- Wall Street crash predicted by big business investors! Get your money out NOW!
- June 2nd - New civil war? Texas attempts to secede from The Union.
- Superstorm surge along U.S. West Coast, how much flooding before Congress acts?
- Tension across Europe and Asia; escalating conflict between China and the European Union.
He was just killing time, glancing up occasionally to see if his girlfriend had shown up. Where is she? he thought, before sending her a text message. They were supposed to meet after classes and see a movie. One of the brand-new hero flicks.
He wasn't as large of a fan of the various franchises she was, but couples have to do couples activities. His phone pinged with a chime;
- I'm not going to make it. Professor Clark wanted me to help clean up the lab. I'll see you at home.
Ethan sighed, stood up, stretched, and yawned. The conversation around him in the mall kept a lively atmosphere. He pocketed his phone and began to walk towards the exit.
Everything went quiet. All sound ceased. Ethan looked around and saw people moving their mouths but could not hear anything. The escalator under him was completely quiet. Did I just go deaf? He snapped his fingers next to his ears to the same result; no noise.
People around him showed signs of distress - gesturing wildly as their expressions grew more pronounced. No, it's not just me. Ethan ran over to a nearby security guard who was trying to make sense of the situation as well. He tried to talk to him, but the guard just shook his head and pointed to his ears. What the hell is going on?
A sound broke the silence. A child, giggling…laughing. Ethan and several other people made their way toward the single source of the noise. Most had pulled out their phones and were either recording or trying to call and text.
Ethan pushed his way past some of the crowd and the scene in front of him was…creepy.
A boy in a blue jumpsuit - no older than eight - was giggling and clapping his hands. "Silent people all around. Violent adults always abound." He pointed at a couple and giggled. The man and woman turned to each other and began to yell - not making a noise but their expressions left no room for doubt.
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The two began to fight; the man threw a punch at the woman as she kicked him in the crotch. They were silently screaming and trying to kill each other.
Some bystanders separated the two as the little boy pouted, "No! I want a fight!" The boy clapped his hands again and the crowd that was trying to separate the couple began to fight each other as well.
Oh hell no. Ethan turned and pushed his way through the gawking audience, making a beeline to the emergency exit. He yanked on the fire alarm as he ran outside. Even when he was in the parking lot there was no sound. He ran to his car and fumbled with his keys, feeling the thrum of the engine come to life as he drove away.
Only when he had gone a mile did the noise return as his ears popped, just like he had descended in an airplane. He pulled out his phone and immediately called the police.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"There's something weird going on at the mall. People are fighting and it's really quiet. I pulled the fire alarm but there wasn't any noise!" He was panicking, sucking in shallow breaths as what he had just experienced was completely incomprehensible.
"Understood. Units are on the way. Can I get your name?"
"Ethan Winters,” He replied.
"Thank you, Mr. Winters. May we call you back on this number for follow-ups?"
"Yes, of course."
Ethan hung up the cell phone and drove the rest of the way home. The whole time, he was trying to calm down, taking deep breaths as he tried to rationalize whatever the hell it was he had just experienced.
He pulled into the thin, long driveway behind Treya's car. He walked to the door and slid in his key, unlocking it and pushing it open. Their small home was built way back in the 1900s when Los Angeles was rapidly growing. It was cozy and just enough living space for the two of them, and the landlords were quite nice; but the property was old and in need of renovation.
She's still on campus then, he thought. Being so close to the campus they only drove to run errands or go out; both of their beat up, old cars still functional but not truly necessary given their location.
Ethan locked the door behind him and walked to the couch, flopping down and pulling out his phone as he scrolled down the news feed. His reading was interrupted by an unknown number. He answered, "You've reached Ethan Winters. How can I help you?"
"Yes, Mr. Winters. This is Detective Matthews. I'm following up on your earlier 911 call. Do you have a few minutes?"
"Of course. What do you want to know?" he replied leaning forward.
"Every detail possible."
Ethan shifted positions on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, recalling the events from the mall incident not an hour ago. The words flowed from him in a rapid recollection, where he just stuck to the facts. But he knew he had to sound insane. Who would believe what he experienced?
"...I see," Detective Matthews replied. "I've filed away a case number with your name and number. I may follow up again later on."
Ethan ended the call and set his phone down on his chest, staring up at the ceiling. What was up with that kid? Did I hallucinate it? Am I just going crazy? A quick search on his phone resulted in dozens of recordings of the mall scene from social media, but there was sound in those clips. What in the hell is going on?