Amber's shift had just ended at the Magic Burger a few blocks from her home. As usual it was a late exodus, as her relief, Kody, had a habit of not making it to work on time. A part of her wished he would finally get fired for it, but secretly she thought he was just cute enough to get away with it.
So, what's the excuse this time? she wondered to herself. He normally had some reason to justify his lateness, though sometimes he would spin a tall tale just to lighten the mood.
It had been almost two hours before Kody showed up. The restaurant wasn't normally too busy late at night, so Amber spent a lot of her time cleaning tables and wiping down the registers. Kody could handle cleaning the burners as far as she was concerned.
It had been almost two hours before Kody showed up. The restaurant wasn't normally too busy late at night, so Amber spent a lot of her time cleaning tables and wiping down the registers. Kody could handle cleaning the burners as far as she was concerned.
There were no cars in the drive-through, so Amber was already sitting near the main doors and watching the parking lot when she saw the tell-tale vertical black stripe down the right side of the baby blue Camaro chassis. She noticed one of his headlights was out as he sped in. The tires of Kody's vehicle screeched briefly as he skid into his parking spot. He barely hesitated to jump out of the vehicle and quickly make his way to the locked doors of the burger joint. Like a cat ready to pounce, Amber was ready to let loose on Kody as soon as he walked through the doors. She jumped up from her chair to unlock the door. As she placed her hand on the cold steel of the locking mechanism, she suddenly felt a chill. An unnatural jolt ran shooting up her spine as at that very moment she looked up to see a look on Kody's face she had never seen before. A look of fear; terror. He was pale. A layer of sweat coated his forehead, glistening in broken puddles in the combined light of the moon and the street lamps.
As soon as Kody saw Amber, he picked up his pace from a fast walk to a full on sprint. Amber jumped back from the doors just in time for Kody to bust into the building, slamming and locking the door behind him.
"Whoa!" Amber yelped as she stumbled over a wet floor sign that had been placed earlier. Catching herself on a table, she screamed at Kody, "What's your problem?!" He paid her no mind and ran behind the counter. Since Magic Burger was owned by a self-proclaimed "old-school" manager, the employees were allowed to keep protection near the registers. They had been trained to only use them in a situation that was 100% justified. Kody produced a baseball bat from underneath a register. The look of fear still hadn't left his face, his eyes. It was then Amber noticed he was still breathing hard, almost hyperventilating. His normally well groomed, shoulder length blond hair looked as if he had recently been rolling in dirt and leaves.
"K-Kody?" her voice trembled, slightly. "Is everything okay? What's going on?"
He was visibly shaking.
"I th-think, I-I th-think they f-f-followed me. I-I was att-attacked and, and I th-think they foll-followed m-m-me." He trembled with tears in his eyes. At that moment Amber also noticed the cuts on his face, the dirt, the scratches. Where the hell had he been?
"Kody? What happened? Who attacked you?"
He clutched the bat, ready to swing at a moment's notice, staring out those glass double doors. "I-I-"
"Take a deep breath first" she interjected. He complied, shutting his eyes for a moment, then breathing deep through his nose, letting it out slow. He was still shaking, but after a few breaths, he was able to talk. "I, I don't know who or...what they are. It was h-hard to see. I just know I hit one. On the way here. It was in the road and I was speeding. There wasn't enough time to slow down." Amber remembered the missing light.
"Your headlight...?"
He nodded his head, his gaze still hadn't left the doors.
"It was an accident. I didn't mean to. I mean, I was runnin' late and I didn't want to make anyone mad, ya know?"
Amber was growing just as confused as scared by the moment. "How long ago was this?"
"About ten -- fifteen minutes ago. It's been about fifteen minutes since I hit that...thing. I mean, I don't know what it was."
"What?" Amber found herself slowly backing away from the double doors, staring into the darkness beyond the street lamps. She wondered just what kind of horrors Kody had been through.
"Well...it was like a dog at first. Ya know? Like, it was on all fours. But when I was speeding at it, it stood up. Then I clipped it." He began to edge from behind the counter. He never took his eyes off the door.
