All-Nite Laundromat

Shauna plopped herself down on the wood bench in the local All-Nite Laundromat as the door finished its signature bing bong sound. Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. As she peered at the screen, annoyed, she ignored the call and then turned off her phone. She had a fight with her husband for the third time today, and was over it. She’d rather spend the night in the laundromat down the street than in that house one moment longer.

Sighing and wiping her face with her sweater sleeves, she took in the laundromat. The fluorescent lights above her buzzed, overly bright and more awake than she was. Some machines were still running at 10pm at night, although no one was present but her. The smell of fabric softener and dryer sheets wafted through the air. She loved their cheap Soft Sheets fabric softener. It smelled like a warm, tropical blanket of sorts. 

Shauna brought a duvet and pillow in a reusable shopping bag. She liked the idea of sleeping in the laundromat better than sleeping in the car. She folded herself up in the duvet like the strangest human taco, got her head comfortable on her pillow, covered her face up from the lights, and drifted off to sleep. She wasn’t worried about anyone coming in during the night. She grew up in this neighborhood. Though things happened from time to time, the area was good.

Some time later, a loud noise awoke her. 

Shauna checked her phone: 2 A.M. 

She quickly moved the blanket from over her face and looked around. The power was off and it was pitch black. She listened carefully to her surroundings. Something was moving outside. Footsteps that reverberated like the prowling T-Rex from Jurassic Park. Slowly turning onto her stomach, she arose with caution and peered outside one of the many windows encasing the laundromat. One of the windows was cracked, like something hit it. Stars shone brightly in the night sky as there was no power on the street.

A big creature on all fours was lurking around outside. Shauna had to cover her mouth in an effort to keep quiet. To her slight right, her car was still in the parking lot. She crouched down to the floor, found her purse, and got her keys as quiet as she could. Leaving her duvet, pillow, and reusable bag behind, she went toward the door of the laundromat, but stopped. The bing bong… Shauna panicked a little and looked around. Maybe there’s a back door? She got on all fours and crawled to the back of the building.

There was a back door! As soon as Shauna opened it, a shrill alarm rang out. She took off running to the right of the building to circle back to the parking lot. Those reverberating footsteps of the creature quickened, this time going to the door, no doubt. She made it to her car door and scrambled to get her keys. Unlocking her door with the remote, she managed to get in her car and start the engine. As she was reversing, she tapped something behind her. She adjusted the rearview mirror and the creature roared in her back window, eyes staring right back at hers.

It was an ugly creature covered in dark, slimy flesh with red, beady eyes and huge fangs. Shauna screamed, threw the gear into drive and floored the pedal. Her car banged the pavement as she left the laundromat parking lot and entered Main Street, heading back home to her husband. She looked in her rearview mirror and the creature was running after her. Once she got in the labyrinth that was her neighborhood, the creature disappeared from view. But as she slowly drove 25 miles per hour, she glanced around at her neighbor’s homes and noticed there was still no power. No porch lights were on. No soft glows from the windows as she passed by. A blackout? Parking in her driveway, Shauna cut the engine and watched her yard to see if anything was moving. Nothing yet. She carefully got out of her car and trotted to her front porch, nearly tripping up her steps, clumsily unlocked the door, and went inside.

“Wade?” She whispered.

Silence. 

Locking the door behind her, Shauna crept upstairs, the wood creaking beneath her. Keeping her hands on the wall, she blindly found the master bedroom. “Wade?” She called.

“Shhh!” Wade replied from across the room, staring out their window into the backyard.

“Wade, what’s happening?” Shauna asked, scared. She was trying to keep from shivering.

“I don’t know, but the power company is gonna get it. I’m missing the game!” Wade kept his eyes on the backyard.

“What are you looking at?” Shauna tiptoed toward him.

“There’s something moving around in the backyard. Where did you go?” Finally he looked at her and left the curtain alone.

Shauna switched places with Wade and looked out the window. There was the same creature from before, walking around in her backyard. There was a full moon out, so there was some light. “I went to the laundromat to sleep. I wake up and this thing is outside in the parking lot, making noise.”

“You brought it home with you?!” Wade tried to half-yell, half-whisper. It wasn’t working so well.

“Shhhh!” Shauna replied. “I didn’t mean to! I was trying to get away from it!”

Wade scoffed. “Great. What are we gonna do? We’re stuck in the house with no power, and I’m missing the game!”

Shauna rolled her eyes and left the window. “Your game isn’t important now. We can’t stay here. That thing was breaking stuff at the laundromat. Once it learns we’re in here, it’ll make its way into the house. I don’t wanna be here when it does.”

Shauna started back down the hall toward the stairs when Wade found her arm and grabbed it. Shauna tried to take her arm back and Wade wouldn’t let go.

“Let me go! We don’t have time for this, Wade!”

“Where are you going now? Back to the laundromat? Did you meet David there?” His eyes were wide with fury.

Shauna was staring, bewildered at Wade’s mood at this moment. “Is that all you can think about right now? David and your game?”

David was a man Shauna had worked with a few years ago. At a low point in their marriage, Shauna almost had an affair with David. Luckily, David found someone else to occupy his time. Shauna had told Wade about him and he always brought it up as ammunition during arguments, never fully forgiving Shauna.

Shauna got her arm back from Wade. “I don’t know where I’m going. Somewhere there’s power, for a start.”

