Chaos and Doom

By Kevin Rodgers

Terror Has Many Faces. Action Comes from Many Places. Horror Rises from Many Dark Spaces...

And One Man has been bringing them all to Pro Se Productions since the beginning.

Kevin Rodgers.

And now, from Kevin’s first works in the Genre Fiction field to his latest, you can find them all in one unbelievable short story collection- Chaos and Doom from Pro Se Productions!

From the author of The Cadaver Island trilogy comes nine tales to chill, thrill, and challenge readers to go places they may never return from. Featuring short stories submitted by Kevin Rodgers since Pro Se entered the publishing field, Chaos and Doom is your guide to some of the most amazing characters and imaginative worlds in Genre Fiction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pro Se Press
• Release date: Jan 17, 2015

Book preview

CHAOS AND DOOM

A Short Story Collection

by Kevin Rodgers

Published by Pro Se Press

This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters in this publication are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. No part or whole of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing of the publisher.

Chaos and Doom

Copyright © 2015 Kevin Rodgers

All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Dedication

CITADEL OF THE NEW MOON

BONE CRUSHER

STARGAZERS

TOMAHAWK MOUNTAIN

SLAUGHTERSHIP

DEMOLITION

CLAUSTROPHOBIA

PARANOIA

HELLHOUND

About the Author

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this short story collection to two of my close friends: Juliet Bowelle (who I’ve known since 1995) and James McLeod (whom I attended the police academy with in 2002). I appreciate their friendship throughout the years.

CITADEL OF THE NEW MOON

A boy floated on his back in a swimming pool and stared up at the night sky. When he was younger, his parents revealed that back in The Old Times, there was only one moon. His feet splashed and his arms whirled, propelling him backward toward the deep end of the pool. As he stared at the twin moons and twinkling stars, he wondered how The New Moon entered the Earth’s orbit at the end of The Old Times. He knew he’d reached the deep end of the pool when he floated by the words six feet, which were spray-painted on red tiles slightly above the water line.

Six feet under, he thought to himself. He stopped swimming and looked down into the dark water. Although he couldn’t see the grate at the bottom of the pool, he knew it was there. During the day, he swam to the bottom of the pool with his best friend, Jason. They challenged each other to see who could hold their breath the longest. Jason was older and stronger and usually won.

The boy knew his parents would be worried about him if he stayed outside much longer. He should’ve been out of the pool and under cover thirty minutes ago. He knew his dinner would be cold when he decided to get out of the pool, dry off with a towel, and go inside the house. And he knew he’d receive a spanking from Daddy when his parents realized he’d stayed outside after the curfew. If a roving police officer found him in the pool after dusk, his parents would be forced to pay a hefty fine. For each person who remained beyond cover after sunset, a citation for one-hundred dollars was issued. The town’s Curfew Advisory Board used the fees to help fund overtime for extra police officers, who were needed to deal with infestations of gargoyles at night.

The boy focused his attention on the night sky. He gasped when two shadows darted through the sky above him, their shapes silhouetted by The New Moon. His parents told him recently to be careful, because the gargoyles prowled the skies earlier and earlier each night. The boy, by watching the news and surfing the internet, knew that scientists studied The New Moon constantly. Astronomers scanned large citadel-like structures where they suspected the gargoyles thrived. And now, as the boy watched the gargoyles soar and dive in the air, he wished he’d gone inside to eat dinner earlier.

He drifted through the water and held onto the pool’s red tiles. He carefully grabbed the slippery surface of the pool’s deck and hoisted himself out of the water. Then he removed his towel from a patio table, dried himself off, and tip-toed toward the screen door of the back porch. His mother appeared from the shadows and waited for him on a cobblestone sidewalk next to the open door. Her left index finger crossed her lips, a plea for him to remain silent.

Sharp talons penetrated the flesh of his left and right shoulders. A high-pitched screech emerged from the gaping mouth of a floating monstrosity. The boy’s mother scampered onto the pool’s deck and tugged on her son’s right leg. The gargoyle lifted the boy higher into the air, hissed at his mother, and bathed her in a stream of saliva. She shrieked, stumbled backward, and wiped strands of slime and writhing maggots off of her face. She screamed for her husband to come help her, but it was too late. She glanced up at the sky and located The New Moon. The shadows of the gargoyle and her struggling son became smaller and smaller until they could no longer be seen.

