Bugs in the Forest

The old man took a break from his walk and sat on an old tree stump, resting his shot gun against his leg. His coon dog sat down loyally beside him. Jeb’s leg ached terribly today, a sign that a storm was coming. His wife thought him a fool, yet he was always right. He sighed and began rolling a cigarette.
“Shouln’t be smokin’ so much” he muttered to himself.
He wondered if Bill might have some tobacco he’d be willing to part with for some rabbits. If he could catch any that is. Jeb had been hunting all day, but there wasn’t a critter to be seen. “Damn Bugs scare everything off.” he said disgustedly putting the end to his lips.
The coons ears suddenly perked up and he was on his feet. He etched closer to the bushes and growled, baring his teeth. The old man’s cigarette was left burning in the leaves and he had his pistol ready. A cold sweat broke out and he tried to calm his racing heart. One shot- if there were more Buggers around- could mean his death, or worse.
“Easy there Jackal” he said trying to calm the coon.
“Come on out damn bug!” he shouted lowering his gun and slowly reaching for his knife. He needed to draw it out.
“I’ll skin you alive, you fucker. Ain’t that what you lot did to the Parish family?” The grotesque memory still haunted his dreams at night. His wife called them red dreams, because of all the blood. He inched closer, ready to pounce at any moment. Ready for justice.
Then he heard something come from the bushes- not a monster’s growl- but a quiet sob.
He ran quickly, pushing thorns out of the way. A young girl lay in the bushes, face covered in mud and blood.
“Darlin its gunna be alright- come here child” he went to reach for her but she recoiled, keeping her eyes away from him. Her golden hair looked like it had been torn out or shaved in some places, but a red ribbon still clung to a long strand, tied in a bow. No, the ribbon was stained red, probably white before.
“What’s your name, youngin?” she didn’t respond, but peered up at the old man. She didn’t look afraid like he expected, almost curious.
“I’m not going to hurt you cha- I ain’t no Roach ya see?”
She remained silent, but came closer to him, reaching out her small and slender hand with blood encrusted fingernails- before collapsing into the thorns.

-
Jeb should have been back by now, Mel thought. She glanced warily at the dark clouds rolling across the horizon. A storm was coming. She rubbed the clothes harder on the washboard, determined to finish before the rain began. She also wanted to keep moving, trying to not think about the dog that had grown in her stomach, constantly growling. She refused to eat more than the kids, and usually went nights without eating much at all. Jeb always got after her, but he was gone most the time now anyways, hunting. This time he had been gone four days.
“When the sun rises a fourth time, me and jackle will be back with a barrow full o’ squirrel and rabbit- you’ll see. Enough to trade some critters for some more supplies” he bragged to his wife.
“You mean tobacco?” she smiled.
It was harder for her to keep a smile on her face nowadays. Her eyes were often fixed to the skies, searching for a surge of green light, a warning the Bugs were close. That didn’t mean much though- they had walkers too.
“Ray! Sammy! Go fetch a pail and wash yourself for dinner. Don’t dilly dally, them clouds are getting closer.”

-
Ray was tired of being stuck in the house. He ached to go down to the river and swing with the Brewster boys and swim in the cool clean waters. It had been a year since he last flew off the rope that hung off that old maple tree. That was before the monsters began roaming, come down from heaven with those big gray floaters.
“They coming from the sky, maybe they are angels ma” Ray reasoned.
“The devil was an angel before he fell from the sky. That what them Bugs really are, devils. Demons.” his momma said looking him straight in the eye.
He mulled that over as he washed his hands. No, he thought, the devil never had one of them flying machines. At least not in the books momma had him read before bed. Thunder shook the cabin, and Sammy who was only four, scampered to his brother and buried his head in his pants.
“Stop your wussyin’ Sam, it’s only a bit a thunder.” he said pretending he had not jumped at the sound too.
Momma came inside quickly after, a pile of wet clothes bundled in her arms.
“Set the table, Ray” she said while hanging up articles of clothing around the house.
“What’s to eat, ma?” Sammy said, all fear gone with the promise of food.
“Beans” she replied not looking up to see the dissatisfaction on Sam’s face. They had had beans the past week. Ray sighed and looked out the window to the storm clouds off into the distance, and the dark lush forest that called to him. The forest his father just came sprinting out of, carrying a white bundle in his hands.


-
“Found her up around the hills, past the old trade post.”
“I don’t like this Jeb, we barely got enough supplies for the boys and us. We used the rest of the ointments and bandages fixing her up.” Mel said while staring at the flickering flame of the candle.
“She’s just a little girl.”
“She’s not your girl.”
“If my little girl was out there, I’d want ta know she was in safe hands with someone looking after her.” Jeb said, raising his voice.
“But Jeb, our girl is dead. We all will be if we are feedin othe-” her words were interrupted by a swift slap. Mel could feel the heat on her cheek, and knew it would leave a mark.
“She stays” he said.
She didn’t cry, or react. She just sighed and shook her head.
“You can’t bring her back, Jeb. ” she whispered before walking out the door.
-

