Deluge: The Conqueror Worms II

CHAPTER 3

There were four worms writhing together in the mud. Their entwined bodies glistened with slime, and their musky, chlorine-like reek filled the air. The smallest of the creatures was about six feet long. The largest was nearly fifteen feet long and thick as a barrel. There was a bulge in its center—a recently devoured meal. The worm’s pale flesh quivered as its dinner squirmed inside of its belly.

The monsters raised their eyeless heads, sensing Kevin and Sarah’s presence. Then they collapsed back into the mud and surged forward. They attacked in silence. Sarah darted backward and pulled the hunting knife from her pocket. She fumbled with it, trying to open the blade, but her wet fingers slipped on the metal.

“I got this one,” Kevin said.

Holding his ground, Kevin lashed out with the baseball bat, striking the closest worm in the head. Enraged, the creature opened its mouth and made an explosive farting sound.

Sarah grimaced. The first time they’d heard the worms make that noise, it had been almost comical, but there was nothing funny about it now.

The worm struck at Kevin’s leg, but he danced out of the way. Two more of the creatures slithered forward, trying to flank their prey. Kevin struck the closest worm again, grunting with the effort. The blow split the monster’s flesh, and brown, watery blood gushed from the wound. The worm thrashed, hissing in agony.

The large worm heaved itself forward. Mud squelched beneath its tremendous bulk. Sarah continued fumbling with the wet knife while Kevin retreated to her side. Another of the smaller worms wriggled after him. Kevin swung the bat, but the beast dodged the blow and seized the weapon in its mouth, wrenching the bat from Kevin’s grip.

“Fuck this.” Sarah shoved the knife back in her pocket and pulled out one of the emergency flares instead. Moving quickly, she unscrewed the cap and struck the tip of the flare against it. The flare sputtered to life, emitting a red flame. Sparks burned the tiny hairs on her arm, but she ignored them. She thrust the flare forward, and the worm reared back.

“Come on,” she said, stepping in front of Kevin. “Go around the other side of the sinkhole.”

The two smaller worms slithered back and forth, hesitant to come near the sputtering flame. The larger creature thrust itself forward, lurking on the edge of the sinkhole. Gritting her teeth, Sarah took a step backward. The monster’s segmented body tensed, and she knew it was preparing to charge. Before it could, however, the sodden ground collapsed beneath the creature’s weight. The worm tumbled into the sinkhole. Water splashed up over the sides of the crater.

Cheering, Sarah swept the flare back and forth in a wide arc, keeping the remaining two worms at bay. She slowly retreated, glancing over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t too close to the edge of the crevice. The worms followed, but slowly.

They’re communal, she thought. We suspected it before, but seeing them close up like this… How are they communicating with each other?

When she reached the road, Kevin was waiting for her.

“Got another flare?” he asked.

She nodded, not taking her eyes off their pursuers. “We’ve got two more. But we need to make them last. No telling how many of these things we’ll run into between here and the ranger tower.”

“We’re still planning to make for that, then?”

“We can’t make it back to Teddy’s. Not without the truck. The fire tower is closer. It’s either that, or stay out here in the open.”

“No thanks,” Kevin said. “Let’s go.”

They rounded the other side of the sinkhole. The road stretched ahead of them again, heading into the forest. The downpour prevented them from seeing very far, but it didn’t look like there were any more washouts. They’d make better progress on the road than they would in the fields and meadows. Both were muddy, and it would be like running through cement.

Sarah paused, watching the worms. They hovered at the edge of the road, still cautious of the sputtering flame. Sarah reached into her jacket and pulled out another flare. Then she handed it to Kevin.

He frowned. “I thought you said—”

“I’m going to try something different. Just stick that under your jacket. Keep it dry. Don’t light it unless I tell you.”

She tossed the flare towards the worms. It landed in the middle of the road. Sarah held her breath, wondering if it would go out, but the flame continued to burn brightly. The worms paused, caught between the flare and the hole.

“That gives us a head start.” She grabbed Kevin’s arm. “Come on!”

They ran down the road, heading towards the forest. Sarah risked a glance behind them, and was relieved to see that the worms were still trying to negotiate their way around the flare. Then the mist closed in their wake, and the creatures disappeared from sight.

They kept running for another five minutes, until they reached the cover of the trees. Once they were inside the forest, they paused, panting for breath. Sarah noticed that Kevin was wheezing.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. My chest still hurts. Just need to rest up.”

“We can’t stay here long. We need to keep moving.”

“I know. Just give me a minute to catch my breath.”

Sarah studied their surroundings. The rain drummed against the leafy canopy overhead. The sound was surprisingly loud. Many of the trees were leaning to one side, their roots struggling to keep a purchase in the over-saturated ground. Others had collapsed, leaving behind huge holes in the earth that were now filled with water. She spotted white fuzz growing on several tree trunks, concealing the bark. The mold also covered a slab of granite jutting up from the forest floor.

Behind her, Kevin shrieked. Sarah spun around, to see him wiping the back of his hand on his coat. He seemed embarrassed.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. I brushed up against a branch. It tickled my hand and I though it was… you know, one of them. Scared me.”

“Well, you scared me, too. Jesus, Kevin…”

“Sorry.” He smiled. “You still love me?”

Grinning, Sarah shook her head. “I’d love you a lot more if you hadn’t lost our bat.”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

“How?”

“When we get to the tower, you can have first pick of whatever we find.”

“Deal.”

They continued on their way. The mist grew thick between the trees, and the road sloped steadily upward. Neither of them spoke. Sarah stretched her neck and shoulder muscles, trying to work out the kinks.

Kevin scratched the back of his hand, which had begun to itch.

Neither one of them noticed the fungus growing on the branch he’d touched.