The Terror From Beyond the Void

I STOOD ON the porch, the scent of the cedar boards beneath me wafting up into my nostrils. I could smell nature all around; leafy scents, dirt, dampness in the trees and bushes that surrounded the camp. Odors that would normally make me feel comforted or refreshed. Now, they all reminded me of the horrible invader that hid, stalked, and killed in these woods.

My fingers twinged around the barrel and handle of Duke’s shotgun. I was nervous not knowing where the mysterious creature was, or what it was doing or planning. Was it full after it devoured three grown people? Was it ‘hibernating’? Waiting for its hunger to return? Were there others like it? Either within our confines or in the ones that border ours?

I stepped off the porch and into the shaded property. A string of clouds had slid in front of the sun, casting the aesthetic of twilight over the camp. I crept across the dirt and past the fire pit. I briefly made eye contact with the jelly-like remains of Macie’s leg, and then even briefer eye contact with the dark, moist soil where Natalie once lay. Ahead of me, a row of trees—their leaves rustling in the breeze—divided our camp from the Saunders’. I cut through the overgrowth and into their lot, the gun still tight in my grip.

I unlatched the door to their camper first. I knew that was where Hadley was set up, just like the twins had taken our camper. And assuming Duke’s appetite for Oxycodone was secretive, he may have hidden the drug away from his wife. The camper made sense for that, as long as the drug was in a safe place.

I pulled the door open and walked in. It was a lot cleaner than ours, neatly decorated and smelled like a mixture of fruit and flowers, presumably from a lotion or body spray.

I started with the cabinets. When I didn’t find anything, I opened all the drawers and checked under the furniture. Near the rear of the camper, beside Hadley’s disheveled bed, was the narrow door to the restroom. I closed my eyes as thoughts of Hadley’s demise came flooding back. Echoing screams and unnatural sounds filled my head until I willed them all away. I opened my eyes again, proceeded through the camper and pulled the door open. I aimed the gun, half expecting to see another grotesque display sitting on the toilet.

But there was no one; nothing unusual at all. I leaned in and looked into the toilet. That thing must have come up from the tank and pipes from under the vehicle, I thought. It moves in a most unusual way.

Since it had infiltrated our planet using earthy elements to take on a pliant guise, I couldn’t help but wonder what its true form looked like. The best I had to go by was the green, oily substance Duke described in the crater. If it was a liquid-based organism—which was mind-boggling to think about—it would have easily been able to come up through the pipes and toilet tank.

Suddenly, something scratched the outside of the camper. I jerked my head in the direction of the sound, hearing it claw across the side of the vehicle, and then abruptly stop. I felt flush again. I swallowed hard and took a deep, shaky breath. My fingers wrapped tightly around the gun until my hands hurt.

Another scratch; I felt my heart throbbing in the sides of my head. I began to feel light-headed, wishing this dream—this nightmare—would just end. I turned and quietly made my way back through the camper, cautiously peering out the open door.

Birds were chirping. Leaves rustled. A light breeze carried the damp odor from the woods. I stepped out and down the metal steps, trying to keep my eyes focused in every direction at once. A squirrel scampered across the ground and perched itself on a rock. It had something in its mouth; nuts or berries, probably. It stood tall, alert, and chewed furiously on its afternoon snack. Watching it eat made me feel hungry. I hadn’t eaten since the morning. My stomach growled, and the squirrel froze.

There’s no way that squirrel heard my stomach, I thought. It crouched down on all fours, ceased chewing, and remained as still as a statue. It had heard something, but my hungry stomach couldn’t have been what it was. There was something else close by; a predator. I looked, along with the squirrel, but nothing jumped out to me. Nature was still.

The squirrel pounced from its perch and scampered a few yards before coming to an abrupt stop in front of some thick shrubbery. It was inspecting something in the leaves. I squinted, trying to see what it was, but before I had time to focus, the squirrel jerked itself away and started to thrash around, squealing in torment. It rolled onto its back, where I was able to see its underside was covered in the dreadful, green substance.

It’s here, I thought as I watched the substance spread to engulf the entirety of the poor animal. The squirrel fell still, and its vanquished body softened into a sludgy residue.

The shrubbery behind the dead animal parted, and the otherworldly monstrosity emerged, crawling out and smashing its hands down into the squirrel. It brought its hands to its mouth and hastily ingurgitated the remains.

I couldn’t move. If I did, it would notice me and then attack. It would aimlessly throw its goopy genetics until I was struck, infected, and then eaten. I was a couple yards away from the Saunders’ camper, and even further from the cabin.

The monster finished its meal and then pulled itself across the ground with its hands. Its legs were dragging behind, but still using their strength to help it along. I noticed it was coming my way, and getting quicker.

It already saw me! How ignorant of me to assume I was smarter than this thing. It picked up speed, crawling freakishly fast in my direction. I aimed the gun and fired a shot that went astray. I fired again, clipping the creature’s left arm. Chunks of it splattered on the ground, but the blast didn’t do anything to slow it down. If anything, it only made it faster, angrier.

I turned and ran, with every bit of energy I had, to the Saunders’ cabin. I flew up the porch steps and through the front door, slamming it shut behind me. I locked it, immediately feeling stupid for just assuming that would keep it out. I backed up through the interior, keeping the gun trained at the front door. I stopped when my back hit a wall, and waited.

But nothing happened.

I waited a few moments more, expecting the creature to barge through the door like it had come out of our camper. But, nothing.

All was calm and quiet; the only sound was of my heavy breathing. I slowly walked back through the room and prudently looked out the window to the right of the door. I could see the porch, the area where I was chased, and the camper.

Nothing.

It had stopped its pursuit for some reason, and vanished. A scratching sound made me grip the gun tighter and look at the camper. I saw it from an odd angle, where a broken tree branch was scraping against the side of the vehicle.

That explains the clawing sounds, I thought.

I studied the area in front of the cabin more closely, trying to see if the creature was just blending in with the wilderness, but my eyes were having a hard time focusing and distinguishing what was what.

I backed away from the window, took a deep breath and thought of my family: Kevin, Wes, Macie. Oxycodone—that’s why I was here. I continued my search for the drug in the cabin. I came up empty in the bathroom, the bedrooms, the drawers and cabinets. I then found Duke’s duffle bag on the closet floor. I scoured it, unzipping every possible pouch and compartment. Nothing.

At the bottom of the bag a small tear. I put my fingers in it, feeling around inside the lining. My fingers grazed a plastic bag and my eyes widened with excitement. I pulled the bag out, seeing a handful of small, white pills inside.

Bingo.