The Phantasm, Deposition, and The Curator: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Phantasm

It was an exceptionally beautiful Friday morning and Ethan Kipling, as usual, woke up late. Sarah, his mommy, unleashed the daylight’s dazzling brightness through the curtains and said, “Good morning, honey. It’s time to wake up. You are already late for school!”

Ethan cheekily smiled at his mommy, readjusted his pillow, and reclined back on his warm, comfortable bed. He wishfully thought to himself, “What if there was no school, and what if there were no teachers? What if every day was a holiday?”

Unwillingly, he finally woke up and walked to the kitchen. “Good morning, mommy. May I sleep some more?” Ethan asked his mommy, who was elegantly setting up the breakfast table for her son.

Sarah smiled back at him and said, “No, Ethan, you cannot miss your final examinations. I hope you remember all the rhymes we practiced yesterday,” Observing her son’s facial expressions, she paused for a moment, and continued, “Honey, if you do well, I promise to get you the squishy alligator we saw on television the other day!”

Hearing this, Ethan furiously ran back into his room and angrily exclaimed, “No school!”

One hour later…

Sarah: “Hurry up and finish your cereal, Ethan! The school bus will be here any minute.”

Ethan: “Call daddy and tell him I want to go to school in his car today!”

Sarah (smiling): “All right. Let me ask your school nanny and figure out whether she approves of this.”

Soon, the school bus arrived, and with no further arguments, Mrs. Kipling lifted her four-year-old and handed him over to the school nanny. Ethan looked at his mommy in silence; with disappointment clearly visible in his eyes with frowning lips… the door shut.

Sarah: “Do well today, sonny boy, buh-bye!” said Sarah, in a cheerful voice.

Little did she know what was about to come.

(Phone rings)

Sarah: “Hello?”

Anthony Kipling (Ethan’s Father): “Honey, listen to me. Just put everything aside and turn on the television. Check out the breaking news right away!”

Anthony’s hurried voice came across as a complete surprise to Sarah. She knew that her husband, a biology researcher, was a very patient and composed gentleman. “Something terrible must have happened,” she speculated, while turning on the television.

(Television broadcasting the news): “…. The authorities have revealed that the unidentified global phenomenon has impacted at least 17 people in Somerset, and 34 people in Cornwall. Medical experts speculate that the occurrence might be the result of adverse water contamination or novel radiation, foreign to our planet. The common symptoms include seizures and severe headaches. However, no cases have been reported in Devonshire or Dorset,so far. Our team will keep you constantly updated with all the information regarding the outbreak. So, stay tuned for more.”

Sarah (returns to the phone): “Darling… that’s just dreadful!”

Anthony: “Looks like we ought to cancel our vacation to Cornwell, but don’t worry, honey. We’ll make new plans once I’m back!”

Sarah: “Okie dokie, love!”

Nearly five hours later…

(School bus honks)

Sarah rushed out of the house to receive Ethan and saw that the nanny was holding the little boy in her arms. He was fast asleep. Once Ethan was safely handed over to his mommy, the nanny informed Sarah that Ethan’s vacations begin today.

Before she could probe any further, the nanny said that the junior and senior examinations haven’t ended yet. However, in view of the outbreak, the authorities have decided to close down the school indefinitely.

Sarah: “But, didn’t that happen at Somerset and Cornwall? Why did the authorities suddenly decide to shut down schools here?”

Nanny: “I’m assuming you haven’t heard the latest news. Several cases were reported in the morning, within two hours of the previous update. Every person who was infected, is now dead. Over three thousand people were reportedly infected in Cornwell, just an hour ago, and four hundred people are displaying similar symptoms in Devon as well.”

Sarah’s skin began crawling with goosebumps, and her heart shrunk, “What in the name of the good Lord could this be?” she thought.

She thanked the nanny and went back inside the comfort of her house. After gently placing her sleeping son on to the bed, Sarah rushed to the living room and turned on the television.

