Where is Everybody?

I am not convinced entirely I haven't stepped into a nightmare.  It couldn't be happening.  It's within the later days of May, and something off has happened, to use an understatement of the century.

I have awakened around six AM as usual, and there was no indication anything was awry.  It wasn't until an two hours and a quarter later an extraordinary event had happened.  Something real unfortunate.

I stepped into the kitchen and had a pie.  Sitting there was mum.

"How's the bookstore going?"

"Going well, considering it's in a shopping mall."

I poured the oats into the bowl and zapped it for a minute.  Out it came, and the room was filled with an aroma to die for.  Perhaps I shouldn't use that phrase right now.  I came back into me bedroom to dine undisturbed.  I don't usually keep her around, but I am on break.  I have been given two weeks grace from organizing books.  Categorizing them, alphabetizing them.  And referring the guests to sections that are clearly marked.  Hello!  Two straight weeks away from that shopping center and a location where I must be on my feet for hours on end without opportunity to sit was something I would accept, and not ask for more.

When I returned to my bedroom, I googled a show I used to watch as a kid.  And animated one no self respecting adult who wants to be taken seriously would openly admit to watching.  Certainly not in the flesh.  I hit the series button to see them in succession.  A very long playlist was shown, and I eagerly looked forward to every blissful hour.

As I waited for the oatmeal to cool, I opened the window to let the cross breeze carry the steam from me room outside.  It's a nice-- Summer?-- day.  Cool, but far from cold.  There's not a could to be seen anyplace.  There were sounds of crickets and early morning pedestrian traffic outside.  I could see the horizon turning pink as dawn approached.  I turned back to my monitor and click started the series.

It was around the third ep (they aren't very long segments, it being a kid's show) I stopped to take a break and have my oats.  It was hardly eight minutes before I finished my lukewarm cereal.  I took an hour to do the floors.  Mum doesn't tend to remove her shoes when she goes or comes, damn her.  As I descended the stairs, I found a penny there, which I was determined not to suck up.

When she stood there at the base of the steps, she took a glance at me, then bent to the side.  I came back to my bedroom to resume my viewing of this nostalgic, allegedly babyish kid's show, which is less babyish than people think.

It was around 8:15 when I took a look at the alarm clock over my desk, hanging from a nail on the wall that it happened.  There was a sudden shift in time.  One instant there was a clock saying eight fifteen, the next it read ten AM.  10 AM?  How?  The hands didn't even seem to move.

There was also a sudden brightness, slight rather than extreme.  Bright enough to see in sharp contrast, but dim enough not to tell the difference if there wasn't a sudden time jump.  In that instance, there was a bad feeling in me.  Actually, not really bad, so much as strange.  I could not describe it, but it went away after several minutes.  I'll get back to you on that.

What was most noticeable was the sudden jump in episodes.  It was instantly three, four episodes later without explanation, other than time has jumped forward.  But what was most mysterious was the lack of any other sound.  I hit the pause button and listened intently.  There wasn't a sound to be heard.  Everything had gone deathly silent.  I had sworn I had gone deaf the millisecond I paused that video.  When I dropped a pin, I confirmed that not only was I most certainly not deaf, my hearing had dramatically improved.  I never had hearing problems, in fact my hearing was greater than most.  I could hear the highest recorded sounds without problems.  Now the pin drop was much more clear and noticeable than it had ever been.

I came into the kitchen after several minute's difficulty finding my center of gravity.  When I did, it took me half of another to walk.  I walked into the kitchen only to find an overcooked bacon.  Eww... the smell wasn't pleasant, what with it having been damn near burnt.  I sent that stuff right down the disposal, ground it to a paste and washed it away.

"Mum?"

A hesitation.  What?  I hadn't sounded like that since I was twelve.  My voice was much higher pitched than it usually was.  I'm no baritone or anything like that, but this was much higher than I usually am.

There was no response to my call, and I began to worry.  Why should I worry?  This is obviously some weird nightmare.  A nightmare I am oddly aware of.  Bah.

I came upstairs, I came down, I went to the garage, I went to both yards, and not only was mum not there, there wasn't even a soul in sight.  The houses next door from what I could see were a total ghost town, not a sound, not of a television set nor radio, not of a lawnmower nor automobile engine, not of an AC nor a stove being turned on, nevermind a single voice of people speaking.

I hesitated to traverse further than me own yard or driveway, due largely to me own current stature and posture.  Finally I came back in and dialed every number I knew by heart on the landline, as I could not use my mobile due to the fact I can't use touchscreens.  Not with...  I'll explain that later.  No one responded.  Just a bunch of answering machines.

Please, somebody pick up. No one did.  Only people I found abroad when I physically went out and actively went searching for them.

