The clarion call sounded within the city. Echoing from building to building, the glass windows of the towers reflecting the sound alongside the light of the sun.
It was a low howl that rumbled, shaking one's body with its vibration. An unyielding vibration that deepened in pitch and volume as it cycled ever upwards before reverting to the higher pitch, fading volume. It was soon followed by an identical noise but not in sync, before another two followed suit until they were an incessant sound that echoed across the city.
The ones who had created the sirens had wrought better than they had known, the sound harkened to the lizard part of the human brain. It screamed of danger, to run... to hide.
But it did more than that, it called to those with power. Warning them of danger, that it was time to band together... to fight as one, for that which came cared not if one wore a white hat or a black hat, only that the cape lived in the city.
And yet, for all the siren sounded... there was no movement in the city. Water dropped from taps, the wind blew paper and other scraps about, but...
No humans ran in the streets.
No humans sought sanctuary in the vaults designed for those who could not fight, only hide.
No birds flew in the air.
No dogs barked for their missing masters.
Certainly, one would expect fishes to be swimming in their fish tanks, but they too were no longer present.
There was nothing alive left to heed the call of the sirens. There hadn't been for the past few days since the button for the siren had been pressed.
And yet, the sirens called incessantly on. The cry of shepherd dogs to an absent shepherd, and a missing flock of sheep.
They would fall silent in time when their batteries died.
- - -
.subsume
Worm
- - -
He sat on the porch of the farmhouse outside the city and watched the sun slowly set in the west. The light bulb above him shifted in the slow breeze.
It was a nice sunset, the skies above burning a golden crimson mixed with traces of lavender.
Ever since that morning, when he had walked out of his apartment... surrounded by far too many people, too many animals, too many things that made far too much incessant noise... he had learned to take things slow.
He had learned to relax.
To filter out the sounds of humanity.
The smells of humanity.
Humanity, itself.
And all that came with it.
Now, he had all the time in the world. After all, in his world... silence was priceless and he could tell the voices in his head to be silent and they would listen.