Fade to Blue

by Jeff Hall

conclusion

Brent heard the moan again as he eased down a dark alley not far from the camp. He forced himself against all his instincts to move toward the sound rather than away from it.

Soon he found what he sought. An opening between buildings allowed faint light from the waning moon to cast a splotch of lesser darkness across the alleyway. To this pool of dim light he proceeded.

Once he stood in its center, he drew his knife and dragged its tip across his forearm. Blood welled forth and dripped on the ground, forming a dark blot. He sheathed his knife, pulled a bandanna out of his pocket and put it over the cut to staunch the flow. Then he moved back down the alley and crouched in the shadows. He did not have long to wait.

One moment the alley was empty, the next — it had a grisly occupant.

The thing in the alley leaned forward, resting on its knuckles as it sniffed at the bloodstain in the sand, its tree trunk sized arms and massive shoulders out of proportion with its narrow waist and spindly legs. Deep blue fur covered its entire body. A row of spines sprouted just over its small, close-set eyes and ran down its back. Wicked tusks curved around either side of its snout.

A rift ape.

Locals in the interior whispered stories about this phantom-like predator that scented blood from kilometers away, stalked its prey like a ghost and, once upon a trail, would not rest until its fangs were fastened upon its victim’s neck.

The ape lifted its head and voiced a long, low cry that made Brent’s blood run cold. Its bullet-shaped head swiveled and it looked directly at him.

Terror-laced adrenaline flooded Brent’s system. He shot down the alley, running as if the devil himself were on his heels.

On the pockmarked road that led back to the camp the night was strangely quiet except for the sound of his footsteps on the pavement. There was no doubt in his mind that the creature was pursuing him, and his skin crawled at the thought that the thing could overtake him at any moment and sink its fangs into his back.

After a few moments, he came upon the lot that the convoy had settled in for the night. The sentry was sitting cross-legged next to the semi’s tires, his head lolling back against the fender as he fought sleep.

The soldier’s eyes widened as Brent burst from the shadows running at full tilt. He tossed the blood-soaked bandanna in the soldier’s lap, jumped over him onto the hood of the semi and then rolled over into the inner ring of the vehicles.

Behind him he heard the sentry scream.

The sentry’s bloodcurdling cry roused the camp. Tents lit up. Voices shouted questions in the darkness.

Brent ran to his jeep and pulled out his axe. He jumped to the trailer doors and leveled a terrific blow on the padlock. Sparks flew and the lock fell away. He dropped the axe and pulled the doors open.

A powerful animal stench struck him as the doors swung open. An avalanche of blue bodies tumbled out onto the ground.

He tried to catch some of them and break their fall but there were simply too many. Some were unconscious but several blinked glowing, yellow eyes at him. All were female, and completely unclothed, although their mottled blue skins belied the appearance of nakedness.

A tumult of voices assaulted him.

“Why–”

“Where am I–”

“Water–”

They cried, they pleaded. Some stumbled off into the gloom.

Brent pulled a flashlight from his belt and shined it on one face after another.

“Haley! Are you Haley? Does anyone know if Haley Peters is here?”

He didn’t find her among those that had fallen out so he climbed into the trailer. Most of the blues cringed back from him, possibly fearing he sought to prevent their escape. He swung his light back and forth as they pushed past him.

“Haley? Haley Peters?”

Gradually the trailer cleared out. He swung his light around, sweeping the floor. He thought the trailer empty, but then a dark blot in the very back moved. Slowly, he walked to it and a trembling form materialized from the darkness.

The Blue had her knees pulled up with her arms around them and her head down. Her dark hair was long and disheveled.

“Haley?” he asked softly.

She stiffened, then slowly raised her head. Yellow eyes squinted against the light.

Brent directed the light at his own face as he moved up close to her. “Haley, baby, it’s me. Brent.”

The yellow eyes narrowed.

“Brent?” The voice was coarse, not much more than a whisper, but he recognized it.

“Yeah, baby. It’s really me.” He smiled and leaned toward her.

She uncoiled like a striking snake; her feet shot up and caught him just below the breastbone. He was lifted from his feet and hurled backward to the edge of the trailer where he folded up, gasping for air. A moment later a sharp pain dug into his side as she kicked him again, sending him rolling off the trailer and onto the ground.

He rolled over onto his back on the rough asphalt. His head spun, pain rippled down his side. It felt as if a couple of his ribs might be broken.

A dark blot lit upon the ground next to him. Haley crouched at his side, tears streaking her face. In the background he heard gunfire and screams mixed with the unforgettable cry of the rift ape as it rampaged through the camp. But he didn’t care about anything but her. Why had she attacked him?

“Haley, I came for you. To save you. Why?”

Her face contorted in a snarl. “Save me? You don’t get to save me.”

