When the Sky Goes Dark

by Oliver C Seneca

  “Not really,” Kevin said. “More footage of Los Angeles. People crying on the phone, looking for their families.”

  “Scary shit,” Shawn said, chiming in. “Like a horror movie.”

  “You get a hold of your folks, Jon?” Dan asked.

  Jon shook his head as his eyes looked saddened. “No, I just got their voicemail.”

  “Kev, you think it’s safe enough to go back outside?” Mark asked.

  “Doesn’t look like it. We are better off waiting it out until we can get an answer on what caused all this. Maybe wait for the police.”

  “I don’t think the police are coming,” Emily said.

  “What makes you say that?” Shawn asked with his eyes bugging, shocked at the statement.

  “I saw what they did to our campus officer last night. We all did. And if he couldn’t defend himself around a bunch of college kids, imagine what the other cops had to deal with.” Emily then turned her head back to the group with her pale, tired face. “Whatever the fuck is going on isn’t a joke.”

  “That’s a good point,” Mark said with his hands on his hips. “But we can’t stay here forever. At least not another night.”

  “Are we supposed to wait to be rescued by somebody?” Dan asked while he rubbed his scruff.

  “I don’t know if we can count on that,” Kevin said while pulling his phone out and checking to see if anyone had called or texted. No one had.

  “Well, we have to do something. What if we went out as a group? Do any of you wanna come with us? It’d be safer to have more people. Dan, what do you think?” Mark asked.

  “Hey man, if ya’ll are leaving then I'm leaving,” Shawn said, standing up from his chair, phone in hand and ready to go.

  “Hold on Shawn. We aren’t leaving campus. We’re just going to the dorms. I don’t think it’s a good time to go just yet. We should just go out and see exactly what we’re dealing with. Emily’s right. This isn’t a time to mess around without a plan.” Mark looked over toward her. She turned her head back toward the door and nodded in agreement.

  “So, we’re goin’ out there to get Jonny’s phone? That’s it? Howsabout to look for other people that survived from last night?” Dan said, scratching his matted, dirty-blonde hair under his John Deere cap.

  “Of course, we aren’t just getting his phone. We can all get our belongings. We can see who else is out there but it’s probably not best to take our time with it,” Mark said to Dan. “If you come with us, you can look to see who’s around. Okay? Just make sure you follow close to us. Same goes for you Shawn if you wanna come.”

  Dan fixed his cap and nodded.

  Shawn sighed and said, “Aight then, let’s go.”

  “Kevin and Emily, do you guys wanna come along or stay back?” Mark asked.

  “Yeah, I’m not going out there unless I absolutely have to,” Emily said, pulling out her pink phone from her back pocket.

  “Yup. Agreed,” Kevin said, not looking away from the news.

  “Alright, three of us have our phones. Call if anyone comes by but do not leave the library, okay? Kev will you lock us out?”

  “Sure thing.” Kevin sprung up from his chair and followed Mark, Jon, Dan, and Shawn to the front door of the library. Dan turned around and handed him the key from his pocket.

  Emily said, “We should have a special knocking code. You know, in case anything may happen to you guys. We should know that you’re not mental patients trying to get back in. We don’t know if this is some traveling virus or contagious brain disease. I don’t want you in here with us.”

  “You’re right,” Mark said. He looked at the other three guys and put his fist up against the windowed entrance door. The bloodstain was on the other side of his hand. “How about we use a code like Knock Knock Knock KNOCK KNOCK?”

  Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

  “And if we find any other ladies or gents out there that want in, we will tell ‘em to do that code. The special knock,” Dan said, repeating that knock on the door beside it.

  “You sure you guys wanna do this? Shouldn’t you each take a weapon or something?” Kevin asked them. That reminded Jon of his scissors which he forgot he placed in his back pocket.

  “I have this,” Jon said, pulling the scissors out like he was unsheathing a sword from his jeans. They all laughed a little, even Emily.

  “Great idea,” Dan said. “We should all have a pair of scissors with us!”