"The worst part..."
Kody shuddered.
"...I stopped for just a sec. Wanted to see what I hit, ya know? I barely had enough time to check the rear-view. Barely got to see it...or the others. But I got a look. They looked like people, sorta, but I don't know. I just don't know."
"Hold up! Wait, wait, wait." Amber held up her hands in protest. Kody finally broke gaze with the doors to see Amber had turned to face him, an disapproving look smeared across her face. She had had enough. "Look, I was buying it at first, I'll admit. But if you're about to tell me you ran into some kinda monster, you've got the wrong chump."
Kody was taken aback, "I'm not--"
Amber cut him off, "Save it! I've been here waiting for you to finally show up for almost two hours and you get here looking like you're on speed or you just slept off a twelve-pack in the park! And then you start up some ridiculous story about running over shadow bums or something! Look, you're cute, but at least treat me with some respect and tell me the truth!"
Kody's mouth sat agape, he now wore a mask of confusion. His grip on the bat had loosened some. It slowly wilted to a relaxed droop just above his shins.
"You know what? Never mind, actually. I'm tired, I feel really dumb now and I want to go home." Amber grabbed her purse from the table which it still lay. "And you know what else? I hope you get fired this time! Maybe Mr. Reed'll replace you with someone else who has a sense of responsibility!" And with that, Amber stormed to the double doors, threw the locking mechanism open and broke through the threshold with an angered flair. Kody, without letting go of the bat, bolted to the doors after her, grabbing one just before it shut.
Behind Amber, he shouted, "Look, I'm sorry!! Just get back here! It's not safe!" She continued down the sidewalk toward her house without looking back. Kody sighed. "Shit. What am I gonna do?" Just then, as he stood at the doors, something close to his car, but just outside the parking lot shifted in the shadows. He couldn't see what was there. He wasn't even sure if he had actually noticed something, but nonetheless, he clenched the bat again and slowly began to make his way to the back of the restaurant to shut off the overhead lights Just as a Jeep pulled into the drive-through. Without hesitating, the driver pulled up to the window and began honking. "COME THE FUCK ON!!" Kody could hear him scream. The Jeep honked several more times and more profanities were thrown into the air before finally peeling off out of the parking lot and into the night, back the way it had come. Kody sighed again. Just then the main doors of the Magic Burger began to rattle. Something out there wanted in.
As Amber trudged into the balmy night down the road from the Magic Burger back to the bed she at this point dearly missed, she couldn't help but reflect on Kody's odd behavior. He had come in drunk before. He had been high before. But he never came in so fucked up he didn't make sense. He wasn't the most reliable person in the world, but a part of her, deep inside felt as though something was seriously off. She wanted to shake the feeling, but it dug at her just enough for her to finally stop for a moment and look back towards the store. The tell-tale glow of the giant top hat on top of the building wasn't present as usual. Okay, so now the lights aren't even on. I'm just over-thinking this. He's done this before. He's closed for a couple hours just to hang out. I bet he's having a damn good laugh about all this right now! She turned back towards her home in a huff. There was still about a block and a half to go. Point of no return anyway. She checked her watch. 11:42 pm. Amber picked up her pace a little. She wanted to make it home as quickly as possible.
As she neared the corner, she heard the hum of a car engine behind her growing louder at a decent clip. There was a stop sign where she was, so she decided to cross onto her side of the road at that point just to make the trip easier. It wasn't anything new for the jackasses out driving to speed into stop signs and red lights. She was in no mood to wait patiently to see some ass hat in his new car grin at her as he came to a screeching stop. No, this time, the pedestrian would have the right of way and he could patiently wait for her to cross. She had barely made it to the center of the crossing when the Jeep that was coming up the road behind her just barreled through the stop, honking at her. "GET THE FUCK OUT THE WAY!!" a cocky driver screamed back towards her.
