There was a voice on the other end. A strong male voice. She tried to concentrate on the language being spoken, but it was no use. She couldn’t make it out. Not one word was familiar, which surprised her. With the AC not running, the room was almost immediately engulfed in heat. The sudden chill vanished, and sweat began to drip from more than just Clarity’s temples. Her hands shook.
“Hello?” she whispered.
The words stopped. Quiet in the room made the pounding of her heart that much clearer.
“Hello, female.”
“Who is this?”
“You will find out soon enough.”
Clarity dropped the headset, the purse slipped to the crook of her elbow. She backed up a step when she heard the voice again. “…we are coming for you.”
Clarity was about to race to her room to lock herself in. Loud undeniable havoc reigned outside her front door, stopping her. With one hand, she grabbed her curtains and yanked them apart. Sunlight crashed in, blinding her momentarily. Blinking, her vision clearing, Clarity watched horrified as the pavement along the townhouses split. A fine line ran an ominous race to a destination, then stopped as quickly at a huge tree base. Silence. Clarity’s breath expelled in a whoosh as her breathing grew rapid. Her home rumbled when the ground gave way, the tree exploded, and fifteen homes dropped into a chasm vanishing from sight with a boom. The line on the pavement began again, heading toward her home. Clarity dropped her curtains and ran.
****
“Holy fuck it’s hotter than hell’s whores out here.”
“Will you please watch your language when the kids are around?” The woman lifted her shades slightly to give him a scowl.
The man sent his wife a scathing glance in return. Three children were screaming and splashing in the deep end of the half-sunk, oval, semi-above ground pool, while their parents sat under an umbrella on a large deck in Zero gravity chairs, slathered in sunscreen and wearing baseball caps.
“They can’t hear a damned thing we say,” he said. “They don’t even notice we exist.”
“You’d be surprised what they hear.”
“I’m their father. I’m under no delusions. They’re kids. I could have a heart attack, and they’d be oblivious.” He then grumbled, “Yet, a fucking ice cream truck drives by and all hell will break loose. Little monsters would shove their grimy hands in my pockets for a few bucks while I turn cold.”
His wife grinned and tilted her head in agreement. She lazily sucked back on the vodka cooler she was drinking then paused. Her brows narrowed.
“Jackson, when did you change the pool liner?”
The man’s beer bottle hesitated at his lips. “I didn’t.” He shifted slightly forward.
Both the man and woman rose slowly to their feet setting their drinks off to the side, to gaze at the bottom of the pool. Pitch black stared back. The children continued to laugh and play, oblivious.
“Jackson,” the woman said, her tone anxious.
“Easy,” he responded and he reached to grip her hand, noting she was two seconds from diving in. “The kids are fine. If it was a sinkhole they’d be gone.” Then to the children. “Come on guys, out of the pool, daddy’s gonna get you ice cream.”
“Dean can’t have ice cream. He pulled my hair. You said so.” A girl of twelve called back.
“Did not.” Her twin brother howled.
“Out. Now,” Jackson demanded as the inky blackness began a slow creeping up the sides of the pool, covering the light blue and tropical fish pattern in an ominous ebony inch by inch.
Grumbling, the children began swimming back toward their parents. When the oldest, a boy of fourteen, reached the side he put his feet down and floundered, then gasped in air.
“Dad, where’s the bottom?”
The twins stopped to look down. The young boy swam in a tight circle. The girl began screaming. “Daddy, something’s got me.”
Her father dove in, yanked his daughter into his arms, and grabbed her twin by the hand, or so he thought. When he pulled on the limp, large hand he gaped as he dragged a black man near his chest and released him. The body tumbled in a lazy fashion to reveal a face then turned again. The young girl, mouth agape, buried her face against her father. A few feet away a head and arms broke the surface, followed by another. One by one, corpses began appearing in the pool surrounding the man and three kids. Soon the entire pool filled with dead bodies until they spilled over the sides, thudding to the ground. The woman on deck covered her mouth as more bodies slipped onto the deck and she lost sight of her husband and children in the mass. Fists now clenched at her sides, one by one she screamed out their names, and screamed, and screamed, and screamed….