***

ANOTHER CHILD SEIZED AFTER DUSK; POLICE CHIEF WAIVES FINE

by Anabelle Gaston

Staff Writer for The Trinity Times

TRINITY, FL—Police officers responded to the home of Alex and Sarah Spahn last night after their son, Matt, disappeared during an altercation with a subject from The New Moon. Mr. and Mrs. Spahn, in their police statements, emphasized that they didn’t know their son had decided to swim in the family pool after dark. A county helicopter, officers with search dogs, and extra patrol units were dispatched to comb the adjacent forest and swamplands, but the boy has not been found.

"The disappearance of Matt Spahn reinforces the need for a curfew. We advise all parents to be vigilant and to make sure all children are under cover before dusk. After meeting with Mayor Herald and other members of the Curfew Advisory Board, we’ve decided to waive the fee for the Spahn family pending further investigation," stated Police Chief Jeremiah O’Bannon, during a televised press release.

Matt Spahn was a sophomore at Trinity High School. He was a member of the Latin Club and Students Against Drunk Driving. His peers and teachers described him as a straight-A student who organized study groups after school. Matt also worked as a stocker and bagger at Winslow’s Market in the nearby town of Hanover.

If anyone has information regarding Matt’s location, a reward of $5,000 is being offered by the Spahn family. Callers are urged to use the police department’s non-emergency number until a separate line can be established. All callers have the option of remaining anonymous.

***

Jason Wheeler sat on an uncomfortable plastic chair in the library of Trinity High School and stared at six books he’d plucked from various bookshelves. All of the books he’d selected involved a sequence of events which culminated with the appearance of The New Moon at the end of The Old Times. He realized his best friend, Matt Spahn, had been abducted the night before and might be dead. He’d watched the televised news conference earlier while eating Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast. Jason wanted to know the reason why Matt was missing, so he’d initiated a quest to educate himself about the gargoyles and their home, The New Moon. While his peers ate lunch in the cafeteria, he scoured through the books, searching for clues. He knew he didn’t have much time to gather information. When he heard the bell ring soon, he’d be forced to abandon the books and go to English class. Jason’s attendance problems had recently infuriated his English teacher, Mrs. Tinsley, who’d threatened to make him serve detention.

He picked up a thick, hardcover book and analyzed the cover. The artwork depicted an enormous, red planet. Several moons hovered in orbit around the planet. The title of the book was: Nibiru and The Old Times. He opened the book and scanned the table of contents. After he read the first chapter, he understood that a mysterious planet, Nibiru, traveled in an oblong orbit around the sun, unlike the orbits of the other planets. In ancient times, Nibiru passed very close to the Earth as it approached the Sun. This resulted in seismic cataclysms and, under extreme conditions, polar shifts.

Jason scanned the book, searching for information about The New Moon. He glanced at his watch and realized that lunch would end and the bell would ring in ten minutes. As he thumbed through chapter ten, he wiped sweat from his brow and started grinding his teeth. Finally, he located three paragraphs in chapter eleven which piqued his interest. In those paragraphs, the author of the book hypothesized that during the end of The Old Times, the gravitational pull of the Earth had somehow snared The New Moon and separated it from Nibiru. The author’s hypothesis was bolstered by history books and school textbooks, which revealed that the New Moon was captured by Earth’s orbit hundreds of years ago.

I’m so sorry about Matt, a feminine voice said.

Jason glanced up from the book and scanned the room. A petite girl named Emily leaned against a nearby bookcase. She held two textbooks and a spiral notebook in her arms. A smudge of ketchup, under her bottom lip, hinted that she’d just enjoyed lunch in the cafeteria. Her auburn hair, held in place by a maroon beret, formed a long ponytail, which spilled from her scalp to the middle of her back.

Thanks, Emily. I can’t believe he’s missing. Jason stifled a sob in his throat.

Hopefully the police will find him. I’m sure they’ll keep looking until they find him.

Matt’s parents invited me to a gathering for Matt’s friends this weekend. They’re having a barbeque and a pool party. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you decided to go.

I’d love to go. Well, lunch is almost over and I need to go to my locker. We’ll talk more about it when I see you in English class.

Jason glanced at his watch. He couldn’t believe how fast time went by. He hoped no one would return the books he’d selected to their proper shelves while he attended the rest of his classes. If not, it wouldn’t take him long to remember where he’d found them. He pushed the chair away from the table, rose to his feet, and slung his green backpack over his left shoulder. When he scanned the library, he realized Emily had already left.

