Static In The Radio
“Carl, we have a 10-99 in progress, we need all available officers to be on route immediately, do you copy?”
Carl looked out into the night sky. It twisted with an unnatural rhythm. Orange and black mixed and swirled together giving ominous signals to him.
He picked up the radio “Copy that, on route” he turned his cruiser on and flipped the sirens. “Send me the location Joyce”
“Copy that, Carl, location sent”
The address flipped up on his police monitor in the middle of his dash. The route highlighted and started to guide him.
He turned on to the highway and started to head south into the suburbs. The city dipped behind him as he screamed towards his destination. No longer were the lamp posts and neon signs there to light his way. He pulled off and onto a long winding road. The trees lined each side and closed him into a tunnel. The lights from his cruiser flashed red and blue among the shadows, illuminating glimpses of the houses and farms that he passed.
He peered down at this navigator. This was far out from his normal jurisdiction.
“Joyce, are there any other officers on route?”
“Affirmative Carl, three officers are on route including your self. You are only a half a mile away. In the neighbor hood ahead.”
Carl took a deep breath and turned into the sleepy neighborhood. No lights lit up on the porches. There were no cars in the drive ways, no lights cast their warmth from the inside of the houses. The whole place looked abandoned.
“I have a bad feeling about this” he breathed to himself as he leaned froward and tried scanning the darkness that his lights gave brief clarity to.
The house where he was being guided to was at the end of the street, which forked. He slowed down to face it. His navigation flashed that he had reached his destination.
“The place is right in front of you Carl, please check it out and report”
Carl looked down at the radio. He checked his pistol and clutched the handle to leave the car when something caught his eye in his rear view mirror.
Eyes. Red glowing eyes. They moved, glided past his car, darting across the street that he was parked on. They peered so bright and shiny that he immediately released the car door and spun in his seat.
“Joyce, you said it was a 10-99, who reported?”
The radio was static for a few moments then she said “Carl, get out of your car and check it out, report back”
He turned back to face the house. The eyes now shone through the windows, on the side of the house, on the roof, the bodies of the creatures flashed in the rotating lights. Their legs were needles that fulled out into bodies that looked like grey volcanic skin, which dripped and teared, the heads held their red glowing eyes and antlers bursting in all direction into the air. They had no lips, just razor teeth, locked in a hideous smile. Those teeth parted in a few of the creatures and a high pitch scream came from one, then the rest joined in an unholy chorus.
“Shit man, what the fuck is this” Carl Slammed his gear to reverse and took off backwards. The eyes scattered and the bodies holding them jumbled and ran after him.
“Carl, please turn around. Carl, Carl!.” the radio yelled at him. The navigation started chirping at him as well. The screen flashed trying to re route him back to the house.
The car wheeled out into the winding road that had led him there. He took one brief look at the neighborhood. They got closer and closer.
Before he knew it the tunnel of trees was peeling past his vision.
“Carl, turn around now” the radio screamed at him “Where are you going, 10-99, are you deaf, all available officers, that’s you, Carl”
“Joyce if you don’t shut your damn mouth, I’m going to lose my fucking mind”
He flipped the switch for the radio, but the voice kept coming at him. Yelling, screaming, instructing him to turn around.
He cursed at the noises and peaked at his mirrors. The eyes filled his the vision. They tripped and rummaged among the trees, the tunnel now glared red at him.
He came out of the tree tunnel and turned back to the street that led him to the high way. His hands were slick against the steering wheel. Each turn threaten to crash him into the curb. He wiped his brow. The eyes stilled followed. The navigation each time he went past a street told him to re-route and take the next one. He could barely hear anything, his ears being assaulted by a death wish. He could see the ramp to the high way. The traffic lights switched from green to red. He snarled and ran them. The car hit the entrance ramp at top speed and as it came to top, it took flight for a moment and crashed into the highway. Horns and cars screeched at him as he came flying into their view.
The radio died.
The navigation stopped and returned to its idle screen.
His mirrors shown regular highway traffic.
His hands were cemented to the steering wheel, his eyes wide, looking straight ahead. He turned his lights off and glided to a cruise.
Carl picked up his phone and called a number “Mick, where you at? Yeah? Don’t leave” He hung up.
Emma’s diner was a small little place down town. Open all day and night, solid food, unlimited coffee and donuts.
“Carl -“ Mick gave him a wave from a booth “holy shit, what happened?”
Carl took off his hat and slid into the booth across from him. He was still wide eyed, the colored drained from his dark skin.
A waitress approached the table. “What can I get you Carl?”
“Coffee” he didn’t look away from Mick “And four chocolate donuts…..” he glanced at her “how many chocolate donuts you got back there?” he shook his head a bit “bring them all” and he returned to Mick, his stare unfocused.
“we will start with two” the waitress smiled to Carl then gave Mick a worried look before walking off.
“You hear a 10-99 on the radio earlier?”
Mick shook his head.
Carl rubbed his eye brows “We have some problems, Mick. Some real big, like Ghostbuster problems, end of the world type shit.” Carl took a deep breath in and looked Mick straight in the eyes, focused “And it’s coming for us”
This was inspired by LOCAL58TV - You are on the fastest available route. This channel always has such great scares. Everything is subtle and well done. It never hits you over the head, never gives you all the information. It is just creepy. I liked the idea of something guiding, that you normally trust, to your demise.
Carl and Mick are reoccurring characters. Carl is based off a younger version of Carl Winslow from Family Matters. When I saw him in the first story , the cha Mick, I haven’t decided yet. There is a lot of creepy stuff happening around them, but now it might be coming after them. Hope they are prepared.
Happy Halloween everyone. Be weary of the spirits and enjoy the spooky time.