Signs Book One: The Unwanted

by Andrew Michaels

  I looked at the first Lurker who was looking at Nelli’s head, her eyes blinked. He turned to look at me and placed one of his gnarled fingers up to his lips, “SHHHH!”

  “Buzzzz!” my alarm was going off next to my head.

  “Nelli!” I ran downstairs, to find a completely clean room, her body and blood were gone?

  “Oh, thank goodness!” I ran up to her room and found her bed empty. “Duh, it’s a school day, she’ll pull up about the time I leave. What a fucked up bunch of dreams. Best night’s sleep I’ve had in forever.” I said as I stretched, spotting the bruises on my wrists from the handcuffs. I rubbed them and went about my business getting ready for work. When the time came I walked outside, “Come on Annabelle, I gotta get to work.” Then I saw it, her car sitting up by the garage. I ran up and looked in it, the keys hung in the ignition, they had her school ID, so she hadn’t gotten a ride from someone.

  I grasped my phone and hit speed dial number one. “This is Annabelle Clark…” The message said after what felt like fifty rings, the odd thing was I could hear that insane trumpet blast she had as a ring tone. I opened the car looking around, calling it again I was certain this time I heard it, but it wasn’t in the car. I walked to the edge of the yard calling it one last time. The ring tone came from below the ground right in front of me. I fell to the ground and began to cry. “Impossible, it’s fucking impossible!” I said.

  “I’m sorry?” my neighbor, Mr. Williams asked.

  “Not you,” I waved him off, ‘There’s nothing I can do, not with that nosey asshat looking at me crying like a moron on my grass.’ I thought and then proceeded to look around the yard. ‘There’s no spot where the grass was disturbed how could she be buried here? Oh god they ripped her to pieces!!!’ I thought, the tears flowing freely. ‘If I sit here much longer he is going to know something is odd.’

  I got up and walked to my car, Nelli would have to wait until the morning.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I managed to hit only one light on my way to work, as I sat at it I looked into the windows of the vacant, Bumper Repair Experts, cars were still in there unfinished. I read it in the paper last night but it hadn’t registered until now. The report had been that several people showed up to get their cars and to a building void of any people. When asked they couldn’t’ remember the people that had taken in their cars. The owner, an Officer Johnathon Winkler, had no comment for the paper. I drove into the parking lot and speed walked to my cubicle making it to my station with a couple minutes to spare.

  “Did you guys have a call from a lady about –,“ I started to ask.

  “You hanging up on her?” the senior counselor asked.

  “I figured,” I replied.

  “We had the report in the morning of the power blip on the system, so we tried to explain,” He said.

  “I’m certain that didn’t appease her. She was convinced that there were seven sheets missing from her roll.” I commented getting my headset from the charger.

  “Truth of it, that lot was two sheets short.” The office ice queen, Nancy Pillowtyme said, no shit that was her name, I’ve always been surprised she wasn’t the office bimbo with a name like that.

  “How the hell can anyone know that?” I asked turning away from the departing crew.

  “The trouble-shooting logs tell that they were having…” blah blah blah.

  When the group had all left I began violating company internet policy again, first turning on the GPS in Nelli’s phone and seeing that it indeed was at the house. I tried calling one more time, eventually going to voice mail.

  I found the forums of people chatting in real time about the Unwanted. There was one passing comment about call circles. I clicked on that one and sent a direct message, ‘Can you tell me more about Call Circles’?’ I typed.

  A few moments later the reply came back, ‘You should go to their web site, ‘Callcirclesupport.net’ they can answer any question you may have.’

  ‘Thank you, I will.’ I typed back. I clicked the link the person had pasted in.

  ‘Welcome to the Call Circle Support Group’ read the banner across the top after the page had loaded. And right next to it, “Aubrey?” I mused. I read everything the page had to offer, which was surprisingly less than she had imparted to me the previous evening. “Looks like you need to update your page there missy.” At the bottom there was a ‘contact us’ button so I clicked it.

  Subject line: ‘I need your help’.

  Comment: ‘Aubrey, this is Edward Clark. I know you said we could talk more later this week, but something has happened. My sister met one of my dark eyed friends.’ I tried to be vague, in case this was ever called into evidence against me.

  I pushed the send button and went about my evening rituals, solitaire and craps on my phone. After a while I went back to the forums and chatted with the other ‘Cursed’, I had now accepted that title. Strange what a mere 24 hours could do to a person’s life.

  At 3am I got a text message from Aubrey, ‘I’ll be at your house at 5 A.M.’.

  ‘Thank you’, I replied.

  I didn’t bother with the small talk, when the 4 A.M. group showed up I headed out. “Edward, are you really leaving? You never leave until 6,” They all kind of droned on.

