Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S2 Ep100: Episode 100: Incredibly Strange Horror Stories

Episode Date: October 22, 2022

Tonight’s opening work of unmitigated genius is ‘Heavy Rain’, an original story Ryan Brennaman, kindly shared with me for the express purpose of having me narrate it here for you all: https://creepypasta.fandom.com/wiki/Heavy_Rain We round off proceedings with ‘‘There Has Been a Secret Invasion: Only I Can See the Reptilians for What They Are!’, an original work by the wonderful Bear Lair 64, kindly shared directly with me for the express purpose of having me exclusively narrate it here for you all. https://www.reddit.com/user/BearLair64/ 

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please contact Connix Ontario at 1866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. Welcome to Dr. Creepin's Dungeon. Well, it is said that there's nothing more horrifying than succumbing to the unknown, as we will see in tonight's two terrifying tales of terror. Now, as ever before we begin, a word of caution. Tonight's tale is making train strong language as well as

tonight's stories may contain strong language as well as descriptions of violence and horrific imagery. If that sounds like your kind of thing, Then let's begin. It was supposed to be such an uneventful day, but overhead the clouds churned and plotted. Rebecca Madison saw, and she heard the roaring of the wind against her car,

but she didn't care. It was warm inside, so what did the fierce cold outside have to do with her? It didn't matter. There were only two things that mattered to Rebecca in that moment. The first was the clock, and the numbers on it. 746 it read It was 746 on a Monday morning

And she needed to be at her desk at SMC A pneumatics manufacturer by 8 Her drive had another 15 minutes to go at least And that was hoping against all odds That she could hit every green light She knew that wouldn't happen But she didn't worry about it just yet She was still far in the country

The road before and behind her was empty She pushed the speedometer from 65 to 70 miles an hour. She worked relations. Not glamorous, but it was all she had, and she was damn good at it. Lately, however, she'd been pushing her luck. She'd made arriving late a bad habit. Well, it's easy when it's never noticed. It wasn't consistent, not every day, but at least twice a week she slipped in under the bell.

The game had changed when her supervisor noticed. And since their little talk last week, everything got more complicated. Everything was too complicated as of late. That was thanks, majorly, to her other concern back home, her mother. Rebecca had never married. She lived alone for many years, and that was perfect. She thought it would be no hassle at all when she asked her mother to move in with her. It had been right after her father had died,

and she couldn't bear the thought of her mother alone. No home besides hers would do. As the years went by, she started to wonder if it had been worth it. Her mother, nearing an impressive 95 years of age, come next April, was still a very smart woman. Rebecca saw that every morning.

The only issue was that her mother could no longer retain that spark. Her mother had fallen prey to sundown as since. syndrome. Every morning her mother was still the woman she remembered. Sans the folds in her face. But come night, the very side of her was more than disheartening. It was nearly unbearable. Rebecca didn't want to use the word, but it was an annoyance. That's why Rebecca always ran so late. She enjoyed seeing her mother in the morning, dreading the state she'd come home to find her in, and there was so much to manage.

She had to lock doors and hide keys so she wouldn't wander outside. And there were so many medications. She had to help her to the bathroom and get her dressed. She promised her she'd never put her in a home, and now that promise was more solidified than ever. Rebecca knew that she would never see her mum in the mornings again if she was to do that. It was hard, but Rebecca and her mother did their best.

She was determined to do so for as long as they had left. The thought came to her that morning, as it did every morning. She should call her mother, talked to her for just a little bit longer before the day ruined her. That's all she'd need. Her mother didn't need to be physically strong to help lift the weight of depression from her shoulders, but as she reached for her purse,

she realized that her phone had never left the bedside that morning. It had been neglected in her bedside. panic to get out of the door. Made her eyes tear up with frustration rather than sadness. All she could do was sit in the white noise of the radio and watch the endless fields of Dag Corn

roll by. She pushed the speedometer again, up to 75, and the radio came to the forefront of her mind. Her ear clung to it out of the blue, but honestly she didn't hear it. Still are unsure of the scope of the event.

All that's known at this time is that the Chinese government has declared a state of national emergency. At the moment, China has released no official details of the events that have transpired over the last 24 hours, and they have ignored all of the UN's office to assist them. No sources yet have been able to confirm any further details, as communication with the troubled nation has grown difficult, with many intelligence satellites showing major power outages within the nation's borders. An abundance of Rumors, however, have started circulating around that stretch from incredibly believable to the utterly improbable. While the intelligence community has flat out denied a majority of these rumors,

it's hard not to notice that a lot of them sound incredibly similar to ones that started circulating just last week about Somalia well. Rebecca turned the radio from AM to FM. She was in no mood for news that morning. She preferred music. She allowed herself to get lost in it. The country song fit to her surroundings like a puzzle piece. A silo grew closer on the right-hand side. A picturesque farmhouse nestled right beside it.

On the left she spotted an older, blue Ford pickup coming towards her, carrying a horse trailer. Ah, the sights of Ohio. She felt much younger, and that's all she wanted. The moment was so perfect that it had perfectly distracted her from the red raccoon's side. mass that landed on the road ahead. With a bang, her tire was shredded. Only once before had Rebecca felt a tire blow, and she'd been seven

at the time. Her father was at the wheel. She remembered how calmly he'd handled it. He gritted his teeth and whirled the truck to stay on the road. He'd tensed up, but he'd handled it expertly. That's the only way he could do things. Oh, she wished he'd pass that on to her. She screamed, and instinctively she jerked the wheel to the right. The car skidded and hit gravel.

She overcorrected again, just barely managing to save her car from sliding into the ditch that hugged the side of the road. The car skidded into the oncoming lane, spinning to face the way she'd come from as she slammed on the brakes. She gritted her teeth, expecting more, but, mercifully, her car came to stop without further incident. Everything came to a stop except for her heart. It was pounding faster than it had in nearly five years.

She remembered the truck, but about ten seconds too late had it still been an issue. The man driving the truck had managed to stop about two car lengths away. He was already on foot, and he was almost to her door. The knock of his knuckle on the glass brought her back to reality. "'Hey, miss,' he asked concerned. "'You all right?' She eyed the older man. He was as thin as a twig,

with a bushy moustache and a sun-dried face. His eyes squinted down at her as she nodded her head in affirmation. He nodded his back. "'My phone's in the truck. Hold tight. I'll be right back.' With that, he turned and hustled back to his truck's cab. As he searched, she relieved herself of her seatbelt. She felt like she'd been punched in the chest by a griller.

Her head was heavy. She realized she was dizzy as she took that first step out of the car. It was like she was walking on jelly. Gripping the door with white knuckles, she fought against the fierce wind. He threatened to at least knock her on her ass, if not carry her away altogether. She closed her eyes. held on and took several deep breaths. It would have helped her calm down a great deal,

had the old farmer not accidentally startled her when he returned. He must have seen it in her eyes, because he quickly apologized. Sorry, you sure you're okay? Yes, she said, trying to convince herself more than him. I'm fine. Are you okay? I'm so sorry, did I spook your horses? I stopped in plenty of times.

I miss, and it's an empty trailer. Horses are about ten miles down the road. It's okay. Your tire blow out. She wasn't sure. Everything was still spinning. I think so. Oh, shit.

I hope not, though. I don't have a spare. It's okay, miss. The farmer chuckled as he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Everything's going to be just fine. Let's go check out the damage. He was very kind to her. The farmer cautiously and supportively guided her by the arm, making sure to correct her every sway.

They took their time as they moved around the front of the car. Sure enough, when they reached the right front wheel, there was almost nothing left on the rim. The rubber had been shredded. It looked like she'd driven it over a field of razor wire. Oh, the farmer said. Yep, your tire has seen some better days, I reckon. shaking her head in disbelief Rebecca felt like vomiting the wind continued to assault her face with a frigid ungodly cold

the farmer didn't seem to mind it as much his focus was back down on the road toward the rest of her tire we should go clear that off the road he said she begrudgingly went along it had nothing to do with him she just wanted to be inside the warm embrace of her car's heater again The damn marshmallow of a coat she was wearing didn't do her thing to help. She took out the fuzzy black glove she kept in her pocket and slipped them over her hands. The warmth didn't come fast enough for comfort.

Comfort was knowing that now she had an excuse for being late. That should have taken a load off, but she realised she'd have to prove it. The situation made more difficult by her lack of phone. Hey, thanks for your help, Mr. She intentionally trowed off, hoping he'd fill in the blank. Sanders, he replied. Phil Sanders, it's absolutely no problem at all. Miss Madison, Rebecca Madison, she said, shivering.

