It's Just a Horsefly

Chapter 4

Viviann looked out at the bloody street's shock coursing through her body.

What happened? Why was there so much blood? Vivian looked at John, a solemn look on her face.

"Something terrible happened here, John." John sighed sadly packing the sleeping bags into the car.

"Yes, something terrible. it's over now though." He said smiling, Vivian nodded a part of her wanted to ask what happened. The other part wanted to leave as fast as possible in fear someone would blame her for the calamity somehow.

"could you put the fire out dear?" John asked as he attempted to force the car trunk shut. Vivian nodded, grabbing a small water bottle from her bag. She dumped it on the fire, allowing the embers to turn black as they hissed dramatically. Vivian felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see a cheery old man, his slightly turtle-like face smiling at her.

"Excuse me, mam, do you know what happened here? I have memory problems, and I can't for the life of me find my grandson." Vivian looked at the old man empathetically.

"I'm afraid I don't know either, my husband said it's over though." The old man tilted his head pointing to himself.

"Am I your husband?" Vivian thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"I don't think so? I think he's younger." The old man sighed sadly looking towards the car.

"I was afraid of that, it seems we're both lost in our fantastical stupor. Tell me, why a mantis?" Vivian looked at the old man confused.

"What do you mean?" Vivian asked the old man lifted his finger as he drew lines in the air.

"Well it could have been anything, a grasshopper, a spider, a centipede.... maybe not a centipede, those guys give me the shivers." Vivian looked at the man a little more confused.

"I don't think I understand." The old man chuckled.

"don't play dumb now, I understand. My grandson, he's one too... perhaps it's best I haven't run into him, it'd hurt too much." Vivian felt an odd sadness coming over her at the old man's words. The old man looked at her surprised.

"you really don't remember, do you?" Vivian looked at the man confused. The man smiled, pressing something in her hands.

"Well I hope you remember soon." The old man hobbled away as Vivian looked at him. Thousands of horseflies surrounded the old man, erasing him from existence. Vivian felt a jagged hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see her husband's disaturated eyes looking at her.

"Who were you talking to?" Vivian looked back at where the man was.

"I don't know," she said, John helped her into the car Vivian sat in the seat silently unfolding the paper. Buzzing filled her ears as she read the note. Vivian quickly tore the note up before the memory came back to her. John sat himself in the front seat shutting the door.

"Alright, we're all ready to go." Lux and Bee nodded, smiling Vivian looked at her husband.

"John? Did I forget something? about you?" John looked at Vivian, his eyes darting back and forth as he fiddled with the car keys.

"I don't think so, at least nothing important." Vivian nodded, noticing a small tint of green on John's cheek.

"You're probably right," Vivian told herself, ignoring the odd skin coloration. John pulled out of the parking lot. Vivian looked up at the sky, the hole in the sky seemed to have gotten bigger. John checked the radio clock; 11:30, Vivian peered out the window at the remaining survivors, some of them went back to their everyday life, some screamed at the sky to take them to heaven. Yet others made their way into the underground bus area. Vivian looked at John anxiously. A horse fly sat inside the car's rearview mirror trying desperately to get out.