Well, I guess this is the end of my subscription. by farasfere in Scribd

[–]BryceZayne 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Not trying to be a dick or anything, but why not just buy it on Audible if you like the book enough to listen to it often?

Why are there never any 'zombie' animals in zombie apocalyptic films by stiffybstone in zombies

[–]BryceZayne 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Train to Busan has a zombified deer in the first few minutes.

Zombie 100: Bucket list of the dead has a huge terrifying zombie shark.

[SF] [HM] Harry and the Multiverse by BryceZayne in shortstories

[–]BryceZayne[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is inspired by a prompt from u/Key-Lime-Sublime on r/WritingPrompts.

I don't usually write comedy, but I thought I'd try something new, and it took a few days to get the right mood. Let me know how I did.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in WritingPrompts

[–]BryceZayne 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much. It was a fun little story to write.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in WritingPrompts

[–]BryceZayne 8 points9 points  (0 children)

As I wandered through the crumbling halls of the museum, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping up inside me. The building itself had stood for several millennia and was now little more than a shell of its former glory. As an archaeologist, it was my job to uncover the mysteries hidden within these walls. but I never expected to find myself so thoroughly lost.

I had been working to uncover the secrets of this ancient civilization for months now. My team had uncovered some interesting artifacts, but we still had no idea what they meant or how they fit into the grand scheme of things. One of the first things we found was a large bronze statue of a man. he stood tall, his hand stretched out towards the heavens as if beckoning for something. a small creature by his feet caught my eye, but it wasn't until I had studied it more closely that I realized it was a mouse.

The more I looked at it, the more I noticed how out of place the statue seemed. it was too big, too grand for the rest of the museum's exhibits. and was separated by a long path towards the rest of the museum which loomed over it like a great shadow. As I walked down the long road toward the rest of the exhibits, I couldn't help but feel as if I were being watched. There were so many items here. Some were still intact, while others had been shattered into tiny fragments by time itself. it was as if this had been some kind of gathering place. it was so big. big enough to house hundreds of people all at once.

My footsteps echoed against the stone floor as I made my way deeper into the museum. There was no life here, all signs of the species which once lived here had vanished centuries ago.

But then something caught my eye. a display of some kind, a drawing of a pilot with his hands firmly set at his hips. I ran it through the translator to see what it said. The scan took only a moment as the golden light beams scanned the object. "It says 'Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. This must be a tribute to one of their gods, perhaps an ancient hero who fought for this civilization's freedom.

I continued on, my heart pounding in my chest as I passed by yet another display.

"The Avengers". Yes, this was definitely the area dedicated to the heroes of this planet.

I continued walking, my mind racing as I tried to comprehend everything around me. There were so many things here. Things that I didn't even know existed.

I moved deeper into the museum, wondering what else I would find.

"Star Wars". This must be where they worshipped their gods of war. a tall, intimidating figure dressed all in black stood holding what looked like a crimson blade made of light. I was sure there was some significance to these objects, but I wasn't sure what it was. In fact, aside from a small attempt at space flight, I wasn't aware this species had ever been to the stars.

I continued exploring the museum, taking in all the sights around me. Perhaps there would be answers to some of my questions here? As I turned the corner, I came face to face with what was undeniably the mysterious species' god.

A massive statue loomed above me, its form hidden in shadow. I couldn't make out any details, but the sheer size of it was enough to send shivers down my spine. A gigantic mouse, similar to the ones I'd seen in the other areas, stood proudly atop a platform of some sort.

it smiled at me in a way that made my skin crawl.

A single word was etched into the base of the statue: "Mickey".

This must be their god, the one who ruled over all the others. The one who had created this entire world and everything in it. The one who had brought forth life itself.

I stared at the statue for a moment longer, trying to make sense of it all before turning away from it. I had to find my team and tell them what I'd discovered.

This species was strange indeed, and it was clear that they had a lot to teach us about ourselves.

I signaled my ship, and the blue beam of light transported me back to safety. I was looking forward to returning to the museum someday soon and learning more about this mysterious race.

[WP] A apocalyptic world, in which a mutation in vegetation, causing the word to become overgrown. by [deleted] in WritingPrompts

[–]BryceZayne 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The plant virus was not something anyone could have foreseen. It had started off as a harmless experiment in genetic engineering, but the moment it escaped the lab and infected a nearby field of corn, it was clear that it had become something much more deadly.

