John's watch vibrated furiously, abruptly waking him from his slumber. He stretched his back, feeling the satisfying pop as he sat up and sighed. "I need a real bed," he whispered to himself, rubbing the soreness away. He tore open a muesli bar and began his morning routine, utilizing wet wipes for a 'dry shower,' and finally brushed his teeth, the bad taste lingering from neglect over the past two weeks. He donned a branded fishing shirt and shorts before slipping his bag on.
"I look like an utter moron, but not like there's anyone to judge," he chuckled, half-serious, half-joking, before stepping outside into the orange-lit streets, the sun slowly rising on the desolate town. Consultations with his notebook pointed him in the direction of a possible residential area where he might find a mattress, but he hesitated, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease about heading there just yet.
With a shiver, he decided to avoid kindergartens or schools—those places held the potential for a haunting sight he didn't want to confront. "Focus, focus, no time to think about that stuff," he admonished himself, pushing the unsettling thoughts aside. He started walking aimlessly down the street, peering into shop fronts, making sure nothing had changed since yesterday. While dodging a few bodies strewn across the pathway, he passed by the fuel station and continued, staying ever-alert for any signs of danger.
As he reached the outskirts of town, the woodlands grew denser, and he spotted no interesting stores or buildings. John decided to take a moment and sat down on the curb, retrieving a small water bottle from his bag. He drank while taking in his surroundings—the lack of cars and people made the serene sight even more apparent. The breeze rustled through the fields of grass and mixed woodland, and he even heard the distant calls of birds. Under different circumstances, John would have loved living here, exploring forest trails and encountering exotic wildlife up close. He reminisced about how he always wanted to see a deer up close, something almost impossible in his previous life back in Columbus, where he was too occupied with high school and then a full-time job.
It had been a rather abrupt end to his future, an extreme diversion for him and the rest of the town's occupants, one that is still surreal to think about. It is like at any moment a car could come from another town, or a plane fly overhead if he ignored the carnage behind him; he would simply believe it to be another day, just quiet.
Sighing and slowly clearing his head with the sight before him, one thing it did was make him appreciate how the silence could be soothing alongside this countryside. He bet many saught this level of silence their entire life, through vacations and holidays, that sadly all would have to come to an end and return to the working life.
"Sometimes you just need the world around you to stop for a moment, to take in everything and see the world for its beauty." He smiled and shook his head. "Maybe I just needed to open my eyes and stop myself." Though John knew this 'vacation' would be permanent for him, the world really did stop around him.
However, a sudden crack of a stick sent shivers up John's spine. "Fuck, do not talk, John, not outside," he whispered to himself, his heart racing as the realization of his exposure hit him. He imagined one of those monsters breaking through the treeline, on a collision course with him.
With panic overtaking him, John hastily stood up and began walking back to town briskly, trying to suppress the overwhelming fear. The sound of snapping sticks and crunching leaves seemed to echo all around him, and he fought the urge to break into a sprint, knowing it could mean certain death.
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling shriek pierced the air behind him—a harrowing and alien sound. Something was very close, just behind the treeline, maybe only a few hundred meters away. Not far enough.
John knew he wouldn't make it home in time; he was exposed and needed to hide immediately. Frantically, he scanned the area for a building that could offer safety. The fear of a doorbell's chime was too great a risk to take. Stepping over bodies and rounding a corner, he approached the petrol station. As he stepped on some glass from a nearby car's window, pain radiated through his right foot, but he limped behind the building, entering through the backdoor and closing it quietly.
He found refuge in the refrigerator room, propping the door open with his good foot, holding his breath to remain silent. His heart pounded in his chest, and he strained his ears to listen for any sign of danger outside. The distant thuds drew nearer—the creatures were getting closer to the fuel station.
No this can't be it, no, fucking no. John wanted to cry out in fear, but he tried his best to calm his breathing, the sounds of the creature walking outside getting close before stopping just outside the front.
The glass thudded, something was testing the barrier, it thudded again before a violent crash was heard, the glass shattering completely. John covered his mouth and tried taking as slow breaths as he could, trying not to make even the slightest motion. A series of clicks accompanied by rough breathing of the creature indicated it had exerted itself, but also that it was searching. Quiet steps could be heard as the creature walked around, weaving between isles in search of John.