(Television broadcasting news): “… In an unfortunate update, a strict lockdown has now been imposed across South England, by the County Councils. The administration has expressed worry regarding the unknown phenomena. According to medical experts, the infected patients tend to pass through three common stages: seizures, followed by extreme dehydration, and severe headaches. It takes over three to five hours for the symptoms to completely manifest before the person ultimately dies. Currently, there is no verified information on dealing with this. However, it appears to be a type of virus that mutates upon person-to-person transfer, and the present mortality rate is, unfortunately, 100%. Also, it seems that the virus has been living among us for months now! As statutory advice, we recommend all citizens to remain at home, and not venture out. We are also receiving reports about similar cases emerging globally. Stay tuned for live updates…”

(Ding! Dong!)

Sarah immediately stood up, as the doorbell rang. It was Anthony, and he looked like he was in a hurry.

Anthony: “Honey, get dressed as soon as you can. Gather everything; food, clothes, and whatever you think is good to go, and last for at least a month. Wait, is Ethan home?”

Sarah: “But what’s the matter? The authorities have advised us to stay home, and people are dying in so many different places. Ethan is sleeping!”

Anthony (in rage): “The authorities are lying! Hurry up. We can continue talking in the van.”

Sarah: “Where are we going?”

Anthony: “To the west of the county. There’s a little island, near Torridge.”

The Kiplings tried their best and did everything they could in three hours. Just as Anthony was about to start the van, Ethan exclaimed that he had forgotten his T-Rex on the bed.

In response, Anthony looked at Sarah, got down from the vehicle, and went back to grab Ethan’s favorite stuffed toy. Once he returned to the van, he handed his son the T-Rex, and they began their journey.

It was midnight when the Kiplings finally reached the harbor, where a yacht and Anthony’s colleague Chris, were waiting for them.

Upon seeing his associate, Anthony felt a sense of familiarity and proceeded to greet Chris.

To his surprise, Chris did not respond to Anthony’s friendly greeting, but ordered his subordinates to check the family, instead. Obeying his commands, the man standing beside Chris pulled out a scanner, and scanned the family.

After verifying that they were not infected, the man then pulled out a cylindrical object, and began spraying its contents over Anthony, Sarah, and Ethan.

Anthony, who seemed extremely offended, loudly exclaimed, “Chris! We are not infected!” There was a visible expression of embarrassment and displeasure, on his face.

Chris responded, “I am so sorry, Tony, I just wanted to be sure of it. Let’s get going. Quick!”

Sarah continued wondering about their eventual destination. Her husband was talking to someone on the phone, throughout the drive, which confused her further.

“Where are we even going?” She thought.

Her speculations got the better of her, and an enraged Sarah finally questioned him, “I’ve had enough Anthony! Will you at least tell us now, where we’re going after all?” The confusion on her face was evident. “Little Ethan has been calling out to you for so long, and you have just ignored him,” she continued.

Before Sarah could utter another word, Chris interrupted and spoke to her for the first time, all night.

Chris: “Everybody is going to die, Sarah! The world may end, unless every nation falls on its knees.”

Sarah: “What do you mean? Why would the nations fall on their knees? The news reported a virus outbreak. Will every nation bow down to a virus? It’s just an outbreak, that’s probably seasonal!”

Chris: “That isn’t ‘just an outbreak,’ this is a pandemic! Research analysts and medical experts, no matter how hard they try, would never be able to procure a vaccine for the virus.”

Sarah: “Never? How is that possible?”

Chris: “This virus did not originate naturally. Instead, someone has created it after decades of research. It is highly likely that he wants to create a new world! Only he has the antidote!”

Sarah struggled to find the words to speak. She was petrified, and barely let out a whisper, “Who’s he?”

What Chris said next, sent a chill down their spines.

“The Curator.”

They continued moving further, towards an endless course; a direction that merely seemed to disappear into the horizon, amid the dark and moonless night.

Chapter 2, "THE DEPOSITION!", is out! Click here to read it now!