The Purging

Subconscious Concsience

CHAPTER 21

Complete darkness surrounds him. Blinded, he wanders through the endless abyss with no identifiable direction to speak of. For most, this would be a metaphor. For Ben, from the very moment he stepped into the stasis tube, this has been reality. Desperation and fear have led him to pray more than once to a God that he has never believed in.

For the first time since he accepted the offer of the abrasive scientist speaking in his head, he sees light in front of him. A faint glimmer in the distance is set apart from the endless sea of night. Moving steadily towards it, he has no idea what to expect, but anything is better than the hopeless void he has been floating in for what seems like forever. Pensively, he draws closer and closer to the shimmering speck on the horizon. When he finally penetrates the halo, what he hoped would be a twinkling respite, is really a Technicolour nightmare.

What lies before him is a familiar setting, though it could not be what it appears. Juanito's backyard patio is exactly as he remembers it. From the swing set to the barbeque, everything is precisely where it should be, including his family. The picnic table is set just like it was every Saturday afternoon. Plates, silverware and condiments are all in their appropriate spots.

“You gonna sit down or just stand there and stare? You look like an asshole.” Juanito's voice hasn't changed. His smile, his eyes, and his clothes are all exactly the same. The top of his head has undergone some rather significant changes. There’s much less of it there for starters, due in large part to the gaping hole at the crown of his skull. Blood runs like a faucet from the wound underneath his chin.

Lita on the other hand, looks exactly like she did as the last time he saw her. Every knife is still stuck just where her murderer left it. Her empty eye sockets and slashed neck are still dripping, creating a makeshift Jackson Pollack painting all over the deck. She welcomes him with a wispy voice, “Hope you're hungry Ben, we made plenty. Take the chair next to Juanito.” She places a large serving tray in the centre of the table and smiles widely at Ben. Gesturing at the children playing in the yard to come closer, she yells, “Lunch is served!”

The kids leap clear across the yard and land on opposite sides of the table. They turn to face Ben with toothy grins, proudly bearing their brand new fangs. Their bodies have become pallid and emaciated. Running around him at blinding speed, they examine his metallic body closely, taking the odd sniff with curiosity twinkling in their eyes. Little Mauricio can't hold back his fascination, “Did it hurt when they made you a robot, Uncle Benny? Cause it hurt when I got made into a vampire.”

It couldn’t be real. None of it could. He tells himself over and over that he must be dead or dreaming, “This is totally wrong, you're all dead and gone. This is just some kind of bullshit nightmare. I need to wake up.”

With a puzzled expression on her tiny face, Lupe throws in her two cents, “But aren't you dead too? Isn't that what the science man said? Aren't you happy to see us Uncle Benny?” Tears stream from the miniature vampire's face as her lips begin to quiver ever so slightly.

“Come on bro. You too good to have lunch with your family? Look at how you're upsetting Lupe. We may be dead but we still have feelings, you know? Besides, where else do you got to be? Back out into nothing?” As Juanito gestures out into the void beyond, Ben decides it is the better part of valour to join his family. He slides out the chair next to his cousin and grabs the nearest plate.

“What are we havin'? Steak, burgers, maybe a little pulled pork?” Before Lita can answer Mauricio jumps across the table and latches onto his mother.

“I'm having mommy!” He hangs on her chest and licks the open wound on her neck. Lapping up her blood like a thirsty dog at a watering hole, he smacks his lips and exclaims happily, “Mmmmm. Mommy is delicious.” Lita's desiccated visage twists into an awkward grin and she pats her son on his head lovingly. Lupe settles on a different meal and hops up onto her father's shoulders. Reaching down into his open skull, she commences pulling out small chunks of grey matter and eagerly tossing them in her mouth. Elatedly munching away, Lupe offers Ben a piece of Juanito's brain.