The Yellow-Skinned Creatures

Red and purple confetti fell from the sky. Nobody knew why or what was being dropped because they were so small. That was the day the sun dipped below the horizon and then came right back up again from the west. Whatever it was took root and grew a few hours later. They looked similar to corn stalks. Corn was growing everywhere where there was dirt. Some of the residents took the stalks into their homes because the plants were so pretty. 

Near the river’s edge, three friends sat drinking beer and telling tall tales of conquest. When they ran out of beer, Bobby volunteered to get more. 

Where the hell is everyone? He looked around the campsite and found no clue as to where they might be. He went down by the river, and the boats were still there.

 “Where are you guys? What the hell? I got the beer. I guess I’ll have to drink all of it myself.” 

He lit a cigarette and drank half a can of beer. 

Bobby tried to call his friends from his cell, but there was no service. He drove to his parents’ house and tried to call Jeb’s cell from the landline. It went straight to voicemail. 

He left a message, “Dude, I don’t know what happened to you, but I think you at least need to let me in on the joke. Call me." He immediately called Don’s cell phone and left the same message. 

He drove to the center of town and parked in front of the police station. He hadn’t seen anyone else on the road, and no kids were riding their bikes or people walking dogs anywhere. His stomach was in knots. He parked his car, entered the police station, and found it empty. 

He jumped back in his truck and was about to pull out when three young people appeared. They had watched Bobby exit the police station. 

“Hey, you guys. Where the hell did you come from? I thought this town was deserted.” 

“What is happening?” Trudy said.

“I don’t know, I was down by the river with my buddies. When I left to get more beer, they both disappeared into thin air.” 

“Oh my God. That’s what happened to us, too. We were at the town junkyard looking for parts for Raif’s Mustang.”

 “I’m Raif, this is Trudy and this is Betty.”

“I’m Bobby.”

“Cool. Maybe we should hang out together,” Trudy said. 

“That’s fine with me,” Bobby said.

“Shouldn’t we try to get in touch with someone outside of this town?” offered Betty.

“Come on, jump in my truck, and we’ll drive to the next town.” 

“We can go along and see if we encounter anyone else,” Raif said. 

“First, does anybody have a relative outside of this county?” Bobby asked. 

“Yes, I do. My boyfriend is in the Air Force. I can call him at the base. I’ll use the phone at my house,” Betsy said. 

“Yes. That’s a great idea, Bets.” Raif flashed her a smile.  

“It’s not far. It’s only two blocks from here.” 

“Okay, hop in the truck,” Bobby said.

Bets blushed as she and Bobby made eye contact. 

Inside the house, Bets said, “I’ll be right back.” She ran up the stairs to see if she could find any cash. She looked in her dad’s wallet and in her mother’s pocketbook. Altogether, she collected five hundred dollars. 

“Okay guys, I’m ready to go. I managed to get $500 between my mom’s wallet and my dad’s,” she reported to them, smiling. 

Bets called Steve at the Air Force Base.

“I apologize for calling at this hour, but I need to speak with Steve Banks. It is an emergency.”

“What is the emergency?” the voice on the other end asked.

“Someone answered,” she whispered to the gang. “Steve’s parents are missing.” After a moment, she heard a familiar voice.

“Bets, is that you? What do you mean my parents are missing?”

“Oh, thank God, Steve. Honey, your parents and everyone else disappeared.”

“What do you mean disappeared? Have you guys been drinking and doing drugs?”

“Oh my God, no! There is something terribly wrong here. Steve, I think you should call the FBI.”

“What do I tell them? The entire town has disappeared. Nobody will believe me, babe.”  

“I wouldn’t believe it either, but I’m here seeing it.”

“How about if I talk to some of my guys and we’ll go down to Adela and see what’s going on?”

 ”Really? Great!” She smiles at the gang. “Okay, we’ll be at my house. See you soon. Bye.”

“He believed me. He’s going to meet us here,” Bets said. 

“Wow! He must know you well enough to know that when you tell him something, it is for real,” Bobby commented. 

“You bet. We’ve been friends since fifth grade, but I’d rather talk about what we’re going to do. So far, we're lucky to be alive.”

“Now, Bets, let’s not spook anyone. Shall we?” Raif said.

 “Yeah, we don’t even know what we are up against yet,” a worried Trudy said.

