Writing Challenge #2: I guess I over Slept

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Vay

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Welcome to the second weekly writing challenge. Thanks to all who submitted stories last time. This weeks theme is a little different.

This week's theme: I guess I overslept

Looking forwards to more great writing from you guys.
 
Re: Another week, another challenge

Ivan can't believe he is actually conscious. Something tells him he has lost a lot of blood, but now the pain is gone. In fact, all the pain is gone. And although he has lived his life in the belief that there is no afterlife, he is truly sure that he is not alive, but none the less….he is something.

~BEEP BEEP BEEP~

A constant blaring noise echos in the background as Ivan makes his way through the realm of here and there. Past the place where reality is a constant, and towards the place where everything else exists. All the pain is gone now, the hurt, the want to die and even the urges that push him through life as a slave to his needs. In some ways he feels like he is in a movie, in the sense that everything he is doing, and everything he has done, is leading up to this one moment, this one big, special, spectacular moment. He reaches for his legs and finds them in tact. Thank god, or whatever, for that.

Darkness. This place was dark, so dark that Ivan couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. The ground was soft, like carpet, and as he walked he saw three red numbers blinking in the distance. What the hell were they? What did they mean? Was it some sort of sign? Ivan had never been one to try to make sense out of strange occurrences, he was just the kind of guy who took things as they came and kept on keeping on…cause, honestly, that's all you can really do in this life.

This life…

As dawn poked up through the darkness, Ivan slowly opened his eyes. His head still numb from sleep, his legs sore and tingling, but still he felt rested. He glanced to his left, on the nightstand where his combination clock radio shot an annoying loud BEEP into the air. It was almost 9 and although Ivan was supposed to be up, he had slept in.

"Danm it all to hell!" He shouted into his empty apartment. He was late for work again, and all because he had overslept.
 
Re: Another week, another challenge

James woke to the soft patter of rain on the windshield. A quick look at his watch told him that it was just past midnight, leaving barely enough time to make it to his sister's wedding in the morning. His whole life he had been late to important events, often to the dismay of friends and family. But not this time. This time would be different; his sister was depending on him to walk her down the aisle. With silent resolve James started the car and began the long drive to Victoria.

He took a quick peek at his fuel gauge. He was going to have to stop at the next gas station to fill up. Perfect timing, this would give him a chance to grab a coffee and a bite to eat without having to make an unnecessary stop.

If he hadn't been paying attention, he would have missed the gas station. That's strange, why are all the lights out? He got out of the car and slowly walked towards the door. It was boarded up from the inside. A weak light shone through a crack between the boards.

"Hello, is there anyone in there?" The light was gone. "I just need to fill my car up and I'll be on my way. Hello?" He tried knocking. No response. As he turned to leave, something hit him on the side of the head, knocking him out.

A soft tapping to the side of his head woke James up. He opened his eyes, and staring back at him was a double-barrelled shotgun. He tried to move, but couldn't. He was trapped.

"Mornin' sunshine. What you doin' out here?"

"I stopped to get some gas for my car."

"Strange, you bein' all the way out here for some gas."

"What? You're the only gas station along the highway for miles. Why else would I be here?"

"You mean t' tell me you ain't heard 'bout what happened?"

"Why, what happened?"

"There was some kinda virus that got loose 'bout a week ago, made a whole bunch'a people sick. They started eatin' others' flesh, and infectin' them too. Whole country is in chaos. How is it you ain't heard of what happened?"

"Well, I was on my way to my sister's wedding when I pulled over to take a quick nap...and I guess I overslept."

"JAMES! How many times do I have to tell you not to scare the kids with zombie stories before bed?!"
 
Re: Another week, another challenge

Fire rained down from the sky in long blazing torrents. Buildings were going up in flames, billowing smoke rising from cracked and broken windows. In the streets people ran screaming as grotesque monsters of all shapes and sizes crawled out of trenches in the ground. Black spindly hands, long sharp finger nails. Glistening teeth and voracious appetites. The clouds were red and sun near blotted out.

Inside the small apartment, someone suddenly burst in through the door. Slamming it behind him like hell was on his heels. With a feverish speed, he was grabbing everything he could get his hands on and stuffing them in to a bag. He must have been making a huge racket, as his roommate stumbled out of the second bedroom, barely dressed and rubbing his head in annoyed confusion. His friend looked at him surprised and startled.

"What the fuck, dude! It's the god damned apocalypse outside and you're not even dressed?!" he shouted.

His roommate turned to glance out the window before giving his shoulders a shrug. "...I guess I over slept."
 
Re: I guess I overslept

Jackie felt well rested and that was when she knew what happened. She had overslept for her own wedding. How come nobody tried to wake her up? Why was she so late to everything in her life? She quickly glanced at the clock. It read 12:50 PM. The wedding was in 10 minutes. She picked up her phone and saw 300 missed calls.

They were from all of the people attending. Everyone had called her three times. Oh god.... she was going to be screwed. So screwed. As she quickly threw on her wedding dress and ran to the church, she didn't notice the text on her phone. As she arrived at the church, all her guests were waiting, but her groom was nowhere in sight. She looked at the ground. " Where is James?"

The guests shrugged and running in a suit, his hair a mess and still sporting the beard he promised to shave was James. " I guess I overslept," he said.

Jackie couldn't help but chuckle. Both the bride and groom had overslept.... that was why she loved him so much too. They were so alike.

As the guests glared, James laughed too, noticing how she looked.

"And that is the story of how we were late to our wedding kids," Jackie replied, finishing the bedtime story for her kids.
 
It was Saturday morning. Saturday. Didn't anyone understand that was the day to NOT wake up at the crack of dawn? Apparently not. She could hear alarm clocks going off all over the house. "HIT THE SNOOZE FOR PETE'S SAKE!!" she finally screamed in exasperation.

Throwing the covers off with a frustrated shove she swung her feet to the floor and into her fuzzy slippers and stormed down the hall to her parent's room. She threw open the door and frowned. They were not there. She walked across the room and turned off the alarm and then went to the next room and the next, finding all of them empty with alarms going off. Where was everyone and why were all the alarms set?

She made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen, still no one anywhere. Oddly, the cars were in the garage, so no one had left that way. She opened the back door and stepped out onto the deck and looked around. It was quiet, not even a breeze was blowing. "MOM! DAD! KIMMY!! DARRYL!! COME ON GUYS>>>THIS IS NOT FUNNY!!"

She went back in the house and turned on the TV and saw an odd message scrolling across the screen, "Do not go outside..unidentified flying objects have been spotted. Stay inside and hidden." Oh someone was pulling a good one on here for sure, this had to be a prank of some kind. The TV then flickered and a snowy image replaced the previous screen.

She laughed and went to the front door and threw it open and walked outside, "Good one guys..you really had me... NOOOT!" She barely finished the last word before she felt as if she were weightless and noticed she was floating up and away from the ground. She saw a silver disc above and blinked. Her scream disappeared as she did into the saucer.