The sun was setting over the hills to the west. It was not time yet, but soon.
The young officer was restless. His first rocket launch, all for the glory of his country. Wait until he told his mother. She would be so proud.
The door slammed open.
"Are you ready?" barked the colonel.
"Yes, sir!" His pulse raced.
"Okay then. Prepare the launch."
He starts doing what he's trained for. Stress is slowly replaced by focused duty.
Our country must be kept safe from those American dogs. They envy our way of life. Wait 'til I tell my mother. New Year is coming soon. I should ask permission to take some leave after this. I'll bring her a chicken. She's always loved chicken.
"Fuel the rocket! And keep the bay doors closed!"
Smart choice. The American dogs have eyes everywhere. They mustn't suspect anything. This will take them by surprise. Clearly the strike will be devastating. Hopefully it will hit one of their cities. This doesn't look like an exercise.
He'd seen all the exercises of the past showcased on TV. All had been important for the defense of his country, as a means of deterring the enemy. But this one was different. The special payload had come in a week ago. It wasn't a nuclear warhead, no. It was something else. No one could get close. A new type of explosive, maybe. There were quite a lot of scientists roaming around it; that was for sure.
"Status?" came the bark, pulling the officer's mind back into the present.
The numbers and indicators on his command console looked good. The launch would be a success.
"Rocket ready, sir!" He felt the adrenalin pumping. His first launch, and right at the enemy! He'd sometimes wondered how he got this high-responsibility position, and why the previous officer wasn't doing this anymore. No matter. He deserved to be here!
The door opened and four people come in. Those scientists again. Even though they were not military, they looked focused and determined. We are all here for the same reason: hit the enemy.
They started checking a special control panel which seemed to be linked to the new payload, muttering between themselves.
"Refrigeration is on and energy almost full. Should be enough for re-entry."
"I estimate 80% of the bacteria will survive the high temperatures."
"I really hope the thermal shielding works."
"The math shows it's enough."
A lot of scientific talk. It did sound like a new kind of bomb. Probably a biological weapon, now he thought of it. Even better. Wait 'til my mother hears about this!
"Ready when you are," said the colonel in a strangely calm and supportive voice. "Give us the word and we'll launch."
"Do it," hissed one of the scientists. He was a small man, very skinny, and his eyes seemed to be incapable of showing any emotion.
The colonel nodded. He opened a small, gray envelope and then handed the young officer a sheet of paper detailing the target coordinates. The officer punched them into the guidance control system. He knew his coordinates; he'd trained intensively for this position. These were not heading toward the USA or one of its allies. They were somewhere in the North Pacific. At least the rocket would go over Japan; that would be a clear message to those dogs.
"Ready, sir!" he said, a little less enthusiastically this time, thinking it must be just an exercise again.
"Open bay doors! Fire up the engines!" yelled the colonel, speaking once more in his usual bark.
"Ready, sir!" He was doing it! He was really doing it! Enthusiasm returned.
"Launch!"
The tremor in the command center intensified. The noise became almost unbearable as the mighty rocket took off.
The indicators and figures looked good. Things were going well. The young officer checked his control panel, satisfied.
Oh, what was that? One sensor showed higher-than-estimated heat on one of the controllers aboard the rocket. Voltage seemed to be fluctuating a bit as well. That shouldn't be happening.
The young officer turned to the colonel. Upon seeing his face, though, he realized what reaction bad news would generate. He turned back. Hopefully it was a faulty sensor. That sometimes happened.
The big explosion was visible for miles. Silence hit the command center.
The skinny scientist left the building, silently followed by the other three.
"What have you done?" came a coarse undertone from the colonel.
Probably mother didn't need to hear about this.
Up in the sky, a falling capsule opened and some dust got free, spreading in the air. The winds carried it away.
Travelling to a Small Town"Is this everything?" said Andrei, looking at the luggage on the floor. "Can I start loading up the trunk?"
"Almost. You need to take the big suitcase from upstairs. I just finished it," said Lili.