“The truth is, none of us know,” Bobby chimed in. “But,” he added, “Nobody goes anywhere alone, including the restroom.”

“Yeah. I agree,” Trudy said.

“Me, too,” Raif agreed. 

After more than enough time for the Air Force to have arrived, there was still no sign of them. The gang’s nerves were getting the best of them. 

“Call them again and see if they left,” Raif said.

Betty dialled the base again. This time, the phone rang and rang and rang. 

“No one answers.” Bets said it in an agitated voice. 

“I guess we’re going to be stuck here for a while. Maybe we should go for groceries and whatever else we might need,” Bobby said. 

“Are you sure you got all of the bodies from row eight? The tallest one asked the shorter one.

“Of course I did! You insolent bastard. How dare you ask me that?”

“Why don’t you worry about your section of town? said the stout one.

“Yeah, I know you’re aware that there are still some humans left there.” 

“What do you think the rest will say when it is public knowledge that you failed to capture all of the humans living in your sector?” The stout one said it with a menacing look.

“Is that a threat?” the shorter one demanded.

Before they could say another word, they were caught in the beam of light that came from the ship. The bodies they collected rose high into the ship. 

The four hopped into Bobby’s truck and drove to the shopping centre. As they exited the truck, Bobby became aware of something wrong. He turned to the others. 

"Quiet, Don't make a sound.”

A stillness pervaded the town like a cemetery’s silence after a funeral. 

“No birds.” 

“He’s right; I don’t hear any birds singing,” said Trudy.

“Where did they all go?” Bets said.

Raif looked around nervously. 

“No birds. Anywhere.” Bobby lit a cigarette and shoved his hands in his pockets. 

Trudy said, “I think we should all stay together.” 

“Good idea,” Bets said. 

“I think we should go back before dark,” Raif added.

"Okay, let’s do some shopping and get out of here,” Trudy said. 

The two girls entered the grocery store. Raif raided the liquor store, while Bobby walked into the hardware store.

“Raif,” Bobby said, “Did you find anything useful?” 

“Yeah,” Raif said, “Look at all the liquor I got.”

Bobby laughs. "I picked up a couple of shovels, a pickaxe, and an axe. I threw them in the truck bed."

After they returned to Betty's parents’ house and were safely inside, they bolted the door and relaxed. 

“I need a drink,” Raif said. “I don’t know about any of you.” Raif opens a bottle of Scotch. “I’m pouring,” he smiled. 

“Pour me a glass, too,” Bobby said.

“Have any of you thought about what happened to the folk in this town?” Trudy asked, “Our loved ones?”  

“Look. We need to focus on ourselves now and stop talking about things that we know nothing about,” Raif said.

“Raif is right. I know we were all hoping the airmen would show up and help us, but let’s talk about how we are going to help ourselves,” Bets said.

“What do you have in mind?” Bobby asked. 

“I guess I was thinking about taking a drive to see what we could find out there,” Raif said.  

“Maybe that’s better than sitting around here,” Trudy said. 

“I don't know. I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Bets said.

“Come on Bets. We have to stick together; we won’t be gone long,” Trudy said. 

“I guess if everyone else is going, I’ll go too,” Bets said as she smiled. 

The four piled into the truck, and away they went. Bobby thought it best to start on the outskirts of town. 

They drove along Chelsey Road and noticed corn growing everywhere. The corn fields stretched out for as far as the eye could see. 

“Don’t you think this is strange? All this corn?” Trudy asked. 

“Hey, can you pull over, man? I have to pee,” Raif said. 

“Where are you going to go? In the cornfield?” Bets asked.

“Yeah, why? Do you need to go too?” Raif asked. 

“Don’t get lost in there, Raif; you never know what’s lurking among the corn tassels.” Bets laughed.

“Come on, you two; we all need to be friends,” Trudy said, laughing.

“Maybe I’ll go too,” Bobby said, getting out of the truck. 

The boys exited the truck and disappeared into the cornfield. Bobby hit the field first. He stopped to watch a six-foot, yellow-skinned creature with long, extended arms move through the rows, hauling bodies. 

“What the hell?” Bobby said.

“Christ! What the hell is going on?” said Raif.

“Shh, let’s see what they’re going to do.”

