The Last Recording of Orion View

 Thirty-seven years ago, the town of Orion View went silent. Upon investigation, it was found abandoned. Government officials searched the town for any insight into what might have happened. A tape was found in the radio station’s basement. What appears next is the written transcript of what was found on the tape. 


Good morning and welcome back to Orion’s Horizon, the broadcast you can count on to give you the best and most up to date info! Today’s broadcast is a dozy, we have quite the packed schedule for you all. One where… One where you can sit back and relax… If you can relax, that is. 

Shit, I don’t know why I’m still trying with this, it’s not like anyone is really listening anymore. At least, I’m pretty sure no one is. I don’t even know if this station is broadcasting. It might just be me now, I’m not even sure what’s happened but I can’t get anything from anyone. 

When I look outside, the sky is red. Like, a bloody red. These things have been walking around the streets. They don’t look human, but they’re not animalistic either. For anyone who is listening, stay inside. I don’t know what they’ll do or what they’re capable of. Staying inside has been my choice since this started but… the station only has so much food. I should look at the expiration dates. 

God. 

Onto happier notes, today's agenda is chock full of engaging activities. We were supposed to meet with an upcoming author. Me and the other hosts - the hosts and I? Grammar hardly matters anymore, I think. 

Anyways, we had gotten an advanced copy of the book, like, a month back. I think we needed to read it to ask the questions but I didn’t. Pretty sure Jerry read it, I was just gonna get the sparknotes from him… 

Maybe we have a copy around here somewhere? Reading would give me something to do but I refuse to read the ‘how to’ guides for being a good host. Didn’t read them when I was hired, I don’t need them now. Oh! Here we go - wait… Wait, no, sorry, it’s not the actual book. It’s one of those covers that they put over a blank book for the live streams. 

‘The Bloody Sun Rises’ by A…Anuka? Okay… I actually like that name, super unique. I wonder if it’s a pen name. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was. There’s not a whole lot of stuff about the story on the front or back, and I doubt I’d be able to find anything if I looked it up. I know one of the listeners had a lot to say about the book, they were in the comments like all the time, talking about it. I wonder if they’re sti-

[phone rings]

…That’s interesting. The phone stopped ringing a while ago…

Well, let’s see what they might have to say, hm? [ringing phone stops] Hello, caller, you’re on with Nikki on Orion’s Horizon! What’s your fancy? 

…

Hello? Is anyone there? If you’re stunned talking to someone else, honestly me too! 

…

C’mon, please…? I’m not gonna be mad if you’re there and just not speaking. Just maybe show that you’re there? 

…Come outside. 

What? 

Out…side…Come….

Ahah… Must be a wrong number or a prank call or something. [phone line clicks] Okay so that was weird, right, folks? Just a reminder for anyone still listening, stay inside. I don’t really like how those things outside are looking. They’re starting to look at the building a little weird, ya know? Anyways, as long as we’re inside I think this might be the best case scenario. Ahem… I forgot what was next on the agenda. I have the paper here somewhere that lists everything, I just have to find it. 

[papers rustling] 

Alrighty, here we go. After that author visit, it looks like music was supposed to be queued up but um… If you were here a couple weeks back, you’ll know that the music is not…available anymore…. Before Jerry left, that rat thought that throwing the system out the window would be a good distraction. Twas not. Dude never showed back up after leaving. 

So, if you were hoping for some music then you’re out of luck. I refuse to sing, aha. I’m not the best singer so I’m not even going to try… Maybe there’s some discs or something around? I…I’d have to leave the room and that’s not really the best idea. I don’t know what’s in the building. I’ve been lucky so far and I’m not willing to risk that right now. 

I wish I knew what was really happening but Orizon’s Horizon is the only broadcast, whether it’s on TV or radio, it’s the only thing I can find. 

Okay, it’s all okay. What’s next, um… Weather! I can do weather, that’s like so easy. 

Overall, it’s hard to give an exact temperature but it seems as if there hasn’t been much of a change since yesterday. Looking outside, the sky is still red, some trees are still swaying in some sort of wind, and there- 

[whispering]…Oh… Oh, that’s not good. What are they trying to do down there..? Are they… No, they can’t be. Someone left the building across the street, I- No, don’t, you’re going straight into- 

[shouting] No! No, go back inside! Go back, you can’t make it! Get back inside! No, no, no! No, oh my God!

