uncanny valley

    In PPE attire, our structural engineers; Bill and Carry, walk through beautiful woods under the bright sun and shady trees. Bird sounds, chirps, and clicks, leaves crunching, and the snapping of twig and bark accompanies them. "Where did you say you were from again," Bill asked Carry.

"Nevada," she seemed off. Distracted from how the shadows and light traversed from one another.

"Ayuh. A bummah if you's a masshole."

"A masshole?"

"Ayuh. People from away. The ones not from the Pine Tree State. They like to come here and raise our taxes and turn to sharp or drive in paddidle cahs." "What's a paddle car?"

"Paddidled," he regurtitated. "A cah with one headlight." He became really frustrated with the thoughts of cars coming from out of state. Bill gave Carry a strong eye.

"Shooah, not a masshole?"

She smiled. "I'm no masshole but I am from out of state. Does this mean we're gonna have a problem working together?" Bill pondered and shrugged it off. "Just be's a good citizen. You's a Mainah now. I like you anyway, something tells me your no regular masshole." His voice was dark with a light-tone. He seemed like a good guy, Carry thought. 

    They continued in silence a bit longer when he broke the ice once more. Carry didn't know what to say. It was still her first week.

"It's good here! Mazing lobstah, good fish, over 40,000 acres of blueberries, and nice moose to kill. Ayuh," he nodded.

Is that grunt a way of acknowledging himself? Odd, she thought. Hm. "I like berries." Bill laughed. "What? I was beginning to feel alone. I thought you's was a ghost or something wicked."

"Wicked," she repeated.

"Ayuh."

"I like that word. It's common here."

"It's English darling." "Chout." Carry stopped over the confusing word he had just said. "What is it? Never been in Maine," he continued, "What, you's a masshole?"

"Hey! If your just gonna harass me, I ain't gonna take it old man!"

He laughed in absolute blasphemy. 

"Your training kid. You see the tree in lead?" Carry looked at all the trees ahead of her. It was apparent that they were all in lead, but one was distinct. "The one marked in purple paint."

"That's right. Was that?"

"No trespassing?"

"Ayuh. Be careful and aware. May be something wicked."

"How far's the school?"

"Two minutes."

And the awful silence arose. Bill liked to talk. Carry wondered if his mouth could close. Even when no sound would come out, he walked with an open jaw. What a jerk, she thought. And thankfully he spoke. As much as Carry hated to converse for long, she liked that Bill could enhance the environment with just words. Almost like he knew what she was thinking. 

"I've been an inspector for over ten years. Long time. People come. People go. Some stay. Some move-up. That's the trick, Carry. You gotta be eager to work and in no time, your pay will look fresh. Fresher than a cold Beah."

"I'll give ya an ear if you buy me some beer after our job." It was apparent he liked what Carry had said.

"Chuppta?"

"Excuse me?"

"Means what you up too."

" I ain't up too nothing. Just being a good friend."

"Ayuh?"

"Ayuh."

"Then prepare for a show. And don't be telling the boss. He ain't a fan of peoples' kindling in the workspace." He eyed Carry down, "are you using my catchphrase? Is you a Mainah," he enunciated. Carry shrugged him off. "Consider us close then." Bill was happy. 

    The school then became in view. It's two stories. Some of the canopy covered the name of the school. It didn't look so unsafe. It was definitely abandoned. Broke windows and branches spewing from crevices. The concrete seemed to be quite intact. A 1970's school. 

"Be wary. I never been in," he began.

"That was longer than two minutes." 

"Thought you was Mainah?"

"Hey man, I only been here a week and a half, so I'm still Nevadian."

"Follow behind." She did what she was told. Carry's nerves were slowly overtaking her. Her breathing increasing and her cheeks getting more red due to the high blood flow. The school looked dreary. A chunk of gray, like a welcome to a cemetery.

"You know, you can go," he cautioned. 

"It's my job."

"I know... No-one's ever got anything done. Pictures and videos are always getting corrupt and anyone who's ever entered have died."

Carry stops in her tracks, her eyes bulge from her fright

"What's wrong," he asked. The nerve.

"Why send me on a suicide mission?"

"You didn't get the memo?"

"I don't have internet."

"I'll catch you up. Obviously the boss wants us to inspect the school for any hazards that would hurt the environment or people who are just wondering about. After, the demo team will handle this stove-up."

"Stove-up?"

"I thought you was Mainah."

"I already told you. I'm Nevadian."

"Means broke. We marked no trespassing signs and purple paint, but 12 people have already ignored the signals. This is not including the other inspectors whom gone missing from checking this place out themselves from silly dares or whatnot. Now they've gone missing. The schools too dangerous just to let it stand here. Plus it's in the middle of the forest. After the massacre the school was shut down. Wicked." Carry slumps her head giving Bill the assumption she agreed. This was wrong. Carry only grew more worrisome. But she thought it best to follow.

"The newspaper called it a 'Red Green Plains.'"

"Aaaah. You know."

Carry glared at the historical grounds.

