The Message-Chp3

Becka was still on the way home in her car. She was the only one to fetch today because her brother Bobby was ill and didn’t go to kindergarten. She sat at the back seat, reading her Chemistry book and trying to re-memorize the chemicals’ names to keep her mind off the recent incident. Usually she find it easier to study on the way home at the back seat rather than the front (she gets car sick if she read her books there), but somehow this time, she couldn’t focus. She couldn’t stop thinking about the message on the computer and the library door opening so easily by the head librarian Mrs. Marge whereas she failed to do so. All the thinking made her quite hungry.

“Becka, you’re unusually quiet today,” her mother broke the silence, bringing her back to reality.

“Sorry, Mom. I was just preoccupied with things in my head. They’re making me kinda hungry though.”

“You should keep your mind off school for a while. I like a smart daughter but I don’t like her turning into Einstein the 2nd.”

“Thank, Mom. Are we going out to eat tonight?” Becka asked eagerly. It had been a while since she ate out. “I’m sure Bobby is better now; his fever had gone down this morning. Can he come with us?”

“I think you’re stressed out. Let me help you release your tension,” Becka’s mother replied, not exactly answering Becka’s question.

“Mom, I asked if we’re going out for dinner,” Becka laughed, “don’t worry about me!”

“You wanna have some fun? I’ll teach you a good trick to relax.”

“Mom, aren’t you listening to me?”

“Let’s have some fun, Becka, let’s have some fun!” Her mother’s voice began to sound eerie.

“Mom, you’re scaring me!”

“Here we go!”

“Mom!!!”

Without warning, her mother shut her eyes, pressed down the accelerator and let go of the steering wheel. The car was moving 80miles per hour and was going faster. They grazed a few cars and banged a few car trunks but the car was showing no signs of stopping. Suddenly she found their car running through a long highway where the cars were moving at the opposite direction and were in danger of hitting headlong at any of them.

Becka was horrified. She shot up and tried to turn the steering wheel to put the car back in control. Her mother laughed and cackled and pressed the accelerator even harder. She even pushed Becka’s hands away and held them so that she can’t reach the steering wheel. There were a huge number of near misses, but still, the car carried on in its murderous speed. The speed increased to 120miles per hour and going faster still.

Becka yelled for help and begged her to stop but her mother pulled her close to her face and spoke coldly, “Let your dooms begin!”

Becka widen her eyes in horror, the message of the computer ringing in her ears. Then suddenly a deafening bang exploded in her eardrums and slowly, darkness enclosed her…

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Ameera walked up the stairs towards her home on the 2nd floor. She was afraid that the incident at the overhead bridge might happen again, but fortunately for her, it didn’t. She reached her home and was greeted by her black tomcat Salem. Ameera was tired out with all the goings-on and decided to take a nap before getting ready for her tuition class. Salem followed suite. She fell plop on the bed with her school clothes on and started snoring within minutes.

No sooner she fell asleep than she felt something on her. It weighed a ton and she couldn’t move. She forced herself to wake up and saw Salem sleeping peacefully beside her. She thought maybe it was her imagination and went back to sleep. Before she dozed off, she felt the pressuring weight again. She woke up and saw Salem looking at her unblinkingly with its blue eyes. She felt weird and decided to feign sleep, seeing if it would happen again. When it did for the 3rd time, she opened her eyes immediately and saw Salem sitting on her chest, staring at her spookily with his eyes blue but cold. Cold as ice.

“Salem, get off me!” Ameera ordered.

Salem didn’t budge.

“Salem, stop staring at me!” Ameera ordered again.

Salem suddenly grinned from ear to ear, literally.

“Salem ……?”

“Let your dooms begin!”

Ameera screamed and forced herself to get up. Salem jumped down and started laughing (yes, laughing) long and hard at its mistress, echoing throughout the whole house. Ameera then realized that everywhere was empty and bare save a few dirty newspapers and rubbish, rubble and huge amount of dust on the floor, as if she was living in a deserted house. She went outside to her supposed-to-be living room and saw it was equally empty. Two tall dark figures were looming about in the empty space. They had no facial features or limbs, just two tall dark transparent blobs floating around aimlessly, as if in search of something.

She couldn’t contain her yelp as she saw them moving towards her direction. They had noticed her and were coming nearer to her. She shrieked and ran out of the front door into the corridor, yelling for help. Instead of people, she was met by more tall dark spooky figures yanking the doors of empty houses open, all of them looming out to get her. She ran all the way up to the flat balcony to call for help but was shocked to see she was looking over a vast space with rundown buildings—some reduced to rubble, even—and even more dark figures below the flat looking up at her.

It was as if she was the only human being alive in the flat.

The two dark figures from her house emerged from the balcony door and gave chase. She screamed in fright and started running for her life, starting by pushing the dark figures away and made her way back downstairs. The dark figures within the flat also gave chase, extending handless arms at her. Tears began to run down her cheeks as she kept yelling Shah’s name and praying to God that she would be here to rescue her. But by then, the more she ran, the more slowly she went, as if a force was stopping her from moving. The dark figures were gaining on her every minute.

When they finally grabbed her with their icy, cold hands, she knew she was done for.