I took a sigh as I began my usual morning walk. If it weren’t for the empty streets, you would never be able to tell that I had woken up earlier than usual. Being outside at this time was a federal offense. You see, there’s a strange rule around here, stating that you must be asleep between the hours of 12-10 A.M. And, in order to assure the obedience of the citizens, a nightly dose of sleeping gas was released into the air. No one in town had any idea why it was administered; but it was the way that we were raised, so we never asked. It’s just the way that things have always been in the colony.
It was approximately 1 o’clock in the afternoon when I got the call from Calvin. He had always worked down at the local bakery, which happens to share a building with the sheriff’s office. Because of this, Cal often got a hold of the juicy stories long before they were ever released to the public.
“Claire, have you heard yet?” He whispered, in a barely audible voice.
“Heard about what? Anyway, you know that I probably haven’t…” I replied, rolling my eyes.
“Mr. Chris is dead.” He took in a deep breath, waiting for my response.
“Mr. Chris…as in Mr. Chris from school? Are they sure?” I struggled to find the words.
“Well…not dead necessarily, but they can’t find him anywhere. And I mean ANYWHERE, they even looked outside of the inner wall. Nothing.” I knew that he was right. In this town, there wasn’t really anywhere to hide, let alone disappear to. If you were missing, you may as well have been found brutally murdered; in the eyes of the sheriff, anyway.
“That’s terrible...” I sighed.
“I know!” He shouted, with almost too much enthusiasm. “But that isn’t all. Thirty others were missing this morning, too. Thirty!”
I couldn’t move. Finally, I managed to squeak out “Thirty?”
“Yeah, without a trace. It’s like they vanished into thin air. It’s pretty crazy, you should see the commotion going on next-door.”
“I can only imagine.”
“Yeah, well I should probably get off the phone. My boss will be here any minute. Actually, here he is now. I’ll keep you posted.” And with that, he hung up.
The rest of my day was spent wandering aimlessly through the town, wondering how such a thing could be possible. At 9, the story was headlined on the local news, followed by complete chaos outside.
By the time the sleeping gas was released into the air, the entire town was in a panic. I was almost relieved to hear silence slowly fall upon the night. It’s probably for the best. We will all have to think clearly tomorrow. I thought, as I began to drift off to sleep.
The next morning, I awoke to another call from Calvin. This time, however, the urgency in his voice left him breathless.
“Claire! You’ll never believe it: 60 others vanished overnight! They’re starting to think that we may have a serial killer sort-of-deal here. Did you know that there hasn’t been a case like that in over 50 years? Especially not with this many victims!”
“Wow, Cal...are you sure you should be telling me this?” A shiver went down my spine.
“Yeah, no it's fine...I'm sure that it'll be all over the news tonight, anyhow.” He hesitated before starting his next sentence. “Claire, what if it doesn't stop?”
I wasn't so sure how to answer the question, myself. I half-whispered “Don't worry, the sheriff will find out what's going on in no time. Just stick with a buddy for a little while. It'll stop soon enough.” I didn't know who I was trying to convince more: me, or Cal.
Either way, it turns out that I was wrong. As the week went on, the number on the missing toll rose. The colony was beginning to look smaller and smaller, to the point where it was a rare occasion to see anyone you knew. On Thursday night, I got another call. This time, though, was different than the rest. I knew that from the moment that I heard the ring. It was Thursday, and Calvin had work off; he would never call on his sleep-in day. I cautiously picked up the phone.
“Hello?” I managed.
“Hello, is this Claire?” I recognized the voice as Carson, the city Sheriff.
“Yes, it is.” I replied.
“I'm sorry, but we have reason to believe that you and a Mr. Calvin C. are very close?” I could hear paper rustling in the background. “Is that true, ma'am?”
A lump began to form in my throat. “Yes, that's true...why? Is he alright?”
The silence on the other side of the phone was unbearable. “Is he alright?” I cried, letting the panic show in my voice.
“I'm sorry...” He started. “But, this morning we could not-”
That's when the rumbling began. From a gaping hole in the sky, a bright ray of light blinded everyone, as they ran for the safety of their homes.
“If you eat that now, you're buying more tomorrow.” A booming voice said, seemingly from the light source.
I could hear shrieks of terror coming from the streets, as the entire colony began to turn on its side; and then eventually, upside down entirely. The roof of my bedroom failed me, as I started a free-fall into the light.
Looking up, I could see the entire city- where I was born and raised -slowly disappearing. The sheer beauty of it all took me aback, as the world around me transformed into a bright nothingness.
Once my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, I looked back up towards what once was our colony. I had never seen it from the outside. The outer wall was a bright color that we often used to paint our homes. Right in the center, there was a giant picture of everyone in the colony. Above that, was the name “Cheerios” written in fancy letters. I couldn't believe the amount of color and artistry that was obviously put into making this, and we had never even known that it was there!
It's beautiful. I thought, as a tear slid down my cheek, and I plunged into my milky grave.
