Fading Light: An Anthology of the Monstrous: Tim Marquitz Read Free Page A

cloud is carrying
something ... some sort of ... of microparasite .
I don’t even know what the fuck that is ,
but ... but that’s what appears to be happening.” The
face glanced across his shoulder at the shuffling figures before
continuing. “In truth, I have no idea what’s happening, but we’re going off air for a while. Just please,
everybody, stay the fuck away from the cloud. Stay inside ... and stay safe.”
    The camera switched off, leaving a test-screen of
parallel colored bars.
    Microparasite ? That was what the man said. The
word made Amanda want to scream. Those things breaking out of people
were somehow coming from the cloud, using their hosts for a few
minutes before emerging. Even Amanda knew that was pretty rapid
evolution, even for a fucking parasite.
    She stood, her legs still bandy and unreliable. A
terrible thought danced into her mind. She had smelt the sulphur, had
been exposed to the cloud, or at least its pungent virulence.
    Was she infected? Were those fucking parasites growing
inside of her? The mere thought brought bile up into her throat. She
coughed and spluttered, trying to push the ghastly inference out of
her mind. She tried to reassure herself that, from what she had seen,
it didn’t take long for the parasite to evolve, and she was not
feeling any signs of affliction, so she must—
    A knock sounded at the door. Amanda almost fell back into the
television. Bang, bang, bang . Violent, somebody was trying
desperately to get in. Her heart was in her mouth. She bit her tongue
in an attempt not to scream, and tasted iron as her mouth filled with
blood.
    “Amanda!” a voice bellowed. She knew
straight away who it was, though that failed to alleviate her
concerns. “Amanda, please !
I know you’re in there. I need some help!” He finished
the sentence with three more bashes on the door.
    She wanted to speak, to tell Paul to leave her alone,
but she couldn’t. Instead, her mouth opened and closed like a
goldfish; silent gasps only she could hear.
    “Amanda! Please!” Now he was sobbing,
slamming the door with open hands. “It’s crazy out here.
I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but I—”
    Amanda listened, but no further words came. Everything
was deathly silent. Maybe her prayers had been answered and Paul had
simply given up.
    She tiptoed around the sofa, not taking her eyes off the
front door. Her heart pounded so fast that her arms and legs trembled
with each beat. The threatening migraine was no longer there. It had
been replaced with something much worse, a pain that no amount of
aspirin could ease. Again she panicked, putting two and two together
to get five. Was the agony inside her head caused by the fact that
she had come into contact with the cloud? Was she now a host to
thousands of insectile creatures?
    She reached the stairs and put a foot on the bottom
step. Her sudden fatigue might not allow her to climb to the top,
though she would fucking try .
    She managed to get to the third step when the door
crashed in behind her. She turned just in time to see Paul rushing
towards her, his eyes wide and bloodshot, his mouth contorted into a
pained grimace. She tried to scream, but it was too late. Paul
thumped into her, crushing her back against the stairs. Her head
smashed against a baluster, splitting her temple. As white stars
danced between her eyes and eyelids, she could feel Paul grabbing at
her, trying to tear her apart.
    “I said let me fucking in !”
he screamed, though not in any voice she recognized. His hands
slipped around her throat. She opened her eyes to find his face only
an inch away from hers.
    Then his mouth opened.
    She could see legs, hundreds of tiny, spindly legs,
creeping their way out of his throat, maneuvering their way around
his teeth, and then they were spilling out of his mouth and into
hers.
    She closed her eyes, gasping and choking as the things
slipped down her throat. Paul was too strong for her; preternaturally
strong. She