[muffled screams of terror and pain, a clang of a metal chair falling over]

[normal talking] Um… I think that…that’s enough of the weather… I don’t wanna look back outside… Listeners, I’ll save you the visual description but that might’ve been the most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen in my thirty-six years on this Earth and I would never wish to subject you all to the mental picture. 

I don’t think I’ll ever get that out of my head. 

Anyways I think this is another reminder to stay inside. Those things are incredibly dangerous. 

… 

I apologise if that happened to startle any listeners. I know this isn’t the best of circumstances but now, I think I should just try to get on with the regular program that had been scheduled. Well, the best that I can anyways. 

This would be so much better if there was another person here. I could actually bounce ideas and other things off of them and we could make jokes but… That damned Jerry left with no regards for leaving the only other person. It’s just me trying to give you all the best news possible… Which is kinda up in the air. 

I hope that there is good news in the coming days. Hopefully, this is something like ‘The Mist’, just with a less sad ending - that ending was horrible, by the way. The heartbreak I felt was something else. Of course, I think there were some books with a worse ending. Maybe I could find something like- 

…

What was that..? 

… 

Sorry, I thought I heard something from outside. I’m sure it’s nothing. The doors to the building should be held pretty securely. Nothing should be able to get in. That’s one of the good things about this place, I guess. 

Oh! Here’s something that I can tell you about. So, a lot of people don’t actually know this in town, unless you actually paid attention to the museum tours in school, but the radio station used to be an old telecoms station for war planes. The old military had fortified this place so intensely that it was believed to be able to withstand bombs and fire. 

That last part comes from the town fire that happened over a century ago. Of course, some people say that the fire never even came close to the radio tower but others think that it was the start of it. Either way, no one has been able to confirm or deny it and- 

…

I heard it again. It’s like a clanging. 

…

I’m sure as long as I stay here it should be okay, but… I’m gonna barricade the door anyways. The chair and table are moveable so I can just…push it against the door… I’m sure everything is gonna be okay. 

Okay, so that’s pretty much dealt with so let’s get back to it. 

…

I don’t know where to start. We’d normally start to play music and take calls but… That’s not really feasible at the moment. I wish I did have the book, I would’ve started to read it outloud. Probably would take away some of the loneliness I’ve been feeling… I wish Jerry was here so I could mess with him. He wasn’t the most fun, actually pretty annoying, but he was okay company. 

I kinda- 

…

What the hell is that?

…Listeners, I will not explain to you what I am currently looking at. It’s not worth giving you all nightmares, but one of them is now inside. I don’t know how it got inside but it got in. I…

Let me in… 

No. I cannot and will not let you in. I know what you’re going to do and I will not let that happen. 

Nikki… You hurt…me…

You leaving was your own choice. I didn’t do anything to force you, you left on your own! 

I…want…in… 

[soft crying] Go away, Jerry. I’m sorry for what I said but you’re gone. You’re not really you and I can’t let you in. 

Please…help me…Nikki…

Get away from me! You’re not Jerry and you can’t be near me! 

You know…what you did…

I didn’t do anything! You’re the one who chose to leave! You’re the one who left me alone! 

No…You hurt us…you are wh…why we are…like this…

That’s not true… I promise it’s not… It’s not true… 

Don’t…you want to…come with us…

I just wanna be left alone…

And you got rid of us…for that…? You were the…one who wanted us 

to leave…first… You asked us to…

You wanted to leave to get food… I agreed but didn’t want to leave… Y-You made the choice on your own.

Are you so su…sure of that…?

[glass shattering] 

No! No, stop, get away from me! [sobbing] I don’t want to hurt you! 

Come join…our fri..ends…

Stop it!

[sharp thud; inhuman screech] Not…nice…Nikki……

…

Oh God… Oh God, I can’t believe I did that, I… They can be harmed. Those things outside can be harmed a-and I just harmed one of them who was talking like Jerry… My dearest of listeners, I fear this will be the last broadcast for a while…. 

I wish you all the best from over Orion’s Horizon, the broadcast you can…you can count on to give you the best and most up to date info… Please stay safe. 

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