September 10th. 2 am. A large sound, like one of those old emergency sirens, erupts through my apartment complex. Everything shakes violently and my power briefly goes out. I am trapped. It’s not that my door is jammed, or blocked by a fire, it’s just simply that nothing will open. I try my front door to no avail. I check if it’s locked, which it’s not, and when I peer out the peephole, there is nothing, and no one, holding it back. I live alone, so there is no one to vent my frustrations to, or even talk to someone about how just insane this all is. I try to call 9-1-1. The line disconnects. I try my friends and my family next. My cell service is fine, but every call drops. I am now living in a prison cell with no keys, and no guards. I run to my window, hoping to get someone’s attention from the outside world, when my panic worsens.
Outside, there is a crowd of people. It’s 2am, and definitely out of the ordinary for my town but, I’m guessing everyone was awoken by the siren. In dim streetlights, they all shuffle about in a panic. Emergency lights can be seen a few blocks down, and people are holding onto loved ones. I’m shouting and banging on the window, hoping to get someone’s attention. No one looks up, or even flinches. It’s like I’m not even there to the outside world. My windows are welded shut for safety purposes put in place by the building. I look around for something heavy in my kitchen. I grab the bottom part of my blender, and throw it at the window in desperation. It bounces off, and falls to the ground, breaking into pieces. The window takes no damage. Not even a scratch. Rather than getting angry, I fall into the abyss of defeat, and do what any sane person would do. I turn on the TV.
Every channel blinks in and out of static while text rolls along the bottom of the screen. It reads as followed:
“Don’t try and leave. If you’re inside, you’re safe. If you’re outside… It won’t let you leave.”
There is only static left on the TV, and a strange sensation falls over me. I’m too scared to sleep, so I brew a coffee, grab my comfiest chair and drag it over to the window so I could stare out into the streets. With a fresh cup of coffee in my hand, I’m ready to figure out what’s going on in the outside world.
As I watch, an orange light suddenly radiates from the ground outside like the Earth’s core is going to explode! Screams of sheer horror erupt from the streets, and watch as everyone panics like ants before a rainstorm. Suddenly a flash blinds me. I dropped my coffee so I can cover my eyes. The blinding light lasts for a minute or so, and when I reopen my eyes, the world is on fire.
Goosebumps envelop my skin, and I’m drenched in a cold sweat. The streets below have hell itself. The people who were outside are now turned in molten slugs. Their once human silhouettes are now misshapen, twisted, and entirely coal black. The ones that had held onto their loved ones were now fused together, forever encapsulating their terrible fate. The smell wafts in a second later and I rush to the bathroom and hurl whatever contents are left in my belly. Burnt flesh reeks through my apartment, as I took another view of my world on fire. Flames burst from the roads and sidewalks but, from what I could tell, the homes and other buildings were completely un-touched. What was I to do but watch? Before I could even contemplate another idea, another siren began. This time wailing and sounding disturbing. If sirens had windpipes, this one was being crushed.
I became incredibly dizzy and flop myself back into the chair. My head spins and nausea take over and I try to close my eyes to get a grip. I end up passing out; I think.
When I awake, there’s dried blood under my nose and lips. Though, I didn’t have time to worry about that, as I gaze at my fingertips that are crusted with my old blood. The streets below come into focus., and the people are gone. Maybe they just melted into puddles, or turned to ash. Suddenly, I hear shuffling outside my front door. I can feel my fight or flight response in my core, screaming to be unleashed as the adrenaline in my body spikes. I quietly make my way to my front door. The smell beyond it is now all too familiar to me. I investigate my peep hole and lose all hope. On the other side of my door is a grotesque burnt corpse from the street. Only, this one is much more alive now. It doesn’t make a sound. It only stands and sways on its brittle legs. Its hands look like paddles, as all of its fingers have fused together. It raises its arms and paddle hands, and rips its mouth open. A visceral display of black sludge comes pouring from its mouth.
“P-p-please l-l-let me iiiiinnn.” It shrieks, followed by whimpers of pain. This poor soul tries to open the door, and is now banging its whole body against it.
“It wo-wo-won’t be loooong now.” It croaks.
“It won’t let you leave; you-you need to leave.” It cries, as it slumps out of view, curling at the foot of my door. I muster enough energy to yell back.
“What is it? What won’t let me leave?” The crying stops abruptly, and the silence becomes deafening. I go to my bedroom and grab my laptop.
I sit here now, writing to anyone out there. Is this happening everywhere? Am I truly alone? Is this even reaching anyone? Please, someone talk to me… Don’t leave me here! My internet is not solid so it may not even be sending…
There is a knock at my door, and I am afraid. So very afraid. For I know, what stands on the outside of my door. It is not another victim. No, it is far worse. I can feel it in my soul. It is that in which won’t let me leave.
I hear the click of my door unlocking, and the creak of my door handle.
It won’t let me leave.