Ray was running through the forest. At first he thought he had been running away, but he was running towards the green light. He suddenly lurched upright covered in cold sweat. His heart was pounding. He looked around and realized he was on the floor of his parent’s bedroom. He looked down confused, seeing he had his shoes on. Mary was sitting upright in her bed, looking over at Ray. Her hair looked white on he spots the moonlight hit. Mary is just the name he had given her, since she didn’t seem to speak.
“I had a strange dream Mary.” he said rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
She waved her hand and motioned him to come closer. The minute their hands touched Ray saw the images of the green light in his head. That's how Mary talked, by showin’ him pictures. Sometimes the pictures gave him nightmares. He didn’t tell Moma about em, thinking she might not like the things he had seen too much.
-
Jeb walked down the rocky path that led to Bill Wessel’s place. He had his walking stick in one hand, helping him keep him balance on the treacherous path, that had small holes that would sometimes catch you if you weren’t looking. It was also for the trip wires that Bill had set around the place. He was a careful man, and surely had a few traps to keep Buggers out. After narrowly avoiding a couple he reached the gate.
“Bill!” he yelled out. He would surely be sitting outside with his pistol in his lap and tobacco in his lip, spitting the day away.
“That you, Jebediah? Thought you was fucked by a Bugger it’s been so long!” Bill laughed coming around the corner.
“It’s been awhile you bastard. Wanted to see if you had any tobacco for an old friend.”
“Come on in, We will have a whiskey too. I have some stories you haven’t heard I reckon’” rubbing the whiskers on his face.
“What stories?”
Bill looked around and spit.
“Let’s go get that drink”
-
Mel looked at the door to her bedroom anxiously. She had the boys in the kitchen. She made Ray sit down with a Bible and read it out loud to Sammy. Ray may not be able to go to school anymore but she wasn’t about to let him fall behind. “Fear them not for there is nothin’ covered, that shall’nt be revealed and hid, that shall not be known…”
The was a lot Mel feared now, and a lot that felt unknown. She stopped praying when God took her little girl. June’s death put a ferious fear in her. Every time Mel looked at that girl was a reminder of what she lost, and she couldn’t bear it. But there was something else too, something strange about the child. But there was something else too, something strange about the child. She hadn’t eaten since she arrived four nights ago. Even Jeb hadn’t been able to get a spoon in her mouth. A night she peaked into the room and watched the child. Her eyes were closed, but she didn’t think she slept.
Ray was always in there with her, reading to her and telling her stories. She tried to get him to do other things, but thought having him under her watch in the house was better then him sneaking off into the forest. She had bigger fears for the children then a little girl.
-
“You heard about the Jessups?” Bill said lighting a cigarette and passing it to Jeb.
“Haven’t heard much about anyone lately. Not since you told me about the Parrish family.” Jeb replied.
Bill nodded and poured them two glasses of whiskey. He drained his own contents in one gulp. Jeb sipped at his, feeling the effects immediately. It had been a while since he had drank. Last year on Mel’s birthday he had traded in all his smoking tobacco for a bottle of gin. They sat under the stars and he held her under the moonlight.
“Fear it’s the same news. The family was slaughtered. The two youngest are missing, that girl Betsy and a newborn babe. Everything’s gone to hell, Jeb.”
Jeb felt uneasy. “I better get back Bill, thanks for the drink.”
“Don’t worry bout it. I’ll be by in a week for those rabbits.”

-
Ray was walking in the forest again, but this time Mary was beside him. She held his hand and walked him down a path.
“Where are we going Mary?”
She showed him a picture of the green light.
He tried to pull back but the girl shook her head and pointed down the path. He gulped and kept going.
Then the picture wasn’t in his head, it was all around him. The green light. He could see Mary was no longer a girl, but a tall beast. It’s green scales reflected the light from the machines around him, blinking. He watched as more emerged. He could see Mary was no longer a girl, but a tall beast. It’s green scales reflected the light from the machines around him, blinking. He watched as more emerged. They stood a foot above him, and Ray’s eyes were level with the sharp ebony claws. Mary’s beast raised it’s arm and dug it’s talons deep into his temple, He felt like his head was being ripped open and he screamed. Then he couldn’t say a word. He couldn’t move his arms, or feel the blood trickling down his neck. There was something else that made him stand, something in him. He fought only a second longer, until everything went black.
-
Bill walked up the hill to Jebs, smoking his pipe.
“Jeb you old fart, you get some rabbits for me?” he laughed slinging his gun around his arm.
He strutted up to the door and gave it a knock. There was no answer.
“Jeb?” he opened the door a crack.
“Sweet Jesus!” Bill fell backwards against the door.
Mel’s body lay on the couch, blood red. Her face. Her face was gone. The walls were painted crimson, splattered and dripping. Jeb was face down, gashes lining his body, skin torn off in places.
Bill vomited, learning his body against a table. He suddenly heard a bang in the bedroom. He began to shake and hurriedly grabbed his pistol. He slowly inched toward the door, his heart racing as he reached for the doorknob. He swung the door open and tore inside.
On the bed sit Jeb’s son, Ray. He was covered in blood and scratches, staining the white sheets. His eyes were dead and didn’t seem to react to Bill.
“Son, oh sweet Jesus. It’s alright, it gunna be alright.”
-
The boy didn’t say a word, but silently studied the next human.