As I stumble through the empty streets I can hear the shards of glass crack under my shoes, an almost satisfying sound to listen to, but far to loud. Shivers of fear run up my spine as up ahead of me i spot a torn down sign, the sign reads “Now Entering California.” The rusted metal has three scratch marks running across, making the words almost indistinguishable. The sign brings back so many feelings, memories that i have tried to forget about for a long time. If I remember what happened on that day, i think my will to keep surviving would be lost.

215 days earlier, day one

“Honey wake up, we’re almost their.” My mum says to me with glee in her voice. Sitting up I unrest my head from my hand. Looking out the window i see a tall green road sign that reads, “Now Entering California.” Moving cities is something i never wanted to do, but it makes my mum happy so it makes me happy. She then try’s to hold my hand, her white ruffle sleeves covering her entire palm. We then descend into the underground parking lot of our new apartment, the smell of gas and exhaust instantly hitting my nose. Our car comes to a stop and we begin unpacking our bags. “This is exiting isint it honey?” My mum says. “Yeah, I’m really happy.” As we walk up the stairs toward our aprtament i look out one of the windows overlooking the street. As I watch the cars go by blaring sirens break through the once quiet atmosphere. One after another police, ambulance, firefighter, police, ambulance, firefighter. As quickly as the parade of vehicles started it ends. I didn’t think much of it and countuined upward. The thick apartment door is slowly heaved open and the look of the apartment hits me like a brick. It overlooks a construction site, it smells like a dead rat and it has dirt on the walls. “Mum you can’t seriously think this is where we’re staying do you?” “Look honey it’s just until i get a new job and find us another place, it won’t be for long i promise.” She leans over and kisses me on the forehead. I’m not mad at her, but i can’t beilve she didn’t warn me about the living conditions, but even though i really want to just scream i know she’s trying her best. “Well I’m heading off to the shops, see you in a bit sweetie.” “By mum, love you.” “Love you more!.” Almost simultaneously to the heavy door closing a blaze of heat runs up my back as I’m suddenly thrown against the wall, almost like a giant just punched me with full fource. Blinking awake i don’t realise the blood covering my body, or the thick smoke, i just think of her. “Mum!” I weakly yell, “MUM” i push myself up, adrenaline filling my body. My whole apartment is covered in thick ash and smoke, i rush to the door and pull it open with all the strength i have left, the sight horrifies me. Nothing, just nothing, no floor no walls it looks like a knife had cut straight through the apartment. Trembling I slowly look down and see piles and piles of rubble and fire. But in amongst all of it i spot a singular white ruffle sleeve poking out and blowing in the breeze.

