The Missing Town

by Marcel Liemant

  What a waste.

  Will put his gun away and went back into the bar. He sat down on one of the worn stools, grabbed some fine Earth vodka and poured himself a double. He drank and looked around him. There was one thing Will knew for sure; it was that no matter how small or how backward a town was, there was always someone drinking. It didn’t matter what planet either. People, aliens, elves, everything was looking for a way to escape consciousness in some way. The pub shouldn’t be empty on a Friday night.

  Will finished his drink and left the pub. He had a hunch, a hunch he didn’t particularly like because it meant more work for him. He jogged back onto one of the residential streets and tried the front door of the first house he came across. It was locked but when he went around the back, he managed to let himself in through the sliding door. William flicked on the light.

  “Hello? Anyone home?”

  William waited for screams of fright or threats of violence, but they didn’t come. He checked the rest of the rooms to make sure, the beds were empty.

  William picked a few more houses at random and let himself inside of those too. There was nobody home, anywhere. The whole town was empty.

  “Goddamn aliens,” Will muttered.

  Will’s stomach growled in response. He walked into the kitchen of one of the randomly selected homes and opened the fridge. He grabbed some ham and some mustard. After opening a few cupboards he found some bread and a knife and got to work preparing a sandwich. He checked his watch, it was 2am in Australia. A nasty time to be working.

  Will went to take a bite of his sandwich when something yanked him to the floor. He barely had time to break his fall with his elbows before he was pulled out of the kitchen, through the laundry and out into the backyard. Will let out a string of swear words. He managed to flip himself around so that he was being dragged on his back. He looked down at his ankles, which were bound together by a thick, meaty rope like limb. He couldn’t see the creature attached to it in the dark.

  “Oi!” Will yelled.

  The alien had dragged him onto the road within seconds of grabbing him. Will tried to free his legs but it was also strong as hell. A brown ropey limb shifted and a black claw appeared with a long black stinger on the end of it.

  With a grunt of effort, Will pulled himself into the sitting position. He grabbed his knife from his boot and wedged it between the creature’s limb and his leg. His sharp knife made short work of it and within seconds Will stopped short in the middle of the road.

  Will heard an unpleasant, almost metallic shriek in the distance.

  “Serves you bloody right,” Will yelled after it.

  He wiped his knife on his jeans, yanked the piece of the alien from his legs and got to his feet. Will pulled his gun and squinted into the darkness. He couldn’t see anything or hear anything. In the dim street light he examined his sandwich, which he’d managed to hold onto. Half of it had same green goo that the Doc had been so fascinated with. The other half seemed completely fine. Will could see a trail of the slime heading down the street into the darkness. He looked behind him and sure enough there was a trail in the direction he had just been dragged. Come to think of it, Will’s back didn’t feel scraped or hurt in anyway. He looked over his shoulder and saw his back coated in the green goo as well. Will screwed up his nose. He tore the sandwich in half and chucked the soiled section onto the ground. Will bit into the other half and holstered his gun and his knife.

  Standing in a dark and empty street, William knew which direction the portal was. He chewed angrily, swallowed and then let out an exasperated sigh. The aliens were still hunting. The little kid, that damn dog and the Doc had no idea they were being stalked right now. Will finished his half sandwich, kicked the alien’s tail and turned back towards the direction of Tom’s house.

  5

  Natalie pulled a handful of small test tubes from her travel kit. She collected the green sample from the tractor and searched Tom’s bedroom for anymore traces of it. She found the same substance on the carpet near the doorway and then in the hall and on the stairs. Natalie collected various samples from around the house. When she returned to Tom’s bedroom, Wolfgang had taken up vigil in bed beside the young boy.

  Natalie grinned. “Alright you two. I’ve got to analyse these samples. Do you have a favourite movie you want to show Wolfgang, Tom?”

  Tom nodded eagerly. He leapt off the bed and grabbed a tablet from his small desk.

