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.
Since I had closed off last night, I went out again, and this time, by the time the day was out, I found three others.
Twenty fifth of May in the evening. I'm not sure what I should be doing, nor am I certain I am not dreaming. I hope so.
Shortly as I had finished writing in that, Will said he was going out. I didn't want to lose one of the three people I had encountered in this mess so quickly, nor did I want him going out alone. The three of us went with him on foot and looked around. It was near dusk and there wasn't a single light on save the ones on the lampposts lining the streets. There weren't any cars whatever on the street yet several in driveways. No music was playing, no televisions flickered, no light nor sound came from any house we crossed. And that's considerable as we had all confirmed earlier that day we could see and hear much more than we ever could before. I hadn't thought we would see anyone else, but I was wrong.
When we traversed the right street, we had crossed paths with a lighted window. Guess what-- or who-- was in it. When I went ahead, I had told the other three to stay out there. I stepped up to the curb and ascended the stoop. I had pressed an ear to the door and listened intently. Through solid wood, clear as day, I could hear what I thought sounded like sobbing. I lifted a hoof and slammed the flat of it against the hardwood. The sound suddenly stopped for three seconds of dead silence. Then footsteps. I turned me head towards the street to see a look of slight terror on their faces. It was frankly unsettling. That's when I heard the door open.
I turned my head towards the sound. I gave a slight gasp when a bipedal figure stood over me like a tower. Truth be told, I wasn't that short, I just wasn't in my usual posture. What I saw was a most unusual thing, even less usual than equinn aliens walking around. A tall, humanoid lizard was at the door with an evening dress on her person and vertical lines crossed her cheeks. Her face was undoubtedly that of a lizard, her neck, check, her feet clawed. In her left hand was a broomstick. On her face and neck and even back of hand, along with what I saw of her ankles were shiny sparkling scales of a brilliant red hue. Her eyes, a tremendous green, a vertical line crossing through her pupils.
She looked so sad. "Miss, are you alright? "
"Wwww hho Who are you?!" she asked so frantically.
"Alex Chance Torrez, madam. You are?"
She said nothing.
"These are Anthony, Will, and Angela at the curb if you don't mind. I presume no one has been here all day?"
"Yes. And it's Vinnie, miseur." Misuer?
I never wanted to make anybody upset, but I did not have any desire nor intent to leave anyone to the wind. "I have agreed to let those three stay with me till we get this thing figured out. Are you with me, Vinnie?"
She said yes rather quickly.
As we walked by a multi story apartment, we fund two lighted windows. Southside I was on, Will heard a sound from the other side as did we all. I went ahead and came up the stairway of the open building toward where I could remember the window being while Will, who had later confirmed the other was open, lit and blaring music was going with Angie and Anthony to that one.
Truth to say, what we found was even stranger. On the fourth floor was a dim hallway, yet adequately lit end, where I presumed the room to be. I had found a single lamp on a desk at the end of it by the window, and it had been covered with dust that was clearly undisturbed save that of the knob. The heat from it burned the cobwebs, whose remains could still be seen on the corner of the glass globe around it. Vinnie knocked on the door and we both stood there waiting patiently. Almost immediately-- and I kid you not-- a gryphon, and honest to god gryphon emerged from the door and closed it gently.
"Are you guys part of a rescue patrol?" A chick. Definitely a chick. "No, ma'am. Just a couple of concerned horse people and a lizard who have emerged in a deserted world with few people around. We have no idea what happened, but everybody has disappeared. There are three others, possibly four now."
"Samantha?"
"Who?"
"Samantha. The dog faced woman at the other end of the building. She came by earlier looking for other residents of this complex. There is no one else."
When we came downstairs, a humanoid woman was standing there with a long dress on, floor length. As Pickering suggested, her face looked like that of a dog's. Like us, she was also still just as capable of human speech.
"Hello, Pick. You finally came out of that prison cell, did you?"
"I had no idea anyone would show up. I had hoped this was all a nightmare and I'll wake up. We all will, and this is a combined dream we are all having."
"Have you ever been able to think that way in a dream before?"
"Not that I can remember. I had always been awake, very awake when I had thought things like that. There's a first time for it all, right?"
"I sincerely hope not. I hope to god not."
Vinnie:"This here's Alex Torrez, and 'e promised to take us to residence, stick together till we find others in great enough numbers. Do you want to come along?"
Sam looked at Pickering for a second then responded:"Certainly. I don't want to be here alone, no sir. Having just one other in this building would be more than enough. I can't stay here alone."
Angela then whispered, "Excellent."
