Chapter 4 Trapped

• Almost every civilian in black Hollow was out, panicking and wondering what was going on in the street, as affected victims wailed from every angle. Cries mix with smoke, blood, and taste of fear. Sirens howling in the distance.
• As crowds swarm the scene.
• Drake and Sheriff's went to one of the injured carrying a stretcher, Ambulance ready, getting the wounded into the ambulance as it zoomed off to Raven Hollow Hospital across the street.
• Sheriff's standing in front of the impenetrable alien dome with a walkie one of them contacted checkpoints informing them to notify people of this incident, telling them to stay away from the dome. Cars began to crash into it since it is invisible, they can see the outside world but cannot reach out. The alien dome is impenetrable.
• Drake, shouting at the top of his voice in the middle of the road at a reckless driver coming along his way. Waving at the car.
• “Hey… hey.. stop man, stop….”
• The driver slammed at the brake immediately he saw Drake, he almost hit the dome.
• In annoyance he jumped down from his truck ragging as if to tear Drake apart, he moved towards Drake.
• “Bang!!!….” His body touched the alien dome, he was electrocuted throwing him very far away from his truck. He wailed in pain, bruises all over his body.
• Drake, searching furiously for more injured victims to save their lives.
• Commotion continues as people realise they are trapped and have no way out. Drake was not left out. But he was calm, he began to persuade the people not to move near the alien dome.
• He began a short speech.
• “Hello… everybody listen up….
• Do not move near that thing okay-y, it is dangerous you might get killed touching it or moving any closer to it…. Please stay away!!.”
• “Y'all should calm down as everything is going to be alright okay whatever this is we're surely gonna find out….”
• Let's all spread out, y'all should join the sheriff's and medics to find more injured people, move them to the nearest hospital please, everything is gonna be okay.”
• The air shimmered with unseen heat, warping reality in ghostly waves as eyes, too many blinked at him with questions. Confused people ask themselves “Who is this man?.”
• Drake's mind clawed for logic, but everything felt off, twisted and unreal.
• “He blinked, again and again. Was he really calming the people?.”
• Network connection to the outside world gone!!, as every attempt Drake made to connect to his boss failed. Same as everyone, trying to reach out to their families proved abortive.
• “Who can survive a dam-n day without internet connection or a good network? Drake was still confused asking himself this question,his thoughts scattered like birds in a storm.”
• Suddenly he heard distant screams echoing.it might be another injured victim… He raced towards the area.
• ****
• “Victor Kane” known as Mayor Vic. He was once the proud leader of Black Hollow. Greed for power makes him involved in a lot of crimes. Nobody knows his secret involvement in crime.He is always after power and wealth.
• He was made a Councilman of Black Hollow immediately he retired as a sheriff. Joanna Kane, his wife, couldn't bear the shame to stay with such a husband because of his sudden behavioural changes. She knows everything about him, involvement in drugs dealing and unseen crimes and his secret relationship with goons made her detest him the most.
• “Being a just and holy woman, Joanna threatened to reveal his real identity to the people supporting “Mayor Vic Blindly” so as to keep them save….”
• She was timid at first but she summoned up courage and went to “Bishop Patrick the priest.” The only priest at Black Hollow he has earned a lot of credit and badges ensuring the safety of civilians in the town, Patrick will always do his best to get justice for the weak and deprived. His connection with the magistrate makes people fear him the most.
• Joanna Kane gave in detail every secret crime her husband has done and the one he was still planning to do.
• The priest was so surprised about this he couldn't believe that a leader for that matter. Can Vic be involved in all these crimes? burning in rage.
• “I’ll tear this Mayor Vic apart!” he roared, breath coming in short, burning bursts, like fire licking the back of his throat.
• Mayor Vic was summoned to court and he lost his title, after his wife knew about this she went missing mysteriously, “what if her husband knew she reported him to the priests? She is as good as dead.”