As i lay in bed, my eyes get heavier with every blink. The warmth of the fire and the blanket keeps me from freeezing. As i look up at the wooden ceiling my eyes close down. “Jessica!” I immediantly jump out of bed as i hear my name called from outside. I grab my phone from my bedside table and the time reads, 5:55am. I run to the window next to my bed and rip the blinds out of the way. All i can see is the dark woods, is their someone out there? I run out of my room and grab one of my kitchen knifes. As i slowly open the door i say “Hello?” Their is no response. I then turn on my porch lights and wait for a bit before reapeting myself, “Hello!” Nothing. It must have been in my head, maybe i was still dreaming, somehow. I then cautiously turn off the porch lights and go back inside. I lock my door and walk back to my room, still clutching the knife. I then close my curtains and lay my knife on my bedside table. I switch off the lights and go back to bed. As i wake up i check the time on my phone, 8:32am. I slowly get out of bed and check out my window, nothing. I start making myself breakfast when i remember how familiar the voice sounded, like i have heard it before but i can’t pinpoint who. Once I finish my breakfast i walk outside to look for footprints or any sign of someone being there. It sounded like he called out close, but I can’t find anything. “Must of been a vivid dream or something.” As the sun begins to set i hop back into my bed and begin to drift off. “Jessica!!!” I then jump out of bed once again and grab my knife. I immediantly run outside and scream “Who’s there!” I then run back inside to grab my flashlight to begin searching. I get about two feet from the house where the dark empty forest in front of me send shivers up my spine. Who knows what could be out there. I then quickly turn back and run back inside, locking the door and i run to lock all the window. It was much louder this time, i check my phone and the time is 5:55am. The same time? What the fuck is going on. This time i decide to call the police, leaving in a cottage in the woods makes it hard to access so i only call the police in big emergency’s. 7:00am the police cars begin to pull out and begin to start fading into the distance. Am i going crazy? They found nothing. I lean on my porch pillar with coffee in hand, still dressed in my night gown. As the day goes by i can’t help but think if im going insane or not, twice at the same time, that can’t be a coincidence. It was louder this time as well. As sunset ends darkness falls over the sky. I now sleep with everything locked and my phone and knife next to me. “JESSICA!!!” My body jolts out of bed, now knowing their has to be someone there i grab my knife and phone and run to the kitchen, i then hide behind the counter, i look out at the door. I then hear a loud creek come from the porch, i open my phone to call the police. The time reads 5:55am. As i try and call them my phone has no signal. “Fuck!” I immediantly cover my mouth as i said this louder than intended. As i sit their behind the counter i begin to fall asleep, as I have barley gotten any sleep over the past few days. Trying to keep my eyes open my head flops down. I feel a searing pain in the side of my head and warm liquid begins bellowing down onto my hands and pants. It’s blood. As i try to move my body falls to the ground, I realise when my head flopped down it stabbed into the knife i was holding. As lay on the ground the knife sticking out the side of my head, i start to close my eyes. They blink for bit as i try to keep them open but they eventually close down, for good.

-Epilouge

“Sherif, there has been another death.”

“Another one?!”

“I don’t know if this is a coincidence but all the victims described hearing voices calling out their name. And they all lived out in the woods.”

“And they all suffered horrific deaths, what is going on?”

“WHAT!” I scream at the top of my lungs

“I’m sorry, but their is nothing here about Sera getting any money.”

“Oh but, Glen and Siana do?! No this must be a mistake! I was the favourite!” I can’t believe this I think to myself. Oh it makes me sick, they promised me money when they died but instead what do i get, absolutely nothing! I got it! Siana and Glen changed the will, they were jealous I got everything so they changed it, yes that has to be it.

“Please take a seat and stop being so disrespectful!.” The priest screams at me. Instead of sitting down in turn to my two siblings sitting next to me.

“You two!” Siana puts her phone down at looks at me with the bithcest face you could ever imagine.

“You two what?” She says in a spoilet type tone

“You two changed the will!!!” Glen then gets up

“How dare you! We would never!” Siana then gets up as well

“Yeah, talk about an ungrateful asshole.”

“Ungrateful?” I snap back “I got nothing and you have the balls to call ME UNGRATEFUL!!!”

“I dont have balls but whatever” Siana then sits back down applying more lip balm on. Glen is still standing staring at me with the most shocked face you have ever seen.

“I can’t believe you Sera, how dare you accuse us of doing something so horrible.” As glen sits down Siana puts her phone down to look up at me.

“You do realise you were never going to get anything right?”

“What do you mean?!”

“Mum told me a couple days before the accident that when they die you get nothing, as you have been the favourite your whole life.”

“Yeah and! What the fuck does that have to do with anything?!?!”

“Are you really so dense, omfg” Glen then chimes in.

“What Siana is saying is because you always got everything you wanted like a literall fucking mansion, we get the money from the will, its fair.”

“HOW THE FUCK IS THAT FAIR.” The small church echoes this around for several seconds.

