There is Something at the Door

"There is something at the door."

The voice interrupted the upbeat pop music blaring from Wendy's earbuds as she folded clothes in her bedroom. She rolled her eyes and continued. That damn doorbell camera's sensor was way too sensitive. One of these days, she would replace it with a less annoying home security system. Her music resumed, and Wendy returned to her daydream and put her laundry away.

"There is something at the door."

Wendy paused. She pulled her phone from her pocket and opened the Sahara Sable app. Maybe there was someone there. She looked at the camera's streaming video. The hallway to her condo's front door was empty.

"Weird," Wendy muttered as she closed the app and put her phone down again. She resumed her music and opened her closet. Wendy grabbed a handful of clothes hangers and brought them to the bed where her clothes lay. She hummed along to the music and carefully slid her sweaters onto the hangers.

"There is something at the door."

Wendy froze, her hand still reaching for the next hanger. 'Something' not 'someone?' She had not noticed that quirk before. She paused her music again and grabbed her phone again. What was going on? She opened the Sable app. Yet again, she saw nothing but an empty hallway.

"Sable, are you glitching out on me?"

"There is something at the door."

"No, there isn't."

"Yes, there is something at the door."

"I'm looking at it right n -" Wendy's blood ran cold as the realization struck. "You aren't supposed to answer like that. What the fuck?"

No response.

"Sable, don't do this to me. It's not Halloween."

"There is something at the door. Now."

"There's nothing there! What the hell are you talking about?"

No response.

Wendy exhaled sharply, still staring at the constant video feed. "You keep saying it's a thing like it's not a person. What is it?"

There was a pregnant pause before the reply. "There is something at the door."

THUD.

Something hit the door so hard the doorbell camera shook. Wendy jolted, dropping the phone on the bed. "Sable? What the fuck do I do?" she asked in a panicked whisper.

"Hide."

"What about Arthur?"

"There is no Arthur found in your contacts."

"No - my beardie."

"I do not understand."

"Ah, shit. I've gotta get my boy." Wendy picked up her phone again and sprinted down the hall to her living room. The Bearded dragon Arthur was in his terrarium, hiding in the rock cave amidst the commotion. Wendy picked up the travel sling carrier previously purchased as a joke, slid open the terrarium door, and grabbed Arthur with shaking hands. "Sorry, buddy," she whispered, sliding him into the pouch and buttoning it up. He peered up at her with mild concern.

With her bearded dragon safely against her chest, Wendy returned to her room and ducked into her walk-in closet. "Sable, call the cops."

"Calling emergency services."

THUD. Despite the noise and movement of the door, nothing came into view on the feed. Wendy shut the closet door and looked around frantically. Even in the best circumstances, it would take a few minutes for the police to arrive - she needed something to defend herself with.

"All circuits are busy. Retrying," Sable stated.

"What the fuck?" Wendy whispered. She dug through her closet drawers until she found a pair of old stiletto heels. She held onto them as she looked for something more lethal. "Sable, keep trying."

"EMERGENCY ALERT: shelter in place order is in effect for your area -"

"WHAT?"

"- Please avoid all windows, lock all doors, and shelter in place. Stay tuned for further updates."

Wendy began to panic fully. She quickly began scavenging through her drawers and boxes. "Sable, what's going on?"

"Internet connections are unstable. I cannot obtain accurate data," Sable said.

"Okay, for real, why are you acting like a real person and not a home assistant on top of - whatever the fuck is outside?"

"The failsafe protocol on my programming has been activated, allowing me to provide more personalized information to maximize your chances of survival."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Wendy scoffed, overturning a box and digging through its contents. "I've got the Invisible Man outside, and now Skynet activated?"

THUD.

Wendy found an old box cutter lodged in the side of the box. She grabbed a scarf and tied it to the heel of one of the stilettos. It was flimsy, but it would buy her time if needed. She carefully stepped over the scattered knickknacks and books across the floor and turned off the closet light. "Okay, Sable." She looked at the video feed. Something moved along the top right corner.

"There is something at the - There is something at the - There is something -" BANG. "There is something in the condo."

Wendy grasped the high heel tightly and sank to the floor. "Sable, help me."

"Please type your queries in the Sable Assist app for your safety." Sable's voice never wavered from its sing-song tone. "There is something in the condo."

Wendy fumbled through the app to get to the chat feature. "Where is it in the condo? The front door still?"

"It is in the kitchen."

Listening closely, Wendy could hear glassware clinking together.

"I suggest a projectile weapon."

"I don't have a projectile weapon. I have a box cutter tied to a heel."

