1 They Arrive
1
They Arrive
42.7900°N, 86.2250°W
Bobby called their names again, but the wind swallowed his voice.
He searched the clearing with his flashlight. Three chairs surrounded the fire, two lying on their sides. Footprints crossed the damp ground and disappeared at the tree line.
He crouched beside the tracks.
They were not human.
Webbed feet had pressed into the soil, each print ending in long, sharp toes. Bobby pulled out his notebook and sketched one before the rain could soften its edges.
Then he ran for the truck.
He drove toward Thompson with both hands locked around the wheel. Halfway there, nausea forced him onto the shoulder. He opened the door and vomited into the grass.
A mile later, he stopped again.
Ray and Francis were gone.
Whatever had taken them had left Bobby behind.
His phone showed no service. He tried the radio and found only static until an emergency broadcast cut through.
“We interrupt the regularly scheduled program to bring you this important message from your local government. Please arm yourself. We are in full lockdown. Do not open your doors to anyone you do not know. Remain sheltered in place until you hear otherwise. This is not a drill. Failure to comply may result in severe injury or death.”
The message repeated.
Bobby stared through the windshield.
What if Thompson was not the only place affected? What if the same stalks had grown wherever the hail had fallen?
Police first, he thought. Then Sarah. Then anyone with a working radio.
As he entered town, open doors appeared along the street. Blood marked several porches. Clumps of coarse hair clung to steps and broken window frames. At some houses, the strange stalks had been dragged indoors.
The police station doors stood open, banging in the wind.
Bobby parked and ran inside.
“Chief Bloodstone?”
His voice travelled through the empty building.
“Chief? It’s Bobby Jacobs.”
No answer came.
A generator ran somewhere behind the offices. Bobby found the keys to the weapons cabinet on the chief’s desk. He loaded guns and ammunition into the bed of his truck, hating how much safer the weight of them made him feel.
Outside, he lit a cigarette and sat behind the wheel.
His hands shook.
Memories of his parents always returned when the world became uncertain. They had died in a winter accident when Bobby was fourteen and Sarah was sixteen. Afterward, he had learned that life could divide itself into before and after without warning.
Now it had happened again.
A sound crossed the gravel.
Bobby lowered himself in the seat and held the cigarette below the window.
Voices.
Human voices.
Three people moved between the abandoned vehicles, younger than Bobby and frightened enough to keep close together. One of the women stopped and turned toward his truck.
“Someone’s in there,” she said.
So much for staying hidden, Bobby thought.
The woman raised one hand. “Lucky for us you were smoking. We would’ve walked right past you.”
Bobby lowered the window.
“I’m Betty,” she said.
“Bobby.”
The man beside her nodded. “Raif. This is Trudy.”
Trudy’s composure broke. “Where is everybody? They can’t all be gone.” Her voice rose with every word. “People don’t just disappear.”
“I don’t know,” Betty repeated. “I don’t know what happened.”
Raif glanced at both women before turning back to Bobby. “All we did was climb inside the hollowed-out body of an old car. We were playing hide-and-seek and stayed in there together for a few seconds. When we came out, nobody was around.”
“Yeah, something like that happened to me too,” Bobby said. “I thought my friends were hiding to play a joke on me. I called their names and searched the clearing, but they just up and disappeared.”
“We didn’t disappear,” Trudy said. “Everyone else did.”
Bobby looked at the three of them. “From where I stood, it was my friends.”
Trudy studied him. “Where did you come from? We’ve searched half the town already and haven’t seen you.”
“I live here,” Bobby said. “I was at a clearing outside town when my friends disappeared. I came to the police station looking for help.”
“We’re glad we found you,” Trudy said. “Have you seen anyone else?”
“No. You three are the first.”
Betty glanced toward the open police-station doors. “We shouldn’t stay here.”
“Sticking together is our best chance,” Trudy said.
Bobby nodded. “My house is just around the corner. We can decide what to do there.”
He unlocked the truck. “Hop in.”
Raif opened the rear door for Betty and Trudy. “Good enough for me.”
Bobby pulled into his driveway and led them through the side door. Trudy began unlacing one of her shoes in the mudroom.
“Keep them on,” Bobby said. “Until we know what’s happening, we need to be ready to move.”
Trudy straightened. They followed him into the kitchen and gathered around the table.
Sarah had decorated Bobby’s house to resemble something from a magazine, but nobody commented on the furniture or the carefully matched colours. Bobby brought four glasses to the table and sat across from the others.
“We need to decide what happens next,” he said.
“First, we should understand what happened tonight,” Trudy replied. “Then we should learn something about one another.”
Bobby glanced around the table. They had placed their lives in one another’s hands without knowing anything beyond their names.
“Tomorrow, we can drive to Holland and find out whether the same thing happened there,” he said.
“I like that idea,” Trudy said.
Raif nodded. “So do I.”
