Attack of the Fetuses: A Short Story About the End Times

“How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge out blood on them that dwell on the earth?” -- Book of Revelation

So many strange things had happened over the last few days, Michelle almost forgot she was about to become a killer. Thousands – millions, perhaps – had simply disappeared. Vanished. The talking heads on television were saying it was the Rapture, that the good Christians of the world were taken to Heaven before the wrath of God was brought upon the rest of mankind. But that could not possible be true. How could it? For the father of the baby she was now about to have sucked out of her, the man who raped her, scarring her for life and forcing her into a decision she never wanted to have to make, disappeared, too. It was true that he became a Christian in jail; in fact, he wrote her many times begging for her forgiveness; and when he disappeared, his cell was filled with Bibles and his own writings for his love of Christ. But she was also a Christian. She had been going to Church since she was a child. Maybe she wasn’t the best Christian, maybe she thought parts of the Bible couldn’t possibly be true. How could they? According to science, God did not make the world in six days and rest on the seventh, and nor did He make man in His image. No, men evolved from monkeys. It was all explained by science. Scientists had facts and figures and devices. The Bible was based on faith. And she just couldn’t have absolute, 100% faith in anything that said so many things she disagreed with. But she did believe in Jesus, especially his words. That’s all it took to be a Christian, wasn’t it?

So she entered the scientist’s lab disturbed, confused. Not because she was about to take a life, for she didn’t believe a fetus was a life, that the thing growing in her womb would feel pain, but because she just couldn’t wrap her head around the idea that God would love a rapist more than her. After all, not only was she a Christian, she was donating the fetus to science, to be used as stem cells that might one day cure diseases or paralysis. No, she was not bothered at all by the fact she was about to become a killer.

So the scientist said something to her, but she did not hear it. She was too distracted, horrified, even, by what she saw in the lab: jars and jars of fetuses lining the wall. Some may have been six or seven months old. And it seemed as though they were frowning at her. Suddenly she didn’t feel so sure about her decision; but she blocked such nonsense out: it was the best decision for her. After all, her fetus was the product of rape. She had no choice in that matter. Plus, she was not ready for a child, especially not now, not with the world in such disarray.

So she followed the scientists orders. She laid down on the table. She spread her legs. She looked at his face, and he smiled at her. But it was disgusting smile; it looked as though he was enjoying this, enjoying looking at her, enjoying the curves of her body. But she let it continue; she let him strap down her arms and legs. Then he pulled out something that looked not unlike a coat hanger; in fact, if she didn’t know any better she would have said it was a coat hanger. And next thing she knew, it was inside her. Sucking, stabbing.

So then something incredible happened. At first all she heard were the sounds of breaking glass; but then the chanting began. “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come!” Looking around she saw the source of it: it was the fetuses! Somehow their jars – their prison – had broken, and now they were chanting and crawling closer. The closer they came, the more menacing they looked, their wrinkled faces contorted into a look of revenge and judgment. And they had teeth. Sharp, pointed teeth, like a shark’s.

So the scientist was no longer ogling her; -no, he was turned away, backed up against the table on which she lay, facing the approaching fetuses, his body tense with shock and fear. Suddenly, the closest fetuses jumped on to the scientist and started biting him. Those that followed gnawed at his legs. And the scientist screamed. Screamed and screamed and screamed. And bled. Blood was everywhere; it covered her hospital gown, some was on her hands and face. But she couldn’t move; she couldn’t escape. She could only pray, and pray she did, begging for God’s forgiveness, for killing her child, for anything that may have caused the horrible fate she was certain to meet at any moment.

So then the screaming stopped. She couldn’t see the doctor, for he had already crumpled to the ground, out of her sight. And then another voice – a child’s voice – called to her: “Mommy, mommy. Why mommy? Why didn’t you love me?” She could feel something crawling between her legs, pulling at her hospital gown. Then she saw it: a fetus, her fetus, her baby. It was so tiny as it crawled towards her face; and yet it was so beautiful, so perfect and innocent. How could she have killed such a thing?

So suddenly her straps unfastened, and her baby began to talk again: “Mommy, you have been condemned to live through the tribulation period, through the end times. But you have a chance, mommy. A chance to one day be with Jesus and Heaven on Earth. But you must believe!!! With your whole heart and whole soul, you must believe. God loves you; He sent me here to tell you that. And He’s given you a gift. It’s something that you may not appreciate at first, something that may even disgust you. But you must accept it; it will guide you and lead you down the righteous path during the coming end times. Promise me you’ll do as God has commanded.”

So she nodded. She would have said something, explained to her baby how sorry she was for what she had done, begged it for forgiveness; but she was still to overcome by fear to have said anything that made sense. And then the baby spoke once more: “Mommy, your gift is this: you must eat me.”

So after it said those last words – You must eat me – the baby/fetus fell to its side, lifeless once again. Michelle picked it up, cradled it. Then she did as she had been commanded; she ate it. At first, she was overcome by the fact that her baby tasted a lot like chicken. But then something wonderful happened, as a new sense of purpose spread through her body, as a complete and total understanding that God loved her washed away all the fear and guilt. She got off the table and walked toward the door, past the pile of bones that had once been the scientist, ready to face the end times, ready to walk a righteous path.

THE END