In a darkened room, a video screen flickered into life. It showed a young blonde woman with perfect hair and a perfect smile, in front of a soothing blue background.
“Welcome to Secure Facility Seven,” she said. “This facility has been equipped for a wide range of emergency situations, providing protection for the populace until the danger passes.”
The insipid light from the screen danced across the waiting room; across overturned chairs and stained, rotting cushions; across the thick security door which hung from its hinges.
“Inside, you will find food, drink, shelter and even entertainment; your every need will be catered for until it is safe to return to your homes.”
The screen cut away from the young woman to show scenes from the facility. Dining halls heaving with happy, healthy people; theatres, nightclubs, cinemas; squash courts, tennis courts, and even an indoor swimming pool. It looked like a holiday advertisement.
“Your living area will be as comfortable as your own home,” she continued as the screen displayed stylish, elegant living areas and relaxing bedrooms. “In fact, we’d like to think you might miss us when you leave!”
The screen continued to show idyllic scenes as soothing music drifted from the speakers.
Somewhere several levels below, screams echoed through the halls.
© Kari Fay
Nicely done. It’s like the opening to a zombie movie, or the new Fallout game, but self-contained enough to stand on its own.
Thank you. My boyfriend said the same sort of thing… but I haven’t played Fallout so I’m not sure where it came from!
oh HECK YEAH! Ha ha! Chilling story!
Thank you
I really enjoyed this!! I had chills as I read it. I sat back in my chair and said “wow”. This is a story I think I would really like to read more of.
I got a “wow”? Awesome!
Thank you!
Super unique story Kari. I like the way you set the scene and the chill that last line leaves us with.
Thanks Deanna. It took ages to write; I started it about four different ways before I figured out what I was doing with it.
Now this is a terrific bit of flash – short, crisp, and self-contained. It leaves much to the imagination of the reader, which I like a lot. Very good piece.
~jon
Thanks Jon
Good stuff Kari, I have played a few X-Box games in a similar vein, there is something heart-warmingly nasty about a safe haven that has become a charnel house.
Heart-warmingly nasty? Heheh, great phrase. Glad you liked the story!
A nicely written post-apocalypse tale. Your cue of the empty room started the sick feeling in my gut, making me think everybody had died anyway. The ending, however, cleared it up that not everyone had actually died… yet.
Good job.
Thanks for reading and commenting. When I started writing it (and up until the second or third version) I thought everybody was dead already too!
Sounds like a great place…in theory. Very cool story!
In theory, yes, it would be great… Glad you liked it.
The scream…..Kari, it’s downright scary. I don’t even want to know what’s going on down there. Oh, ok, maybe I do. Concise and brilliant.
Thank you!
Oh my, THIS is chilling. Part of me wonders if Cyberdyne were behind this facility…would be a wonderful opener to something bigger!
Thank you Icy, my boyfriend has already told me that I ought to figure out what’s down there and write more to this…
This is chilling. It reminded me of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’…
Well done you. I hope this doesn’t come back to me in my dreams!
Thank you, Rebecca. (If it does come back to you in your dreams, let me know what’s down there?
)
This is great. You pull together a lot of contemporary imagery in this story and it builds naturally to a crescendo. The argument seems effortless yet the point is very clear.
Thank you Jason, glad you liked it.