Amber jumped, nearly dropping her purse, "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" She felt her night couldn't get any worse. She was getting the raw deal left and right. First Kody's shenanigans and now she couldn't even cross the road without worrying if the next fuck-ass would forget what the hell traffic laws were for. There were no more vehicles on the dark road, so she finished crossing in a hurry and made sure to look both ways at the corner before crossing again to continue home. She just wanted to go home. About halfway through the block, she decided to look back again, just to see if the lights were back on. They weren't. Figures, she thought, just as something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Something she couldn't quite make out slid between a couple of houses on the block she had just been on. CRASH! The sound of a trashcan falling over rang through the night just as a flood light triggered just below the roof of one of the houses. She presumed at that point it was just a cat until an odd howl came from the spot the light shown. It wasn't like any cat she had ever heard, but it definitely wasn't a normal people sound, either. The familiar chill from back at the Magic Burger worked its way up her spine again. Another shift in the shadows caught her eye, just past the house with the flood light, just that much closer to her. Amber felt it would be in her best interest to just make it home and be done with the day. Nothing good ever happens this late at night. She turned back to her home and didn't stop until she made it to the front door. She'd check the mail tomorrow.
Amber didn't feel any better about being home until she had closed the door behind her and engaged the deadbolt and door chain. She ran her hand through her hair and let out a deep sigh. From the table in the living room, she traded her purse for the television remote. After all the drama of the day, she needed to unwind. Hopefully a funny show was on so she could forget just how much she hated her life sometimes. She pressed the power button on the clicker and dropped it on the couch. He stomach had begun to rumble on the way home, so she decided to get herself some comfort food. A small bowl of ice cream and some whipped cream. She decided to leave the chocolate drizzle off this time, opting for caramel. On her way back to the living room, a note on the microwave caught her eye.
"Amber, your father and I went to a conference just out of town. We decided to stay the night at the Wellington. If you need us, we're in room #240. The hotel number is in the book. Dinner's in the fridge if you're hungry."
Thanks a lot mom. You couldn't just write that down, too? She hated when her parents left her notes neglecting useful information. But at least she would have the house to herself for a while.
Behind Amber, he shouted, "Look, I'm sorry!! Just get back here! It's not safe!" She continued down the sidewalk toward her house without looking back. Kody sighed. "Shit. What am I gonna do?" Just then, as he stood at the doors, something close to his car, but just outside the parking lot shifted in the shadows. He couldn't see what was there. He wasn't even sure if he had actually noticed something, but nonetheless, he clenched the bat again and slowly began to make his way to the back of the restaurant to shut off the overhead lights Just as a Jeep pulled into the drive-through. Without hesitating, the driver pulled up to the window and began honking. "COME THE FUCK ON!!" Kody could hear him scream. The Jeep honked several more times and more profanities were thrown into the air before finally peeling off out of the parking lot and into the night, back the way it had come. Kody sighed again. Just then the main doors of the Magic Burger began to rattle. Something out there wanted in.
As Amber trudged into the balmy night down the road from the Magic Burger back to the bed she at this point dearly missed, she couldn't help but reflect on Kody's odd behavior. He had come in drunk before. He had been high before. But he never came in so fucked up he didn't make sense. He wasn't the most reliable person in the world, but a part of her, deep inside felt as though something was seriously off. She wanted to shake the feeling, but it dug at her just enough for her to finally stop for a moment and look back towards the store. The tell-tale glow of the giant top hat on top of the building wasn't present as usual. Okay, so now the lights aren't even on. I'm just over-thinking this. He's done this before. He's closed for a couple hours just to hang out. I bet he's having a damn good laugh about all this right now! She turned back towards her home in a huff. There was still about a block and a half to go. Point of no return anyway. She checked her watch. 11:42 pm. Amber picked up her pace a little. She wanted to make it home as quickly as possible.