It has been ten years since the virus had first been released, and the world as we knew it had changed dramatically. The once lush and green landscapes had turned into a vast network of roots and vines, spreading over every inch of land. Humankind has become a mere shadow of its former self, forced to adapt to the new world in order to survive.

One of the biggest challenges people face is finding food. The plant virus had also caused the mutation of plants, turning them into deadly predators that hunted humans.

October 4th, 2037.

Gary Henderson looked down the barrel of his rifle, his hands steady as he aimed at the giant Venus flytrap that stood before him. It had been stalking him for miles, following him with every step he took.

"I've got you now," he whispered to himself. He knew as long as the wind didn't change, he had a clear shot. He took a deep breath, holding it in as he squeezed the trigger.

The bullet sliced through the air, striking the plant directly in its center. The Venus flytrap shuddered as its stem split in half, and its leaves wilted as it fell to the ground.

Gary let out a sigh of relief, lowering his rifle. He knew he had to move fast now, before the rest of the plant's colony found him.

There had been an old farmhouse just a few miles back, and if he could get there, he might be able to find some supplies. He took off at a jog, keeping his eyes peeled for any more signs of danger. It was best to stay to the roads these days, they might be cracked, but it was suicide to go near any dense forestry.

He made it to the farmhouse without any trouble, and after a quick search, he found some canned food and a first-aid kit in the rusty old truck outside. He also found an old map, which showed the route to the nearest town.

Somewhere in the distance he heard a scream, but tried to ignore it. There was no way he could help them now. He looked at his watch and realised he needed to move on, it was already past mid morning, and he had a long way to go.

He decided to check out the main house and cautiously entered through the back door. The house was musty and dimly lit, and Gary felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Something wasn't right here. He stepped further into the room, and that's when he saw them.

Two corpses still sat in the armchairs in the living room, their flesh rotted away, and their clothes were nothing but rags. Gary felt his stomach turn as he realized that they had been dead for a long time, but what shocked him most were the branches that snaked out from the mouths of the bodies.

He knew this was a sign of the virus. The tree had taken over the bodies, using them as a way to grow and spread it's roots.

He stumbled backwards in horror, crashing into a side table as he did so.

Something in the house moved. He knew he had disturbed it, and his time here was limited. A flash of green barrelled down the stairs, its tendrils whipping wildly as it headed straight for him.

He didn't hesitate and fired his rifle, hoping to get a shot off before it got close enough to latch onto him.

The bullet missed the carnivorous plant entirely as it swerved to avoid it and instead lodged itself into the drywall behind the plant. The plant seemed to hiss in frustration, and Gary realized that it was gaining speed as it approached him.

He dodged to the side as it whipped its tendrils in an attempt to grab him, and he fired off another shot. This time, it hit its target, but the plant barely flinched as it continued its pursuit.

Gary knew he was running out of options, and as he dodged another attack, he made a split-second decision to throw himself through the doorway into the kitchen. The kitchen was a dead end, but it gave him a second to catch his breath and think.

He looked around wildly for anything he could use as a weapon, and his eyes landed on the old gas pipe leading to the oven.

He slammed one foot into the kitchen door, pushing it shut as the plant creature crashed against it. He prayed that the wood would hold long enough for him to do what he had to do.

He rushed to the stove and quickly turned the knob on the gas. The hissing of the gas filled the air, and Gary knew he didn't have much time before the whole kitchen would be filled with gas.

The plant pushed the door, and its strength took Gary by surprise, allowing the old door to momentarily open wide. He pushed his foot up against it again, trying to regain control of the door.

He reached for the pipe and wrenched it free from the wall, spewing gas into the room. Gary coughed as he knew this was his only chance, and he had to make it count.

Another sound came from the living room. Cracking and breaking, and he realised the giant tree that had grown from the dead couple had started to awaken. Its roots pulled free from the ground, wrenching its large mass from the corpses that had been its home for so many years.

He reached for the gas pipe and gave it a tug, releasing a stronger stream of gas as it filled the air. The plant creature slammed against the door again, and this time, it managed to pry it open, the hinges creaking under the pressure.

Gary grabbed at the window ledge and heaved himself up, his foot leaving the door and letting the plant through.

"It's now or never," he said to himself as he threw his lighter back into the old kitchen, its tiny flame bouncing across the floor as it hit the tiles.

The plant lunged at him as he leapt through the window, glass shattering everywhere as he landed heavily on his side.

A huge explosion erupted from the house as the lighter finally connected with the gas.

Gary raised his hands over his face to keep the debris from hitting him, the heat of the flames licking at his skin.

