Acid air

TW: violence

• Acid Air.

“ Emie wait up, you’re walking too fast!!!” Her little sister complained, her little legs just couldn’t keep up.

Emie reached over and grabbed her, they were walking back home from school. It was their daily routine, Emie would go from the high school section of her school and go fetch her little sister Rue. Rue loved walking home, because of two specific destinations.

The coffee shop and flower shop right by the coffee shop. The city was energetic as always, the sky a clear blue, no clouds in sight. The sun was shimmering, and they stopped at the coffee shop.

“ Hi there Emie, hey little Rue.” The shop owner greeted, always such a pleasant man.

“ Hi Jona, Rue couldn’t wait to get here. She’ll have a bubblegum milkshake and I’d like an iced coffee.” 

Rue was already jumping up and down, wiggling her behind.

She pulled her sisters' school bag, Emie bent over and listened as she whispered she’d like a muffin as well.

Emie passed the message and they made their way home. They got there and Emie switched on the Tv and handed Rue her milkshake and muffin.

She took off her school shoes, threw her bag on the floor, and put her feet up.

News report about a strange thing that has landed in milma park. There are different speculations, some people are calling it an alien invasion. We—-

The Tv suddenly went blank, 

Emie walked over and changed the channel, Rue frozen with a straw in her mouth.

News on people getting burnt by acid, supposedly coming from what has landed. Russia and The United States have reported that there’s already a spread. People are being told to—-

No signal.

The acid air was spreading, killing everyone as it traveled like a disease making its way through your veins, killing you slowly. Reaching their households. Strong winds approached, knocking the windows senseless, the curtains swaying uncontrollably.

Emie still confused, startled by the window which made a loud bang, running over to close the windows, feeling something sting her face before a deadly cough, but not enough to kill her.

She sat down on the floor, her heart pounding. Her whole body shaken, her skin pale. She looked and felt like death.

Her little sister started crying, “ no no no, it’s okay, I’m okay.” Emie assured her. cuddled her. “ I need to make sure all the windows are closed, sit tight okay.” She instructed as she made her way upstairs.

All windows were closed, she took a moment to go to the bathroom. Her face was red and hot. Opening cold tap water and washing it. It felt like a pain killer when it started kicking in, numbing all the pain.

She looked at herself in the mirror, all she could think about at that moment was her mother.

“ Emie!!!” Her sister screamed, her voice piercing the walls of the house. Emie noticed as everything suddenly went dark, running downstairs. “ Why is it nighttime?” Her little sister asked.

“ I don’t know...” Emie said, walking over to the window. She watched the wind blow, she watched the people coughing outside. They— they were dying right In front of her eyes, she closed the curtains so her little sister wouldn’t see. What was going on?

Her thoughts disturbed by a bang on the door, her mother?

She ran over and opened it, a random boy not older than her came flying into the house, helping her to shut the door. He ran over to their kitchen and splashed himself with cold water.

“ Hey, who the hell are you?!” Emie paced over, demanding answers.

He put his hand up, stopping her as he carried on splashing. He drank some of the water and looked at Emie, then at Rue who had her eyes wide opened. His breathing fast and unsteady, he closed his eyes and tried to steady it.

“ I’m sorry about barging in like this, things are crazy outside. This was the nearest house I could knock on.”

Emie only looked irritated, but she probably would’ve done the same if she were in his shoes.

“ People are di—“ Emie put up her hand to shut him up, her little sister didn’t need to know the details, not when her mother wasn’t back. He looked at Rue, “ Oh...”

Emie paced back to the window and opened it. The city suddenly looked dark, with all the bodies which were already scattered on the ground. The trees were stripped of their beauty as the acid stripped them naked with only the branches left.  The clouds were black, full of smoke and sorrow. 

She closed the curtain and turned to look back at the boy who was now tickling her little sister,

“ Hey hey back off, you’re still a stranger.”

He stood up and put up his hands in a way of surrendering.

“ Hey okay, I’m sorry for invading your personal space. I’m not going out there, no way.”

She rolled her eyes and went to sit with Rue. 

“ Where’s mommy?” Rue asked, Emie kissed her forehead and changed the subject.

