About the Contest

This story is an entry to @tristancarax’s 31Sentence Contest.

If you fancy participating, you can find the contest here.
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Prompt

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The Device

The I-care-a-damn attitude of the New Yorkers was on display as the mornings got busy despite the strange unsettling phenomenon experienced recently.

“Will they at least stop when Jesus Christ comes on the Judgement day?” Charlie was flabbergasted at the disregard and apathy.

“Depends. If they were informed two months in advance, then maybe.” Samantha’s long curled eyelashes were reminiscent of a model than a cop; a bad-ass New Yorker.

“I don’t understand your generation, Sam,” the 68-year-old Texan was a workhorse, but hardly understood the non-stop New Yorkers. Besides, the 29-year-old Sam’s cool attitude was unsettling for him.

“Don’t bother.”

“Easy for you to say. We are staring at mayhem.”

“These people are at ease because they do not know what we know,” Sam smiled.

“And what do we know?” The veteran was grim.

“That the events are triggered by one guy who is never found after the event, until before the next event.”

The veteran investigator was astounded. His partner appeared to know things that he didn’t. “I am lost.”

“Antonette told me about this homeless guy with some device. He usually came in the night, always before the event and then was gone before she came back to her senses.”

“Antonette? Baker lady?”

“Yes. It could be a wild goose chase.” The event was first reported in New York, but later confirmed all across the globe. Nobody knew anything about it.

“When we don’t know anything, it is better to start at something.”

The “event” was a creepy occurrence. People blacked out for no reason for fifteen minutes at the same time. They found themselves suspended in the air when they came around.

“Yeah. Besides the frequency is increasing. First, it was once a couple of weeks but now almost every day.”

“Let’s find this guy and get him croaking.”

“Agreed.”

Charlie came out of retirement for this case. He was called the black arrow for getting the culprits every time. The event was different, though.

“Something’s wrong,” Samantha said. “Antonette mentioned that he is usually here in the night but today he is here in broad day light.”

“Who is here?” Charlie was eager to see the paranormal or supernatural suspect.

“That homeless guy there,” Sam pointed out. “You see the yellow device? That’s what Antonette found him fiddling with. She had taken a photo of him.”

“I wonder if we got the right guy. He appears normal.”

“We all are hanging in the air after the event, but this guy goes missing. How is that?”

“Good point. Let’s go.”

While Sam and Charlie ran towards the guy, the world turned pale and dark. They blacked-out.
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The duo woke up suspended mid-air. Every single person that they saw before the black-out was still there except the guy on the street.

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“Antonette was right, wasn’t she?”

“Indeed. But the events have stopped.”

“Wonder if that was human at all,” Sam said. “A ghost or an alien?”

“I don’t want to wonder nor know.”

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Note to the Contest Host

Since you mentioned the photo is yours @tristancarax, here is my opinion.
(On a lighter note) You look extremely handsome and full of verve. I wonder how much of a sunshine you would be, if you were facing the camera. Your choice of food items and the open-air location is stuff of dreams. I love your BMW too. That was quite clever of you to click only the wheels so that the readers could guess your work horse.

😊 😊 😊

Now, jokes apart, I do hope that the homeless guy finds all the help he needs with a generous dose of God’s grace.

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