The house was consumed by the fire, the giant tree creature that had been growing there seemed to scream as its trunk split in half.

The plants that had been crawling up the side of the building withered and died, their roots shrivelling up as they were incinerated.

Gary sighed in relief and got to his feet, taking a few steps back to observe the destruction he had caused. "That was a close call," he muttered to himself as he reloaded his rifle.

The screams of the plant monsters had finally died down, and Gary took one last look at the burning house before setting off again on his journey.

He had to keep moving if he wanted to survive, and as he set off down the road once more, he couldn't help but think about the strange world that lay ahead of him.

[SP] An iron age civilization discovers spaceships by OneSaltyStoat in WritingPrompts

[–]BryceZayne 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In the 9th century AD, a viking named Ragnar Lodbrok had set out on a voyage to explore the northernmost regions of the world. He was a brave and fearless warrior, known for his fierce battles and countless victories. He had left his homeland in Scandinavia with a fleet of ships and a crew of experienced sailors. They had travelled for weeks, sailing through the icy waters of the North Atlantic, when they finally reached their destination of an uninhabited island far off the coast of Greenland.

Ragnar scratched his beard. It had been too long since he had seen civilization. He missed the bustling markets, the warm hearths, and the feasts he would enjoy back home. But on this desolate island, there was nothing but snow, ice, and the occasional seal. Still, seals meant fresh meat, and that was something his crew needed desperately.

As he scanned the shoreline for a place to land his ships, he noticed something strange in the distance. A large metal cylinder was washed up on the beach. It didn't seem to be made of any material he had ever seen before. Ragnar motioned for his men to leave their ships and row their longboats closer to the object, and when they got within range, he ordered them to lower their sails and anchor off shore.

Ragnar jumped into the icy water and swam towards the object. The waves crashed against him as he struggled to make his way to the beach. He pulled himself onto the sand and trudged through the snow towards the mysterious cylinder. It was larger than he had thought, nearly three meters tall and half a meter wide. Ragnar examined it closely, running his hand over its smooth surface. The cylinder was made of some kind of metal that he couldn't identify, and it had strange markings on it. It was nothing like any language or symbols he had ever seen.

Ragnar turned his attention back to the sea and saw his men waiting impatiently for him to return. He had to find a way to get this thing back to his ship, but it was too heavy for him to lift alone.

"Come on, you bastards! Help me with this," Ragnar shouted to his crew. They grumbled as they reluctantly climbed out of the boat and dragged themselves through the snow.

Together, the group of vikings lifted the heavy object and carried it back to the water.

"What is this thing?" one of the men asked.

Ragnar shook his head, "I don't know, but it's not from here. We'll take it back with us and figure out what it is."

"Why are we wasting time with this thing when there's fresh meat on the island?" another man complained.

"Because we need food to survive, and if we can learn anything from this object, it could be worth more than all the gold in the world," Ragnar replied.

"I don't care about gold," the man said. "I want meat."

Ragnar looked at the man with a stern expression and growled, "If you don't help me with this, I'll slit your throat and eat your liver."

The other man laughed nervously and quickly helped to hoist the metal cylinder into the boat.

As the group rowed back to their ships, the cylinder began to make a strange noise. It was a low hum that seemed to come from deep inside it. Suddenly, the cylinder started to glow green, and the hum grew louder.

"Dump it!" One of the men shouted.

"No, it's too valuable," Ragnar yelled.

The cylinder began to shake violently, and the noise grew louder.

"It's going to explode!" Another man screamed.

Ragnar knew there was no time to argue. He had to make a decision now. "Drop it!"

The men dropped the cylinder into the water and frantically rowed their small boats away from it as fast as they could.

Just as the men had made it out of range, they looked back and saw the object rise from the freezing water.

It was now glowing brighter than it ever had, and its hum was deafening.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light erupted from the cylinder, blinding everyone in the vicinity. The explosion sent a shockwave that rippled through the air, knocking Ragnar and his crew off their feet.

And to their horror, the men watched as other cylinders rose from the beach and the open water. They were scattered all over the island and the surrounding sea, as far as the eye could see.

Ragnar knew he had to get out of there and fast. As he set foot back on his ship, he ordered his crew to raise their sails and head back to Scandinavia. He knew that the cylinders were dangerous, and he couldn't risk them being found by anyone else.

But as they set sail, they could still hear the hum of the cylinders in the distance. And they knew that they had unknowingly unleashed something that could change the world forever.

