I landed softly on the soaked grass in the backyard, facing the fence with Jared, Aaron and Sarah. The backyard of another house lay over the fence, and beyond that house was another street. Were there any cars there? Could we make it to one and drive away without being spotted? Even if we made it to one, would it work? We had to try. I took one last glance back at the house, spotting what looked like smoke rising up from the other side, then I turned to the fence and pointed over it, still wary of making noise.

Everyone understood the message, and I'm sure they had the same thing in mind as I did. Jared went first, then I helped Aaron over the fence and then Sarah. Just as I was about to start my climb, something walked around the corner of the house and stopped directly next to me. It happened so suddenly, I almost didn't even realize it was there. I froze in place, unable to move. I couldn't help myself from letting out a small cry. I couldn't stop my neck from slowly and stiffly turning to face the thing.

It stood about seven feet tall, its body was grey, with a metallic look to it that glistened with the soaking rain. But although its body looked like metal... it was still fleshy. Its torso was very human-like, with smooth looking skin that was featureless. Its legs looked unnaturally short compared to the rest of its body, while its arms extended almost down to its feet, which looked like overturned bowls. In place of hands, it just had cube-like protrusions that started on its forearm. Its head was egg shaped. A storm of confusion and terror blanketed my mind as I realized that its human-like face was actually concave. It gave the impression that it wasn't its actual face, it looked more like something had smashed in its face with a human face mould or something.

It stared at me, blinked, and then walked past me as if I wasn't even there. I couldn't move my paralyzed arms and legs, but my head followed it as it stood next to me and faced the fence, completely ignoring me.

I recoiled as one of its cube-like "hands" moved like molten metal, and changed into the shape of a saw.

What? What the hell?

In one swift motion, it sawed off the link between the fence posts it was facing. The saw rippled like it was liquid, and then changed shape again, turning into a vice-like form. It closed around the now free fence post, picked it up, and then turned and walked by me again, going round the house and out of sight.

"Dad!" Aaron's shout on the other side of the fence brought me back to my senses. I frantically scrambled over the fence in a panic, grabbing Aaron by the hand and running to hide behind the left side of the nearest house, shouting out to Jared and Sarah, "Come on, over here!"

"What... what was that?" Jared said as they ran up beside me.

"I only saw the top of its head." Aaron said.

I shuddered as I recalled the caved in face the thing had and the saw that I thought would cut me down. "I... some sort of..." I struggled to find words to describe it, "I don't know. It just ignored me... why did it just ignore me... what the hell... what the hell?!"

"Well, if it isn't going to come after us, I'm not complaining..." Jared said as he kept an eye around us for anything else that might be lurking around.

Sarah spoke up, "I think... that's what was making those construction noises I heard. That drilling noise, it's a lot like what I heard before. Are those things... taking the house apart?"

That's what it seemed like.

But if so... then why? Why bother? What the hell?!

"There's a car over there!" Aaron pointed to a car in the middle of the street about ten feet away. It looked intact, but whether we could actually get it going might be a different story.

"Hurry, before something more dangerous comes around!" Jared started to run towards the car, gun at the ready.

As the four of us made it to the car and Jared opened the door, the sound of a man screaming in absolute terror came from the house in front of us. The door was slightly ajar, but I couldn't see inside. Other people were around here? Shit, were they in danger or did they just see on of those weird humanoid things? We couldn't just leave someone to die... I didn't want a repeat of the last time we heard someone screaming. I remembered the message we had heard on the radio the other day... the only way we could survive is if we helped other people and banded together!

Jared must have seen me frantically looking towards the house the scream came from. He handed me the gun, "I'll try to get this thing started, I know how to hot-wire it. But it could take time, time that we might not have if there's some kind of thing that made that guy scream... If you want to go, then go, but you better not die!"

I nodded, "I won't do anything stupid, if I can't save them, I'll come running back! Aaron, get in the car, I'll be right back!"

I couldn't just leave someone to die. I just couldn't.

Any other normal living human was a relief to have around. I didn't like this sinking feeling I was having that we could be the only people for miles that were left alive.