Welcome dear readers, please note this chapter does contain strong language read at your own discretion.
Chapter 10 Carpenter
Randy eased the truck down the ever dilapidating road, pot holes seemed to be on every side, making the truck bounce and shake its way along. Several times Randy's head nearly collided with the roof as a tire fell down one of the deeper crevices.
"You know I don't think anyone has been down here in a long time." John said from the chair next to Randy as he clutched on to the door handle to prevent himself from getting thrown around too much.
"Maybe we should turn back, I don't think we will be find much at the end of this road." Mickie said from the back seat, desperately clutching onto the back of John's chair to keep herself upright.
"Perhaps, but there is no way I am going to be able to turn on this road, we would get stuck." Randy said dodging what looked like a chasm of a pot hole, the sharp turn had the effect of crashing Beth's head into the window at the unexpected change of direction.
"Dam it Randy" Beth cussed as she placed her hand on her wounded temple and rubbed at the ache.
"Sorry, but I thought that one was going to swallow the entire truck." Randy said looking back quickly over his shoulder as a bolt of lightning lit up the road ahead for a moment. It was followed by the pounding of rain against the roof, as Randy scrambled for the windshield wipers.
"My lord that came in fast." John said as the head lamps illuminated what he had only seen for a split second when the lightning had come.
"What in the world is that?" he said peering into the gloom beyond the safety of the truck as Mickie and Beth lent forward once more as Randy slowed the tuck to an almost complete stop.
"Looks like plague signs." Beth said she was so close to Randy's ear that it almost made him jump, but the lightning that once again flashed in all their eyes covered it up.
"Back in the late seventeenth century when the black death was prevalent, small tows ships used to place a cross at their borders, to warn off travellers and such like that the town was infected. It was an effort to contain the disease. It didn't work, but it was effective in keeping people away." Beth explained as Randy moved the car forward once more. Passing between the two iron crosses that stood either side of the road. It was a eerie feeling in the dark, surrounded by rain and wind, but they had little choice. It was well passed dark now and they only had so much fuel left, continuing on now would be tantamount to suicide.
"Do you think they got infected with small pox here?" Mickie asked a slight waver in her voice which made Beth turn her head and look at her petite traveling companion.
"Who knows, but the likely hood is there will be no one left to tell up if they have." She said, her words far more ominous than the crosses that they had now left behind them as the town of Carpenter rose up before them.
Randy was grateful that the road at least had evened out, he moved the truck forwards until buildings started to spring up on either side. It looked like any other town in the heart of the American country side. The houses all had large porches and Beth could almost picture families gathered on them in the late summer sunshine. Sipping on pink lemonade and telling stories about their days. The porches stood empty now. Their swing seats abandoned long ago, swung in the wind, their old rusted frames, with paint peeling from them, no longer held the generations of family members that once resided there.
As the truck moved along the street the rain seemed to ease off and Randy flicked off the windshield wipers.
"Perhaps we can find a place to bed down for the night at least. " He said turning his head to look for a suitable place to stop. The town seemed to be abandoned and it appeared that it made no difference where he chose but something kept him driving. Unsure whether it was the thought of these houses being someone's home, or the general feel of the place Randy couldn't bring himself to stop.
"There!" John cried as Randy moved on down what was probably Main Street. They all turned to look at what John had pointed to and for the first time in what seemed like forever Randy smiled.
"Well maybe someone is smiling on us." He said turning into the small gas station. It only had a single pump, and a tiny shop but he guessed there had not been much call for gas around these parts, apart from the locals that was.
"You think it still works?" Mickie asked as Randy stopped the truck and they all climbed out. At least grateful to stretch their legs. They had all been sitting in the car for almost five hours now and it had been starting to feel like a cage.
"Who knows but I bet there is something left, no one would have come all the way down that dam track for a few gallons of gas." Randy said lifting the pump and pulling the handle a few times. Nothing however came out of the end as Beth tapped Randy on the shoulder.
"No power." She said simply turning towards the shop and indicating that they should check inside. Randy nodded and replaced the pump as he turned to John.
"You and Mickie stay out here and keep an eye out. I don't like this place it is too quiet." Randy said and John had to agree. Used to the busy life in the city which even now still seemed to hum with activity this town was as silent as a drum. John nodded at Randy as he walked off after Beth who had already started walking towards the shop. John turned back to face Mickie who was looking out across the street. Her body was tense and she was peering into the darkness, her eyes were half squinted closed as if she were staring at the sun, but it was pitch black out there. Placing his hand on her shoulder John watched as Mickie spun around to look at him in fright.
"Shit John!" Mickie said a small frown coming to her face as John held up his hands palms up.
"Sorry Mick's didn't mean to frighten you, but what in the blue hell were you looking at. Its darker than hell out there." John asked as Mickie turned and looked back in the direction that she had been previously staring into.
"I'm not sure, for a moment I thought I saw a light, I guess it could have been lightening though." Mickie said but John thought the brunette didn't sound to convinced. Deciding to say nothing but store the information away John encouraged Mickie to return to the car and wait for Beth and Randy to return.
As Beth pushed open the door to the shop, the tiny chimes on the side of the door that alerted whomever was behind the counter, that someone had entered made her jump. It was like a loud bang in a silent room, they had all be tense ever since they had entered this town and her reaction to something so stupid was evidence of that. Randy's hands coming down on to her shoulders to steady her made Beth feel even more silly as he escorted her through the doorway. The shop had a small row which looked like it had once contained magazines. Several titles were still written on the Perspex shelf that had once held them in place, the corners of the labels peeling revealing a slightly less dusty glass behind. Randy walked forward and spotted a small refrigerator that had probably contained fizzy drink and the like. It now stood empty all but for a lone can of Coke. Opening the fridge Randy pulled out the beverage and turned it over.