  “I know, but I’m meeting a girl.” I replied in all honesty.

  Chapter Twenty

  I arrived to find her little sports car sitting behind Nelli’s. “After you left—,“ I started.

  “Let’s head in the house, we don’t want to wake your neighbors do we?” Aubrey turned and started walking up the steps. After the door closed she turned to me, “Ok fill me in.”

  “After you left, I got arrested,” I said.

  “For what?” she asked.

  “The waitress at the Dive, she wrote some notes with me when you went for your drive,” I said.

  “And she’s dead?” Aubrey asked.

  “Apparently cut in three,” I replied.

  “But you had an alibi,” She said.

  “That’s why I’m not there anymore. Detective Gottlie is still convinced that I’m Richard’s accomplice.”

  “He’s such an asshat!” Aubrey shook her head and walked over to leaf through the papers.

  “Anyway, I got home, and Nelli –,“ I started.

  “I get the gist of what happened there.” She shook the papers in her hand.

  “All that blood, her blood and then I must have passed out, I woke up in my bed. When I came down she was gone and everything was cleaned up.” I said.

  “Did you say…” her words faded off and she pulled out a notebook. ‘Did you say you saw two Lurkers?’ The large block letters were written as if this was a complete surprise to her.

  ‘Yes. A female and a male.’ I wrote.

  ‘You saw them that well, and you’re still alive?’ she wrote.

  ‘I know, crazy right, I thought for certain they would kill me.’ I scribbled.

  “Go on.” Aubrey looked rather impassive, actually cleaning her finger nails.

  “I could hear her cell-phone ringing. I even looked on our carriers web site her phone is actually here.” I said.

  “Where did you hear it?” This confused her.

  “In the yard, my back yard. I didn’t dig it up because Mr. Williams was standing out there and I didn’t want to draw attention.” I ranted.

  “Was there a mound or any sign of digging?” she asked.

  “No, the grass had no cuts and no sign of digging anywhere.” I said.

  “Then why would you disturb it?” Aubrey asked.

  “Because I need to see if Nelli is down there. Or if it’s just her phone.” I replied.

  “You’re not thinking, why would her phone just be down there?” she asked.

  “Because I can hear it!” I was frantic.

  “Her phone will die soon, or more likely it will simply no longer be a phone number.” Aubrey took my shoulders, “leave the yard undisturbed. Trust me.”


  “How can you be so nonchalant about this! My sister died, get out, get out of my house!” I yelled, “Get back to Washington, we don’t need cold hearted people like you around here.”

  “Edward, don’t dig her up, nothing good can come of it.” Aubrey said as she pulled the door closed.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Her car wasn’t even out of my driveway when my phone rang. “Hello?” I noted the anger was still in my voice, but I left it unchecked.

  “Why did you do it you sick fuck?” It was Detective Gottlie.

  “Do what?” I asked.

  “You killed my dog, you psycho bastard. Why would you do that she was my best friend!” He yelled into the phone.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about –,“ I started.

  “And I know it’s been you following me around, I told you I would end this, I’m headed to your house to arrest you and charge you.” The detective was yelling.

  “I’m pretty fucking tired of you accusing me of shit! I had nothing to do with your dog dying, fuck I had nothing to do with any of the bullshit that’s been going on.” I equaled his volume.

  “Seriously? Ever since I met you I’ve been…” his words faded off.

  “Yeah put it together, idiot, you met me after you read Richard’s email.” I said.

  “But that isn’t possible, it can’t be possible. It’s a Fucking bedtime story.”

  “You really think I’ve been sneaking into your home and breaking your shit?” Think about it Asshat, I don’t even know where you live.”

  “It just doesn’t make sense, how can this be true?” He asked sounding panicked.

  “But it does make sense, otherwise you wouldn’t be so freaked out.” I replied

  “Quit Screwing with me, The Unwanted Watchers do not Exist.” Detective Gottlie blurted out in a rush.

  “You should not have said that.” I said.

  “What the hell are you?” I could hear him ask away from the phone.

  “Heheheh.” Was the raspy response.

  “AHHHH!” His scream was loud but quick, the sound of the car crash occurred moments later.

  “And you didn’t say ‘you would end this’ you said, ‘It would end with you.” I said dismissively to the silent phone. “And I guess it did.”

  “Shhhhh.” Was the last sound before the phone went dead.

  I promptly dialed 911. “911, what is your emergency.”

  “I think one of your Detectives was just in a terrible accident.” I said.

  “And what leads you to believe that?” the operator asked.

  “He called me, we were talking, I heard a scream and the sounds of a crash.” I gave her his name and the cell phone number he called from.

  I called Nelli’s phone again, I needed to hear her voice. “The number that you’re attempting to reach is no longer a valid number.” The robotic voice said.