  “Mum says I can’t watch movies at night but if you said then I can show Wolfgang Cars 23.”

  Natalie had to admire the resilience of children. Her hands full of test tubes of samples from a creature that had taken the small boy’s parents hours ago.

  “I’ll just be down the hall,” Natalie said, as cheerily as she could manage.

  Tom didn’t respond. He was already back in bed, his eyes glued to the screen in his small hands.

  Natalie grabbed her travel kit and hurried out of the room. She found a cluttered study next to the master bedroom. She cleared some space on the desk and laid down the test tubes. She then pulled out her in field analysis device, the JACKtm. The JACKtm was round and flat. It contained multiple analytical systems and had cost Natalie all her savings a few months ago.

  Natalie put on her lab coat and safety goggles and prepared the samples. She loaded the sample for genetic analysis and pressed the run button. Natalie noticed that she was smiling. The analytical systems were connected to her workplaces database on known extraterrestrial lifeforms. She’d had it connected by a friend gifted in coding. That way, when she accessed the database, it flew under the radar and if it didn’t, it couldn’t be linked to her. If humans had ever encountered this brand of creature before, Natalie would soon know. Then, all the published research would be sent to her tablet.

  While the analysis was running, Natalie decided to have a look at the substance herself. Natalie pulled out miniature scope and smeared the green slime onto a slide. Even with the technology available, Natalie believed in the power of the human eye.

  Natalie spent some time looking at a smattering of different parts of the sample. She wrote her notes and thought of several research papers she would need to consult. Natalie checked how her samples were running. The molecular analysis was complete. She looked through the results. It was a dense polymer network, possibly some kind of mucus.

  “Fascinating,” Natalie murmured.

  Natalie frowned. She removed her gloves and back downstairs. She followed traces of the green slime into the kitchen. There was a concentrated area on the floor in front of a counter with chopping board on it. On a hunch, Natalie looked up, there was a green on the roof of the kitchen too. The goo was adhesive.

  Natalie went back up the stairs and watched the goo spattering as she did. It wasn’t consistent but it was frequent, frequent enough that a theory began to form in Natalie’s mind. She found Tom still in his bed, tablet casting a white glow on his and Wolfgang’s faces.

  “Tom?”

  Tom tore his eyes away from the screen. His brow furrowed in concern.

  Natalie swallowed. “After your parents were taken. Did you see or hear anything else?”

  Tom nodded. “They came to clean up.” He said, and then returned his attention to the tablet.

  A chill went down Natalie’s spine. They came to clean up. The creatures were intelligent and deliberating. They had forethought and planning. Natalie became all too aware that she was alone in a house where two adults had been taken. She patted her leg and Wolfgang leapt from the bed and was by her side. Natalie immediately felt better. She, with Wolfgang beside her, went back to the front door and locked it. She looked out onto the street from the window. It was dark and quiet out there. It was late, everyone was sleeping, she told herself. Natalie swallowed again, she needed to warn these people. If Tom’s parents could be taken, anyone could be. Natalie went back upstairs, switching off lights as she did. She stopped in Tom’s doorway and looked at the small boy gripping his
tablet.

  “Do you know your neighbours, Tom?”

  Tom looked up this time. “Yes. They let me play with their cat.”

  “I’m going to get them. Would you like that?”

  Tom nodded.

  Natalie forced a smile. “Wait here. There’s no need to worry. Wolfgang will keep you safe.”

  Natalie gestured to the bed and Wolfgang jumped back onto it. She patted his head. As much as she wanted Wolfgang with her, there was no way she was leaving Tom without his protection.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” She said.

  Natalie steeled herself and headed out of the house. She put her head down and hurried to the house next door. She knocked on the front door and waited. Natalie shoved her hands into her lab coat pocket against the cold. She knew it was late and that the neighbours were probably sleeping so she rung the doorbell. She hated the idea of waking people up but this was urgent, they were in danger. Natalie glanced back at the dark street behind her and then tried the doorknob. It opened, she braced herself and stepped inside.

