"You are listening to WKKP Metropolis—The Sound."
Lana reached over and twisted the volume knob, blasting a pop song that rattled her car windows. She hummed and tapped her hands on the steering wheel to the beat as her car coasted through a quiet, downtown intersection en route to Metropolis International Airport. She saw flashing lights and a police cruiser blocking the road ahead of her and slowed to a stop.
An officer emerged from the vehicle and strolled over to her car, motioning for her to roll down the window.
"Yes officer?" Lana said, turning down the blasting song.
"Sorry ma'am but you're gonna have to turn around—this street is being cordoned off due to some warehouse fires in the near vicinity. You'll have to turn back and go around."
"Crap!" Lana thought as she looked at the time; she realized she was running late and if she had to make a detour now if would put her even further behind schedule and she could miss her flight.
"But officer," She replied in a sugary sweet voice. "I'm on my way to the airport which is only a little while down the street—but if I turn back now and go all the way around it's a huge detour and I could miss my flight."
"I'm sorry ma'am but no. It's for your own protection—" The officer cut off to the sounds of muffled screams breaking through over his radio.
"Repeat—all officers that hear this report to—" The reception broke momentarily before the voice continued on. "—immediately. This is an emergency—"
The cop looked distracted and waved Lana on. "Now just turn around and you'll be fine. I can't be responsible for your tardiness." The cop turned around and went back to his police car, talking fervently into his radio.
Lana could hear his words echo out through the deserted street as she closed her window.
"I got the message, but where? Wait—are you serious? Yeah I'll be right there."
The officer climbed into his car and switched on his lights; the siren blasted as he reversed and sped down the street, disappearing into an alleyway. Lana took a quick look around; no other cops were present so she pressed her foot on the gas and gently swerved around the two yellow barricades in the street and continued on her way.
She caught a glimpse of the purple bruise underneath her left eye in her rear view mirror and grumbled. "No damn warehouse fires are going to make me miss my flight—my chance to get the hell out of this place."
Lane smiled triumphantly but was now starting to worry. She reached across to the passenger side seat for her purse; cradling her cell phone with her shoulder she pulled her ticket from her wallet and dialed.
"Hi, yes—I was just checking to see if the United Flight 181, Metropolis to Paris, is scheduled to be on time? I'm running a bit behind."
"Alright, hold please."
Lana reached over to crank the radio up once again, bopping her head along to the song on the radio until it ended and a man's voice cut out over the airwaves.
"This is DJ Mel and you're listening to Monday Night Madness—all of the top pop tunes of the 80s, 90s and today. I hope everyone out there ia relaxing after taking that dreaded jump back into the work week. And let me tell you some of my listeners really need to relax. I just got a call into the station about a minute ago—a lady called and said she saw a woman being sucked up into the sky. I kid you not. Alien abductions again? Or someone hitting the bottle a might too hard after a long, tough Monday? Gimme a call and let me know what you think. Now a few commercials and then back to–The Sound."
Lana laughed, and spoke to herself bitterly. "Ah I would bet a million dollars on the alien abduction one." Suddenly the light musak playing in her ear stopped and she heard the woman's voice again.
"Yes everything is running on time—no delays. But the boarding gate has been changed to Gate 97B."
"Oh, ok, could you repeat that again please?" Lana asked, grabbing a pen and scribbling it down as the lady spoke. "Thanks, I really appreciate—" Lana glanced back up and saw she was headed straight for a man who was in the middle of the road, frozen in her headlights.
"Oh my God!" She screamed, dropping her phone and slamming on the breaks.
The car skidded to a stop and she was jolted forward, her seatbelt snapping her back into her seat. She could smell burnt rubber and looked out her windshield to see the front bumper was inches away from the man, who was motionless and staring at her as if in a daze.
She unhooked her seatbelt, jumping out of her car to run over to the man. "Are you alright?" She exclaimed, looking him over. He was extremely tall and dressed in odd clothing, but there were no visible injuries and he seemed unhurt. "I'm so sorry, I looked down for a second and then you were just there—"
Lana stopped as she realized the man was unresponsive and staring at her in a most peculiar way. "Sir, can you hear me? Are you ok?"
The man's eyelids flew open wide and his legs began to quiver, his arm shot out towards her, his giant, meaty hand seizing her arm tightly.
Lana immediately felt the circulation cut off and she screamed. "Let go of me! Your're hurting me—stop!" She struggled to get free, kicking him with her foot but it made no impact.
The man continued to ignore her pleas and his whole body was soon overcome with violent spasms, his grip on her growing tighter, sending her body shaking alongside his.
She could feel herself growing dizzy and weak, and for a moment it felt as if she was weightless.
"Please let go." She sobbed. She swung her leg back in one last desperate attempt to fight for her freedom, but she felt nothing but air underneath her and looked downwards. Lana saw she was at least five feet off the ground and she let out a throaty scream.
"What are you? Let me go!"
And then, before she knew what was happening she felt a strong force propelling both of them upwards at a great speed. Her vision grew blurry as they climbed higher; the air grew thinner and thinner and she gasped for air, her eyes closing to nothingness.