Transmission

      “Good evening folks, I’m Anna Collins and this is 109.9 The Bear radio, the best station in the nation! It is Friday and it is 8pm, it’s raining cats and dogs, but you know what, that’s fine, because Friday’s are my favourite time of my favourite day of the week. You know why? Because every Friday I get to sit back and chat with YOU, my lovely listeners, about how you’re feeling. Maybe there’s something you want to get off your chest, or maybe you wanna break up with your boyfriend, or complain about the recent elections – if you’re listening Mr. Clinton, congrats! - or maybe you just wanna be heard! That’s what I’m here for folks, like a big ol’ radio bear, ready to open her cute little bear ears and simply listen. So, grab a glass of red, maybe your favourite blanket, and dial 989-4431 and talk to me, up here at the top of Crest Hill’s little mountain. Hello there, this is Anna-Bear! Whatcha got for us tonight?”

A low hum with hints of static prickled through Anna’s headphones.

“Hello? Aaaanyone there?” a few undiscernible sounds moved in and out of the static. “Alright then, moving on-”

A voice cut through the static.

“Hello?”

“Ohp, hi there! I can barely hear you.” Anna said.

“I, I don’t have much time. Um okay, I was a senior researcher at a laboratory in Anchorage. I-”

“Woah, Anchorage! No wonder the sound isn’t great, but we’ll make it work. So, what’s your name sir?”  

The speakers cracked with distortion of a bad connection. Anna looked over at Sebastian in the editing booth, who slapped up a piece of paper on the soundproof glass which read ‘Skip.’ in thick permanent marker. Anna shook her head and moved towards

the button to end the call.

“If they find me, I’m dead! I’m dead!” the voice said. Anna’s finger stopped just shy of the ‘END CALL’ button.

“What did you just say?” Anna looked at Sebastian, whose eyes were wide. A moment later he slapped up the same piece of paper which now read 'DON’T Skip!'  

“P-please, I need you to listen! I…I…” the voice trembled. Anna put out her cigarette and pressed the headphones to her ears.

Anna said “It’s ok. Take a breath, what’s going on?”

“I, um, I don’t know where to start. Okay um…they, they found something, in the ice, near the Russian coast in the Bering Sea. We think maybe global warming had it float out, with ice melting, and…oh god…” Sobs mixed into the buzzing.

“Sir, what’s you na-”

“We found beings, in the ice, b-beings that should not have been found, and…the government knows, they are trying to contain it…They took out the power, those-those things! I heard the screams, I had to run I had to run, I just had to. Oh god, I’m sorry…”

Anna pursed her lips. “Sir, is this a joke?”

“It’s not a fucking joke! Many will die, and many more will…oh god, it’s going to be so much worse…Ok, um…T-they are going to triangulate this position very soon. Take your loved ones and any batteries or generators as you can and get to high ground!

They…they can wear skins, they can even talk…but they are not human- It was Dr. Peinsk! He…he’s the one who discovered how to kill them!”

The static increased, drowning the voice out. Anna looked at Sebastian, who worked to try and clear up the signal. A moment later, the static calmed slightly and the voice came back. Anna's jaw tensed.

“…spaces that are safe…mensional beings tha….We don’t hav…of time…the o…kill them is by-”

The hum and static amplified until a large Anna heard a large pop, then nothing.

“Damnit!” Anna said, taking off her headphones. Sebastian appeared through the door.

“I’ll go check the breakers out back. The fuses might be out too.” He left before Anna could say anything.

Anna sat down slowly, found her cigarettes, and lit one. She grabbed a nearby notepad and jotted down some words. Bering

sea. Many will die. Gov knows. Skins. Dr. Pines? Pints? Pens? Had to run....Anna got up without knowing why and started to pace. When Sebastian reappeared, she let out a deep sigh.

“That was a weird call!” Anna said.

“It was kinda freaky,” replied Sebastian. “It was probably a crank call.”

“Yeah…you’re probably right. It’s just…I could hear it. In his voice.” Anna took another drag of her cigarette.

“Hear what?” Sebastian asked. Anna looked up at him.

“Fear. Genuine fear. What did he say at the end? How to…kill? Kill them?” Anna asked, her throat dry.

“Listen, it was probably a prank. Let’s just get up and running then we can get a drink later.” Sebastian turned to leave but stopped in the door frame, then turned around. “I forgot to mention. When I went outside, half the city was dark. And the half that wasn’t was…blinking?”

Anna shook her head. “What?”

“It’s like the whole city was on the fritz,” Sebastian continued, “Like if the lights were hanging on to dear life.” Sebastian cocked his head, then said, “I’d better go check the backup generator again.”

Sebastian left. Anna looked down at her notepad and saw more words that she wrote. Her heart shot up to her throat.

They took the power out.

A scream muffled by the walls made Anna jump and drop her cigarette. She backed into the desk, her whole body in tremors.

“Sebastian? Are you-” The lights went out. Anna gasped, then fumbled until she found the magnetic flashlight under the desk. She turned it on and pointed it at the door to the radio booth.

“Sebastian?” Silence. She shuffled into the hallway, her legs like sandbags.

The emergency exit door at the end of the hall behind Anna crashed open, causing her to fall back and drop her flashlight, which began flickering wildly. In between the spasms of light, Anna saw it.

A taller version of Sebastian lumbered towards her, as if learning to walk for the first time. The skin stretched, and streaks of red stained the green and white shirt he had been wearing. The legs and arms were like large clubs. Sebastian's face twisted and rearranged itself, the visage underneath visible for a single breath.

“Annoa. It is moeee. Sebaaataann...” it roared. Anna turned and ran the other way, screaming. She burst out of the front door and ran towards her car. She tried to pull out her keys but her hands shook too violently, and, with the heavy rain beating down, they slipped from her fingers. The monster broke the door off its hinges and

came at her, moving faster now, finding its feet.

“Anna, it is meeeo. Why aaa you runnoooong…” it said, the voice dropping to a cosmic howl. It extended both arms and numerous thin tentacles spurted out from the ends. Anna’s body ducked down with her hands on her head instinctively, just in time for the

tentacles to smash through her car window. The alarm beeped and the monster shrieked, giving Anna a moment to grab her keys and start running again, her limbs prickling with fright.

Anna ran towards the first light she could see through the heavy rain pelting her eyes. She nearly smacked into the small power station’s door, pulling frantically on the handle. It was locked. Groans and heavy footsteps reverberated behind her. Somehow, through the maelstrom in her mind, she found the key to the padlock and quickly opened the door, slamming it closed just as the monster reached her. The thick steel of the door dented, sending Anna backwards into the electrical panels. Slams on the upper right corner quickly gave way, the corner of the door folding like paper. From the opening the appendage appeared and tentacles sputtered

violently, grabbing the door, and bending it open until the monster’s eye revealed itself.

At the very moment the tentacles spurted out towards her Anna dropped, her legs unable to hold her body. The tentacles penetrated the electrical panel behind Anna and a loud bang pierced through the air. Then, only rain, dark, and Anna’s sobs.

The next day came and went. Anna didn’t move. Eventually, she heard footsteps and peeked out from the dent in the door. A man and a woman had walked up and were talking.

“Hey! Over here!” Anna said. She managed to get the door open and saw the pile of viscera on the ground. She put her hand to her mouth and ran past it.

“Thank god! I-I was attacked by something! It got Sebastian, and…and…” She stopped. The man and the woman stared at her, saying nothing. Then they smiled. In the cracks between their teeth, Anna saw faces, looking back at her.