The Voice

  First published 2008, 2010, 2011 by Sci-Fi-cafe.

  www.sci-fi-cafe.com.com

  Copyright © William L.K 2008

  The right of the author to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owners.

  WILLIAM L.K

  THE VOICE

  PROLOGUE

  And so it was that on the third day after the annihilation, we began again.

  With my consciousness barely stirring, I noticed my hair was filthy and wet, clothes torn and unrecognizable. Struggling, I was able to get my head high enough above the water line to see the town before me in ruins. Mostly smoke now, some fire.

  I was one of the few who found something to float on. I was stretched out on a large, jagged piece of what I assumed was once part of a wall. It was sturdy enough to support my weight, and I had the luxury of a little extra room to spread out from time to time.

  A bell was ringing from the edge of the beachfront, I would guess a few hundred yards from my position. It was the first sound I had heard coming from land since the exodus to the sea.

  There were less than a dozen of us out here floating aimlessly. Some on broken pieces of wood, some bent over barrels or pieces of trees, whatever would keep us afloat. The bell rang out louder and louder, almost an indication that it was all right to return. At least that is what the optimistic part of my brain was telling me. Some of the survivors had already started back to land. Hesitant but hopeful, I followed along.

  The sea was almost too calm against the backdrop of the torn and smouldering town. No manipulation of the water at all, just as still as could be. As I paddled in toward the coast, the sunlight occasionally bounced off the water and created an orangey-blue reflection mixed with the remaining fire. I must admit, it was eerily beautiful.

  Starting to kick up slightly, a few tiny waves finally did come alive just before I made it to shore. They made a subtle but unsuccessful attempt to knock me off my course.

  I could see the bell clearly now, surprisingly shiny and unsullied. It had the size of a liberty bell, clanging away every three to five seconds. Next to the bell, standing on a sizeable metal scaffold, stood a large framed, bearded muscular Goliath. Well over six feet tall, he towered over the rest of us. Sounding the bell with methodical regularity, the giant stood there, never looking up, just ringing the bell over and over.

  Some of the survivors were gathering around him as I placed my bare feet into the murky shoreline. Bare feet? Where did my shoes go? Did I have shoes on?

  Then suddenly, the bell stopped ringing.

  We all stopped in our tracks.

  No sound, nothing and no one moved.

  It seemed as though even the world itself were in a freeze-frame, unable to catch it’s breath, afraid of what might be next, if anything at all.

  Then, before another movement would occur, it dawned on me. Something was so very wrong and I knew what it was. A sudden panic wrapped up every inch of my being as I began to tremble...

  What is your name? I asked myself.

  There was a long pause before I realized the truth.

  - CHAPTER 1 -

  Three days earlier

  “Get down from there,” yelled Marie. “I don’t give a damn what you‘re looking for, just get down!”

  Marie had already had it, it was just before Noon on the Fourth of July, guests had arrived way too early for the pool party and John was upstairs in the attic searching for more decorations that they didn’t need. She also knew that with every decoration he put up, it would be her that would have to take them all down later when he was in a drunken coma.

  “Calm down,” Said John from the upstairs attic, hardly affected by her small tirade. He was going to find the fourteen electronically lit American Flags, complete with sparkly fringes and cast iron stands, even if it killed both him and her, preferably her first. “I know I put them here last year, they look so friggin cool shining on the fence!”

  Marie kicked the bottom of the staircase, hurled a silent ‘screw you’ up at him, and stormed away toward the pool.

  The muddled nightmare of a party was well in swing. Kids everywhere, parents everywhere, people Marie was sure she didn’t invite everywhere. What fun! She thought, quite sarcastically, as she prepared herself for the onslaught of the day. Despite her reluctance, she was trying her best to be moderately jovial. She found a red and white hairclip in the bathroom cabinet and put her long brown hair up into a ponytail. Marie was once a very attractive woman, but life, and marriage, actually marriage mostly, had taken the vivacity and exuberance from her youth. She was not old, but she was quite weathered.

  Grabbing two trays of hors d’oeuvres from the stovetop, she then hip checked open the back door and stepped out onto the deck leading to the pool.

  The sun was radiant and powerful today. For the sun lovers, it was the perfect day to tan and soak up the rays. For Marie, this was pretty much what hell must be like. She hated the heat. Obviously, this was not her idea to have this kind of party, but like always, she gave in to John and passed out invitations hoping for a less than stellar turn out. Of course, it didn’t work out that way. The sea of people was less than tasteful for her liking, there were maybe only three of four actual friends among the crowd, most were there for the free food, fireworks and booze.

  “Appetizers everybody,” Marie shouted from the deck, the grubby hands already lurching forward.