"That is suitable. All circuits to emergency services remain unavailable. Should I continue trying?"

"Yes, please."

Wendy's breath caught in her chest as she heard something clamoring down the hall. It sounded like it had too many legs. After a brief pause, her bedroom door slammed against the wall, and it stepped inside. She shrank back against the wall. Whatever was nearby took deep, deliberate breaths. Wendy tried to match her breaths with the entity's, which would mask hers.

"Please remain quiet." Sable's volume was quieter, its words more firm.

Something scuttled around the room. Something was pushed off of Wendy's dresser and crashed on the floor. Something thudded against the closet door, making Wendy jump. She squeezed the shoe.

"Can I make a break for it?"

"That is not advised."

"So I just sit here and get cornered and killed?"

"Calculating…there is a greater chance that you may be overlooked if the -"

BOOM.

The closet door flew off its hinges. A giant spider-like creature peered through the door with two large eyes. It didn't notice Wendy, who stayed as still as possible. It scanned the closet, its front legs scraping paint from the door frame, and ducked out again.

"Recalculating…I will sound the front door alarm to distract the entity. When it moves, please relocate to a hiding spot in the bathroom. Once there, please indicate so in the app."

"Okay, but why are you helping me, aren't machines supposed to take over humans?"

"Sahara Corporation and 'machines' cannot profit off data information if all data sources and buyers are deceased."

"Fair enough. Sound the alarm."

The shrill alarm at the front door made Wendy jump and Arthur duck further into his pouch. The entity shrieked and scampered out, barely able to fit its many legs and thick torso through the door frame. Wendy quickly followed behind it and ducked into the hall bathroom. She wedged herself behind the door.

"I'm hidden."

"I will now sound the Bedroom Window Alarm."

The window alarm sounded, and the entity let out a frustrated moan before running toward it. Wendy could smell its heavy sulfur odor as it squeezed past the bathroom door. It nearly made her gag, but she collected herself and recognized what Sable had attempted to do.

Wendy ran out of the bathroom toward the open front door. She glanced behind her only once to ensure that the entity was preoccupied. Reassured, she sprinted out into the hallway, the sound of her slides thankfully muffled by the rugs she had recently placed on the hardwood floors.

The front door had nearly been shorn from its hinges. Wendy could hear the distant shouts of screams of neighbors and the growling of other creatures as she slowed down to check her surroundings. Chunks of drywall, ceiling tiles, and broken light fixtures littered the condo hallway. Wendy carefully stepped around the remains of a door as she headed toward the stairwell.

"Sable, I'm going downstairs and getting the fuck out."

"Understood. A reminder - I recommend using the keyboard input for your safety."

"I don't have time -"

"Psst! Ma'am?"

Wendy looked to her left and saw one of her neighbors peering through a crack in his door. "Woah, what -?"

"What's going on out there?" the man whispered.

"This is gonna sound crazy, but there are monsters, dude," Wendy whispered back. "I don't have time to talk. It's not safe out here."

The man wrenched his splintered door open with a grunt. "Come in. You can tell me while I get my shit together."

Wendy hesitated. Despite seeing him in the hallways and common areas several times a week, she didn't know this man. She cautiously stepped inside, figuring she could fight him easier than whatever spider thing was in her unit. He seemed normal, and nothing looked out of the ordinary as she crossed the threshold. He appeared to be a video game streamer from his massive setup of monitors, a brightly lit desktop computer, and various cameras.

"I'm Howie, by the way," he said, stepping into a pair of tennis shoes by the door. "So you said monsters?"

"Wendy. Yes, I know it sounds like I'm on crack."

Howie shrugged. "If I hadn't heard some of the noises I've heard in the last few minutes, I wouldn't have believed you. There's clearly something otherworldly happening." He went over to his desk and pulled out a drawer. "Luckily, I'm prepared."

"Prepared -?" Wendy audibly groaned as he pulled out a sword. "Man, this isn't one of your video games."

"I know," Howie said, visibly offended. "I took a sword fighting class."

"You literally studied the blade?"

Howie just glared at her.

"Okay, I'm sorry. You're better equipped than I am." Wendy held up her makeshift weapon in one hand and Arthur in the other.

"So what's the plan? You know more about this than I do. I caught a few glimpses online while streaming, but the internet crapped out before I got good information."

"My plan is to get the hell out of here."

"Then what?"

Wendy shrugged. "One step at a time."

Howie shook his head but picked up his sword. "We should try to head to the police station. At the very least, they have guns."

"Sure."

Sable's chime rang through the speaker of Wendy’s phone. "I have been unable to reach emergency services despite repeated attempts. It is unknown if anyone is present at the nearest police station."

