Reporting from Salem's Lot
By R.J. Strong
Nancy Sky stood at the edge of the now desolate town. Some of the buildings had been burned, while some still stood, halfway, but enough to let the lone reporter know that at one time a town had stood there. She just stood at the edge of Main Street, the toes of her red pumps teasing the city line. She knew she had to enter. There was no other way to get the story, but the thought of wandering through some cursed town caused her spine to tingle with fear.
"I can do this, I can do this..." And with one big step, she entered Salem's Lot. Automatically the air chilled, and the smell of rot and death filled her nostrils. It was as if she was walking through an enclosed tomb, and not some ghost town.
Ahead of her, she could see the remains of a gas station, and what possibly, was at one time a diner. It was closed of course, and to be honest, it looked as if it was ready to collapse, but it was a start. So, clutching on to her recorder, and saying a silent prayer, Nancy made her way inside.
The door was stubborn at first, but after a few good shoves, and a blue streak of profanity it opened, releasing the smell of spoiled meat in to the already putrid town air. The smell was followed by a cloud of dust, and the faint scattering of something running away quickly. It was probably a rat.
Inside the place looked as if everyone had just vanished. There were burgers still on the now cold grill, and glasses of foam green milk shakes sat on the counter. It was as if someone had hit a sudden fast forward button, and everyone just turned to dust mid meal. Nancy was half expecting to find some clothes, or maybe even a skeleton. But there was nothing.
She turned on her recorder, taking a second to make sure the battery was full. In a few seconds she was good to go. "This is Nancy Sky reporting. Today is July 16th, 1984. I have just entered an unnamed diner. It seems to be the only one in town. The reports seem to be true. It seems as if the town's people had vanished almost over night. There is left over food, and unread newspapers scattered on the counter. It looks like one of the burgers is even ready to be flipped. Okay, I'm going to move towards the kitchen now and... hey..."
She stopped dead in her tracks. She could have sworn she saw something move by walk in refrigerator. It seemed as if the door had moved, or swung open some how. But for all she knew it could have been her reflection.
She continued. "I believe there is almost no life her, except for the occasional rat. Although due to the sudden sense of seclusion, I am becoming increasingly paranoid, so just bare with me. I may be a little jumpy."
She crept towards the freezer, making sure not to stir any rats, or other vermin lurking around her feet. The last thing she needed was to go get a rabies shot after being bit by some rabid rat. So, with fear for her suddenly all too bare ankles, she made her way to the fridge, slowly wrapping her fingers around the cold metal handle.
"I am now opening the walk in."
The door creaked open. Inside was utter blackness, but it was broken in a sudden burst of light from the small flashlight she had pulled out of her right pocket. What the light caught, she wasn't ready for.
There, wrapped up in the back of the freezer was a child, a rather small child. He was huddled in the corner, and shook as if he was crying. Nancy could even hear the small whimpers coming from his side of the room.
"I can't believe it," she whispered in to the recorder, "I've found someone."
She kept her finger on her recorder as she stepped towards the child. As she got closer she could see that it was a young boy, maybe around the age of twelve. He was blond, and pale, probably from the extreme cold of the freezer.
"Are you alright?"
The boy didn't answer. She stepped closer, and then she noticed something. She couldn't see her breath. The freezer wasn't on, but the boy's skin was pale white, as if he had been sitting in the freezing cold for hours. He looked like death.
"What in the..."
Those weren't tears, those were laughs. She could hear the small giggles now that she was right next to the boy.
He suddenly looked up at her, his fangs parting out of his mouth, his eyes a strange, milky white.
"Boo!" His voice was high pitched, like the sound of the sudden screech of a tire.
She turned to run, to leave the boy behind, but the door was closed, another small child standing in front of it, blocking her exit. This child was a girl, but shared all the same traits as the young boy in the corner.
As her light scanned the room she saw more of them, at least six, maybe ten, children, circling her, smiling with those fangs.
"Please, just..."
Then they rushed her, the small hands pulling her to the floor, ripping at her, biting at her, draining her.
