10-08-2023, 06:03 PM
Beth is utterly destroyed. Rod struggles to offer comfort. Alex sits on a rock several
feet away, despondent. No living thing should have to witness such horrors. Rod sits
on the ground holding his wife close.
“Beth, listen to me.” he whispers.
She doesn’t speak or open her eyes.
“I know you are - WE are devastated - but we can’t stay here.”
Her breathing is labored.
“All this commotion is bound to attract more of these things. We’re not safe here.”
She pulls away from him and is quickly on her feet.
“We’re not safe here? We’re not fucking safe anywhere!” she screams.
“Which is why we need to keep moving.” Rod pleads, voice cracking.
“Why? This is as good a place to die as any! Because that’s what we’re facing!” she continues.
“At least we’ll be close to her.” she adds, sobbing.
Rod grabs and hugs her tightly, her body shakes with torment.
She finds a still moment in the pain.
“Can we at least bury our youngest child?”
Emotion spills down Rod’s face.
“Yes. Yes.” he says nodding.
Beth wipes her face and attempts a smile.
“You just sit, we’ll gather some digging sticks.” he says.
She looks around for a place with cover.
“I need to pee.”
Rod scans the area.
“Behind those rocks. Alex, check it first.”
The boy picks up his rifle and moves to the boulders for a quick inspection. He gives
a nod of safety to his mother, she walks over and hugs him tight.
“I love you son.” she says softly in the embrace.
“I love you too mom.”
She disappears behind the rocks.
Rod and Alex scour the area for fallen limbs stout enough to penetrate the dense clay.
Several minutes pass - Beth hasn’t returned.
“Go check on her.”
Alex approaches the rocks and listens.
“Mom, you OK?”
There was no answer.
“Mom?”
Her gun discharges. Alex jumps, Rod whips around in shock.
“Nooo!” the boy screams and darts behind the boulders.
Rod couldn’t reach him in time. He found Alex on his knees, arms around his mother - sobbing,
covered in Beth’s blood. The day had been too much for her.
TWO HOURS LATER
Rod and Alex are exhausted but were able to construct a loving monument to a wife,
mother, daughter and sister. They topped the shared grave with as many large stones
as could be found. This was a pain that would never leave them.
The father and son sit in a shaded area paying their respects.
“No sense in heading out now, it’ll be dark soon.” Rod submits quietly.
Neither of them speak for several minutes.
“You think things would’ve been different, if we never left home?” queries the boy.
“You mean Maryland?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s really no telling. This thing was worldwide.”
“Why did they do this?” he asks his father.
“Some people just can’t be satisfied. They want more than they can ever use. It’s a sickness.”
He absorbs his father’s words.
“Most of the time, I think humans are the real monsters.” Rod says, getting to his feet.
“Let’s see if we can find some of those fruits.”
A faint sound breaks the air. And again. Now closer, louder. It was howling. They freeze,
looking at each other - then quickly move to their weapons.
“We’ll check this end first, get behind me.”
Alex loads the rifle and follows his father. Slow, quiet steps. The noise draws nearer, rising
in volume. A frenzy of snorting and grunting. There had to be twenty of them. The canyon
opens into a clearing, Rod and Alex stop, weapons aimed - standing before them - nearly two
dozen choarman.
“OK, real easy, let’s back it up, I face this way, you face the other. Now.” Rod says calmly.
They inch their way back into the canyon, abominations in tow. After a few yards - the situation changes.
“Dad?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s more.”
They stop, Rod looks behind and sees what has to be at least a dozen more of the same
creatures. They’re hemmed in. The two groups initiate monstrous screeching. A show of power
before they attack. This was as real as it gets.
“Son, I’m sorry your life turned out this way.”
“Dad?”
“Yeah.”
“Make it count.”
The two open fire, destroying a great many of the beasts but there were enough that got
through to sway victory in their favor. Rod and Alex fought hard, side by side, to the end.
Their deaths were swift.
https://imgur.com/caVFb6g
"The Haunted Lands" - Final in the four-part series 'Chimera'.