"Late and disorganized again," he mumbled as he headed up the stairs.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing. Just picking up the suitcase." No reason for a fight now. He needed to figure out how to fit everything in their small family car. "You sure you've got everything? Slippers? Towels?" he continued.
"We're going to my parents, Andrei, not a shitty seaside motel. I'm sure my mother has towels we can use."
"Well, at least we'll eat some good food for once." Maybe a small fight was in order.
"I don't think anyone would ever suspect you're not well fed," came the expected answer.
Revenge would come; not now, but it would. "Hey, Mat, come help!" Maybe Matei would be the one to suffer the consequences.
"What?"
"Come help! Is your backpack done? Can I take it in the car?"
"Yes! Yes, it's done! I just have to add a few more things in the backpack, Daddy."
"Then it's not done! Why did you say it's done? Didn't I say to have everything ready and take it downst—"
"Stop yelling at the kid. He's seven; you're seventy. Talk nicely."
"Pfft! We're the same age, you and I. If I'm seventy, you are as well. And the kid needs to learn to be organized."
"Yeah. Just like when you couldn't pack your own suitcase, so I had to do it for you?"
"Okay, okay, fine. You handle it. I don't care anymore. You just put everything you want to be transported to your parents' place right here in the hallway, and I'll take it to the car. Anything other than that is your responsibility." Maybe he was overreacting a little, but they needed to know where the boundaries lay. Structure and reliability were the keys to success.
"Mat, put your things in the backpack and take the backpack to the hallway ASAP!"
"But Mom, my backpack is done. Why is he saying—"
"Mat, you can see your dad is cranky, so don't answer back. Just do it!"
A few minutes later, Andrei stood surveying their small hatchback trunk. He was considering the best way to fit everything in. Lili was good at packing things, he had to admit that, but he was the one who solved problems like this. He'd always been good at maximizing available space, and he was going to do the same thing now.
"Do you have anything you need in the front of the car?" he called out.
"Yes, the bag with water and the one with food," came a yell from the house.
"Why do we pack food? It's just a five-hour drive, and we'll stop at least once for gas."
"Well, someone needs to eat those cold cuts we have in the fridge, and why spend money at the gas station when we have perfectly good food at home?"
"Fine, fine," mumbled Andrei, while trying to fit a large duffle bag in a not-so-large space.
They were running late. It was almost 1 p.m. and they were still not ready to go. There was no need to hurry though. Andrei liked to drive at night, and Lili was happy as long as Andrei was happy. Also, leaving this late meant traffic would be better, as everyone else in the city must have left hours ago.
"Ready? Should I warm up the car?" yelled Andrei. "Anyone?"
No matter. He still needed to connect the phone to the car's screen and wash the windshield, so this was a good moment to prepare everything.
As he set the destination, the radio turned on and the news bulletin could be heard.
"… a kid got injured while using a fire cracker … the flu epidemic, coming from eastern Asia, is spreading quickly … in preparation for the new year, the President addressed a message … a new rocket launch in a series of … a new day, a new clash between riot and police in the streets of …"
"Ah, those bastards. Shut up!" Andrei pressed play on the music player, replacing the anchorman with his beloved heavy metal music.
Two hours on the road. It was already 4 p.m. and the sun was starting to set.
"We're almost at our first stop," said Andrei, checking the navigation system.
"Perfect! I do need a break. I want to eat," said Lili, who'd spent most of the trip so far staring out the window, her mind clearly elsewhere.
"Can I get the tablet now?" came a whine from the back seat.
"No, Mat, we've told you. You'll get the tablet after we make the stop at the gas station."
"But Mom, it's getting dark and—"
"No 'buts', young man! Look out the windows. You're staring at screens way too much!"
"Should we get some onions?" interrupted Andrei.
"What?" Lili turned to him.
"I said, should we get some onions?"
"What do you mean, dear Andrei?"
"I mean, let's get some onions. See? There!" He pointed to a spot coming up on their side of the road.
They were entering onion territory—the part of the country where people were famous for growing lots of onions, especially those yummy red ones!
"I really love onions. And your parents too. Let's get some. They must be good!"