****
“There must be a hole in the kiddie pool.”
The man held the hose and glanced at his wife while she chased after their toddler. Not a fan of tub water, the child could always be coerced into the plastic backyard pool decorated with mermaids and sea horses. Her father was seriously considering painting their tub. The little girl was covered in sand from head to toe, her diaper sagging, and her father was losing his patience with the pool.
“Honey I just bought it. Thank heaven the store has a surplus for the summer. Which reminds me, maybe we should invest in a few or two dozen before the fall hits.” The woman grabbed the struggling child up into her arms. The toddler was soon hanging upside down laughing uproariously. His wife was grinning cheekily at him, but the impish pair did nothing to alleviate the tension.
“It seems to drain almost as fast as it goes in.” His frustration was growing. The pool held water, then didn’t, disappearing in an odd way. “Damn it, I want nothing more than to cuddle my daughter, my clean daughter, before her nap time.”
His wife giggled and pulled the toddler upright. Finally the man stepped into the kiddie pool. The water washed over his feet. He tossed his arms up in agitation. He spun in a tight circle checking for any signs of bubbling.
“I can’t make heads or tails of this.”
Baffled, he stood for a second more, wiggled his toes, and scratched his head. He sighed and took a step to vacate the pool. The ground beneath his feet gave way and down he went. The bottom of the pool closed over his head. His arms and legs thrashed creating a whirlwind of bubbles. Screaming from under water he beat at the solid purple plastic, smashing his splayed hands repeatedly. The material wouldn’t give. It wasn’t plastic at all. The substance was harder than metal.
“This isn’t the child,” a voice sounded.
“Get rid of him.”
Screaming, the man was washed away into a tube-like duct. His horror grew as his body was sucked down into an abyss. He was going to die, and something wanted his baby.
****
The vast foliage surrounding the vacationing couple was breathtaking. Greenery as far as the eye could see—ultimate, intimate, seclusion. The hot tub frothy and bubbly added to the sensual moment. The high sun peeked a few rays through the woody ceiling of forest, casting just the right ambiance of dim light. Champagne glasses tinkled as the couple touched, pressing chest against chest in a teasing fashion. The young woman giggled, and her new groom smiled at her. The woman giggled again.
“What’s so funny?” he finally asked, his gaze filling with a bemused expression.
“You know.”
“You’re happy. I can tell.”
“With your hand where it is why wouldn’t I be?”
The young man frowned in confusion. “I have one hand on my glass and the other is stretched out on the surface of the side of the tub. See?”
The young woman took note of both his hands in plain view; he wiggled his fingers in a wave and smiled at her.
“Then what…?”
She set her glass down then reached between her legs into the water. Both she and her husband began screaming and struggling to get out of the water when her search produced a deceased elderly woman.
The chaos was only beginning…
****
Warm summer wind swept across the park’s vast play area. Blue skies overhead set the stage for a ruling blazing sun. The toddlers laughed while they played in the large wading pool, knee deep or lower to most adults. High enough for a small hint of danger to the young adventurous ones. Parents conversed near the edges, keeping close watch over their precious little ones; many giving in to scoops of water drizzled over exposed body parts. Pails and shovels floated in a lazy fashion until scooped up for use. A small squabble over a pink ball ended in tears, and the promise of treats was soon in effect. A Ziploc bag of seedless purple grapes was produced, another of raisins and tiny carrots. Sunscreen was slathered while children remained stationary for all of two seconds. The young seemed oblivious to the heat. Hats pulled off by a small hand and a giggle, tugged back on by a larger one and a groan.
A bare-bummed two year old raced back into the water when her mother let her go for a mere second. The mother, exasperated, raced after her, grabbing her laughing daughter into her arms and then watched horrified as the water swirled and went black. The pair dropped like a stone. The youngsters in the wading pool, aged eight months to three years, began slipping under the water as the ominous inky darkness covered one end of the pool to the next in a sinister creeping fashion. One by one they floundered, coughing and choking.