As she neared the corner, she heard the hum of a car engine behind her growing louder at a decent clip. There was a stop sign where she was, so she decided to cross onto her side of the road at that point just to make the trip easier. It wasn't anything new for the jackasses out driving to speed into stop signs and red lights. She was in no mood to wait patiently to see some ass hat in his new car grin at her as he came to a screeching stop. No, this time, the pedestrian would have the right of way and he could patiently wait for her to cross. She had barely made it to the center of the crossing when the Jeep that was coming up the road behind her just barreled through the stop, honking at her. "GET THE FUCK OUT THE WAY!!" a cocky driver screamed back towards her.
Amber jumped, nearly dropping her purse, "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" She felt her night couldn't get any worse. She was getting the raw deal left and right. First Kody's shenanigans and now she couldn't even cross the road without worrying if the next fuck-ass would forget what the hell traffic laws were for. There were no more vehicles on the dark road, so she finished crossing in a hurry and made sure to look both ways at the corner before crossing again to continue home. She just wanted to go home. About halfway through the block, she decided to look back again, just to see if the lights were back on. They weren't. Figures, she thought, just as something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Something she couldn't quite make out slid between a couple of houses on the block she had just been on. CRASH! The sound of a trashcan falling over rang through the night just as a flood light triggered just below the roof of one of the houses. She presumed at that point it was just a cat until an odd howl came from the spot the light shown. It wasn't like any cat she had ever heard, but it definitely wasn't a normal people sound, either. The familiar chill from back at the Magic Burger worked its way up her spine again. Another shift in the shadows caught her eye, just past the house with the flood light, just that much closer to her. Amber felt it would be in her best interest to just make it home and be done with the day. Nothing good ever happens this late at night. She turned back to her home and didn't stop until she made it to the front door. She'd check the mail tomorrow.
Amber didn't feel any better about being home until she had closed the door behind her and engaged the deadbolt and door chain. She ran her hand through her hair and let out a deep sigh. From the table in the living room, she traded her purse for the television remote. After all the drama of the day, she needed to unwind. Hopefully a funny show was on so she could forget just how much she hated her life sometimes. She pressed the power button on the clicker and dropped it on the couch. He stomach had begun to rumble on the way home, so she decided to get herself some comfort food. A small bowl of ice cream and some whipped cream. She decided to leave the chocolate drizzle off this time, opting for caramel. On her way back to the living room, a note on the microwave caught her eye.
"Amber, your father and I went to a conference just out of town. We decided to stay the night at the Wellington. If you need us, we're in room #240. The hotel number is in the book. Dinner's in the fridge if you're hungry."
Thanks a lot mom. You couldn't just write that down, too? She hated when her parents left her notes neglecting useful information. But at least she would have the house to herself for a while.
She returned to the living room just in time to catch a funny commercial about candy coated chocolates. Amber dipped her spoon into the whipped cream and twirled it, collecting sweet cream and caramel like cotton candy, then brought it to her mouth. With her other hand she flipped through the channels. The time on the television showed 12:12 am. Something good had to be on.
As the television screen flicked from channel to channel, Amber came across a commercial for Magic Burger. In it Mr. Reed was performing "tricks" for customers; making food appear from thin air and drinks flow from his "magic" wand. He had always been a showman. Kody. The thought came scratching at the back of her head again. She wondered if he was okay. Maybe the power had gone out at the Magic Burger. Maybe he really had hit something. Maybe he was just really fucked up and didn't know what was going on. She hated when she worried about things.
The spoon made a muffled "tok--tink" as it landed in the remaining ice cream and subsequently fell to the rim of the bowl. Amber had already gotten up and was heading for the phone. She figured it couldn't hurt to at least see what was up over there. The phone rang and rang. She hung up then dialed again. Still, it rang and rang. "He's probably passed out. Get ahold of yourself, girl. He'll be alright." She told herself. A huge yawn took over, she stretched and went back to the living room. It had been 30 minutes and so far nothing interesting was on. Amber took her bowl to the kitchen and rinsed the remaining ice cream and whipped topping out. She watched the milky swirl of white water flow almost rhythmically down the drain. She hadn't the appetite to finish all that sugar, not with the night she'd had so far. She poured a small cup of water and downed it almost as quickly. Wiping her mouth on her sleeve, she went around the house and double checked the doors and the windows. All locked and secure. She couldn't see anything out beyond the light of the street lamps at the road. There was nothing to worry about.