"My dad loves them, my mom, so-so. Okay, fine. Stop and get some. But not like last time, when I had to throw away half. Get a string not a sack!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Andrei pulled in near the stall. "Hi. How much for this big sack over here?"
"Well, good thing you like this music. I don't. Can you skip it?" Lili huffed.
"I've told you, honey, every time you don't like a song, just skip it."
"Thank you. We should get some of my music."
"Well, your music sucks."
"Yeah, Mom's music sucks!"
"Mat! Stay out of this," said Andrei, laughing. "Look, we'll stop the music, as mom has a say in what we do."
"Well, thank you. And as for you, young man. If I hear that again, I'll take that tablet away from you, you hear?"
"Yes, mother."
"… while a United States representative has declared that this serves no purpose and just shows the world how unreliable the Pyongyang regime's promises are ..."
"Ugh, they launched another rocket," explained Andrei.
"Who?"
"The North Koreans."
"Ah," said Lili.
"Yeah, it seems they targeted some uninhabited island, but it exploded soon after takeoff."
"Mm. Fascinating."
"Well, they keep on flexing over there," continued Andrei. "I wonder why the US doesn't bomb their launch site and just stop all this."
"War is horrible. I hate this kind of talk. Put on some more music."
"Well, think! What if they try to launch again, then you bomb their site, make it look like an accident? They just said the rocket exploded mid-air, so accidents have happened before, right? And if it explodes right on launch, their site will be unusable for months!"
"I don't know and I don't care. Let me be. War is bad and it upsets me. Put on some music!"
"Okay, okay. I guess my heavy metal is not good enough for the princess, so I'll try some radio channels."
"Whatever," said Lili, acting as if she didn't notice his sarcasm.
They crossed the town limit and entered Lili's hometown— a tiny community of about 20,000 people, including the surrounding villages.
The area was hilly, and mountains could be seen in the distance. A river split the town in half: the main part, with a large, round park at its center, and the other, smaller section, a bit poorer than the rest. Well, almost everyone here was poor—poorer than the country average, at least.
A few blocks from the park, close to the river, stood Lili's parents' apartment building.
"Life could be good here" Andrei often said. He liked the slowness of small-town life. The air, the cool summer breeze… It was so different from the crowded city.
He sometimes fantasized about moving here, but it was unlikely he'd find any IT jobs nearby. Oh, and if only there weren't so many stray dogs. Indeed, the small town had a big problem in that area, and the administration didn't seem able to fix it.
Still, it was a nice little town.
"Hi, Dad," said Lili, answering her phone. "Yes, we're almost there. Yes, we just entered the town. No, the traffic is good. Now that you mention it, we've seen very few cars. Just a lot of snow. Well, yes, I'll ask. Andrei, you want Ma to make some mulled wine?"
"Yeah, that would be nice actually."
"Yes, Dad, mulled wine sounds great. Yes, for both of us. Mat? He's good. A few days ago, he felt under the weather and sneezed a couple of times. And so did I, actually, but now we're good. He's been on the damn tablet for the last few hours. Yes, we'll see you in the parking lot in a few minutes."
"Hi, honey! So good you're here. How are you? How was the trip?" said Dan, Lili's father.
"Hi, Dad!" Lili threw her arms around her dad's neck and kissed his cheeks. "It was good. It's been snowing for the past couple of hours. Otherwise it was fine."
"Mat! How are you, big boy?"
"I'm fine, Grandpa."
"Hi, Andrei. Come here." He pulled Andrei toward him for a kiss on the cheek. "I hope you're in the mood for some whiskey. Let's go inside."
"You said you have mulled wine."
"Yeah, that's to wash your teeth with. Real men will get some whiskey. Let's go in. Mom is waiting."
The apartment was in a pretty old but sturdy building, with a ground floor and two others on top. There were two apartments on each floor—one large, one small—for a total of six.
Dan was a big guy, so he took half the luggage. He was a little over seventy but only looked early sixties at most.
Waiting in front of the door to the big apartment on the top floor stood Maria, Lili's mom.
"Where's my little Mat? Where's my grandson? Come here, Mat. Give grandma a kiss."
