The lights flickered once and my eyes glanced at the illuminated ball of glass. Reaching up to give it a tap, there were no further flashes. “What was that?” my younger brother asked.
He’s always been afraid of the dark. Once when he was a child and I was no more than thirteen, there was a blackout. He had come running into my room, streams of tears flowing from his eyes. I held him close to me as I found a flashlight and some candles for the night.
“It was nothing,” I answered, going back to my History book. “Just a flicker.”
“Is it time to change the bulb?” he asked, giving me a look of discomfort.
“Not really,” I told him. But when I looked up and saw the despair in his eyes, I let out a sigh. “Fine, go get a new bulb.”
He lightly smiled and went to the closet. Opening the door, he plucked one from the stock of light bulbs we had and brought it over. I reached over to the coffee table and took the flashlight I had there, turning it on. I held it up to him as he exchanged the objects. The new bulb was in and a slightly brighter light was covering the room like a protective blanket I could never really feel.
“That’s better,” Kyle said, grinning at the glow.
“Now please,” I grumbled. “I need to study. I have a test tomorrow.”
“You’re always studying,” he mumbled.
“Well I’d like to get into college for free. We barely have enough money as it is. I’d not like to think about how much money we wouldn’t have if I was paying for the tuition.”
I saw him roll his eyes, but he immediately regretted the small action.
“Would you like something to eat?” I asked him.
“It’s okay. I can make it myself. You keep studying.”
I raised my eyebrows at his statement but didn’t push it.
After a couple minutes, Kyle came back in empty handed.
“We’re out of cheese,” he stated.
“Is a ham sandwich okay for tonight?” I questioned.
“We have no bread either,” he added.
I sighed and glanced at the clock.
“Get your coat on. We’ll make a quick run to the store.”
He nodded and left the room. Placing a random piece of paper between the two pages I was on, I sat the thick book on the table and got to my feet, heading towards the front door. Kyle had already slipped on his shoes and was working on the zipper of his thick coat. I had to help him fasten it.
“Go ahead out, but stay in the hallway. If I catch you down the stairs, we’re not going,” I told him.
He nodded and was gone.
As I shoved my feet into my shoes and reached for my coat, my eyes went to the picture frame on the table. The two people smiling there looked so alien now, though I looked like one of them, Kyle matching the other. It… hurt looking at them, at our resemblance. Every time I passed by, I laid it face down on the table.
And every time Kyle put it back up.
I exited our apartment, leaving it unlocked, and saw Kyle at the top of the steps. Though he followed my order, he was on the edge of disobeying it. I moved to his side and we stepped down the stairs. They ended at the main door and Kyle opened it, skipping outside. I followed, closing it behind me and hearing the automatic lock click.
The air was cold and when the wind blew, it bit at my skin. I tightened the hood over around my hair and reached for Kyle’s hand. I found it and he squeezed mine tight, making sure I was there. We started walking in silence.
“Sis?” Kyle said through the peaceful night.
“Hm?” I responded, not bothering to look down at him.
“Do you ever miss them?”
There was a pause and I gave his hand a caress with my thumb. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
I left the subject at that.
We made it to the small store a couple blocks over and I grabbed a hand-held carrier to hold our tiny list of items. We only placed two things inside: cheese and bread.
There was only one cash register open and we stepped up to it. The woman there was an elderly one, who looked like her skin had outgrew a hundred bodies. Her hair was gray and very thin: I could see her scalp underneath. Her fingers were long and lean, like they would cut you just from the contact of their tips. Her eyes were almost black as night, boring into my skull when she gave me a rotten teeth smile.
I pushed Kyle behind me just a tad.
She took our bread and scanned it slowly, “You kids are out late,” she said, her voice hoarse and raspy.
I slightly nodded, “Yeah, ran out of sandwich stuff.”
A spine shuddering laugh escaped her cracked thin lips. “I guess you’re all set then!” she choked out as she scanned the cheese.
“Yeah,” I muttered, reaching for my wallet.
She placed the two items in a bag and tied them up. “No charge,” she grinned.
“It’s okay ma’am, I have mon-”
“No,” she insisted. She stopped to cover her mouth, hacking on something caught in her throat. I saw something slide out over her lip, mucus or maybe even blood, and she merely wiped it on her pants. “It’s on the house,” she added, her eye twitching in what looked like a wink.
“W-well thank you,” I said, reaching for the bag.
Her hands suddenly clasped on my wrist. I gasped and with unnatural strength, she pulled me over the counter in a bent position. “But be warned,” she almost spat. I started struggling, trying to get free from her grip.
“Ma’am,” I gasped hoarsely, “That hurts.”
“Let go!” Kyle exclaimed somewhere behind me, tugging on my coat.
The woman ignored our protests and tightened her grip, making pain ripple through my arm. She pulled me even closer, so close I could smell the disgusting perfume on her body and the bile in my throat. “You’re in terrible danger,” she whispered.
“W-what?”
Her sharp fingers released and I was sent backward, knocking over the metal rack that held Get Well cards. I snatched our groceries and Kyle’s hand, quickly exiting the store.
I didn’t slow down until we were a block away.
“What did she say?” Kyle asked.
I was still so shocked, I almost didn’t hear him. “I… I don’t know,” I lied.
We kept walking and through the silence, Kyle spoke, “Where is everybody?”
I finally looked around and saw absolutely no one. There were no cars, no stores open, no people walking down along with us. The streets were never this… empty.
Suddenly the light at the end of the street blew out. “W-what was that?” Kyle stammered.
The one opposite of it on the other side went black.
“What’s happening?” he questioned.
“It’s okay,” I told him.
The next two in line exploded, glass shattering onto the ground.
Not… not again.
“Kyle,” I said, turning to him. On the side behind us, I could see the street lights shutting off as well, locking us in a circle of darkness. “Get your flashlight out,” I ordered.
“But-”
“Now!” I almost screamed. He lightly flinched but did as I said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his small white flashlight. “Turn it on and keep it on yourself.” I could hear the shattering of glass and out of the corners of my eyes could see the darkness getting closer.
“I’m scared,” Kyle choked out.
“It’ll be okay,” I lied again. Every nerve in my being was on fire, crackling and singeing my blood. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, like my air was being stolen by my fear.
Breaking the pattern, all the bulbs shut off except for the one above us.
I could hear the sound now just like the first time: the sound of wings. They tore and ripped through the air like blades, cutting at my eardrums. They surrounded us and threatened me with their presence. For the second time tonight, I felt like I was going to throw up.
Kyle huddled close, me wrapping my arms around him, hoping that maybe, my embrace would protect us.
I don’t want to go yet.
“I love you,” Kyle whispered.
“I lov-”
The light above us shattered, glass falling into the air around us, into my hair.
I thought i would last longer than this.
It was silent.
Kyle started to move. “Don’t,” I muttered.
He did as I said.
“Keep the light on the ground,” I told him in a hushed voice. “Don’t look at them.”
“Look at who?” he softly asked.
Before I could answer, he was ripped from my arms.
What?
“Kyle!” I screamed into the black.
It’s not… me?
The flashlight hit the ground and through the darkness I could hear it break into pieces, the only source of light destroyed.
“No! You can’t take him! He’s too young! It’s me!” I shrieked.
What felt like a soft hand caressed my shoulders, sending chills down my back.
“Not your time,” whispered the unknown being.
“More planned for you,” softly said another.
“Please! Not again! You can’t take him too!” I screamed, tears welling in my eyes. “Give him back. Please,” I begged.
“Not done yet.”
Suddenly all the lights on the street were back on. Tears were running down my cheeks when I looked up.
Kyle was gone, only his mangled white flashlight remained.