Don't Open That Door - GoM 1

17

Graham stood outside the police station, and stepped up to meet Alex when he saw her come from the park across the street.

"What's up, Al? Why are people leaving? Did you see their faces?"

She replied as she opened the Hilux. "I'm trying to find out, Dave."

"Go then, and call me."

Alex started the engine and geared in. Graham patted the side of the Hilux as if it were a horse and stepped back, letting her drive away. When she crossed Main Street, she saw two or three dozen people walking down the street one on one toward the lake. They looked like wandering in their sleep, trading with a numb, erratic pace. The Yukon showed in her rearview. Tom honked at her before turning left, to Kat's house. Everything felt so surreal, a silent horror movie rolling in the changing glow of the fireworks up above. Alex hit the gas, rocketing down the empty streets as she tried to remember all she could about what had happened four months ago.

Her phone buzzed and she picked up on speaker, dropping it on her lap to keep both hands on the wheel.

"Talk to me, Ollie."

"We're heading south down the old track."

"The old sawmill," she grunted, and then everything made sense.

"Grandpa's book, Al!" Claire said, painting. "Taxonomy III!"

"And a damn chainsaw! That little bitch in black did it! Somehow she infected people with her eggs!"

"What d'we do, Al?"

"I'll be there in thirty tops. Now hear me out, Ollie: don't you leave Claire alone even for a second, got it? Her life's depending on you right now." Alex disconnected and dialed Graham. "Dave, gather as many men as you can and come to the old sawmill. Bring axes and machetes, anything to chop wood. And fuel. Lots."

"Got it. Give me thirty."

"See you there."

Alex made the Hilux squeal to a sharp stop before her house and jumped out, leaving the engine running. She hurried to Claire's room and grabbed two machetes from the closet. Back to the living room, she searched the bookshelf for the book Claire had mentioned.

A tall shadow showed at the doorway behind her. "Alex?"

She grabbed the book and ran out of the house, forcing Tom to step back to give her way.

"What're you doing here? Where's Samuel?"

"Bass stayed at Kat's to watch over them. D'you know what's going on?"

"Yeah, and you should grab your son and take'im the hell away from here."

"Are we going in your truck or mine?"

She understood there was no point in insisting and nodded at the Hilux. Tom got in with her, forced to grasp the dash when she floored it.

"I'll explain in a minute," she said, giving him her phone. "Please dial Ollie."

Tom did. Ollie picked up right away and didn't waste time in greetings. "There's nothing here, Al. But Claire's sure this is the place."

"Then that's the-Shit!"

Alex swerved at turning onto the road by the lake, to dodge a man heading south on foot. She could see more people scattered ahead over both lanes of the road. All of them with that erratic pace. All of them heading south.

"Al? You okay?"

"Infected people are going there on foot. I'm trying not to run over them. How's Claire?"

"I'm fine, Al." The girl's voice didn't quite support her words.

"Hurting bad?"

"No. Now that I'm here, the pain and the urge receded. You're right about the eggs, Al. Now I can feel the embryo inside me. What're we gonna do? I can't drink a bottle of bleach!"

"We're gonna find another way, 'cause there are many more people infected." Alex kept steering left and right to dodge the people on the road. "Hang on, kiddo. I'm almost there."

Tom kept a firm grip on the dash, because Alex was forced to drive in a sharp zigzag to keep from running over the people on the road. Soon they reached the detour and accessed the old track leading to the old sawmill through the woods. A couple of minutes later they left behind the first walkers and Alex was able to tell Tom about Lila Malher and what she knew about the moonflower tree.

"Claire mentioned bleach?"

"Yeah. The parasites die in contact with chemical cleaning products. Grandpa wrote bleach is the more effective, and I can tell it works alright. Is it full moon yet?"

"It's tonight."

"Shit! The bitch's really gonna do it!"

"Do what?"

"She's going into tree phase. The parasite needs to feed on human flesh to turn into the moonflower tree. That's why she's calling on all the people infected with her eggs. The embryos hear her call and force their hosts to come to her."

"A tree growing from human flesh."

"Yup. Alive, if possible."

"And I thought the garthling was bad news."

He said it in such a plain but serious way that Alex scoffed. At the same time, she could but love the way he didn't question her explanation, accepting it as not only possible, but real and urgent too. Who else would've been there by her side in such a crazy situation, believing her like that? Her phone buzzed again and Tom picked up on speakers.

"Hurry up, Al!" Ollie cried. "The girl's here! With Rob Thompson and-HOLY SHIT!"

"What is it, Ollie?"

There was no answer.