Hard Moonshine & Stale Coffee Time withered floorboards creaked under the weight of their rocking chairs. The porch had seen better days and now had a distinctive lean to the left where the joists had given way years earlier. The acidic aroma of distilled alcohol wafted up from the large, open bottle between them. In anticipation of the night, they’d spent most of their precious day making it. Moonshine. The last of a very special batch. A few sips was all they could afford to drink for now. Of the first hundred families sent to colonize Mars, there were only eleven left. Toni and her husband, Tomas, would be the last to leave. There should have been more people, a second arrival, but another ship never came. Maybe that was for the best. Things weren’t expected to be easy but – a deep sigh blew past Toni’s lips – but it certainly shouldn’t have been this hard. Or maybe that was just their entitlement speaking. As Earthlings they signed up to be colonizers on another planet, a place no one had actually stepped foot on. They, all of them were ideologically stupid. She could admit that now. Toni’s thoughts circled back to those first exciting moments when she and Tomas had been accepted into the program. They put in the work, mentally and physically. Everything was based on assumptions. Before the long sleep, they excitedly prepared for place they knew absolutely nothing about. They talked and whispered amongst themselves as their vessel crossed a vast sea of darkness, their excitement palpable.. There were certain… expectations. Completely independent of Earth and with limited resources, the only equipment and materials they had were what they arrived with. They only had each other to depend on. Since she came from a long line of liquor makers, it wasn’t hard to work out a way to make the alcohol. A useful something that could be utilized in a multitude of ways. Toni became the impromptu bar owner and overall peacemaker. Her home with Tomas, who had somehow been voted to the new world community council, was assigned the designated communal hub. She snorted. Over time, her talent and home served many purposes, and in times of real danger, saved lives. That last thought brought her to their present. An old saying flashed through her mind. What you choose to forget is what you are doomed to repeat. So many times, she’d asked not only herself but Tomas. Why? Answers still eluded her. Thirty-five years after landing, terraforming had completely failed. Most buildings were in major disrepair, some unlivable. Crops continued to wither in the fields, and from the initial landing, contact with Earth was spotty at best. Something they, as a community, brushed off while waiting until the next round of new colonists arrived. Toni shook her head. They were still waiting. Problems, though, started almost immediately. Six months after arrival, strange, unexplainable things started to happen. The blueprints to the village they were creating weren’t a good match for the planet, or its atmosphere. Everything died quickly, whether it was machinery or materials. No one thought a lot about it then, but she knew now. It was the hubris of humanity. That, no matter the situation, humans were the smartest organism in the space. During the thirty-four and a half years spent on this rocky planet, three hundred and sixty-five lives of fellow colonizers were lost. In the beginning, some to illness, others to self-harm, but most to those beasts, in one way or another. The cost of colonization was higher than anyone could have ever imagined in their idealistic dreams. At first, even if the isolation and loneliness didn’t drive you mad… the starvation might. Meager returns on sweat investment made them double down. They planted a multitude of crops, a few unplanned varieties. Flowers, trees, grain… some lasted longer than others. Eventually everything died. Combined with what was brought, everyone managed to eke out a sliver of an existence, waiting for Earth to reconnect. Always waiting. But something crawled from the red silt and changed the plants. Some for the better, most for the worse. Unexpected microbes, nasty little bugs that didn’t even appear until the colony was truly established, birthed unseemly things. Not everybody was affected, but the ones who were… they flourished and it was those creatures that crept around in the darkness. Crimson light slowly ate the landscape. Evening was falling fast, and the twin blood moons would soon crisscross the sky, eclipsing each other. It was the worst time of the month, during absolute darkness, yet the perfect time for them. Rotting vegetables and fruits in the fields, would draw them out to feast. Something, maybe the scent of fetid plant material, enticed them from the shadows they liked to play in. Or perhaps nothing at all, no one could pinpoint a single cause. The consensus was the stench intensified a hunger she and the others couldn’t identify. It was that uncertainty that forced them to send a distress call to Earth, two years after their arrival. The writing was clear on the proverbial wall. If and when the message did get back to Earth… it would take another thirty years just to reach them. And that was if there was anyone left to receive the message. Who knew what happened after they left. There never was another ship. Over the years, those beasts, their numbers grew while the villagers’ numbers dwindled. Under the illumination of the twin moons, Toni had watched