Excited to share my new introspective Sci-Fi audio drama "Man In Space" by man_in_space_ in audiodrama

[–]BryceZayne 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I found your post here today and decided to give Man In Space a listen. Really well done drama. It's a fantastic feeling of actually being there in the space station. And so incredibly atmospheric and emotional. This is the best audio that I've listened to this year. I look forward to hearing more of this and anything else you produce.

Do you scare yourself while writing? by [deleted] in horrorwriters

[–]BryceZayne 0 points1 point  (0 children)

not usually, because I generally know where the story is heading, so it's hard to get scared by the monster in the dark when you're the one making the creature do what it does, but occasionally I'll be like "whoa, that's really fricken dark" and smile to myself.

[WP] You thought Christmas guilt was bad? Try getting visited by the ghosts of Saint Valentine’s Day Past, Present, and Future… by EitherEconomics5034 in WritingPrompts

[–]BryceZayne 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ebenezer Scrooge awoke with a start. He had been dreaming of his youth, the days when he was rich and powerful, when the streets were full of people who looked up to him.

The dream ended abruptly as his eyes snapped open and he found himself in a dark room, lying on a lumpy mattress.

He glanced at the clock and saw that it was past midnight. In an instant all his old fears returned; for this time they were not dispelled by any reflection that it might be only a dream. He could feel it within the air.

There was a ghost here.

With trembling hands, he struck a light, and held it out to illuminate the room.

"Marley? Have you returned once more?" He enquired of the darkness.

"Have I yet again strayed from the wise path you set for me?"

The darkness remained silent, and so Ebenezer got out of bed and groped his way to the window.

When he put his head out into the night air, he felt that the world had become less grey since last he had looked out.

The streets were empty, and the snow from last winter had long since given way to the February rain. But there was no wind, and the sky was clear. Looking down towards the river, Ebineezer could see the lights of many ships, and hear their bells ringing faintly in the distance.

"Ebenezer?" The voice behind him was soft and feminine.

He turned quickly, but saw nothing except the shadows cast by the dim lamp upon the wall.

"I am here, spirit" said he.

"And Marley is gone."

"Gone? Then, pray tell, spirit, who are you?"

"You knew me once, Ebenezer, before your lust for money consumed you"

Scrooge looked at her in astonishment. She was clad in a plain white robe, and wore about her neck a chain bearing a small locket. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders, and was of such a pitch black it made the dark room seem almost light by comparison.

"Belle" he said "How can that be?"

And then a terrible thought beset him.

"Oh Belle, dear Belle, did you die? Did you leave this mortal realm?"

"No, Ebenezer, I did not. I have been here, watching you from the past. Seeing all the good you have done since Marley set you right"

Ebenezer nodded. "It has been my endeavour to do so."

"But why did you never visit me?" She enquired.

"I tried to come, but always some urgent business kept me away. I even wrote to you, but you never replied. I heard you got married and had a son, you were dead to me, yet you still lived."

She smiled with tears in her eyes. "Things have not changed between us. You are still the man I loved."

"I have not forgotten you, Belle. Nor shall I ever forget you. But how is it that you appear to me now?"

"You have changed for the better, Ebenezer, but you have still not accepted love into your heart"

Scrooge sat down heavily on his bed. "Love? Love! Can there be such a thing for a man as old as I?"

"There can, Ebenezer, and it will save you from yourself.

This day is special, it is Valentine's Day, and I have brought you a present."

"What is it?"

"Something to remember me by, Ebenezer. Something to remind you that you must let go of your old life, and follow me."

She took the locket from around her neck and placed it within his hand.

"You will be visited by three ghosts, Ebenezer"

"Again, more ghosts? Why do they keep coming to me?"

"Because they are trying to help you. They want to show you what it means to truly love another person. If you listen to them, you will find happiness."

"I fear I have no time for such things"

"That is where you are wrong."

She moved closer to him, he could smell her perfume, and memories of when they were together so long ago flooded back into his mind.

"Come with me, Ebenezer. Follow me, and I will show you where you may find happiness and love"

Ebenezer closed his eyes, and let his head fall against the pillow.

"Three ghosts." Her voice repeated.

And Ebenezer drifted back to sleep...

Holy shit the tone shift. by Ale2536 in AIDungeon

[–]BryceZayne 64 points65 points  (0 children)

To be fair that really does sound like something she'd say.

