An Experiment - 24 Hour Short Story Contest

A car horn honked as it sped past a young boy. Chip, so named for the hole in his front teeth that made a whistle when he talked, had been about to cross the road. He ran behind the trundling vehicle, stopping in the centre of the mud covered road. The houses on either side loomed above. He knew he was in the right part of town. The fancy house fronts had painted iron fences and clean front steps, despite the muck on the road.

He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. The day was warm and sticky. He looked over at the row of houses. Outside one stood a man selling newspapers, his voice shouting above the hum and bustle. Further on was a girl selling flowers. He recognised the house he was supposed to be going to and made his way across the road. Before he made it to the other side, he felt the hairs on his arms stand on end. The sensation of falling overwhelmed him until he collapsed into a heap on the ground.

He looked at his hands expecting to see them covered in mud, but they were still clean, or as clean as his hands ever were. The ground wasn't the soft mud and waste he was used to, but a hard substance that was hot to touch.

He looked around him, the black cab cars had been replaced with shiney-alien versions. Chip wiped at his eyes trying to understand what he was seeing.

His view changed back to the one he knew well. Mud schelched between his fingers and he clambered to stand up. He ran away from the site, eager to forget his waking nightmare.

Little did he know that he was the first candidate experimented on, and it wouldn't be the last time strange things happened to him.

This is my entry to @mctiller’s 24 Hour Short Story Contest.

Find out about it here.

Image from Unsplash

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