Goodbye Normality

"Good morning, Alex!" a loving voice echoed through the house. Brown hair swayed as a boy darted down the stairs, his voice filled with mild exasperation. "Mom, how many times do I need to tell you? My name isn't Alex! Call me Al like my friends do or Alexander like Dad does."

Linda observed her son's hurried entrance into the living room, her eyes mirroring his restless movements. She lowered the volume on the television. "Have you heard what they've been saying in the news? An entire town in Alaska mysteriously vanished," Linda said with a voice slightly higher than the TV's.

Al looked at his mom mockingly with a playful spirit in his eye before he could get a sarcastic word in. She continued, "It's been all anyone is talking about lately. I think it might be extraterrestrial aliens abducting folks." Linda concluded, her gaze shifting towards the cross on the wall as she blessed herself.

Al glanced at the cross before scrambling to find his other shoe. In a hasty breath, he loudly responded, "Maybe the internet is wrong this time, and it's not an alien invasion. It could be the work of some criminal organization, targeting vulnerable towns to harvest organs."

Linda choked on her breath before shouting, "Please, don't say that!" Her voice cracked, needing reassurance.

Al chuckled softly. "There's no use dwelling on it too much. Anyways, I've noticed that Dad's been more occupied lately."

Linda released a weary sigh, her gaze drifting towards a portrait of the three of them. "I miss him too, but since the vanishings began, the law firm has been calling him in relentlessly."

Al paused for a few seconds, and his brow dropped slightly towards the hard wooden floor before perking back up to inform his mom he was going out. "Oh well, I have to get going. Mark is waiting for me. I told him I'd swing by and pick him up on my way to school." He turned to hug his mom goodbye and grabbed his bag.

Al burst out the front door of his house. The sun was high, and the skies were clear. His thoughts had already shifted to what street to take to Mark's house.

Al's final week as a high school student was almost over. He reflected on his years through school—a resounding success by all standards. He was walking in his father's steps, headed to the legal field after university.

On the other hand, his best friend Mark wanted nothing to do with pens or paper. Mark wasn't even sure he wanted to graduate.

Al got in his car and began driving to pick up Mark. When he got to Mark's house, his chubby friend was waiting outside.

The car bounced as Mark got in, "Uhh, I'm not sure about this, man. I mean, what if we..." Mark's words trailed off, his reluctance apparent, but Al cut him off. "Are you in or not? If not, you can still get out and walk."

Mark gave a defeated sigh and remained quiet. Al laughed as he began driving. He dashed and weaved through the traffic. The harder Al stepped on the gas. The louder he became. "Relax, we're going to let the birds fly. I'm telling you! It's going to be worth it!"

"You're insane! Your plan doesn't even make sense." Mark shouted before silence filled the small car as they approached the school.

Seeing the shift in Al Mark's shaky voice broke the silence. "Now that I think about it, I guess it's kind of funny," Mark said, trying to lighten the mood. Still, there was hesitation on Mark's face. He quickly added, "But birds shitting on everyone's gowns during graduation seems kind of excessive and uncalled for don't you think?"

Al slowly shook his head. "You just don't get it. Think about it. Everyone is so full of hope for the future then it starts raining bird shit! It's funny, trust me." Al said with a stubborn look and a glint in his eyes.

Later that day, Al dropped Mark off and went back home himself. "I hope Dad got out in time today. All these damn vanishings. Could something like that even be possible?" Al contemplated before fantasies of his prank overtook his mind.

After Al arrived back home, he found himself in an empty house. Yesterday's scraps had become today's dinner. Before he could take a bite, the door swung open.

Linda giggled while a tall man with dark hair carried her inside playfully. "Dad! So, they finally gave you a break?" Al said in a high voice. After putting his wife down, Al's father said. "Yes, I was finally given some time off."

The hairy yet well-groomed man gracefully slipped off his coat and handed it to his wife. He poured two generous glasses of his favorite scotch from the well-stocked liquor cabinet. "Come here, Alexander. You're technically now a man, right? Even with that baby boy face." he muttered the last part.

Al slowly sat beside his dad and glanced at the second glass full of scotch. A flicker of amusement danced across Al's eyes. "Don't even start with me. I run circles around you, old man." Al retorted.

John smiled before downing a glass of scotch and patting Al on the back. "With a pretty little face like yours... You had better be quick on your feet, hahaha!"

Linda covered her mouth to hide her laughter from the red-faced Al.

"Here, Alexander, come join your old man in a toast," His father invited him. Al wasted no time and swiftly grabbed the second glass. He downed it before his mom could object.

His dad stared at the empty cup in his son's hand and couldn't help but burst into laughter. "You're supposed to wait for me." his father said between laughs and filled Al's glass again.

However, Linda looked at the father and son duo with flared nostrils. "Are you kidding me, John? Are you trying to make our only child an alcoholic!?" she shouted.