"Best before August 1212, do you think it's still good?" Randy asked his attempt at levity was appreciated by Beth as she smiled at him.
"Your funeral, I never really liked the stuff myself." She said moving towards the counter and circumventing it to go behind. Looking around she found the button to activate the pumps next to the cash register. She held out little hope that this was going to work as the rest of the place didn't have any power. Pushing the button with some force she wasn't disappointed, only the sound of silence followed and she scowled slightly.
"Maybe there is a mains breaker, so we can get some power, if mot we may have to suck it out." She said and Randy raised his eyebrows at the obvious sexual nature of her words. Beth chose to ignore him as she moved into the back room and looked around.
"Darker than hell in here!" she called back as Randy too walked around the counter and joined Beth in the back room. Holding open the door was not much use but it did let in some light. Finding a power box Beth pried it open with her fingers, flicking the case back and looking inside at the five switches that were all in the off position.
"Well at least this looks promising." She said to Randy who agreed with her. They both seemed to pause however, this was a moment that could make or break their journey, if they flicked the switches and nothing happened they had the real prospect of running out of fuel within the next hundred miles. Nowhere near where they wanted to be, and maybe in the middle of a field. If however they got power more questions would come up. Like how this small town in the middle of nowhere had electricity and why. Beth finally flicked on the switches one by one, first the lights for the shop came on, then the cash register lit up, then the forecourt lights illuminated the front of the gas station and finally the whir of the fuel pump could be heard waking up from below them.
"Fuck" Randy said as Beth gave him a warning look for his language but he simply just shrugged his shoulders.
"Well fuck." He said and Beth also shrugged.
"I know what you mean." She said offering no more elaboration on the subject as they both went outside to see John already pumping fuel into the truck.
"Can you believe this?" Beth said to them as they drew closer but she was stopped as she saw Mickie's frightened face.
"Yes I think someone lives here, and with all this activity if we are not alone I think we are going to find out pretty soon." She said looking back over her shoulder as John looked at the meter and saw the numbers climbing steadily higher.
"Fill it to the brim John we have no idea when we will get this chance again." Randy said already getting the keys out of his pocket and opening up all the doors. None of them climbed in however, they were not about to let John stand out here alone. The town had taken on an almost foreboding quality now as the air seemed to still. The storm had passed now leaving in its wake a kind of calm that should have proceeded it, not followed.
It was Mickie who spotted them first, small lights off in the distance, the flickered as they moved down through the houses and on to the street. Not flashlights or lanterns, but torches, burning atop long wooden sticks. It was like watching a scene from a movie, one where the good towns folk were coming along to light the fire upon which they would burn witches.
"We have to go now!" Randy said as John shook his head, the truck was not yet full and he knew he had just enough time to get in a bit more. The others climbed into the car, but Randy could not turn on the engine until John was finished. John kept his eyes on the approaching lights, he knew when he could start making out the shapes of the actual people it was time to go. Placing the pump back on its stand John jumped into the truck and Randy fired up the engine.
Pulling out of the gas station Randy turned back in the direction of the highway, he flicked the headlights on just as they pulled out into the night and immediately slammed on the breaks. A row of people blocked their path, all looking at them through the windows of the truck. Randy had never wanted to hide more in his life. There was nowhere to go, buildings stood on either side of the road, and people were now surrounding the car. John looked out of his window and jumped as a face appeared there.
"Shit!" he exclaimed as the face remained there looking in at him and he couldn't help retreating back from the window.
"Drive through them." Beth said her voice was cold and hard, she knew that it was the last thing any of them wanted to do, but right now it looked like it was their lives on the line. Randy gunned the engine as warning for the people but they made now effort to get out of the way. It in fact seemed as though they were coming closer, in greater numbers.
"Do it!" Beth said again as bagging started on the window nearest her. She clutched on to the back of Randy's chair as the bagging grew louder and now came from every side. Randy didn't think about it this time, he placed the car in drive and just as his foot came down on the peddle his window smashed inwards. The car barely moved forwards as Randy was pulled from the driver's seat through the broken glass.
"Fuck let him go you bastards!" John yelled not thinking twice and leaping out of the car to come to Randy' aid. He was set upon almost immediately, engulfed in a sea of bodies until he was no longer visible. The girls looked at one another, desperately wanting to go to their friends, but knowing it would do them no good in the long run. They would only be overwhelmed by the crowed and all of them would be prisoners or worse.
"Get in the front." Beth said climbing between the seats and brushing the glass off the chair. It seemed as though for now they were being ignored by the mob outside. They didn't know why but it was giving them a chance to come up with a plan. Beth started the car again and gunned the engine once more. She looked out through the windshield but all she could see was a mass of bodies. If Beth had known for certain that John or Randy were not amongst the mass of people gathered in front of the truck she would not have thought twice about moving forward. As it was she did not know that and was forced to remain still.
"What now?" Mickie asked as suddenly she seemed to disappear, Beth watched as Mickie was dragged from the car and swallowed up by the darkness. Beth could do nothing, she had even stopped breathing, there was nothing to do now, but wait until they came and took her to.
Dark chapter, but will the reality of what has happened out there just push them to go further to expose the truth. Or is this their last horary? Reviews are cherished Thank you for reading XxX