"Grandmaaa!"
"Hey, Maria, aren't you sick?" said Dan. "Don't kiss him!"
"Oh, I'm fine! It was just a small thing. I'm okay now. Come here." She pulled Mat over for more smooches.
Following a hefty meal, the family sat quietly in the living room. The TV was on, and Mat was watching cartoons, eyes glued to the screen.
Andrei and Dan sipped whiskey, while Lili and Maria enjoyed some mulled wine.
"I've prepared a lot of food for the next few days," said Maria, smiling. "Just let me know what you want and I can heat it up for you."
"Indeed, my beautiful wife has prepared food for a hundred people." Dan grinned.
"Oh, stop it!"
"Well, it's true: you're beautiful! You have the most beautiful face, just as you did on the day we met!" continued Dan, which made Maria blush.
"Thank you, Maria, it's really nice. We're looking forward to relaxing a bit while here with you," said Andrei, before taking another sip from his glass.
"Indeed. Just relax," said Dan. "Sleep as much as you want, do nothing all day. The forecast says the snow will continue for the next two days, right up to New Year's, and then a cold wave will hit from the east."
"That's how it usually is," said Andrei. "Here in eastern Europe, the cold usually comes from the east."
"Well, don't I know it!"
"Did you see the new rocket launch in Korea? And the continuing riots in Hong Kong?" continued Andrei, adopting a more serious tone. "I wish the US would take some concrete action, rather than just talk. Stop Korea and help Hong Kong. Bring peace to that part of the world."
"Well." Dan paused to sip from his glass. "I'm not sure the US has a real reason to help Hong Kong. On the contrary. But from another point of view, it's good this is happening way over there. It means the big guys are focused there and we have less noise in our part of the world."
"True."
"What they do over there is their business. Let them launch all the rockets they want. As long as it doesn't escalate, we'll be fine. We're living our lives peacefully. They don't impact us in any way, so why bother?"
Suddenly a loud noise interrupted their conversation.
Happy New Year, Everyone!"What the hell was that?" said Lili. Her mouth remained open; it looked like she was gasping for air. "It sounded like… like… like a bear?"
"Well, technically," started Andrei, "it sounded like a bear… but I don't think it was one. Who would bring a bear here, in the building? I'd say it was a person who made this noise."
Despite his calm words, Dan knew Andrei was afraid from his sudden pallor. Lili just rolled her eyes.
A bear growled again!
Everybody in the living room froze. And several loud thumps came from the neighboring apartment, followed by a loud scream, sounds of a struggle, and a few more growls.
"We should go investigate, maybe call the police," said Lili. She stood and rushed toward the door.
"Don't! Mind your own business!" said Dan. "We don't get involved in other people's lives, as you well know."
"But maybe someone has been attacked or they are fighting. What if someone is dead? Don't you call the police then? Well, actually, you are the police, so maybe you should go investigate," said Lili, visibly affected.
"I've been on the force for over thirty years, but now I'm retired. I can't just go investigating. I don't know how things are done in that fancy big city of yours, but up here we don't meddle in each other's business, unless it's our business. And right now, our business is to enjoy our evening and not interfere with our neighbors," said Dan, slowly rising from his chair.
"These neighbors—husband and wife—have a rough relationship," continued Dan, with a more relaxed voice. "They yell and even hit each other. I've tried to talk to them over the years. I even went to the authorities, but every time I involved the police, they both denied everything. And they blamed me for getting involved. They kept insisting what they do is their business. I will not have conflicts with my neighbors over their bad life choices!" He concluded, and moved toward the apartment front door.
He peered through the door viewer, trying to see if he could get a sense of what was going on. But the hallway was dark and he couldn't see anything. Not that he'd expected much, and of course, no one else in the building would bother to come snooping around. That family's behavior was well known.
He returned to the living room and smiled, trying to release the tension. "Now, let's finish our drinks. Then you three go to bed and sleep as much as you want. Don't forget, we have the big family poker game on the New Year's Eve, so get ready to be squashed!"