  “Hello? I’m sorry to intrude but you may be in danger,” She said gingerly.

  When there was no response Natalie switched on the light. She gasped. From across the room to the front door, there were deep nail marks in the floorboards.

  Natalie’s heart began to pound. She ran into the closest room, a bedroom. It was made, untouched and empty. These people had been taken too.

  Natalie wanted to run out of the house but she had to make a sure that nobody was there. That no children had managed to hide like Tom had. She bent down and looked under the bed. On her hands and knees she heard footsteps come through the front door.

  There was something in the house.

  6

  Will slid in through the open front door and paused to listen.

  “Doc?” He called.

  Natalie, donned in a lab coat, appeared in the hallway, her face ashen. “You scared me to death.”

  Will narrowed his eyes. He had seen her enter Tom’s neighbours house from down the street.

  “What are you doing over here?” He asked.

  “I came to warn the neighbours, but they’ve been taken too,” Natalie said.

  Will sniffed. “Yeah, whole towns gone.”

  Natalie’s mouth dropped open. “The whole town is gone?”

  Will nodded lazily. “Yep. Uh, looks like it’s a much bigger job. Where’s the kid?”

  “We need to call someone.”

  Will shook his head. “I can handle this.”

  Natalie took a step back, away from Will. She pulled her phone from her jeans. “I’m calling the police.”

  Will took a step forward. “No. You’re not.”

  “For christ sake William!” Natalie yelled. “An entire town of people are missing!”

  Will looked hard at Natalie, trying to get her to understand. “If you ring the coppers, nobody, and I mean nobody is coming home. Not these poor saps. Not the town bloody mayor. Not little Tom’s parents. Nobody. The government will quarantine this shitty town. The kid will be sent to his grandparents house or wherever goddamn else.” William growled. “This is my business. The kid called me to get his parents back and that’s what I’m gonna do.”

  Natalie’s voice came out low and strong. “I will not risk the lives of innocent people, to feed whatever egomaniac adventure this is for you.”

  Will’s eyes flashed with anger. “I told you this business wasn’t for you. It’s not so bloody comfy outside of the lab, huh? Do you know how many empty towns I’ve seen? More than I can count. Do you know how many times the coppers have gotten even one person back? Not once. They won’t step even a toe over any treaty lines for anyone. No matter how many people end up missing or dead. I hate to break it to you sweet heart but we’re on our own out here.”

  The Doc looked ready to hit him. She opened her mouth to respond when barking pierced through the air.

  “Wolfgang,” Natalie gasped.

  She pushed past Will and ran out of the house. Will sprinted after her, keeping pace with her billowing lab coat. They burst through the front door of Tom’s house.

  “Wolfgang? Tom?” Natalie yelled.

  The barking had stopped. There was silence upstairs and a thick green trail on the steps. Natalie bolted up the stairs. Will pulled his gun and followed. They reached Tom’s room. He wasn’t in his bed. The dog was lying on the ground, motionless.

  Natalie rushed to Wolfgang’s side. Will cleared the room and ran back out into the hall, he ran into each room, pointing his gun and clearing each of them. The house was empty. Whatever had been there had taken off.

  “Tom?” Will bellowed.

  “In here!” Natalie yelled, still in Tom’s bedroom.

  Will ran back into the room. Natalie was checking the dog’s paws. Tom leapt from wherever he had been hiding and attached himself to Will’s leg.

  Natalie turned to him. “I think he’s been paralysed.”

  Tom was sobbing into Will’s jeans.

  “It’s okay kid,” Will said stiffly. He put his gun away.

  Natalie bent down low and scooped her dog into her arms.

  “Tom, it’s okay, you’re safe and Wolfgang is going to be fine,” She said.

  Natalie laid Wolfgang on the bed and patted his head. She then went over to Tom and touched his shoulder.

