Think? Look back? Leave no stone unturned?
How can I do any of these things when Kade and I are in the midst of a situation?
Kristene, sitting on the edge of the bathtub has begun to swell. Her whole body is bloating like a slowly inflating balloon and soft popping, hissing sounds seep from her. “Orr man, what’s that smell,” says Kade, pinching his nose. Kristene, her face, puffy and purple smiles, “It’s the hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide and methane gasses emanating from my body. They produce the worst smell imaginable.” She says.
“What’s happening?” I manage to mumble through my hand clamped tight to my face to keep out the smell. Kristene lifts her swollen legs, which are now like a marbled yellow/purple color, “I knew The Twins: their imps and disciples would bestow the worst of horrors upon me, and I knew I would be the first.” She says, maneuvering her still bloating body into the bathtub, “My body is decomposing whilst I am still alive. I’m a pathologist and I noticed the first stages earlier, which is why I was so eager to talk with you. I am at second phase decomposition right now, known as the ‘bloat’ stage. I’m afraid it’s not a pretty sight,” she says, laying her rotting body prostate in the tub.
Then a low level buzz alerts us and I flinch as something brushes against my cheek. I instinctively remove my hand to swat whatever it is and my nostrils are invaded by the full impact of the stench that surrounds us. I note Kade doing the same thing, swatting at his face and arms. We’re both lost in a blur of visual and odious horror as Kade shouts, “What’s going on, what are these things?” Kristene replies with a knowing calm, “Those are the flies. They’ve come to lay their eggs in my: eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Eggs that will hatch into the maggots that will eat me alive.”
Within minutes, Kristene’s face is a swarming mass of flies all fighting to enter her every orifice. Despite this, she still manages to speak, “The others are unaware of the horrors that await them. Go see to them…” eventually she struggles with her words as a seething black mass of flies invade her mouth…“Tanya, The Sixth Zone, you’ve been there…remember…” are her last words before the flies completely plug up her mouth rendering her speechless.
……
Kade rubs my back as I recover from a violent vomiting attack in our bedroom. We are both in a state of silent shock as we deal with what we’ve just witnessed.
We are now so inured to horror that our bodies seem to deal and recover by default. I do worry about the impact it all may have on our minds, in later life.
Eventually Kade breaks the silence, “Let’s go back to Chicago, Tan. It’s safe there. I don’t think we can deal with anymore of this evil. It might be all too big for us,” he says, his voice weary.
“But what about Kelly?” We owe it to her and Troy to try,” I say, trying hard to put some optimism in my voice.
He continues to rub my back, “She’s dead, Tan. No good can come from trying to raise the dead,” he says.
I don’t like hearing him sound so defeated. But this is a Kade pattern, he has these sporadic bouts of doubt which always disperse after a change of scene, “Let’s go take a shower,” I say, leading him out of our room and into one of the many communal shower rooms in the Cryogenic Centre.
……
We both luxuriate in the warm soapy fragrance, which is in marked contrast to the stench that we’ve left behind. We take it in turn to wash each other and as I shampoo Kade’s hair I’m buoyed to hear a drop of his optimism return, “I guess we’ve come this far, it would be defeatist to give up now.” He lets out a low gasp, “Aaaah, that feels good, Tan, massage my head like that,” he says.