The next day was awesome: snowy outside, warm inside. Mat was bothering his grandma, while Lili, settled in a large armchair, was reading her fashion and interior design magazines.
"Do you know a lot of people believe that 'minimalism' means something small and cheap?" she said enthusiastically to Andrei.
"Mm," answered Andrei, slowly browsing Facebook on his phone from the comfortable couch.
"Yeah! People actually believe minimalism means having one or two small pieces of furniture, usually cheap. And imagine, it's one of the most expensive interior design styles!"
"Wow, honey. That's great," mumbled Andrei. He noticed some images on TV and turned up the volume. "Hush, honey. Let me hear this."
"… while the flu symptoms are beginning to show up everywhere. The health ministry is informing the population to stay warm and hydrated, while making sure people avoid crowded places."
"Yeah, like that's going to work, one day before New Year's," muttered Andrei.
"What?"
"I said, like that's going to work!"
"Aha, yeah," said Lili absently, turning another page of her magazine.
"… general flu vaccines are available at local pharmacies. This year it seems there will be a bigger than usual influenza epidemic, with multiple accounts being identified all around the globe, especially in the east-Asian region. There is no specific vaccine yet, but as the death toll is a bit higher than previous years, some areas have gone into full lockdown. The World Health Organization is still silent, while some research institutes promote the idea that we are, in fact, dealing with a bacterial infection. Please see your local physician for any kind of …"
The report was cut short as Andrei switched to a movie channel. "I don't understand how these people get sick so easily," he mumbled.
"What?" said Lili.
"Ooh, Die Hard. Awesome," continued Andrei, before going back to browsing on his phone.
Life was good.
Later that night, after another hefty dinner, they went to bed.
"Man, that onion salad sure was good! Not too spicy, not too dry. I bet I stink like a goat," said Andrei, grinning. He loved to raise opportunities like these with Lili.
"You always stink like a goat." Lili's comeback followed as expected.
"Ha-ha, never heard that one before. Good thing this double bed is small, as you will suffer all night."
"Ha-ha. I would have suffered even without you eating."
"What was that?" yelled Andrei. He jumped out of bed and went to the window. "It came from outside. Sounded like that man or bear or whatever growling again."
He moved the drapes a bit and looked out. Lili quickly joined him. From their room they had a direct view toward the bridge connecting their part of town with the other side. That part of town, spreading up a hill, was renowned for its shady characters: poor people prone to drinking, stealing, and minor violence. These carryings on had got that neighborhood the nickname 'Las Vegas'. Pretty ironic—but irony could sometimes be a strong feat in this town.
A few people were coming from Las Vegas, across the bridge. They seemed a little drunk, and they were chasing several other people who, even at this distance, seemed scared.
"What the hell happened to this town?" said Lili. "Okay, they are drunk. But why isn't anyone intervening? Where are the damn police?"
"Well, you saw General Dan, how afraid he was to—"
"My dad is not afraid. He just knows that some things are not to be messed with. You know very well, image is everything in a small town. You also know we don't like to pry in other peoples'—"
"Yes, but now?" interrupted Andrei. "Shouldn't we call the police?"
Andrei considered. Calling the police meant waiting for them to come, and they sometimes took their sweet time. Then they'd have to give statements, and maybe people from Las Vegas would see someone from their building being interviewed by the police...
"Ah, look, they got away. They're not in danger anymore. No need, probably," said Andrei.
Two hours till midnight. Two hours before the New Year began.
The TV was on a national station, playing some prerecorded show. The family mostly ignored it as they got ready for dinner.
"Pretty festive thing we've got going," said Andrei, smiling. People were dressed casually, and if not for the bottle of chilled, sparkling wine, no one would have guessed an important event would be celebrated soon.
"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you would rather have gone to a club," said Lili playfully.
"I bet the clubs here are the bomb!"
"Pfft. You wouldn't recognize a hip club if you slid and hit your big head on a stool in its restroom."
"Finally, an original joke!"
"When I first met you, you were dressed like a hobo," continued Lili, ignoring his last remark. "You might actually fit in perfectly here."