Each step to her room felt like she was slogging through peanut butter. She didn't even make an effort to change into night clothes, just dropped face first into her overly comfortable comforter. She barely bounced, more landed and shifted in the soft down, her eyes closed, her mind already wavering off into whimsy.
chucka-chucka...
She heard something coming from the living room at the door; something playing on the handle.
chucka-chacka-chucka...
Her heart began to race. The rattling of the handle was quickly joined by pounding, chucka-chacka-chucka--Thump! Thump! Thump!
There had been nothing outside when she looked earlier. The trashcans... she thought to herself. What if whatever that was was here? No, it was just a cat, I'm sure. Then what the hell is at my door??
chucka-chacka-chucka...
The pounding at the door to her home sent Amber's pulse into overdrive. She was just as much confused as she was scared. She slid off her bed, trying to keep any indication that there was someone stirring inside to a minimum. Creeping back towards the living room--to the raucous at the front door--she detoured back into the kitchen to find something to protect herself with, just in case. Her parents didn't believe in firearms, so she only had forks and knives to protect herself with. Her mother's favorite kitchen knife still lay on the cutting board on the counter, still coated with residue of onions and carrots from the dinner she had prepared earlier. Amber gripped the handle, her hand shaking with fear and adrenaline, and she slowly crept back into the darkened living room.
By this time, the beating at the door had increased in intensity, volume, severity. Both the jiggling handle and the thumping were going at the same time as if the increased fervor would somehow grant this unknown visitor entry. As she closed in on the door, knife still somewhat shaking in hand, the banging suddenly stopped. Before she had a chance to feel anything--calm, terror--a shadow quickly passed the living room window. Amber jumped as the tall figure bolted past. She'd hoped who or whatever it was was gone now so she could finally stop worrying.
Within a minute, the banging had resumed, only this time at the back door in the kitchen. Amber lost her breath. Lost her ability to scream. She didn't know what was going on, but whatever it was, it was scaring the shit out of her.
"AMBER!!", a familiar voice screamed from behind the door. "Amber hurry up! They're coming!!"
It took a moment for her to snap back into reality, to recognize the voice. It was Kody from work! She ran for the door, too scared to worry about pranks and gags, and opened it immediately. Kody spilled into the kitchen a broken, sweaty, bloody mess. Amber gasped at the sight.
"Oh, my god!! What hap--"
"CLOSE THE DOOR!!" Kody interrupted, screaming with both authority and pain. Amber peeked out the open portal. Something just within the yard stirred. Something darker than the night that surrounded it. She could hear a low moan coming its direction. She slammed the door shut, locking the handle and the deadbolt.
"What the hell is going on?! What's out there, Kody??", she pleaded. Kody still lay on the floor in a heap. She noticed he was still bleeding from a wound on his side.
"That...thing I tried to tell you about. Those creatures, they followed me to the store. They were there when you left, but I couldn't stop you from leaving, you were too mad at me. I'm sorry I've been such a dick to you all this time! I'm so sorry!" Kody began to sob on the floor as blood trickled from his shirt to the linoleum. Amber kneeled down and tried to help him up, but he was mostly dead weight to her. His adrenaline had run out, he could barely move. "I tried to shut off the lights so they couldn't find me, but it only made it worse. These things move through the darkness. It was too late for me when I tried to turn the lights back on, they were already inside."
The moaning outside had become louder.
Amber stood to look through the window on the back door. The creature had gotten closer, but was still outside the edge of the back porch. "You gotta turn on the lights before it's too late!" Kody gasped. Blood and sputum coughed up from his throat.
Amber didn't want to leave Kody there on the floor by himself, but there was nothing else to do. "Here, take this. Just in case." She gave him the knife she was holding and began running through the house flipping switches and turning knobs. The rooms of her home began to light up like a switchboard. By the time she finished her objective, Kody was finally pulling himself to his feet. He clutched his side delicately, grimacing all the way. "Don't worry," Amber said, "I've got the lights on, they won't hurt us. We need to call the cops!"