Brent struggled to his knees. “What do you mean, baby? I love you.”

Her face softened, but only a little. Menace still smoldered in her eyes, in her voice. “You don’t throw away things you love, no matter how ugly they become.” Her voice broke into a sob.

“Baby, I’m sorry. I made a mistake. You don’t know how I’ve suffered.”

“Suffered?” The depth of emotion in that one word set Brent back.

“Don’t... you... DARE talk to me about suffering.” Her eyes blazed. “They corral us up like animals, no clothing, hose us down with cold water.” She wrapped her arms around herself and began to tremble. “Animals... ” she whispered, “and the things they do to us. Unspeakable things...”

Brent sat on his knees, speechless. He knew nothing he said could atone for what he’d done. He wanted nothing more than to hold her and beg for forgiveness.

Silence had fallen over the camp. Evidently the rift ape had been killed or run off. Brent was about to plead with Haley to get into his jeep so they could make their escape when Lieutenant Vance and another soldier rounded the end of the trailer. Both were spattered with gore.

Vance paused at the sight of Haley. “What the–” He raised his sidearm and fired one shot, striking her in the chest.

In slow motion Brent saw Haley stagger backward from the force of the bullet. She fell against his jeep and rolled to the ground.

“No!”

Brent jumped to his feet and grabbed Vance’s pistol with his left hand. His right swung in an arc toward Vance’s throat. His hand chopped into the lieutenant’s larynx, sending him reeling backward, gurgling.

The second soldier shouldered his rifle and fired.

Brent grabbed his barrel and pushed it upward just in time to send the round into the sky. He snatched the gun away and jabbed the rifle butt at the soldier’s jaw.

Blood and teeth exploded with a sickening crunch but the burly soldier refused to go down. He wrapped Brent in a bear hug that brought new pain from his injured ribs.

Brent dropped the rifle and clapped his hands over the soldier’s ears with terrific force. The bear hug loosened. Brent brought his knee up in the soldier’s groin and pushed him away.

The soldier pulled a knife and lunged forward, swinging the blade in an upward arc.

Brent stepped forward, grabbed the soldier’s wrist with his left hand and brought his right elbow down on the soldier’s forearm. A loud snap sounded and the soldier groaned. In one fluid motion he twisted the soldier’s hand so that the knife pointed back at him, then shoved up and into his chest. He felt the soldier stiffen, then relax. Brent pushed it deeper into his chest, then released him and let him sink to the ground.

He stood over him for a moment. Then he turned around and came face to face with Lieutenant Vance.

Something pressed against his stomach. He looked down at Vance’s pistol.

A loud report sounded. Pain blossomed in his belly and a tremendous force struck him.

He fell flat on his back, all his strength seeping away. Warm liquid spread across his stomach and chest.

Lieutenant Vance stood over him. “Blue lover,” he spat. “I thought there was something wrong with you.” He pointed the pistol at Brent’s head.

A blue leg whipped up and kicked the pistol from Vance’s hand. Haley stooped over Brent, snatched the crawler talon from his belt and swung around in a blurry pirouette that ended with her crouched between Brent and the lieutenant.

Vance opened his mouth. Blood spurted from his lips and welled from a line that appeared on his neck. His head toppled backward and fell from his shoulders in a shower of crimson. His body sank to the ground.

* * *

Haley leaned over Brent and pressed her hand to his wound.

The pain turned to nausea, then to a dull, cold numbness.

He stared at her profile, amazed. He’d never seen such beauty. The deep blue tones of her skin blended with the azure streaks of the sun’s first rays washing across the sky behind her. Her voice was an angel’s whisper.

“Baby, why did you abandon me? Why did you give me to those men? With everything that’s happened to me, that’s what that hurt the most.”

Brent coughed blood. Tears came to his eyes, but not from the pain of his wound.

“I’m so sorry.” Sobs wracked his body. “I was so used to following orders; I thought I was doing what was right. Once I realized I’d screwed up, it was too late.” He had a fit of coughing. “I’ve been looking for you all this time.”

He took a deep breath and mustered his remaining strength. “You are all that matters to me. I just wanted to find you... to get you back.”

She shook her head. “We aren’t even the same species any more. I saw the way you looked at me.”

Brent grimaced as the pain returned. “No...” He reached up and gently touched her face. “You are beautiful. I’d give up anything to be with you.” He coughed blood again. Darkness swirled at the edge of his vision.

Haley leaned closer to him. “You’d give up anything? What about... your humanity?”

She sounded far away now. Coldness enveloped him.

“Anything...” he whispered.

She moved closer to him, her lips parted.

The last sensation he felt was her warm mouth pressed to his. So warm...

Darkness closed in and blotted out all else.

Then the utter blackness changed and began to fade to blue.

to Challenge 379...