Garrett and Abigail huddled up close to each other on the couch as Noelle sat on the chair opposite them. Declan kept his ear cocked from the kitchen while he listened in. Abigail nervously clasped Garrett’s hand in hers as he started to explain why they’d made such a long trip from Cripple Creek.

“Something is going on in the Creek,” Garrett said. He pulled in his brow, and the crows feet around the edges of his eyes pulled up at the corners. Noelle looked at him, and it seemed he’d aged since the last time she’d seen him.

“What do you mean something is going on?” asked Noelle.

“Well, something strange is coming from the mine. I’m surprised you haven’t seen it on the news,” he added.

Noelle explained they had their hands full with Drake’s kidnapping. She stopped Garrett and Abigail dead in their tracks, but that conversation would be held later, and once they’d finished talking about the Creek.

Declan walked from the kitchen with the mugs of coffee and then he flicked on the TV to the news channel. The sound remained a little muted so Garrett could continue to explain.

“What’s coming from the mine?” Declan asked.

“It’s something that’s making people crazy, that’s if it doesn’t kill them first.”

Noelle sipped from her mug before looking at her mom and dad. She said they were speaking in riddles and weren’t making much sense.

“One thing is gas, it’s rising up into the sky, you can see it from our house,” Abigail commented. “Once the sun starts setting, it’s like the freaking Aurora Borealis...”

“Yeah. The damned northern lights, but we aren’t in the north,” Garrett said as he butted in. “The freaking sky’s gone green.”

“This gas is blowing away though, right?” Declan asked.

“It sure as hell isn’t. It’s lingering over the town and sinking closer every day the damned stuff’s churned out.”

“You said it’s making people crazy. In what way?” Declan quizzed. “And where is it coming from?”

“This Sanders who you’ve got this situation with, he might’ve been one of the first to be exposed. The old warehouse, the gas was seeping up through the floor, but in smaller quantities.”

“That’s enough to twist his mind some more. It makes sense to understand why he’s so hell-bent on creating daywalkers. He might actually be mad.”

“See! We said it’s making people crazy,” said Abigail, trying to push the point across.

Garrett explained further that the mine had been blasting on the north side. At first, they’d halted the entire operation when they’d found the old Indian caves. The Creek was full of archaeologists and specialists who removed all the artifacts which hadn’t been destroyed. Mummified corpses were removed and taken for examination. It was on the local news channel. They even found a tunnel which led toward the forest at the back, which unfortunately collapsed when the dynamite exploded. Luckily no one was in there, but some weren’t so lucky, Garrett added.

“What do you mean some weren’t so lucky?” Noelle asked.

Garrett fumbled with Abigail’s hands. They sat together, just as an older couple would on a park bench in the midst of winter. They trembled, but not from cold. It was from being scared.

“The sheriff’s gone; he was on the scene when they blasted. You know… the one that collapsed the tunnel. Actually, he was engulfed in the weird green mist which swirled around the area where they’d put the ‘do not cross’ tape. That weird mist didn’t know how to read,” Garrett explained. “I think the sheriff got it worse than anyone. His skin just peeled off of him.”

“God!” Noelle said. “We all know he was packing a few extra pounds, but having your skin drop off you is a different ballgame altogether. This is horrific.”

“He was half skinned by the time they got him to the hospital, and pronounced dead on arrival,” Abigail muttered. “It’s horrible.”

“That’s so sad,” Noelle said.

Noelle was internally beside herself about Drake, but she showed an outer strength that even Declan found to be profound. She was as normal as she usually was. Her emotions were hidden somewhere deep inside.

Garrett picked up his mug and peered over the rim as he took a sip. He placed it back on the coffee table and continued. “We were lucky to get out; the entire town is on lockdown. The army’s there in Hazchem suits and everything.”

Declan told everyone to be quiet. The Creek was on the TV. A live update.