Does your phone have a camera on it by chance? He eyed her and smirks. He held up a black smartphone. Just because I'm old. doesn't mean that I... Sorry, she interjected, chuckling with him. I didn't mean anything by it. Oh, just giving you a hard time, miss.

What about the camera? Well, I left my phone at home. Another wind struck her and shook her. I was wondering if you could help me out and take some pitches, you know, for the boss mainly. I hear you. I think we'll be able to come to an agreement. They were almost at the remaining.

of her tire. The tattered remains set about 50 yards away from where her grey civic had stopped. The rubber had peeled right off her rim. The treads still face down and the torn strands of rubber curled upwards like a flower petal. Hey, looks like it stuck the landing, Phil said, eyeing the rubber. He bent downwards and gripped either side of the strip. He tried to stand up with it, but he couldn't lifted. Both ends came up, but the middle held fast to the road like it was glued there. With a huff, he tried again. What in the world? he asked on the third try, grunting hard. He scoffed. Holy crap. What did you hit? I have no idea, Rebecca said, hugging her chest.

I didn't see anything. One second the tie was there, and the next it just wasn't. She hesitated on the last word, as Phil tried for a fourth time because she saw something under the rubber. She only got a peek, but she could see that it was red. Hold on, she said. It looks like it's stuck on something. Stuck. What do you mean stuck? On what? Superblue, he chuckled. Rebecca looked either way, checking for traffic. With a coast still clear She urged Mr. Sanders to try again

When he did so She saw the red mass again It looked like a giant piece of bubble gum at first She was dumbfounded And she got to her knees It's stuck on something gooey Gouy you say Phil put the rubber back down

And got on his knees with Rebecca He shone his phone's flashlight under the rubber. There certainly was a gooey mass stuck to the tire, and it was wet and rank. The wind carried its stench right into Rebecca's nose, and the vomit she'd been holding down almost came. The smell was thick and hot. It was the smell of rot.

Looks like he hit a raccoon or something, Phil said, backing away. God-damned fresh one, too. That's weird, though, with the tire. I don't know why it stuck to him. I've never seen anything like that before. I haven't either, she said. Her right hand clasped over her mouth. I didn't see any fur on it.

It just looked like meat. Yep, if you hit him hard enough, that's what they'll look like. I'm going to go ahead and call the stay boys in real fast. We're going to need someone a little younger than both of us to take care of this mess. if you know what I mean. With a smile, he escorted her back to her car. He continued talking as he dialed on his phone. I also think we should get some EMTs out here and check on you.

No, thank you. I'm fine, she said, grinning to assure him, she didn't want the hassle. I think the state was or wanted to. Might as well just ask now. Get everyone hit her at once, he said, trying to coax her. Maybe, but I'm telling you I'm fine. Just a bit dizzy. You want to make the call? He offered. I'll let you decide. Don't want to speak for you, one way or another.

He smiled and handed her the phone, which she took hesitantly. Thank you, she said, and she took the phone. It's no problem. Now, let's see what we can do about that tire first. I think I may have a jacking. His question was cut off by a loud thud that came from her car. On her now dented hood, set a large, barber's mass, the size of a college textbook. Whatever it was held the same consistency as the thing she'd hit with her tire. Given a clear look at it, it looked as though it had been chewed up and spat out.

Rebecca looked up and saw nothing but clouds. She didn't know what she expected to see, but she'd hope for some clue. The thing didn't just fall out of the sky. We couldn't have. What in God's name? Phil asked, moving towards it. He could only get so close before I had to pull his undershirt up over his nose. What's that there before?

Rebecca asked, trying to rationalize the blob's presence. I don't think so. I think it just fell onto your car. Where did it come from? God, it reeks. Step by step, Rebecca brought herself closer to the appalling mass. Her stomach churned faster than the angry clouds above. Whatever it was, whatever it used to be, there was no evidence of it now. It resembled nothing natural that she could think of.

It was just a figiless blob. A red stream of liquid ran off it. slowly dripping down the hood of the car. She pushed the notion that it could be blood from her head. Blood from what? That wasn't meat, was it? The only part that wasn't blood red stuck out of the top like a spine. It was small, white,

and whereas the rest of the mass seemed soft to the touch, this part was obviously solid. When she got closer, Rebecca saw that it split into two white prongs. Rebecca took a step back when her mind gave the protrusion a name. Is that... Is that a tooth? She asked, even though she was confident in her assessment.

She didn't know what the blob was, but the protrusion was very obviously the root of a tooth, possibly a human tooth. Phil didn't have a chance to answer before Rebecca finally let loose her stomach on the black asphalt. She proceeded to collapse beside it, her head spinning and pounding. It can be, Phil said, his voice shockingly less playful than it had been. That's not...

There was another thud. This time, however, it came from the fields. It was accompanied by a sickening crunch. Rebecca didn't want to see it, but she did. dead storks were flung into the air from above it. Then, before the stork settled, another blob dropped beside it amongst the husks of corn. Pieces of corn stalks stuck to its sides and held fast.

The mass rolled and jiggled, recovering from the force of the impact. Moore followed. Another piece fell, behind them this time. It struck nearly 200 yards from the road. before that one had even settled. Another one hit the road behind Phil's truck. Rebecca had watched as that piece fell straight down from the sky above. No arch.

It hadn't been chucked. It had been dropped. Another piece reached the row of barren trees beyond the fields to her left. The weight of the blob snapped the higher branches. She couldn't see where it landed, if it had landed at all. One struck the top of the silo, causing it to ring loudly, the sound echoing inside the structure. The piece stayed there, holding to the top of the silo's dome with ease. It had stuck like glue.

Rebecca looked up to the sky. Overhead, as the clouds swirled and forked. The blobs fell from somewhere beyond them. They started as black ink drops against the grey skyline, but as they plumbed. They committed, they took on colour and grew into the disgusting blobs that now littered the landscape. All around them the drops came faster and faster. The horror of it all struck Rebecca as a piece fell not one yard from her hands. A warm red liquid splattered across her face.

The sky was raining, flesh. Get up, Phil said, also looking to the sky, with caution and disguise. He turned back to Rebecca. Miss Madison, please, get up now. You need to get in your car before. As if out of pure, cosmic irony, a large chunk of flesh, almost the size of a pillow, struck Mr. Sanders on his right shoulder.

The impact yanked him towards the ground, but he took the hit. He miraculously managed to stay on his feet. that didn't stop him from screaming. Oh my God, Rebecca exclaimed, quickly getting to her feet and rushing over to his side. The thing was still stuck to his arm. The unholy thing had moulded itself around his shoulder and arm.

It formed a grotesque cast, pinning his arm to his side. Extensions from the impact had splattered out to stick to his face and chest. He weased in pain. I think it broke my damn. Damn shoulder. Get it off. Please, get it off. He begged her. Yeah, hold on, Rebecca said, watching the sky. With every second, the rain of flesh fell faster, heavier. With every second she felt increasingly uncomfortable, increasingly terrified that the next one would strike her next to top her head. She pictured it wrapping around her face and smothering her

in rotted darkness. She turned her attention to the injured old man. Putting Mr. Sanders' phone into her pocket, she reached slowly for the disgusting mass stuck like a leech to his shoulder. She forced her gloved hands

onto the thing, and she gripped it tight. As she did so, her fingers slowly started to sink inwards. She winced as an unwelcome warmth soaked into her gloves. Mr. Sanders brought his other hand up to help.

It sunk in deep. She took a deep breath, inhaling our unfortunate amount of stench, and gave it a good pull. She managed to yank Mr. Sanders forward, but the mass didn't budge. It was stuck to him like glue. With another tug, she realized her hands were stuck there too. Harder! Phil pleaded through the pain. Pull it harder. "'My hands!' Rebecca said, panicked.

"'My hands! Stuck!' "'Just once she tried to wiggle her fingers free, "'but they were stuck inside the blob. "'She tried again, downwards this time. "'She poured with all she had, "'but all she did was pull Mr. Sanders off his feet. "'He struck the asphalt hard, "'and she nearly came with him.

"'They'd accomplished nothing. "'Mr. Sanders grimaced, and tears started to flow down his face as she pulled him back up. Rebecca saw that it wasn't working, so she set about trying to set herself free. She didn't want to, but her survival instincts were in full gear. They couldn't waste another second outside. She struggled, twisted and pulled,

but the revolting thing was held faster than anything she'd ever seen. She tried pulling with her left hand, and she pushed with her right. Her left glove gave and part of her hand came free. She realised she could pull her hands out of her glove. Please try again, Mr. Sanders asked in a pitiful voice. He could barely keep his eyes open. His shoulder was dislocated at the very least and she knew it.