Mixed media on plywood. My 134th painting.
feet away, despondent. No living thing should have to witness such horrors. Rod sits
on the ground holding his wife close.
“Beth, listen to me.” he whispers.
She doesn’t speak or open her eyes.
“I know you are - WE are devastated - but we can’t stay here.”
Her breathing is labored.
“All this commotion is bound to attract more of these things. We’re not safe here.”
She pulls away from him and is quickly on her feet.
“We’re not safe here? We’re not fucking safe anywhere!” she screams.
“Which is why we need to keep moving.” Rod pleads, voice cracking.
“Why? This is as good a place to die as any! Because that’s what we’re facing!” she continues.
“At least we’ll be close to her.” she adds, sobbing.
Rod grabs and hugs her tightly, her body shakes with torment.
She finds a still moment in the pain.
“Can we at least bury our youngest child?”
Emotion spills down Rod’s face.
“Yes. Yes.” he says nodding.
Beth wipes her face and attempts a smile.
“You just sit, we’ll gather some digging sticks.” he says.
She looks around for a place with cover.
“I need to pee.”
Rod scans the area.
“Behind those rocks. Alex, check it first.”
The boy picks up his rifle and moves to the boulders for a quick inspection. He gives
a nod of safety to his mother, she walks over and hugs him tight.
“I love you son.” she says softly in the embrace.
“I love you too mom.”
She disappears behind the rocks.
Rod and Alex scour the area for fallen limbs stout enough to penetrate the dense clay.
Several minutes pass - Beth hasn’t returned.
“Go check on her.”
Alex approaches the rocks and listens.
“Mom, you OK?”
There was no answer.
“Mom?”
Her gun discharges. Alex jumps, Rod whips around in shock.
“Nooo!” the boy screams and darts behind the boulders.
Rod couldn’t reach him in time. He found Alex on his knees, arms around his mother - sobbing,
covered in Beth’s blood. The day had been too much for her.
TWO HOURS LATER
Rod and Alex are exhausted but were able to construct a loving monument to a wife,
mother, daughter and sister. They topped the shared grave with as many large stones
as could be found. This was a pain that would never leave them.
The father and son sit in a shaded area paying their respects.
“No sense in heading out now, it’ll be dark soon.” Rod submits quietly.
Neither of them speak for several minutes.
“You think things would’ve been different, if we never left home?” queries the boy.
“You mean Maryland?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s really no telling. This thing was worldwide.”
“Why did they do this?” he asks his father.
“Some people just can’t be satisfied. They want more than they can ever use. It’s a sickness.”
He absorbs his father’s words.
“Most of the time, I think humans are the real monsters.” Rod says, getting to his feet.
“Let’s see if we can find some of those fruits.”
A faint sound breaks the air. And again. Now closer, louder. It was howling. They freeze,
looking at each other - then quickly move to their weapons.
“We’ll check this end first, get behind me.”
Alex loads the rifle and follows his father. Slow, quiet steps. The noise draws nearer, rising
in volume. A frenzy of snorting and grunting. There had to be twenty of them. The canyon
opens into a clearing, Rod and Alex stop, weapons aimed - standing before them - nearly two
dozen choarman.
“OK, real easy, let’s back it up, I face this way, you face the other. Now.” Rod says calmly.
They inch their way back into the canyon, abominations in tow. After a few yards - the situation changes.
“Dad?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s more.”
They stop, Rod looks behind and sees what has to be at least a dozen more of the same
creatures. They’re hemmed in. The two groups initiate monstrous screeching. A show of power
before they attack. This was as real as it gets.
“Son, I’m sorry your life turned out this way.”
“Dad?”
“Yeah.”
“Make it count.”
The two open fire, destroying a great many of the beasts but there were enough that got
through to sway victory in their favor. Rod and Alex fought hard, side by side, to the end.
Their deaths were swift.
https://imgur.com/caVFb6g
"The Haunted Lands" - Final in the four-part series 'Chimera'.
Mixed media on plywood. My 134th painting.