“CAN YOU ALL STOP IT!” Screams the priest. “WE ARE HERE FOR A FUNERAL PEOPLE, NOT SOME REALTITY TV SHOW, NOW SHUT UP AND BE RESPECTUFL!!” As i sit down i can’t help think, why? Why the fuck would mum lie to me, I thought she loved me. She could have at least given me the Hawaiian resort or something! As the funeral closes i walk up to the coffin to say my goodbyes. Siana and Glen are in front of me. Siana softly speaks to the coffin.

“Mum and Dad I’m sorry for any time i was bad, or for any time i hurt you. I love you.” Then Glen goes up to the coffin.

“Mum and Dad, I’m gonna miss you guys for ever and ever, and i hope that when i pass away, I’ll get to see you two again.” As anticipation builds when i walk up to the coffin everyone is leaning in, wondering what im gonna say.

“It’s gonna be so sweet.” Says a lady siting in the front.

“I might shed a tear.” Says another

“Mum and Dad.” I say softly.

“HOW FUCKING DARE YOU LEAVE ME OUT OF THE WILL I HOPE YOU BOTH FUCKING ROT IN HELL AND GET FUKING TOURTERED FOR FUCKING EVER! YOU TWO ARE THE WORST FUCKING PARENTS EVER!!!” The church is completely silent after this, everyone’s jaws dropped.

“Are you done?” Siana says

“Fuck you” i say under my breath as i walk toward the exit.

“Fucking brat” Siana says quietly.

“I CAN HEAR YOU DICKWARD” i say as i slam the double doors on my way out. I look down at the ground under the church and flip it off. My final goodbye to my parents making their way to the depths of hell.

As I breach the darkness that has surrounded me my whole life i immdediantly get blinded by a bright light, so bright my eyes sting for three minutes straight and i collapse to the ground. As i collapse to the ground i feel something, something spiky. As my vision is restored small green spikes are all around me, but they don’t hurt. I then start to brush them around with my hand, the way they move is so hypnotic. I then look back up at the bright light. A massive ball of light is positioned in an ocean of blue. I don’t know what any of this is, i don’t know where i am or who i am. “Sweetie, come back to mama please.” I hear this coming from the hall i ran from. I immediately pick myself up and begin to run, run like i never have before. As i run i notice that some of the small green spikes have grown into huge towers of green. More of these towers would appear around me, it was beautiful. After what felt like hours of running my body forces me to collapse to the ground. As i sit there trying to catch my breath i see the most amazing thing. A small creature, so small i can barley see its head. The creature has the most amazing patters on its wings as it flapped effortlessly around me. As i slowly lifted myself up off the ground many more of these creatures started circling around me, i couldn’t help but look at each individual pattern on the wings. Some dark orange with stripes, some bright red with spots. The flying creatures begin to move in the same direction, but instead of moving it looks more like dancing, the most amazing dance you have ever seen. With every ounce of strength I have left, i pick myself up and follow them. Eventually the tall towers of green lead to a clearing. A massive pond of water covered in small green plates fades into view. As i look back up at the winged creatures i can see them all flying above it. The crystal water shimmered in the light, this is something i have never seen before. I slowly hop into the pond, one foot after the other until i am completely submerged up to my neck. This is the most amazing feeling i have ever felt. But i soon realised I didn’t have long left, im starving to death. Even though i should look for food, and try to stay alive for some reason i just want to stay, stay in this pond watching all the creatures around me. The shiny swimming ones, the small fluffy ones, the long scaly ones. If my time on earth has been nothing but darkness, fear and death then i want to spend my last moments in the light seeing all the things I’ve missed.

As the blaring sun beats down on my skin i feel more sweat drip from my forehead. Do we really have to clean out my house in the middle of the July heat, i think to myself. As I slowly put more and more of my stuff into boxes, my boyfriend brandon gives me a subtle look “Need any help their?”

“I’m putting clothes into boxes, I’m fine.”

“Alright, your just taking a while could you hurry up? I’m already late to meet my friends.”

“Oh.” I sigh

“What now?”