This was well after I had established the car outside the garage was missing.  She must have gone somewhere.  Either that or her daughter went somewhere.  Even though she shouldn't be driving.  I hadn't taken more than ten paces before I realized all of the cars in the street were gone.  Oddly the ones in the driveway were still all there, yet the ones on the street had vanished.  There's definitely something fishy here.  I just can't put my finger on it.  Put my finger on it.  There was no sound of coupling on the tracks, either.  There wasn't a soul at the bus stop.  None of the shops, save the twenty four seven ones were open, save the family business.  There was not a clink nor clank to be heard.  Not even a hum.  Just the sound of me footsteps as they pitter pattered on the pavement.  And it was quite loud.  Maybe that's just my new sensitive hearing doing it, but it's not the usual sound.  It's much more sharp, more abrasive, not a clang, but near it.

I had taken several strolls around the block, gone three major blocks this way, and three major ones that.  No sign of any animate life was anywhere.  No sound but what I made.

I finally decided to go back.  No one was anywhere to be found.  And I am walking around au naturale, which is not good.  Surely that would draw some attention from someone, correct?  It did not, for there was no one there to be seen.  I came back in after not locking the door, hoping tempting fate would introduce daytime burglars.  Nothing of note was stolen.  There weren't even suspicious prints nor disturbed carpets anywhere.  No grass blade out of place.  *clonk*  and I facepalmed.  Whatever.  There wasn't a single car on the street nor pass.  All the ones there to be seen were in the driveways and garages.  There wasn't a sign of animal life to be seen, and it was getting hot. The sun beamed down on me back, on me neck, my head.  It felt like I was burning at first, but I got used to it.  There wasn't a breeze at first, but there would be after fifteen minutes out there.

Hungry as I was, I decided to have some spinach.  And mushrooms.  Once I did that and sat for five minutes, I was ready to come out, and find whoever was there to discover.  I walked somewhere I shouldn't under ordinary circumstances.  The railroad track.

There were presumably no trains running today, not after 8:15.  I cannot very well be the only person on earth right now, right?  If I reappeared after an hour and forty five minutes, surely someone else must have before or afterwards, right?  It turned out I was correct.  After I had been walking on the rails awhile, I ran into somebody like me, similarly twisted and distorted.  He had a blank, vacant expression that somewhat unsettled me, but it wasn't too bad.  He introduced himself to me, told me his name was-- well it was silly, so I'll just call him Will for the time being.  When I asked, he said it was eight fifteen, and he was walking to his hardware when the strangest thing happened.  No sooner had he left his home and began crossing the street did the bright and early morning suddenly become an even brighter (not to mention hot) afternoon.  The world seemed to explode in size, and his suit was suddenly a very large tent he had to navigate his way out of.  All the cars that were there stalling were nowhere in sight.  All the cars and people had vanished without a trace.  According to him, the time his crystal watch read was eleven.  He was sent further ahead than I if he is right.

He told me he had met a mare awhile back.  He sure adapted to terminology quickly.  He said her name was Angela Balsam, and she was ecstatic to see him.  So much, in fact, he tried to get away from her as quickly as possible, telling her to stay put and she would be back soon.  He led me to a place I hadn't traveled often, and on a street corner, there was another strange alien creature of presumably human earthling origin standing there with loads of anticipation.  She immediately lit up at our presence, and jumped out of her skin when we made our presence known, and threw her arms about us both.  I threw her off, as did he, but that did not stop her from being so exuberant.

She claimed to be crossing the street when all the cars vanished, and the world exploded in size.  All the people and cars had vanished, and it was a later time of day than it was before.  Same story, but she didn't seem put off by it in tone.  See seemed very matter of fact.  Like us, she said it was eight fifteen when everybody went away, yet once again the time wasn't the same when she turned up.  It was twelve PM when she looked at her watch.   She didn't take long to find Will, but she was excited to see him, and wouldn't let him go away.  He said he would promise never to totally abandon her if she stayed at that spot and didn't leave the intersection for an hour and was there when he came back.  It worked.

We came back to my place as we agreed, and on the way, we met Anthony, an optimistic young man who seems mostly unfazed by the lack of people.  He probably thinks he's dreaming, as do I.  Or this is a temporary thing.  I hope so.

He was walking down his own residential street when the cars by the curb disappeared, as did everyone in the driveways and yards.  He heard us one street over and came to our side.  Unlike the other two, he had no watch, but he did have a mobile phone, an old one without a touch screen.  So he could use the keys.  It was 8:20, five minutes after disappearance (And he confirmed the time of event was the same) he found himself on the street walking forward in loose clothes imbalanced at first.

We have all come home to my house where they will spend the night.  Maybe tomorrow more people will show up and we'll find out what's going on.   Hopefully neighbors and relatives will be found.