Into the Void

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. Now if it was just a single scream, it could just be brushed off as something your mind made up to justify a sound. Unfortunately, the evidence reveals a much more horrifying truth. Its been nearly a month since the audio recording of the last expedition into space was released. It went viral almost instantly, and, for obvious reasons, was taken down within a day.

I'll never forget the gut-wrenching, ear-piercing, horrified screams I heard. Not just human screams too, I swear I heard animal screams, and something else that didn't sound natural. Apparently the therapy business is booming now because of the recording. I can understand why, if I could afford a therapist I would probably go to try and get rid of these recurring nightmares. Apparently the astronauts that heard the screams directly have been admitted into a psyche ward, well most of them. Two of the seven people on that exploration have gone missing under strange circumstances.

"Blaire! Get out of your daydreams already and finish unpacking those boxes!", Kathy's voice rang out clear through the aisle. I wave a hand dismissively at her, which makes her glare at me in turn. Kathy isn't the manager, as much as she wishes she was, but she wants all of her co-workers to know that they are beneath her. I've gotten so used to her nagging, complaining, and gossiping that its basically become background noise.

Work finishes mostly without incident. Kathy kept knocking over the things that had just been put on the shelves, or picking fights. For some reason, she was really aggressive against me today. Even Jack noticed it and he's usually oblivious to everything, including her snide comments directed at him.

I shake off the day and begin my walk home. The sun is still setting as I make my way down the streets, the closing shops, and tired people passing me by. The lingering light of the sun shines off the high rises and windows of the shops. The warm breeze accompanies the last remnants of light, it makes me stop for a moment to appreciate the beauty of this day.

A high pitched scream takes me out of my thoughts. Across the street a lady dressed in a pantsuit is on her knees on the ground, clutching her head. A few people along the street rush in to help her, but when the get close she swipes at them screaming for them to go away. More people have gathered around, but everyone is too afraid of approaching her to try and help her up.

I make my way across the street too, I don't really know if I can do anything but I would like to be there just in case. Plus I'm insanely curious as to what's going on with this lady. The first thing I notice when I see her is the scratch marks all over her face, mainly around her eyes. As I get closer I notice her whole body is trembling. The closer I get the more I notice, her skin discoloration, the welts on her hands and face, even her aura seems off. Her head snaps up once I reach the front of the crowd, and she looks directly at me. Her irises are black with red outlining them, and seeing them has made my blood run cold.

"It was you-", her voice cracks and sounds otherworldly, "You saw us. You still see us," her head tilts in a jerky motion as she begins crawling towards me. I don't know if everyone else is frozen in their spots, but I am. My blood feels like ice and no matter how much I want to, I can't look away. Now, at my feet, she begins to claw her way up my body, piercing my skin with her nails as she gets onto her feet to look me in the eye. Her lips now at my ear she says, "You. Will. Suffer. You-", she laughs, " Will die!".

Police finally arrive and she has to be forcibly removed from me before she calms down. As they were pulling her away from me though she had dug her nails into my stomach hard enough to make me bleed. It felt like death had touched me, and it left me feeling dread, stiffness in my body, and like all the happiness had gone from the world.

It wasn't until the paramedics were treating my wound that I actually started to feel myself come to again. Apparently she had punctured the skin so deep I needed stitches. I don't actually care about the stitches but the doctors couldn't explain the black veins beginning to form around the puncture marks.

The police were kind enough to bring me home, after everything that happened today it was a welcomed suggestion. Collapsing on my couch feels like paradise. It's soft, and familiar cushioning envelopes me completely. Oliver, hearing I've come home, comes to greet me. Like routine, he nestles on my right shoulder between my neck and the couch, his soft purrs lulling my exhausted self into sleep.