There was nothing she could do alone to pull that mass off of his harm. All that mattered now, for both of them, was that they find cover. Quickly, she fought against the gloves to free her hands. The pounding of the reins grew faster and heavier. Another piece hit her car, right on top of the cab. Three struck Mr. Sanders' truck. All of them were far too close for comfort.

Mr. Sanders didn't realize what Rebecca was doing until it was too late. No, he shook his head. No, please don't. Please. Try it again, please. Oh, it stinks. It stinks. She ripped her hands free of the gloves with a grunt,

just as a chunk smacked against her windshield. It was the size of a car tire. I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do right now. We need to get cover. Get back to your truck. Stay there until this is over. She didn't hesitate to turn around and open the door,

but Mr. Sanders could only stumble back With a limp, he started to pull himself towards his truck. Groaning, he watched the sky through his watery eyes. Scared, Rebecca slammed her door shut just as another pounding thud came from the roof. She yelped and fumbled for her keys. They were in a pocket. That was good. But then she felt something else.

A phone. Mr. Sanders' phone. She pulled it out and looked out of her rearview mirror. Outside, everything was consumed by a downpour of flesh, and there was Mr. Sanders limping through. It was by the grace of God that Mr. Sanders got as far as he did. He almost managed to reach the door of his truck. He could have touched it. A smaller drop of flesh, the size of a book, hit his left foot and glued to the

it to the spot. Rebecca could only watch as he stumbled and fell hard to the ground. On his front, he could only lie there at the mercy of the sky above. Rebecca tried to see him out her rearview window, but so many drops it accumulated, it was impossible. She could only watch the terrible scene unfold in her side mirror. He looked hopeless. The pounding of the rain drowned out any sound. But she saw his head moving. He was yelling for help. A large chunk of flesh struck his back, breaking it. Another pinned his leg.

All the while, Rebecca never moved. She was safe, and her fear kept her rooted in that seat. Had a glob not swallowed her mirror first, she would have witnessed another drop strike him right on the back of his head, delivering his face quickly into the asphalt below. It was an accidental mercy. She started to hyperventilate. She had no idea what to do.

The rain outside just kept coming and coming. In reality, the rain only lasted a few minutes, but it seemed so much longer. It seemed like it stretched on for hours on end. For that seeming stretch of forever, all Rebecca could do, was scream. She moved to the back seat,

away from her cracking windshield and brought her legs in close to her chest. She hugged herself as the heavy rain fell over her, consumed her. Soon, the drops would cover every inch of her car and the windows. They ate the light. And she was left alone

in darkness. long after the barrage outside had ceased, Rebecca cried in darkness. Thankfully, the windows had held back the physical barrage, but they could not hold back the stench. That had flooded inside almost instantly. It had threatened to suffocate her then, but she didn't even notice it anymore. Eventually, Rebecca was able to move her arms, and her feet and her legs, but she didn't want to. The car had protected her, but Rebecca still felt unequivocally surrounded. Like a child under the sheets, she didn't want to let one single limb hang free.

The monsters might get it. The darkness wasn't total. A dim glow precipitated between the masses outside. Red light managed to leak through the edges of the blocks, right where the pieces met. The jagged lines covered her car. light lightning. It did her no good. Not nearly enough light could seep through to offer her any illumination. When she couldn't handle the weight of the darkness anymore, she reached for Mr. Sanders' phone, which lay face down on the centre console. She fumbled for it and accidentally knocked it

on the floor. Light flooded out from within. It was blinding, but welcome. After giving her eyes time to adjust, she searched for the flashlight. She was so thankful that the phone had stayed unlocked. She found it and the entire car was illuminated. But she wasn't ready for what she saw. A claustrophobic paralysis found her as she beheld the thing stuck to the car. Pressed tightly against the glass, the thing seemed to embrace her. Most of the glass had held, except for her rear window. It had nearly shamed. But every crack and shard was held fast in place by the revolting masses. They didn't move.

They hugged her car in silent stillness. Rebecca recalled the tale of Jonah in the whale. She imagined this was how Jonah had felt. She had been swallowed alive. She needed to get out. She flipped over. She hesitated to reach for the door handle. She didn't want to get any closer to those things than she needed to.

She pulled. When she heard the click, she pushed. Her whole body pressed up against the door. Her face met the window. But the door didn't budge. The masses outside held the door like glue. They fought against her. It was like trying to move a mountain.

Rebecca screamed in protest. She couldn't be trapped in there. No, not in there. Panicking, she shoved again. She threw her weight into that door time and time again. But it didn't move. It couldn't. She might as well have been trying to beat her way through a concrete wall.

After trying every single door, she found that they all held firm. She was truly trapped. And calling for help wasn't an option. She tried. three times to dial 911 on Phil's phone. No matter where she was in the car, she couldn't get any signal. The mass had drowned out the light

and any hope she had of contacting the outside world. It seemed the car was shrinking by the second. In frustration, she lashed out with her feet. She aimed at the window, hoping maybe it would break. Hopefully the things would fall off instead of in. And if they stuck without the window, she decided she'd cut her way out. One of the shards had to have been sharp enough. With a determined, forceful thrust, she brought her heel to the window.

The only thing that she almost managed to break was her leg as she hyper-extended her knee. The pain returned her to her previously curled state. She began to cry and plead for someone to help her. Her instincts told her that. if she screamed then somebody would hear somebody would come along help would come her heart told her that was a lie and it was for a while soon she grew exhausted and her voice grew hoarse not a single sound came from outside her car the wind had ceased with the rain long ago and there'd been nothing since no birds, no cars, no people.

That silence allowed the small crunch outside to be amplified nearly tenfold. She froze and listened. She thought it had to be her imagination. But as another crunch came and then another, she realized it was real. It was the sound of someone stepping on dry leaves. Something was definitely moving outside. The crunching approached her car And she heard him speak

Hello The voice was older and haggard It sounded muffled through the blocks Is anyone in there He didn't have to ask her twice Yes She screamed flying to the window Yes, yes please help me please

I can't get out, please The man came closer to the car He stopped just outside Oh, you're covered. This shit's almost impossible to move. It holds fast. Give me a minute. It's starting to dry now.

I have some tools up in my house. I'll be right back. Rebecca smiled and thanked God. He must have lived in that home next to the silo. Oh, it was all okay. Yes, please, thank you, she said, almost all at once. The crunch is returned, faster. as the man turned away.

Relieved, she knew it would all be over soon. Again, the day sought to destroy her expectations. Then the crunching stopped. Rebecca put her ear to the window, trying to listen. The glass was uncomfortably warm against her face. There was nothing but the raw of her own blood in her ears. And then a moat. That moan continued for several seconds before it evolved into a short gag, a gasp.

Something had happened to the man. He must have only been four or five yards from the car. He cursed and grunted. There was a louder crunch that was followed by silence. That silent moment hung on the air, and Rebecca pushed harder against. against the window. She whispered a single, hello, under her breath. Then the moment was shattered by his scream. Rebecca pulled her face from the window as if she'd been burned. What? she asked, panicked. What happened? Are you okay? Hey, are you okay? She was clueless.

Had the man fallen? Maybe he'd rolled his ankle and fallen, but could that cause him so much pain? His scream was primal, like a wounded animal, and it ended for a moment. It was just long enough for the man to take a quick breath, and then he continued, the yell increasing in volume and pitch.

What? she pleaded. What is it? Please, tell me, are you okay? Talk to me. He did, in a raspy, shrill and pained voice. Stay in the car. It sounded like he choked on the last syllable as a ghastly, gurgled yell came from his lips. Through his pain cries, Rebecca could only make out so much of what happened next.

Stay, groaning, I feel it. Don't out of that car. Oh, God. No. then unexpectedly and instantly the screaming ceased the silence returned and Rebecca shook her mind raced and her breathing came in short fast gasps tears warmed her face no she couldn't let him leave her she wouldn't be alone again hey get up what's happening sir sir With a determined fury She brought her hand

And the butt of the phone To the window pane And that's When it moved Almost in perfect sync with her motion One of the blobs that had embraced her window stirred The light showed her every gruesome second

The movement was small A tiny half-dollar-sized section on the bottom Split in two and peeled itself apart. It was unexpected enough to send Rebecca stumbling backwards. It had startled her. Then it revolted her. The small section that split open revealed a new structure below it.