  Emily turned around and began looking around the help desk. This was the first she had changed her position on her post. She looked down by the computer monitor, then hopped around on top of the opposite side of the desk. “Here,” she said and pulled two sturdy-looking scissors from a black metal cup. “I’ve got two weapons right here.” Dan and Shawn grabbed them from her.

  “Thanks, Emily, we appreciate it, sweetheart,” Dan said in a charming southern voice. He tipped his John Deere cap and winked.

  “I’ll stick with Jon and use his scissors if anything goes down,” Mark said. “Kevin, you ready? On the count of three. We will go out the door and you close it and lock it as fast as you can. Ready?”

  Kevin nodded, but his face read uncertainty at the plan. He kept his mouth shut. The library group had been arguing all morning about the situation and Kevin held the philosophy that whatever these folks wanted to say or do was their business. He didn’t want to get in the way. He’d only help where he could.

  “And don’t forget the code alright?” Mark did the knocking on the window again. Kevin was beside the door now, ready.

  Mark was in front. “One. Two. THREE!” The door swung open and the four guys ran out of the library onto the barren White Haven campus. Kevin slammed the door shut behind them. They heard the CLICK CLANK of the lock.

  Chapter TWELVE

  The Dorm Just Across Hell

  The morning sun still shone its warm rays down on the silent campus. There was no trace of anyone traveling along the walkways towards the library or any of the other surrounding buildings.

  They traveled with Mark and Jon in the front and Dan and Shawn in the back. Soon it would be just Dan in the back as Shawn began making a break for it toward the parking lot behind the library.

  “No! No! Shawn, what the hell are ya doin’?” Dan said while trying to grab Shawn’s shirt. No success. Mark and Jon turned around to see Shawn sprinting like a mad man down the pathway beside the library. Scissors in-hand.

  “Hey! Shawn! Wait!” Mark shouted at him. He got no response. Shawn was running full force toward the cars as his life depended on it, which it did. How much longer could he be cooped-up on campus? That was the question that the other three thought to themselves as they stood there, not daring to go after him. There was no reason to run and try to stop him. Shawn already made up his mind and if he wanted to, he could kick all three of their asses if they got in his way.

  “I guess that’s it then,” Dan said, scratching his head under his hat before re-adjusting it.

  Shawn’s head was now bouncing up and down as he raced through the rows of cars. Then, he vanished. The sound of a car’s engine blared out through the morning air. A silver Volkswagen skidded out from one of the rows and drove down to the roadway beside the parking lot, blowing right through the stop sign. Shawn didn’t even glance back up at them as his car went out of sight behind the library building. Vrooooom.

  “Nothing we can do about it, guys. Might as well keep going. A man’s gotta make his own decisions and Shawn clearly made his,” Mark said, turning around from looking at the lot. The sound of the car’s engine faded in the distance.

  “You think he’ll make it? Back to Philly, I mean?” Jon asked.

  “Who the hell knows, man. The last place I wanna be is in a major city with all this shit goin’ on,” Dan said. He sounded angry.

  “C’mon,” Mark said. He motioned to Jon and Dan, trying to get them moving again.

  “I just can’t believe he pulled one on us! Took our s
cissors and everything!” Dan said, adjusting his hat back on. He was always moving his big, green hat. Now, he and Jon were following behind Mark across campus as they continued their quest.

  As the three of them approached the crosswalk toward the dorm buildings, Mark’s phone made a ding noise. Jon’s heart pounded as he thought it was his mom or dad calling back. “Is it them?” he asked, even before Mark could react to the noise and vibration of the phone. Mark pulled it out of his pocket.

  “Oh sorry, that’s my sister. She’s been texting me updates from her place,” Mark said. “I wish it had been your parents. I’m sure they’ll call any second. I’m sorry.”

  “So, your family’s alright then?” Jon asked, trying not to act upset it wasn’t a call for him.

  “My sister, yes. The rest of my family, I’m not sure. I couldn’t get a hold of anyone else. My sister’s safe at her apartment in Maryland. She couldn’t get a hold of anyone either.” Mark squinted at his phone. The sun’s glare made it hard for him to read it. “She says she hasn’t heard from her roommate at all. She’s been gone for the past day. The news is getting her upset thinking about mom and dad. Every call has gone to voice mail.”