“We’re here again, live from Cripple Creek in the backwoods of Colorado. A stone’s throw from neighboring Colorado Springs,” Judy said. “We’re here with the sheriff, or should I say the new sheriff of this sleepy, backwater, mining town.”

“Good morning Judy,” the new sheriff said. “The situation’s no worse than it was, but it sure as hell isn’t any better. Sorry for that slip of the tongue. Later today, the army is bringing in an unmanned vehicle to try and cap the largest sinkhole where the gas is rising up from.”

Declan stood behind Noelle with his hands planted firmly on her shoulders. His fingers gently massaged her while their eyes were fixed on the screen. He was so proud of the way she was handling everything. Her strength was helping him.

“How’s it affecting people in the Creek, sheriff?” Judy quizzed.

The sheriff pushed his thumbs inside his belt and adjusted himself. He was much more camera friendly than the old sheriff (may God rest his soul).

Noelle vaguely remembered him from college. He was a couple or maybe three years above her, and his parents had a hardware store not far from the sporting goods store.

“Judy, I’ve got to be honest, or my name isn’t Clark Kovac. This gas we’ve got streaming up into the sky is affecting people in different ways. The worst affected are passing away like the good ole sheriff. If people are half affected they’re turning into...” Sheriff Kovac paused. Judy urged him to finish his sentence as any reporter would. “What could be classed as zombies? It’s kinda hard to explain. They aren’t dead, but they sure as shit aren’t alive. Oh, I said shit, sorry.”

The sheriff’s radio crackled into life because there was an explosion and a burst of flames back and in the distance. He held his head cocked to his shoulder as the radio belted out.

“The pipe’s ruptured.”

The sheriff looked at the camera and raised his hand. “Stop filming; stop filming.” The camera pointed at the floor, and only shoes could be seen.

“Is that thing off?” The sheriff yelled toward the cameraman.

“Yes, sir!” It was apparent to anyone watching that the cameraman had lied.

“Clear the area,” the sheriff’s voice said.

“What’s wrong?” Judy asked. “And what pipe’s been ruptured?”

“The freaking pipe, the god damned water pipe to the springs.”

“You mean the freshwater springs?” Judy’s voice asked.

Declan’s fingers tightened on Noelle’s shoulders. Garrett and Abigail turned to face each other. Noelle raised her hand and clutched at Declan’s fingers.

Abigail yelped. “NO! That stuff’s heading straight for Colorado Springs.”

Maria sat on the couch resting her eyes. The TV was on low, and the news hummed away in the background. Her attention piqued when she heard the commotion about the explosion from the Creek. She swung her legs off the couch and sat up. Her fingers clambered for the remote to increase the volume.

She sat watching in amazement while fire trucks pumped gallons of water onto the flames which roared and rose from the ground by the tunnel.

“It appears the gas has ignited. We’ve been informed that if the flames manage to be sucked in by a backdraft, the entire mine could be engulfed,” Judy stated. “Sheriff Kovac is in the midst of it all so we’ll head to some advertisements until we hear more.”

The screen changed and fell immediately into some fast food advertising. Maria stood from the couch and dashed down the hallway. Her bare feet were padded on the cold tiles. She stood and took a huge breath. Her knuckles knocked on the door as she exhaled.

“Come on-come on,” she muttered.

She raised her clenched fist to knock again as the door opened. Dustin stood wrapped in a towel as Maria pushed her way past him and grabbed the remote. She spotted Kelvin dozing on the couch with his toes wiggling and his ears covered by his headphones.

No wonder HE never heard me knocking. “You’ve got to see this.”

The small red light on the TV changed to green. The screen faded from black to the adverts. Maria tapped Kelvin on the legs to move his feet.

His eyes opened. “What?” he shouted. He pulled off his headphones, and the faint sound of music filled the ear cups until he hit stop on his cell. He pulled his legs up and swung so Maria could sit.

“What’s all the commotion?” Dustin asked. “And why the urgency?”