Finally her tape ran out.
By R.J. Strong
Nancy Sky stood at the edge of the now desolate town. Some of the buildings had been burned, while some still stood, halfway, but enough to let the lone reporter know that at one time a town had stood there. She just stood at the edge of Main Street, the toes of her red pumps teasing the city line. She knew she had to enter. There was no other way to get the story, but the thought of wandering through some cursed town caused her spine to tingle with fear.
"I can do this, I can do this..." And with one big step, she entered Salem's Lot. Automatically the air chilled, and the smell of rot and death filled her nostrils. It was as if she was walking through an enclosed tomb, and not some ghost town.
Ahead of her, she could see the remains of a gas station, and what possibly, was at one time a diner. It was closed of course, and to be honest, it looked as if it was ready to collapse, but it was a start. So, clutching on to her recorder, and saying a silent prayer, Nancy made her way inside.
The door was stubborn at first, but after a few good shoves, and a blue streak of profanity it opened, releasing the smell of spoiled meat in to the already putrid town air. The smell was followed by a cloud of dust, and the faint scattering of something running away quickly. It was probably a rat.
Inside the place looked as if everyone had just vanished. There were burgers still on the now cold grill, and glasses of foam green milk shakes sat on the counter. It was as if someone had hit a sudden fast forward button, and everyone just turned to dust mid meal. Nancy was half expecting to find some clothes, or maybe even a skeleton. But there was nothing.
She turned on her recorder, taking a second to make sure the battery was full. In a few seconds she was good to go. "This is Nancy Sky reporting. Today is July 16th, 1984. I have just entered an unnamed diner. It seems to be the only one in town. The reports seem to be true. It seems as if the town's people had vanished almost over night. There is left over food, and unread newspapers scattered on the counter. It looks like one of the burgers is even ready to be flipped. Okay, I'm going to move towards the kitchen now and... hey..."
She stopped dead in her tracks. She could have sworn she saw something move by walk in refrigerator. It seemed as if the door had moved, or swung open some how. But for all she knew it could have been her reflection.
She continued. "I believe there is almost no life her, except for the occasional rat. Although due to the sudden sense of seclusion, I am becoming increasingly paranoid, so just bare with me. I may be a little jumpy."
She crept towards the freezer, making sure not to stir any rats, or other vermin lurking around her feet. The last thing she needed was to go get a rabies shot after being bit by some rabid rat. So, with fear for her suddenly all too bare ankles, she made her way to the fridge, slowly wrapping her fingers around the cold metal handle.
"I am now opening the walk in."
The door creaked open. Inside was utter blackness, but it was broken in a sudden burst of light from the small flashlight she had pulled out of her right pocket. What the light caught, she wasn't ready for.
There, wrapped up in the back of the freezer was a child, a rather small child. He was huddled in the corner, and shook as if he was crying. Nancy could even hear the small whimpers coming from his side of the room.
"I can't believe it," she whispered in to the recorder, "I've found someone."
She kept her finger on her recorder as she stepped towards the child. As she got closer she could see that it was a young boy, maybe around the age of twelve. He was blond, and pale, probably from the extreme cold of the freezer.
"Are you alright?"
The boy didn't answer. She stepped closer, and then she noticed something. She couldn't see her breath. The freezer wasn't on, but the boy's skin was pale white, as if he had been sitting in the freezing cold for hours. He looked like death.
"What in the..."
Those weren't tears, those were laughs. She could hear the small giggles now that she was right next to the boy.
He suddenly looked up at her, his fangs parting out of his mouth, his eyes a strange, milky white.
"Boo!" His voice was high pitched, like the sound of the sudden screech of a tire.
She turned to run, to leave the boy behind, but the door was closed, another small child standing in front of it, blocking her exit. This child was a girl, but shared all the same traits as the young boy in the corner.
As her light scanned the room she saw more of them, at least six, maybe ten, children, circling her, smiling with those fangs.
"Please, just..."
Then they rushed her, the small hands pulling her to the floor, ripping at her, biting at her, draining her.
Finally her tape ran out.