Is anyone there?

"There's a fire in the distance," I say as we drive silently along the road through farm country.  At first my heart begins to race imagining worst case scenarios, but then I revert my thoughts to something more positive.

It's better to be positive.

Annie adjusts the gun that she's held between her legs for the entire ride.  She trusts no one. 

I hate the savage impulses that have risen to the surface of our psyche; flesh-ridden basic instincts that lack any spiritual enlightenment.  The decay of our bodies correlates to the poison that fear has unleashed in our souls.  Our spirits are now anorexic, void of natural elements -- much like our atmosphere; and all things beautiful.

"A colony?" Mildred asks as we approach.  The fire rises high into the smoky haze of the horizon that is almost midnight blue at this point.

"Let's hope so," says Annie.

Part of me wants to not turn down the lane way.  Isn't this the point in the movie where you scream from your seat "Stop!", and then the people meet their demise? 

We drive down the tree lined road at a cautious speed.  There is no one in sight -- no one visible to our weary eyes.  The blaze creates a billowy smoke high above the tallest trees signaling to us the fire is fresh.

I try not to wince as we round the bend and finally see what is burning:  a barn.  We slow the car to a crawl and use the headlights to observe our surroundings.  No one is in sight.

Mildred turns the car slowly to the right of the barn and the headlights reveal a pile of burning ashes. 

A million frantic thoughts race through my head.  My ears strain for any sound that might indicate if we are in danger or not.  Why we've driven towards this fire is uncertain.  Perhaps we are like moths to a flame desperate for a hearth and a reconnection with civilization.

The silence eventually gives way to an odor; that putrid smell that on some carnal level every being knows and recognizes.  The smell that tells us something very bad happened.  Something dismal and dark.

An enemy is near.

Like a Vampire in the shadows about to suckle its prey.