Bobby leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and gazed at the half-empty bottles on the table. “It was late February when the snow came down so hard that drivers described the road as a cloud of heavy, thick fog. Mom and Dad were on their way back from visiting an old college friend—it was supposed to be just a quick weekend trip, nothing more. The next thing I knew, the police came to our door and told us their car had spun off the road after hitting a jackknifed semi that had crossed the median.” Betty gasped, Trudy shook her head, and Raif kicked at the floor. Bobby paused for a drink and then continued. “I was fourteen and went on to live with my sister and grandmother as we attempted to make sense of funeral arrangements and insurance settlements.” He cleared his throat; his Adam’s apple bobbed with the effort. “Nights like these cause my pulse to pound so loudly I can’t hear anything else. You know, I believed I’d found solid ground for a while, but now I feel it all over again.”
Trudy’s eyes softened at his confession, and her fingers traced idle patterns on the wood grain of the table. “I hear you,” she said. “Moving away from home was my kind of heartbreak.” She pushed a loose strand of curly black hair behind her ear and looked at Bobby with steady brown eyes that held warmth and sorrow. “I came here for my internship at the law college—big-city dreams and all. But then they decided there wasn’t a position for me once I graduated, so I took an online job and stayed. At first, I thought I’d hate it—the silent streets, the slow pace. But there’s comfort with knowing your neighbours’ faces and their routines.” She offered him a small, rueful smile. “I missed my parents like crazy at first, but this town … it grew on me. Now, I wouldn’t trade its calm for anything, even if the calm is more unsettled than I imagined.”
“I grew up here,” Raif said with a smile and a nod.
“Me too,” Betty added.
“You know,” Bobby said, “it’s just me and my sister, but she doesn’t own a landline, so I can’t get in touch with her. My phone has no bars, and with the power out, I can’t use the landline either.”
“My grandmother lives in Detroit. I’ll call her. Just a sec,” Trudy said. She fished through her purse for her cell phone and dialled. “The phone just rang and rang.”
Bobby shook his head.
“It’s good, Trudy. That means there’s still cell service.”
“Yes. That’s good,” Raif agreed.
“Just a minute, please. I have someone we can call,” Betty said. “My neighbour is in the Air Force. I can call him.”
Raif flashed a smile. Trudy nodded.
Betty blushed. She and Bobby made eye contact. She was tall, with blonde hair cut short like a boy’s, and sharp blue eyes.
She’s my type for sure, Bobby thought.
As she nursed her drink, Betty grabbed her phone and called Steve at the Air Force base. She had his number saved.
“Selfridge ANGB, Corporal Benjamin speaking. How may I help you?”
“Hello, Corporal. I need to speak with Lieutenant Steve Banks, please. It’s an emergency.”
“What is the nature of your emergency?”
“Tell him the girl next door is calling to report that his parents have gone missing.”
“This is Steve. Betty, what do you mean my parents have gone missing? Have you been drinking or doing drugs?”
“My God, no. I’m telling you—there’s something wrong here.”
“Betty, update me.”
“Wait a minute, Betty. Who’s ‘we’?”
“Oh, there are four of us here. Bobby has a house, and we have ammunition. We are prepared to kill or be killed. You’ve got to come—and bring every soldier you can spare.” She sobbed.
“We should contact the FBI,” Bobby said, taking the phone from Betty.
“I’m Bobby,” he said. “The FBI might offer an explanation.”
Betty grabbed the phone again.
“Do you see why we need your help? Your help will be required.”
“What do I tell them? The entire town disappeared. Betts, nobody will believe me.”
“I wouldn’t believe it either—but I’m here, witnessing it,” Betty said.
“They should be wary and look for corn-like plants sprouting in unusual locations.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be as convincing as I can be,” Steve said.
“We’ll be at 2693 Lancaster Street, at Bobby Jacobs’s house, awaiting your arrival,” Betty said.
“Okay, got it. We should be there in less than thirty minutes. If we don’t show up by then, call us back or follow up with the bureau. I look forward to seeing you. Bye, Betts.”
After 45 minutes without hearing from Steve or seeing him, Raif—pacing back and forth—suggested that Betty call the Air Force base again. Raif, a former high school football player, was tall, with muscular arms and large hands. His eyes were chestnut, and his hair was brown.
Betty dialed the base. The phone rang and rang and rang. When she got no answer, she dissolved into sobs and buried her head in her hands.
Bobby placed his hand over hers. Then he looked up the FBI’s number, ready to call them.
“There’s nothing we can do about it tonight. It’s time for us to sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll call the FBI,” Trudy said.
The following day, as the sun peeked over the horizon, Bobby put on a pot of coffee. The rich aroma filled the kitchen as he made breakfast. His mind raced with thoughts of his parents, his friends, and his sister. He wanted to keep everyone safe—and the pressure of that responsibility was wearing on him.
Bobby’s fingers had yellowed from tobacco, and his mouth tasted as though he’d swallowed an ashtray with his coffee. He realized everyone looked to him for guidance and leadership.
