Read The Lost Gods for Free Online Page A
Authors: Horace Brickley
fuck, or whatever. Gone.”
Jesse dropped his cudgel and ran up to the lip of the platform. He jumped and hoisted himself up. He scanned the parking lot for a moment. The only signs of the undead were the corpses of those they had killed last night and all the days and nights beforehand. The rest of the reanimates were gone. Jesse jumped down from the platform and jogged over to Adam. Adam had closed the gate and was trying to secure it.
“What exactly happened?” asked Jesse.
“What do you mean? I already told you,” said Adam. “They left.”
“That’s it? They just left?”
“Hang on a sec,” said Adam. He finished locking the gate and turned around. He bent over and took in slow, labored breaths.
“Seriously, what happened during your watch?” asked Jesse.
“They left, and I dragged the—”
“Why did they leave?” said Jesse. Hi s irritation colored his voice.
“There was this loud screaming sound, and then they left.”
“A scream? Why didn’t you mention that before?”
“Not a scream exactly, I mean not like a person screaming. It didn’t sound like a human.”
Adam shook his head and stared at his feet.
“What was it then?” asked Jesse. “An animal or som ething?”
Jesse studied Adam’s face for any signs that Adam might have been lying.
“No, it wasn’t any animal that I’ve heard before. It sounded really — I don’t know; it was wild, man. I don’t think I’d want to tangle with whatever made that noise.”
“There’s no animal around here that makes a screa ming noise. Are you sure you didn’t nod off and dream it?”
“No, I didn't. I just kept low and quiet. Sometime in the night , there was this loud scream and then they left together. I could tell it was far away, but it was crazy loud, like metal concert loud.”
“So, you didn't fall as leep? And then they all left together like a bunch of elementary school kids going on a field trip?”
“I mean they weren't holding a rope and whistling, but, yeah, they left together like they were going som ewhere.”
“I refuse to believe that they just left after three days of hanging out around the fort. They’ve never done that before. Whenever they catch sight of anything living they hound it until they get it, or die trying.”
“I didn’t see what made the noise. I heard the scream and then they left right after that. I used the binoculars and I looked, but there was nothing around.”
“I’m not trying to bust your balls,” said Jesse. “I just need to know everything that happened. I’m not going to get mad if you tell me you fell asleep or something.”
Adam shook his head and scoffed.
“I didn’t fall asleep, but that’s exactly what I want to do right now. I gave you the run down. That’s all I know.”
“You can go sleep in a minute,” said Jesse. “Tell me about this scream. Be a little more specific.”
“All right,” said Adam. “Gimme a sec.”
Adam closed his eyes. His lips moved like he was trying to say something.
“You know that game we played back in junior high, Dagger Hall or something?”
“Daggerfall,” said Jesse.
“Yeah, that one. You know the sound that those ske letons made in that first dungeon?”
“I think so, yeah.”
“It sounded like that, but run through a giant amplification system.”
Jesse put his hands on his hips and paced. He bent his head back and stared at the sky like it held the answers he sought. Adam patted Jesse on the shoulder and climbed up the ladder to the tree house. Jesse picked up his cudgel and set it on the platform. He vaulted up and walked over to the edge. The town appeared empty, so he picked up the pair of binoculars that sat next to their supply chest. Nothing stirred in Silverdale. Jesse tossed the binoculars aside sending them skidding across the platform and over the edge.
“Fucking stupid things.”
Jesse exhaled hard through his nose and clenched his hands into tight fists. A few deep breaths and he let
Jesse dropped his cudgel and ran up to the lip of the platform. He jumped and hoisted himself up. He scanned the parking lot for a moment. The only signs of the undead were the corpses of those they had killed last night and all the days and nights beforehand. The rest of the reanimates were gone. Jesse jumped down from the platform and jogged over to Adam. Adam had closed the gate and was trying to secure it.
“What exactly happened?” asked Jesse.
“What do you mean? I already told you,” said Adam. “They left.”
“That’s it? They just left?”
“Hang on a sec,” said Adam. He finished locking the gate and turned around. He bent over and took in slow, labored breaths.
“Seriously, what happened during your watch?” asked Jesse.
“They left, and I dragged the—”
“Why did they leave?” said Jesse. Hi s irritation colored his voice.
“There was this loud screaming sound, and then they left.”
“A scream? Why didn’t you mention that before?”
“Not a scream exactly, I mean not like a person screaming. It didn’t sound like a human.”
Adam shook his head and stared at his feet.
“What was it then?” asked Jesse. “An animal or som ething?”
Jesse studied Adam’s face for any signs that Adam might have been lying.
“No, it wasn’t any animal that I’ve heard before. It sounded really — I don’t know; it was wild, man. I don’t think I’d want to tangle with whatever made that noise.”
“There’s no animal around here that makes a screa ming noise. Are you sure you didn’t nod off and dream it?”
“No, I didn't. I just kept low and quiet. Sometime in the night , there was this loud scream and then they left together. I could tell it was far away, but it was crazy loud, like metal concert loud.”
“So, you didn't fall as leep? And then they all left together like a bunch of elementary school kids going on a field trip?”
“I mean they weren't holding a rope and whistling, but, yeah, they left together like they were going som ewhere.”
“I refuse to believe that they just left after three days of hanging out around the fort. They’ve never done that before. Whenever they catch sight of anything living they hound it until they get it, or die trying.”
“I didn’t see what made the noise. I heard the scream and then they left right after that. I used the binoculars and I looked, but there was nothing around.”
“I’m not trying to bust your balls,” said Jesse. “I just need to know everything that happened. I’m not going to get mad if you tell me you fell asleep or something.”
Adam shook his head and scoffed.
“I didn’t fall asleep, but that’s exactly what I want to do right now. I gave you the run down. That’s all I know.”
“You can go sleep in a minute,” said Jesse. “Tell me about this scream. Be a little more specific.”
“All right,” said Adam. “Gimme a sec.”
Adam closed his eyes. His lips moved like he was trying to say something.
“You know that game we played back in junior high, Dagger Hall or something?”
“Daggerfall,” said Jesse.
“Yeah, that one. You know the sound that those ske letons made in that first dungeon?”
“I think so, yeah.”
“It sounded like that, but run through a giant amplification system.”
Jesse put his hands on his hips and paced. He bent his head back and stared at the sky like it held the answers he sought. Adam patted Jesse on the shoulder and climbed up the ladder to the tree house. Jesse picked up his cudgel and set it on the platform. He vaulted up and walked over to the edge. The town appeared empty, so he picked up the pair of binoculars that sat next to their supply chest. Nothing stirred in Silverdale. Jesse tossed the binoculars aside sending them skidding across the platform and over the edge.
“Fucking stupid things.”
Jesse exhaled hard through his nose and clenched his hands into tight fists. A few deep breaths and he let