Becca

 

The ride along the interstate was slow. The trees were casting shadows along the vehicle as we drove along. I couldn’t think of anything to say at the time. Stephanie was leaned up against me, resting her head on my shoulder. She was covered in mud. Her hair had red flecks in it and I reached over to brush it out.

 

It felt strange to me. The entirety of my life had turned upside down. Just yesterday, my mother and I were moving into a new house and setting in and last night the town decided to invade our home and kill her. She had saved us and Stephanie got revenge for the both of us.

 

The driver reached over and turned on the radio. A news reporter was on the radio.

 

“Today, we turn to the expert on the situation. Who are these creatures that showed up in Chicago?” The radio host asked.

 

I continued to brush Stephanie’s hair. Last night’s events replaying in my head. Bob rallying the town to break down the door to our home. Him dragging my mother out. The last scream before she had fell silent.

 

“They are bird like creatures that we haven’t heard about before. They appear to be humanoid from the photos and some people are saying that they can mimic the voices of people. If this were any other day, I would say that these creatures are legend or fake or referenced in some way to some CGI video game or something. Are you sure this isn’t faked footage?”

 

I looked out the right side of the vehicle. The day outside was passing by slowly. It was still morning. We hadn’t been on the road for long. The breeze in the trees made the leaves flutter a little as we drove by. 

 

“Where are you ladies from?” The truck driver asked.

 

I looked over at him and looked down at Stephanie. 

 

“We’re from in town.” I said looking back outside the window.

 

“The town we just left? Back there?” 

 

“Yes.”

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Away from town.”

 

“That, really doesn’t give me much to go on.” 

 

“I know.” 

 

“Why are you trying to leave?”

 

“There’s nothing left for us back there.” 

 

“Nothing left? That’s a weird way to put things. You aren’t murderers or anything right?” He laughed as he asked.

 

“No, not murderers no. Those people are dead.”

 

“Dead?” He started looking into his mirrors and out on the road a bit more.

 

“Yes. A group of people tried to hurt us.”

 

“ I think we should take a step back. Are you in any trouble?” 

 

“Trouble? No.”

 

“But people tried to hurt you.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And they’re dead?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What happened to them?” 

 

“She took care of them.” I said looking down at Stephanie and brushing her hair.

 

“Her. You’re saying that she took care of people trying to hurt you. How?”

 

“By hurting them back.”

 

“Lady, I have to admit. You’re starting to freak me out.”

 

“You don’t have to be scared.” I said while looking forward out the window.

 

“I don’t?” 

 

“No.”

 

“Why wouldn’t I? You just said you hurt a bunch of people.”

 

A moment of time passed by. I can tell that he was getting more nervous. His hands were shifting on the steering wheel. He was looking for a place to pull over.

 

“Well, because she’s asleep.”

 

Silence filled the cab of the vehicle. The hum of the engine was the only thing that could be heard next to the radio.

 

“The creatures were grabbing people out of their vehicles and some were seen eating them on the street and you’re not able to tell us anything about what these creatures are?” The announcer said in the background.

 

“I don’t even know where they came from. They shouldn’t exist. I know that’s not scientific but as far as we know, they’re aliens.” The professor said defensively.

 

“Aliens. You’re saying aliens did this to these people?” 

 

“Don’t quote me like that. I’m saying that I don’t know what these things are. Nothing like this has ever existed on earth. There’s no documented proof of these creatures and there’s no urban legends about them.”

 

“But they’re aliens?”

 

“They’re a completely unknown species. If there have ever been any documented cases of these- bird men killing people. This would have been in text books, archeological records, some sort of documentation somewhere that says they would have existed someplace, somewhere well before now. Not just popping up in Chicago of all places.”

 

“Do you think this has something to do with the giant wall of mist?”

 

“Does it have something to do with the giant wall- maybe? I mean that shouldn’t exist as well. A giant wall of fog that essentially covers the expanse of hundreds of miles completely dividing the country in half. Scientifically it should be limited in some way to a water source but there’s no water source that large to cause it. The next thing that might explain it is a sudden volcanic eruption but we would have seen something well before then. So I can’t say for certain what might be causing it but whether those creatures are connected to it is anyone’s guess.”

 

“But you think it can be volcanoes and aliens.”

 

“Are you purposely trying to misquote me?”

 

The driver reached over and shut off the radio.

 

“I’m going to drop you off at the next parking lot.” The driver said as we drove down the road.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“That’s it?”

 

“Yes. We appreciate you driving us.”

 

He fell silent and pulled his truck into a shopping center parking lot. He stopped the vehicle as close to the road as possible.

 

“Get out of the vehicle please.”

 

I looked down and shifted Stephanie to try and wake her up. The driver moved closer to his driver side door. She opened her eyes half groggy and I let her out of the vehicle. Her one purely black eye was slightly open. I took a piece of my shirt and wrapped it around her head like a makeshift eyepatch. Then I led her out of the vehicle.

 

“Thank you for the ride.”