I’m just one guy. What if I make a mistake? What if my hunch about heading northwest isn’t right?
He thought back to that strange night. Thousands of tiny seeds fell from the sky like hail. When they hit the ground, they bounced up into green-leafed plants. Whatever fell took root over two nights. They resembled cornstalks but lacked corn husks. They flourished wherever soil existed.
Writing everything he knew about the creatures would be productive. It would help organise his research and give his mind a break.
He remembered that, before the storm, he had felt a faint vibration travel up the ladder from the ground.
BOBBY JOURNAL—GROUND VIBRATION SEEDING
JOURNAL ENTRY
Observation 032
Recorder: B-014
Location: Thompson perimeter
Status: Unconfirmed
Objective:
Record environmental conditions before visible creature movement.
Conditions:
No traffic.
Visible weather change.
No machinery nearby.
Results:
Ground disturbance detected several seconds before observed movement.
Repeated:
Three events.
Notes:
Initial assumption was vehicle vibration (boat on lake).
No vehicles identified.
Observation:
Movement appeared to begin before visible detection.
Handwritten: The ground knew first.
He put his pen down when he heard the others stirring.
“We’re low on food,” Bobby said as everyone stepped into the kitchen.
“Then we better go stock up,” Trudy replied.
They piled into Bobby’s truck and headed for the nearest shopping centre. The streets were still, muted, and unnatural.
At the plaza, they split up. Trudy and Betty went into the grocery store while Bobby handed Betty a quick request. “Can you grab me a pack of cigarettes?”
Raif veered toward the liquor store, and Bobby made his way into the hardware shop.
Around half an hour passed before they met back at the truck, loaded with items and preoccupied.
Bobby, along with the girls, placed the groceries into the truck. When Bobby inquired about any useful findings, Raif displayed the liquor bottles he had discovered. A smile touched Raif’s lips as he surveyed the liquor and muttered, “So much liquor!” He was keen to join forces with Bobby for safety, yet he also showed unease regarding the developing circumstances. Raif’s familiarity with the town created a sense of belonging—and unease.
A thin veil of cloud covered the plaza as they secured the last bag in the truck bed. He rubbed his palms on his jeans, saw his fingers tremble, and couldn’t discern whether the cold or apprehension caused it. The groceries rattled against the tailgate whenever he shifted. The canned beans, bottled water, stale bread, and Raif’s row of amber liquor glinted in the weak morning light. Somewhere beyond the lot, a lone crow cawed, and the sound carried across the shuttered storefronts. For a moment, none of them spoke, caught in the hush that followed the crow’s call—a shared recognition that they armed themselves for a fight they never asked for.
Trudy climbed into the cab and slammed the door with a hollow thud. She exhaled, her chest rising and falling like bellows in the cold.
“We should head back,” she said, tracing the clouded horizon with her eyes. “The wind’s picking up, and I don’t trust these empty streets.” Betty brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, nodded, and reached for the flashlight clipped to her belt. Even the simplest act of illumination felt urgent, each beam of light keeping unseen horrors at bay. Their silent agreement was palpable: together, they would press on—but none could deny the tremor in each heartbeat as the engine growled to a start.
Bobby laughed. He struggled with a couple of shovels, a pickaxe, and a long-handled axe. He placed them into the truck bed. As they returned to the truck, Bobby lit a cigarette and sat on the tailgate. The silence of the town filled the air; not a sign of a single bird, engine, or plane was in sight.
“Notice anything odd?” Bobby asked. They all shrugged.
“There are no birds in the sky.”
Raif looked around, darting his eyes from one spot to another.
“Let’s return to your home.”
As a precaution, they stayed off the main street. Bobby slowed the truck.
“Ooh, I don’t like the looks of that,” Trudy said. Raif took the passenger seat, and the girls sat in the back.
“Any ideas?”
“Bobby, what’s your take on this scenario?” Raif asked. “Hailstorm-related inquiries?”
“I don’t know, but if I were a betting man, I’d put my money on it,” Bobby replied.
They returned to Bobby’s house and ate a late lunch.
Afternoon sunlight flickered through the clouds. The silence left everyone deep in thought about their precarious situation with the creatures.
“I need a drink,” Raif said, opening a bottle of Scotch.
Outside, after finishing his smoke, Bobby said, “Pour me a glass, too,” and lit another smoke.
“Consider the townsfolk’s whereabouts,” Trudy said.
“Right now, we need to focus on staying alive ourselves. Why think about anyone else? It’s about our survival now,” Bobby said as he motioned for them to join him outside while he smoked. “It would help to understand what we’re dealing with.”
Bobby paused, the ember of his cigarette hovering at the edge of his lips as he weighed their options. His gaze drifted to the silent rows of stalks swaying in the breeze—each one a living mystery. “I get you,” he said. “But if we don’t know what these things want or how they hunt, we’re just stumbling blind in the dark.” He stubbed out the butt against the tailgate and straightened.