"I tried at the Magic Burger, but the lines were down. It's like we're living in a goddamn shitty horror or something!" Amber was already to the phone and dialing.
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?", the operator picked up almost immediately.
"We need help! Send help! These monsters are--" The operator interjected, "Slow down, ma'am! Monsters? Look, it's not Halloween or even a full moon! What do you mean by monsters??"
"For fuck's sake! I'm not playing a game with you! There really are--" click. The line had gone dead mid-sentence. "Hello? HELLO!? FUCK!!" She tried pressing buttons on the phone, but nothing would bring a dial tone, nothing would get an open line. "Oh my god, the line's down here now!" Amber began to panic, "What are we gonna do??" Kody had hobbled to the living room and was now sitting on the couch with his head down. "Kody? Kody!" She ran to him.
"I'm still here..." His voice was trailing. She was losing him as each moment went by. "I don't know what to do, I don't think I'm even gonna make it." Tears were running down Amber's cheeks, diluting the blood from her attempt to help Kody into a dark red wash of streaks on her face, like a crimson running blush.
"No...!" She sobbed. She didn't know what to do anymore. Her hands cupped her face as she cried.
"You...you gotta hide somewhere. I can barely move, but you can hide." Kody said. Just then the lights, all at once, went out. Amber shrieked with terror. "Go! I'll stay here, I can at least do that for you!" Amber nodded, still tearful and sobbing. She slowly began to back away from the living room, looking for somewhere where she would be safe from what was to come. There was just enough light from outside for her to see bits and pieces of the hallway and bathroom. None of these rooms would provide more than a locked door and that did Kody no good back at the Magic Burger.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..." she repeated to herself as she tried finding different rooms to hide in. Then it hit her. Her dad was a nut for "As seen on TV" merchandise! She ducked into a hallway closet and began tapping battery powered LED lights. There were 8 in all, some stuck to the inside wall, others just ready for use. Bathed in bright luminescence, she cowered as low as she could, tucking her knees up to her chin and holding herself. Outside the closet, she could hear the tell-tale signs of the door breaking in. Multiple creatures droning and moaning on. Kody began screaming, shrieking at the top of his lungs. She knew the knife did nothing to help him. He couldn't help himself anyway. He had given himself up as a decoy for her benefit. She sobbed harder now as one of the lights flickered behind her.
When the morning finally came, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan arrived home in their blue sedan. The front door lay wide open, as if greeting them, beckoning them to the horrors inside. When they walked through the door, Mrs. Sullivan shrieked at the top of her lungs. Kody lay on the living room floor completely eviscerated. His entrails pulled and spread about the room like sticky, red tinsel decorations for the most horrific party they had ever attended. He still clutched the knife as well as a piece of what seemed to be a black hide. Mr. Sullivan began stomping through the house, "AMBER!!!", he screamed.
At that moment, they were able to notice a trail of gore leading from the front room to a closet down the hall. Pieces of skin, flesh, sinew and so much blood led them just outside the door where they could hear mumbling. Mr. Sullivan gingerly opened the door, afraid of what could be in there. He didn't know what to expect. Inside, they found Amber with only two lights remaining. She was coated in blood and gore, rocking herself back and forth and mumbling about shadows. Moving shadows. Evil shadows.
Evil, moaning shadows.
As the television screen flicked from channel to channel, Amber came across a commercial for Magic Burger. In it Mr. Reed was performing "tricks" for customers; making food appear from thin air and drinks flow from his "magic" wand. He had always been a showman. Kody. The thought came scratching at the back of her head again. She wondered if he was okay. Maybe the power had gone out at the Magic Burger. Maybe he really had hit something. Maybe he was just really fucked up and didn't know what was going on. She hated when she worried about things.