“I thought we were having date night tonight?”

“Why do you care?” He snaps back

“Oh! Uh i dont its fine.”

“Good now hurry the fuck up.” As I continue putting the piles of clothes on the table beside me into various boxes i spot a red scarf. I don’t think much of it at first, but when i lift it up the smell hits my nose. It smells like her, my grandma. My mum passed away during childbirth so i lived with my grandma till she passed away when i was twenty eight . As i stare at the scarf the terrain around me changes as if im rembering something that I haven’t remembered for a long time. I then see my grandma, right in-front of me. As i reach out to touch her i am interpreted by happy squealing. I look behind my back and i see my younger self, playing in the mud. As i turn back to my grandma her face is filled with so much love and joy. I was confused, im just playing in the mud? But then when i turn around i see myself, graduating from uni. When i look back at my grandma she looks older and less happy, then when i look back at myself i can see that this is the night, the night where i introduced Brandon to my grandma. I see the bruises on my body, and they weren’t from falling over on the way here like i said they were. I then take some steps back, as i know what about to happen. I look back up and see my younger self arguing with her.

“Why can’t you just let this go ma!”

“Because he isin’t right for you can’t you see that!”

“I love him with all my heart, its not my fault you couldn’t hang onto your crappy husband!” I yell this last sentence so loudly it continues to echo, its like i can hear it all around me and it wont stop. “Stop!” I say, i then yell “STOP IT.” The next time i look at my grandma its her in hospital. That argument was the last time i saw her as i kept declining her calls that night thinking she wanted to argue, when she really wanted to say goodbye. She looks upset, i walk over to her tears bundling up in my eyes. “I am so sorry ma.” I say with a voice crack. “You were right about him, i knew you were but i didn’t want to admit it, and i never should have said that because i love you so much and i have never stopped feeling guilty since that day and i will always feel guilty, thats why im selling you house i just can’t live in it anymore.” She then slowly turns her head to face me and says calmly

“I forgive you, but sweetheart. Can you forgive yourself? Can you move on from what you did?” I then give her the warmest hug and suddenly I’m back, just hugging a scraf. My face is covered in tears and they won’t stop coming out.

“What the fuck!? If you want to move in with me Beth you can’t use cry for no reason its weird.”

“No.”

“What was that?”

“I said NO!. I AM NOT MOVING IN WITH YOU.”

“Beth don’t be dramatic i-.”

“SHE WAS RIGHT ABOUT YOU ALL ALONG I JUST NEVER HAD THE COURAGE TO SPEAK UP AGAINST YOUR BULLSHIT!” I scream this so loudly i can barely hear a passing car.

“Woah, lest just calm down Beth its okay.” He then slowly approaches me and puts his arms around me. “Look you grandma was sick, she didn’t know what she was talking about, i am meant for you.”

“Get off me.”

“What-“

“I SAID GET OFF!” I then push him away with such force it almost knocks him over.

“So what you breaking up with me?”

“Get the fuck off my property, RIGHT NOW! GET IN THAT STUPID ASS TRUCK AND GO HOME.”

“You know what fine! I can hit harder than you, you little bitch! Just remember my last words to my grandma wasent a fucking insult!”

“Well you know what, I’ve moved on so once again GET THE FUCK OUT.” As Brandon drives off I clutch the scarf tight in my arms the way i wanted to hug my grandma that night.

“I did it ma, i did it.”

