Samantha (Corrections Officer)

Curiosity tugged at me again. I told myself I might find a radio or something inside that still worked. Maybe even a set of keys or a functional phone. Plus, the creeping awareness that nobody was around made me braver than I probably should have been. The moment I stepped into that house, the stale air hit my lungs. It smelled like old books and something sour.

Curiosity tugged at me again. I told myself I might find a radio or something inside that still worked. Maybe even a set of keys or a functional phone. Plus, the creeping awareness that nobody was around made me braver than I probably should have been. The moment I stepped into that house, the stale air hit my lungs. It smelled like old books and something sour.

The living room looked frozen in an ordinary afternoon from who knew when. A couch draped with a blanket, a half-finished puzzle on the coffee table, and a TV remote perched on the armrest. A layer of grit covered every surface, though, as though the world outside had blown in and never left. I inched farther in, passing family photos on a wall. Smiling faces, cheerful vacations.

The living room looked frozen in an ordinary afternoon from who knew when. A couch draped with a blanket, a half-finished puzzle on the coffee table, and a TV remote perched on the armrest. A layer of grit covered every surface, though, as though the world outside had blown in and never left. I inched farther in, passing family photos on a wall. Smiling faces, cheerful vacations.

my gaze settled on a photo where a small kid held a balloon grinning from ear to ear it made me wonder if that child grew up elsewhere or simply vanished with the rest of the town the eerie silence gave me no answers toward the back was a narrow hallway at the end a door stood ajar i nudged it with my foot heart pounding in my ears

my gaze settled on a photo where a small kid held a balloon grinning from ear to ear it made me wonder if that child grew up elsewhere or simply vanished with the rest of the town the eerie silence gave me no answers toward the back was a narrow hallway at the end a door stood ajar i nudged it with my foot heart pounding in my ears

inside a bedroom's curtains were half drawn letting in just enough light to see the chaos clothes spilled out of a dresser pictures scattered across the floor i crouched to pick one up a snapshot of a teen hugging a dog the dog's fur was a blur like it was mid wiggle when the camera clicked

inside a bedroom's curtains were half drawn letting in just enough light to see the chaos clothes spilled out of a dresser pictures scattered across the floor i crouched to pick one up a snapshot of a teen hugging a dog the dog's fur was a blur like it was mid wiggle when the camera clicked

something about that caught me off guard and i nearly dropped the photo everything looked so alive in these snapshots yet there i was in an empty house in a dead town down the hallway a smaller room's door was painted with stars and planets chipped and faded I pushed it open, a child's bed, stuffed animals tossed around. A teddy bear stared at me with one missing eye.

something about that caught me off guard and i nearly dropped the photo everything looked so alive in these snapshots yet there i was in an empty house in a dead town down the hallway a smaller room's door was painted with stars and planets chipped and faded I pushed it open, a child's bed, stuffed animals tossed around. A teddy bear stared at me with one missing eye.

Its fur seemed stiff, matted with who knows what. A coloring book lay face down, crayons left scattered. It felt intrusive to be standing there, as if I'd barged in on a family's private moment. Only the family was long gone. Suddenly, I thought I heard a slight creak, like a floorboard adjusting under weight. My heart thudded. I paused, holding my breath, scanning the dark corners.

Its fur seemed stiff, matted with who knows what. A coloring book lay face down, crayons left scattered. It felt intrusive to be standing there, as if I'd barged in on a family's private moment. Only the family was long gone. Suddenly, I thought I heard a slight creak, like a floorboard adjusting under weight. My heart thudded. I paused, holding my breath, scanning the dark corners.

I saw no one, but the sensation that I wasn't alone locked my muscles. The next few seconds felt like hours. When nothing else happened, I convinced myself it was the wind or my own footsteps echoing.

I saw no one, but the sensation that I wasn't alone locked my muscles. The next few seconds felt like hours. When nothing else happened, I convinced myself it was the wind or my own footsteps echoing.

still the tension remained in my gut i backed out nearly stumbling over an overturned chair in the hallway my nerves screamed at me to get out of there back to my car back to anywhere else once outside i fought to inhale fresh air though it tasted of dust and despair Street lamps were either broken or had never existed in the first place, and twilight was setting in.

still the tension remained in my gut i backed out nearly stumbling over an overturned chair in the hallway my nerves screamed at me to get out of there back to my car back to anywhere else once outside i fought to inhale fresh air though it tasted of dust and despair Street lamps were either broken or had never existed in the first place, and twilight was setting in.

The sky dimmed, painting everything in dull purples and greys. I jogged to my Subaru, half expecting the engine to fail me, or worse, to find it gone. But it was still there, silent as ever. I got in, slammed the door, and locked it. The fuel gauge was dangerously low. I cranked the ignition, which coughed twice before kicking to life. Static buzzed through the radio speakers.

The sky dimmed, painting everything in dull purples and greys. I jogged to my Subaru, half expecting the engine to fail me, or worse, to find it gone. But it was still there, silent as ever. I got in, slammed the door, and locked it. The fuel gauge was dangerously low. I cranked the ignition, which coughed twice before kicking to life. Static buzzed through the radio speakers.

I twisted the dial frantically, hoping for any station that could reassure me civilization existed somewhere nearby, just faint crackles and hisses. At least the engine was running, so I had a shot at getting out of Clarkston. I rolled through the main strip, eyes flicking to the side mirrors, worried a shape might pop up behind me. Not a single figure stirred.

I twisted the dial frantically, hoping for any station that could reassure me civilization existed somewhere nearby, just faint crackles and hisses. At least the engine was running, so I had a shot at getting out of Clarkston. I rolled through the main strip, eyes flicking to the side mirrors, worried a shape might pop up behind me. Not a single figure stirred.