The adverts finished, and the TV went back to the scene in Cripple Creek. The cameraman again held the camera, and was now filming everything which was happening. Judy, the reporter, stood with her back to the roaring flames in the background. Every now and again she looked over behind her, or held her finger to her ear when the station mumbled something into her earpiece.

“It’s the mine in the Creek, some weird occurrence is happening. The sky’s green, and it’s affecting people,” Maria explained. “It’s sort of what I saw in my dream.”

“Apocalypse?” Kelvin asked.

“I doubt it,” Dustin replied. He leaned on the back of the dining table chair and stared at the TV. “I’m not sure how this affects us though, and we can’t go back.”

Kelvin inched himself closer to the edge of the couch cushion. His elbows rested on his knees as he turned his head to Maria.

“I might be wrong, but there’s no one to go back for. There’s Declan’s old home and the Towers. The only person I’m aware of is the guy you put in charge,” Kelvin said.

“I’ve contacted him. He said they’re out of harm’s way at the moment, so there’s nothing to worry about,” Dustin replied.

“Do you think Sanders knew anything about this?” Kelvin asked. “I reckon Noelle’s parents did, and that’s why they’ve bolted.”

Kelvin (perhaps) presumed right of Noelle’s parents. As for Sanders knowing about it, if he did, there was no way of knowing or if it’d affect him in any way. They sat and watched the reporters huddle behind the police tape and jostle for the best position. Judy’s cameraman turned. His camera vibrated and wobbled while he held it at arm’s length. It appeared he was running. He stopped and lifted the camera.

“Shit, look at that,” Kelvin remarked.

The cameraman zoomed in on the convoy of army vehicles which crept up the road toward the entrance of the mine. Personnel carriers and vehicles (with radioactive symbols plastered over them) now crawled through the mine’s gates and set their tracks in the damp sandy-colored mud.

“Why do they need tanks?”

Maria laughed. “You know what these army guys are like. They love to blow shit up.” Dustin glanced over in a pffft sort of manner.

Maria winked and then turned back to the TV. Dustin turned his head and looked at Kelvin. He glanced back at the TV and back at Kelvin. He let go of the chair and scratched his head.

“Weren’t you in the old warehouse and in a dumpster full of slop?” Dustin asked.

“Hey! That might be the case, but there’s fuck-all wrong with me. That was ages ago.”

“You’re acting weird,” said Dustin. Maria began giggling at Kelvin’s side. “Do you feel okay?”

“You’ve gone freakin’ senile. Shell-shock, that’s what’s wrong with you,” Kelvin replied. “Old man.”

Dustin burst out laughing and turned back to watch the TV. It was getting to the stage where the breaking news was becoming old news. Nothing new was being reported, and if they didn’t get some sleep, they wouldn’t be much use later on. Maria flicked off the TV and made her way to the door. She twisted the handle and paused. Her head turned. She glanced at Dustin.

“It might be safer to lock the bedroom door,” she said.

Maria and Dustin stared at Kelvin. He looked back and forth at them both and tutted. “Will you two stop winding me up?”

Maria walked back down the condo hallway; the early morning sun cast its golden beams onto the tiled floor. It felt warm underfoot when she reached her apartment. She put her hand on the handle and turned back. The trees waved and swirled, although there was no wind. Maria dashed inside quickly as the room began to spin. She took a couple of deep breaths of air and exhaled slowly. Her hand grabbed the back of the chair as she kicked off her boots. She fumbled with the button of her jeans and slipped free from them.

Maria wobbled as the room spun around her head. She grabbed a damp cloth from the sink and made her way to the couch where she plumped a cushion and laid down. Drops of cool water ran from her brow. Her vision hazed as she stared at the ceiling. Maria breathed deeply and closed her eyes.

“Oh crap. Here I go again.”

“Hell breaks loose, and flames scorch the land, I’ll lead you to the dark black gates, and we’ll walk hand in hand.”