As I begin to clime up the broken escalator I look around the massive mall. What was once loud and bustling with people was now dead quiet and had vines, plants and trees in every which way. It feels like im not even in a structure, it feels like I’m still outside. As i reach the top of the escalator i look back for a minute, looking back at the mall flooded my brain with memories, but I can’t stay I have to get food. I begin to walk towards what i think is a grocery store. Through the vines I can barley make out the words “Every day market.” “Bingo” i say to myself. I then begin to slowly and carefully walk in, my hand resting on my pistol in my pocket. As i begin to search it appears everything has been taken. As i carefully look through piles of boxes stacked on top of each other one of them falls down to the ground and a loud shattering sound comes from the inside. So loud that i can hear it echoing through the mall. “Shit.” I say to myself quietly. I grab the box and slowly place it back down with the other boxes. I slowly open it to see the many wine bottles which have now been smashed into millions of pieces.I then leave the box and continue to search. I spot a door at the back of the store labeled “Staff only.” I approach the door and reach to grab the handle. As i open it the loudest of creeks come from the hinges. The creeks echo throughout the mall. I convince myself nothing is here as it would have heard the bottle smashing from earlier. As i move into the staff only room i spot another box. I slowly walk over to the box, being careful not to step on a patch of creeky floorboard. I finnaly arrive to the box after what felt like years of slowly creeping across. I open the box to find many cans of fruit and beans. I felt a sense of warmth that i got what i came here to get. As i start putting the cans into my backpack i hear a noise from outside. I hear several footsteps. As i quickly put the rest in i sneak back to the door. Once i arrive at the door i try to look through the small circular window, but their was to much dust for me to look though, i wipe the dust off and look out to see, people. Shit i think to myself, they must of heard the glass shattering.as i see them spread out and walk around one of them looks directly at me. I quickly duck beneath the window hoping that they didnt see me. The light shining under the door gets blocked by what looks like two legs. I’m fucked i thought. I pull out my pistol, turn off the safety and make sure its loaded. I carefully peak out the window, he has turned back around and is walking away. Thank got i think to myself. As I slowly un-tense myself i hear footsteps coming back, suddenly the door swings open as one of the strangers kicks it. I fall to the floor dropping my pistol. Five stranger begin to walk in, their eyes bloodshot and their body’s filled with scars and cuts. “Give us the shit” one of them says in a quiet yet fierce tone. “Ok, ok, hold on.” I say as i try to think of a plan I spot my pistol under a table in the corner of the room. No way i can get to that with them shooting me, i think to myself. I then look ahead of me and see a small vase on the ground. I get an idea. “Hurry up, we will shoot you.” “Yeah alright.” I then slap then push the vase over and shatters extremely loudly, echoing throughout the shopping center. “What the fuck was that?” “Just shoot him man.” “I’m giving you the count to three.” One of the men raises his pistol at me “One, Two, Thre-.”

He is suddenly thrown across the room, crashing into the wall in front of me. I look back, and i see it. A silencer. The creature is almost fully black with small white stripes running cross its reptilian looking face. The creature stands on its hind legs with massive forearms pertruding from the front. Large quills are attached to the bottoms of its arms. The creature has a massive tail and razor sharp teeth. As one of the other stranger turns to shoot it, the creature spins around hitting him with its tail, it then pounces on the last guy to the left and begins to tear his neck to shreds. The exit is now a clear shot, i then begin to book it out. As im almost at the exit of the store i feel a heavy weight land on my backpack. I then manage to squeeze my arms out of the strap. I turn around to see the creature gnawing my backpack to spreads. It’s head slowly rises to look at me as it drops a peice of leather that was in its blood stained mouth. It slowly gets up off the backpack and begins approaching me. As I slowly back up i notice the box from earlier contains the shards of glass, the creature then foils up its legs preparing to pounce. As it leaps into the air I roll out of the way, i get up next to the box and reach down and grab the bigest shard i can see. Before the creature has a chance to get up I jump on its stomach and begin to stab. It’s claws scratching my back ripping and tearing my shirt. I feel the warm liquid of blood rolls down my back, but I ignore this and continue to stab. Eventually the creature lets out a guttural screech and its head flops onto the floor. I feel the weight of it’s claws fall of my back and land on the ground. I then get off the creature covered in its blood, I drop the glass shard which has left a massive cut in my hand. I begin to walk back to grab my backpack then walk back to the staff room to grab my pistol. By the time i return to the store exit the creature is no where to be seen, and a bloody trail leads toward the exit. “I’ll get that bitch next time.” I say to myself. In the distance i hear multiple echoes of the creature calling out to what I think to be other silencers. I better get out of here I thought to myself.