Raif wondered why none of them had been affected and proposed looking into whether the next town had the same problem.
Trudy asked if they could borrow Betty’s car.
“The truck bed is murder on my ass,” she said, her laughter infectious.
For a moment, they forgot the seriousness of their situation. Then, the four of them piled into Betty’s car and drove off. While travelling on Chelsey Road, they observed farms with white picket fences and tranquil, reflective ponds—the picturesque scenery Thompson offered.
On the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, Thompson offered various amenities—restaurants, shops, and more. But the peaceful setting had turned strange. Driving by familiar spots, they saw clusters of purple, corn-like stalks, remnants of a strange confetti storm from two days ago. The group couldn’t make sense of it. How did the creatures attack without being seen? Why were they doing this? What was their goal?
St. Mary’s Church stood across from Sansone’s Funeral Home. A barbershop sat next to a hair salon. Not far away was a small plaza with three shops: Ajax Supermarket, Harry’s Liquor, and Dunlap Hardware.
Roadside vegetation now resembled corn. The flat land revealed endless waves of yellow tassels rustling in the wind. The sun lit up the fields, and a steady breeze passed through the stalks. Their hearts pounded, the rhythm louder than the wind—each beat a reminder of their growing fear.
“This is strange. It’s like we’re in the ‘Twilight Zone.’ What’s with all the corn? What does it mean?” Trudy asked.
“Hey, can you pull over, man? I need to pee,” Raif said.
“Where are you going to pee? In the cornfield?” Betty asked.
“Yeah, why not? You need to go too?”
“Raif, don’t get lost in there. You never know what’s hiding among those corn tassels,” Betty laughed.
“We should all go pee together,” Trudy joked, laughing.
It’s a nervous laugh, Bobby thought, the kind people make when they don’t want to be alone.
Bobby stepped out of the car. He needed to relieve himself, too. He entered the field first and walked farther than he meant to. Suddenly, he stopped and stared. He froze—his throat dry, unable to make a sound.
Down the row, he saw them.
Bell-shaped creatures with large, muscular arms, hairy bodies, and craggy faces were dragging corpses and stacking them. Deep-set eyes and mouths full of razor-sharp teeth characterized them. Some were red, others blue. Six of them squatted in a circle, tearing flesh from bones.
Christ, Bobby thought. Then instinct kicked in: Run, Bobby, run.
His legs obeyed. On his way back, he spotted Raif, grabbed him, and placed a finger to his lips.
“What is it? What’s going on?” Raif whispered.
Bobby’s eyes widened, and he made a slicing motion across his throat, urging silence. They stayed hidden among the stalks. Dark storm clouds gathered on the horizon, casting a grey shadow over the land.
“Where are Bobby and Raif?” Betty said. She and Trudy stood by the car, scanning the rows.
“Someone could get lost in here,” Trudy said.
“What happened to sticking together?” Betty asked.
“You’re right,” Trudy replied. “But whatever they saw must’ve changed the plan.”
“Where you go, I go,” Trudy said.
“Then we stay here,” Betty said. “I’m keeping my eyes on the guys. We don’t need more people disappearing.”
As the two women stood debating, Trudy’s face went pale. Her eyes fluttered. She bent over and vomited. Betty caught her and held her.
Betty felt it too—dry mouth, nausea, dread.
Just then, Raif appeared from the rows of corn.
“Stay behind me,” he said, guiding them through the field.
When they reached Bobby, he raised a finger to his lips again—this time for the girls.
“Oh my God, what are those things?” Trudy whispered.
“Ew, how disgusting,” Betty said. “Wait … the townspeople—that pile over there. It’s them. They’re all in the far field. Dead. Dumped like garbage.”
“Yeah. I think they are,” Raif replied.
“We need to get out of here—before they see us,” Trudy said, pulling Betty’s arm. The two of them made their way out of the cornfield. Bobby and Raif followed behind, and they moved back to the car.
Bobby jumped behind the wheel, and they sped off down the road.
The wind howled through the open windows as they raced down the empty highway, their screams lost to the night, dispersed like shattered glass. Bobby’s knuckles burned where he’d pounded the wheel, and each swerve of the headlights carved the cornfield’s shadows into new, menacing shapes. In the backseat, Betty white-knuckled the door handle; every time the car jolted over a dip, she saw the ghosts of those torn bodies flash behind her eyelids. Trudy breathed in jagged gasps, her head whipped side to side as she searched the darkness for any sign of pursuit. Even Raif, the picture of stoic strength, sat hunched forward, jaw clenched, so it looked like he might crack his own teeth.
Bobby eased off the accelerator and guided the car onto a narrower gravel lane that led back toward his house. The engine’s roar softened to a steady rumble, and for a breathless moment, all they heard was the crunch of gravel beneath the tyres. As the trees thinned and the lake reflected the moonlight, a profound silence filled the car, marking an irreversible change. They’d fled the field, but the horror of what they’d witnessed continued to haunt them beyond those stalks.