The spoon made a muffled "tok--tink" as it landed in the remaining ice cream and subsequently fell to the rim of the bowl. Amber had already gotten up and was heading for the phone. She figured it couldn't hurt to at least see what was up over there. The phone rang and rang. She hung up then dialed again. Still, it rang and rang. "He's probably passed out. Get ahold of yourself, girl. He'll be alright." She told herself. A huge yawn took over, she stretched and went back to the living room. It had been 30 minutes and so far nothing interesting was on. Amber took her bowl to the kitchen and rinsed the remaining ice cream and whipped topping out. She watched the milky swirl of white water flow almost rhythmically down the drain. She hadn't the appetite to finish all that sugar, not with the night she'd had so far. She poured a small cup of water and downed it almost as quickly. Wiping her mouth on her sleeve, she went around the house and double checked the doors and the windows. All locked and secure. She couldn't see anything out beyond the light of the street lamps at the road. There was nothing to worry about.
Each step to her room felt like she was slogging through peanut butter. She didn't even make an effort to change into night clothes, just dropped face first into her overly comfortable comforter. She barely bounced, more landed and shifted in the soft down, her eyes closed, her mind already wavering off into whimsy.
chucka-chucka...
She heard something coming from the living room at the door; something playing on the handle.
chucka-chacka-chucka...
Her heart began to race. The rattling of the handle was quickly joined by pounding, chucka-chacka-chucka--Thump! Thump! Thump!
There had been nothing outside when she looked earlier. The trashcans... she thought to herself. What if whatever that was was here? No, it was just a cat, I'm sure. Then what the hell is at my door??
chucka-chacka-chucka...
The pounding at the door to her home sent Amber's pulse into overdrive. She was just as much confused as she was scared. She slid off her bed, trying to keep any indication that there was someone stirring inside to a minimum. Creeping back towards the living room--to the raucous at the front door--she detoured back into the kitchen to find something to protect herself with, just in case. Her parents didn't believe in firearms, so she only had forks and knives to protect herself with. Her mother's favorite kitchen knife still lay on the cutting board on the counter, still coated with residue of onions and carrots from the dinner she had prepared earlier. Amber gripped the handle, her hand shaking with fear and adrenaline, and she slowly crept back into the darkened living room.
By this time, the beating at the door had increased in intensity, volume, severity. Both the jiggling handle and the thumping were going at the same time as if the increased fervor would somehow grant this unknown visitor entry. As she closed in on the door, knife still somewhat shaking in hand, the banging suddenly stopped. Before she had a chance to feel anything--calm, terror--a shadow quickly passed the living room window. Amber jumped as the tall figure bolted past. She'd hoped who or whatever it was was gone now so she could finally stop worrying.
Within a minute, the banging had resumed, only this time at the back door in the kitchen. Amber lost her breath. Lost her ability to scream. She didn't know what was going on, but whatever it was, it was scaring the shit out of her.
"AMBER!!", a familiar voice screamed from behind the door. "Amber hurry up! They're coming!!"
It took a moment for her to snap back into reality, to recognize the voice. It was Kody from work! She ran for the door, too scared to worry about pranks and gags, and opened it immediately. Kody spilled into the kitchen a broken, sweaty, bloody mess. Amber gasped at the sight.
"Oh, my god!! What hap--"
"CLOSE THE DOOR!!" Kody interrupted, screaming with both authority and pain. Amber peeked out the open portal. Something just within the yard stirred. Something darker than the night that surrounded it. She could hear a low moan coming its direction. She slammed the door shut, locking the handle and the deadbolt.
"What the hell is going on?! What's out there, Kody??", she pleaded. Kody still lay on the floor in a heap. She noticed he was still bleeding from a wound on his side.
"That...thing I tried to tell you about. Those creatures, they followed me to the store. They were there when you left, but I couldn't stop you from leaving, you were too mad at me. I'm sorry I've been such a dick to you all this time! I'm so sorry!" Kody began to sob on the floor as blood trickled from his shirt to the linoleum. Amber kneeled down and tried to help him up, but he was mostly dead weight to her. His adrenaline had run out, he could barely move. "I tried to shut off the lights so they couldn't find me, but it only made it worse. These things move through the darkness. It was too late for me when I tried to turn the lights back on, they were already inside."
