Chunks of burning rock fell from the sky across the city. Spattering the landscape like God himself was spitting chunks of hot coal. Alan looked up at his burning new apartment. He stared at the red Twin Peaks-esque door. Smoke billowing out. An amber red blazing from the innards. He couldn't fully digest what was happening. Steve had just melted in front of his eyes like a candle under intense heat. Did a burning rock hit the house? There was no sound of impact. Nothing made sense.
The city was in chaos. The news networks and cell phone coverage was down. Everything was spinning. Alan could feel his grip on reality slipping.
My life up in flames, upended...
He was lost.
The amber streets lights were dim and flickered here and there. The dead streets were impossibly dark as if the shadows were sucking up any light that remained. All the other houses on the street looked empty; no lights, and no people. The world felt vacant. Shadows of what seemed like people moved in the distance at the end of the street, as if from something, or perhaps just to flee the city catching fire.
The fire quickly engulfed the apartment, as it began to collapse in on itself. The streets were cold, and the fire seemed to provide no warmth and little light. The totenkopf on Eva's Nazi hat and Kyle's Saxophone "Deathwish", seemed to be the only things reflecting light from the fire. Frank took out a spare jacket from his backpack and gave it to MJ who couldn't stop thinking about the death of Steve. She felt comforted by Frank's actions. He tapped his jacket in several places to make sure his penknife, Zippo lighter, and phone was on him. Other supplies and his gun was in his backpack. Frank felt alive and ready for action.
Anne was sobbing alone. Kyle approached Alan.
"We have to get to a safe place. Anne needs you" he said to coax Alan out of his completely lost state.
Alan came to, and comforted Anne.
"Come on! We need to get to safety. I know a place where we should be safe not too far from here. Stay close and don't get lost." Kyle gestured with duffel bags in both hands.
Frank swore he saw Kyle flash a Devil's smile towards Eva, as if they were enjoying this, but he didn't have time to mull it over.
They made their way to the end of the street, and towards the main road, using flashlights and what little illumination the street lights gave off. Everything seemed eerily dead.
"Are those people?" Anne questioned, wide eyed.
Translucent figures hovered around the main road, staying in the shadows, emerging from the darkness.
MJ held and gripped Frank's hand.
"Hello!" Frank shouted as he shone his flashlight on one of the figures.
It seemed to just dissolve as the light touched it, momentarily showing a misshapen, faceless human form.
"What the absolute fuck!?" Frank proclaimed.
"Holy shit!" Alan added.
"I think it's best if we don't go near those things. Stick to the light" Kyle said to the group.
"You think?!" Frank said with sarcasm.
Kyle momentarily grimaced, slighted by Frank's comment.
Who the fuck is this guy? he thought, biting his lip.
Eva placed her hand on Kyle's shoulder, and stroked his back, restoring his composure. She whispered something into his ear, and he smiled.
As the gang began moving down the main road, footsteps could be heard approaching from behind. The group turned around to see two figures fast approaching. Hearts began to race.
Frank positioned himself in front of MJ ready for battle. Alan and Anne stood there frozen like animals staring at headlights. Eva and Kyle gave a look to each other.
"Who's there?!" Frank shouted aiming his flashlight at the two figures.
Alan, Anne, and MJ sighed with relief.
"OH fuck! Is that you Alan?!" Bryant called out, as he walked past Frank, ignoring him, but momentarily stopping to take a solid look up and down at curvaceous Eva in her Nazi uniform.
Bryant was accompanied by Kingston. They knew Alan and the gang from the night life, and sometimes attended Bejazoot gigs. Bryant was of average size with short blonde hair. Kingston was big and stocky with a dark brown mullet.
"What the fuck is going on? Where is everyone?" Kingston asked.
No reply was given. There was only silence.
"Are those people?" Bryant said, pointing towards the figures in the shadows.
"I don't think so..." MJ responded meekly.