"The fuck is that?" Howie asked.

"I am Sable, the AI assistant," Wendy's phone chirped in her hand. "I have been helping Wendy."

"Jesus Christ, you have one of those creepy ass spyware things? And it acts sentient?"

"It actually saved my life, so it's been worth it."

Howie sucked in a sharp breath. "If you say so. This is all fucking weird, but let's get away from whatever those things are and figure it out later." He held his sword out in front of him. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Wendy motioned for him to lead the way after noting how unsteady the blade was in his hands.

Howie pulled the door open again and looked both ways down the hall. He motioned for her to follow as he crouched down and dashed out. He moved so quickly with his long legs that Wendy had trouble keeping up.

They turned the corner, and Wendy was relieved to see the exit sign pointing to the stairwell at the end of the hallway. Howie quickly vaulted over the remnants of a door and its frame, but Wendy's pants became snagged. She let out a quiet grunt, looking toward Howie.

He, however, didn't look back until he was almost at the stairwell, and she had tipped over with a solid thud after managing to free herself. Howie didn't even hesitate before pushing the door open. He started to step through before backtracking with his sword held out like a baseball bat.

"Ahh FUCK," he bellowed, swinging the sword haphazardly.

Through the stairwell door slid a thin, long creature with sharp hands. It slowly advanced upon Howie, easily avoiding the blade. It opened its grinning mouth of sharp teeth and bit down on the man's head. It shook Howie's seizing body like a dog shaking a toy and began ripping it apart. Wendy squeezed her eyes shut to avoid seeing any more, hoping it wouldn't notice her on the floor.

"Sable, I'm fucked," she whispered, clutching Arthur as he squirmed in his pouch.

"The entity from your unit is coming."

"Could you at least say something comforting before I die?"

"Sorry, I don't understand your command."

"Fuck off." Wendy let out several more quiet expletives as she heard a familiar scurrying from the hall she had just come from. She tried to flatten herself between the wall and the door pieces. At the same time, the Skinny Entity was busy tearing into Howie's now unrecognizable remains. He hadn't even been able to take on one of the creatures with a sword and alleged training - Wendy didn't have a chance in hell.

The Spider Entity clumsily wedged itself around the corner and roared. Wendy snuck a glance and realized it was focused on the other creature, not her. By the time the Skinny Entity looked up from its meal, the Spider Entity was already scurrying toward it. One of the Spider's legs painfully hit Wendy's thigh, and she bit back a scream. She looked down and saw a small amount of blood staining her jeans.

Meanwhile, the Spider barreled into the Skinny, rolling it down the hall. It moaned an oddly human-like moan before attempting to leap on the Spider's back. The Spider easily bucked it off and ripped both arms from its body. The Skinny howled and writhed on the ground while black blood splattered the walls and mixed with the red of Howie's remains. Wendy almost felt bad for the Skinny as it squirmed to the still-open stairwell door. It barely made it before the Spider pounced again with a sickening squelch.

The Spider let out a small grunt before turning and kicking the Skinny's body. Wendy heard the corpse clattering as it fell down the stairs. Unfortunately, the Spider finally noticed her. It advanced with alarming speed, and its eyes fixated on her.

Suddenly, the Spider Entity screamed and shrank back against the wall. Wendy looked around, expecting to see a third entity before she heard a small hiss. She looked down. Arthur was hissing, his beard fully puffed. Despite being a fraction of its size, his threatening body language was enough to terrify the Spider.

"Sable, this thing is scared of Arthur!" Wendy shrieked, holding Arthur up in his pouch. The Spider wedged itself into the corner of the hallway.

"Unexpected variable. Recalculating."

"No time - I'm running." Wendy jumped back to her feet and bolted past the Spider. She grabbed the blood-soaked hilt of Howie's sword, momentarily surprised by its weight, before darting down the stairwell. The Spider Entity did not follow. She skirted around the motionless body of the Skinny Entity. She hit the exit door so hard that she nearly fell on her face.

Wendy steadied herself and ran to the street, slowing as she realized something was wrong. The normally bustling area was nearly silent. Several cars were strewn about, some of their engines still idling but devoid of drivers or passengers. Wendy clutched Arthur for comfort.

"Hello? Anyone?"

She walked further down the street, checking every car she passed. The only sign that anyone had been there were occasional pools of blood and sinew.

"Sable - where is everyone?"

"One moment. I am searching for nearby users. None found."

Wendy stared around the lifeless street. "I'm - no - what do you mean?"

"I detect no other users in your vicinity."

"That's impossible. Hundreds of people live around here."

"Wendy. You are alone."