  “That ain’t good,” Dan said.

  “Are you from the area, Jon?” Mark asked, typing a message back to his sister and then returning the phone to his pocket.

  “Sort of, I live about an hour away in Springsdale.”

  “Really? Springsdale? Interesting. I’ve definitely heard the name before, but I can’t say that I’ve ever been,” Mark said. “My parents live in Camp Valley, have you ever heard of it?”

  Jon nodded his head with heightened interest. “I have! That’s where my grandparents on my dad’s side live. Outside of town. That’s about half an hour from me.”

  “That’s not too bad of a trip.”

  “Yeah, it’s a small town off the turnpike. Typical suburbia, nothing special,” Jon said. “Camp Valley is almost the entire opposite. Although it has that building with the big red and blue race car on top of it. Slick Willy’s.”

  Mark blew air from his nose; the same way Jon does when he wants to laugh but can’t. “Yep, that’s right! Slick Willy’s Wings. That’s pretty much how anyone remembers Camp Valley. They usually come for Willy’s and then go home.” He blew air again. “Dan, did you get a hold of anyone?”

  What Dan pulled from his pocket seemed like an ancient artifact to Jon. It was a flip phone.

  Dan flipped it open and then slapped it down in an instant. “Nothin’ man.” He opened his pocket and threw it down inside. “Yeah, I’m from a little place called Wells Mountain. That’s about an hour away from here too but in the opposite direction. More East. I called my dad. He didn’t pick up. I figured at least I’d get my stepmom, but she didn’t pick up either. My brother doesn’t have a phone. Sonofabitch never did. Can you believe that? Then again, these things aren’t that useful anyhow.”

  Jon was still mesmerized by the site of Dan’s phone that resembled the kind his grandparents used. A small flip phone with gigantic, numbered buttons that made it easy for senior citizens with poor vision to easily make a call. Does Dan have poor vision? Was Dan poor? Or does Dan just not give a shit about smartphone technology? Jon was going to make a joke about Dan’s piece of history but figured now wouldn’t be the best time. His mind returned to his mom and dad.

  They were approaching Officer Cherry’s cruiser and the ambulance. The lights were still flashing on both vehicles. He then remembered Michael and got in front of the group to get to the backseat window. He peered in. Michael was still fast asleep. His chest rose and fell just as it did before.

  “Someone in there?” Dan asked as he stepped up next to Jon to peer in the window. “Holy hell, he’s alive and breathin’!”

  Dan put his hand down on the door handle and gave it a jiggle. He went to knock but Mark came up from behind and slapped his fist away. “I wouldn’t do that. That guy tried to kill Jon’s buddies last night,” he said.

  Jon nodded. “Yeah, he went ballistic on us. Took a bite out of a guy’s hand and-”

  “Oh shit, issat right? I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I thought he was just havin’ a snooze,” Dan said with genuine surprise.

  They kept moving across the crosswalk and Dan was asking Jon more questions about what happened overnight, but the site of Brandon’s body kept him quiet. Officer Cherry’s corpse didn’t help either. There was nothing Jon could say. The bodies said it all.

  There seemed to be a scent in the air as they got closer to the larger pile of bodies in the quad. It was a metallic smell. All of the splattered blood on the scattered bodies gave off an aroma that got harsher as the group got closer.

  “Fuck me, I didn’t know it got this bad,” Dan said. He pulled his shirt collar up over his nose and mouth. His eyes got larger as he took in the scene. “Sheesh.”

  “Jesus,” Mark said in a soft breath. His eyes gaped with the sight of death multiplied.

  The three of them walked on the asphalt path, trying to look away. But the morbid intensity had its grip on them, making their eyes widen and hearts pound. Their stomachs began to churn. The three of them moved along as Jon turned away and focused on the dorm building in front of him.

  “I’m right up here at Washington House in room 207,” Jon said, trying to ignore the pyramids of the deceased. He breathed slowly out of his nose, anything to prevent taking a big whiff of the metallic air.