After the initial burst of panic, Betty and Trudy fell silent, staring out the windows. The car screeched to a stop in front of the house, and they rushed inside.
“What do we do now?” Trudy asked. “Aside from creatures eating people, there’s nothing else left here. Nothing to think about, nothing to watch.” Her voice trembled as she raised her hand to her head.
Trying to ease the tension, Raif offered a toast.
“Is Sambuca okay for you girls?” he asked. The girls nodded.
“What about you, Bobby? Another Scotch?”
“Yeah, why not? Thanks.”
They clinked their glasses together in a toast to new friendships, though the moment felt heavy.
“I saw them up close,” Bobby said. “Their teeth were like piranhas. Their strength … It’s insane. For something that size, I’ve never seen anything like it. Hairy and fast—and they leap. I don’t think their sense of smell is too sharp, but they have strength in numbers. That’s their power.”
Frustration and fear rode his tone.
“Bobby, how do we fight this?” Trudy asked.
“It’ll take serious planning,” Bobby replied, “and close observation from a hidden spot.”
“You mean those creatures? How?” Raif asked.
“Just like we did earlier,” Bobby said.
He grabbed a marker and large sheets of paper, then began sketching out his notes and observations from the cornfield. The body piles were already there. No creatures lingered by the fire. They moved in unison, like clockwork—flawless and synchronized. Bobby wondered if they had known he was watching and let it happen.
He was at war now. Whether he wanted it or not. He wasn’t a soldier, but now he had to act like one. The survival-of-the-wits game was on.
Those creatures … they were ripping open someone’s intestines.
A callous, cold transaction left them satisfied for a moment. The image wouldn’t leave his brain as he thought about Francis and Ray. His eyes welled with tears, and he put the marker down, grabbed his drink, and headed outside for a smoke.
I’m vital to these guys. I owe it to my buddies, too. It’s just up to me now. I need to be smart. I can do this. We need the FBI. I believe they are the key to our safety and survival. I can sell it. Necessity breeds ability.
He threw his butt to the ground. With a stomp, he crushed it. He picked it up. This is garbage, he thought. Once inside, he poured another drink and asked the others to gather around in the living room.
“This job requires difficult communication. Let me be direct. Teamwork and attentive listening are crucial to each of you. We must wage war. These creatures are dangerous, and we must be prepared to kill them,” Bobby said. “I’m not a soldier by choice, but by necessity. The creatures transformed me into a soldier, and I have to outwit and outplay them.” Bobby went on. “I believe you are just the people who will keep me alive. Let’s do this.”
Betty fidgeted in her chair and then tapped the table as she took in every word.
“I’ve never killed anything in my life.” She shook her head, her eyes wide.
“One more drink for everyone, and try not to think about it,” Raif said, reaching out to her. “We’ll be fine as long as we stick together.”
“Raif, you think? I’m scared. We could die. One or more of us could die. I find the prospect terrible and frightening. I’m too young to die.” Discussing death did nothing but raise Betty’s blood pressure and terrify her.
“I’m scared, too,” Raif admitted. Bobby’s stomach clenched with a tight, nauseous feeling.
“Whoa, would everyone get a grip?” Bobby said. He and Trudy were the tallest of the group. Bobby had thick rust-coloured hair and pale hazel eyes. He was the captain of the high school wrestling team, a volunteer fireman, and a scientist by trade who dealt in genetics. His last research breakthrough was in Brazil in 2016, when they crunched data to determine whether mosquitoes would die rather than adapt to human blood.
Raif poured himself another drink, then set it down without taking more than a swallow. “Someone is bound to come and help us,” he said, but his eyes had already moved to the doors, the windows, and the dark line of the yard beyond the glass. He did not wait for Bobby to tell him what mattered. He checked the locks, counted the tools, and made himself useful because standing still gave fear too much room.
The amber liquid rocked once, then stilled. Raif looked at the bottle, then at the doors, and whatever comfort he had hoped to find in the drink left his face. No one would come fast enough to save them. They had to save themselves. He stood, rolled his shoulders, and reached for the nearest shovel before anyone asked him to move.
“I think we should call the FBI to make sure someone comes,” Betty said.
“I’m for that,” Bobby agreed. He took Raif aside and asked if he heard the bells ringing.
“St. Mary’s church?”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t hear any bells ringing.”
“It must have been my imagination.”
Raif turned to Betty. “Betty, before you call the FBI, can you get ice from the fridge in the garage? There’s none in this fridge.”
Betty used the side door to access the garage.
While bent over the ice tray, she heard a loud thud behind her. She looked over her shoulder, the ice bucket dropped from her hands, and she ran out of the garage.
“Where’s the ice?” Raif asked.
“There’s a creature in the garage.” Betty slammed the side door.
“Everyone remains calm,” Bobby said. He picked up the long axe. He locked the house door for protection. Bobby opened the side door. He wasn’t gone more than two minutes before the axe fell out of his hand and crashed on the kitchen tile floor.
