Monday 3 December 2012

Story: 'Night Trials', V

As I sit here uploading film review podcasts to Film Bin, I wonder what on Earth is going on today. It feels like the last few days have been some hideous ordeal instead of the reality of being quite pleasant. Humph, best to try and relax and stare vacantly at equations with no clearly defined intent! Film Bin is diversifying and has incorporated the 'Spoiler Filled Film Conversation Hooray' review podcast that was in fact its precursor and now peer! Check out Film Bin for reviews and commentaries of varying sense.

And now, with no further ado, let's continue 'Night Trials'. When last we checked in with Sheriff Bob he had just invalidated his guard and is stepping through the slimy doorway into Wandering Yip, knowing not what he will encounter.

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Night Trials: Part V
(Parts IV , VI)

Leaving his prison behind him, Bob, stepped out into the world he'd left behind. The town looked different but hauntingly familiar. The houses looked the same except for the unshuttered windows in the darkness. Something was wrong. He looked behind him at the house he'd left; Mitch Scanlon's place. Where was Mitch? The ooze could be seen through the open doorway but none was seen outside in the street. Bob closed the door and sidled down the street in the shadows. There were lots of shadows as the lights weren't lit.

The night was quiet, far too quiet, and the boards of the surrounding houses creaked in the cooling air of the night. Where should he go? Finally, he went northward to the Sheriff's post to evaluate his position. Moving up the street on the sidewalk away from the town hall he reached his office and gingerly pushed open the door. A mass of ooze slimed out of the door and he pulled it shut with a shudder. The office was probably gunked up to the ceiling. Ducking off down the street and then through a side street he went up to Duck Evans's door and repeated the process he had used at the office. There was no gunk here at his deputy's house and he slipped in.

The place was deserted, but Duck's spare weapon and ammunition were under the boards as usual. Bob snooped around and found some cold meat and bread that weren't in too bad shape and ate quietly, wondering what to do. What can you do, he thought, when you didn't know where the enemy were, how many of them there were, if they had the towns people captured somewhere, or even what they looked like? The lack of townspeople worried him enormously. With no better ideas he settled by the window and watched awhile.

Some time later he roused himself from a hazy reverie and realised a thirst was growing quickly and daylight was approaching. The saloon was over on main street and the nearest water pump was two houses away here on this parallel. Grabbing a flask he snuck out for the pump and worked his might, filling the flask with water of life. Light began to trickle down the street as the sun emerged over the horizon and Bob knew that soon a lot of his questions would be answered. He ducked back to Duck's house and went back to his window vigil.

The sun was fully visible before action commenced for the day. A few people emerged from the houses - far fewer than normal - and walked woodenly about the town fetching water, food and everyday materials. Mostly they were women. There was the sound of a disturbance over on the main street, with some shouting and crunching, which Bob assumed was the discovery of Zack. He gathered some necessary items together in a sack and got ready to run or fight. Rainbow lights scattered above the houses that separated him from the scene of activity and a few moments something totally unexpected came down the street and stopped outside his door. It was an alien, a short wide alien, oozing through some metallic clothing of some kind as it floated. A baleful eye looked at him directly through the window.

Bob made his decision as the alien pointed a green scatter of light at him. He ran.


To be continued?

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