Small, round and moving. Rebecca realised she was looking at an eyeball, a seemingly human eyeball. The thing had opened an eye and was peering into the car through a cloudy blue iris. It searched about for just a moment before it locked its gaze right on her. Oh, Rebecca said, as if saying it would change her reality.

Horrified, she couldn't break away from the unexpected and unwelcome staring contest. The eye held its gaze, and then it blinked. Rebecca wondered what it was thinking. This thing made of flesh and blood. She couldn't resist. Its dead stare offered no clues. Could it think at all?

Why was it staring at her? Why had any of it happened? Then out of the corner of her eye, and at the farthest edge of the light's reach, she saw it. Another eye had emerged from beneath the pulpy masses. When she fully shone the light on it, she saw that it too was looking directly at her. It didn't seem possible that it could see her. Once brown, the cornea now wore a red gash across its surface, straight through its pupil.

Despite the injury, however, it followed her perfectly, no matter where in the car she moved. Both of the eyes followed her. Before long, they were every. Every single piece of flesh that had fallen from the sky and stuck to her car eventually opened an eye, a singular eye, and they all stared down at her. She no longer felt alone. Instead, she felt like a trapped animal, a fox in a trap. The hunters didn't need to make a move. They only needed to watch and wait.

She was there prey. had dropped the phone and the light died. The car was cast into near total darkness once more. The darkness might have been comforting, had she not been so perfectly sure that those eyes were still watching her. She knew the darkness couldn't protect her. How long must have passed inside that car?

Rebecca was unsure if she blacked out or if time had simply slipped her by. But when she regained, some semblance of sanity it was late in the afternoon. The phone, its battery now at a measly 15%, show the time was 455. Rebecca should have been home, but instead she was lost, trapped.

She needed to be with her mother. It may have been that realization that brought motion back to Rebecca's body. From seat to seat and corner to corner, she scrambled. The phone's energy fell, the clock ticked, but the bars wouldn't return. She couldn't find a goddamn signal. Cautiously, she tilted the screen of her phone to the window. Some light reflected off, but just enough was able to illuminate some of the flesh beyond. To her relief, the eyes were closed.

She made sure to check all of them. Part of her wondered if the eyes had simply been a product of her paranoia, The blobs had reverted to being shapeless, featureless masses, and that was better. With luck, those eyes had probably never existed at all. She wondered if that man outside had been real. Ever since she'd let the darkness retake her, not a single sound besides her own breathing had come along. The unnatural, deathly silence had been heavier than the shadows around her.

She was still utterly clueless as to what had happened outside. and what the world looked like. How widespread was the rain? Help still hadn't reached her yet, and she was doubtful any ever would. Maybe she'd been quarantined. Surprisingly, she found that idea reassuring. In that case, it meant that at least people were still out there,

and she'd be taken care of eventually. The alternative was far worse. Was it even possible the rain, was a widespread epidemic? Had it covered the whole country? The world. Rebecca shivered as she remembered China. Something had happened in China and Somalia.

Had the rains hit there too? She cursed herself for turning the radio on. Was she alone? Really and truly alone? She'd hoped people were still outside, but what if they'd all suffered as the stranger had? Maybe the car had protected her. her saviour and her captor.

She was trapped in her own racing thoughts. Those things brought back memories of her youth. Specifically, she recalled the day her dad hit that poor cat. They were in the old F-150 and the sun was so bright. A fat grey cat had just run out onto the road. It was like it had been waiting for the truck. It couldn't have timed it any better. She still remembered how it felt.

The bump as the front wheel struck it and the bump as the rear wheel finished it. The dad told her not to look. He'd pulled the truck over so he could go and check on it. Rebecca disobeyed and looked out the back window. All she wanted was a quick peek to make sure the cat was okay. Well, she paid for her morbid curiosity. She recalled Mr. Sanders' words from just a few hours.

hours earlier, as she remembered the terrible scene. Aside from its craned head and open eyes, nothing on it resembled a cat anymore. They'd hit it so hard that it was more red than grey. It was no longer an animal, just meat. You hit them hard enough, and that's what they'll look like. They were all meat. So, that's what they had to be. Flesh? That seemed the most logical assumption, but so impossible at the same time. She couldn't bring herself to accept that. Flesh of what? How could flesh rain from the sky?

It had to come from somewhere, didn't it? She shut that thought, that word away. It sickened her. She thought of those eyes, those very human eyes. Another thought came into being. It took hold like a cancerary. in her head. The question came. Had those

things once? Perhaps been people? They weren't. It was too much. That was so much death, so much flesh. It was impossible in every sense, in every meaning. Where would they get all those people?

It had to have been millions and millions of people murdered. There are millions in China, she thought. Maybe something worse than rain happened in China. No, she told herself, stop it. Her thoughts obeyed, trailing off like a bad note.

It didn't matter now. She hadn't paid attention. She'd been worried about her own problems. What good did it do her to wonder? Who cares where they came from? Who cares if they're people? She gagged. All that she needed to do was escape.

her mother still needed her sweat rolled down her face the temperature had to be only 30 degrees Fahrenheit outside yet the car was steadily heating up those things were doing it she was sure they were warm and the warmth they emitted was conducted directly into the car shedding her coat and sweater she found herself with her white sweat soaked undershirt Rebecca wondered how long it would take for them to cook her alive if that was possible. Death by rank, flesh, heat, as she decided to call it. That wasn't an option for her. Placing the phone on the centre console, she moved to the driver's seat.

She didn't like it. Those pulpous things were far too close when she sat there, but if she let herself roast any longer, she wouldn't get to live to regret it. Back at the wheel, she couldn't help. but think about driving away. It wasn't a possibility, just a fantasy, with those blobs. The pack windshield blocked her sight, and they also probably held her tyres to the ground. She'd never move, and she'd never get anywhere.

Wondering if, perhaps, the noise would agitate the things, Rebecca saw their eyes in her mind. It had been hours since then, and the eyes hadn't returned. assured that if they wanted to hurt her they would have done so already Rebecca started the car the engine turned twice and started more heat leaked out from the vents in moist heavy waves

she gagged as the fresh stench overloaded her nose it would have taken a moment for the AC to turn on the radio was as silent as she knew it would be while she waited she tried out of curiosity to drive. Switching into gear, she eased down onto the gas pedal.

The engine picked up in pitch, but the wheels did nothing but flinch. It felt as though she was trying to drive over a curb. She fed it more gas. As she figured the car wouldn't move an inch. She cursed the damn wheels and her damned life. A groan. came from above her.

It wasn't guttural. It wasn't those things. It was her car. The roof of her car was caving in. Something was pressing down on it. On the windows, she saw them, twitch. The masses were moving now, reacting. It was a car.

It had to have been. She'd accidentally woken them up. Cursing her careless mistake, Rebecca yanked the key from the console. The car fell silent, but the things kept moving. They struggled against each other, wiggling back and forth in their confined spaces. Perhaps they were searching.

Rebecca held her breath, and she waited. Their motion had started to rock the car from side to side. The thing shook her, harder and faster. The lurching continued until Rebecca felt she was going to throw up. The wheel was all she had. had to hold on to. Fortunately for her, the rocking did not persist for long. After just a few seconds, everything stopped.

The car fell back to rest, and the calm retook the air. Rebecca sucked in an exhausted gasp. Reluctantly, she released the steering wheel, but as her eyes watered, she reached for the phone. She had been tormented enough. Never before had she been so desperate to speak. to her mother. Still, there were no bars, no signal. The battery had fallen to 7%. Her heart was already drained. She fell back into the rear seat, too weak to cry. It was hopeless.

Rebecca wasn't sure what prompted her to check again. Habit, probably. In the backseat, she had subconsciously refused her fate. Looking back, she had subconsciously refused her fate. Looking back, at the phone. She was shot. It was weak, but a connection had finally been made. A signal. There was a signal. Rebecca wasn't sure if her fingers

had ever moved faster in her life. She dialed in the number for home. She held the phone up to her face. She didn't even know if she could speak. Her hand was cupped over her mouth. No evil in the world

held a candle to the next ten seconds. Every beep hit her harder and cut her deeper than any of those damn monstrosities outside could ever hope to. Overwhelming joy gave way to grief yet again. She could only hope that God, if there was one, wouldn't let her down. That's what her mother would have told her. Her mother always had faith. Rebecca was rewarded for hers. Hello? A fragile voice came in over the phone, weak but alive.

Oh my God, Rebecca grasped. Oh my God, Mom, is that you? Who is this? Her mother asked. On any other day, that question might have broken Rebecca's heart, but today it was all that Rebecca needed. Rebecca, Mom, it's Rebecca. You okay?