Bobby stood in the kitchen and gasped for air.
“What happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Raif said.
“What’s going on?” Betty yelled. “Did you see it?”
“Yes, I saw it,” Bobby said, and he flopped down on a kitchen chair.
“What the hell?” Trudy shrieked.
Raif embraced her. “What are those things? Where do they come from?” Trudy said between tears.
Bobby picked up two shovels from the mudroom.
“What are we going to do, man?” Raif said.
Bobby gave Raif a shovel, opened the side door, and peeked in. The creature was bent over the chest freezer. Bobby raced up behind it and whacked it in the head. Stunned by the blow, the creature staggered. Raif slammed it again with his shovel. It fell headfirst into the freezer. Bobby closed the freezer door and trapped the creature inside. The men pulled and shoved three new winter tyres onto the lid.
They returned to the kitchen and celebrated their accomplishment.
“I think it’s time we call the FBI.”
“Federal Bureau of Investigation, Michigan West Branch. How may I help you?”
“Yes, hi. My name is Betty Green. I live in Thompson, Michigan. I know my story may sound absurd, but please allow me to continue. Everyone in our town except for the four of us disappeared. I called the Air Force Base. They should have arrived hours ago, but my return call went unanswered. We need your help. These creatures are more than we can handle.”
“Madam, in all our years of experience, we’ve encountered nothing similar. To proceed, I will require additional details and information.”
“Ugh, I’ll just let Bobby speak to you.” She handed the phone to Bobby, who said, “Hello. We have seen these creatures, and they arrived after we experienced severe hail overnight, which grew into cornstalks. The creatures are man-eaters and savages. We are at war, sir, so come in a vehicle that can withstand attack, and bring weapons.”
“I took down all the information I could, and I’ll take it up with my superiors and return your call. Is this the number where I can reach you?” the agent asked.
“Yes, sir,” Bobby said. “Please hurry.”
Special Agent Dick Mason wasn’t sure what to do. He called the Air Force base, but he got no answer. He also tried the Thompson police station and got no answer. Regardless of what the director said, he and Charlie might have to drive to Thompson to help those poor kids. Bobby sounded desperate, Dick thought, as he rode the elevator up to the director’s office on the second floor. Dick detailed the situation, then sought volunteers to accompany him to Thompson for a site visit.
“Yes, sir. I verified two pieces of information that the woman reported to me,” Dick said.
“You don’t think it’s a hoax?” his boss asked.
“My gut feeling is no; I don’t think so,” Dick answered.
The director of the FBI concurred that something suspicious was happening in Michigan’s western region but said he “couldn’t make anyone report to the call.” He shrugged and said, “Fellas, good luck.”
“One Hummer and guns. This is all he gave us. Jesus Christ,” Dick complained to Charlie. “Tell me he gave us gas masks and the like to counter air attacks.”
“Sorry, Dick. He’s an asshole. He didn’t take us seriously, and he’s reckless with our lives. I’m starved. Let’s grab a bite before we leave the city for Booneyville. Sound good?”
“What’s our plan upon arrival?” Dick said.
“Dick, we must be on high alert. Those kids need us,” Charlie said.
“We’ll have to kill, so get those guns ready. Charlie, the vehicle is our best defence; understand?” Sweat stains ballooned beneath Dick’s arms.
“Dick, what’s going on? Why this agitation over these creatures?”
“I don’t know. I have a feeling about something. I hope I’m ready.”
“Me, too. For both our sakes.”
When they reached the outskirts of town, they saw creatures lined along the roadway. They approached the town line, but creatures attacked their vehicle as they tried to enter.
“Dick, Dick, help me.” Charlie got off two shots, then his gun jammed. Dick didn’t see what Charlie faced because he was busy dealing with his creatures. The stench of decay and damp earth clung to the hairy creatures as they closed in on Charlie, their relentless assault leaving him no respite. They chomped on his arm; next, they chomped on his chest, and before Dick knew it, creatures pulled Charlie from the car and attacked him.
Dick, awestruck, moved to a spot where he could see another person inside the town limits. He waved, asking the man to shoot the creatures so he could join him on the other side.
“I can’t get through. It’s the creatures!” he yelled. “They’ve set up a kind of barrier around the town perimeter.” He jumped back inside his vehicle and shut the door to keep the creatures outside.
The creatures swarmed the Hummer like angry wasps that clawed and scrabbled across the armoured panels. Their nostrils flared at the sickly scent of human sweat and fuel. Dick’s pulse thundered in his ears as he braced himself against the driver’s seat, shotgun levelled through the shattered side window. Each blast thundered through the cramped cabin, and the recoil rattled his shoulders as he fired round after round. Limbs thudded against the doors and splintered glass, but none forced their way inside. By the time he rolled back beyond the invisible boundary, the road behind him was littered with bodies, and the Hummer’s interior reeked of gunpowder and something fouler still—proof that his desperate defence had bought him a few precious breaths of safety.
