “We’ve got to go back…to your bedroom closet. It’s safe there. “Banks crawled up one step. He needed to let Peyton go so that Banks could fight off the creatures. “We’re going to make it, Sport!” Wrong.

The creatures in unison tugged at Banks. They pulled him down a step, “Peyton, crawl to your room. Get to your closet. Bury yourself in clothes.” Banks’ bannister-grip weakened as Peyton slowly crawled upwards. Creatures gnawed at Banks’ hands with their singular tooth. Slowly, Banks released his grip from the bannister. Many creatures below had other creatures form a lariat. The creatures that were flung held hands as they became a noose around Banks’ neck. He grabbed at his neck. He saw Peyton crawl to his bedroom. Then, Banks Blackhorse was flung from the staircase, out the window, onto the lawn and rolled to the middle of Skyline Boulevard as towels and other coverings vanished from the fall which rendered Banks unprotected to the oncoming onslaught. Hundreds of creatures from all directions hopped, ran and crawled towards Bank Blackhorse.

Peyton felt his way to his bedroom. A loud roar followed him. Once inside his room he attempted to reach his closet door. But he lost some of his bearings after the tumble and the fact that he was on all fours prevented him from reaching the closet door handle.
 

SMASH! Dozens of creatures flung in through his second story window. More creatures came in through the door. In a panic, Peyton crawled under his bed. His body just made it. The creatures attempted to attack him, but their heads didn’t fit under the bed. They snapped at him. They attempted to place their arms underneath in a groping group manner, but they could not quite reach Peyton. They were successful in placing their legs underneath the bed and moved their legs in a scissor fashion to no avail.