“I’m going to check on the girls,” Raif said. “I’ll be right back.”

Bobby spies the creatures between corn stalks. 

The creatures pick up dead bodies and throw them on the heap of bodies they’ve collected. 

“Okay girls, listen. You cannot scream. Understand?” Raif said. Raif takes the girls into the cornfield. 

“Oh my God, what are they?” Trudy said.

“Eew, how disgusting those things are!” Bets said. “Hey, wait. Are those the people who’ve disappeared?” 

“Most definitely Bets,” Raif said.

“Maybe we should get out of here before they know we’re here,” Trudy suggested.

“Yeah, I’ve seen enough,” Bets said. 

“Me too,” Raif said.

Bobby had seen enough too. The four stole back to the truck. Bobby hops behind the wheel, and they speed off down the road.  

The truck screeched to a halt in front of the house, and they all went inside. 

“What do we do now?” Trudy asked. 

“I think we should all have a drink,” Raif said. "Is Sambuca okay, you girls?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Trudy said. 

“What about you, Bobby? Can I get you another Scotch?”

“Yeah, why not? Thanks, Trude.”

“Hey, what are we drinking, guys?” Bets asked.

“Sambuca! And your drink is right here, Bets,” Raif said.

“Why don’t we put some music on?” Trudy suggested.

“We should keep the music low,” Bets said. 

“Good idea, Bets,” Bobby remarked. 

The four chinked their glasses and toasted to their survival. Trudy put the music on, and the four relaxed with their drinks in hand. After a couple of hours passed, Bets was pacing. 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight after seeing those things, and having one of them in the garage.” Bets said.

“Try not to think about it and have another drink, Bets,” Raif said, reaching his hand out to her. “We’ll be fine as long as we stick together.” 

“Do you really think so, Raif? I’m so frightened,” Bets said.  

“I’m frightened too,” Trudy admitted. “My stomach is all in knots, and I feel as though I want to vomit.”

“Whoa, would everyone just get a grip here?” Bobby said. “It will be okay; we need to keep it together until someone comes to help us.”  

“If that's the case, then we should call the FBI so that someone does come for us,” Bets said.

“I’m for that,” Bobby agreed. Nobody knew why Trudy was the last one in the house. “I heard a sound," she said. "And I think it came from the garage.” 

“Oh great!” Bets exclaimed. “Now what do we do?”

“Take it easy, everyone. Calm down," Bobby said.

“Should we investigate?" Raif asked and poured himself another drink.

Bobby picked up the axe and pushed open the side door to the garage, a crack. The axe fell out of his hand, and he rushed to the kitchen, where the others were. 

“What happened to you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!” Raif said.

“What’s going on?” Bets asked. ”What’s going on? Did you see something?”

Bobby flops down on the chair. 

“So what’s up? Tell us,” Trudy said.

Bobby says in a low whisper, “There’s a creature in the garage.” 

“What are we going to do, man?” Raif asks. “What are we going to do?”

The guys arm themselves with shovels. They open the side door and see the creature bent over the chest freezer. Bobby sneaks up behind him and whacks him in the head, stunning the creature. Raif hits the creature too, and it falls into the freezer. Bobby slams the freezer door, trapping the creature inside. The guys pile three winter tires on the lid. 

They go back to the kitchen and tell the women what happened.  

Trudy said, “I think it’s time we call the FBI.”

“Hello, this is the FBI. How may we help you?” The voice on the phone said

“Yes, hi, my name is Betty Green. I live in Adela, Michigan. Everyone in our entire town except for four of us has disappeared. I already called the Air Force Base because I have a connection there, but they were supposed to show up here hours ago now. When I called them back, there was no answer. We’ve trapped one of the creatures; that’s why we’re calling. We need help,” Bets said. 

“Ma’am, nobody else in the county has reported anything like this. I’ll bring it up with my superiors and get back to you.” 

“Yes, sir. All night. Thank you so much for listening,” Bets said. “Please come right away. We need help.”

The FBI agent, Dick, wasn’t sure what to do, but he did call the Air Force Base, but there was no answer. He tried the police station in Adela and got no answer. He went to see his boss. He explained the situation and asked for some men to go to Adela with him to check things out. 

The FBI sent two agents to Adela, but when they arrived, there was an invisible barrier preventing them from entering the town.

