Jacqueline Druga - Omnicide

With a ‘hmm,’ Ada walked back to the truck. Eb watched her reach in the back end and pull out a backpack type item that looked more like what the Ghostbusters would wear.

“What the hell is that?”

“Got this from Pete Jones when he quit the exterminator business. Here, hold my rifle.” She handed the weapon to Eb then placed on the pack, pulling out the hose with the squeeze handle trigger.

“What is in there?”

“My antifungal mixture.”

“You think it’s gonna work on something of this scale?”

“Building?” Ada shook her head. “No. Never be enough of it. But for a doorway. Sure.”

“It works?”

“Yep.”

“You tested it?” Eb asked.

“You know that smart shit Art didn’t want to admit it worked, eventually he did, but it was too late for those who got infected. When he got that deer and brought samples from it, we tried my mixture on one of the samples and damn if the green didn’t turn brown. Still he wouldn’t admit it.”

“Maybe because he knew it wouldn’t work on more than a sample.”

“Doubt me. Go on.” Ada aimed and squirted a portion.

Eb placed his hands on his hips. “Nothing is happening.”

“Give it more than five seconds goddamn it.”

Eb exhaled almost impatiently then widened his eyes when he saw the area she’d sprayed began to die off. “It’s crazy.”

“Yeah, isn’t it. I don’t think it will stop it from growing back. It might. We didn’t get that far. But it’s something…” She grabbed her rifle from Eb’s hand and, using the butt, hit into the dying portion. It cracked and fell to the ground. “There. We can go in. We won’t get stuck even if this crap grows a mile a minute.” She turned to head back to the truck.

“Wait,” Eb told her. “Just in case it does grow that fast. Spray again on the empty spot.”

With a shrug, Ada did and for good measure, she sprayed an untouched area.

They returned to the truck and drove inside.

Where they needed to go was a level down. Eb was all too familiar with it. Inside the garage were pockets of the fungus. It grew on some of the cars. Mainly the ones closest to the doors and openings. Eb picked a spot more central and they walked across the lot to the set of double doors where a sign overhead read ‘The Underground.’

“Sounds seedy,” Ada said.

“It’s not.” Eb, with a smile, carefully opened the door. “Hopefully this guy didn’t go nuts.”

“Hello!” Ada called out. “Anyone here?” She looked at Eb. “What was his name on the social media post?”

“Fishman and some number.”

“Hello! We’re looking for Fishman,” Ada called out again.

It was a dark hallway and surprisingly the power was still on. Eb knew someone was there because he could smell food.

After Ada called out once more, they heard clumsy bangs and thumps, followed by running footsteps.

Just as they turned the bend in the hall, a man appeared.

“Oh my God,” he gushed excitedly. “Oh my God. People.” He wore jeans and a tee shirt and to Eb, the guy had kept himself together while waiting.

“I’m Eb.” He extended his hand. “And this is Ada.”

“George. I’m George and I’m so glad to see you. I didn’t think anyone was left in the world.”

“Are you the only one?” asked Ada.

“Here. Yeah. In Vegas. I don’t know. But I do know everyone around here either died or left. I was in my room when the news said to stay inside. I didn’t think that many people were exposed to it, but everyone I spoke to got some sort of rash or sick.”

Ada nodded. “It’s caused by a fungus and when the spores are active they spread. That’s what happened. We saw your post.”

“Thank God. I just wanted to go home but when I realized I should have just taken any ride, it was too late.”

“You didn’t think of hitting valet parking?” Eb asked. “Find some keys. Find a car?”

“Um… no. I don’t even know what’s going on out there.”

“It’s bad,” Eb replied. “I know you wanted to go to Flagstaff. We’re not sure if it’s okay, but we can try to take you there. We’re from Griffin.”

“I appreciate it. I do. Let me grab my stuff.” He took off darting into one of the fast food restaurants.

Ada turned to Eb. “Should we drive around looking for people?”

“I don’t know. Maybe drive slow and beep the horn to draw attention. Who knows I… can you…” Eb pointed back. “Can you wait for him? There’s something I want to see.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” Eb turned to his right and headed toward a staircase.

Ada watched Eb leave. She had no idea what he was doing. She waited for George who took a few minutes to gather his things.

“Where did he go?” George asked.

“Up.”

“Shit.”

“What?” Ada asked.

“Everyone is dead up there. I wouldn’t go up there.”

“George. Wait here. I’ll be back.”

“Didn’t you hear me? It’s dangerous.”

Ada lifted the spray bottle to her pack. “I’m armed. I’ll be right back. I promise.”

It was strange, there were lights on and she could hear the struggling sound of the escalator as it battled the growing fungus that clung to the railing. Like Eb, she took the stairs.

It brought her to a set of glass doors and she entered into a wide, bright lobby.

The roped-off areas used for check-in had toppled over. Abandoned luggage was strewn across the floor with paper and other garbage. The main doors of the hotel were shattered and the glass looked like someone had dumped an ice machine.

It wasn’t silent and that surprised her.

Blings and bleeps along with music carried to her. She realized once she entered the casino that most of it was flowing from an automatic sequence on each video slot machine. A sequence that showed the biggest hit one could get—a way to entice players.

And people still played as long as they could, literally.

They slumped dead at the machines, credits still on there.

The carpet beneath her feet felt strangely damp as she walked.

“Eb,” she called out.

“Over here.”

A little farther and she found him. He was seated at a slot machine, one with pyramids and Egyptian symbols on it. His hand touched the button and the reels spun.

“Eb, what are you doing?” Ada asked.

“So close to a bonus,” he said. “I had a twenty in my pocket.”

“Eb, sweetie…”

“Shit.” He hit the button and shook his head. “So close. Did you see?”

“No. We have to go.”

“I know,” Eb replied. “I just know if I hit max bet I’ll hit the jackpot.”

“Eb, honey… did you honestly just come up here to gamble?”

Eb’s hand slid from the machine and he turned slowly to face her. “No, I came up here to experience this one more time. Because it’s done and it won’t be long before it’s all gone. Nothing left to see.”

“We don’t know that, Eb.”

“Yeah, yeah, we do. Ever see the movie or read the book by Stephen King called The Langoliers ?”

“Yes, what’s that got to do with anything?” Ada asked.

“Everything. We’re living it. Only instead of some mysterious thing eating up our yesterday, this fungus,” Eb said, “is eating up our tomorrow.”

Steven was his name. The first airplane survivor, the one to peek through the window and stumble out. He cried out in pain, sitting up as he did so in the fourth pew of the small church.

“It’s okay,” Art told him. “It’s a muscle spasm. I promise they’ll stop once we get you hydrated. Cass?”

Cass had been looking at those they brought in, their makeshift beds in a house of worship. That had to afford them some peace, she hoped. “Yeah, I’m sorry.” Carrying a bottle of juice, she hurried over to Steven.