"Well, at least we both agree on your humble origins." Andrei leaned toward the table and plucked up a carrot, pretty satisfied with the exchange. "But I still find you cute," he said, carrot in his mouth, trying to hug her.
"You're not bad yourself." Lili cuddled a bit in his arms. "Although a little fat."
"Ha-ha." Andrei laughed, taking the carrot in his hand and kissing her cheek.
January first. New Year had arrived half an hour ago and the poker was well underway. Lili, Maria, Andrei and Dan were playing, while Matei was, finally, asleep in their bedroom.
They had agreed to end everything by 2 a.m., and judging by Lili's lack of enthusiasm, that time couldn't come soon enough.
Just as Dan was winning with a nice hand, the noise hit again. That noise. The same noise.
Now it came from the apartment below. The bear-like noise. That growl. Then a lot of rumbling, furniture moving and falling, all accompanied by growls.
"This is not normal," whispered Lili, looking at Dan. "You cannot tell me this is normal."
Soon, the same noise started as well in the apartment on their floor, which made everyone stand up, mouths open.
Dan always had an answer when directly asked a question. He always knew what to say. Now, he was silent.
"This is… What the… I mean, what is…" Andrei struggled to articulate.
Eventually, the noise died down and then ended.
"Let's go to bed," Dan finally said. "Good night, honey. Good night, everyone. Happy New Year!"
It was noon and they'd just woken up.
The town was silent. It had stopped snowing, and no one could be seen on the streets. Not one person.
Everybody must be sleeping in, eating, or watching TV, Andrei thought, while looking at the window toward the bridge and Las Vegas. January first, what would you expect?
Then he saw it. It looked like a body, half hidden at the side of the bridge. Only the legs were visible, still on the pavement. Snow partially covered the limbs, but someone was definitely lying there.
"Lili! Liliii!" he screamed. "Come into the bedroom! You need to come here!"
"What? Why are you yelling? I've told you a million times not to—"
"Shut it! Look over there. Do you see it?"
"See what?"
"There's someone on the bridge."
"Mm, like that's some incredible thing!"
"No, look! He's down, not moving. See, at the end of the bridge, right behind that concrete side."
Lili gasped. "We need to call the po— Dad! Come quick!"
Dan came, almost running. Upon looking out the window,
he picked up his phone and dialed the emergency number. "Hi, yes. This is former police officer Dan Popovici. I would like to report a person, fallen on the— What do you mean 'when you can'? I'm telling you, as a former police officer, you need to send a— Yes, I understand, but what could be more important than a possible DOA or, even worse, a possible homicide? … Yes, okay, but I don't think there were fifty homicides last night, right? Okay, some people got into fights, but we didn't have a homicide here in— Yes… Yes, you do as you want. I'm just telling you that somebody is lying there, in the cold, outside!" He hung up. "These new guys in the force are retarded!" exploded Dan. "Apparently, they had a lot of calls today, and very few policemen came to work. This country goes to shit more year after year!"
Andrei gasped. "Where is he?"
"Who?" said Lili.
"The guy. Where is the damn guy?"
"He's not there anymore?" said Lili, audibly relieved.
"Ah, he must have been a drunkard," said Dan, visibly relaxing. "These guys must have a saint looking over their shoulder. He slept there for a few hours, in the cold, it snowed all over him, then he woke up and left while we were on the phone. That bastard."
"But where did he go? Shouldn't we see him walking either toward Las Vegas or toward town? The call wasn't that long," said Andrei.
"Hmm. He might have taken a few steps, then fell again, now fully hidden by the concrete side of the bridge," said Dan, and once more he became irritated. "That's why I told those retards at the emergency number to send someone."
"Language, Dan," said Maria, approaching the group. "There's a child with us, so mind your language. Everyone, I've just heated some cookies and milk. You can find them in the living room."
January first was nearing its end. The family had spent all day watching Blurays, while Andrei messed about on his phone, laughing at mediocre memes.
Then, Dan rushed into the room. "Switch to the news!"
There, they saw it.
In the nation's capital, hundreds of people were dead. Some video footage showed people attacking others. All were moving strangely, like they were drunk. None responded to police officers ordering them to stop.