Parents howling and yelling raced to dive into the blackness to save their children, while all around the black abyss began filling with zoo animals. A rhino thundered to the surface, its legs smashing into the back of a man who reached for his son and tossed him to safety last second as his back snapped. A giraffe slipped and skidded its spindly legs trying to free itself of the pandemonium. A tiger, soaked and snarling in fury lunged off the shoulders and heads of humans to the pavement leaving jagged bloody scratches in its wake.
The water was a rolling wave of mass confusion surrounded in death. The tumbling choppy waves grew to eight feet in height in the thirty-foot length rectangular wading pool. White caps crashed over heads. Other adults within the park area raced to aid the flailing children and parents as elephants appeared, gorillas broke free to the surface after dragging those in their way back under. Platypuses, polar bears, camels, all emerged until the grassed area became a refuge for the dazed and confused.
A sea of life and death muddled together as police and fire fighters arrived with first aid and paramedics. Among those to offer help were animal shelters. Wild life workers moved in as shots were fired, and fired.
****
The chopper hovered over the massive black circular hole over the ocean. The humming whoop-whoop of the blades was the only sound in the silence. The pilot and three vacationing passengers stared in stunned surprise.
“Oh my God.”
Humanoid and not so humanoid alien life forms began appearing on the surface. Blue and green faces bobbed and rolled. A single horn protruding from large-chested, bald beings. Smaller beings void of horns, thinner, curvy, long webby hair, twisted as the black mass filled. All looked dead. Aquatic animals never seen before came next. Grotesque blobs with hundreds of three toed legs, mouths open to reveal purple innards. Long-necked gooey substances rolled within the waves.
“What are they?”
“Not from this world,” the pilot said.
“Black holes?” another asked, speaking in awed undertones.
“Sinkholes maybe, linking our planet to theirs,” the pilot speculated.
“Get me out of here,” a woman demanded and began to hyperventilate, her hands waving in agitation.
The pilot took the chopper higher. The woman screamed as a massive soggy furred being shot from the hole upward. Twenty feet in height it lunged with jagged teeth hitting the underside of the craft. Talons scraped the metal. Squealing protests of fiery sparks flickered as the underside exploded with the contact, flashes dancing across the air. The chopper surged up; a man out of his seatbelt for better pictures flew from the chopper, last moment grabbing the landing gear. Another grabbed for him as the pilot sped off for safety and the monster plunged back into the mass below bellowing.
The black hole began to grow, so too did the number of alien creatures appearing. Not all were dead, and many were decidedly enraged.
****
Outside, everywhere Clarity gazed the ground crumbled. Long gaping splits in the asphalt ran dozens of feet separating streets. Across lawns, ornaments were sucked into oblivion. Gnomes, birdbaths, rock gardens, nothing was sacred or spared. People were running, screaming, others stood still, their feet frozen with horror. Women, children, men, parents with babes in strollers, ran when there was nowhere to run. Each direction blocked with sudden rising slabs of concrete and broken water mains. Downed hydro lines crackled against the surface, dancing sparks of death. Dogs barked, snapped, snarled, others whined. Bright, endless, innocuous blue skies overhead taunted existence. A horrific rumbling within the earth bubbled to the surface, as though starved for human sacrifices.
A small sinkhole opened and people began screaming as creatures the likes never seen before emerged, grabbed a human, and plunged back down into inky darkness. Clarity stood gasping as a humanoid creature, muscles bulging, grabbed a young woman, eyed Clarity, and jumped back into a sinkhole.
The sinkholes remained but Clarity knew from a look the portal or whatever opened was gone, the ebony now a mist of dark earth. A sick feeling in her guts built as she guesstimated the ages of humans disappearing in front of her eyes. The forecaster said people were returning, dead, after years of being lost. What were the ages? There was no mention of children returning, but the broadcast was cut short too fast. A boulder thundered into her chest with her thoughts. What purpose did these alien creatures have?
For whatever reason, people of all ages were disappearing in front of her. Some must have been inoculated as was she. Especially the children. Was her theory too farfetched? It couldn’t be considering the inoculations had begun again. Why? her mind screamed. Did any human now appear to be fair game? There was too much pandemonium for much speculation about inoculations when other pressing thoughts bombarded her. The ground shuddered as the water tower in the distance crashed to the ground. A giant wind turbine was next. Nothing was spared.