“ You hungry?”

“ uhuh.” She nodded, as Emie stood up and made her way to the kitchen, signaling for the boy to follow her.

“ What did you see out there?” She whispered while taking out some eggs and bacon from the fright.

“ Death, all I saw was death.”

She looked at him and then back at what she was busy with. Taking out a pan and oil. She turned on the gas stove, placing the pan on the fire.

“ Are you hungry?” She asked, her back to him.

“ Yeah, I wouldn’t mind some food, between you and me what do you think is going on.”

She broke 6 eggs, added some milk, and started beating it all in a round orange bowl.

“ I don’t know when we got home everything was completely normal. It’s the news reports that spooked me, and the lost signal.”

He looked at the way she was beating the eggs, her face looked so calm but her hands were doing so much work, without breaking a sweat. She put all the eggs in the pan and they started to cook.

“ God, it’s scary what’s happening out there. I hope my parents are okay. I was on my way home, but—“ he stopped and sighed, “ God this is just scary and shit.”

“ Hey hey, language. If I gotta tell you to compose yourself one more time I’m gonna kick your ass out.”

“ You’re gonna kick his ass, that’s mean,” Rue said as she made her way to the kitchen.

“ Go sit down, I’ll bring your food to you.”

She finally finished their eggs and bacon, accompanied by toast. Once they had settled down and ate Rue was already blinking multiple times with her head swaying as her body was begging for sleep. Emie picked her up and put her on the couch, putting a blanket over her body.

“ How old is she?” He whispered out,

“ She’s four.”

“ and how old are you?”

” Why are you Interrogating like I’m the one who bathed in uninvited.” she looked at him, her face steady and cold.

” Okay chill, I’m 19.”

She went back to the window and looked out, God this couldn’t be real. She closed the window, seemed at this point it was better to be in their little box away from the world. She pressed her forehead against the curtain, ( I hope you’re okay mom.) she thought to herself before turning around.

The tv signal switched on,

News reports on several deaths that have occurred. People are seeking shelter in strangers' homes. Weird behavior was detected in some of the people who were caught by what we are calling the acid air. People are urged to stay home, and not to open their homes to any strangers as things are getting out of control.

This is Abigail liner signing out.

Emie turned around and arched an eyebrow at the boy,

“ they said something about weird behavior, I’m acting pretty normal. My name is Max, by the way, just in case you’re wondering.”

“ I wasn’t wondering.” She bluntly replied as she made her way to the window once more. She jumped as something knocked on the window aggressively, falling on her head. She felt light-headed, her head spinning, accompanied by a throbbing headache.

“ Are you okay?” Max reached over and grabbed her.

“ There’s—“ she pointed at the window before something tried to pull the door handle aggressively.

“ What is it?” Max walked towards the window, opened it slightly. “ what the fuck!!!”

“ Mind your damn language and get away from the window.”

“ What is that thing?”

“ I don’t know, God...” Emie replied, panicked consumed her as she held her head.

“ It’s okay the door is locked, we have to wait it out.”

“ What are we waiting out, there are fucken Satan demons outside and my mother is out there.” She snapped, Max stunned.

“ Mind your language, you’re not the only one who doesn’t know if your loved ones are okay. Plus I’m pretty sure phones are still working, try calling her?”

She grabbed her phone from her school bag and dialed her mother’s number, she picked up.

“ Mom, mom are you okay?”

“ Emie, honey I’m trying to come home. Are you guys okay, Are you okay? You and Rue?!”

“ We’re okay mom, but it’s not safe to come home. Where are you?”

“ What is that?!” Her mother screamed, panic in the background accompanied by weird growls.

The phone dropped, Emie’s heart sank before it started beating incredibly fast. She could hear it knocking her senseless in her eardrums.

“ Hey Emie, your mom sounds like a smart woman. She’ll be okay.” Max reassured her, she looked at him. Trying hard to fight back the tears.

“ We’re in hell, and it seems to me like the darkness is winning.” 

“ What’s going on with your skin?” Max said, pacing backwards.

“ My skin, what about my skin?” She pulled her arms out as she watched herself glow a luminous yellow.