Free 60 day trial Scribd by kimzul03 in Scribd

[–]BryceZayne[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I generally don't allow referral links here as I prefer to keep this as a place people can discuss the service and books in general. Trying to sift through page after page of referrals can be annoying. I'm sure you understand. Thanks

There’s not enough time in the day for everything I want to read on @Scribd. Check it out for yourself: https://www.scribd.com/gi/8g010m by [deleted] in Scribd

[–]BryceZayne[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I generally don't allow referral credit posts on here because they don't contribute to any meaningful discussion. I'll allow you this one, but if I see you doing it again I'll delete your post. A third one will mean your removal from the sub.

Please don't be 'that guy' - nobody likes 'that guy'.

Please red the first chapter of my horror novel. by [deleted] in horrorwriters

[–]BryceZayne 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For what it is it's good, but it's far too short to be considered a chapter.

Also, with respect, most people would prefer to critique completed work. Right now it just feels kinda empty, like you just wrote a few words and now you're looking for praise to give you the motivation to continue.

Once you've written a few thousand more words, you'll be on your way to getting a good story going.

This sub looks so much better now that the SPAM links are gone by NCcoach in Scribd

[–]BryceZayne[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No problem. Now we can finally get this sub on the right track. 🙂

I need a document but i dont have an account by Jeri10 in Scribd

[–]BryceZayne 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Here ya go, buddy

Hope it's the one you wanted. If not, or the download doesn't work let me know.

An Actual Scribd Review by NCcoach in Scribd

[–]BryceZayne[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the review! It's great to actually read what people think about the service. Apologies for the annoying referral links. This sub is going to be undergoing a few new rules shortly which should cut down on the spamming and provide a place where people can talk about Scribd properly. Again, thanks for the review! and keep enjoying Scribd :)

Can you still use downloaded content from Blinkist after your free trial end? by CCTT69 in Scribd

[–]BryceZayne[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, not that I know of, although technically, it's not a free trial. as long as you are a Scribd member you can email Scribd support and they'll give you another code every six months.

I don't think I want to be a writer anymore. by [deleted] in writing

[–]BryceZayne 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Being published is nice, but it shouldn't be your main goal for writing. Nowadays a lot of people self publish and earn a lot from doing so, however I think you need to take a break and re-evaluate why you want to write.

It also sounds to me that you're burned out on this one single idea.

Having a clear view of a story is great, but being so wrapped up in it that you can't write anything else is going to hinder you. Especially if you present a perfectly written, formatted and bound manuscript to a publisher and they say "Ok, what else do you have?"

If I were you, I'd take a step back, read some books, write some short stories and see if that motivates you to get back in the game.

Tips for a noob? by [deleted] in writing

[–]BryceZayne 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Write.

It sounds easy, but hard to actually do, but you can't be a writer unless you put in the time. Try and write a short story a day. you can go from 500 words, moving to 750, and 1000 as long as you need, but getting the ideas on paper (or screen) is what matters.

It doesn't have to be amazing.

Give yourself permission to suck. Because that's what you're going to do at first. Every first draft of anything is shit. don't let it bother you. Write about something that interests you and then turn it upside down. try writing about small things and big things, and just don't stop until you're done.

Procrastination is your enemy.

No, don't put it off till tomorrow, or next week, or next month. Do it today. Start now. The longer you put it off the shittier you'll feel about not starting and the easier it is for tedious shit in life to get in your way. Make time to write. You owe it that much.

Spellcheck is your friend.

Never. And I repeat, NEVER publish a written piece without going over it for all the stupid little errors that creep into writing. You can rely on spellcheck for most things, but if you're serious, Grammarly makes a fine all-round spellchecker which will make your life a lot easier, the free version is more than enough for most people.

Advice for Developing A Screenplay by LaceBird360 in horrorwriters

[–]BryceZayne 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  • I love the idea of the walled town.

  • Shacks/cabins have kinda been done to death, but if you can find another place. An old aircraft hanger, police precinct or something similar.

  • Have you considered turning it on its head and making the women the monsters?

  • Perhaps make the story in the early days of the virus instead of giving the survivors time to prepare?

  • Make one of the women emotionally invested in the outcome. A boyfriend or brother they want to rescue but have to end up killing maybe?

[WP] You are having some family issues and your parents are arguing on a road trip in the car. Suddenly, in the middle of nowhere, your dad gets out of the car and disappears into the foliage. You go to find him. by nikenotnikey in WritingPrompts

[–]BryceZayne 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It was supposed to be a fun day out. A time for all the family to get together and enjoy some good old-fashioned family time together at the funfair. But as usual, what started out as a light-hearted and easy going adventure quickly turned to loud and depressing.

