A Therapeutic Chain of Events


I awoke on the street, amidst the emptiness of a ruined city, with a ringing in my head and a sharp, intense pain running up my spine.

"Where is everyone?" I wondered. However, that concern was canceled out with a more alarming situation; I didn't remember anything.

Then, once again, came that sharp pain I mentioned. It lasted a few minutes then disappeared. Weird, sure, but I forgot about it once I glanced up toward the smoky grey sky and an instant feeling of dread came across me, as if I knew something was coming here, something was coming for me. I slowly rose from the middle of the asphalt street, now noticing I was in an urban neighborhood that appeared hurriedly evacuated, even though a piece of paper riding a wind current was the only sign of life, besides myself.

I heard incoming footsteps and I darted for the building on my right.

I messed with the front doorknob a few times and then split for the backyard. I stared up at the towering, barb-wired, locked gate, muttering under my breath "Really? Great, the one gate that can save my life and it's locked.." I glanced over my shoulder at the oncoming group, who's footsteps seemed to be pressing against the ground with an unearthly amount of force, though the shadows remained human-sized.

"Crap.. I'm dead." I muttered before noticing the fire escape to the left of me, "You're kidding me.. That was there the entire time I was freaking out?!" I sighed and continued my somewhat forced adventure upwards, and right on time, because when I was about halfway up the fire escape, a few of those alien-like... things had just decided to come investigate the alleyway I was formerly trapped in.

Quickly, I scrambled onto the roof before one of them saw me and looked around to see if I could remember where I was.

I figured that they, whoever they were, already cleared the houses before I came, I shrugged to myself and thought "Well, any other choices?" I glanced around at the houses, and all were either broken into or in terrible condition, "Well, it's settled then",and with that I climbed down the other side of the building and checked if the door was locked, and it wasn't. Lucky me, but something didn't seem right. "This is too easy.." I shook my head with a feeling of dread, and I locked and shut the door behind me, now concluding I really had no other choice since I heard the heavy footsteps of the aliens marching through the street.

Walking in, it was surprisingly neat. A few pictures on the coffee table in the living room, a black leather couch, the walls were a pleasant isabelline brown, and an unlit, very classy fireplace with a television over it was placed in front of the couch, about 5-7 feet away. I contemplated between looking through the dirty window in the hopes of getting a better image of them or exploring deeper inside the house and probably scavenging for food. I chose exploring and scavenging, since I don't know what those things are and I don't plan on finding out too soon.

I walked towards where I assumed the kitchen would be and started looking through the refrigerator, yet finding nothing but expired fruit, some bad milk, rotten eggs, et cetera.

"Might as well see what the bedroom situation is." I thought as I started walking upstairs to find a comfortable-sized master bedroom and a small bathroom, both in decent condition.

I then went down to the damp and dark basement to search for some supplies. What I found, though, in a damp corner and in horrible condition, was a tape recorder. I examined it for a bit, and then I noticed that it had a message still in it. I found the play button and a British, noticeably terrified, female voice said: "There's not much time. I can hear them coming towards the house. I'm leaving this message in case you survive this neighborhood. If you're listening, come and find me soon. Oh, and by the way, there's a stock of canned... stuff somewhere in the house, in case you're hungry, but I forgot where. It's that weird military canned food and water, I have no idea why that stuff is in my basement but I- Wait, now I remember! It's in my basement. That was embarrassing. Anyway, just get to Building 1-OB on 1128 Whitley Avenue and ask for Cosima Edwards. If I'm not available, and I probably won't be, don't even think about leaving that building if you want to live. They'll be asking you questions, so don't you dare tell them anything. Just say your name and say you're there to see me. Oh, ace, they're coming. Good luck, Deidre." And the message ends there, lasting roughly a minute.

"This is getting ridiculous.." I muttered as I put the recorder in my pocket and started searching for the canned food "Cosima Edwards" mentioned. "It's things like this that annoy me. I mean, vague messages like that? Is that supposed to help?" I thought.

After a while of searching and some unsanitary situations, I found a couple of cans in the darker part of the basement. Using my shirt as a basket, I began to carry the cans back upstairs. Then I heard a voice, a familiar one. Not that British lady, but an American female voice, sounding a bit annoyed. I made it to the entrance of the basement and I decided to leave the cans there so I can investigate the voice without dead weight.

I went upstairs once again and what I saw there was.. Chilling, at best.

TBC