  It didn’t take long for Judy to sniff out the smell of fresh food as she rolled off her chair and began the bounce toward Marie. Judy lived next door, all three hundred pounds of her. She was harmless enough, but her opinionated husband Isaac was another story. Half the size of Judy, thick rimmed dark glasses and a bald head, Isaac had something to say about everything, yes, everything! They were both wearing summer garb today, complete with matching Hawaiian shirts and shorts. Judy was popping out of her shorts, blubber desperately trying to break free. Oh boy, they were a spectacle indeed.

  “Mmm, yummers!” Said Judy as she nearly knocked over two kids politely waiting. “I better get some for Isaac,” Judy smiled as she filled both fists.

  Holy crap! Marie thought to herself. This day was going to be never-ending. There had to be over fifty people milling around the deck and there were bound to be more on the way. Not that Marie didn’t like parties, she just preferred intimate gatherings. This type of revelry wasn’t festive at all for her, just too much chaos.

  She made her way off the deck, which was decorated with red, white and blue paraphernalia. Her daisies were lined in a few neat rows which bordered the short cobblestone walkway to the pool. The entire yard was meticulously landscaped, Marie took great pride in her many flower arrangements, a few being of the most exotic variety.

  At least they thought ahead this year, hiring a lifeguard to monitor the pool. There were about twenty kids and parents already swimming, thankfully she needn’t worry about that. Marie and John didn’t have any kids of their own, even though everyone thought they’d make for great parents and had been married almost ten years. It was by choice, they both knew instinctively that they were far too selfish to fully commit to such an undertaking.

  “I couldn’t find the flags,” John proclaimed, standing behind Marie and startling her for a moment. “I could have sworn they were up there.”

  Marie shrugged, “Well, now you can help me out at least.”

  “I will,” said John excitedly. “As soon as I get back.”

  “Get back! What
are you talking about?”

  “I have to pick up the hero,” John smiled.

  “Just go,” Marie said, ready to rip his liver out with her bare hands.

  At first, she thought it was just the anger in her head making the sound she next heard. It was not. An abrupt rumbling, like the sound of an impending earthquake tremor, made the activity of the party turn instantly to stunned stillness.

  Then suddenly, and without warning, it happened.

  As John started to walk away from Marie, the sunlight vanished! The spine-chilling silence of the unknown enveloped them all.

  Marie stared upward, fixing her glare only into obscurity and darkness.

  - CHAPTER 2 -

  So there I was, standing on the beachfront, looking intently at this giant of a man, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did, not for a long time, we all just stood there dumbfounded. I was still in shock, realizing I hadn’t lost my intelligence, but my identity. It was a horrifying feeling that washed over me. I was too scared to say anything to anyone just yet. None of this made sense, I had no recollection of how I got here, no understanding of why this was all happening. All I knew clearly was that I was alive and I was, for the time being, a survivor of whatever catastrophe had taken place.

  Standing closer to it all, I could see the charred remains of what I assumed were some storefronts and a few houses. It didn’t look like a city stood here, but a small town maybe. Too much smoke still to make out any detail, but it was easy to see that the destruction was whole. It was hard to imagine what could have torn this place apart so completely. I assumed an explosion of some sort, it was the only explanation that made sense.

  The smell was putrid, seemingly toxic. I knew for sure that I had never experienced anything in my life that could define the odor properly, except to say that I was close to vomiting from the stench.

  The others were all gathering around the bell as the giant peered out over the small and frightened assembly. He cleared his throat as we awaited his words.

  “Dies Unus!” The giant called out, his low voice booming out followed by a short reverberation.

  Dies Unus? What the hell does that mean? Whatever it meant, it didn’t sound comforting. I looked around to see if anyone around me had any reaction. They all appeared to be just as confused. Except one man, bald and skinny, filthy from head to toe. I caught his eye and his glare seemed to say that he knew something the rest of us did not.

  The giant had nothing more to say. Making his way down from the metal scaffold, he plopped down, leg over leg, onto the sandy seashore. He put his head in his hands and let out a sigh loud enough for all of us to hear.

  Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Frightened, I spun around quickly, fists clenched, to see the bald man before me.

  “Relax,” he said, putting his hands in front of his face in a defensive position.

  “I’m sorry,” I said instinctively, lowering my fists.

  “It’s ok,” he said calmly. “Dies Unus! I know what it means!”

  “What does it mean?” I asked, somewhat afraid to know the answer.

  “It’s Latin,” he said. “It means Day One!”

  I heard what he said, but could not comprehend any of it. Day One? What could that possibly mean? Maybe this stranger could shine more light onto this ambiguity.

  “Who are you?” I asked him, somewhat hesitantly, and not sure if I would believe or trust him anyway.

  Gazing at me intently, the man asked., “Don’t you know who I am?”

  “Should I?”

  “Well I was hoping you would, the way you caught my eye before, I thought maybe you knew me.” The man gulped awkwardly. “I wish I could answer you, but I can’t remember who I am.”

  “Neither can I,” I responded, comforted by the company. At least I wasn’t alone in my confusion. “Do you remember anything?”

  “I woke up and I was floating over a barrel out there,” He gestured toward the sea. “That’s all I remember. What about you?’

