The signs were there all the time, we just chosed not to look at them. They were right in front of us, shouting at us, although I am convinced that it was not to warn us after all, but were part of a sordid grimace of destiny in the face of the inevitable.
One of these heralds of the end of time was the deranged man who stood every Sunday outside the church with his apocalyptic demonstrations. He was always there with his misspelled posters fogging the car windows with his intense harangues, yet as he left the church that morning, as a stiff breeze swayed the cypress tree in the parking lot, no one perhaps except Sam noticed he was gone, a shiver ran down his spine as the wind swirled autumn leaves in the middle of the pavement. He did his best to ignore the strange sensation of noticing that absence and took the opportunity to question Katt.
_ Today is the day, isn't it? Or rather the night. He said to her while he smiled at her with a marvelous gesture.
Katty seemed to give a little jump when she heard that sudden thing and tried to simulate her blush while she answered as she got into the car.
_ Stop the nonsense, Sammy, get in the car at once if you don't want to stay," she said in a mocking tone.
_ Ok ok ok little girl, don't bother or I'll tell Mark! Hehe continued joking as he settled into the passenger seat.
Katt and Sam were siblings, they had developed a very close relationship especially after the accident where they lost their parents. Sam just felt big brother jealousy and tried to hide it by teasing his sister, who was going on a date with some friend that night, after all she was still his little Katty.
Katt started the old sedan that interrupted the dance of the leaves in the wind before taking the avenue *** towards the east end of the city where they had always resided, Sam kept silent for a moment to fix his gaze through the window that had just lowered.
An illusion of the city blurred as the car passed, and the glints of sunlight that managed to dodge the tree branches on either side of the Avenue distracted Sam's pupil when suddenly looking ahead he only had time to shout Careful before Katt slammed on the brakes.
A man had darted carelessly across the street and it was impossible for Katt not to hit him despite braking, Sam only worried about Katt who looked more scared than hurt, once he was sure she was okay he got out of the car to check on the man. He bent down to check him, the man didn't seem to be badly hurt and yet he was clutching his temples while whispering something repeatedly.
_ They're here, they are here, they are here, here.
He just kept repeating that phrase insistently. When he turned over, Sam's surprise was hard to describe. It was the crazy guy from the church.
_ It's him Katty, the crazy guy from the church.
_ Jesus Christ Sam, that's not important now, we have to help him, we have to take him to a hospital.
_ Yes, you're right. Sam stammered, without abandoning his surprise. Let's get him into the car.
Between the two of them they helped the man to get up, who seemed to be immersed in his delirium, as soon as they finished putting him in the back seat a deafening roar was heard above their heads, it was so loud that it forced them to hold on to each other so as not to fall.
All around, passersby who had stopped out of curiosity of the accident tried to flee from the shock wave produced by the thunder, windowpanes of storefronts and stores shattering, poles and power lines falling. From one second to the next, chaos took over that Sunday.
A strange fascination forced many to look at the sky, the day turned to night amidst a parade of clouds that seemed to be generated in a specific point of the sky of an impossible density and gray color that threatened to erase the known landscape. The siblings were not immune to that fascination. A scream inside the car made them abstract from that spell.
They are here! The man shouted.
_ Katt, quick, we have to go, quick.
They got into the car and drove off as fast as the chaotic traffic and the pedestrians trying to escape from that phenomenon would allow.
_ Katt get out of town, I'm afraid it's the worst place to be right now. Let's go home. Sam said.
Katt occasionally wiped away the tears that blurred his vision and prevented him from seeing clearly. Sam clung to his seat and the man in the back just curled up and covered his head with his arms.
The chaos diminished as they moved away from the center of the city and was replaced instead by complete solitude in the streets. When they finally arrived home, they hurriedly put the man down and locked themselves in, the scene of loneliness was repeated outside. Once inside they carefully left the man on a armchair and together they set about securing the house. Katt turned on the TV looking for information but only static showed on the screen.
Although it was only a little after noon, it seemed to be a night already. Up in the sky the clouds continued to swirl in a prelude to greater darkness, outside the silence served as a curtain for all fears and inside that man in the armchair began to say things different from what he had limited himself to repeating.
_ It is already late. It has begun. For some time now I can hear their plans, what they think and what they want. They are from another space or dimension, I don't know anything about those scientific things. I only know that they can't be here physically but they have found a way to project themselves into people's minds and control them. Nooooo, they won't have me, I swear.
The siblings heard that statement perplexed, not knowing what to think or feel. If the man was right or if they had simply underestimated his madness. All this was going through their souls when the rumble in the sky was repeated; once, twice and even three times. The house shuddered at each sonic crash and the brothers melted into an embrace.
When the curtain of silence fell over them again Sam sat up next to Katt, the man was still in his safe place huddled over his head. Suddenly image and sound flooded the TV screen. It was a message from the President of the Nation through an emergency signal system.
_ Citizens. This message is intended to ask you to remain calm in the face of the changes that have begun to take place. The phenomena you have witnessed today are produced by our arrival on your world. We have control of your leadership and most of your warlike forces; we do not share violent methods but assure you that we will use them. The instruction is for you to stay quietly in your homes while the military forces are deployed in the cities. We need each of you to be part of the new future we will have, but it will be your choice.
As they heard this message Sam peered carefully through the blinds, military caravans were arriving in the suburb.
_ It won't be Mark's night after all, he said to Katte.
Original text by @joalheal for The Ink well's weekly promt #51 "They are here"
Image from Pixabay
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