Please, tell me you're okay. "'Of course, dear,' she said, unconcerned. "'Of course, you're Rebecca. "'Why, yes, I'm okay. "'Why wouldn't I be?' "'Rebecca pumped her fist in the air, "'and she kicked her feet several times "'in furious, juvenile joy.

"'The smile that spread on her face was unmatched. "'Thank the Lord. "'Her mother was safe. "'That meant there was hope. "'Maybe her nightmare wasn't as widespread as she'd feared, she'd feared. Maybe, just maybe, there'd be a chance for her, a chance for everyone. Mom, what's happened? What's happening over there? Her mother was confused. Nothing much. There's not much to do here. Someone needs to water the flowers. I should water them.

No, Rebecca stated. No, don't go outside, Mom. Listen to me. Can you turn on the TV? What do the TV say? Do you want to talk to Rebecca? Her mother asked, confused. No, Mom, I'm Rebecca. She should be home by now, my Rebecca. She always comes home. I'm sorry, I'm a little confused. Those words broke her heart.

I will be, Mom. I'll be home soon. I promise I'm coming home. She assured. Oh, I'm. Well, be careful. I'm going to water the plants. Should I? It's been raining hard today. Rebecca froze. No, it couldn't be. Could it really be that widespread? Home was miles away, but her mom was okay. Perhaps her mom had just been lucky. She was inside

after all, and as long as those blobs stayed outside, she'd be fine. But her flowers. Rebecca knew how she could be in her confused states and if she was truly determined then listen to me I've never been more serious in my entire life do not go outside I'll do what I want only Rebecca mother

Rebecca wailed Do not leave the house The plants don't need water Just listen to me Rebecca stopped if these were the last words she ever spoke to her mother she didn't want them to be screams she took a deep breath and begged

please mom please wait for me we'll water the plans together just wait for me to get home silence okay her mother said you get here and then you Rebecca and me can go water those flowers they're gonna need it so bad today

I'll be there soon, Mom. The last words choked out. I love you. The line went dead. The phone, hanging on 3% was about to leave her in darkness. But now she had to move. She had to get out.

She had let Mr. Sanders down, and she couldn't help that old man. She refused to let anyone else die. Not herself, not her mother, not anyone. Adrenaline filled her veins, and with the roar of a warrior, Rebecca threw herself at the rear door. It budged.

The flashlight burned bright as it sucked the phone's battery dry. All the power left was so precious, and if it went out, then so did Rebecca's chances. Twice more she threw herself. She gave it her right shoulder, and then her left. The door flinched each time, but it refused to yield.

A sliver of light had managed to leak in from the side. Both of her shoulders protested against another blow, so she lay on her back, and with her feet she kicked and kicked. The battery fell to 2%. Her feet ached, especially her right ankle,

as she felt her pain from earlier returned in force. Pain didn't even slow her down regardless of how futile each kick seemed she refused to stop she was going to escape or die trying she had no idea how true that statement would be one moved in the corner of the light squeezing its way through the newly formed crevasse between the door and the car she didn't see it until it had just about touched her leg when she did she instantly brought her knees to her chest a thin mass, a fleshy tentacle had entered the car. It squirmed around blindly on the seat, pulled itself forward with what looked to be a fingernail. The battery slipped to 1%. A noise came behind her, turning her head, she found that she was surrounded. Through the other door, more tentacles were starting to wedge their way through. The centre of the seat offered little

solids. As both sides grew closer, the glass behind her started to crackle as even more protrusions pushed themselves through the cracks. They pushed their way through shards of glass, carrying each piece with them at the end of their arm. They were coming for her, but she was done hiding. If anything, their intrusion only encouraged her. Now it was her and her mother's survival on the line. With her booted heel, she squashed the singular tentacle that originally disturbed her space.

It wiggled, pinned against the seat. She initially thought it was blood that leaked from it, but it came slow and viscous. It stuck to her boot like syrup. With a disgusted shriek, she pushed the tentacle to the floor and out of her way. The door had been pulled over,

by those things to let the tentacle in, and she saw her chance. She offered up a final double-leg kick. The flashlight went out, and with a final yell, light flooded the car. She had considered everything in the last several hours. Every scenario had danced through her mind like terrible daydreams. The memories of that man had fed most of them. She thought about the crunching beneath his feet, and those terrible screams.

She wondered what she would find, but she was far more worried about what might find her. Rebecca wondered what the world would look like once she escaped, and to her disgust, nothing she imagined could compare to what she found. As soon as she kicked the door open and let from the car, she suddenly felt like she was standing on an alien world. There was a loud crunch when her boots hit the ground.

It felt like she was standing on well-packed snow. Those things covered every square inch below her feet. In fact, they stretched on as far as she could see. All around, from horizon to horizon, the blobs dominated the landscape. It invoked thoughts of Mars in her head, as there was no green to be seen anywhere. The colour red stretched beyond her sight, seemingly into infinity. The land was rugged, and all the trees that she'd seen earlier along the sides of the fields were gone. The only major protrusions on the rugged landscape were the solidified shells around the houses and cars that still stood.

They looked like they'd been scabbed over. Morrist had remained upright. They spotted the landscape in every direction. The old man's house still stood. The overhang of his porch had shouted his front door, from their barrage. They now dried, hardened creatures seemed to form a cave around it.

It was a relief to say that they hadn't reached everything. The silo had fallen. The pieces lay in a messy heap beside the house. The combined weight of the things must have proved far too much for it. Rebecca hoped that her house

had held out better. But when she caught sight of the old man, she couldn't help herself. She shrieked. The old man was frozen, on one knee, halfway between her car and Mr. Sanders' truck. He must have been going to check on him, the same as he had for her,

when the things had got him. She saw it enter through his pant-neck, a bundle of tendrils, very similar to the ones that had invaded her car, that snuck up his pant-leg. down under his ankles where his skin was exposed one had seemingly burrowed into his flesh she followed the tendrils up

like a snake they coiled up his leg they crawled along his body and she thought she could see the tendrils branch apart under his clothes they snaked around his body but they all ended before they reached his neck blood soaked through parts of his blue button-up shirt The worst part

Was his head It was forced back Held in place And his mouth was a gate Sprouting from it Several dozen vein-like stems That ended in red Plant-like petals

Rose towards the sky Liquid circulated inside them As if pumped in by the man's heart The grotesque growths Wouldn't have terrified her as much Had it not been for the man's eyes they were still open and they were looking right at her

then came a single laboured breath he was still alive she heaved but her stomach offered nothing to expound by the old man's feet she saw a bulge in the ground and another bundle of macabre flowers protruding from within

rebecca knew they marked Mr Sanders' grey if she could even call it that. Was he two still alive under there? Was that even possible? She prayed for mercy and for Mr. Sanders' forgiveness. She knew she didn't deserve it. No.

She couldn't have imagined this, not in her worst nightmares. Whatever those things were, grown into the man, through him. She let another shriek loose as she saw his stomach twid. The man grimaced as something moved inside him. Rebecca wasn't sure if there was a worse fate.

The old man, his eyes wide with fear, gestured down, took several motions of his eyes for her to even catch it, but once she noticed, she followed his gaze down. Rebecca hadn't noticed them before, but little fibrous structures stuck out of the blobs. each one was several inches tall they looked like red ferns a similar one was wrapped around the old man's ankle

looking at her own feet she noticed she'd stepped on one the pressure from her boot had triggered one of the tentacles to slowly emerge from the blob below it reached around blindly unable to cling to the material of her boots they weren't plants they were snares

She nodded to the man And she thanked him He didn't need to tell her For her to understand that it was imperative That she not let those extensions Those blood ferns Touch her skin She didn't want to leave the old man

In fact she offered to help But he groaned in disapproval Exerting himself He managed to shoe her away With small motions of his hand Through his stuffed throat He tried to speak but no words came out.

Rebecca knew it was too late. And so she went to his house, again forced to leave someone behind. A tear ran down the old man's cheek. It was like navigating a minefield, but Rebecca did it quickly and skillfully. The blood ferns were scarce enough, thankfully. If she stepped on one, her boots offered more than enough protection.

The ground crunched. like snow beneath her feet. When she stepped on something new, it caught her ear. The crunch she heard wasn't light like snow, but heavy like glass. Lifting her boot, she saw it embedded in the mass. Desensitization kept her moving, despite the appalling discovery beneath her foot. There was no mistaking it anymore.