He panicked when he realized he might be late for class. He knew Mrs. Tinsley wouldn’t hesitate to give him extra homework or a few days in detention if he showed up late for class again. He jogged out of the library while he thought about the planet Nibiru. He sprinted down a crowded corridor while he wondered where Matt might be. And as he rounded a corner and pushed his way into Mrs. Tinsley’s silent classroom, he wished there was a way to destroy The New Moon.

***

EARLY CURFEW IN EFFECT FOR THIS WEEKEND’S SOLAR ECLIPSE

by Anabelle Gaston

Staff Writer for The Trinity Times

TRINITY, FL—The Curfew Advisory Board called an emergency session at Town Hall on Friday morning after scientists and astronomers from across the nation advised that The New Moon will pass between the Earth and the Sun on Saturday afternoon. The result will be a solar eclipse. Police departments in cities and towns along the eastern coast of the United States scrambled to prepare for the eclipse. Ironically, the eclipse will coincide with an international attempt to destroy several citadel structures on the surface of The New Moon. The gargoyles are intelligent creatures who have attacked humans from the citadels over the last two centuries, and the military recently developed technology that will make strategic strikes possible.

We realize that the eclipse will complicate our attempt to fire nuclear warheads at the citadel structures from the new Military Space Station. But if the planned strikes are successful, we anticipate that most curfews will no longer be necessary, said Jefferson Stock, the newly appointed Secretary of Department of Homeland Security. Stock answered questions about the solar eclipse and the missile strikes after the nation’s best

scientists and astronomers revealed details about the inevitable eclipse.

In order to obtain full cooperation from the citizens of Trinity, The Curfew Advisory Board voted to temporarily increase the monetary penalty of the curfew fee. Mayor Mason Herald revealed that during the eclipse, offenders will be required to pay one-hundred and seventy-five dollars if caught outside. We hope everyone will stay inside during the eclipse. We prefer that no one will be forced to pay the fee, especially during the economic recession. We kindly ask that everyone stay inside and watch the eclipse on television or on their computers in the safety of their homes, Mayor Herald stated.

During Mayor Herald’s address, Police Chief Jeremiah O’Bannon assured citizens that the search for Matt Spahn is ongoing and has been expanded to the nesting grounds of the gargoyles. We have reason to believe that Matt Spahn and other abductees may have been taken to the ruins of abandoned theme parks, which fueled the region’s tourism industry during The Old Times. The gargoyles use the nesting grounds to feed on humans and reproduce, even though they reside primarily on The New Moon. We’re planning a coordinated strike on the nesting grounds to root out the creatures and rescue our citizens. Chief O’Bannon ordered all citizens to be under cover by 1500 hours (3 o’clock p.m.) for Saturday’s eclipse.

***

Matt Spahn opened his eyes. He remembered when his mother tugged on his leg after the gargoyle’s talons penetrated the skin and flesh of his shoulders. Although he knew a long time had elapsed since his abduction, his mother’s frantic cries for help resonated in his mind. He’d passed out when the gargoyle lifted him into the air and carried him away from his house. He remembered the warm sensation of blood oozing across his chest from the deep wounds in his shoulders.

And now, as he heaved himself off of a cobblestone sidewalk with his dirty, trembling hands, he felt fever pulse in his wounds and across his forehead. He wrapped his arms around his midsection when chills caused him to tremble. When he noticed heaps of human bones near an abandoned Italian restaurant, he hid behind a Corinthian column, and tried to figure out where the gargoyle had taken him.

He whirled on his feet when he heard a hissing sound. Behind him, a large sidewalk circled a huge lagoon. Abandoned kiosks, rust-plagued benches, trash cans, and festering corpses interrupted the wide expanse of the cracked concrete. On the right side of the lagoon, a Mexican pyramid rose from a tangle of tropical foliage. On the left side of the lagoon, Matt viewed the elegant structure of an Eiffel Tower replica. He remembered when his parents talked about when people visited Florida during vacations in The Old Times. Decades later, he realized, EPCOT Center had become a nesting ground for invaders from The New Moon.

In the distance, Matt heard men yell and order commands. The pop, pop, pop of semi-automatic gunfire echoed throughout the park. Matt emerged from behind the Corinthian column and limped toward the shattered windows of a deserted perfume shop. Behind him, he listened to subdued hissing sounds and the rustle of flesh against stone. Suddenly, the sunlight faded and Matt felt the temperature drop. His teeth chattered. When he touched his forehead, the warmth of his fever alarmed him. He knew he needed medical attention. The wounds in his shoulders ached and he knew they were infected.

