short stories

The Children of the Empire

"Emmett!" His mother screamed to her son from the bottom of the stairs. "You're going to be late!" Emmett hearing his mothers' call, groaned, and rolled onto his back. He stared at the ceiling and let out a sigh. Just five more days. He thought to himself.

He sat up, threw the blankets to the side, and rubbed his eyes. Emmett stood up and made his way over to his closet and took out a random shirt and pants and slung his backpack over his shoulder. As he made his way down the steps to the kitchen, he saw his mother hovering over the radio. "Mom?" he said softly.

"Sh!" she responded turning the radio up louder. "Listen."

This morning from Roseland, New Mexico. There has been a report that three children between the ages of 7-10 have gone missing. The children are Heather Farrell, Nicole Dunn, and Daniel Farrell. They were said to be last seen leaving school on May 7, 1986 at 2:25 PM. Authorities have not released any further information about the disappearances but ask that people be on the lookout for the children.

Emmett watched as his mother switched off the radio. "Those kids are from Rebecca's school." She said her voice shaking. "This could happen to your sister. Who would do something like that?"

Emmett let out a small laugh. "Mom. Seriously have you not seen our town." He said as he threw a slice of bread into the toaster. "There's psychos on every corner. I'm surprised people ever let anybody walk around alone here. They'll show up sooner or later."

They stood there in silence until it was interrupted by the spring of the toaster. Emmett reached for it carefully and threw it down onto the napkin on the counter. He looked over to his mom. She was staring blankly out the window with her small cross necklace in between her fingertips. He sighed and slowly walked over her. "You know everyone shows back up sooner or later. They probably tried to take a new way home and got lost." He hugged her. "I'll be home later."

-

Emmett was staring blankly at the dilapidated thing they called a school. He watched as people groggily made their way in. covered in shoe prints and rips. The page read: MISSING: Heather Farrell. Age 9 If found please contact...The number that was there at one point had been ripped off and he looked at all the other flyers and saw the same thing had happened. "Emmett!" A voice called from behind him. He turned as he tried to stuff the flyer in his pocket.

"Hey." He said as his friend Tyler wrapped his arm around Emmett's shoulder and took the flyer from his hand.

"Why?" Tyler said staring at the paper. "They hang these things up when they know that people in this town go missing without a trace for years. I mean come on have they not seen this town. The crazies that come here saying that there's something extra-terrestrial. Those kids probably got taken by one of them." He laughed as he crumpled the flyer up and tossed it back on the ground.

Emmett shook his head as they continued up the steps towards the double doors. "But, you don't know that. People think that they were..."

"Taken by aliens. Blah. Blah. Blah." Tyler said mockingly. "I've heard the story. I think everyone's heard it." The bell blasted its ear-piercing ring. Tyler pushed Emmett forward and turned down another hallway.

As Emmett walked into his first class he looked outside and saw the sky was yellow and red with a faint outline like something was standing there watching over everyone. He didn't think he was standing there for long until he heard his teacher call his name out. "Mr. Gray! Can you please sit down?" He turned his head towards her and nodded. He could hear the snickers from the kids around him as he walked down the aisle. "Alright." His teacher said. "Let's begin."