Kenn Crawford - Dead Hunt

“You are not permitted to do that. If you open the capsule without following the proper procedure it will destroy…” Robin paused. “It will destroy the cells.”

“Well, that’s a chance I am willing to take,” Lucy said as she moved towards the canister. “It’s not like we are hurting anyone. They’re already dead. And since you won’t tell us who’s in there…”

“I am,” Robin answered.

“What?” Michael and Lucy asked in unison.

“I am in the canister.”

“What do you mean?” Lucy asked.

“When I was twelve there was an automobile accident. I died. My father placed me in cryonic preservation. The project we were working on…” her voice trailed off, as if thinking. “He was trying to discover a way to reanimate me.”

“Reanimate you?” Michael questioned, “As in bring the dead back to life?”

“That is correct,” Robin answered.

“That sounds just a little too far fetched to…” Michael’s voice trailed off as his mind grabbed hold of the idea. Secluded laboratory, re-animation, green liquid spilled into the creek, zombie-like people eating other people. Robin broke his train of thought.

“I implore you,” she begged, “please do not open the canister or all will be lost.”

“You’re still here. She’s still in there, so it didn’t work, did it?” Lucy said, more of a statement than a question.

“No, it did not,” Robin answered.

“I think it did,” Michael thought as a cold chill raced down his spine.

“Good evening, this is Clay Buffer with the Atlantic Television Networks Late Night News at 11. Tonight’s top story:

“A sudden wave of violence has struck the quiet village of Margaree Valley early this morning. When RCMP officers discovered the remains of a still yet to be identified female, the RCMP originally surmised the woman was the victim of a vicious bear attack. The partially devoured body was examined by the Sydney Medical Examiner, and his conclusion was that the bite marks on the victim were not of an animal, but rather, by humans. Several humans. Further study of the remains discovered an unknown virus and the CDC was immediately flown in from Atlanta, Georgia, to spearhead the investigation. Our field reporter, Jess Jessup has the story… ”

“Thank you, Clay. The recent string of cannibalistic slayings and the disappearance of the Margaree River Valley residents has local authorities at a loss. The entire population of approximately nine hundred residents has all but vanished. So far, the RCMP have found the remains of approximately three hundred forty-seven residents in various locations, with the largest cluster of victims located in the community hall of St. Patrick’s Parish. The CDC has confirmed in a press conference earlier this evening that an unidentified virus found in the victims may be causing some residents to attack other people in a cannibalistic nature. However, at this time they are unable to confirm that assessment.

“With the exception of the bodies already found, authorities have been unable to locate any of the other residents. The RCMP has set up roadblocks on all rural roads leading to the foothills surrounding the Margaree River Valley. In addition, the Canadian Armed Forces, with the assistance of members of the American National Guard, are planning a full sweep of the entire area. The highlands of Margaree cover approximately three hundred square miles. Details on the sweep will be released at a later date. Jess Jessup, ATN Evenings News.”

“Thank you Jess, and now, the forecast with Jimmy MacIntosh…”

Lucy and Michael ran out of the cellar when they heard Emma’s scream. Paul appeared from the lab just in time to follow them up the stairs with Lauren following behind. They reached the room Emma was in, but she said nothing, her shaking hand pointed towards the window. Cautiously, Michael moved towards the window, unsheathing the giant machete as he looked out.

“Damn things are everywhere!” Michael told them.

The rest of the teens moved towards the window and peered outside.

“Holy shit!” Paul whispered. “There’s so many of them. Maybe they’ll just keep going past us?”

“Anything is possible,” Michael nodded. “Maybe we should all stay really, really quiet, just in case.”

“Thought you said they didn’t hear very well?” Paul asked.

“I said we don’t know what in the hell those people are, and I didn’t think they could hear very well. But let’s not take any chances. Let’s all quietly go back down to the lab where it can be sealed by Robin, and we’ll keep really quiet and see what happens.”

Sitting on the laboratory floor, with the windows secured by the massive shutters, the tiny group of teens sat motionless as the sounds of moaning slowly circled the lodge. The hours ticked by painfully slow. Zombies banged and scraped at the lodge and boarded-up windows trying to get in. Everyone’s nerves grew thinner.

Michael stood up, as he had done several times before, and quietly disappeared upstairs, only to return a few short minutes later. As he took his place with his friends they all looked at him expectantly. He reported in hushed tones that from the upstairs window it now looked like there were at least three or four dozen of those zombie things walking around the grounds, looking for a way in.

Michael stood and announced, “I’m pretty sure those things hunt by smell. We have been super quiet for hours and none of them are leaving. So they must be able to smell us.”

Paul stood up and stretched his arms. “So we can talk now?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Michael shrugged.

“Thank fuck, I was getting a little batty sitting there. So they can smell us, eh?”

“Looks that way,” Michael told him.

Paul scrunched up his face, and a few seconds later smiled.

“Oh, my God!” Lucy's eyes watered as she covered her nose.

Paul laughed. “Just thought I’d give them something to smell.”

“But did you have to try and kill the rest of us?” Lauren asked. “What in the hell did you eat?”

“Beans, beans, good for your heart. The more you eat, the more you…”

“Wait,” Michael interrupted. “That’s it!”

“Huh?” was all the rest of them could say.

“Smell. They are attracted to smell.”

“Here we go again,” Paul rolled his eyes. “More cloak and dagger bullshit.”

“Listen,” Michael informed them, “if our smell is what is keeping them here, then our smell can distract them.”

No one made a sound. Their minds were lost in the maze that was Michael’s logic. Lucy broke the silence.

“This time I have to agree with Paul. What in the hell are you talking about? Why don’t you just talk in plain English?”

“Smell,” Michael repeated, as if it was obvious.

The look on everyone’s face proved it was not that obvious.

“Yeah, yeah,” Paul mocked, “I smell, you smell, we all smell. So what does smell have to do with it?”

Michael explained, “Those zombie things are not too bright. They have been wandering around outside for hours, banging into crap because they can smell that we are in here, but they don’t know how to get in. If we can change how it smells in here, and somehow get our smell out there, that will distract them long enough for us to escape.”

“Great plan,” Lucy said, “Escape to where?”

Apprehensive silence filled the lab again.

“Ok,” Michael announced, “So it’s not a perfect plan, but at least it’s something. Maybe we don’t have anywhere to escape to right now, but if we can just get those damn things away from here we could all have a little bit of our sanity back.”