As i slowly wake up from my nap I realise I’m facing my bedroom window, and i can quickly see that its raining outside. I immediately get out of bed and rush down the hall to the front door. I twist the handle to make sure its locked “Good, locked.” I then rush to the back door. I turn the handal, “locked as well.” I then walk over to my mums bedroom. I don’t enter her room anymore as i keep it more like a shrine. As i stare at the door i try and close my eyes and imagine that she is in there studying or sleeping but i can’t, i can’t imagine that when i know she’s gone. As i walk to the kitchen window i see it, the creature, the thing that took my mother. The creature has a human appearance, but it’s far from human. It has a sort of plague doctor mask on its head, covering its face and it always holds an umbrella. The stories say that it carry’s an umbrella because it only comes out in the rain, that’s why every time it rains people refer to it as, The Hollow Rain. As i watch it slowly walk down the street, i can’t help but notice its movements, so smooth almost like its levitating. Just as i think it’s going to continue it stops, right outside my house. My heart beat start’s to grow faster and i begin to hyperventilate. “It’s never done this before” i say to myself. The creature slowly turns its head toward my window, the rest of its body stays facing forward. The creature is now starting directly at me, i could see it’s hollow eye pockets as if something should be in there. I guess this is why it’s called the hollow rain, i think to myself. It then turns its body and begins walking toward me. I start backing away from the window, i feel myself getting faint, its soulless eyes staring me down with every step it takes. BANG! Lighting flashes right outside which temporarily blinds me, as my vision is restored the creature is gone. “Did it leave?” I say to myself. I then start walking back to my room but then a slight breeze brushes against my skin “huh?” I had no idea where this breeze was coming from. I then follow it towards the laundry and notice the open window above the washing machine. “Shit i forgot to lock the window!” I immediately run to the window and force it down with such force the bang of it closing makes my ears sting. I then run to my phone to call my dad but I notice that the wire has been cut. “Shit, Shit, Shit!” I then run back to my room and hide under the covers, it’s gonna be okay i think to myself. Maybe my phone line has always been cut and I haven’t notice. Before I can continue my thoughts i hear rustling from my mums bedroom. I slowly walk towards the door as if its calling me to it. I gently try open the door but it’s so stiff from not being opened i have to apply force. When it opens i see her, my mum. She was just standing there staring at me. Even though she had eyes they didn’t seem full, as if something was missing. She then opens her arms and begins to walk towards me. Every inch of me wants to turn and run but instead i walk towards her. We slowly pull each other into a hug. I then hear her calm breath turn intro a loud gurgling. When i look back at her its that thing! It was smiling, even though I couldn’t see its face I could just tell, i don’t know how. I try to pull myself away but its nails have stabbed into me and have curled under my skin holding me still. It’s head then deforms, unfolding into rows and rows of teeth. I realise there is nothing i can do, its over. I get to see my mum, i get to see my family.

(TW, Suicide warning)

Fifty days, it has been fifty days of war with these alien creatures. One day everything was normal the next, everything and everyone was gone. No one knows where they came from or what they are. Soldiers have been bravely fighting them every day but to no avail. I am writing this letter to hope someday in the future, some form of intelligent life will find this and human kind will be remembered. My life was perfect before this i had a wife and three beautiful children max, poppy and maddie. I am happy that soon i will be seeing them again as the aliens have breached the city walls. Diana, my wonderful wife i am very exited to see you and the kids up in heaven. I find pills would be a better alternative than being eaten alive, I have already eaten enough to kill a horse. Whoever is reading this I hope the world is a better place, and intelligent life can thrive and co-exist with the planet.