Evil Dead 4: No Man's Land (© Jesus Riddle Morales)
Page 1 Chapter one: (Everything you wanted to
know about Deadites, but were too afraid to ask) Ash stroked his long, mangy beard
in astonishment. He knew instantly that civilization had taken a plunge for the
worst. His instincts beckoned him to hone on his situation with more caution.
This was the second time he was blasted through time and though he was sucked
through a time warp the first time, his long hibernation failed to place him in
anymore of a gentle place. Ash was not used to having a beard. His old job at
"S" mart required him to shave for professional appeal. Even so, he constantly stroked
the dust from his new pelt, while eyeballing the ominously reddened night sky. Everywhere around, him buildings
were toppled over. One after the other, the structures piled on top of one
another like a ragged stack of dominos. He was an American and as Americans go,
he new all his most trusted monuments and icons, but there was no McDonald’s,
no Dairy Queens, and not a used car lot in sight. Strangely, there were also no
"worldly" icons to meet his eye, not even demolished ones. Then Ash realized
with the site of old Big Ben sagging helplessly on the floor along with the
rest of the buildings now reduced to rubble, that the clock symbolized exactly
where he was--Britain. Ash thought back and figured he had to be in
Britain since he just returned from a deep, centuries long hibernation from
Dark Age England. Ash was a sharp man and knew when danger was approaching.
Like a wild animal he ran back to the open mouth of the cave. Inside the cave,
his car and his weapons were still there. Ash leapt over the car and grabbed
the shotgun he had totted back in the old days, but to his surprise the gun
broke apart in his hand as rotted wood and rusted metal flaked precariously
from his grip like a crumbling, stale cookie. "Damn, they don’t make these babies like they used to!"
Replied Ash in cynical frustration. The air was thick and humid, which
was weird being as how he was in London and London was well known for its
dismal weather. The air and climate felt more like he was in Africa then in
some urban postwar dump. The red sky above seemed alive with swerving colorful
streaks of neon. Ash was no rocket scientist, but he recalled how the earth’s
magnetic field could create these psychedelic patterns in the atmosphere. It
was like an Aurora Borealis that stretched all over the earth's coursing sky.
Ash surveyed the area around him with keen precision. He did not see one living
thing. All around him, the scenes of this new realm were quiet and
discontented. A small quaking in his stomach suddenly alerted him. At first he
looked down in fear, remembering the time when he swallowed one of those little
"He-Me's" back at the old windmill in his last Dark Age adventure, but now
he was content to find out that it was just the normal rumble of hunger that
drew his attention. "Time to fill the old fuel tank!"
Ash commented to himself as he strolled along the debris-ridden path that must
have been a street some time ago. As he walked up the desolate
avenue, he was intrigued at some glittering lights in the near distance. Ash
instantly put up his hands. He looked toward the mediaeval gauntlet that he
built and noticed that his mechanical hand was out of service. Every time he
tried to move the fingers on the thing it had squeaked in stubborn, rusty
denial. Not only did his hand become out of commission, when he reached to his
back sac for the chain saw, he quickly found out that it, too, was a victim of
time. The chain belt that usually rotated the sharp, diamond cutting bits
around the center had fell limp to the floor. "So much for Excalibur!" Replied
Ash sarcastically as he looked down at the broken chain saw that he dropped to
the ground. Chapter two: (Soul Quest) The hunger Ash felt was growing. He
knew he had to find something on this planet edible; after all, it was earth.
He remembered how he and Linda would stop at their favorite fast food joint way
back in Grand Rapids Michigan. Back then, they made the best damn Philly cheese
steaks a man could buy! He thought. His mind focused on the sloppy cheese fries
and the slick musical tunes that the restaurant's radio pumped out in the late
70’s and early 80’s. Those were the good times, the best of times. Back then,
Scott, Linda, and himself used to go everywhere and do everything
together...Linda...Linda. Ash’s thoughts of warm, fun times rotted away when he
remembered what became of his loving girlfriend. About what he did to her…what
he had to do! [ Continue to page 2 ] |