Two creatures manoeuvred their way into town. They began to rip the town apart.

At the town’s entrance, Dick was shut out. Dick called his supervisor and explained the situation. 

Dick and his partner get out of the car. They walked up to the barrier, and Dick said, “I don’t see anything, but there is something in the way of us getting into the town.” 

“Yeah, maybe we should try to dig under it?” his partner suggested. 

Dick laughed. “Do I look like a gopher to you? Seriously, what are we going to do about getting through this barrier?”

“Dick, why don’t we alert the Armed Forces? If what these kids are telling us is true, then we'll need the Army.”

“We should try to get some weapons,” Raif said. “I think we’re going to need them.” 

“Why? Do you think we’ll meet up with more?” Trudy asked.

“I think we should be prepared anyway,” Bobby said.

“We’ll be fine as long as we stay put and wait for the FBI,” Bets said with a smile. 

“Yeah, but just in case they come into town,” Bobby said. “Right now we have shovels, an axe and a pickaxe.”

“Okay, can we just maybe change the subject, please? Suddenly I don’t feel so great talking about this stuff anymore.” Trudy said. 

“Don’t worry, Trudy; everything will be okay,” Raif said. 

A creature came through the barrier and attacked the two FBI field agents. Dick and his partner pulled out their pistols to kill the creature. But the creature injured Dick’s partner while Dick shot it in the head. The creature fell but got back up. Dick’s face was drained of colour. He figured out his gun was useless to him now and he panicked.  

More creatures joined the other two as they destroyed bits of buildings and ripped up plants throughout the town. When they moved through an area, they ransacked it so that nothing was as it was supposed to be. This was what alerted Bets to their presence near her parents’ house.

“Okay guys, it’s time to get out there and swing away. I have something for everyone at the back door. We need to keep together and take the creatures out one at a time. Got it?” Bobby spoke quickly but authoritatively. The rest of the gang nodded in understanding. They gripped their handles like baseball bats at the plate with the bases loaded. 

What should I do now? Thought Dick. His panic was just enough for him to move quickly and with direction. He took another shot at the creature with his gun while he popped the trunk of his car. 

He was the sports director for the work baseball team. He grabbed a bat out of the trunk. He shot the creature twice, knocking it on its buttocks. Then he ran to stand on top of it. He swung the bat at the creature’s head and made direct contact. 

The monster toppled over and when it raised its head again, Dick slammed it again with a full swing. The creature barely moved this time as it flopped to a full stop, finally resting on the ground where it landed. 

Dick attended to his partner but it was no use; he was dead. Dick thought that if he draped the creature over top of his body, he might be able to breach the barrier. 

He took his shotgun from the trunk of his car and shoved boxes of shells into his pockets. He wrestled the creature's body onto his back. He headed straight for the barrier. To his surprise, he went through the barrier without a hitch.  

Once on the other side, he dumped the body and looked for a car. He found a car with the keys in it and drove it into town. 

A creature banged into the glass bay window, which caused Bets to scream as she jumped. Raif ran to her side with the shovel gripped in his hand. The creature crawled inside. The four of them ganged up on the creature, hitting it from all sides. 

Dick drives to Bet’s parent’s house, where he sees three creatures trying to get into the house.

Bobby shoves the shovel through the creature's neck and kills it. The creatures rattled the doors and before another creature could crawl through the broken glass, Raif knocked it on its head, knocking it back. 

A shotgun blast rang out as Dick approached the house. Another blast and another creature falls to the ground with its head split open. The last creature attacks Dick, sending the shotgun out of his hands.

The guys in the house come out and attack the creature from behind. The creature reaches out and claws Bobby across the back. Bobby falls to the ground. Dick scrambles to his feet, picks up the shotgun and shoots the creature in the head. The creature falls dead. 

“Is that the last of them?” Dick said. 

Betty goes to Bobby’s side. Are you okay? Are you okay?” She looks at his wounds and runs into the house to grab the first aid kit. She tends to his wounds. 

Bobby got up on his knees. Betsy hugged him and said, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Dick explained how to get through the barrier. 

Raif helped Bobby to his feet. They followed Dick’s example and the five of them walked through the barrier.

Betsy hugged Bobby and said, “I’m glad you’re up on your feet again.”