The Dead Ones
Midnight, October 22nd, 2000
We were all sitting around, nothing to do, nothing going on....it was just like any other night. Nothing could have prepared us for what happened, no amount of movies, gamies, training, nothing at all. We didn't have the TV on as usual we were just chillin, bullshitting in "the room" as usual. I ran out of cigarettes and got Jay to ride me up to the store to get another couple of packs. The store had CNN on the television, as I paid for the cigarettes I glanced up to see a very nervous news caster stating that there has been random attacks all through the last three nights. The unidentified assailents seemed to disappear into the night leaving their victims partially devoured. I stood rooted for a moment taking it all in, then finished paying for the cigarettes and ran out to Jay who waited in the car. I told him what I saw on the TV inside and told him lets get the fuck home.
12:30AM, October 23nd, 2000
The television was on and we were all staring at it intently, watching the scenes from one of the attacks. Four outlines were chalked out on the ground and the blood didn't look to be completely dried yet. No one had any clues to who the assailents were or where they had gone to, but the crime appeared to have only happened 15 minutes previous. Bright lights flashed and danced all around as the investigators searched the area of evidence. The newscaster said the authorities didn't have any leads and advised everyone to stay in their homes for the remainder of the night. We all didn't know what to think, we had all talked about zombies coming back and taking over the earth, we had all played D&D and Rifts, along with multiple other role playing games. This was like nothing we had ever dreamed or thought of. We all went to sleep later with disturbing images haunting our dreams.
11:05AM, October 23nd, 2000
I woke up before everyone, laying on the couch for a few extra minutes trying to decide if I wanted to wake up. Then I remember the dream I had...or was it real? I stood up lighting a cigarette and turned on the TV it was on CNN. Strange I thought we never watch that channel, its just a coincidence I figured. After listening the sports report, I stood up and walked into the kitchen and got something to drink. Resuming my position on the couch the sports reporter was replaced by a somber news anchor that talked about strange murders that have been happening during the night. My eyes widened as it all became clear, it wasn't a dream, it was real and its happening right now. The anchor goes on about how reports from around the world are the same unknown assassins are striking randomly at people during the night. Thoughts raced through my mind, but then again what could I do? I was just working for some corporation as tech support. Well thats the polices problem, I have plenty of my own. I proceeded to go about my day as usual before work.
7:09PM, October 25th, 2000
Another day at work, stupid people calling about their bullshit problems with their computers that a first grader could fix. After that last call I decide its time for a break, I call in and go outside for a smoke. Taking my time to try to extend my break a bit I smoke my cigarette slowly enjoying the taste. Two team leads come outside and tell everyone that because of all the recent murders the company doesn't want anyone going outside alone and if you must move quickly to your car as the murders have increased, they don't want to scare anyone but they don't want anyone to get hurt. Other than that it was just another night.
10:41PM, October 27th, 2000
The death toll around the world has reached into the millions and the authorities highly advise everyone to stay in their homes at night unless they must go somewhere in an emergency. They still don't have any leads and they are getting more and more baffled everyday, the FBI, CIA, and military intelligence have all been working together along with other investigators from around the world and yet they have come up with nothing. All military personel have been put on alert and all unnecessary units have been called back to the United States. Bodies have been turning up in increasing numbers, but never have any been indoors or in more enclosed spaces other than alleys. I was yet again at Jay and West's against my dads wishes, I know he means well but hey I'm not gonna sit at home being bored all fucking night.
5:16PM, October 29th, 2000
Work called me and told me not to come in tonight as all night shifts are being suspended due the circumstances. So I just decided to chill at the house for the rest of the night, nothing better to do and I don't want to get another ride out to Jay and West's. I turned on my stereo and layed down to think a bit.
11:23PM, October 29th, 2000
I woke up with a start to the phone ringing, I had dozed off. I answered the phone to find out Jay called to tell me to meet West, him and everyone else at the hills. I got out of bed, changed clothes for the night, to something more fitting of the darkness. I grabbed a couple of knives and the sawed off shotgun my dad hid in the closet with a few shells, it was only single shot but it would do the trick. Fifteen minutes later I was sitting in Jay's car riding with them up to the hills to see what we were gonna do if the killings didn't stop.
12:00AM October 30th, 2000
Midnight, we're all here, Jay, West, Jeff, Milligan, Clay, and I. We had a fire going, all was silent except the flames, we hadn't spoke a word since coming out there. No one wanted to break the silence, like the first word spoken would bring doom upon us. The latest reportings have spoke of larger groups being murdered, but yet none who were inside were attacked yet. Jay spoke up first, "guys we need a plan, somethings not right and hiding in our houses is doing nothing." We stayed quiet a moment longer thinking over the words spoken. This is all too sudden, we might be jumping the gun, we might die here discussing what we're gonna do if we have to take action. We were all smoking cigarettes like they were going out of style, all nervous even with all the bravado we talked.
4:00AM October 30th, 2000
Still sitting there, talking about what we could do, yet not doing anything at all. We stayed there till near dawn before we went back, we didn't see anything, didn't get anything accomplished. All words, no action, yet we felt different, maybe hope, maybe more bravado. We all knew one thing, whatever it was, it didn't attack us last night even when some of us left the ring of light.
4:00PM October 30th, 2000
We all woke up around the same time, turned on he TV to see the latest news. I got up and went into the other room to call my dad and let him know I was ok and chilling at a friend's house. I could faintly here a little of the news about the growing death toll and still no one knows anything the only witness they found hung himself.... I got off the phone and went back into the room just to catch a few of the latest scenes from the night before. This time it wasn't only around home, it was further abroad the country and world. Several of the dead were officers and a few soldiers, but they weren't only Americans. It seems the problem is growing to engulf the world. Yet, we know nothing, and can do nothing.
8:00PM November 10th, 2000
The slayings continued for two more nights then, like magic, nothing. As if they had taken their fill.... I was at work again, its been a slow night, I've only had three to four calls. I was quite bored and I still had an hour until lunch break. I turned away from the computer screen and looked at one of the TV's they had set up around the tech floor, one of the other techs was changing the channels to find something to watch when a news alert came up on one of the channels. Just like the first night, the same news anchor with the same somber face sat there telling us of the events that had just transpired. I stared at the screen transfixed, like a waking dream, they showed scenes from another incident. The area was lit up like day, police kept the crowds of curious away, nothing was different from the last one, exept the bloody footprints leading away from the center of the lights. Crime scene photographers took pictures like crazy. It was the first evidence they had and apperently whatever had done this was human and bare-footed. More information came up but my phone beeped telling me I had an incoming call. I turned away from the TV back to the computer screen and focused on my job.
~ZILjIN Lowh, Feb. 28, 2000 A.D.
More to be added later.....
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