She went down the stairs in a hurry, then stopped and peered through the peep hole in the front door. The creature was on her front porch. Shauna went down the hallway past the kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom into the den. There was a glass door that led to the deck and backyard. She pulled the curtain back a smidge and couldn’t see anything clearly outside. She opened the door slowly and closed it behind her. The cool air whistled and made goosebumps on her skin.

Shauna made her way back to her car, using her key this time since she was a bit calm and there was no noise cover like at the laundromat. She didn’t know where the creature was. As she was turning the engine back on, Wade opened the passenger side door in a hurry and slammed the door shut. 

“DRIVE! DRIVE!” He yelled as the creature appeared, hitting the window, barely missing Wade. Shauna threw the gear in reverse and gunned it down the driveway, narrowly missing their prominent ditch. She put the car in drive and sped back down Cozy Lane, leaving their home of 18 years behind. Temporarily, Shauna hoped.

As she drove down the highway, she noticed Wade trying to sleep, shivering. She put the defrost on medium and pointed some of the vents his way. She hated the way he seemed to enjoy acting so helpless around her, as if he would die without her and her attention. Suddenly, Shauna slammed on her brakes. Wade’s face nearly went into the dashboard as he failed to put on a seatbelt. Shauna’s seatbelt locked, hurting her between her breasts as the force threw her forward.

They both looked up and saw a giant creature with four long legs walking clear across the highway, footsteps reverberating just like the laundromat creature. It was as big and high as a downtown skyscraper.

“GEEZ, SHAUNA, WHAT THE HELL?! I WAS FINALLY GETTING TO SLEEP!” Wade yelled.

Shauna grew more irritated with him. “CAN YOU NOT SEE THIS CREATURE?! I ALMOST RAN INTO ONE OF ITS FEET!”

“SO GO AROUND IT!” Wade yelled, turning back over toward the passenger side door to go back to whatever sleep he could get.

As soon as they were clear of the creature, Shauna started driving again. Not too long after, they hit gridlock traffic. Maybe everyone had the same idea? She thought.

She opened her door and stepped outside. Cars were backed up a long way. Might have to hoof it… Some people were starting to abandon their cars and walk. But what if I come across one of those creatures again? Shauna didn’t have any weapons on her. Wade had a gun collection back at the house, locked up in a safe in the shed.

“Wade!” She bent down slightly to look at Wade, still in the car, unconcerned. “Did you bring a gun?”

Still trying to sleep, Wade replied “I’m in my pajamas, woman, what do you think?!”

Shauna made a face, took the car keys, and slammed the car door shut. Good riddance.

She retrieved a small crowbar from her trunk beneath her spare tire, shut the trunk, and started off on foot, following other folks as they headed down the highway.

“Are you leaving me?!” Wade called after her, whining. “Was this the plan? Leave me for David?!”

Shauna didn’t reply, walking on, rolling her eyes. She sighed in exasperation.

“EXCUSE ME!” Wade got louder, more angry.

“Shut up!” Some other people nearby replied to him.

“MAKE ME!” Wade replied. A couple of guys turned around and took off running after him. Great way to make yourself into a scapegoat, Wade…

Wade called out to Shauna as he was getting beat up. Shauna didn’t stop for him.

A couple of miles later, Shauna came across a lit up diner. She was so happy to see lights! She went inside and sat down at the far end of the bar, near the door. A blonde waitress greeted her seemingly out of nowhere and smiled. “Good morning, sugar! Can I get you some coffee?” Shauna smiled weakly and nodded, turning the upside down coffee cup near her right-side up. She couldn’t figure out why no one else was coming to the diner. In fact, the people she was walking with disappeared. Shauna was looking out the window of the diner behind her, and saw nothing. Confused, she turned back to the diner bar and looked at the menu. All it said was RUN!

Suddenly, she saw that same creature from the laundromat in front of her where the waitress was. It roared loud, hurting her ears, stinking breath in her face. Shauna screamed, threw the hot coffee on the creature, and made a break for the door. Of course, the door wouldn’t open. She resorted to kicking the lower window of the glass door out, and crouching through it to get out of the diner. 

Back on the road, she saw people running again. Toward what, she didn’t know. Faintly she could hear Wade whining, calling for her. She ignored his voice, trudging onward. She couldn’t remember how long she had been on the road or what time it was. Eventually she dropped to the ground, exhausted, tank empty. She could hear the creature from the diner approaching, growling, footsteps shaking the ground. It soon stood over her, drooling on her face, roaring into her ears yet again. Wade’s voice grew louder, shouting her name. “Shauna! SHAUNAAAA!”

Shauna came to with a fright, screaming, sitting back up on the wooden bench of the laundromat, sweating in her duvet. The owner, Sally, screamed right along with her. They both took a moment, looked at each other, and breathed, getting themselves together.

“Sally? Shauna said, confused. “What are you doing here?”

“Uh, I own the place, remember?” Sally looked concerned. “What are you doing here? Wade again?”

Shauna nodded, wiping her face with her hands and then the duvet.

Sally sighed. “You can’t be here all night. I can’t have some strange folks thinking they can sleep in here just because it’s a 24-hour place. I’m gonna have to change the hours and if you and Wade keep fighting, you’re gonna have to get a hotel room or something.”

Shauna sighed, lowering her head, holding back tears. “What time is it?”

“Almost six,” Sally replied, looking around. “I gotta go clean up the place.”

Shauna looked around the laundromat, then out the window. The sun was starting to light up the sky. The street was slowly coming to life again. The window that had been broken by the creature in her lucid dream was as intact as all the others. Shauna got her stuff together to leave and turned her cell phone back on. She was going to call Wade and face things head-on.