shined the flashlight on the can. “Hmm,” he said. “Kills 99.99% of germs and viruses.”
He shook the can vigorously, and tossed it near the spore sac. It bounced once before splatting against the wet, collapsed membrane. Dan pulled out his Glock, aiming for it with one eye.
“Stand back,” he said.
He fired, and the can exploded, spewing its contents into the area around them. The object did nothing, but the whole area began filling with the pleasant scent of Fresh Meadow . They waited for the hissing of the can to stop, watching the fog of Lysol settle like a death shroud.
“What are we waiting for?” Drew asked.
“I wanna get a closer look,” Dan said. “But we should wait for a minute for the Lysol to work.”
“How do we know it’s even going to do anything?”
Dan shrugged. “99.9%, man.”
“Of Earth germs,” Drew said.
“Well, then, hold your nose,” Dan said, creeping forward.
He could hear Drew sigh behind him, but footsteps followed.
Drew shined the light on the disgusting pile of floater remains. It no longer pulsed, and the faint glow had finally died out. The smell of mold and gas was gone; replaced by the artificial scent of the germ killing spray. The sack lay still, except for the faint movement of its gradual collapse.
It was the strangest thing either of them had ever seen. It looked like a balloon with four rib-like supports running up its sides. They met at its bottom, formed together in a nipple-like structure of disgusting, jiggly flesh. Something like an umbilical cord stretch from the junction, running for few feet, and ending in a tightly balled blob of flesh; presumably some kind of weight.
“Weird,” Dan said. “That weight probably keeps it from floating too high into the sky.”
Drew pulled out his phone, snapping a few quick pictures. “We should upload these to the bulletin board,” he said. “Maybe someone could give us an idea of what the fuck it is.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s a spore sack or something,” Dan said. :That’s what the forum said, anyway.”
“Yeah, but where do they come from?”
Dan shook his head, highly disturbed. “I don’t know,” he said. “But I don’t really wanna know. Let’s get those pics uploaded and see what Strahd71 says.”
“Is that who you were talking to last night?” Drew asked as they left the scene.
“Yeah. He seems like a cool guy. He said he’s in Valpo with some other people in a National Guard armory.”
Drew grunted. “Poor fucker,” he said. “They’ve probably got that place locked down pretty good.”
Dan stopped as he heard the sound of crunching gravel from the road. Drew paused, craning his head to listen, mouthing the word shit. Headlights and a bright search light appeared through the trees. The searchlight swept from side to side, slowly and smoothly, as if mounted to a mechanical swivel.
They stayed crouched, peering through the bare underbrush, as a black Humvee came into view in front of the house. It slowed, and the searchlight settled on the house.
“Thank God the power is out,” Dan said.
Drew nodded. “Yeah, but I hope that fucking dog doesn’t bark.”
Dan didn’t think of that. If the occupants of the Humvee got out and approached the house, Pauli would likely bark it up, alerting the men to their presence. He suddenly regretted bringing him home.
As they sat in silence, Dan’s heart pounded again. He started shaking; his nerves snowballing as they usually did when he was anxious. He could feel a panic attack coming on; a big one.
“Calm down, man,” Drew said, obviously noticing his demeanor.
Dan swallowed, taking a few deep breaths. He felt like Bigfoot was stalking up to them from behind, and would bash the shit out of both of them anytime now. But then, the Humvee continued forward, sweeping its light from side to side as it turned the corner.
Dan sighed in relief. “Fuck,” he said.
“That was close,” Drew said.
They continued to the house,
He shook the can vigorously, and tossed it near the spore sac. It bounced once before splatting against the wet, collapsed membrane. Dan pulled out his Glock, aiming for it with one eye.
“Stand back,” he said.
He fired, and the can exploded, spewing its contents into the area around them. The object did nothing, but the whole area began filling with the pleasant scent of Fresh Meadow . They waited for the hissing of the can to stop, watching the fog of Lysol settle like a death shroud.
“What are we waiting for?” Drew asked.
“I wanna get a closer look,” Dan said. “But we should wait for a minute for the Lysol to work.”
“How do we know it’s even going to do anything?”
Dan shrugged. “99.9%, man.”
“Of Earth germs,” Drew said.
“Well, then, hold your nose,” Dan said, creeping forward.
He could hear Drew sigh behind him, but footsteps followed.
Drew shined the light on the disgusting pile of floater remains. It no longer pulsed, and the faint glow had finally died out. The smell of mold and gas was gone; replaced by the artificial scent of the germ killing spray. The sack lay still, except for the faint movement of its gradual collapse.
It was the strangest thing either of them had ever seen. It looked like a balloon with four rib-like supports running up its sides. They met at its bottom, formed together in a nipple-like structure of disgusting, jiggly flesh. Something like an umbilical cord stretch from the junction, running for few feet, and ending in a tightly balled blob of flesh; presumably some kind of weight.
“Weird,” Dan said. “That weight probably keeps it from floating too high into the sky.”
Drew pulled out his phone, snapping a few quick pictures. “We should upload these to the bulletin board,” he said. “Maybe someone could give us an idea of what the fuck it is.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s a spore sack or something,” Dan said. :That’s what the forum said, anyway.”
“Yeah, but where do they come from?”
Dan shook his head, highly disturbed. “I don’t know,” he said. “But I don’t really wanna know. Let’s get those pics uploaded and see what Strahd71 says.”
“Is that who you were talking to last night?” Drew asked as they left the scene.
“Yeah. He seems like a cool guy. He said he’s in Valpo with some other people in a National Guard armory.”
Drew grunted. “Poor fucker,” he said. “They’ve probably got that place locked down pretty good.”
Dan stopped as he heard the sound of crunching gravel from the road. Drew paused, craning his head to listen, mouthing the word shit. Headlights and a bright search light appeared through the trees. The searchlight swept from side to side, slowly and smoothly, as if mounted to a mechanical swivel.
They stayed crouched, peering through the bare underbrush, as a black Humvee came into view in front of the house. It slowed, and the searchlight settled on the house.
“Thank God the power is out,” Dan said.
Drew nodded. “Yeah, but I hope that fucking dog doesn’t bark.”
Dan didn’t think of that. If the occupants of the Humvee got out and approached the house, Pauli would likely bark it up, alerting the men to their presence. He suddenly regretted bringing him home.
As they sat in silence, Dan’s heart pounded again. He started shaking; his nerves snowballing as they usually did when he was anxious. He could feel a panic attack coming on; a big one.
“Calm down, man,” Drew said, obviously noticing his demeanor.
Dan swallowed, taking a few deep breaths. He felt like Bigfoot was stalking up to them from behind, and would bash the shit out of both of them anytime now. But then, the Humvee continued forward, sweeping its light from side to side as it turned the corner.
Dan sighed in relief. “Fuck,” he said.
“That was close,” Drew said.
They continued to the house,
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