As Matt approached the location of the men’s voices and the gunfire, he noticed movement in the perfume shop from the corner of his eye. He froze while his head pivoted on his neck. A gasp escaped from his raw, parched throat.

A gargoyle crouched on a glass countertop next to a dormant cash register. Its red eyes glowed in the gloom of the dimly lit shop. A stuffed Mickey Mouse doll had been crushed beneath one of the gargoyle’s talons. Yellow stuffing and torn cloth bulged from a wide gash in Mickey’s abdomen. The gargoyle hissed at Matt and flapped its wings simultaneously. The horrible aroma of decayed flesh flowed from the creature’s throat and caused Matt to feel nauseous. He shifted his attention toward the Mexican pyramid and a huge, futuristic ball that loomed beyond a cluster of trees. As the gargoyle floated through the perfume shop and hovered near the busted frame of its door, Matt listened to the voices of the men and the sound of the gunfire get closer and louder.

Please help me, he gasped. He tried to scream but his throat was too sore.

Matt’s attention shifted to an abrupt change in the sky above him. As the sunlight near the entrance of the perfume shop dissolved to sudden dusk, Matt understood why the sky had darkened. The New Moon slid slowly in front of the Sun, creating a black disc framed by orange light. When the solar eclipse commenced, a blanket of shadows engulfed what used to be the Italian pavilion at EPCOT Center. And that was when an unknown number of gargoyles emerged from their hiding places. Some of them whispered and others cackled as they formed a tight circle around their human prey.

***

Jason and Emily arrived at the Spahn residence ten minutes late. Earlier in the morning, Jason called his friend, Emily, and asked her if she needed a ride to the barbeque and pool party. He knew she lived on the other side of town and might need transportation. Originally, Emily translated the gesture as Jason’s attempt to flirt with her. But then she remembered hearing about the solar eclipse on the news. Even though Jason’s old Mustang didn’t have air conditioning and smelled like an ashtray, she accepted the offer. She couldn’t imagine being stranded far from home when the gargoyles took advantage of the solar eclipse.

Jason parked his pine-green, ’66 Mustang on the street. After they got out of the car and approached the front door, Jason wished he’d remembered to bring something for Matt’s memorial. He ogled the bouquet of yellow roses in Emily’s left hand. As they strolled across freshly cut St. Augustine grass and opened the porch’s screen door, Jason felt a single tear creep from the corner of his left eye and slide across his whiskered cheek. While he watched Emily ring the doorbell, he tried to fight the urge to cry. But when Matt’s mother, Sarah, opened the front door, he succumbed to his emotions.

I’m so sorry, Mrs. Spahn. Matt was like a brother to me, he said. He sobbed softly as the tears flowed freely. Jason and Emily knew Sarah wanted to change the subject. She said, Everyone’s waiting by the pool. I hope you’re hungry.

Jason and Emily followed Sarah into the foyer. Scented candles loomed on glass tables, a fireplace’s mantle, and bookshelves in the living room and den. They realized there couldn’t be a power outage, because the image of a news reporter loomed on a 40-inch, high-definition, flat screen television in the den. They couldn’t understand what the reporter was saying because someone had turned the television’s volume all the way down. But after reading text on the screen, they realized it had something to do with the military’s decision to fire nuclear warheads at the citadel structures on The New Moon.

They followed Sarah into the kitchen. A deep bowl of garden salad and a platter of sliced watermelon covered the kitchen table. Beyond a sliding glass door and screened porch, four children splashed in the swimming pool. Several adults, whose toned, tan bodies exhibited either swimming trunks or bikinis, lounged on chairs and talked to Matt’s father, Alex, who stood next to an enormous grill. Jason felt hunger pangs in his stomach while he watched Alex flip steaks and hamburger patties over an open flame.

These are for Matt, Emily said. She handed the bouquet of yellow roses to Sarah.

Thanks. They’re lovely, she said. Sarah opened a cupboard above the kitchen sink. Then she reached inside, seized an hour-glass shaped vase, and filled it with tap water from the sink’s faucet. After she gently dropped the roses’ stems into the vase, she positioned the flowers on a tiled countertop. The vase complimented a