PA Nightmare
The song in the storm
Jack and James, are two brothers that have been forced to move from California to the small town of Lindstrom, Minnesota. Their father had recently gotten a better job working as a bookkeeper for a crude oil shipping company. Jack and James lay in their beds talking to each other about the upcoming day and having to start at a new school.
Jack are you worried about tomorrow? James asked.
”Yes, Jack answered, I have never been great at making new friends and starting a new school is the worst. Why did dad have to get this new job, it's not fair.”
“ Come on Jack it's not going to be that bad. You have me, little bro, just follow my lead and you will be fine. I’ve never let you down have I? Replied James”
” No, you haven't, thanks I feel a little better. Good night big brother.” He said. As he lies down he removes the cochlear implants and places them on their charger, he wonders about how tomorrow will play out.
James is startled awake by the sound of his alarm clock. He walks over to his brother and gently shakes him awake. Jack opens his eyes to see his brother standing over him. James signs good morning little brother. Jack gets out of his bed to get ready to carry out his morning routine, starting with attaching his cochlear implant and turning them on. The world comes to life with the sounds of hustle and bustle in the house. But his favorite sound was the singing of the birds outside his window. Completing their morning routine the boys set out to the bus stop. As they get there they encounter a group of students, The group of kids stop talking and look at the brothers. An older kid emerges from the group and engages the brothers in conversation.
“ you are the new kids that moved into the empty house down the road huh? I am Brad, nice to meet ya.” Brad holds out his hand as he introduces himself.
As he shakes Brad's hand James says “I am James and this is my little brother Jack
Jack sniveled “your only a year older James,”
“Shut up Jack, I am still older than you. Turning his attention back to Brad, James says ‘Yes, we did in fact just move into the house at the end of the block. What's it to you”.
” Wow take it easy there friend. I am not trying to start anything, it was a question is all. “Hey, have you heard the stories of what happened here in the winter of 1969.” Brad inquired
The brothers looked at each other, confusion clear on there faces. “What are you talking about none of us were born yet, why the hell would we know or care what happened way back then.” James stated.
“Well, Brad says, my parents told me someone went missing from your house during a really bad storm 50 years ago.
“So, what is this your lame attempt at scaring me and my brother? Haha.” James replied arrogantly.
“Think what you want I was just trying to be friendly and help ya out.” Brand answered
Just then the bus pulled up. The kids get on and took their seats. Jack and James sat beside each other in the back of the bus. Brad sat across from them. He looks over to them and says “Hey you know according to the weather man we are supposed to have another bad snowstorm just like the one in 1969, the worst one in 50 years. I am having some friends hang out at my house tonight. You can come over and I will fill you in on what happened in more detail”.
James- “I'll ask my mother”
“Hey I want to go too”,whines Jack,” if you don't let me come I’ll tell mom you’ve been mean to me and you won't be able to go at all” Jack looks at James and sticks out his tongue.
Brad laughs at Jack and says “you can come to little guy but don't blame me when you get scared”.
School passed by quickly for the boys. They were excited to hear more about the town's history and make a new friend. Once the boys arrived home they asked their mother if they could stay at Brad’s house for the night. Their mother was hesitant but eventually relented, after all making friends was important. With the weekend upon them and she and her husband could use the time to unpack and have some time alone. So the boys went upstairs and packed their things. A few hours later after getting packed and having dinner, they were on the road. Pulling in to Brad’s house The boys and their mother got out of the car and walked up to the front porch and Knocked on the front door. Brad's parents answered. Jack and James ran into the house and their mother introduces herself. Hi, I am Mary so nice to meet you, please call me if anything happens. Brad's parents assure her that they would and they said their goodbyes and Mary left to go back home.
Brad meets the boys just inside the door. “Finally you guys are here, I thought you might not show up. Come in, take your shoes off at the door, my mom gets pissed if anyone tracks dirt in her house. The boys take off their shoes and walk into the kitchen where some other students from their school were already sitting around the table eating snacks. The brothers greet the strangers and ask Brad “When are we going to get this story you told us we would hear”.
“Patience, when mom goes to bed we will have more than enough time to talk about it. The adults don't like it when we talk about this stuff. So until then just relax hang out and eat some snacks”. Explained Brad
“Sounds good to me, Jack come over here and relax” said James.
“Okay, but I want to know what's going on. This is all really interesting, at least tell me when this storm is supposed to happen ``. Pled Jack
Brad tells the brothers that this storm will be hitting tomorrow around 9 P.M
Everyone is having a good time laughing and eating. Then Brad’s mom comes into the kitchen and tells Brad She's heading to bed and there was a noticeable shift of tension in the room.
Ok honey it's time for you and your friends to clean up and head to bed as well, their parents will be here early in the morning to pick them up. Said Brad’s Mother.
