Descending Road - THE AIR STOPPED by Dana W. Paxson

THE AIR STOPPED

1563 4D

A faint gust of air touched Ezzar‘s face. She sat with Rennie‘s arm around her, their backs to a wall of the corridor, waiting for Andrew and the little girl to return. When the lights vanished and darkness covered them, Rennie tensed. His huge arm began to shake against her neck.

“I can’t,” he said, “I can’t keep this up.”

She scrambled out from under his arm and knelt against him, reaching around his expanse of chest to hold him close. His breath came shallow and rapid.

“It’s all right,” she said, pressing against him. “I’ve got light.” She fumbled in a pocket. Coming up with a chemical torch, she snapped it in two and held it up, its green phosphorescence painting a corridor-image that wavered with the now-moving air. Rennie relaxed; his breathing settled back again. “Hold this,” she said, handing him the torch. She looked into the face of the draft, coming from the direction Andrew and the little girl had taken. The torchlight faded into blackness a few strides away. “Something big is coming. We’d better find a place to hide.”

“There was a niche with a door a little way back,” Rennie said.

“Can you get there?”

“If you support me.” He drew up his legs and grunted in pain.

“Come on. Hurry.” The wind rose suddenly to a gale. Straining every muscle, she hauled him upright.

“Get under my shoulder.” They turned. The relentless push of the air shoved them forward; Ezzar sagged under Rennie‘s arm. He held the torch low and close to him; its light flicked their shadows along the walls beside them. At each step his teeth ground and shivered, and his weight pressed her.

“It’s coming,” she said, “Come on, one more.” They reached the niche, a utility access point recessed a few feet in the stone, large enough for three or four to stand in. As she dragged Rennie inside, he reached for the handle of the door. The rock under their feet shook briefly.

“Locked.” He vibrated the door handle so fast it chattered. The handle turned; propelled by the wind, they squeezed into a wet and slimy conduit room and shoved the door closed against the cresting air pressure.

“Jeddin taught me that,” he said.

“The lock trick?”

“It’s all in the frequency…" Now the whole space around them seemed to shake and chatter as the door had done. Then, silence. The air stopped.

“What is it?” Whispering, Ezzar pressed closer to Rennie. He sniffed the air.

“It’s alive. Amazing smell, lots of terpenes,” he muttered. “Sshh.” Wet sounds came from the other side of the door. Then the door creaked and groaned. “It’s trying to get in.” They both looked around. The room, narrow as the door, ran back about fifteen feet to an array of slick-coated pipes slanting down from ceiling to floor.

Ezzar ran back and looked up. Here the air steamed with rotting odors. “There’s an access ladder. Come on, it’s all we’ve got.” Supporting himself against both walls, Rennie worked his way toward her. As he reached the ladder, the door burst in with a sawedged screech of metal. He turned, steadying himself against one wall, holding the torch below the handgrip of his gun.

“Don’t shoot, it’s too big,” Ezzar hissed, looking past Rennie‘s bulk at a soft dark surface that heaved and whelmed and filled the whole doorway. “It’ll explode and kill us in here.”

“Wait,” Rennie said. The dark surface articulated itself into vertical folds that began to flow out into pseudopods, creeping along floor and walls toward them. “Get up the ladder, out of sight,” he told her.

“What are you… No, don’t do that. Rennie—“

“Get going!” He lay down prone on the floor, aiming his gun at the advancing extensions. “Now!”

She obeyed, her hands slipping on the rungs as she climbed, then waited. Not a sound.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	THE AIR STOPPED 1563 4D A faint gust of air touched Ezzar‘s face. She sat with Rennie‘s arm around her, their backs to a wall of the corridor, waiting for Andrew and the little girl to return. When the lights vanished and darkness covered them, Rennie tensed. His huge arm began to shake against her neck. “I can’t,” he said, “I can’t keep this up.” She scrambled out from under his arm and knelt against him, reaching around his expanse of chest to hold him close. His breath came shallow and rapid. “It’s all right,” she said, pressing against him. “I’ve got light.” She fumbled in a pocket. Coming up with a chemical torch, she snapped it in two and held it up, its green phosphorescence painting a corridor-image that wavered with the now-moving air. Rennie relaxed; his breathing settled back again. “Hold this,” she said, handing him the torch. She looked into the face of the draft, coming from the direction Andrew and the little girl had taken. The torchlight faded into blackness a few strides away. “Something big is coming. We’d better find a place to hide.” “There was a niche with a door a little way back,” Rennie said. “Can you get there?” “If you support me.” He drew up his legs and grunted in pain. “Come on. Hurry.” The wind rose suddenly to a gale. Straining every muscle, she hauled him upright. “Get under my shoulder.” They turned. The relentless push of the air shoved them forward; Ezzar sagged under Rennie‘s arm. He held the torch low and close to him; its light flicked their shadows along the walls beside them. At each step his teeth ground and shivered, and his weight pressed her. “It’s coming,” she said, “Come on, one more.” They reached the niche, a utility access point recessed a few feet in the stone, large enough for three or four to stand in. As she dragged Rennie inside, he reached for the handle of the door. The rock under their feet shook briefly. “Locked.” He vibrated the door handle so fast it chattered. The handle turned; propelled by the wind, they squeezed into a wet and slimy conduit room and shoved the door closed against the cresting air pressure. “Jeddin taught me that,” he said. “The lock trick?” “It’s all in the frequency…" Now the whole space around them seemed to shake and chatter as the door had done. Then, silence. The air stopped. “What is it?” Whispering, Ezzar pressed closer to Rennie. He sniffed the air. “It’s alive. Amazing smell, lots of terpenes,” he muttered. “Sshh.” Wet sounds came from the other side of the door. Then the door creaked and groaned. “It’s trying to get in.” They both looked around. The room, narrow as the door, ran back about fifteen feet to an array of slick-coated pipes slanting down from ceiling to floor. Ezzar ran back and looked up. Here the air steamed with rotting odors. “There’s an access ladder. Come on, it’s all we’ve got.” Supporting himself against both walls, Rennie worked his way toward her. As he reached the ladder, the door burst in with a sawedged screech of metal. He turned, steadying himself against one wall, holding the torch below the handgrip of his gun. “Don’t shoot, it’s too big,” Ezzar hissed, looking past Rennie‘s bulk at a soft dark surface that heaved and whelmed and filled the whole doorway. “It’ll explode and kill us in here.” “Wait,” Rennie said. The dark surface articulated itself into vertical folds that began to flow out into pseudopods, creeping along floor and walls toward them. “Get up the ladder, out of sight,” he told her. “What are you… No, don’t do that. Rennie—“ “Get going!” He lay down prone on the floor, aiming his gun at the advancing extensions. “Now!” She obeyed, her hands slipping on the rungs as she climbed, then waited. Not a sound.