And that noise. That man-made bear growl. That horrible noise was everywhere.
The Expedition"Let's go out!" said Lili, trying to sound a little more optimistic than she really was.
It was a cold morning, but the sun was up and their surroundings looked magnificent. At least from the windows of their apartment.
"We've been inside for three days now, and we need to get some air and move around. You especially need to move, or you'll get fatter and fatter," said Lili, pushing a bit at Andrei's buttons.
"You guys are going out?" asked Dan. "You should be careful."
"Your dad is right. Did you see the news last night, Lili? Don't you understand that people are behaving strangely? Haven't you heard those noises through our walls, and on the bridge, just like the ones on TV?" said Andrei, becoming visibly scared. "I think we should spend more time trying to understand what's happening. What if we get atta—"
"Who can attack us? Do you see anyone outside? Look, the bridge is clear; Las Vegas on the other side is clear. There's no one around."
"Now I remember! I saw it on my phone. A lot of stupid things, a lot of sick people, but also news of attacks here and there around the world. More than usual. I'm telling you, my phone—"
"You always keep your nose in that phone. That's why you're fat! You should be more active if you want to live a healthy life. Again, look out the window. This is not one of those big cities you read about. This is our tiny town, close to the mountains. People here are already drunk, so it's all quiet."
"Well, isn't it too quiet? Shouldn't there be some people out and about? It's the second of January. How much time do they need to recover?"
"Well, you don't know this place as I do. It's a small town. People just stay in, eat, drink, and watch stupid things on TV. So, move your ass. Let's go out and take our fat bellies for a stroll."
It was difficult to argue when Andrei's weight was, indeed, on the wrong side of the scale. He decided to try his last bullet: "What do you think, Dan? Is it safe to go out?"
"A walk is always good," answered Dan. "I usually go out every day, but right before Christmas we bought everything we need for the holidays and then decided to stay inside. We didn't want to expose ourselves to that flu, so unfortunately, I can't tell you how it is in town right now."
"But Dad, there's no one outside. We'll not touch anything, and if we see people, we'll just avoid them. And if we see a drunk person, we'll make sure we go five hundred miles away from them."
"Yes, if you pay attention you should be fine. I suggest you go by the river. There are fewer people there and the risk of getting anything is lower. Or you could even go to the park. It should be deserted at this moment."
"Well, okay. But when we come back, I want some of that pork and mashed potatoes." Andrei surrendered and turned to Lili. "And tell your ma to make some mulled wine."
Mat was ready to head out. He liked going out to run and play in the snow.
"We have to fight with snow balls, Dad. You and me are one team. Mom is the other. Mom, you have to fight us, and we'll win. There's no way for you to win! We are the best team, right, Dad?"
"Yes, we're the best," muttered Andrei. "Now, let me be and get your shoes on."
"And after we win, Mom will beg for mercy. Right, Mom? You will have to tell us that—"
"Oh, shut your yapping!" Lili exploded. "Let me focus on what to take, otherwise I'll forget something."
"But Mom, we have to—"
"We have to nothing. Now shut up! Are you ready to go out? Then just go. I'll follow after. Andrei, you're ready; take Mat and get out."
"Make sure you keep that hat on properly," said Maria to Mat, coming out to the hallway to see them off. "You don't want to get sick."
As he opened the door, Andrei experienced a strange sensation looking at the door to the other apartment on their floor. He heard those noises again clearly in his head, and the memory sent small shivers down his back.
"Let's be quiet, Mat. People might be sleeping," he whispered, trying to make Mat silent. He wasn't sure about the sleeping part, but he was damn sure he wanted to get out of the building as quietly as possible.
Mat moved fast down the stairs, talking about the toy store, and Andrei followed silently.
They reached the second floor, then the first. As they made it to the ground floor, Lili yelled down to them.
"Maaat! Did you take your gloves? I have your gloves here. Did you take the other pair?"
For a second there was silence. Mat looked up, opening his mouth to answer. Another second. Andrei caught him and covered his mouth.
Silence remained. Everything was fine.