She knew she had been right. She had stepped. on a watch. Through the cavernous moor of the blobs, she made it to the porch, and she found the door unlocked. The house was abandoned, as far as she could tell. She called several times to check,

but no one responded. That made her incredibly thankful. She was still alone, sure, but she didn't want anyone in that house to see what had happened to the old man. They also picture frame, hung askew on the wall. In it, the old man stood with his family.

He was about five years younger in it, and his wife and three grown sons smiled with him. The eldest son sat a toddler on his knee. He'd probably be about eight now. She dreaded to even imagine. It was a stroke of luck that the keys were on the counter, and an even bigger stroke of luck that the garage door had been left open. Inside set a 98 Chevy with battered red paint.

Rebecca looked at the path before her. The truck would hopefully do. If those things couldn't stop her boots anymore, they sure as hell weren't going to stop a truck. They were dry, and that meant they could be easily navigated, hopefully. She hesitated getting inside the truck. She imagined and dreaded the idea that the reins would return.

They would fall, and again she'd be trapped. This time she'd be with her. without hope and without hope. With a single, calming breath, she pulled the door open and took her seat. The engine purred, and it was the sweetest noise she'd ever heard. The terrain was bumpy at first,

but she got used to it fast. She set a course across the alien earth. The road was lost beneath the surface of flesh, but Rebecca found her way. The houses, though covered, offered plenty in the way of navigation. They made the skeleton of her map. Memory filled in the rest. Through the atrocious, unspeakable landscape, she drove.

Those plants had sprung up in unbelievable numbers. The rain must have infected anything that touched it. The larger the animal, the larger the plants. Passing a farm, she observed large bush-sized growths that sprouted from what used to be cows. They were buried now, but she'd passed them that morning. She was glad that most of the plants were covered.

She'd rather not know whose grave was whose. She did see some terrible scenes during her journey. Cars were scarce, but she didn't find a single survivor in any of them. She slowed to check, but every car had at least one door open. No one had been able to be able to be. able to claim refuge inside. Instead, they found themselves trapped outside. The lucky ones,

the ones who weren't buried, could only watch as Rebecca drove by. One had been glued to the side of his minivan. His arm reached out to Rebecca, but she couldn't take it. There was a couple, a man and a woman, who broke Rebecca's heart. The woman had gotten infected at the knee when she'd fallen. Her husband's hand was frozen in place as it clenched the stems that emerged from her mouth. He tried to pull them loose, but those vines had used that contact to ensnare him as well. They entered him through his wrist. They were staring at each other. Neither even looked at Rebecca as she drove by. They were trapped by their love. The twisted machinations of her predicament were granted some enlightenment when she saw the helicopter.

It had been brought down into one of the fields, and around it stretched something surprisingly natural. It had etched out a crater around itself, a crater of dirt and fire. The fire, caused by the collision, had eaten away at the surrounding flesh. It had managed to etch out a radius about three times longer than the helicopter itself. Rebecca couldn't believe the sight of dirt and fire. would ever have caused her joy. It was good to see the things push back,

to see them burnt and beaten. That feeling died as she saw the cloud swirl above. An eye, like at the centre of a hurricane, opened above her. The winds picked up and threatened to pluck Rebecca's truck from the ground. Slamming on the brakes, she could only watch in awe at what happened next. From within the eye, Three large shapes descended, blacker than the night. Tentacles of enormous proportions dangled from the clouds.

Surely they were thicker than skyscrapers and twice as tall. They hovered over the spot where the helicopter had crashed, examining it. Rebecca couldn't breathe as one retracted to the clouds and its ends split open into five pieces, five fingers. She could only watch as it's, dare she say, hand disappeared behind the sky and then reappeared grasping something massive pieces dropped from the hand like sand from a fist and splattered against the ground the giant arm held its hand directly over the barren ground below and then started to release its hold like rain pieces of flesh fell from the

sky and littered the ground they covered the helicopter and they smothered the fire within moments it was like there had never been a disturbance there at all. The thing above, pleased with its restoration, carried the remaining flesh in its grass back into the clouds. The two remaining tentacles swung above the eye, surveying their monstrous masterpiece. One split its fingers apart, and it tenderly brushed against one of the plants.

It was a gardener, tending to its garden. It was that sickening metaphor that brought Rebecca the greatest revelation. The rain. All the people infected. They were nothing more than fertilizer. The creature above retracted into the heavens and the eye closed. Rebecca no longer begged God for help.

She cursed his name. The drive to almost half an hour. The town she called home her whole life was deserted and lifeless. Thankfully, very few were stuck outside. She didn't even want to know how many of the obscured figures were friends, loved ones. She drove past. She figured, hoped, that most had found refuge inside. Passing stores, she witnessed the truth.

The doors were shut, but those things had spread inside anyways. People stood, trapped against the glass, like tortured mannequins. random movements danced by some of the windows, but she didn't dare stop. Her home was so close. It was unrecognizable. Once beautiful, with two stories, yellow siding and a little stained glass rose in the front window. None of it could be seen beneath the disgusting layer of filth accumulated around it. The dead covered her house, and nothing was more sickening.

That was what she thought Until she got out of the truck And reached the back of the house Grief Was not strong enough of a word To describe how Rebecca felt After all she'd seen And after all she'd survived and fought for

It had all led to this It was only so much she could have done The fates had been cruel that day Her mother was on her knees A full water picture in her hand Her old eyes found Rebecca They were green and still so bright The vines hadn't taken hold completely

But Rebecca could see them moving Only once in that moment Was she ever thankful for her mother's condition Rebecca was glad she probably couldn't comprehend what was happening to her. She didn't seem to be in any pain. But the last energy of a beaten and broken woman, Rebecca fell into her mother's arms

and hugged her. Her mother surprised her for one last time. I love you, her mother said. It was all Rebecca needed. I love you too, she replied. You're right. Her mother whispered. Her mother whispered into Rebecca's ear, I don't think the plants even need this water. Rebecca managed a final laugh as the infection took home.

Perspective is reality for the perceiver. Is reality simply what we perceive through our five senses? What happens to those who perceive things that are just beyond the periphery of physical senses? What does one do if he finds himself alone in reality? the only one to perceive a lurking threat. I was getting desperate. The alien lizard people invasion was in full swing. They moved among us in disguise

and very few humans could detect them. Fortunately, I could see through their disguises, especially when they touched their noses to adjust their masks. I'm not really sure how that technology worked, but when they touched their faces, especially near their noses, I could see through the discise for a moment.

I knew that they were here to prey upon humans. To them, we were nothing but meat. I suppose I should explain why I have this ability. I'm from a wealthy family and my father was what in the Washington, D.C. area, they called a Beltway bandit. These were government contractors, especially military contractors. My parents were older when I came along. Dad was 63 and mom was 4.000.

I had everything growing up, yet most called me trouble. I was part of the early generation medication kids who grew up with drugs to help us focus and remain attentive. ADHD was the latest excuse for bad behavior. When I was a kid, well, I was certainly capable of that. I acted out often and violently. I was preparing for what would come. My parents took me to doctors and counsellors of every description

until by the time I was ten years old the medicine cabinet in my bathroom remained constantly full I even dragged me to church twice a week but nothing could change what I saw what I knew the medications worked against my knowledge for a while they made me feel sluggish and I quit taking them and returned to my rambunctious ways

No school would keep me for long, no matter how much my parents spent, and so I had private tutors and, of course, my well-educated parents to provide my education. I was the heir to a small fortune and a prestigious family name, so my parents remained desperate to get me on track, all the while pretending nothing was wrong with me. He added some therapy suggested by my dad's military friends. they rented a martial arts instructor to teach me discipline. When I turned 14, they bought me a home gym and had it installed in the garage.

Before long, I was a lethal weapon, and everyone around me feared when I stopped taking my medication and had an episode. Well, I was just preparing for the invasion. I'd seen signs of it all my life, and now as an adult, I was prepared to act. Only they could see what... I knew from Eve's dropping on my first,

father's conversations. People tend to ignore crazy people, even when they are in the same room. But the military had developed special technology to detect things that most could not see. I suspected they had a special division to deal with the threat that had begun to come to my attention. The lizard people. Not really lizards. Just can't think of what else to call them. They're certainly not humans. They had no hair and delicate scales covered their faces. They had ridges over each eye and each eye was yellow or green with vertical pupils and in in dictating membranes. They appeared husky and muscular, with long arms and thick legs.