  “Hey, I think I see some of them breathin!' Look there!” Dan pointed out two bodies lying on the edge of the grass. A girl in sweatpants with her hair tied and a guy wearing a flat-brimmed hat lay with their chests rising and falling. Just like Michael. “You see that? We oughta check on them or somethin’. Any of them try to attack you guys last night?”

  “Can we please get my phone before we check on anyone? Please?” Jon was getting upset. He still refused to turn his head to the bodies. His eyes locked on to the Washington Building. He tried not to inhale through his nostrils.

  “Sure, let’s get your phone. Dan, I think we should wait. You don’t know if you’ll get sick or something from these people. You already look like you’re gonna vomit,” Mark said as he plugged his nose after a strong whiff himself.

  Jon ran up the steps to the second floor of Washington House while Mark and Dan followed with their noses still covered. Their eyes were fixed on the bodies as they each pointed out more people that appeared to be sleeping. Jon pulled out the keys from his pocket that hung on a black and white lanyard. The lanyard that Brandon always wore around his neck. Now Brandon was dead.

  He opened the door slowly after he unlocked it. Even though the door appeared to have been locked all night, Jon still had to be careful. The scissors came out from his back pocket. There could be a maniac in here waiting for me.

  Click. Jon turned on the lights. The dorm looked the same as it did the night before. The living area appeared well kept except for a couple of pieces of paper and pens on the coffee table and the kitchen counter had a box of granola bars sitting on it with the top opened. Nothing seemed out of place as Jon scanned the area while walking back into the hallway.

  His heart skipped a beat and he clenched the scissors as he noticed a light shining onto the open door to his bedroom. He approached, ready for an attack until he peered inside.

  It was just the desk lamp. Since Brandon convinced Jon that they would only be an hour at Melissa’s place last night, he didn’t think to turn it off. Click. He turned on the overhead lights to show his un-made bed and cluttered desk. The phone was still plugged into the side of his laptop. He yanked it from the charging cable, almost pulling the entire computer off his desk with the motion.

  The lock screen on his phone displayed NEW VOICEMAIL. 2 MISSED CALLS below it. Jon entered his passcode and dialed his home phone. His mother’s voice mail message played again but he didn’t leave a message this time. He opened his contacts list until he found DAD and called his new cell phone number. I
t rang and rang until he heard a robot woman’s voice.

  I’m sorry, but the person you’re trying to call has a voice mailbox that has not been set up yet. Please hang up and try again. Goodbye.

  Jon went back and scrolled down his contact list until he found MOM. He now tried her cell.

  Hi, you’ve reached Catherine Barnes. I’m sorry I missed your call but if you leave your name and message, I will get back to you. Thank you!

  “Mom! It’s Jon! Dad didn’t pick up his phone, I hope he’s with you. Please call me as soon as you get this. I am okay! I haven’t been injured or anything. Brandon’s dead, Mom. A lot of people are dead. I left a message on the home phone.” Jon was getting out of breath again as he spoke into the phone with his hands running through his sweaty hair. “Please, PLEASE call my cell. I love you.”

  Jon pressed back to the home screen and pressed on the phone icon that had a little red-colored number 2 on the corner. One missed call from his home phone, the other from his father’s cell.

  There was a voice mail from him from 11:03 the night before. He pressed the play icon.

  Son, this is your father. I know we’re calling you late, but your mother and I are going over to your grandparent’s house. Grandma’s been acting up, must be sick. Pappy said she’d been feeling ill and acting out. He called worried so we’re just going to swing by to check on them, maybe bring them back to the house for the night. Just wanted to let you know. We will keep you posted. Call us when you get the chance, okay? I’ll call you in the morning. Buh-bye.

  Jon tried calling his father’s phone again. No success. Then he tried calling his grandparent’s house phone. All he got was their voice mail which consisted of them asking you to leave a message and then becoming confused on how to end the recording. He left a message like the ones he’d left before, asking them to please call his phone as soon as possible.

  He tried to hold back the tears as he scrambled through his contacts list calling everyone he could. Friends. Cousins. His other grandparents in Pittsburgh. Nothing. Not one person picked up their phone.