Sudden Sounds
Lamp posts lay
broken on the floor of the dark city: the sun and sky were buried under a thick
layer of smoke. In the little remaining light, specks of shattered glass
twinkled like stars. All around the ground lights were dying. Black figures
stormed the once bright city and like little ants, they consumed its energy.
“Jesus,”
in their flat the two brothers looked down in shock and awe: like any boys in
their situation, they were wonderfully excited, “Are those people? What are
they doing?”.
“Let’s
go down,” said the older one rather childishly, “Common! let's have a
quick look – get the keys”.
The
other, unwillingly, did as he was told: he was worried.
“Hurry up put on your coat,” demanded the older one quite leaping
with excitement, “or we’ll miss it”.
Within a flash, they
were out of the door; the little one barely managing to lock it before he was
dragged down the stairs. Tearing down a dozen steps: jumping and bounding; the
noise from below steadily increasing to a low rubble. Suddenly, all was pitch
black! At that, they went tumbling down and landed on the tiled floor
their bodies burning with pain.
“You
OK,”
“No,”
“Good,”
pleased that at least his little brother was conscious.
Feet
were heard coming up from below followed by a horrendous scream.
“O’
my god, someone’s getting drilled!” exclaimed the little one.
“Quiet
– they might hear us you idiot,” whispered the other, “You first, let’s go back
up”
He
didn’t need to be told twice so they went up, feeling for each step in the
pitch black. Once more they heard the footsteps; in sync with each other: thud!
Thud! Thud! Amplified by the silence that followed – there was
drilling and screaming once more: closer it seemed.
Each
time they heard this their hearts beat faster and faster and faster. The older
one fumbled by the doors.
“Are
we even on the right floor?” asked the little one.
Unnecessary
questions such as these were now awarded a quick slap. Feeling for the correct
number on the door, as the little one was too small to do so, he finally found
it. He then attempted to take the jingling keys from the little one’s pocket
when he gave a sudden jump at the feeling
of someone touching him in the darkness.
“What
did you do?” said the older one – the key had been knocked out of his hand by
the sudden movement, “How are we going to find the key now?”
“Like
you could put it in the hole if you did,”
“What
did you say?”
“Nothing,”
answered the little one giggling.
“Say
something like that again and I might accidentally push you down the
stairs,” with that the brother kicked the door as hard as he could – Bang! –
ringing like a gunshot in the silence – the drilling, that was one
floor down, had stopped – then marching!
“What
the F!” for the big brother never swore fully when his sibling, or any family
member for that matter, was around: but that door was hard and didn’t budge.
“Don’t
worry I found the key,” in a flash the little one unlocked the door they both
entered locked it once more.
Knock,
knock, knock – it took a moment to realise that all the doors on the floor were
being knocked simultaneously – they both tried to hold back a laugh thinking
that it would be appropriate, in this situation, to suggest to these mindless
creatures, whoever they were, that they (the children) were not here, by
telling them so.
The knocking grew louder and louder and louder till a hand burst through it!
“Argh!” they screamed, giving themselves
away – if they hadn’t done so already.
Suddenly
the phone began to ring: the monster withdrew his hand from the door; it made a
weird metallic screaming. Too frightened to move, the two crouched where they
were.
“Get
the phone, while I hold the door,” ordered the big brother – just then the
line was cut.
“It
was mum, she-” he was cut off.
“Not
now – they are coming back – mess around with the ringtone,”
once again they seemed stunned – but before the ringtone stopped,
they smashed through the door – the older boy, just barely rolling away
received a cut by a large splinter.
“I
think loud noises stun it – play the noise when I tell you,” the creatures
entered the room; it was too dark for the children to see: even as their eyes
adapted.
“Wait
– I still can’t see it,”
“Listen
to the floorboards,”
“Full
volume now!”
The
thudding noises of the feet stopped momentarily and the boy, listening, struck
out where he predicted the head would be. Crack! There was a piercing yell and
then shout:
“Run!”
and they did, the elder in front (bumping into the side of the door) followed
by the younger (who as slower and avoided it), the monsters too stunned by the
noise to catch them as they barged past – all of a sudden, from up the stairs,
there came a gunshot. And then a drilling – what? Were they bullet
resistant – no wonder! – the poor boy felt his broken fingers.
“That
was the policeman that lives upstairs I think; he is our mum’s friend, right?”
“Yeah,
and he is Nova and her sister’s dad,”
“Pass
me the phone then,” said the big brother, “Go be the hero I will be right
behind you”
The boy then went to the torch setting on the phone and turned it on, then
to Spotify and turned on I am the doctor, there was only 3% charge left: better
make the most of it.
Like
hungry men towards cake, they marched headlong up the stairs after
him: it was all quite terrifying because every so often he would trip on a step
that he had imagined was there, but the monsters were not at all fast for which
he was very thankful because, if not for that, this would be very unevenly
matched
When he got to the top, he placed the phone on the sill of the window below.
His hand felt weird (not the one that he punched with – although that it did –
but the one with which he held out his phone): he was not at all a fan of
heights and the six-story building may as well have been thirty to him, and his
palms were starting to feel slippery with sweat – the phone
almost slipped out of his grip. After gently placing it down he swung back and
crawled under a sheet of metal leaned onto the stairwell building: he was
normally afraid of spiders, but he couldn’t see them now and besides he
didn't want to be drilled.
Thud, thud, thud – came the figures. Crossing his fingers and wishing
to the unseen stars that these lot would be stupid enough to – Bash! – there
was a car alarm triggered – Bash! – poor car – three, four… - What? Was that
all? – carefully he emerged from his hiding spot and felt himself down the
stairs.
“Jay,”
he yelled.
“What?”
his little brother replied.
“You
could pretend to be pleased,”
“And
you could pretend to be less smelly,” he received a hug.
“Says
you – I took out four of them by the way,” the little one asked how such
a feat was accomplished and was very excited when he was told.
“I
got the girls-”
“Where?”
“Here,”
said one then in the silence was dim crying sound.
The
three explained their side of the story: when the monsters were led away the
two girls were called out of their hiding places by the little one [Jay]; they
then found their father on the floor. Jay had tried to check his heartbeat. But
when he got close enough, he observed that the police man’s eyes had been
hollowed out. Then to their immense surprise man then got up – you heard
correctly – and the three of them raced out and closed the door behind them.
“Did
you get the gun?” asked the big one.
“Course
– who do you think I am?”
“That
reminds me: we need code names,”
“Why,” said
one of the girls: the one that spoke before.
“Why
not? I Bags ‘M’,”
“I
don’t want one; just call me Nova,” said Nova.
“OK,
Jay you can be J,”
“Sure,”
“Nova
your sister can be F,”
“Whatever,”
said a weak voice.
“Right
– now what’s the plan?” said M.
“What
do you mean?” said J.
“How
long do you think that door is going to hold their dad – even an idiot can get
out through a door,” M explained, “I don’t know if there are any more of those
things in this building – I don’t know if that fall even killed them – and
the phone sacrificed itself for us,”
“What
the phone died?”
“Right
idiots I have a plan,” said Nova “We should look for more survivors”
“I
don’t know: it’s not like we can do much for them,” said J.
“What
about we get out of here before others like my dad start waking up?” said F in
a mocking tone – now that was a horrible thought!
* * *