Will took a glance at her, then started out. Just as I stepped outside, Samantha paused. "Wait a minute. Ain't you got a car?"
I shook my head and told her only Mum has one, and she went with the rest, no doubt in the vehicle when it all went away. After that, she shrugged and began walking in a direction she (Correctly) presumed we'd be going. Anthony, Will and I took the lead while Angie began talking Pickering, Vinnie, and Samantha's ears off.
I fell quickly asleep that night.
This morning on the twenty sixth, I oddly don't feel so morose.
It's a new day, and nothing's changed again. No matter. As I got back to recording these events after everyp-- everybody disappeared without a trace, and us few reappeared, I thought about how much we use power. How long would the electricity last? The water, the gas mains, but worst of all, the cable? Once that goes out... I don't want to think about it. Not at all.
Looking back at that paragraph, I realize I nearly wrote something else rather than what I did. Where did that "P" come from in the stead of "B"? Odd. Very queer indeed.
I must find others. And, if it's not too much trouble, find if the cable company and telephone people are still here. This stuff will die off if they haven't returned soon. But I won't think about that now.
As for plumbing... I think we can agree it'll be an active effort to dispose of waste now with me stuff rearranged. I woke up this morning and had to go badly. I had to bite the button off to get my thing out of there. I was next to the hedge when I made a mess of myself. Great.
Having woken up early around six as it pleases me, I found one other tends to be an early bird, too. Samantha was watching me as I descended the stairs and went out to the patio. I don't want to hog the facilities with this many guests here. It would not seem to matter in the morning when everyp-- everybody else was in bed, but I wanted to get in the habit of leaving them open for them. When I came in with soaked legs, she grabbed me by the shoulders and held me in place. My neck was long and flexible as a swan's, so my eyes met hers on the same level. She made a suggestion. When she came back, she had two things in her hands: A plastic funnel and a fishing line. A funnel that I have had since I was a kid.
When I was eight, we went on a road trip, and I had to pee one time. We were out in the middle of the desert and it was round dusk, and thus not stopping for anything. Dado handed me this very funnel and a plastic water bottle to hold beneath my thing and do my business. The former was to not spill and be sure it all got in, which I couldn't very well do with just the bottle alone. She helped me by clipping two holes around the rim of it and lacing the line through it. She then helped me strap it on, which I did with pleasure. I went outside and removed residuals into the hedge separating out properties. And did not make a further mess of meself.
I made us all agree to meet back here at the house before dusk, and spread out to cover as much ground as we can. We wanted to find anybody we could who came back or didn't vanish. We did. Who? Curiously enough, two guys who were both found in a parked car at the side of the road. I wasn't there, but Anthony and Will were. They went off together and found a lone car by the highway parked at the side of the road. Most of the parked vehicles were in the driveways and garages. When they approached it, Anthony said that there was someone in it for a fact. They both looked through the windshield and saw two guys in it. Monica and Sherman Hadley they introduced themselves as. When we asked them what happened in the past two days, they claimed only the earlier part of today was anything strange. They must still have been in limbo one day one. Monica, a strange name for a man, claims to have been a police officer before this happened and was on a three day trip from SF to LA when their car suddenly exploded in size going 65 MPH leaving him with no time to hit the brakes, but his brother Sherman slipped out of the belt and hit it for him. Monica had to tell Sherman how hard and when to hit the pedal while he steered the column due to the vehicle's increased size. Eventually, they found the perfect place to get off and rest by the curb. It was Anthony who found them first, as he, like me, can sense this mysterious raw energy that's all around us, in the atmosphere, in the ground, in the objects, but especially in us. It's hard to explain, but it's like an extra sense. All things have it, but animals and plants hoard it in concentrated doses. And it's not UV, as I can sense that too, and he confirmed he feels it, too. It led him to the car, and he knew someone was in there. Monica is the more outspoken one, Sherman's the quiet one. He doesn't seem to say much. Perhaps he only speaks when necessary. Oh well. Somehow, his brother being named Monica has me scratching my head. Guys aren't usually named Monica. But I won't ask about it.
Not only is the policeman outspoken, he has a radio with which we may improve the chances of our search. Wow. Our odds of finding what few people there are have been quadrupled. Now there are nine of us. We need what we can get. I never used to like it, but now I'm glad I live in the widest metropolitan area in America. I always hated the pollution, but now with people gone, there's bound to be less of it, since there's only one functional car to our knowledge.
If you are reading this in the future, I hope you are laughing at this in hindsight, rather than pitying us. And I hope this isn't permanent. This may be the marking of a new calendar, like the BC/AD shift.
Yours truly, Alex Chance Torrez.