John peered behind him, trying to see through the fridge's contents to the shop front, his breath caught as he saw the creature. It was nightmarish, face split open with multiple segments, horribly separated, and moving around with intent, trying to catch any sound John would make.
Its body was slender, having distended front legs, and shorter bag legs, taking on a spider-like canter. It walked through the shop several times, before turning and facing the door leading to the backroom, which John failed to realise earlier that it was open slightly. The creature walked towards the door, extending an arm just out of his vision, but he heard the door bump against the wall it being fully swung open.
John tried his best not to tremble, as that would rattle around the door he had barely propped open, there was barely a sliver of light coming through, but the creature's shadow pass it. It stood there for a few moments, looking around and letting out a series of clicks as it tried to find John.
What felt like hours had passed, and and the creature had simply stood still Oh bloody hell it is waiting for me to break and give up my position. John felt his body cramping as he sat there, taking in as slow as breaths as he could manage, while the creature simply stood there unmoving.
Finally, the creature turned and made its exit, walking away cautiously still hoping to find the source of the disturbance. John kept perfectly still, even after he heard the creature take to a run and its footsteps slowly disappeared. He sighed and stretched out his muscles, a sharp pain went through his right foot, he brought his foot up and cringed as he saw a shiny sliver of glass going right into the arch of his sock which was soaked in blood, but luckily seemed to have stopped. He bit his lip as he slide the shard out, which had only gone half a centimetre in.
He tossed the bit of glass away and decided to wait thirty minutes in hopes of the creature being far enough away at that point, for John to head home.
John's watch vibrated, signifying his alarm was up and that it should be safe to leave. He slowly got up, clenching his muscles to get the blood flowing again as well as stretching. He slowly pushed the door open and crept out into the backroom, before gently opening the backdoor and making his way outside. It was only 10:00 but he decided he was spent, he needed a rest and to tend to his injury so it wouldn't get infected.
He slowly made his way back only limping slightly, while he swivelled his head around, trying his best to spot or hear if the creature was still present. John knew he would have to be on high alert for the next few days, so he guessed giving a break from scouting runs would be the safest bet. The floor it is he bit his lip bitterly, his back would be quite sore for the next couple of days but it was that, or risk another encounter.
John eventually made it back to his home, quietly slipped inside and made his way to his bedroom before resting on his makeshift bed. He leant over to the neat arrangement of supplies, picked up the first aid kit and set to work cleaning his wound. Luckily the kit came with alcohol wipes, and he just slipped on a pad and taped it. He knew if he didn't properly take care of this new wound it could become infected which is very undesirable given the now-understood danger of exploring around, getting supplies further out of the centre of town poses a risk. If he made a noise and one of those creatures happened to be in earshot, he would be finished, he was quite afraid of today repeating since he only narrowly escaped.
John sighed and decided he would rethink his plans of scouting tomorrow, currently he just needed to rest. He rested flat on top of the makeshift bed and did his best to sleep, which luckily for him it came soon.
After 30 or so minutes of meticulous roaming and scanning the buildings, the creature finally settled on a house at the beginning of the residential area. The front door was wide open, beckoning the creature inside. With a deft yet eerie grace, it slipped through the threshold, entering a small, two-story family home. Inside, the furniture lay askew, evidence of a great struggle that had occurred here. However, the creature paid little attention to these details, its focus solely on finding any unwanted guests.
Distorting its face plates until they fully extended, revealing its dangerous row of teeth forming its inherent wicked grin, the creature honed its senses to perfection, capturing even the slightest breath or motion. It moved through the house methodically, pushing open doors and searching rooms with uncanny precision. However, its hunt yielded no results, and it soon stood tall, relaxing its contorted faceplates, and dropping its attack-ready stance.
Deciding that this house would serve as a suitable hideout, the creature's spider-like legs carried it to the master bedroom. The room was spacious enough for the creature to comfortably stretch out, and a window facing the town allowed for greater detection of any potential prey, especially the elusive human that had managed to elude it so far. A sinister plan began to form in the creature's segmented mind.
The creature positioned itself in the corner of the master bedroom, its head resting by the window. Ever vigilant, it waited patiently, knowing that its cunning strategy might eventually pay off.
Outside the window, the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting eerie shadows across the desolate town. The creature remained still, its ears attuned to the faintest sounds that might betray the presence of its prey, sitting stock still in the corner in a trance-like state.