  “No!” I ran to my shed and grabbed a spade and began digging. Around the third hole I found her head. And I sat on the loose earth cradling it gently in my arms. A couple minutes later the head vanished. I stayed there until the police came.

  “Mr. Clark, you understand that calling 911 with a false event, is illegal.” The cousin of the pickup truck driver said.

  “Fuck you,” I said.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “And that’s how I ended up here.” I finished telling my tale to the tall blonde in front of me.

  “Mr. Clark, you still seem to think that I was involved throughout your story?” The doctor asked.

  “Dr. Shaw, how else would I know your name is Aubrey, that you have a web site called ‘Callcirclesupport.net’ and that you know about ‘Them’?” I asked.

  “My name tag says, Aubrey Shaw MD – Signs Sanitarium. I don’t have a web site called ‘Callcirclesupport.net’ and more importantly if there actually was a ‘Them’ to know about, you would be dead for telling me, based upon your own story.” She said.

  “I don’t understand that either.” I said. “I also don’t understand why the waitress didn’t disappear, I mean, the entire staff of the garage vanished, Nelli’s head disappeared in my arms, but the waitress…”

  “My assumption based upon your story, an entity that can control people, I don’t remember what you called it a Star something…”

  “Specter a Star-Specter.”

  “Yeah that, perhaps they will find that the guitar player from that shitty band did it under the control of one of those Star thingies.” She said. “In either case, we will continue to meet and discuss your case. Try to rest.” Dr. Shaw said.

  “That’s highly unlikely, I lost my sister, who apparently never existed, to monsters that aren’t real. The detective said he never investigated a girl that he initially told me was the reason he thought Richard had an accomplice.” I said.

  The doctor walked out, closing the door behind her and was met by the floor nurse. “Dr. Shaw, are you going to visit any other patients tonight?”

  “No Charlotte, I need to get home, I’m not feeling well,” She replied.

  “I understand, not like you would get much done anyway, it’s almost 6am.” The perky nurse said. “Oh and Doctor one more thing, Mr. Clark keeps asking me to get a note to his parents about his sister.”

  “Mr. Clark has no sister, I’ve done all the research he asked me to do. There was never a Detective Gottlie either.” Dr. Shaw said.

  “I wanted to tell you, his parents are both dead and ask if I should tell him that?” Charlotte asked.

  “I’ll broach the subject next visit. Thanks for the information.” She said and walked out to her little sports car.

  “At least he’s safe.” The deep voice of the Legend said from behind her.

  “It’s a shame that so many had to die to get him here. It took so much convincing to get Richard to send that email.” Her eyes turned blood red with nothing at all in the centers.

  “I never knew a Star-Thingy to care about mortals before.” The deep voice said.

  “Respect!” the voice which resonated from her sounded as if one hundred were speaking at once.

  “My apologies.” The creature replied bowing his head slightly.

  “Forgiven. I’ve never known of a mortal to remember someone or something after a Lurker made their target vanish, or even more surprising, for a human to have made contact with so many of us, Unwanted, without them completely losing their mind.” Aubrey said.

  “True. But how did you know he would be able to?” It asked.

  “I didn’t know to what degree he would be special, but when Richard was failing to accept our reality, I saw this one in his thoughts. I knew there was something exceptional here.” She replied.

  “I have some nightmares to consume. Good luck in your hunt Madame.” The creature took form briefly, looking like a huge shadowy tapir.

  “Thank you, Baku, look over him for me. He’s the first of many we need to relocate here, into the Signs –,“ her words were cut off by the sound of honking.

  Chapter Two cont.

  “Come on asshat, get a move on!” The rapping on my window and yelling was the same man that I had seen rear end my car.

  “Sorry,” I said. Starting my car I looked over where the no tailgating sign sat completely normal. I started driving up the hill to my office knowing that something strange had just happened and wondered if my life would ever be the same.

  When I got to my office I closed the door and wrote down everything that I could remember about the experience. I guess it couldn’t hurt to try and remember the rules… ‘Their’ rules.

  z

  Did you see the Sign!!!

  Thank you for reading The Signs: Book One - The Unwanted. My first release!!! If you enjoyed this Supernatural Thriller, let me know but if you LOVED it please let the world know by clicking the title above and leaving a review.

  Each and every review is very important to independent authors. As we don’t have the juggernaut support staffs that th
e major authors/publishers do. In this case it will be the reviews that tell us if moving forward with the series is important to you, our readers.

  The Signs Sanitarium looks like an insane place, with a protector of a one of the strongest Legends, the Baku. How did Ezra jump in to Edward’s head? Who will the Star Specter collect next? Stay tuned for the next installment, Stuck!

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  I hope that my stories change yours!!!

  Andrew Michaels