Dick could see that troll-like creatures had roamed the town and destroyed everything in their path.
He called his supervisor from his car phone to tell him about Charlie, the barrier, and the creatures.
“A barrier?” the director said in disbelief.
“Yes, sir,” Dick said, his words quivering as he recounted the ordeal Charlie had endured. “His loss haunts me.” The director fell silent at the news of his death. “He sacrificed everything, allowing me to escape. Sir, I apologize. I could do nothing to save him.”
“Then come back.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Yeah, maybe we should try to get a sample.”
“Do I look like a scientist to you?” Dick challenged his director.
“You need to do your job, Dick. Nothing more.”
“Why doesn’t the FBI alert the Armed Forces? If what these kids tell us is true, we’ll need the Army.”
“I’ll do my best here. You find those kids. Round them up and bring them here with you,” the director said. “We have the tools to defeat these enemy creatures.”
“Yes, sir. We’ll see you. I’ll call again when we’re heading back.”
“Right. Goodbye, Dick.”
“We should’ve heard from the FBI by now.” Bobby continued, “I think we need them.”
Betty stated, “You are indeed right.” She thought about when her father took her to a firing range; she refused to handle a weapon; instead, she walked out and waited for him in the car.
“We’ve got rusty old farm tools and those police guns I liberated on day one, when things started getting weird,” Bobby said, his voice low.
“Drop the subject, please? I don’t like hearing this anymore,” Betty said.
“Betty, don’t worry,” Trudy said.
A creature passed through the barrier and attacked Dick’s car. Dick pulled out his pistol and shot the beast in the back. The creature rose, wheeled, then lunged at Dick’s vehicle. He hit it three more times. The beast fell inches from his feet and died.
Two creatures lumbered out of the cornfield and up the road toward Bobby’s house.
“I need fresh air,” Betty said, walking out the front door. She reached the end of the driveway when she saw the creatures. They were about a hundred yards away. She dashed inside, relaying the news.
“How far are they?” Bobby asked.
“I don’t know how far, but they’re getting closer.”
Bobby shouted, “I’m heading to the truck!” He got in and drove away.
He ran into Dick at the town’s edge, near the weathered signpost marking the boundary.
Dick grabbed a pump-action shotgun from the trunk and snatched a handful of shells, shoving them into his jacket pocket before loading the gun. He ducked behind the car and emerged beside the passenger seat.
The second creature rushed toward the car. Dick shot the creature twice in the head. Another creature breached the barrier, heading straight for him. He hit the beast, and the creature toppled over. When the creature raised its head, Dick fired a single shot and killed it.
Dick approached the spot where his partner’s body should have been, only to find it gone.
As two more creatures barreled through, Dick raced to his car and hid behind the front fender. He watched as creature after creature filed out and lumbered up the road toward the city. The road fell silent.
He stood and leaned on the car. No time to mourn Charlie now; Dick had to fight for his life. Dick was a 35-year-old FBI career man who had a wife and two babies at home. He prioritized his FBI work over his family. He worked; home was never his destination. He put his optimism into his shared love for making the best out of every situation.
His dealings with the creatures and the last residents of Thompson, Michigan, renewed his belief that good always triumphs over evil. Dick contended with opposing forces, an idea that popped into his head. The goodness tilted the balance. The dead creature nearest him smelled like a carcass that had rotted in the sun.
He gagged as he opened the passenger door, found the box of masks, and put one on.
Dick inhaled the acrid whiff of decay as it clawed at his throat while he fastened the mask straps behind his head. Though his entire being urged him to succumb to sorrow for Charlie, his sense of duty compelled him onward. He pictured the treasured moments he worked hard to protect: his wife’s merry laugh and his children’s first steps. He shifted his position. That resolve burned in his chest. Dick stepped away from the wreckage, ready to face whatever horrors awaited on the other side.
He draped the hairy, thick-armed dead creature across his shoulders. Dick looked awkward carrying both the creature and the shotgun. He didn’t have far to go. He headed straight for the barrier. It worked, and he passed through with no problems.
On the other side, inside the town limits, Bobby found another clue to how humans might use the creatures to their advantage.
Could they use the creatures to cross the barrier? Bobby hated that his mind went there, but Dick had just walked through with a dead one draped over him.
“You must be Dick, the FBI agent. I’m Bobby Jacobs. I thought they were sending more than one agent, but we’ll take whatever help we can get. Follow me back to the house.”
Bobby flashed him a smile. Dick noticed Bobby smoking and flicking ash out the driver’s-side window.
Dick nodded and said, “Bobby, sounds good.”
They noted creatures inside houses during their journey. When they got to Bobby’s house, one creature broke a window and crawled inside. Bobby plunged a shovel through the creature’s neck and killed it.
The agent exited his car with his shotgun and approached the house. Dick shot another creature as it crawled onto the porch. The third creature slammed Dick to the ground. The shotgun flew from his hands and skidded across the road.
