The Further Adventures of Val Williams # 2 - The Awakening, pt. III

“Little Gary’s scared,” Boann said, trying to shield Little Gary from the night, as though the night itself were a thing with claws. “We gotta get him outta here, he’s freaking out.”

“Oh,” said Dagda, “that’s just the thing we need him to be.”

Dagda had received a scare of his own moments earlier when he bent down to pry the moon rock out of Khaddafiy’s cold dead hand. Something puzzling had happened, the hand fought back, and not long after the whole body fought back.

Dagda knelt down beside Little Gary watching the boy’s face with rapt attention. Little Gary was hyperventilating, frightened. He saw Khaddafiy grab Padraic’s head in both clammy hands and with only slight effort had hard bitten right through the skull. He heard Padraic’s choked off cry of agony. Heard the crunchy and slimy sounds of Khaddafiy eating Padraic’s brain. What Little Gary saw, without a doubt, was a real life zombie. Dagda cried out in triumph, “Yes, I say, Yes!”

The sky tore open. Orange and red beams poured down like a viscous ropy liquid and were met halfway to the ground by a pillar of blue mist. It was all happening halfway across town, so they were safe from whatever horror had been unleashed. Khaddafiy didn’t care about the horror, only the brains, if he’d have turned around and looked up at the sky, even he might have been amazed.

Boann took one look at Dagda and said, “now’s our chance, let’s go.”

And the three of them went off towards Victory Square.

***

Ever since cell phones took the cake, you can’t find a payphone in working condition. Most of them have been ripped apart and gutted, receivers missing or whacked off, keys missing or punched in. Only junkies use payphones anyway, I guess. Junkies and guys doing a terrible job of trying to save the planet.

Looks like the job is done though. Must be residual belief from the other four victims of the kid with the moon rock and the man in the trench coat. I can’t even call Abbott to tell him there’s nothing to worry about.

***

Next … what Abbott is so worried about!