them from the windows of their cabin, basking in the red glow while feasting in the fields of putrid crops before disappearing into the momentary darkness of the ecilpse. The creatures now outnumbered the humans. Being outside on the night of the double blood moon was a death sentence. At some point, she and her fellow humans became their dessert. The remaining families had given up. Of the original council members, only she and Tomas were left. But, as her Tomas put it, they had one hail Mary left, and came up with a desperate plan. Toni rose from her seat and picked up the jug. She poured a thin line of liquid along the perimeter of the porch. The thin wet line quickly dried and disappeared. “Do you think that little bit will draw them in? Pour more.” Tomas stood and stretched before moving to stand beside her near the steps. He took the container from her callused palms. There was something about the liquor that kept them momentarily at bay. Curiosity maybe. “No, they have the scent. They’ll come.” She shook her head. “But it should give us all a little time.” Guilt over Tomas being stuck with her in this situation ate at her. She wouldn’t look at him. “Time for what?” His voice resounded with resignation. “We either get trapped in the house or die in the fields.” Toni chuckled. “One last dance.” She lifted her head to meet his gaze. Toni averted her eyes to peer at the crooked house behind him. It wouldn’t last another year. They had built everything around them with their hands. Started a family, built a life. It was far from perfect but with Tomas, it was enough. And it was all her fault. It was her idea to join the Mars project when the call for volunteers went out. They made a lot of sacrifices… a clusterfuck… even the child they lost. They’d finally come full circle. Everything was her load to carry, and this was the only way she could think of to make amends. Her husband, best friend. She snorted. Her child’s father. He wasn’t supposed to be part of her atonement. She reached for his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. “We have survived this long. Let’s get through the night first.” Her shoulders slumped under the weight of one more worry. “Maybe… it’s been a long time but, Earth…” He looked over at her, his clear gaze hopeful. Tomas lifted his head toward the sky. “No one is coming to save us, baby.” Toni sighed. “We only have ourselves to rely on. Our neighbors are long gone.” Following his line of sight, she stared out at the horizon. “I wish you hadn’t stayed.” “There is nowhere else I want to be.” His tone was solemn, accepting. Fading beams of amber and pink were finally consumed by red as the sun’s dying light gave way to the rise of the double moons. A titter of laughter split the quiet. In the distance, a little girl dressed in white with ribbons tied in her hair skipped up the path. She was just visible with every bounce among the weeds that crowded out the wheat field. The child stopped. She jumped up and down, waving at them. Her ribbons fluttered with her movements. She disappeared. Where there was one, there were many. “Let’s get inside.” Toni curled her fingers around Tomas’s hand, yanking him with her as they closed the gap between the steps and the door. Even if they changed their minds, there was no going back now. Another disgusted snort broke from her. Who was she kidding? It was too late the minute they set foot onto the planet. She slid the deadbolt in place just as a soft knock cut through the space. The moonshine didn’t give them a minute. The liquor was losing its potency, or the creatures were getting stronger. Maybe it was the child herself. There was moonshine in her veins. Twelve and a half hours. That was all they had to hold on for before the bright rays of sunlight heralded a new day and another month to prepare for one night. Tomas walked over to the console and tapped the screen. Classic R&B filled the room, drowning out the knocks that seemed to come from all corners of the house. “May I have this dance, beautiful?” He bent at the waist and extended his hand. A hint of a smile lifted the corner of her mouth. “Of course.” She took his hand, and he twirled her around the room. “I’m tired Toni,” he whispered in her ear. “I thought… wanted us to have a better life. This wasn’t supposed to happen.” His words hurt. A physical pain tore at her chest at their naivety. “We were dreamers, Tomas. That was our mistake. We believed liars who sugarcoated the fallacy that this was a one-way trip to a place better than the one we were leaving.” She slipped her hand out of his and wrapped her arms around his waist. Laying her head on his chest, she inhaled his soothing scent. A calmness she hadn’t felt since arriving there wrapped around her. Their decision was made and they would live with the repercussions. They whirled around the tiny room. Tomas softly sang along to the song, his breath flowing against the shell of her ear. Warmth bloomed in her belly. The song ended. Then, a soft, childlike singsong lilt seeped through the space where the hinges met door jamb. “Please let me in. It’s cold and I’m hungry.” They ignored the distraction. “Speaking of food. While you were working on the boiler, I made a feast with…” Tomas laughed as he turned to face the small table. “Dun, dun, dun…” He released her and lifted the upturned bowl off the surface. Beneath it. Two plates with meal packets on them and two mugs of steaming coffee. “We have chipped