There were confirmation reports of sinkholes opening in basements. Though Clarity turned off the radio, she didn’t escape a few sordid details. There was gossip in her building at work. The government couldn’t hide everything from everyone. Sinkholes popped up wherever people resided. Now it was plain to see. Humans were being stolen. If they were returned dead, there was no hope for survival where they went.
Squealing tires caught her attention. A massive black object descended on her. Clarity dodged the rolling vehicle where it crashed over a tree trunk and screeched to a halt, teetering on the edge of oblivion. Children pounded on the darkened window of the backseat of the SUV. Calling out to her. Clarity could make out their expressions vaguely. She raced to help, but the blacktop rose up splitting the yellow line on the road and the car slipped downward. She knew it was useless, but Clarity grabbed the bumper yanking with her entire being. Little faces, tears trailing their way down pale cheeks pressed to the window.
The pain in her arms was too much, even in her desperation Clarity couldn’t lift a five-thousand plus piece of tin. The car toppled forward as she fell back on her ass, then she scrambled to peer over the edge. The children were still pounding on the window as they disappeared into an ominous ebony darkness. Clarity howled her rage, smashing her palm onto the pavement. She turned to scream at someone, anyone. Why didn’t someone else try to help her? She gazed left, then right. There was no one. The street was deserted.
Her teeth began clicking together as she remembered the words spoken across the airwaves. Someone was coming for her. She was alone. Clarity swallowed hard. The ground beneath her was too hot to remain where she was as the sun beat down mercilessly. Her exposed flesh was burning as the blackened pavement absorbed the sun’s rays.
On
shaky feet Clarity rose; her legs trembled as she settled her purse back onto her shoulder in an unconscious action. Slowly she turned. Eerie quiet assaulted her. There were no people, no animals, no aliens. Nothing. Her breath resounded in her ears, throat constricting. Heart pounding, she took in the devastation. Her once warm flesh was now saturated in sweat and goose bumps. A small gust of wind ruffled her hair then settled. Her jaw clenched to stop the clacking noise as she cocked her head to listen—for anything. Trees once covered in the lush foliage of summer were bare. Petals from flowers fluttered then slipped into holes. Everything but Clarity had been sucked beneath the surface. Only a few homes remained. The ground a slice of Swiss cheese, pock marked and riddled with destruction.
One foot in front of the other, Clarity drifted, glancing at smaller holes. Ice filled one, long jagged icicles dangled down, plummeting into nothing. Another caused her body to shake as steam wafted to her nose, the scent of fire and brimstone threatened to bring bile to her throat. Another hole filled with bubbling green goo, boiling and popping; the sides of dirt eroding as it expanded. Certain hell awaited unlucky humans.
Dazed, Clarity roamed the broken street. Beneath her the ground grumbled then stilled. A tiny gasp tore from her throat when to her left a small stone statue succumbed to the green goo hole. A movement caught her eye and she stopped, noticing a man in a window. For a second, they stood gazing at one another. She lifted her hand to wave. The ground suddenly shook. Clarity’s body weaved. Her wave turned into a desperate plea for help but the curtains snapped closed. The terrain opened up beneath her feet. Clarity was falling, screaming. There was nothing to hold onto. Down she went into the bowels of the Earth. Her world turned black. Air rushed up, her breath caught and held. The smooth surface of the hole caught her attention when her ass and hips collided with a bump, another bump, then settled.
Clarity tried to breathe but couldn’t. The air was racing by too fast in her freefall. She pulled her arm around her nose and mouth to filter the air. She could feel the sides of her shorts hike as the assault to her ass cheeks scratched further exposed skin. The heels of her runners scraped and she almost tumbled head over heels until she bent her knees. Her back was the next to connect to the hard surface. She was sliding in a curve. Both arms lifted to cover her face as she tried not to let terror consume her. A painful sucking began to her left, and Clarity was thrown sideways. The movement rattled her brains.
Clarity's Doom (Ancient Origins Book 1) Page 2
