When the fifth day came and went he began to wonder if anyone was still looking for him. He'd been hiding in the thick bushes on a roundabout between three fairly isolated villages and he hadn't seen a car since day two. At first he out it down to the bank holiday weekend but then, if even the bankers were on holiday wouldn't there be more traffic, even out here in nearly nowhere?
His 13 year old self refused to entertain the idea that there might simply be nobody there, that the warning yelled at him by drunk Dave behind Aldi might be true and the creatures he described to anyone who'd listen might be real. Then again, the boy did remember seeing some unusual looking birds on day two that hovered like kestrels but seemed to have four pairs of wings. Maybe they were just moving their wings fast though. There's no way drunk Dave could be right.
When the sixth day came the boy finished his last can of tuna that he'd nicked from the kitchen and turned his phone on. There were over thirty texts from his parents and friends and almost thirty missed calls, only five voice mail messaged though. They were from his parents and his best mate Luke.
Message received August 8th at 23:40 from contact "Luke".
Hey, so uhh your mum called and said you weren't back yet. I told her you were at mine for the night so get your ass over here before she comes to get you tomorrow or asks me anything, alright?
Message received August 9th at 14:32 from contact "Mum"
Where the hell are you? That Luke you hang about with lied to my face and said you were with him but his mum says you've not been over in a week! Your dad's out looking for you and for your own sake you'd better get back home or so help me you'll be grounded until you're fifty!
Message received August 9th at 14:48 from contact "Mum"
Jamie? Look, I know you're upset with me and you don't want to talk right now but this is urgent. Get inside the nearest house, I don't care that I've always told you "Stranger Danger" just do it and don't look up. Text me the address and we'll come get you just stay indoors. We love you!
Message received August 9th at 15:01 from contact "Dad"
Oi Jaymo, pick up your damn phone and tell us where you are. It's not safe to be outside, I hope you've been keeping up with the news. They're bloody everywhere. We're holding up at Sherly's house along Maythorne Avenue, remember the place? Call me back so we know you're safe. Your mum's phone's dead from trying to ring you.
Message received August 9th at 15:20 from contact "Dad"
James Montgomery Clark, if you don't pick up the phone right now and let us know you're safe I'm going to break public curfew and come get you mysu- the message cut to garbled screams and glass breaking before settling into a series of wet crunches and then utter silence.
End of all messages. To repeat messages please press 1, to delete message please press 2.
Without thinking he pressed 2 and began to run for home - no, Sherly's place. As he ran (completely ignoring his parent's warnings to get inside as soon as possible) he tried to call everyone back but found his phone had no signal. He tried again when he was inside the village without any luck before he began to look around at the carnage he'd managed to escape. By the time he got to Sherly's blood had soaked right through his shoes.
He was left with nothing but silence and the knowledge that he'd deleted his parent's final words.
His 13 year old self refused to entertain the idea that there might simply be nobody there, that the warning yelled at him by drunk Dave behind Aldi might be true and the creatures he described to anyone who'd listen might be real. Then again, the boy did remember seeing some unusual looking birds on day two that hovered like kestrels but seemed to have four pairs of wings. Maybe they were just moving their wings fast though. There's no way drunk Dave could be right.
When the sixth day came the boy finished his last can of tuna that he'd nicked from the kitchen and turned his phone on. There were over thirty texts from his parents and friends and almost thirty missed calls, only five voice mail messaged though. They were from his parents and his best mate Luke.
Message received August 8th at 23:40 from contact "Luke".
Hey, so uhh your mum called and said you weren't back yet. I told her you were at mine for the night so get your ass over here before she comes to get you tomorrow or asks me anything, alright?
Message received August 9th at 14:32 from contact "Mum"
Where the hell are you? That Luke you hang about with lied to my face and said you were with him but his mum says you've not been over in a week! Your dad's out looking for you and for your own sake you'd better get back home or so help me you'll be grounded until you're fifty!
Message received August 9th at 14:48 from contact "Mum"
Jamie? Look, I know you're upset with me and you don't want to talk right now but this is urgent. Get inside the nearest house, I don't care that I've always told you "Stranger Danger" just do it and don't look up. Text me the address and we'll come get you just stay indoors. We love you!
Message received August 9th at 15:01 from contact "Dad"
Oi Jaymo, pick up your damn phone and tell us where you are. It's not safe to be outside, I hope you've been keeping up with the news. They're bloody everywhere. We're holding up at Sherly's house along Maythorne Avenue, remember the place? Call me back so we know you're safe. Your mum's phone's dead from trying to ring you.
Message received August 9th at 15:20 from contact "Dad"
James Montgomery Clark, if you don't pick up the phone right now and let us know you're safe I'm going to break public curfew and come get you mysu- the message cut to garbled screams and glass breaking before settling into a series of wet crunches and then utter silence.
End of all messages. To repeat messages please press 1, to delete message please press 2.
Without thinking he pressed 2 and began to run for home - no, Sherly's place. As he ran (completely ignoring his parent's warnings to get inside as soon as possible) he tried to call everyone back but found his phone had no signal. He tried again when he was inside the village without any luck before he began to look around at the carnage he'd managed to escape. By the time he got to Sherly's blood had soaked right through his shoes.
He was left with nothing but silence and the knowledge that he'd deleted his parent's final words.
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