    They entered the building. Grass littered the concrete floor from where it could grow. It led up a hill at a fenced-gate of three doors. The middle one was swinging. "I don't feel wind. Wicked." Carry felt a lump in her throat. She was scared. Bill had pat her back kind of hard. Knocked the wind out of her. "We're government inspectors. It is our duty to keep the residents safe. Things could feel dangerous but also sleeping. Knowin' you may not wake in the morning. So, what gets me going is this job. We protect and destroy the now for the children of tomorrow." This didn't soothe Carry in a particular way. She felt he just liked to see himself as a top-dog. And she loved to sleep; she never had a concern of not waking up the next day. These thoughts had put a smile on her face. Best not tell him my party nights. He might worry if I don't show for work.

    Through the fence, the whole courtyard became visible. It was far from normal. Benches, tables but there were also bushes and small trees. Almost like a small jungle. The lunchroom was on the far right side ahead of them and three halls to their left which filled the school's entire left side. And a staircase that led to the second floor. But... It was quiet. Not one bug? "Your phone's on?"

"I left it in my locker," Carry replied. 

"No." He shook the walkie-talkie.

"It's a walkie old man." 

"Who you calling old, little girl!"

"I ain't little!"  They shrugged it off. Bill cupped his mouth with his work hands, "hello," he shouted. "Anyone here," he repeated. Nothing. "Let's start with the closest hall. The door opens rusty. It stutters as Bill needed to use a little more force to open it. Bill already breaking a sweat, quickly brushes it off. He probably refused to let the newbie notice how old he actually was. The halls weren't normal either. It was abandoned, but some normality would've been nice for Carry. It was grey carpeted but the lights of the hall and in some of the rooms were oddly lit. They turned on their illumagear halos since the halls were quite dim. To Carry, everything just felt sad. And Bill hadn't a care in the world. 

"Anyone there," he shouted. "Feels like we're being watched, huh?

"Maybe a little." Deeper they went, the more wicked. Some of the classrooms had roots coming from them, slithering onto the ceiling. They took pictures and some video for evidence. When they reached a corner Bill's walkie began too static; as if bugged. "Odd." He looked at Carry's silent walkie. Chk. Bill pressed the talk button on the side of his talkie. "You copy, Carry?" Carry heard Bills voice nicely, but when he sent the message there was no more static from his end. "Weird," said Carry. They continued their tread until Carry heard footsteps running from behind her. She quickly turns and sees neither feet or hears anything. Am I going crazy. No. It's just my nerves. Bill was ahead of her. "Falling behind, girl?"

"Just taking more photos!" When Carry caught up she saw bundles of stick bugs in a small line on the wall next to her, "Ah," she screamed! "Carry!" Bill expeditiously focuses on Carry and finds her on the floor staring at the bugs. He laughs tremendously. "Come on. Your an inspector." She gets up and follows Bill.

    They reach a new classroom when Bill's light began to flicker. "Oh, dammit! These things are always malfunctioning. That's another thing too." Bill took off his hat to smack it and it began to work again. He peeked into the room. Nothing. They got to the second hall. The three halls outside had different doors, but were all connected behind. Schools always have a layout, no matter where you go. Carry found this interesting. Even houses and markets. To her, it felt like everyone under the jurisdiction of a government were lab rats. They investigated the entirety of the hall and exited outside to enter the third hall. No reason to backtrack and the fenced door was still swinging until it wasn't. Carry noticed. She said nothing but goosebumps littered her body. "You think there'd be more protection for children. The cameras are cheap too."

"Yea. Only so much one can do, ayuh."

    They took more photos, video and saw half the hall before their walkie's began to static uncontrollably. Bill smacked his talkie but neither would stop. "Leave it on low in case one of us gets lost. We may have to hit the road soon, if this keeps up. But there's no reason to split-up." They continued their job. "Massholes got crappy phones in Nevadan too?" He can't even say my state correctly. "My first time having to use a walkie, really. And it's Nevada."

"Keep it up and you'll lose your beer."

"Keep it up and you'll lose your life." Bill didn't like that. "Sassy." Zi-zip. The lights in the room and our halos flicker and go out all at the same time but not the hallway. "What in the world!"

"Goddammit," he shouted and began to smack his helmet once more.

Their halos had come back on. "Damn," screamed Bill! When his light started to work. Carry waited in the dark with a grotesque face to scare Bill. "And that's what you get." She laughed.

"Yea, laugh it up girl. Your mouth will shut once you kill me with a heart attack."

"Come on, that was so funny," she continued to laugh. They turn to leave the room but awaiting, is  a young-boy standing there. They both scream! Carry held his chest, causing his wind to break and he held onto her elbow. "You scared us kid," began Bill. The kid stared onwardly. "You alright?" 

"You were right. People may really just be wondering about."

"No kidding. Well, what's your name?" The boy says nothing and look to both sides down the hall as if someone was following. Creepy. "I knew someone was behind us."

"What are you talking about?"

