Night of the Crane | By @WendyyWolfe

15. Machines With Hinged Legs

James did what Reese said with full urgency. When he got to an opening in the deep tangle of woods he carefully guided the van right into them and drove slowly only a few feet when Reese told him to stop.

Reese dug around in a ruck sack bringing out a pair of binoculars and quietly got out disappearing into the brush like some kind of ninja.

Lacy held her breath. The man was crazy.

From the cover of the forest they couldn't see the craft but knew it was near as darkness enveloped them and it seemed dark as night.

They began to see flashes of laser bright light beaming back and forth, penetrating the tangle of vine covered branches. It was like a search beam as it swept over the land. Everyone remained silent except for Krisslyn whose mewling cries worried Lacy until she bent over and looked at her cousin with fear filled eyes and put her finger to her lips in warning. Krisslyn stiffened up in Carolyn's arms, squeezing her eyes shut and nodded her head.

Macallan had his head bent back struggling to see if he could see anything overhead when James reached his arm over the seat and tapped him on the knee. He motioned for Macallan to watch him with two fingers. Macallan nodded back. Suddenly the cab of the van was filled with light, so bright they all had to close their eyes or scream out in pain.

The sound of a thundering, otherworldly screech filled the skies and a dull roaring sound with slams and odd knocks that reverberated like great echoing keys on a piano.

Lacy scrunched her body so close to Macallan's she was almost in his lap.

Carolyn held Krisslyn tightly and clamped her hand over Krisslyn's mouth to silence a fearful moan which threatened to become a scream.

The craft, massive and lumbering was directly overhead.

James peered up through the windshield catching his breath as he watched in stunned shock, as a great, looming hole opened up at the side. The origin of the screeching metal against metal, was this cavernous door and from it, like huge mechanical insects came a league of monstrous drones which sank down and unfolded to reveal metal legs.

These hit the ground with pounding force shaking the earth like jello.

The van jerked and swayed as if in an earthquake and mayhem broke out as James, Macallan and the girls screamed, grabbing the sides to keep from being tossed around like toys.

From the shadows of the bushes Reese emerged and he lunged for the door of the van grabbing the door handle and handing on for dear life. His face was red and panic stricken.

Taking a deep breath he yelled,
"We gotta get the high fuck out of here James!" He struggled to open the door.

The winds caused by the intake suction of the gigantic vessel whipped around in tornadic fashion blowing the tops of the trees like a washing machine spin cycle. High pressure filled the cab of the van and James watched in horror as the windshield began to crack. He leaned back and pulled his leg up kicking open the car door and throwing Reese back with the force.

"Hell fire and brimstone!" Reese yelled. He pushed himself forward and fell into the seat while James grabbed his shirt and helped pull him in. Reese grabbed the seat and pulled himself up panting with the struggle. "Back up James! Go back the way we came! And do it today!!"

James threw it in reverse and backed out of the brush. Reese pulled the door shut and turned in his seat. "We'll go back past the golf course and hit the interstate and go in the opposite direction of that monster mother fucker!" He panted.

The van pitched and tossed in the winds but James got back on the service road and floored it. He sped away bumping over ruts and holes causing the van to buck and sway. Lacy hung on to Macallan and he hung in to the back of Reese's seat. Carolyn pushed Krisslyn down on the floor board and laid over her to drown out her screams.

Macallan watched as they passed the golf course and stared in horror as the tree line cleared and he was able to see the what Reese had seen. The hulking machines with hinged legs were torching the landscape. In his best estimation, they had to be bigger than the empire state building and that was just a guess as he'd never actually seen the empire state building.

Long flares of directed energy shot out of them in every direction, putting everything in their path to flame.

They were ugly, maniacal looking.

Walking across the earth in jerky, heavy, leg pounding slow motion. Like a giant spider. They could outrun them.

Which was what James was silently hoping as he entered the interstate and turned north.

Reese looked back with relief as they left the great beasts in the distance.

When James hit the brakes it threw Reese forward and he slammed against the dash. A string of cursing left his lips and he looked up, his words dying on his lips.

For miles and miles and miles ahead the interstate was in gridlock. Packed solid with the vehicles of others who had fled before and got stuck. Some of them were piled up in chain wrecks. Some of them blown off the road and toppled like little hot wheels tossed to and fro.

Then he saw the panel truck. Their, panel truck. It lay on its side engulfed in flames.

Lacy saw it at the same time and a gut wrenching scream rolled out of her.

Carolyn jerked herself up off the floor board to look over James's shoulder, stifling a cry of anguish.

They all sat there and watched it burn. It was beyond saving. Reese could see there would be no survivors. He put his binoculars to his eyes and focused in on the wreckage. He shook his head and pointed James to cross over the median and drive up the interstate on the other side.

But Lacy wasn't having it. "How can you just drive off without checking first Reese! Open the door Macallan I'll check for myself!" She screamed.

"Lacy," Macallan cajoled, "there's nothing left of the truck. You can see it yourself from here. Don't put yourself in danger."

"NO Macallan! We aren't leaving until I see if Dylan escaped," she wailed. "Now move or come with me! He was your friend for Gods sake Mac!" she yelled shoving him against the door. "MOVE I SAID!"

Reese opened his door. "I'll take her. Let her go Mac. She needs to see it for herself."

Macallan jerked the door open and got out letting Lacy out. He watched as she stalked over to the burning pile of metal ahead of Reese and decided to follow. As they got near to the wreckage the smell of burning flesh greeted their noses and Lacy coughed covering her nose with her shirt. Reese had been correct in saying there was nothing left.

Lacy fell to her knees sobbing uncontrollably. She beat the ground with her fists. "Nooo no nooo, Dylannnn whyyy. . ."

Macallan bent down to retrieve her but Reese held his arm.

"I'll gather her," he said calmly. He took Lacy by the arms and pulled her up to himself wrapping her in his strong embrace.

She collapsed in his arms and he hoisted her up and carried her back to van. Her cries echoed across the abandoned and burning fields, reflecting the desolate misery she felt.

Macallan jogged ahead to open the door and Reese gently placed her on the seat. Carolyn pulled her in and wrapped comforting arms around her as Macallan climbed back in beside her.

James put the van in gear and breached the median winding around the jumbled mess of vehicles until he could get back on the road and once there they headed north again. Silence was the only peace they could find.