When they spoke, their tongues were forked and the inside of their mouths were white and contained savage fangs. Their scales were basically green but iridescent and gleaming. They could disguise themselves as humans, usually large, tall humans. They even covered up their hissing manner speaking and their awful carnivore stench. They definitely possessed tech beyond ours to hide so well in plain sight. I had a very rare natural ability to see through their subterfuges, but my special talents were inhibited by the medications I took. I knew that no one else seemed capable of detecting the creatures,

so I had to remain clear-headed and look out for everyone else. Perhaps Dad's military connections had a way to see them, since I'd noticed even more black helicopters around the DC skies than usual. Perhaps other groups, clandesting groups, whatever means to assist. In a case, it was up to me to sound the alarm and save the world. I didn't want to start with my father's friends. I assumed they were already working to stop the invasion. I decided that a secret organisation that had to know and be willing to help was the the Freemasons. My dad was one and he and I had visited the Big Lodge in Alexandria, Virginia,

not far from our home in Fairfax. I formed a plan. I had to make a scene to gather attention and alert not only the Freemasons, but the local authorities and the public. I would need weapons and protection. There was a store across from the lodge that sold specialty items. I could get what I needed from them, then unless the Freemasons and the black helicopter units, to aid me. I taught my mother into driving me down to Alexandria to spend the afternoon. She thought I was medicated and readily agreed. I knew that my birth had taken a toll on her health and vitality. To give birth to such a special man must have drained her. She took opportunities when I was behaving the way she and therapists thought I should to let me wander through

society in hopes that I'd learn normal behaviors. Poor mum. I didn't want a deceiver, but I had to save her and my dad along with the rest of the planet from these monstrous invaders. I went to the store window and peered in to see if they had what I needed. I knew that firearms wouldn't do. The aliens had technology that protected them. I needed cold steel. They did. I found a loose piece of concrete curbing.

People are always running over the curbs at intersections. I used it to break. the window of the store and take two items from the display, a horn helmet, like a fantasy Viking, and a basket-hilted sword like they carried at the Scottish Games events like attended in the area. It was too hot for further armour, but the helmet and hand protection would do perfectly. All I had to do now was spot and kill a lizard person. Once they were down, their disguises would fail and everyone else would see. I took up a position near the lodge entrance. and looked around.

Out over the harbour, I saw two black helicopters. I had allies. I raised the sword in salute to my valiant comrades and called out to the Freemasons who was surely a raid just inside the doorway. To me! Rally! To me! We must stop the invaders and take back our planet. I frantically searched among the passers-by,

but there were no lizard people. Perhaps they knew to avoid the lodge. I'd made a tactical error. I realised it as two Alexandria Police Department units arrived and officers stepped out and drew their firearms. I knew that the lizards had infiltrated the various and numerous law enforcement agencies in the area, but that most officers were still human.

These two were, so I cooperated. There was a lizard creature working at the jail but I couldn't get to him. I was only able to stare hatred at him through the windows of myself. Oh, we were in so much trouble as a species. The lizards had won this round. There could not have been anyone else with my abilities,

and I was once again medicated and under the care of a psychiatrist, a lizard person in disguise. I knew she was, but I had to remain calm around her. They'd realize I could detect them. Then I'd be a special target. Maybe I was happy. I played the game and took my medication for a few months. Eventually, I was able to avoid or spit up the doses.

I became quite clever at this game. I worked out intently and focused on my martial arts training. I was on my sixth instructor, but I had learned from each before I each in turn declared that I was not learning discipline or focus, only destruction. Only I knew how positive an assessment that was. the lizard people deserve destruction. I was confined to home until I'd behaved long enough to lull my parents once again. They were always dependable and loyal.

I knew they would eventually let me roam again. And yet this time, they did not. No matter how well I behaved or how much I pleaded, they would not let me go out on my own. Perhaps the lizard people had gotten to them, made threats. Surely the aliens had infiltrated the government, maybe even the military and Dad's friends. Perhaps Dad was unsure of who was whom. I could offer to detect the lizards for him, but Dad had become distant with me, as I'd entered my late teens and early twenties.

Likely he wanted to protect me, but I was the one who needed to save him and everyone else. I used the time to develop a new tactical plan. Perhaps I didn't need to slay a lizard. Perhaps I could simply kill their disguise mechanisms. Well, I'd have to start in some place less frequented by respectable people. I'd go after dark. I'd figured out that the lizard people did not like bright sunshine. This time I would not wear armour, but dress lightly and be ready to flee.

My only weapons would be my fists and my training. Strongly built from weightlifting, and I knew I could deliver potent strikes that would destroy the technology of the alien predators. I found my moment, when Dad was sick and in the hospital. I had gone to visit him since he was in grave condition. It was late autumn and the light faded quickly. It was cold but I dressed lightly to be able to run. I went to my room and on the way told the cleaning lady and my nurse that I didn't feel good and was going to bed early.

They looked relieved of the blind fools. I slipped out on my window into the cool evening. my folks had always ensured that I had some cash on me, so I knew I could follow through with my plan. It was time to get revenge on those murderous savages. I took the train into Arlington. I knew that if anyone noticed I was missing, that they'd first look at the mall in Fairfax, and then at the harbour in Alexandria. Those were my two favourite hangouts, but I'd rarely visited Arlington, and certainly not at the bar scene.

I took the train, one of the best features of the metro region. I noted no lizard people in my car, but there had been a couple at the station. They were getting off the train as I got on, so I didn't have time to simply start with them. It was post-rush hour, but still prior to 9pm, so there'd be plenty of happy-hour guests where I was going. I first went to Courthouse Square, but the crowd was light, and there were no nightclubs in sight. I got back on the train and returned to the previous stop. There was nothing much at all around the area. I began to fear that I'd have to go into Georgetown to find the venue I needed.

When I saw a young man, tall and slender with a high and tight military haircoats, a soldier and a human. I asked him if there was a bar, nightclub in the area, and he directed me to a small place down the road a few blocks. A neighbourhood bar, whiteys or blackies or something like that. It didn't matter because when I arrived it was busy. perfect I set up my hunting stand near a group that was playing darts and drinking heavily and glowed at the patrons around me he looked intently for a lizard to slip his or her disguise

a big fellow in the group playing darts stood to take his turn he was certainly large enough and there just every second toss he scratched his nose and for a moment I could see that he was indeed an alien lizard man. He threw his last dart and the electronic panel flashed to indicate he'd hit his target. And that's when I stepped up and hit my own target, his nose. When I stepped up, he looked confused. My face was full of fury and I struck before he understood what was happening. He reacted quickly and his friends all leapt up to help. But I ran. I ran quickly because I knew that they would not chase me, and I'd destroyed his disguise mechanism.

They would see what he truly was, and this would be my initial triumph. I'd finally won a battle and struck a blow for humanity. I ran for a full block before I paused to look back at the entrance. I saw that a few people had emerged from the bar and looked in my direction, for the man who had just saved them. One of the bigger men,

likely another lizard man, still in disguise, yelled toward me. I didn't hear what he said, nor did I care. I just had to unveil more of these creatures. I had to get to the train station and head into Georgetown. I'd definitely cause a stir there when others could finally see what I saw. I made it to the metro entrance, but I saw that a couple of men. No, males, lizard men, had followed me.

I was about to run down the stairway to board the train when an Arlington police department unit pulled up to the curb. Two officers exited and told me to stop. I did as they told them. One of them, the driver, was a large older man. I wasn't sure what he was, so I bided my time and remained quiet. If I exposed an officer as a lizard, I would definitely get the attention I needed to expose them and save the world. A human officers would never stand for it. I waited in the back of the car, handcuffed, and for the moment, defenceless. I saw the officers speak to the two men, and they were clearly talking about me. I recognised one as the lizard man I'd struck. Oh no, I thought. He was able to repair his disguise and likely just killed all the witnesses at that bar.

The older officer instructed the young, slightly built officer, to call for another unit to transport me to jail while they interviewed the witnesses at the bar. Shortly after, we were, he instructed, another police car arrived, and the large, older officer spoke to the even larger but younger transport officer, clearly about me, but quietly enough that I couldn't hear. The big officer escorted me to his car, and we headed toward the jail. I suspected that both he and the older officer might be lizard men, but I wasn't sure yet, since many officers were largely built. And then it happened. He sneezed a couple of times, and was about to do so again when he grabbed his nose to stifle the third expulsion.

His hand had slipped, and I had found my new target. I determined to remain silent until I'd exposed him. I knew that when humans spoke, the lizard aliens could read our thoughts. I did my best to keep my features neutral, to suppress the image of rage that I felt towards this monster. At the jail, the sheriff's deputies did some paperwork, took my fingerprints and photographed me, and put me in a cell to await the magistrate on duty.

