SCREAMERS

I could barely breathe within those walls. It was my only defense against those things that brought the town to ruin.

I've come to know them as Screamers. That damned high pitched shout that always accompanied the sudden bloodshed.

It started less than a day ago. I was reading a book, as usual, to pass the time. I had no family, supported myself. Not much you can do in a quiet old town at my age. Orphaned and alone from day one, I always struggled to be somebody and to do something worth while.

My name is Josh, just Josh, despite the orphanage and it's efforts to locate my parentage. No records were ever found. The day I turned sixteen I left the orphanage and pursued a life on my own, hard to believe it has only been two years since then but... I've accomplished so much more than I expected.

I managed the funds to purchase a small house just outside of town where I shut myself off from the world. Like I said, not much you can do in a small town at my age. So I had to be smart about it. I took up reading to strengthen my mind, I work for nearly eight hours a day, mostly taking up jobs most of the town has had out of reach for decades. I did this to get to know the others, to strengthen my body and fill my pockets. Which I managed intelligently in case of emergency.

I never thought that one would actually come to this sleepy old town.

It was barely after midnight and I had returned to my home. The silence never bothered me, I learned to enjoy being alone. The only problem would be hearing something out near my house. If someone came out this way... That would mean trouble.

The air was still that night, not a rouge wind or even a chill in the air. I didn't think much of it at the time but there was a slight scent of fresh cut grass, except I had not done any yard work for about a week.

I had prepared to sleep, hoisting myself over the old mattress I had purchased over the expensive brand new ones I had seen in stores around town. I preferred to be smart with my money and a new mattress just wasn't something I could afford.

I hovered between rest and consciousness for about fifteen minutes before actually dozing off. However, a crunch of boot into dirt forced me to wake. I got up quickly, and turned my sight to the window. Catching a glimpse of settling dirt but nothing more. With a sigh, I got to my feet and slipped on a pair of worn sneakers. I found no need in dressing beyond the loose fitting jogging pants and tanktop I wore to sleep. I grabbed the old handgun I received as a gift from the old farmer who lived a while farther from the town than I. Keeping it held high I slowly walked throughout my house toward the front door.

Outside was just as still as I had remembered it, whilst the only fluorescence coming from a light on my porch. The dark woods around my house had little animal life during the fall so I was in doubt of the crunching coming from there. I recognized the sound of a boot against dirt, I hoped.

"If you can hear me, stay away from here. There shouldn't be anyone out of town after dark." I stated in a calm manner. To my surprise the crunching resumed, quickly pattering toward me. "I have a firearm and I will use it, understand?"

The stomping slowed again but I knew it was just around the edge of my house, whatever or whoever it was. I made sure the gun was locked into ready. Aiming it over toward the side of the porch, I awaited the presence of my unwanted guest.

What crossed the corner made my blood run cold. What I thought looked like a man with no eyes turned my way, his mouth was rounded in a twisted fashion with his jaw hanging low. His body was covered in some kind of raw material... Like flesh... And his skin was pale.

I didn't want to take any chances so I began to fire at the man. He didn't even flinch or seem affected at all, slowly walking toward me with that twisted face, mocking me as if trapped in the form of a terrified shout.

Then the most disturbing noise I had ever heard rose through it. A very loud, high pitched roar. I could tell then that this creature wasn't human and that shout was a warped type of scream. I could not keep still there, I was uninterested in finding out what it's plans were for me so I shot back inside, happy the creature was so slow and gathered what I could.

I threw on more appropriate clothes for returning into town. A pair of jeans, white t-shirt, and an blue unbuttoned short sleeved shirt over that. I grabbed my favorite red baseball cap with the Raven's Creek mascot, a cartoon raven carrying a stick. It sat atop my head as a few stray bangs of my darkly colored hair lined the front whilst the back of my neck was also lined with my messy black hair.

Once outside, the thing was gone. I no longer heard the crunching but that odd scent of fresh grass lingered. I shot for the road, knowing that it was unsafe to remain at home with whatever that thing was potentially nearby. I gladly took my chances jogging the street toward town regardless of the lack of light. I was simply unprepared to take on that grotesque monster and I knew my home was not secure.

It was a quiet trip into town where I felt somewhat safe again. I decided to go to the police station and report what I had seen but there were no officers inside. In fact, all I heard was a repetitive prerecorded message stating that the police station was receiving far too many calls. Something was off about it all. Normally I wouldn't do what I did next but I valued my own safety over any law I would be breaking. Tearing through the door to the closet, I found weapons there and the keys dangling from the lock. Naturally, I assumed the worst and simply took ammunition for the gun holstered on my side rather than taking a new gun with me. I preferred to travel light and I figured the gun I had, though old, was in better quality.

As I returned to the front a call came through, one of the phones on its side, had been set on speaker. The call was of a woman I had known from town named Jennifer:

"Hello? Hello?! *sigh* There is a man standing outside of my door. He won't leave he just keeps banging there-- *crashing followed by a high pitched scream* Oh my god! He's in the house! Help me! Do you hear-- *cuts to static and returns with a gnashing noise, a scream is then heard fluctuating in frequency from a normal tone to an incredibly high screech*  k į ł ł"

The call cut and I stood there looking at the phone briefly. I became quickly aware of the outside danger but... something had to be wrong with me. I wasn't concerned for her at all, I wanted to laugh but fought off the urge. "Pathetic... You didn't even put up a fight..." I scoffed, walking out of the station.