• "While returning from the local court where he had been dragged to defend himself against what he called ‘baseless accusations’. Mayor Vic’s jaw clenched. He had lost. Him, the former face of Black Hollow. The very idea was insulting. As the old town hall clock echoed in the distance, his steps echoed louder, fueled by bruised pride. ‘They’ll regret this. I built this damn city,’ he muttered under his breath, lifting his chin as though the world still owed him reverence.”
• Sitting alone in his front yard, Mayor Vic stared into the distance, jaw tight and his mind boiling in rage.
• “I still can’t believe Patrick pulled that nonsense… in front of those loud-mouthed girls,” he muttered to himself. “No respect?. No shame?. Does that clown even know who he's dealing with? I’m a councilman, for crying out loud. A former mayor. I built half of Black Hollow’s backbone with my bare hands.”
• “His pride flared. The thought of Patrick waving that file, the one that could ruin him burned through his skull. He had to get it back.”
• “I must get that file,” he whispered, lips curling into a crooked smile, dark and deliberate. He smiled wickedly like a man already counting his enemies' graves.
• Just then, a sharp wailing siren shattered the silence, followed by the distant echo of screaming tires and panicked voices. Mayor Vic blinked, snapping out of his bitter thoughts. He stood slowly, tilting his head to catch the direction of the noise.
• More sirens. More screams. Something wasn’t right.
• “What the hell is going on out there?” he growled, walking toward the front gate. A haze of smoke curled into the sky beyond the street. He narrowed his eyes. Trouble had come to Black Hollow… again.
• But this time, it didn’t smell like politics.
• ****
• Appears at the scene in his signature worn-out suit, he started barking orders as if still in power.
• Starts acting like he’s the boss again, annoying the actual officials.
• From the end of the street Liam Kane his son. A calm, observant university student studying law and tech.
• He resents his father’s obsession with control so much, but still feels loyal.
• He's at the scene with his girlfriend, Sandra, a mass communication final year student.
• She met Liam during a protest on campus; She’s sarcastic, quick-witted, and loyal but passionate about exposing injustice.
• She wears an oversized jacket, sneakers, and always has a camera slung across her shoulder.
• She was injured on her left arm during the arising commotion. They both moved towards the ambulance.
• A young paramedic guy was flirting with Sandra while bandaging her arm. Seeing how beautiful she was he lost control.
• “Speaking to Sandra, are you okay now?.”
• His breath was warm near her ear, unintentionally intimate. Sandra smiled back in response.
• Liam's eyes narrowed, tracking every move like a predator stalking prey. He crossed his arms tight, knuckles pale against his sleeves.
• “You liked that attention way too much for someone who claims to hate guys in uniforms.”
• Sandra, teasing: “At least he knows how to tie a knot… unlike you in chem lab.”
• Liam, scoffed Really…? “Oh, please. Bet he doesn’t even know the periodic table. I saw his badge say ‘trainee.’ Man f*cking out here giving CPR like it’s a pick-up line.”
• “Sandra smirked. Well… at least he knows how to revive things. You nearly killed our relationship when you forgot my birthday last month.”
• Liam, stepping closer curling his arms around her waist, voice low:
• “I’ll remember every second of today… especially how he stared at you like you were oxygen.”
• Her stomach twisted, coiling tighter with each second. suddenly In a soft tone, brushing a hand down his arm: “Then maybe act like I’m worth breathing for.”
• They hold each other's gaze for a heartbeat too long.
• Then BOOM!!!
• A building that was sliced into two when the dome arrived just yards behind them exploded in a burst of flame and shattered metal, sending debris flying.
• A scream pierces the air.
• The sky pulses red again, and a shadow moves inside the Alien Dome, something massive and invisible moving unnaturally only the shadows can be felt.
• Liam spins around, instinct kicking in.
• “Did you see that?! That thing inside the smoke….”
• Sandra’s face drains of color. Her skin prickled like something invisible had brushed against it.
• “I-I don’t think that was human…”
• In panic and confusion questions piled up in his mind like bricks on his chest.
• “What if we are not the only ones trapped here?”