When the lizard officer came to the cell to escort me to the magistrate, I was elated. I would expose him in front of a court official, and everyone would know. I tried to hide my excitement as we entered the small hearing room in the booking area. There was a desk, and behind it sat a large woman with a prominent nose. As we entered the room, I noted in horror. that she wiped her nose with a tissue.

For that fraction of a moment, her features shifted. Another lizard. I was shaken, and for a moment I was unsure what to do. I waited and formulated my plan. Surely the deputies in the booking area will come to my aid once I destroyed the disguises on these two. I hadn't planned on taking two at a time.

Apparently, while my mind was occupied, the magistrate had spoken to me. asked a question. The big lizard officer leaned in and said, Wake up, buddy, the magistrate needs your answer. And that's when I struck. I smashed his jaw and pushed him toward the inner wall. And then tried to leap across the desk

and do the same to the lizard magistrate. Unfortunately, the lizard officer was too quick. He grabbed me around the waist and tackled me to the floor. I knew I was in trouble. So I went limp. I knew that the lizard aliens preferred prey that would fight to the last. They had to play with their food like big reptilian cats. The deputies entered the room and put handcuffs on me once again.

They took me through a door, away from the magistrate's room and the lizards. I wanted to tell them. I wanted to scream, but the deputies didn't seem to care that the lizard officer was exposed. Must have been in league with the beast. Traitors to humanity. Oh, this conspiracy ran deep in deep. Surely they served the aliens to save their own sorry lives. Perhaps they'd been promised some reward,

but they didn't understand the lizard people. They would never honour an agreement with what they considered cattle. The deputies put me in an open area and removed the handcuffs. They told me to remain in the area and pointed out to phone in case I wanted to make a call for someone to come and bail me out of jail. I just sat and stared. It was likely a trap to catch my poor parents. Poor, sick dad and worried mum.

I sat quietly and contemplated my next move. Then the hairs on the back of my neck rose. I had that sickening feeling of a monster creeping up on its prey, a feeling emanating from behind me. I noticed a fat, dark-complected man sitting in the chair behind me and off to one side. I didn't have to see his dissonance. sky slip, and I knew what he was. Oh, my anger rose up, and I stood, turned and punched him hard

in the forehead. His disguise shattered, and I ran in triumph into one of the open cells along the back wall. I'd let the deputy as handle their buddy. Now the two deputies arose and approached the seating area. The fat man wailed that I'd hit him. And now the deputy saw the danger as they walked past him and towards me. Oh, this was bad. The entire force of both departments was working with the lizard aliens. They simply closed the cell door and ensured that the lock engaged. And then one of them caught over the intake nurse and the other made a phone call. I was left to my own devices. Pace for a while. I sat on the bare metal bunk. I stood at the door. I squatted in the front of the door. I glared hatred at every.

one I saw. Traitors, each and every one. My plan had failed once again. I should definitely have spoken with Dad's friends, all the Freemasons, enlisted some trusted allies before I acted my plan. I was learning this the hard way. Eventually another burly deputy, a sergeant by the two stripes on his sleeves, came in and looked through the windows at me. He spoke to the deputies and then took a seat at a computer and began to time. At first he reminded me of a bear, but then, sure enough, he rubbed his nose for a moment, and there was the tell-tale, iridescent sheen to his features, oh, just for a flash. Two of the deputies left the area and took an elevator somewhere. Only the sergeant and a female deputy remained. This was my last chance to prove what these

things were. While I was glaring at the monster aliens, I noted that there were cameras all over the area. Perhaps someone in the organisation was still loyal to our species. I tapped on the window, and the sergeant looked up at me. He approached and asked what I wanted. I told him that I wanted to call my family, and this cell had no phone. He opened the door and stepped back out of reach. He told me to water the cell at the end of the row, since it had a phone. He started to tell me how to dial out, and that's when I swung. I hit his mouth, but he saw it coming, and at the last second, rolled back. I was already prepared, and had turned to run when I felt his fist clipped my left jaw.

I saw sparks from a moment, but then I ran, only to realize that I was in jail. I had nowhere to go. I reached the walls between the cells, and the big sergeant was on top of me. He pushed me up against the wall as I shook in terror. His talons were exposed. The razor-sharp claws paused to strike and slice me to rins. I broke out in a cold sweat. The female deputy had arrived to help, but as I remained limp,

the big lizard bear simply placed me in a solid hold. About that time, the female deputy sprayed us both with pepper spray. It stung, but I think most of it hit the lizard sergeant. He dragged me over to the cell where he'd been taking me, pushed me onto the mattress of the metal bunk. He had my arm locked out straight and twisted so that I was helpless. I looked at the cell walls, and they faded away, and I saw approaching an army of lizard aliens,

slavering and flexing their talents. Everything was a blur for a while, and the next thing I knew, I was in a different cell. This one only had to hold in the floor for a toilet, and a mattress, not even a blanket. I used the hole to urinate, then took up a stance by the big window in the metal door. It was dark in the area, the way the lizard's light is.

I remained alert until I could see that sunlight had begun to appear through the windows of the other cells that lie in the block. During the night, the deputy and nurse on duty had watched me closely. They left a cup of water on the fold-down slot on my door. shortly the lights came on and a new crew took over from the night shift a nice doctor with a thick accent of some kind spoke to me he asked if i was on any medications and whether i was under treatment i remained silent i would wait for the video and simple word of mouth to spread the word

maybe my plan had worked after all i was once again on the hunt in my stand waiting for the enemy to reveal itself several minutes after the doctor left, the new nurse came over to see me. The new deputy loomed behind her and warned her not to get too close to the slots. By now I could tell which of the staff members were lizards, even if they didn't touch their faces. Something had changed. My powers had grown. She spoke, I stared, and said nothing. She tried again, and again I stared. This was no new game for me. She leaned down to the slot. Perhaps she thought I hadn't heard, oh, maybe she wanted to sniff me before she attempted to feast on my flesh. Honey, you need to eat some breakfast and take your medicine.

It'll make you sick if you don't eat. Well, I saw through her smile. I saw her fangs, her vertically slip pupils. She was trying to trick me. I reached through the slots and grabbed her collar and pulled her toward my fist of vengeance. And then I stepped back, and put up my hands in surrender. Later that morning, the deputies took me back to the magistrate's office. There was a man on duty, a slight elderly fellow. He spoke directly and atonally at me. He was clearly human, unlikely a forlorn prisoner of the lizard aliens.

Then the deputies walked me through a sally port and into the magistrate's lobby where my dad's attorney and my mum's driver awaited. I was soon drugged and rendered impotent, once again dragged before doctors and therapists and preachers. I watched TV at every opportunity, hoping for news of a human uprising. None came, and I began to despair. Between the lack of news and the medications, I became despondent. The doctors told me that, regardless of what I saw,

those that aliens were not real, and I was not to act when I saw them. I told them that I would not act. And I meant it. I no longer saw the point in trying to reveal, much less defeat the invaders. The war was lost. Humanity would be devolved. A few months later I attended court. All of the lizard creatures I'd exposed or tried to expose testified. My doctors testified. My father had died around the time I'd returned home on bail. I thought that my mother blamed me. It was the lizards. She sat in the courtroom and stared at the floor in despair.

If only she knew what I'd done, she'd have died from fright. When I was called, I told the truth. It was all I had left. Our family attorney asked me about the medications, and I, glassy-eyed and nearly drooling, told him that I've been taking them and taken them before the trial. I told him and the courtroom that I believe that the lizard aliens were real and a clear and present danger to humanity.

I also told him that I intended to follow my doctor's instructions and avoid acting on what I knew. It was a bench trial, and the judge sentenced me to three months in Central State for evaluation and treatment. Central State Mental State Mental Detention Facility was for dangerously insane people with violent tendencies. Oh, the conspiracy continued.

I knew that I would go there they would try to recruit me or kill me. I thought I'd given up, but this was the first time the state had taken control of me. My father's influence had saved me several times before, but not this time. The aliens had me. The stakes were now much higher.

Perhaps others at Central State also had the power to see the lizard people. Perhaps I could find allies, enlist their aid. perhaps the war wasn't over after all and so once again we reach the end of tonight's podcast my thanks as always to the authors of those wonderful stories and to you for taking the time to listen

now I'd ask one small favour of you wherever you get your podcast from please write a few nice words and leave a five-star review as it really helps the podcast that's it for this week but I'll be back again same time same place and I do so hope you'll join me

once more. Until next time, sweet dreams and bye bye.