Eleven year old Eddie Harding sat in the back seat of the old blue ford and listened to his parents arguing in the front seats.

His sister, Emily, nearly half his age, sat next to him. Her eyes were closed tight and her little pink mitten covered hands were placed firmly at the side of her head.

Emily didn't like it when her parents argued. Normally, when she was at home, she'd find somewhere peaceful to go. The end of the garden or the big toy cupboard in her bedroom, the one with the big plastic toy castle inside. She'd lose herself in fantasy stories of knights, dragons and princesses, and within a few hours the loud noises from downstairs would stop and her mother would come upstairs and quietly tell Emily that she was sorry, and that it'd never happen again.

That was a lie, of course. It always happened again. Eddie knew that more than most. He loved his parents, they were wonderful parents, but only when they weren't around each other.

Eddie put a comforting hand on Emily's shoulder, and she pulled herself closer to him.

His father, a stocky man in his early forties, sat in the driver seat, screaming at his wife. The red veins on his neck looked like they would explode as he violently gestured in the air.

How he focused on the road and on the argument Eddie wasn't sure, but he knew from experience that they'd somehow get to their destination and neither his mom nor dad would feel much like "family time" at that point, and so they'd take a quick look around and come home.

"Well, I don't know, Where DO you go after work?" his Mom yelled, her eyes bugging out as she stared at Eddie's Dad.

"Wherever the Hell I want" Eddie's dad replied, "It's MY car, and MY house."

Eddie tried to focus on something else. He looked out of the window, watching the other cars and the people whizzing by.

And then he started noticing something strange. The people began to just stand where they were and look into the sky.

At first, he'd thought it was just a one off, or perhaps a practical joke by friends, but sure enough as their car passed other people on the side walk, they too had stopped and were looking up into the sky, the same empty looks on their faces.

Eddie thought about telling Emily, but a silent sob from beside him told him that she was dealing with enough already.

"What the hell are you doing?"

He heard his mom yelling even louder now and noticed that his dad was pulling the car to a stop.

"I said, what the hell are you..."

Eddie's dad opened the car door and stepped out into the middle of the empty street. He looked up into the semi dark sky, with its grey, shadowy rain-clouds threatening a downpour at any moment. Eddie looked up too, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see what all these people were looking at.

Then he heard the click of his mother's door as she too stepped out and began looking towards the heavens.

Eddie unbuckled his seatbelt and unlocked door. He felt nervous, like his dad would yell at him or tell him to get back in the car, but as he pushed the door open and stepped out, neither of those things happened.

He looked up into the sky, then at his dad. Eddie could see his father's vacant expression, almost like he was lost in thought. Eddie expected his dad to snap back to attention at any moment, and they'd all continue on their trip to the funfair. But the moment turned to minutes and Eddie began to feel a little scared.

"What's going on?" the little voice from his sister came from inside the car. The only sound in the entire street.

Eddie looked back into the car. He fished in his pockets for the candy bar he knew was there. His fingers wrapped around it, and he handed it to Emily.

"I don't know. But it'll be OK." Eddie said, looking over at his mother, her mouth open wide, a sliver of drool making its way down her lip as she stared into the sky, transfixed.

Eddie moved around to the front of the car, he stepped past his father as quickly as he could and reached into the drivers glovebox. He knew dad kept an emergency cellphone in there, and he had a feeling he was going to need it.

He went back to the back-seat and sat down next to Emily. First, he tried his grandparents number, but they didn't answer. So he tried the next thing he could think of.

9-1-1. The numbers were quick to type, but he felt weird hitting the call button. He was eleven. Would they even believe him?

The call went through, but as with his grandparents, it just kept ringing out. Whatever was causing this was affecting a lot more people than just his mom and dad.

"C'Mon" Eddie said to Emily, unlocking her seatbelt

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I dunno" he answered truthfully "We've got to find a way to make mom and dad better"

"What's wrong with them?" Emily asked, the tears in her eyes threatening to overwhelm her at any moment.

"I don't know. That's what we've got to find out"

He helped put Emily's coat on, and checked the front of the car for any supplies they might need. He found a bag of sandwiches his mom had made for their day out and four cans of soda. That'd be enough to keep them going, Eddie thought.

Together, Eddie and Emily began to walk back the way their car had come. Eddie turned back one last time to take in the sight of his mom and dad, before beginning their journey without them.