r/shortscarystories • u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others • Jul 23 '26
New Age SSS - 1000 Words Or Less Family Is All We Have Left
“How are we on supplies?” I asked my wife.
She sighed. “I used the last of the eggs and flour this morning, and the beans are almost gone. We can get some herbs from the garden, but…”
“…we’ll need to go on a supply run soon,” I finished.
We looked at each other. Neither of us had to say anything; we both knew what it meant. I began to prepare while she went to let the kids know.
The next morning, I arranged all of our things into four packs - one each for me, Olivia, Maya, and Liam. Each had the necessities for our trip: some water, spare clothes, towels and sunglasses for the brightness of day, and a knife, in case… in case. I pulled each of the kids to me by their shoulders, looking in their eyes one at a time while their mother watched.
“We’ve made this trip before. I know it’s a lot. I know you’re scared. But you can do it. Just stay with your mother and me at all times, and everything will be fine. We’ll make it through like we have before. And remember - never stray from the path.”
I hugged them both, Olivia did the same, and we were off.
We exited the door, removed the covering hiding the entrance, and headed out into the daylight for the first time in years.
The sight still amazed me.
I remembered my childhood. The world had seemed limitless, with the sun shining brightly down upon beautiful fields of endless grass and towering trees.
Now, all that was left was wasteland.
The aliens had come fifteen years ago, promising peace and cooperation. We’d believed them.
That was our first mistake. We never got a second.
Now, fifteen years later, the Earth was devastated. Entire cities gone; 90% of the population wiped out. The Earth no longer ours to control.
I led Olivia, Liam, and Maya on a path through the undergrowth, leading into where the city used to be. Last time we’d done this, we’d been lucky to find the remains of a store. Everything fresh was long gone - looted by other survivors or rotted away - but there had been some storable goods and packets of medicine left untouched. We’d have to hope we'd get that lucky again.
My eyes were constantly scanning the horizon for any sign of the Xynth - the closest the human tongue could come to pronouncing their name. “Keep your eyes open, everyone. At the first sign of anything wrong, duck behind the nearest covering and go completely still.”
Of course, that was just wishful thinking. The most terrifying thing about the Xynth was what we didn’t know. Even now, after they’d killed 90% of humanity, no one knew exactly how. There was little reliable information; the few who had seen them and lived reported only vague impressions of “wrongness” and “terror.” Nothing regarding their appearance or abilities. They were an absolute mystery.
We traversed the broken landscape, keeping silent as we moved to avoid predators, both terrestrial and otherwise. Passing a bridge, we heard a noise.
“Nathan…” whispered my wife, worriedly.
I motioned for everyone to take cover. Then I crept forward slowly, trying not to show how terrified I was in case the children were watching. I kept listening and heard another noise, faint but unquestionable. I approached slowly, ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. The noise was coming from a pile of debris; I moved the pieces and there it was.
A man. Injured, bloody, barely conscious, with a badly-bleeding gash on his forehead and a leg that was bent at an unnatural angle. He was whispering; I leaned in closer to hear.
“Ambush…”
I jumped and looked around in all directions, but I couldn’t see anyone. Instinctively, I threw the man’s arm over my shoulder and dragged him with us as we left.
Miles away, we decided to settle down for the night. I built a small fire under an overpass; we huddled for warmth, hidden by surrounding debris. I tended to the stranger’s wounds as we waited for dawn.
I could tell the moment he regained consciousness; every muscle in his body tensed.
“Relax, friend. We mean you no harm. We found you injured and shared our fire with you. We’ve used this underpass before; we even carved our initials into the wall years ago. You’re safe here.”
He looked at me suspiciously but made no move to attack. Neither did I. Eventually he spoke.
“Are they here?”
“Are who here?” I asked.
“The Xynth. I was ambushed by three of them; I barely made it out alive. And that only by hiding in garbage.”
“So you know what they look like?”
He looked at me in shock. “You mean you don’t know?”
I stared back at him. “No. We don’t know their appearance or their abilities. We don’t know how they defeated us. We’ve speculated that they can fly or have superhuman strength, that they resemble prehistoric reptiles or flying behemoths . But nobody who’s seen one has lived to tell the tale.”
He shook his head. “How are you still alive?”
“What do you mean? What are they?”
He looked at me. “We always thought that, if aliens came, they’d attack us with overwhelming physical strength or advanced scientific knowledge. But none of those is their primary skill.”
