The Screechers

“Katie? Where are you? They’re coming!” I scream from underneath my bed. The Screechers are coming, I can hear them. I hear their loud and piercing roars, and they are miles away.

“Im coming!” She yells from the other side of the house. I hear her running to my room. She ducks and crawls underneath my bed, shaking. I can hear and feel her heavily breathing on my neck.

Katie is 10. She’s small, and mighty. Not scared of most things. When the Screechers come up from their layers a couple times a year, it scares her. Like, most people.

“It’s okay, they won’t make it over here. They are miles away.” I say in a whisper. I feel like if I talk any louder they’ll hear me.

We wait underneath my bed for thirty minutes shaking, and Katie’s crying. The Screeches are getting closer and I want to look out the window and see where they are. Im scared to though. I’m scared I’ll look out and see they’re long, ashy, arms and thousands of teeth, chomping on people. What if I looked out and they saw me.

Screechers live underground in hundreds of different layers. They are nearly 30 feet tall and have a wing-span of close to 20 feet. They have thousands of teeth and the energy of a child on a sugar high. They kill. They pick you up and thrash you around and then when you think your catching your breath, your food. How would I know? My parents were killed by them. I watched from my driveway, when I was thirteen.

All of a sudden the siren blares through Scottsville. The siren that tells us their coming. My stomach drops and I can feel my heart skip beats. Katie grips onto my arms instantly and starts quiet sobs.

“They’re coming for us.” She whispers. She’s shaking uncontrollably and I would be too, if I wanted to show fear. I cant freak her out.

“It’ll be okay. They are never out longer than this.” I say. They really aren’t ever out longer than an hour. For a second I tell myself that they’ll be gone soon. I’m not lying to myself, they’ll be over here soon.

“I’m gonna grab something from the front closet. Do not move.” I tell Katie. I’m grabbing a weapon. The best I’ve got is a base ball bat, it won’t work. I crawl out from underneath the bed and tip toe to the living room. I open the closet and search for the baseball bat.

I grab it and go to my front window to peak. I shouldn’t do this. I do anyway. I grab my curtain and slightly pull it back, just enough to see the city. There they are. Theirs four of them. All roughly, 15 feet tall. They stomp on buildings and take handfuls of people and throw them around. The biggest one steps on a power line. Oh no. The power shuts off. It’s pitch black and I can’t see a thing. It’s completely dark outside and I lost sight of them. I sprint back to my room and dive underneath my bed.

“What was that?” Katie whispers. There’s fear loaded in her voice.

“The power. It’s shut off.” I say. I’m shaking now. I’m scared and I can’t control it anymore.

“Are they here?” She whispers with a crack in her voice.

“They’re by your school.” I whisper, barely.

“That’s only a couple blocks away.” She says. I can barely hear her anymore. They are getting louder and closer.

“I know. Listen to me. I want you to go into Mrs. Ralphs basement. Just run into her house. They’ll be there.” I say. I don’t want her to be here when they come. Call me a bad sister for her running to our neighbors house, right now.

“No! I can’t leave you while their coming.” She yells.

“Katie you’ll be safer there. Now go! Hurry.” I say.

She scurries out from underneath the bed and bolts out of the house. I know this time it’ll be different. They will be at my house in less then 10 minutes. I need to hide.

I crawl out and run to my parents closet. I hide behind boxes of their old stuff. I’m the one shaking uncontrollably now. I’m sobbing. My hearts thumping like crazy. I can hear my heart beating. Sweat is dripping down my neck and going down my back.

I hear my window bust. No. No. No. Katie. They’ll get Katie. I break past the boxes and bolt out of their closet to go next door. I run and trip over the coffee table, twisting my ankle. I try getting up but I feel a sharp pain in my ankle. I use my coffee table to lift myself up and my kitchen wall busts down. There’s a giant hand in my house. I scream and search for the door handle. I find it and run to their house. I work past the pain, this is more important. I get to their front door and it’s locked. I pound on the door.

“Open up! It’s me Taylor. Katie!” I scream.

Mr.Ralph opens the door and pulls me In there house. He slams the door behind me and continues to pull me to their basement.

“They are right outside.” I yell. I can barely hear myself. I limp to there basement. They have lamps and flashlights and they are huddled together.

“Katie!” I yell. She’s okay.

A loud thud comes from upstairs.

“Everyone go into the cellar and lock it!” Mr. Ralph yells. We all rush into the cellar and more things are crashing upstairs.

“I can’t get my leg, it’s stuck!” Katie screams. I look back and there’s a giant hole in the ceiling and a shelf fell onto her leg. I start running back to Katie. I get to her and the shelf won’t budge. It’s easily 200 pounds.

“I can’t get it! One second!” I yell. I move some of the debris so I can get a better grip. I try lifting and it won’t move.

A giant screech comes from right above my head. I look up and see a Screecher with their mouth right open. We both scream and I try pulling up more. I jump back as their piano falls beside me. I fall backwards over the boards and the Screecher grabs Katie.

“Katie!” I scream.

“Taylor! Help me!”

I get up and try jumping after her as he lifts her up. He kicks me in my ribs and I go flying at the wall. I feel like a boulder fell on top of me. I can’t move, and I watch them take Katie.

“No!” I sob through my screams. Everything is blurry.

Mr. Ralph scoops me up. “We need to go into the cellar.” He yells.

“They took Katie!” I try fighting out of his grip. He’s to strong and I’m very weak.

“You have to leave her or you’re dead!”

“No! I cant. I can’t lose her!” I scream. He carries me to the cellar and locks the door behind him. I break into a heavier sob. They’ve taken everything from me. Its dark and cold. They’ve ruined everything. They took my parents and now my sister. Im the reason she isn’t here. If I could see everything, she would be here.

The Screeches seem distant. “They took her!” I yell. “I have to find her. They could have dropped her outside!” I add.

“You can’t go out there. They’ll get you too.” Mr. Ralph says and blocks the door.

“Let me out! I have to find her!” I push at him.

“I’m not letting you go out there Taylor! She’s gone! They took her! She’s gone!”

I drop to my knees and my tears stream down my face. “No!” I cry. “They took everything! She isn’t dead, She’s out there!” I pull myself up and shove past him to open the door. I fly the door open and everything is black. I grab one of the flashlights on the ground and turn it on. I work my way through their basement to get upstairs. I crawl up the stairs and feel something at the top. I grab the flashlight and point it at what I felt. It’s her.

“Katie!” I say crying. I put my hand on her neck. Her pulse is extremely low.

“Taylor.” She whispers and grabs my arms. She’s bleeding everywhere and has cuts all over her body. One scar is slashed across her face.

“Katie you’re gonna be okay.” I whisper and put my hand on the side of cheek. “I’m gonna carry you down to the basement and Mrs. Ralph can look at you.” I add.

“No.....don’t..” She struggles, getting out. “I’m not.....going.. to make...it” She adds.

“I can’t leave you here Katie.” I say and she wipes my cheek. She closes her eyes and drops her hand.

“No! No! Katie wake up.” I say shaking her. She’s gone. I fall onto her top and cry. I sob. I can’t look at her. She’s dead. She’s not breathing anymore.

“Is she awake?” I hear Mr. Ralph say from behind me. I turn around and shake my head. I can’t form words right now. I let go of her hand and walk over to him and he pulls me in. My tears wet his shirt.

“It will be okay, Taylor.” He says, and hugs be tighter. I can’t turn around and see her. I cant see her brave, soft, sweet, and beautiful, body. I turn towards him and he guides me back to the cellar. She’s gone. And it’s my fault.