"I heard someone running behind me, but I looked and nobody was there." Carry looked at the kid with red freckles. He had his backpack on, sandals, light-denim and a white dirty tee with nice black hair. You could tell he's been here awhile. "Next time, Carry, you gotta tell me. You just never know if there's a child in a dangerous place like this. Two sets of eyes are always better than one." What an idiot, my eyes work fine, but I didn't wanna tell him that, "Yes, sir." We looked at the kid and he was gone. Bill was furious, "Kid!" They went out and saw him turn into the middle hall. "Stay here, you might hurt yourself running. I got this," and off the hero went. "Leave your phone on high in case I speak with you!"

"It's a walkie!" Bill was gone after that. "What a moron." Carry turned and there the kid was sitting on a desk staring at her. "Ah!" I almost fell. "This place is gonna kill me." 

"Your pretty." 

"Hey kid, are there more of you guys out there?" He stared at Carry.

"Kid!"

"Yeah." He wasn't nervous at all. I guess he doesn't find me scary. "You need to tell me where they are." 

"Why?" 

"Why? Because the place is dangerous, you can get yourselves killed!" He just stared on."Well, we're gonna find all you pipsqueaks and bring you home. Your parents will be furious."

"No, they won't." 

"Are you being smart with me?"

"This is my home," he began to stand. "I hate to see a pretty face get scratched." Carry became nervous. The layout didn't help.

***

    Bill chased who he thought was the kid outside and even sees him running to the end of the school. "Damn, I guess I'm getting old. Kid! Wai-" He needed to breathe so he just ran instead of shouting. Bill got to the end and saw there was only one place he could've gone. It was a big building, probably the gym. Bill was right. 

    There the kid was. Standing in the middle of the gym floors. "This is becoming a job too much for what I get paid for." The kid just stood there staring at the exit doors of the school. "Can you come over here and stop fooling around!" The kid faces Bill. The same boy. "You alright?"

"Yea," he said intimately.

"Alright, good. Is there others?" There was a small pause before he spoke. Like lost in the past. "No, he said."

"Alright, let's go." 

"No," he coldly stated. Bill chuckled, "Okay, whatever," Bill walked off thinking the boy was gonna follow but he only heard his footsteps. He stops and looks at the boy. "What's your name?" The kid ignored his comment and stares. "I ain't got time for games. Chuppta?"

"I like chicken you bastard." Bill mutters to himself, "damn masshole." He continued, "I'ma carry you outta here," Bill walks up to him. The kid's smile made Bill nervous. "You forget your toy or something?"

"No." Bill continued his tread when the kid began too shiver. "You cold?" His arms rose up to his chest and started shaking. When Bill got closer a pair of antennas were revealed behind the kids back. 

The kid falls face-first. A wasp of some-kind, half the size of the child; emerald in color, back legs in red and it's stinger jammed into the child's back. Bill, frightened, falls back. Disgusted, "kid! Ther- the- there's a bug on you!" The boy was paralyzed. He couldn't even speak. The emerald bug lifted it's stinger and crawled up the kid and aimed his stinger over the kids head. 

"Leave-leave-leave him alone," Bill couldn't focus. Astonished by how this thing could ever exist he stumbled on his words and runs away almost tripping. He leaves the helpless boy. This can't be happening, he thought. I'm so horrible. This isn't normal. The boy can't be real. This is what's been happening!  Bugs are taking and eating the lives of our men! I can't! I won't! I refuse! I am so so sorry but I will not die today. There is no way I could've ever saved you; I'm sorry boy! Bill exited through the front of the gym and became disabled by the sight ahead of him. Face of red anguish, despair and tears coating his entire body. Bill got his walkie and spoke into it.

    Carry guarded the door, and conversed with the kid. "You don't have a girl?" 

"They don't like my freckles," he said with his head down. Carry laughed so hard she held onto her stomach. 

Chhk. "Carry! Come in Carry, you copy!" It was odd to Carry. Something went wrong. Bill's voice was tremendously shakey. Carry responded, "Yea, you alright?"

"Carry! Theres bugs killing people! Get outta there now! They ate the boy!" She was so confused. After all, she was staring right at him. The kid fiddles with his fingers. He knew something. Carry spoke to her walkie again, "What do you mean?" 

...

"Hey kid, is this place alright? He didn't sound too hot." The boy lifts his head slow.

"I really wish your pretty face wouldn't get scratched." Odd. Carry's spine became similar to a cats. The boy was so small, but she didn't had any time to answer nor react to Bill's plead. Large hands clutch Carry's arms from behind and sharp teeth puncture her neck from behind. Her vision becomes blurry, and her thoughts were racing too fast for any sounds to become heard. Her eyes fell to wherever she could see what was going on, and she notices parts of the antagonists hands. They were like a tarantulas legs. For appendages? For arms? What in the world is going on? Finally, she was thinking. She was happy the beast had finally let her go, but Carry didn't acknowledge her body had became hot and numb. Before she even knew, Carry laid on the floor with a chunk of flesh torn off her neck. She bled and lost conscious as the humanoid ladybug with tarantula hands in a suit and bi-pedal came back to devour the rest of poor Carry.

                ***

    Bill, in pieces, was finished off by the dozens of roaches, all small-child sized and diverse in color dining on his bone; leaving his head for last. Hero Bill and the new employee Carry become missing people number 13 & 14. Lost to the middle school, Green Plains, home of the Coyotes.