  “Tom, can you tell us what happened?” She murmured.

  Tom pulled his head up and looked at Natalie with big, watery eyes. “It came back and it came into my room and-” He sniffed. “Wolfgang bit it and it stung him and it ran away again,” He finished and promptly began crying again.

  “I told you Wolfgang would keep you safe.”

  The Doc met Will’s eyes, her anger matched his own.

  “What did you find out?” She asked.

  “I was dragged,” He gestured to the slime on his brown leather jacket. “They make trails.”

  Natalie nodded. “I figured. How did you escape?”

  “My knife.”

  The Doc raised an eyebrow. “You killed it?”

  “No, I cut off it’s tail,” Will couldn’t help but smirk. “It wasn’t happy about it either, let me tell you.”

  Natalie narrowed her eyes. “I need it. The limb that you severed.”

  Tom’s head whipped up. “I can help!” He exclaimed.

  “I’ll need your help too, Tom,” Natalie said. “We’re going to make an antidote.”

  “I don’t-” Will began.

  Natalie snapped on another pair of gloves. She went back over to the dog and moved her finger backward and forwards in front of his open stare.

  Tom wiped his nose on Will’s jeans and joined the Doc by the dog. He buried his face in Wolfgang’s fur.

  Will adjusted his belt. “I’ve got to get to the portal.”

  “Think this through, William,” Natalie said. “Chances are the entire town has been paralysed by these aliens. Are you going to carry them all to safety? While fighting hundreds maybe thousands of aliens on your own? Is that your plan?”

  Will scowled. “I can handle it.”

  “Don’t be pig headed William. You’re going to need an antidote too. Now will you help me make one or not?”

  Tom looked up from Wolfgang’s fur. He stared hard at William. “You’re helping too, aren’t you?”

  Will let out an exasperated sigh. “I guess I can run out to the store and pick up an alien stinger, maybe some milk and bread too.”

  Natalie glared. “Fine. You stay here with Tom and Wolfgang. I’ll go.”

  Natalie removed her gloves and threw them onto the bed. She walked up to Will and while she met his eye, she pulled his gun from his belt and pushed past him.

  Will gritted his teeth and hurried after her.

  “Alright! Give me my gun. I’ll go, okay?” He said from the top of the stairs.

  The Doc, who had already reached the front door, looked up and clenched her jaw. She met him on the stairs and ha
nded back his gun.

  “Hurry back,” She said firmly, and then. “Be careful, they’re smart.”

  7

  Will stomped into the street with his gun still in his hand.

  Goddamn errand boy.

  He didn’t know when a scientist, a dog and a little boy had taken over his life but somehow he had let that happen. Will headed back to where he had been dragged. Hopefully the severed tail was still in the middle of the road where he’d left it. As he jogged in the cold night air, despite his frustration, he could see how Natalie had a point. These damn aliens were tricky and quick and even he had been caught off guard by them. A couple of seconds had been in-between him and being paralysed, like the dog. He’d take great pleasure in ending this particular slime covered brand of alien. Will shook his head as he jogged. The kid’s parents better pay up when he got them back. Better yet, the whole town better throw in a couple of bucks.

  The stinger was gone and so was the green trail. Will scowled, of course this isn’g going to be easy.

  He cracked his neck and headed into the front yard of a nearby house. Its garden beds were overgrown with dying weeds. Will tried the front door, it was locked. He broke one of the front windows and climbed inside. He didn’t bother to check to see if the owners were home and went and switched on the TV. Last time the alien had struck when he was distracted. All he had to do was look busy and the aliens would come to him.

  Will settled onto the brown couch and switched through the channels. He yawned, checked his watch and started to get absorbed in some cooking show. A few minutes passed and then a few more. William shifted on the couch and tapped his gun against the armrest.

  Where are the little buggers?

  Will stood and switched off the TV. He wandered over to the window and looked out into the darkness. They weren’t making this easy for him.