They tried to make sense of things. Sharing what had happened to each other, as they ever so slowly walked down the street, watching out for the ghosts in the shadows. Bryant and Kingston had both been at home when the sky darkened. They thought it was an eclipse, but couldn't find any information out on it as the 5G networks were dead, as were the television channels. They waited for their flatmate Alison to return from her morning shift, but she never returned. They assumed she must have evacuated the city. Eventually they decided to go outside. The fireballs were sparse and unlikely to hit them, but could eventually set the entire city ablaze; turning it into a death trap. As they left their place, they saw no one and nothing around. They walked down many blocks and streets, but it was all so quiet.
"Hey! Is that PEOPLE!?" Someone shouted from afar.
The group looked towards Fifian Park across the road. It was a small park with some trees, and an open field. A lone lamppost offered little light covering the field in an orange hue.
"Yo!" Bryant shouted back.
The gang looked on as the person ran across the park towards the main road. Behind him many bloated, deformed, and misshapen humanoid things gave chase. The person fell, catching his foot on something. He scrambled to his feet but seemed unable to move.
"I can't move! Somethings got my foot! HELP ME! HELP ME!!!" he screamed.
The gang couldn't fully make out what happened, but it looked like as the bloated things caught him, they began pulling him apart like cotton candy, as he screamed and screamed, and continued to scream in such agony and pain.
Alan had to almost drag Anne, who was having a panic attack, as they all ran away from the park; hearts beating rapidly, fear pumping through every vein and escaping every pore.
As the park disappeared out of sight, and the screams could be heard no more, they stopped. Alan began vomiting from both the exertion and the horror.
Out of breath, Bryant asked "Where are we going?"
"Just up here and to the left"
"To the industrial district?" Alan questioned, as he wiped his mouth of residual vomit.
"No way! We should stick to the main road and head out of the city" Kingston protested.
"Yeah, I'm with him" Frank agreed "we should follow the main road. The industrial district looks too dark to safely venture."
"Look, it's not that far. The best thing we can do is make it to the safe house. We will be protected there. Trust me"
Eva nodded in agreement. Bryant stared at her pale moon cleavage exposed by her open shirt and jacket, ready to agree to anything she nodded to.
"Let's have a vote" Kingston offered.
"We don't have time..." Kyle looked irked.
The lights on the main road began to flicker.
"Are those things getting closer!?" MJ said, clasping onto Frank for protection.
"Oh Fuck!" Bryant swore.
The dark translucent ghosts began to swarm. More and more seemed to emerge from the shadows, closing in on them as the street lights began to flicker on and off.
"Here! Take these" Frank said, handing spare flashlights to Bryant and Kingston.
"What are those things?" Kingston asked as he tried to shine the light on them for a better view.
They dissolved or retreated as the flashlights were shone on them, but there was too many, and their masses kept growing and approaching.
"Don't!" MJ cried out as Kingston approached them and threw a punch.
"Ah! So fucking cold!" he screamed as his fist went through them.
He quickly retreated but was caught by one. It grabbed Kingston's arm. He pulled and managed to break free with the help of Frank getting up close and blasting a torch on the thing.
Where it had grabbed Kingston it left a dark red hand mark.
"Run!" Alan shouted, while already running away, pulling Anne with him.
They ran down the main road, and onto the side road leading to the industrial district. They didn't have a choice, the street lights on the main road were completely failing, and the only illumination nearby came from the dimly lit road leading to the industrial district. There were following the road to hell.
Chapter 1 - Deathwish
Chapter 2 - Screaming with No Mouth
Chapter 3 - Nazi Babe with a Cute Smile
Chapter 4 - The End of the World
Chapter 5 - The Dead Streets
Chapter 666 - So I Flipped the Board
Chapter 7 - I Could Feel Myself Changing
Chapter 8:16 - Bejazoot's Coming!
@RiskDebonair
Irish Writer, Poet, & Agent of H.I.V.E.