Raif came from the house and attacked the creature from behind, driving a pickaxe into its neck. It dug deep into the creature’s back. The beast turned and clawed Bobby across his chest. Bobby fell. Dick scrambled to his feet, picked up the shotgun, and shot the creature in the head. The beast fell dead atop Bobby. Raif stood frozen at the sight.
Betty hurried to Bobby’s side. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“That creature scratched you.” Raif helped Bobby to his feet.
“Get to the barrier; we’ll drive to the city,” Dick said.
“Why go there? We know we can’t get through,” Raif said.
“I know how to penetrate the barrier,” Dick told them.
“Okay, let’s go,” Bobby said.
They loaded Dick’s Hummer with groceries and left for the city. On the way out to the barrier, they shot at creatures as they wandered throughout town.
Dick stopped the car yards away. He handed one of the confiscated rifles to Raif. They stepped out and blasted away, killing any creatures in their path. Dick drove up close to the dead creatures. He explained his success in penetrating the barrier to the group.
“Ew, you want me to put one of those on my back. No way!” Betty said as Trudy grimaced.
“No, no. We’re going to take a different approach. I think it might work.”
“Raif and Bobby, can you please help me cover the car with those creature carcasses?”
They sped up and crashed through the barrier. They laughed at how they honed their skills as vicious killers. They couldn’t believe they endured destruction and death without a blink of the eye.
On their way to the city, the sunset turned the clouds pink and lavender. The car was silent and eerie in their new reality, and dread settled over them as they witnessed the devastation.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw a sunset with such colours,” Trudy said.
Silence settled over the car—getting to the city would be a welcome change. At least it lacked corn and creature nonsense, Bobby mused.
Upon reaching the city’s suburbs, the five were in disbelief. Betty emitted a loud yowl.
“What’s going on here?” Betty shrieked.
“I know, Betts. I know.” Dick told the group that his boss was waiting for them at the FBI building.
“Okay? We’ll wait and see,” Raif said.
Dick drove toward the FBI building. Before he could park, the group saw smashed windows, flames coming from areas in the building, and broken glass all over the sidewalks.
“Do you think anyone’s alive inside?” Bobby asked.
“What the hell’s gone on here?” Dick yelled. “Nobody’s left? There’s no more FBI?” Bobby watched the colour drain from Dick’s face. He faltered, and after thirty seconds, Betty brought him out of it, as far as Bobby could tell.
“There’s another one,” Betty yelled and pointed to a spot on the building. The creature crawled out of a broken window and scaled the building walls like a spider.
Dick drove to the underground parking, where the bureau stored vehicles for the FBI agents. He asked Bobby and Raif to find two cars they could use on their westward journey.
When Dick drove the car out of the underground parking garage, he saw a man and a woman walk toward them with blood all over them. Their gait suggested inebriation. They were obstructing the sidewalk passage. The woman, covered in blood, limped. Her shoes looked as though they didn’t fit. She fell and struggled to stand. The man walked on, dazed.
“We should help the poor woman,” Betty yelled.
Dick pulled up to the woman and stopped his car. Trudy and Raif jumped out and helped her to her feet.
The woman shook her head.
“I’m sorry, we can’t take you with us,” Raif said. “It’s our car; it’s too small.”
“We’ll be fine. We carry fire. The creatures are afraid of fire, so they leave us alone,” the woman said. “We’re looking for a car with keys. Once we find one, we’re heading west.”
Despite her condition, she remained hopeful and focused on finding a vehicle to continue her journey. Her mention of fire as a means of protection showed her awareness of the dangers in her environment and her determination to survive.
Dick threw her the keys to a car parked on the street. “Try that one,” he pointed. “Those keys should work.”
The couple headed toward the parked car Dick showed.
“We should’ve taken her with us,” Betty said. “That wasn’t right.”
Trudy turned to see a creature leave the building and enter the road. Another creature followed behind it. The creatures hurried toward the group. She shouted, “We have to split pronto.”
A unique creature emerged from the building, shattering a first-floor window. A growing multitude of creatures, their scents mingling in the air, converged.
With creatures pursuing them, Trudy and Raif reached the car just in time. A beast collided with the trunk as Dick pressed the gas pedal. Raif and Trudy
turned to see a ripple of creatures moving in their direction. A scream died in their throats as they watched the creatures set upon the woman.
“To escape, we must leave the city, avoid major highways, and continue driving west,” Betty screamed.
“Aww shit,” Bobby said, as he looked out the rear window. “I wonder where they came from.”
“Who knows? Could it be as straightforward as knowing their origin to figure out how to beat them?” Dick said. Then he suggested they create as much distance between themselves and the other creatures as possible.
Bobby looked at the road ahead. There would be no turning back now. He doubted whether he could be the man they needed to lead them to safety and keep them alive. But he knew he couldn’t let them down now.
“My lake cottage,” Bobby said.
