FOG

Growing up, there were alot of stories surrounding the old swamp on Milton rd.

Some say it’s been around since before our town came about. But others say it just showed up one day, out of the blue. For as long as I can remember though there has been a fog that blanketed that entire area. People say a lot of the town's folk have gone missing over the years.

Suffice it to say most people avoid that area. I mean would you expect anything different? Humans fear what they don’t understand. I’d be lying if I said that place didn't give me the creeps too. Sometimes, if you listen close enough, you can hear the sounds of wailing coming from the swamp on Milton Rd.

A few nights ago something changed. People have been talking about a mysterious black liquid coming from the ground. It’s actually been a major discussion at this bar I frequent. I've known the waitress there since we were kids. Her smile and confident demeanor have a way of putting my mind at ease.

I just loved the way she made everything feel alright. You know that feeling like “nothing could go wrong”? She was definitely my medicine, after a long day at work. I actually worked near the swamp at an old logging company “Swamp Wood Inc”. My boss can be extremely over dramatic.

Not that he’s a bad guy but I mean wow! He once screamed for 2 hours at all of us because an order took 20 minutes longer than expected to deliver. Can't blame a trucker for having to pull over and fix a flat. So tired of this damn job! Hard to leave it though with so few jobs available in a small town.

Which of course is what I mainly complained about while drinking. It’s hard to imagine anything changing in a small town like this but since the black liquid started coming out of the ground things have definitely started changing. People are acting stranger than usual. Almost as if they have some sort of brain fog preventing them from thinking clearly. It’s like a blank stare is all I get whenever I ask any of my co workers about anything. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like we’re buddies, but we've all known each other forever it feels like, and talking with each other has never really been a problem till now.

Did I do something? This thought is just constantly barrelling around in my head today. Not really sure what I could have done though. Every day is the same really. People go to work, hit the bars, talk about their jobs or current events, and then go home.

I don’t recall saying or doing anything. It could be in my head, but this feeling just won’t go away. Something really feels off today. Hey Mark! Shit, leave it to my boss to make matters even worse.

“Thunk” Waking to the sound of wailing, I open my eyes and notice I am no longer at work, but by the swamp. “How did I get here?” I thought. The last thing I remember was turning around to confront, oh, that’s right, my stupid boss must have hit me with something. What is this noise?

The air here felt so heavy it was hard to breathe. What the hell is that? The wailing had suddenly stopped and a small figure was swimming towards me. Watching, unable to move, as it stepped out of the water and onto the shore. I am completely helpless.

Panic started to settle in and I started screaming, just hoping someone would hear me. But nobody is coming and as it neared closer all I could think was “I sure hope she's alright”. Black liquid oozing from the ground all around me, the entire area smells like oil and rotting fish. Gagging on this heavy air and this smell it's a miracle that I was even still conscious. As it leaned down I felt a chill run up my entire spine and the sound came roaring back.

My head felt like it was gonna explode. That’s when it spoke and everything became quiet. Hi Marky, how was your day at work? It was at that moment I realized, this monster was someone I knew. The voice couldn’t be mistaken. It was her, my childhood friend, crouching there, staring at me like I was no more than a steak, ready to eat.