"Linda, please, just relax. How often do I get to celebrate with my boy?" Although familiar with John's persuasive nature, Linda conceded to the moment. Al interrupted the two. "You're still coming to my graduation, right?" he eagerly asked.

John put his glass of scotch down. The entire mood seemed to shift as he rubbed his temple. "Alexander, I'm sure you and your mother know how prevalent the vanishings have become. Every coastal city is seeing a rise in violence. It's not just me, but everyone else also has to..." Al cut him off with a wave of his hand and a smile. "It's fine, believe me, I understand. Well, I'm going to bed, I'm feeling tired, goodnight.".

Al walked away, bringing an early end to his celebration.

After a few more late-night drinks, the two parents also went to their room. "John, I just think it's scary. Last week, the number of vanishings was only 5,000 nationwide. Today, they reported over 30,000, and increasing." Linda whispered to her husband, her voice laced with trepidation.

John turned towards Linda, holding her in his comforting embrace. "I understand your fears, my little fox. I don't know what is going on. But one thing I can promise you is that we will be fine. I will do everything in my power to ensure that is the case," he assured her.

Meanwhile, just two doors to the right, Al lay in his bed, engrossed in his phone as he texted Mark. "You ready to go pigeon hunting tomorrow? You better live up to your namesake and hit the Mark, no pressure." Al texted. He hardly got excited about anything as much as he did for a prank.

Mark texted back, "You know I'm only helping you because you helped me get an A on pre-calc?" Al rolled his eyes. "Who cares? I just need you to buy the laxatives!" he typed back.

The morning sun spilled its golden hues into the next day, filling Al's heart with an infectious giddiness as he sprang out of bed.

With John's growing customary weekend work and Linda increasingly spending time with John's parents, Al found himself following his structured routine.

He meticulously measured his breakfast, ensuring precise proportions to fuel his body. Next came the rhythmic skipping of the rope, followed by donning his gloves and hitting a worn-out punching bag.

He had stopped boxing competitively years ago but still trained daily.

Al washed up and changed before getting in his car. By the time he got to his friend's house, Mark had been waiting outside with a brown bag in his hand for a while.

As his friend entered his car, Al shouted, "Careful with the bags of bread I have in the back." Smiling at his friend Mark, he playfully snatched the brown bag from Mark's grasp, finding a secure spot for it in the back of the car.

After getting in the car, Mark's discontent became audible. "I can't believe this is what we're doing on a Saturday morning. I swear your wiring is backward," he grumbled, and Al gave him a quick smirk.

With a turn of the ignition, the engine roared to life, and Al skillfully maneuvered the car onto the road. "Come on, Mark, don't be so petty. It's the weekend, so let's try and enjoy it," Al mentioned, playfully mocking his friend's reluctance.

After a brief drive, they arrived at a park adorned with a small forest. After exiting the vehicle with bags of bread, Al, brimming with excitement, swiftly took the lead. He guided Mark toward the wildlife area of the park, maneuvering through thick bushes.

Anticipating Mark's inclination to complain, Al picked up the pace, whispering to his panting friend, "Come on, Mark, the whole point is to get away with it, ha-ha."

A hush fell over both Al and Mark as the bush to the left of Al began rustling. Their hearts pounded in unison as a rabbit darted out from its hiding place, causing Mark to stumble back with a startled shriek.

Al would have found time to laugh at his friend's cowardly reaction, but an inexplicable sense of dread washed over him, causing his entire body to tense up. The hairs on his back stood on end as a chilling sensation crawled up his spine.

"We need to get out of here, now!" Al's mind screamed with fear, but as he opened his mouth to voice his urgent plea, a surge of stomach bile surged into his throat, followed by the remnants of his morning breakfast.

The bush rustled once more, and a dark shadow, moving on all fours, emerged from its depths.

As Al's stomach settled, he focused more clearly on the bizarre creature before them. "That's no shadow. It's some sheep or ram. The sensation it emanates is utterly repulsive." Al instinctively thought.

Mark observed Al's perplexed expression and bewildered gaze and voiced his concern. "Hey, man, are you alright? It was just a bunny... What's wrong with you? You look like you just saw a ghost," Mark exclaimed, his voice laden with confusion.

Al shifted his attention from the creature to his oblivious friend, a mixture of fear and disbelief etched on his face.

With a trembling hand, Al slowly raised his arm, pointing directly at the eerie black sheep, and managed to utter, "M... Ma... Mark, you don't see that black Hell spawn sheep right there. I mean, it has three horns..."

Mark's confusion turned to terror as he scanned his surroundings, noticing that even the rabbit had hastily fled. He turned back to Al, ready to voice his confusion, but before he could utter a complete sentence.

The obsidian sheep parted its jaws, unleashing a collection of wails and screams as if the tormented souls of the underworld were being set free. The ground beneath them trembled violently, reverberating through the entire park.

Mark's mouth closed instinctively as the tremors intensified, sensing an unfathomable force. In response to the sheep, Mark began desperately screaming in pain.