The moaning outside had become louder.
Amber stood to look through the window on the back door. The creature had gotten closer, but was still outside the edge of the back porch. "You gotta turn on the lights before it's too late!" Kody gasped. Blood and sputum coughed up from his throat.
Amber didn't want to leave Kody there on the floor by himself, but there was nothing else to do. "Here, take this. Just in case." She gave him the knife she was holding and began running through the house flipping switches and turning knobs. The rooms of her home began to light up like a switchboard. By the time she finished her objective, Kody was finally pulling himself to his feet. He clutched his side delicately, grimacing all the way. "Don't worry," Amber said, "I've got the lights on, they won't hurt us. We need to call the cops!"
"I tried at the Magic Burger, but the lines were down. It's like we're living in a goddamn shitty horror or something!" Amber was already to the phone and dialing.
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?", the operator picked up almost immediately.
"We need help! Send help! These monsters are--" The operator interjected, "Slow down, ma'am! Monsters? Look, it's not Halloween or even a full moon! What do you mean by monsters??"
"For fuck's sake! I'm not playing a game with you! There really are--" click. The line had gone dead mid-sentence. "Hello? HELLO!? FUCK!!" She tried pressing buttons on the phone, but nothing would bring a dial tone, nothing would get an open line. "Oh my god, the line's down here now!" Amber began to panic, "What are we gonna do??" Kody had hobbled to the living room and was now sitting on the couch with his head down. "Kody? Kody!" She ran to him.
"I'm still here..." His voice was trailing. She was losing him as each moment went by. "I don't know what to do, I don't think I'm even gonna make it." Tears were running down Amber's cheeks, diluting the blood from her attempt to help Kody into a dark red wash of streaks on her face, like a crimson running blush.
"No...!" She sobbed. She didn't know what to do anymore. Her hands cupped her face as she cried.
"You...you gotta hide somewhere. I can barely move, but you can hide." Kody said. Just then the lights, all at once, went out. Amber shrieked with terror. "Go! I'll stay here, I can at least do that for you!" Amber nodded, still tearful and sobbing. She slowly began to back away from the living room, looking for somewhere where she would be safe from what was to come. There was just enough light from outside for her to see bits and pieces of the hallway and bathroom. None of these rooms would provide more than a locked door and that did Kody no good back at the Magic Burger.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..." she repeated to herself as she tried finding different rooms to hide in. Then it hit her. Her dad was a nut for "As seen on TV" merchandise! She ducked into a hallway closet and began tapping battery powered LED lights. There were 8 in all, some stuck to the inside wall, others just ready for use. Bathed in bright luminescence, she cowered as low as she could, tucking her knees up to her chin and holding herself. Outside the closet, she could hear the tell-tale signs of the door breaking in. Multiple creatures droning and moaning on. Kody began screaming, shrieking at the top of his lungs. She knew the knife did nothing to help him. He couldn't help himself anyway. He had given himself up as a decoy for her benefit. She sobbed harder now as one of the lights flickered behind her.
When the morning finally came, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan arrived home in their blue sedan. The front door lay wide open, as if greeting them, beckoning them to the horrors inside. When they walked through the door, Mrs. Sullivan shrieked at the top of her lungs. Kody lay on the living room floor completely eviscerated. His entrails pulled and spread about the room like sticky, red tinsel decorations for the most horrific party they had ever attended. He still clutched the knife as well as a piece of what seemed to be a black hide. Mr. Sullivan began stomping through the house, "AMBER!!!", he screamed.
At that moment, they were able to notice a trail of gore leading from the front room to a closet down the hall. Pieces of skin, flesh, sinew and so much blood led them just outside the door where they could hear mumbling. Mr. Sullivan gingerly opened the door, afraid of what could be in there. He didn't know what to expect. Inside, they found Amber with only two lights remaining. She was coated in blood and gore, rocking herself back and forth and mumbling about shadows. Moving shadows. Evil shadows.
Evil, moaning shadows.
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