Brad replied, Ok thanks mom, we will clean up and go to bed. Goodnight, I Love you
As the group of kids clean up the mess in the kitchen Brad, James and Jack set up the living room for everyone to sleep. After everything was clean the group of kids gather in the living room and got comfortable while waiting on Brad to start the story. Brad started, “the winter of 1969 was the coldest winter on record. It got to 60 below zero during the worst blizzard in 50 years. At one point in the night for some unknown reason, lots of dudes came out of their houses without getting dressed for the weather or the cold. They walked into the woods for whatever reason and were never found. No one knows why it only affected males in the town or what took them. Afterward, the police followed the tracks of the people, they found a large cave but it appeared the missing men never took refuge inside of it, they were never found. This is the legend of the storm, it came in suddenly, when it ended many sons and husbands were missing. It left a dark stain on this little town of ours.
James said “So, you’re saying there is some kind of monster that comes in with the snowstorm? Seriously? how stupid do we look. Monsters don't exist. I bet they all just got fed up with this the small town and moved away. This is a story you made up to scare new kids.”
But big brother why would they want to scare us. Asked Jack
“Its simple” James snapped “they think it’s funny to scare the new kids. Because small-town life is so boring”.
Brad Laughs and says “really that’s whats happened? oh boy, well look everyone, Sherlock solved the case.”
James- throws a pillow at brad and yells SHUT UP
“Quite your going to wake my mom!” Brad warned “anyways don't say I didn't warn you. I’m tired, let's go to sleep, goodnight guys.”
Everyone went into an uneasy sleep that night. In the morning, still sleepy, the kids got up and gather up their belongings and waited for their moms to get there.
When Mary picked the boys up she said, “Hey boys hurry it up the weather man said we are going to be getting a nasty storm and I need to go to the store and get a few emergency supplies in case the storm knocks out the power.”
While on the way to the store James asked his mother, “ Mom, did you and dad know that the last owner of our houses husband went missing?”
Mary replied, Yes dear we do know. it was a freak accident and there is nothing more to worry about.
Mom how can you say that! a monster took people, lured them out of their house and into the woods. multiple people died that year. Complained Jack
Mary responded with, No Jack, nothing of the sort happened, monsters don't exist.
The rest of the car ride was silent. Once they arrived at the store. Mary stocked up on everything she thought they would need for the upcoming blizzard. They got canned goods, water, gas, a generator, and some other odds and ends. The store was nuts, and by the time they got out and home it was already getting dark. The storm started shortly after they got home. Their mom made dinner and got everything ready for when the storm got worse. The Boys went up and got ready for bed thinking that the next day would be busy with shoveling, sledding and snowman making.
Hey James, Jack asked, “do you think that story was true? Or do you think he was full of crap?”
“Oh he Is full of shit Jack, you know its like mom said, there are no such things as monsters. If they did all go missing it is because they moved. Replied James
“Hey, mom doesn't like it when you cuss.” warned Jack. “I don't care, mom won't know unless you tell her. now shut up and go to bed. Enough with this supernatural BS, nothing happened here, people just moved, that's it, end of story.” grumbled James
Okay big brother if you say so.” Answered Jack,”I say something is fishy here and that some kind of monster took them. But anyways I am going to go to bed.”
Jack takes out his cochlear implants and puts them in his case, then signs to his brother, good night I love you, and then goes to bed.
James signs back the same thing and that he is sorry he snapped at him. Then they both go to sleep. Some time later in the night Jack is startled awake. He felt someone shaking him. James is standing over him and signed “there is a strange sound and I am going to check it out.” Before Jack could protest his brother was already out of the room and heading towards the stairs. Jack got up and looked out of the window to see his father and many other men just standing on the front porches. Most look like they had not even bothered to get dressed, or only had bathrobes on. Jack runs over to the nightstand to get his implants and turns then on, for a brief moment he hears a strange signing. The voice is very beautiful and he just wants to go outside to be with whoever is singing that haunting melody. As this though is washing over him, the cochlear implants stop working because the batteries have just died. Jack had not put them on the charger in two days. Going back to the window ,he noticed that his brother was standing next to his father now. Movement from the tree line took his attention off his father and brother. He sees a woman or what looks to be a woman emerging from the trees. As she gets closer Jack notices that it's not a woman at all but a horrible creature that may once have been a beautiful woman but now is a thing that would fuel your worst nightmare. Every one of the men that had been standing there started following her towards the woods.
Jack runs to his mother's room and shakes her awake and is frantically signing to her about his brother and father being taken by a monster. She did not believe it until she realized she was hearing the beautifully haunting melody of the siren song. She rushed to the window and calls out to her husband and son, they both turn and look at her and she hears the Siren’s voice in a very chilling tone say “They are MINE now” turning back to the woods, they fade from view, never to be seen again. Mary and James stand in the window, tears freezing on their faces as the Sirens song fades into the wind.