  “Same, except I was on a piece of wood,” I said slowly. There was something clearly not right here. Something far beyond the realm of anything even remotely familiar had entered into this equation. Every indication was that we were experiencing some kind of paranormal phenomenon, there was no other rational explanation.

  It was then we heard the voice for the first time. “Do not be frightened, we will tell you what to do,” the voice said. “Proceed Northeast.”

  Just to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind, I looked at the man and asked, “Did you hear that?”

  “Yes,” he answered, “Proceed Northeast.”

  The voice continued, “You will see a single road. This road has been saved for your transport. You will not have any problem finding it, This road is the only undamaged part of the township.”

  The voice sounded like it had to be coming from a large PA system. I scanned the area and saw nothing. “Where’s it coming from?” I asked the man, but I was also asking myself.

  The man started his investigation along with me, searching the shoreline, the edge of the town, the sky. Neither of us could locate the origin of the voice as it continued to speak.

  “You will walk this road until you receive further instructions. You may choose one individual to travel with, but no more. Talk to no one except your partner. Failure to comply with these instructions will be dealt with severely. We can only accept you if you prove yourself, at the very least, capable of following basic commands.”

  After the voice finished speaking, I noticed the man staring at me. “Guess we’re partners,” he said.

  With nothing to gain or lose, and an incomprehensible urge to follow these directions anyway, I nodded my head as we began to walk. The others followed closely behind, except for two.

  Two men, hair gray and noticeably older than the rest, had apparently decided not to venture down this road. I was in no position to offer guidance, except I had a growing chill come over me, A feeling that the men were making a horrible mistake.

  It didn’t take long for this fear to become reality. We had only walked maybe fifty yards, when I suddenly heard a rapidly increasing drone. A deep bellowing hum that soon became intolerably loud and piercing. The sound was so loud that it stopped us all in our tracks.

  Then the voice spoke again, clear and definitive, “Remember, disobedience will not be tolerated.”

  Just as I turned back to see the two older men, the hum tapered off and the men were gone.

  In the blink of an eye, they had completely evaporated.

  - CHAPTER 3 -

  “Marie,” John said, standing in the blackness, wondering what had happened.

  “I’m here,” answered Marie, holding out both hands, reaching for him. John launched his body toward the sound of her voice and fell into her left arm, grabbed her and held her close. “An Eclipse?” she asked

  “I don’t know, maybe,” John answered, not sure what to make of this. They both looked straight up, suddenly unaware that they were just in the middle of a party, or that they were standing amidst all these people in their own backyard.

  The sun was gone, completely. The darkness was complete, nothing in the sky, no stars, no moonlight, no clouds, just never-ending blackness. The fear gripped them all, the children gathered at the party were reduced to whimpering and silence.

  This was clearly no ordinary occurrence, and they were all quick to realize the intensity and completeness of the darkness. It wasn’t just that the sun had vanished, but the way in which blindness had occurred so quickly and with no warning.

  Marie could feel John’s heartbeat quickening as he pulled her closer to his chest. He looked for some words of comfort, but could find none. Marie felt equally hopeless, there was nothing to say, they were certainly experiencing some mystical happening, far beyond what their minds could possibly comprehend.

  Then, a light! Then, another!

  Several of the guests started lighting their cigarette lighters. Isaac m
ade his way to the barbeque, opened it and lit it. In the startling and complete darkness that surrounded the party, the light that was now emanating from the lighters and the barbeque was fervent.

  Helped by the lifeguard, the guests that were in the pool quickly made their way out of the water. The adults did their best to calm the children. It was a difficult task, since the adults were seemingly more anxious than the kids.

  It had only been a minute or two since the sunlight vanished, but it seemed an eternity. There was a timeless sense of all matter. As if everything and everyone were moving in super slow-motion.

  Marie and John watched as the guests started to cluster together near the deck. Marie took notice of a man she didn’t readily recognize, a very tall man with a beard, running into the house. Barely visible from the deck, she could see he was checking the kitchen lights, trying to turn them on. Nothing, no power! Marie realized that the pool filter had stopped running as well.

  All of a sudden, the pool water started to bubble!

  A vigorous, dense fog rose from the water as the bubbling became erratic and ever more powerful.

  The wind, which was not present a moment earlier, kicked into high gear. All the lighters and the barbeque extinguished beneath the strength of the wind.

  Silence turned to horrifying screams as the party guests scattered into the gloom. They were looking for shelter, but none would be found.

  - CHAPTER 4 -

  We were on the road now. Just as the voice said, it wasn’t hard to find. I counted eight of us total, walking closely together. The only person I was concerned with was my new partner. This bald and skinny man seemed harmless enough. Like me, his clothes were torn and he was also barefoot.

  We walked without much talking, still in considerable shock from seeing the two men completely vanish before our eyes. They were there one second and gone the next. It was both surreal and absurd.