“ I—“ she touched her arms, gently brushing it.

She heard the loud screeches, she ran over and opened the window. She saw the weird beasts which surrounded her house backing away, covering their eyes.

She stepped back and looked at Max, the luminous fading.

“ How did you do that?”

“ I don’t know...”

“ Light, you’re the light.” 

“ What light, I’m—“ she was confused, utterly.

“ You’re the light that will fight off this darkness.”

She smiled slightly, she all she thought about was finding her mother. 

“ But I don’t even know how I did it?”

“ I don’t know either.” Max said, “ but you did it once you can do it again.”

“ I’m scared...”

“ Hey so am I, but this means you could find your mom.”

“ I could find my mom, and help you find your parents.”

“ That sounds like a plan, let’s wait for the acid to die down. Maybe you can save us all.”

she looked at him, then back at her hands and gave him a little smile.

” you should smile more often.” He teased.

” not for you I won’t.” She rolled her eyes.

2 weeks later of the acid spreading, and finally it died down. Rue had become comfortable around Max who had become a member of their little team. She saw her sister glow, and called her tinker bell. Max couldn’t disagree, tinker bell was practically a hero. Emie could channel her light, she felt some kind of power accompanied by it. She didn’t understand how, but there was no time to figure it out.

They set out to find their mother, their noses covered with scarfs. She couldn’t cover her sisters eyes nor lie, the dead bodies were left to decay on the ground. 

Max found a store packed with guns, he decided it would be good to have just Incase Emie ran out of light bulbs. Emie wasn’t sure but didn’t have much of a choice. Max carried an AK47 and a pistol. Emie carried a shot gun, had its ammo around her shoulders, hanging on her waist.

They arrived at her mother’s hospital, there was silence. The further they went in, all they heard was the sound of a vending machine.

Emie held her sisters hand tight, Max slightly in front. 

She heard a growl, they ran into a random room and quickly shut the door. She saw it, she saw the devil itself running across the hospital hallway.

“ Jesus...” Max said, chuckling in disbelief. “ We’re living in a fucken horror movie.” He turned and looked at Emie, “ Wanna try and unleash your light bulb super power?”

“ I’ve been trying actually, I don’t know how still...” she took out her phone, “ I want to try and dial mom.” She dialed the number and heard the phone ring. “ Let’s go.” She pulled Rue up before Max could disagree.

She paced towards the sound of a ringing phone, and froze when they were eye to eye with this beast all the way across the hallway. Max started shooting at it, still the monster raced like no bullet touched it. Emie took her shot gun and started shooting it. Head shot, it collapsed right by their feet, not before Rue broke off with a scream.

It echoed in the hall ways, awakening more. She saw her mother, but she wasn’t herself anymore. She—

“ Mom!!!” Rue ran, Max yanked her back and picked her up.

“ Mom.” Emie said, “ Mom mom what’s going on with you?”

Her mother started pacing towards her, with a growl. Max took out his gun,

“ No!!!” Emie put it down, she looked over as her mother tackled her. She looked at her skin which looked like it had been burnt by acid. Her teeth sharp, her voice now a growl.

“ mom mom!!!” She cried out, pushing her away.

“ Emie she’s gone!!!” Max said, kicking her mother off with his feet. He grabbed his gun, 

“ No!!!”

Max was agitated, he grabbed Rue and ran into a room. Emie turned as her mother came swinging scratched her face. She fell and her gun fell and slid far from her.

“ mom please wake up, mom please fight it.” Her mother chocked her, pinned to the ground. She felt each breath she took during her panic deplete as her mother held her neck, depriving her of air.

Max came out and picked up the shot gun, head shot.

In her eyes she watched her mother fall, it happened so slow. She coughed, held her neck and screamed.

The light in her flickered, and died.

“ You killed her!!!” She screamed, veins throbbing out through the skin of her neck. She screamed, she—she lost it.

The growls came from each corner, “ Emie get up!!!”

He pulled her up and closed her in the room, and watched the hospital flooded by evil. 

Emie looked at him, her eyes flooded with salty water. “ We’re in hell, and it seems to me like the darkness is winning.”