Then that loud growling started everywhere.
There was movement in the apartments, thumps against walls and doors.
Everybody stood still: Lili on the second floor, blocking the door, and Andrei and Mat on the ground floor, right by the entranceway.
Slowly, the noises faded, then stopped. Behind Lili, Dan and Maria had emerged and were holding on to each other, all silent.
You could almost taste the fear as everybody tried to regain their self-control.
Mat looked up, opening his mouth to say something, but Andrei stopped him and whispered, "Shush. We need to be quiet. We need to go back up the stairs slowly and return to the apartment. Can you do that? Can you go slowly and quietly up the stairs?"
Mat hesitated a moment. "Yes."
"Shush!" Don't talk, whisper. Okay, let's go, slowly."
They started up the first flight, taking them from the building's entrance to the first two apartments. They took each step gingerly, trying to be as quiet as possible.
The noise was strong in his memory, and Andrei was scared. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so afraid. Maybe that day when a group of kids surrounded him behind the school to beat him up. Then, he'd been terrified. But he'd been twelve at the time. Now, he was thirty-eight. He shouldn't be this scared.
As they reached the ground floor, they saw that one of the apartments had an old, wooden door. That wouldn't hold back an angry person, let alone a bear, realized Andrei, and fear started to overcome him. No, there couldn't be bears in here really. Could there?
As they climbed the next flight, he began to feel like something was behind him. He now understood why Mat would run back to the living room after turning off the light in the bathroom: that ancestral fear that something evil was behind you, lurking in the dark, and that you needed to go where the other people were as fast as possible.
Almost without realizing he was doing it, Andrei picked up the pace until they were almost running.
Mat let out a small shriek, his emotions clearly getting the better of him, while Andrei took two stairs at a time.
Despite their intentions, they were making a lot of noise.
And then, the real noise started again.
Bear-like growls. Bodies slamming against doors.
Andrei and Mat ran... They weren't thinking anymore. They just ran, both screaming.
"Run! Oh my God, come on!" yelled Lili, hanging on to the doorframe.
All of a sudden, there came the sound of splintering wood as the door on the ground floor apartment cracked open. Andrei heard it distinctly as he and Matei tore into their apartment two flights up.
Dan slammed the metal door shut behind them and turned all the locks, his hands visibly shaking. Then he looked through the door viewer, watching the corridor beyond.
After another minute or two, the noises faded, and their breaths slowed, even though tears continue to stream down Matei's, Lili's, and Maria's faces.
The family sat quietly in the living room. Mat was still crying; no one could stop him. He was in that place where he didn't hear anyone. He just cried.
"He'll fall asleep," said Lili. "Let him cry, Mom," she told Maria, who was still trying to calm him. "Hold him and he'll be okay."
Once Mat did fall asleep, Andrei and Dan began discussing their options.
"So," said Andrei, "it looks like what we saw on TV and read in the news is everywhere. It's spreading. People are drinking something or touching something, and they're getting really aggressive."
"That's no alcohol-induced aggression, Andrei," said Dan. "I've met hundreds, no, thousands of drunks and have had my fair share of violent and aggressive behavior, but this is different. Those noises and what we saw on TV give a different perspective."
"True. Do you think it's a drug, then?"
"If it's a drug it would have to be one hell of a distribution system for it to hit the capital, here, and other parts of the world all at the same time. No, this is something else."
"But what if the mafias and drug clans arranged to sell it at the same time?"
"What would be the point? If that were true, they would have to be really stupid."
"Why's that?"
"Well, for one thing, this kind of behavior puts law enforcement on high alert. No drug that does this would be tolerated, so why try to sell it? You know this would bring the full might of state institutions upon you anywhere in the world, so why do it?" Dan shook his head. "No. This is no drug. This is something else."
WHAT NEXT?
Thank you for reading this excerpt from my first book!
Growlers Moroi is now live on Amazon, just type "Growlers John Black" in the search bar.
You'll also discover Growlers 2 – Strigoi, the second installment in the Growlers series, Growlers 3 – Iele and Growlers Full Circle.
Best,
John