The Broadcast

I stared out the window as we turned onto the main road of our small, boring town. Above, the clouds stretched across the sky as a dark gray blanket. It casted a gloomy haze over the decrepit buildings passing by in a blur outside the window. Before getting into the car I noted the that the air smelled heavy of un-shed rain.

  I heard my mom mutter under her breath, “I’ve never seen town this empty before.” Her eyebrows pulling together in confused concern. 

  “Maybe it’s because of the storm?” I asked unsure looking forward to the empty street ahead. I’ve never seen town look this dead before either, we haven’t seen one person since leaving our house. It was eerie and I didn’t like the feeling that it gave me. I looked towards the darkening sky again, past the ancient hovering water tower coated in a layer of chipping white paint. 

  Passing my dads workshop, I spotted his old beat up truck he’s been driving since the 80s. The same truck my mom and dad have argued about time and time again. My mom saying that he loves that truck more than her, she sometimes wondered if it would outlive their marriage. My dad loved his truck and says that if mom left than at least he would have one solid reliable thing to hold onto. 

  They didn’t fight often, but when they did you could be sure that truck would find itself in the middle every time. 

  “There’s dads truck.” She huffed as I pointed it out, easy irritated at the mention. In the back seat Lilly groaned at the mention of dad, “I want to see dad!” She started repeating over and over in a sing-song voice. 

  I didn’t miss my moms scowl she threw my way before saying, “Not right now, sweetie. We need to get to the store.” At her refusal Lilly started crying and kicking the back of my seat. Something she has done ever since her legs grew long enough to do so. 

  My hands curled into fist in my lap and I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself before I exploded on my little sister. Something that has gotten me grounded many more times than I’d like to count. 

  “Maybe on the way back through, okay? How does that sound?” Mom said in a soft, soothing voice looking back at her through the mirror.” However it was all too late, her little princess was already in full tantrum mode. 

  I reached my hand out flicking the radio on and turned the volume up a few notched in hopes of blocking out her pouting. No music was playing, instead was the voice of a spokesperson speaking in a low, monotoned voice. I reached out again to switch to another channel but before I could moms hand snatched out catching mine, aggressively enough to make me jump. 

  She released my hand only to turn the radio up a few more notches the man’s voice spoke barely audible over my sisters crying. “-now under martial law. Again we advice-“ 

  Mom whipped around glaring back at Lilly “Shut the hell up right now.” My mouth physically dropped open and behind me Lilly fell silent in her car seat. Mom never yells at us no matter how frustrated, much less cursed at us. She turned the volume up even higher so the man’s voice was the only sound that filled the car. 

  “-all citizens in the surrounding must stay indoors. We also further instruct the everyone, including pets, not to drink the tap water. If water is consumed you must swiftly isolate individual immediately until further notice-“ Pure terror washed across my mom face, she paled as he continued his instruction.

  “Mom what’s happening,” my voice shook as continued to stare at my mom. Only then did I realize that my hands trembled in my lap, I crossed my fingers to hide the tremors. 

  “I’m not sure, honey.” My mom said with the same twinge of fear that the broadcaster had, it gave me chills that ran up the length of my body. I began to feel cold all over, goosebumps forming along my arms making my hairs stand on end. 

 I jumped when my moms phone rang, “Hello, Dan did you hear what they are saying?” Knowing it was my dad on the phone I returned my attention back to what the broadcaster was saying, while mom pulled off the side of the road in-front if a few shops. 

  “-if you come into contact with affected person be sure not to engage while person may become-“ the voice died out in a blink. I looked around confused realizing that all of the lights in the surrounding building and on the street were cut off as well. To my horror even moms car was no longer running leaving us with a silent buzz that seemed to enveloped us. 

  Mom was more concerned with why her phone wasn’t working to realize that everything around us went dark. To my right I saw a flash of movement just enough to catch my attention. 

  “-Dan? Dan are you there?” Her voice was frantic, she even pulled the phone away slapping it on her palm a couple of times. 

  My eyes continued to rove the surrounding buildings for any sign of life. In the backseat my sister began to cry again, feeling the fear as it radiated off not only me but clearly my mom as well. 

  I gasped when I saw it, only after focusing passed our reflection in the glass. Inside the dark building was a deranged face glaring out at us. We sat there staring at each other for a few moments that seemed to stretch on and on. The fear in my gut began to grow and twist into a terror I’ve never felt before. Something was wrong with the way the man was staring at us. 

  I watched as the man began to twitch his neck snapping in odd angles that looked painful and unnatural. Then his face twisted into a devilish smile that stretched wide across his face before he began smashing his face onto the glass door. 

  “Mom!” My voice came out in a shriek, I blindly reached out for her arm shaking it vigorously, unable to take my eyes off the man. Dread turned my blood cold at the sight of the man who continued to smash his face hard against the glass. It shook with the force, dark red streaks beginning to run down with each bash. 

  “What the fuck,” my mom cried out in shock. She frantically tried to put the car into drive, only now realizing that it was dead. She tried the key but it wouldn’t turn over. She whipped around to Lilly who was now sobbing, swiftly attempting to unbuckle her car seat. 

  I screamed as the glass shattered with one last bash, the man ran forward reaching my window before I could blink. I couldn’t take my eyes off him as his bloody torn face began to smash against my window. Terror and panic clawed through me painfully until I felt paralyzed. 

  I barely register my moms door opening as she hurriedly helped my sister out of the car. She screamed my name over the blood rushing through my ears and the man’s head bouncing off the window. It began to crack, ready to shatter any moment. 

  Finally I tore my eyes away from the man and flung myself over the seat nearly falling face first into the concrete in my haste. I heard the glass shatter the moment my feet hit the ground. Sprinting to catch up to my mom who waited with my sister in one arm and the other reaching out towards me. 

  I grasped it firmly and together we began to sprint. Focusing only on my feet smacking on the pavement as we ran. I began to turn for a moment, seeing he was still making his way out of the drivers side door. Ungracefully his body flopped hard onto the cement, quickly recovering. 

  “Don’t look back,” my mom growled pulling me forward. I stumbled and was briefly shocked at her speed despite the weight of my sister.

  Returning my focus to not falling, until I realize a truck was barreling towards us at great speed. 

  My heart sank before I recognized my dads old truck. It swerved around us slamming firmly into the man’s body, sending him flying a few feet into the air before cracking to the ground again. 

  We didn’t hesitate, mom dragged me into the car throwing my sister in after me. After us she leapt in, firmly slamming the door behind her. She reached across us gripping my dads hand firmly in hers. Their eyes saying a million things at once. 

  We all sat there shocked for a moment watching the man’s mangled body. It twitched once, twice before he slowly began to rise again to his feet again. Too shocked for words we could only watch in horror until my dad kicked the truck into drive and slammed his foot on the acceleration. 

  The truck hit his body again this time with much less force. The truck jolted, bumping over his body and we continued down the road. Too breathless from fear, too shocked for words we all sat silently for a few moments. 

  “Your truck is still running.” mom said finally. 

“Probably the only in town after the EMP.” He responded matter in factly. 

“Maybe your truck isn’t so bad after all,” she humors darkly with shake of her head. 

  From the rear view mirror I watched the silhouette of the man rise before disappearing into the distance.