Rage

Madness


         It started in the backwoods of Montana’s Glacier Park. The only way to describe it, crazy. A northern wind carried the smell of blood, lots of it. The rancid stench burned itself into my memory. We reached the interior of the park and came upon a scene so grotesques that I haven’t been able to sleep since.


         We’d hiked 10 miles into the woods when I noticed we hadn’t seen so much as a squirrel scampering along the ground or scurrying up a tree. In fact with the exception of the crunching and snapping of dead leaves, grass and twigs under our feet the entire place was silent. No one spoke; we all knew something was drastically wrong.
         Somber gray skies added to the feeling of dread encasing my mind. You know the warning you get that says turn back before its too late. That subconscious message that says things are about to spin out of control. But like characters in a B movie we kept moving.
         The heaping tangle of animal bodies reminded me of a modern art sculpture I’d seen as a teenager. Bears, squirrels, beavers, deer and an assortment of other creatures looked as if they’d been in a bar room brawl. Body parts and internal organs littered the area. I fought against the nausea roiling in my stomach. Cynthia and Mandi ran back a few feet and vomited. Gary, Paul and Arden stared at the madness.
         “Snap out of it guys. It’ll be dark soon… too late to go back, we’ve got to make camp,” I said.
         “I’m not staying here,” Arden whined.
         “I’m not suggesting we stay here. Lets back track about 2 miles and set up camp, then in the morning we’ll get out of here and find a ranger.”
         “Sounds like a plan,” Gary said, “ladies are you okay?”
         Cynthia and Mandi nodded yes.
         We turned around and started walking. Two miles later we made camp. No one said anything about what we’d seen, but sure as heck it was on our minds. I half expected Paul to start up with his government conspiracy theories, but he didn’t.
         I was spooked. Not even a cricket was chirping and without sound the forest isn’t just a dark scary place it’s a cemetery. After a light supper we turned in. I couldn’t sleep so I opted for watching the orange glow of the campfire and speculating on what could have caused the massacre.
         I’d dozed off, but I woke with a start hearing the other’s voices. I gazed at my watch it read 3Am. The others were up talking, I rolled over with the intention of asking them why they were up, but froze.
         “Mandi, did you get that dress you told me about,” Arden asked as she brought her Mag flashlight down on her head.
         Blood squirted up spraying Arden’s face and clothing.
         “Ugh. Yes, it’s so pretty. Gary will love it,” Mandi smiled, blood running down her head. She then grabbed Mandi and began chewing on her leg. Rivers of red oozed down the sided of her mouth.
         Paul and Gary were beating one another with their bare bloody fist. Cynthia complained about the smell all the while ripping her own hair out. I slowly got out of my sleeping bag, trying not to draw their attention. Mandi and Arden were now a bloody mess; the others were drawn like a magnet until they were all entwined in one gory mass.
         “Ben are you going to the dance?” Cynthia asked, her blue eyes sparkling.
         “Hey man, why are you looking so funny,” Gary snapped.
         “What’s wrong Ben,” Arden asked, her voice full of concern.
         Paul hit the ground first; the sickening sound of his neck snapping made me lose whatever was in my stomach. Next Mandi, Cynthia bit into her jugular vein. The forest was filled with the noisy gurgling of her blood. Gary attempted to strangle Arden who had found the flashlight and beat him to death while singing some childhood ditty. 
         “Ben, I’m scared. Those animals back there,” Arden said pointing toward the site. “What do you think happened?”
         She was inching closer to me. I stepped back, but said nothing. Just when she lunged Gary grabbed her ankle pulling her back into the heap. At that moment I took off running.
         “Sir I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. You saw the bodies, they went mad!!!”
         “Why didn’t it affect you?”
         “How should I know? Are you gonna keep me here?”
         “Yes.”
         “For how long?”
         “Forever.”
         “Why”
         “Ben, we’ve run a million tests on you, your friend and the dead animals and have come up with nothing. What if whatever caused this madness as you labeled it is lying dormant in you. Hell, it could infect the entire population. For all we know you are a carrier of this unknown madness.”
         “But what about my family? My mom and dad will come looking for me.”
         “No doubt, but they won’t find you. Your story will end up on Unsolved Mysteries. I’m sorry Ben, but this is your home and we are your family now. Everyone give Ben a warm welcome.”
         “Welcome Ben,” the voices cheered in unison.
         “Who are they?” Ben asked.
         “They are like you son. Unfortunate victims of one unexplained thing or another. We keep them here as a matter of national security.”
         “But I’m not sick.”
         “Neither are we Ben.”