It wasn't a very long walk before I noticed the actually chaos plaguing the small town. My messy hair caught the wind and fluttered wildly as my baseball cap blew away. I was far too uninterested to follow as I watched a home burn in the distance. I decided in that moment that the preference to be alone was an intelligent one. I didn't have time to help anyone else, it carried a sense of futility. I walked past it all, playing deaf to the various screams for help. They were none of my concern.

I felt as if something was following behind me, looking at me. The idea grew annoying rather than unsettling and I turned around to face my stalker. The man who circled my home was standing there amidst the disorder, as if to taunt me. He simply locked his empty sockets on me, as if somehow it could see the confusion in my eyes. Then it screamed out toward me, that same infernal shout of distorted terror I had come to despise.

It didn't take thinking it over to shoot him in his head. I did it without a thought. I didn't care, I wasn't convinced I should waste my time rationalizing this things intentions. A bullet was the best approach. Yet, from the chaos crept more like him, from every home and every corner of the town. They all wore familiar faces now, people I once knew. All of which with a face formed into the same permanent scream of terror. I figured in that instant that was how they form, to become one you have to die screaming like the rest.

I felt a bit of relief to be honest. I had no desire to scream. I realized that, though haunting, these things, these /screamers/, were too impractical an adversary for my particular set of skills and thus my lack of interest in communicating with the other, perfect victims, would pay off.

I found futility in wasting bullets but considered the possibility that the Screamers could be killed with a shot to the head. Conventional movie smarts or just plan intelligent, take your pick... but it seemed to work.

I turned back to the sight of a woman screaming for her life as others closed in on her. She managed to shake a small mob off, quickly approaching me. I took a few shots at the screamers surrounding me, a bullet in their heads only when I was certain I would make the shot. Naturally, I assumed they were dead.

"You've got to help me!" The woman screamed, her name I recalled was Sarah. "Joshua, they took my sister! They took her and did something to her."

I knew what she was implying in her tone. Another person tagging along with me was just not something I wanted. I would rather leave her for dead and resume my own struggle to escape. My luck came through her misfortune.

That first screamer, the one who was hiding outside my home. He sprung to life. It was so much stranger than rising like the dead. The head fell off and he pulled his torso from his legs. The disturbing image of a dismembered body walking on its hands while severed remains of it's head bobbed down it's back left terror in the woman as a pack of those 'things' attacked all at once. Tearing her body in half I realized they enjoyed the taste of flesh before making one their own. It was the opportune moment to escape so I took it while their screams rang through the streets.

I took shelter in a warehouse south of town and climbed into a hole in the floor. The planks of wood were the only thing between them and me. I knew those things would not stop so I used the night to my advantage.

I could barely breathe within those walls. It was my only defense against those things that brought the town to ruin.

I've come to know them as Screamers. That damned high pitched shout that always accompanied the sudden bloodshed.

「Patient:1086b」

First name: Joshua Last name: Unprovided Height: 5'8" Weight: 148lbs Ethnicity: Asian (possible Caucasian mix)

Joshua is believed to have mixed heritage but no information regarding his parents or anyone of his ethnic background have ever been documented. He was found at the doorstep of a local orphanage where he spent his life up to his mid teen years. There were various incidents concerning violent or unstable behavior. At age 13, Joshua murdered a farmer utilizing a five inch combat knife he had stolen. The murder was considered predetermined due to the precautions taken and the gun that had apparently been stolen following the events. Joshua received a year in juvenile detention based on various claims that the farmer had constantly antagonized or harmed him in the past and due to his considerably young age.

During his time within the program, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, often claiming he had seen a man with a terrifyingly warped face resembling a scream. A few months of hypnosis eliminated these claims and his memory of ever seeing such a creature. It was believed that his mental state improved after leaving, however, he had begun to distance himself. Later mental evaluation was erratic until it was determined that Joshua was a sociopath at the age of 15. He had begun to show limited interest in others and adopted a cold personality.

At age 16 Joshua left the orphanage and pursued various odd jobs around the city, from yard work to running small shops each remaining temporary. He purchased a small house outside of town and began meeting the rest of the town. He knew a lot of the civilians and established distanced relationships with few of them, however, he seems to have memorized everyone's name and face.

The missing weapon from the farmer has since been located following an incident within the small town of Raven's Creek. Joshua was located leaving town with a backpack full of clothes, food and money stated to have been collected within the two years he spent on his own.

When asked about the incident he claimed that 'creatures with warped faces, resembling a scream, invaded the town and killed everyone inside', however, upon searching the town it appeared that someone had waited for each individual family to go to sleep. The person had extensive knowledge of their daily patterns. A knife was used to decapitate them, with the occasional bullet wound attributed to attempted escape or self defense. The bodies had their eyes gouged out and their jaw broken to resemble a terrified scream. Despite the impossibility of it all, it appeared the murders took place within the span of a night.

When confronted about his story, Joshua simply stated "Not much you can do in a small town at my age."