Ike Hamill - Extinct

“It’s not your time yet,” Robby said. He reached up and wrapped a hand over her eyes. As soon as she couldn’t see the light, she became docile. Robby turned her and pointed her up the hill towards the tractor. He spoke directly into her ear—“Don’t turn around. Don’t look at the light. Just get back to the tractors and don’t look back.”

“Okay, Robby,” she said. “I understand.”

Brad moved farther down the hill to catch up with Nate and Brynn. They were holding hands and walking towards the light. Brad took off his jacket, threw it over Nate’s head, and forced Brynn to turn around. Nate understood immediately. He picked up Brynn, clutched him to his chest and turned around.

Robby ran down the hill calling Christine’s name. She didn’t answer and her footprints were jumbled with those of dozens of corpses.

“Christine?” Robby called. “Where are you?”

Brad caught up with Robby and they shuffled along together, looking straight down and hoping to bump into the final member of their party. When Robby stopped and turned back uphill, Brad stopped as well.

“If I get entranced, knock this out of my hand,” Robby said. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the Volvo visor mirror. He aimed it over his shoulder so he could scan for Christine.

“Robby? Are you still with me?” Brad asked.

“Yes,” Robby said. “The reflection isn’t affecting me.”

“Do you see her?” Brad asked.

“No, not yet,” Robby said. “Wait, I think that’s her. I’m not sure.”

“Let me see,” Brad said. He reached for the mirror, but Robby wouldn’t relinquish it. He tilted it so Brad could see and Brad looked over Robby’s shoulder to get a better look.

“Yes, that’s her,” Brad said. “See the blood stain on her sleeve?”

“Okay,” Robby said. He walked backwards, holding the mirror and using it to navigate towards Christine. When they got close enough, he and Brad spun, grabbing Christine by the shoulders and wrestling her away from her march.

“Let go!” she screamed.

“No Christine,” Brad said. “You’re hypnotized by the light. You can’t look at it, or you’ll walk right into it.”

“Maybe I want to walk into it. Did you consider that?" Christine asked.

“What you’re seeing isn’t real,” Brad said. “It’s some kind of trick.”

“There’s no trick,” Christine said. “Everyone I’ve ever cared about is in the light.”

“Even so, it’s not your time,” Brad said.

“Says who? You? Why shouldn’t it be my time?" Christine asked.

“Go up the hill and we can talk about it,” Brad said.

“We’re not going to let you go,” Robby said.

“It’s not your decision,” Christine said.

“I know,” Robby said. “Please?”

Behind them, down in the crater where the ball of light met the ice, a sound rang out accompanied by a flash of bright blue light. Robby couldn’t decide if it sounded more like thunder, or a giant piece of paper tearing. Either way, the sound seemed to be inside his head—he felt it more than he heard it. The flash of light threw their shadows up the icy slope and reflected off a million edges of broken ice crystals.

Robby jerked the mirror back up in time to see the next flash. It erupted when one of the eyeless, lumbering corpses entered the ball of light. The corpse raised its hands with its last step and was absorbed by the ball of light. Christine clutched her hands to her ears in a fruitless attempt to muffle the sound.

Two more dead entered the light and the sound sent a double shot of pain through Robby’s head. The corpses weren’t deterred; they kept marching in a shuffling column towards the flashing ball of light.

Robby and Brad grabbed Christine by her arms and hauled her uphill, away from the light. They veered away from the corpses, which seemed surefooted despite their lack of eyes. Christine didn’t struggle, but she twisted her head around and tried to watch the light recede as Robby and Brad dragged her up the hill. She sobbed and wailed until they reached the top, and then silent tears still leaked down her face.

The sound of corpses entering the ball of light erupted so often that it became like a constant hum instead of individual explosions.

“Everyone was in the light,” Christine said to Robby. “Everyone I ever cared about.”

“They’ll always be there,” Robby said.

Robby and Brad escorted Christine to the others who formed a small knot away from the tractors, and sleds, and throngs of dead. Pete and Romie approached and Robby ran forward to warn them to shield their eyes.

“Is that all of them?” Brad asked.

Pete answered—“There are a few dozen more still coming from the last sled. They were caught in the straps, but they got free.”

“What’s that smell?" Romie asked.

A sour wind from the south brought the smell of decomposition. The group faced south, looked away from the ball of light, and tried to place the source of the odor.

“It almost smells like rich soil,” Brad said. “You know how it smells when you first turn it over in the spring?”

“Where’s Brynn?" Nate asked. His voice rang of panic immediately; this was no idle question.

“Brynn?” Robby called. Glancing around the group, he was careful to not look back at the ball of light.

The wind picked up and carried Robby’s voice down towards the light.

Robby pulled out his mirror again.

“Oh shit,” Robby said as he picked out the form of a young person sprinting and ducking between the shuffling corpses. Brynn was already halfway down the hill to the ball of light. Robby looked straight down and ran. He stretched his young legs out as far as they’d go as he ran down the ice, trying to catch Brynn before he got to the light. Before Robby saw him, he heard Brynn giggling. His voice sounded out of place as it bubbled up between crashes of thunder.

“Brynn!” Robby yelled. “Stop!”

He both heard and sensed others from his group running behind him. Nate ran by. Robby looked up to see Nate sprinting for Brynn with his arms outstretched. Robby couldn’t watch Nate’s progress without looking at the ball of light, so he put his head down and tried to run even faster.

“Brynn, I’m coming,” Nate yelled up ahead. “Wait for me.”

“Try not to look at the light, Nate,” Robby yelled at the ground. “Just focus on Brynn.” His voice was swallowed by tearing thunder from the ball.

Robby could tell he was getting closer to the light because his shadow was shortening underneath him. The sound crashing through him felt like it could split his skull. Feet and legs appeared in front of Robby, and he recognized Nate’s boots and green pants. Robby reached for the man’s hand and pulled. The thunderous sound of corpses being absorbed into the light died away and a peaceful silence settled around him.

“Nate,” Robby whispered. “Did you catch up with Brynn?”

“Yes, Robby,” Nate said. “He right here.”

“Great,” Robby said, still looking down at his feet and holding Nate’s hand. “Back away from the light and let’s get back to the others.”

“No, Robby,” Nate said. “We’re all here. Look around you.”

Robby shook his head. Cold glare from the massive ball of light glared off his cheeks and reflected off the snaps and zipper of his jacket. If he looked up at all, he knew he’d catch sight of the light and then perhaps become entranced, like the others. Instead, Robby looked to his sides, where he was surprised to find people all around him. They weren’t all exploded-eye corpses, either. A man on his left wore a brown suit and white shirt. He stared up towards the light with tears streaming from his intact eyes. At his feet a toddler, wearing just a diaper and a shirt, giggled around a pacifier as it looked up towards the light. Just behind them, a dirty woman, completely naked held her hand up towards the light as if she could grip it in her fist. As Robby watched she brought her hand down to her face, like she was trying to taste the light.