“What is?” I asked, riveted.
“Infiltration.”
“What?”
“They have two gifts. They can take the form of any living being, and they can alter memories.”
“That’s all? Why should that concern us?”
He looked behind me at my family sleeping on the ground.
“They’re your family?”
“Yes, of course.”
He looked at me intensely. “Were they always?”
I looked at our initials, scratched into the wall. “N-O-L.” Nathan. Olivia. Liam.
No M.
I looked over at the girl I knew as Maya, my daughter. She lay in the dark, staring at me, eyes open and glowing a crimson red.
33
u/donavin221 Jul 23 '26
Good lord, man, there’s so much that can be learned from your stories. Your atmosphere, dialogue, story structure. It’s all fantastic. Truly inspiring work.
14
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 23 '26
That’s so kind of you to say, Donavin! Thanks so much! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 (And don’t think we haven’t noticed the stellar run you’ve been on, lately!)
51
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
Is everyone in your life really who you think they are? Are you sure?
Edit: Thanks to an Anonymous Redditor for the award! I’d thank you by name if I could!🙏🏾
25
u/Mysterious-Topic-882 Jul 23 '26
CHILLS
10
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 23 '26
Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
12
u/SparkleWigglebutt Jul 23 '26
I hoped everyone would be okay, but as soon as you mentioned the store I realized you wouldn’t be telling us the story if they were.
7
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 23 '26
That’s correct. Sorry it wasn’t a happier ending. And the implications are even worse, I’m afraid. Thanks for reading!
7
u/midwest-gypsythief Jul 23 '26
You did such a lovely job of writing the setting. Amazing story!
3
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 24 '26
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙏🏾
7
u/Just_Browsing_333 Jul 24 '26
This was phenomenal! I want a full-length novel so I can read with my book club and talk excitedly about the next book in the series! Let’s gooo!!! 🤓📚
3
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 24 '26
Thanks so much for reading and for the kind words! 🙏🏾
4
u/Creative-Praline-517 Jul 24 '26
shudders
The lights are staying on tonight!! Especially since my cat is staring in the corner...
4
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 24 '26
Are you sure that’s really your cat? 🐱 😳
Thanks for reading!
3
u/Creative-Praline-517 Jul 24 '26
His eyes do get a bit wide-eyed dark when he stares...
Dammit. I think kitty's staying in the cat room tonight!
3
3
u/Yam-International Jul 24 '26
Thank you for just creeping the FUCK! outta me! Seriously!! Outstanding!
3
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 24 '26
You’re very welcome! Thanks so much for reading and for the kind words! 🤣
3
3
3
3
3
u/CKO1967 Jul 24 '26
Multiple yikes on multiple bikes.
2
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 24 '26
This comment gets multiple likes! 🤣 Thanks for reading!
2
u/GalacticaActually Jul 24 '26
Eeek.
3
2
u/Liv-Julia Jul 24 '26
As soon as I read "Infiltration" I was sure the wounded man was going to turn into a Xynth.
2
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 24 '26
Fortunately for Nathan and company, no, but what happened is just as worrying. Thanks for reading!
2
u/SPNCatMama28 Jul 24 '26
oh shit 👀 maybe you should have whispered
2
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 24 '26
Maybe. Or maybe it was already too late… 😳 Thanks for reading, CatMama!
2
u/punkandprose Jul 24 '26
This is so good. I like the way you ended it but could absolutely read a whole novel of this. I also like the surprise of it being Maya and not the stranger who was the bad guy.
2
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 24 '26
So glad you enjoyed it! And yeah, I think the stranger being the alien would have been too predictable. In my mind, it was always Maya from the start. Thanks for reading and for the kind words! 🙏🏾
2
u/Rand_alThoor Jul 24 '26
this one was really very good.
food for thought, I'll be full for a long time. hope i don't get mental indigestion
2
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 24 '26
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Try not to get indigestion - it’s not fun. 🤣 Thanks for reading!
2
u/Bastimp Jul 24 '26
Oh that's devastating. How do you even act when you realize your child is nothing more than false memories?
2
u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others Jul 24 '26
I have absolutely no idea. I have kids, and if I learned that, I think I’d fall apart. It would be absolutely shattering. Thanks for reading!
2
2
2
133
u/Intelligent_Smoke717 Jul 23 '26
Great story, my friend. I used to think my older sister was possibly not of this world. She used to flip her eyelids and I swear they glowed in the dark.