beef with rice or BBQ chicken with macaroni and cheese. And. Your favorite. Coffee Addict coffee!” “Ooo, you spared no expense, gourmet MRE’s. Nice choices.” She touched a cup before fingering the package. A giggle slipped past her lips. “It’s been years since we had a cup. Where did you find the coffee?” “I found a half-full container in the back of the kitchen cabinet. But, let me warn you it’s pretty bad. I knew we had it, but it got lost in our mess. I spent a good chunk of time searching for it, woman.” He winked and shrugged. “As for the food, there was nothing to choose from. It’s all that’s left.” He pulled a chair from the table and urged her to sit. The next song started — a pop tune from the last century. “Bummer. Much as I love Coffee Addict coffee, I draw the line at drinking stale stuff. That’s sacrilegious. But I love you for the thought.” She picked up the packet closest to her. It was warm. Ripping the top off, Toni stuck the foil between her lips and squeezed. She glanced at the door. Tangy sauce burst across her tastebuds. She swallowed before speaking. “How many do you think are out there?” The tapping increased coming in rapid succession. From all sides. The door jamb rattled. Tomas sat down heavily beside her and cocked his head. “Not enough, yet. What kind of party would it be if we don’t have enough guests?” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You are so amazing. I love you.” He rested his head on her shoulder. “I need something stronger than coffee. Want to have a drink?” “I love you so much I didn’t want you here. You pour.” “We will not keep having this discussion.” He moved to retrieve the jug from near the door and set it on the table. She pushed the tall glasses toward him, and he filled them. “There is no other place I would rather be. Is everything ready?” “Yeah.” Heat traveled through her core as she drank. “We have about fifteen minutes.” The floor beneath her feet grew warm. Standing beside her, Tomas picked up his drink. “I didn’t think things would end like this.” He snorted. “This would not have happened on Earth. So much for good trouble.” Toni arched a brow. “I’m just saying.” Tomas grumbled. “It was fun while it lasted.” She giggled. The alcohol finally kicked in. Toni downed the remaining dregs. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. I wish…” He hung his head. “Things just didn’t work out our way.” Tomas caressed her hair before standing. “I don’t think I ever told you that the white strands look good on you.” He finished his drink. “We’ve done all we could do.” He held up the glass. “You made this batch strong.” A silly smile spread across his face. He sang. “No pain… no gain…” The room was getting increasingly hot. The knocking became banging, shaking the windows in their frames. Voices, grunts, and louder wails drowned out the music. Toni checked the time on her watch. Ten minutes. “We’re heroes.” She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. “We are sacrifices. They won’t care to remember us.” Tomas brushed his fingers along her jawline, swaying on his feet, tipsy. “Wife. You made this life worth living.” “Six minutes. You know what?” She tipped a healthy measure of the moonshine into the mug. “I’m going drink this nasty coffee.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she raised the cup in his direction. “At least we are together. A family.” She paused, downed a mouthful of the sour brew and closed her eyes. “Husband, it’s time to let our daughter in.” Relaxed, she leaned back in her seat, prepared for what was to come. Tomas hesitated before walking toward the door. He unlocked it and stumbled back to the couch, squeezing in beside Toni and wrapping his arms around her. The knob slowly twisted. Secure in his embrace, Toni cracked an eyelid. The door gently swung open. From the shadows, hundreds of yellow eyes peered at them. Time stretched as they watched the horde grow. Tiffany, their nine-year-old daughter, stepped into the doorway. It was her thirtieth birthday. Her worn white dress was in tatters. The ribbons, filthy and untied. “Mommy, Daddy, I’m home.” She slurred and smiled. Double rows of razor-sharp teeth filled her mouth. The colony’s mutated children swarmed into the room. “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” Tomas whispered. “I hope you enjoy your party.” Explosions from a few other homesteads in the distance drowned out the death cries of Tomas and Toni as their skin was ripped from muscle and bone. Satisfied grunts escaped from the children as they gorged themselves. Growls erupted as little ones fought over remnants of flesh. The boiler in the basement, surrounded by barrels of moonshine, reached its tipping point, overheating. A haze of steam rose up through the cracks in the floor. The boiler blew, incinerating everything inside the structure and several feet beyond it. * Just outside orbit, safe aboard the ship NASA had sent for them, those few who escaped stared through the glass at a few tiny flashes of light that quickly extinguished. “We made it.” A man turned away from the window. Like a shroud, relief hung heavy around them. Some nodded in agreement as the small group dispersed. No one noticed the little boy who didn’t leave the corner, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch a breath. A fine sheen of sweat coated his face and neck, drenching his thin shirt while double rows of stiletto-sharp teeth slowly filled his mouth. The End.