Karma (The Exodus)

S am places his hand on my thigh as he steers the car down the street. Panic already pervades the town, and boards cover most store windows. Some have been completely abandoned in favor of a quick escape, and few shop owners still remain. I bear witness to the fear in their eyes as they furiously hammer nails into plywood.

The night from hell is coming.

No one knows exactly why it happens, but the townspeople share an understanding of the bare facts: you don’t want to be on the streets on October tenth. You don’t want to get caught outside on this night every decade. Horrific shit happens, and the police tell people nothing. Less than nothing. They claim it’s a cult or a group of serial killers, but it’s too chaotic. It’s mayhem. I don’t believe they know what’s going on any more than we do.

But I know enough, which is more than some.