Free The Stone Man - A Science Fiction Thriller by Luke Smitherd

went through my phone book to see who would have the privilege of putting my drunken ass up until morning.
    After five tries at getting hold of five different people, a pattern was clearly emerging. Everyone’s line was going straight to answer phone. Even now, other people, normal people, had loved ones to call, families to check on, friends to ring and gossip with, people that they hadn’t yet called for their opinion. I would have exhausted all of my close-enough contacts within an hour of the story first breaking, had I not been in hot pursuit. This realisation made me pause for a moment, and a sadness washed over me that was far greater than any feeling I’d had about the destruction of my flat. I can remember that moment very clearly, for some reason. That’s the funny thing about people like me; so much can happen and not cause our emotional tripwire to even slightly vibrate, and yet discovering that five people’s phones are engaged can send us into paroxysms of despair and self-pity. But then, I’ve never had a problem generating self -pity.
    As I stood, shoulders slumped and eyes beginning to water, part of my brain was registering that there was something I should be paying attention to. I just didn’t know what. I looked up, and then heard it clearly.
    “Andy? It’s Andy, isn’t it?”
    Someone was calling from the back of the gathered crowd; a man’s voice, although I couldn’t make out his features or even his body shape; from here, the people were silhouetted into one black blob against the glare of the police lights. I watched as a figure broke away from the mob, one hand now raised to catch my attention more clearly.
    “Andy? It’s me, Shaun, Phil’s mate?” Straightaway, before I could see him fully, I realised who this man was, and at the same time felt a pang of fear for someone else. Phil . Phil, my flatmate, and his visiting brother. I hadn’t even thought about the two of them. Shaun must have seen it in my face, as he held up his hands quickly to placate me, drawing closer.
    “No, no, don’t panic; it’s okay, they’re fine. They were here about an hour ago, I was talking to them, they’re both fine. They’d gone out to have a look at the damage, just being nosy. You’ve only just missed them, they’ve gone to a B and B for the night,” Shaun finished, smiling as he lowered his hands.
    I remembered Shaun well. Nice guy. He’d been round the flat a few times; he was a workmate of Phil’s who happened to live nearby. He was a few years younger than me, only just into his thirties, and still in enviably good shape. He hadn’t long been married, and I’d met his wife briefly too; gorgeous. It wasn’t surprising, as Shaun was good looking and outgoing. By rights I should have hated his guts, but the fact was that the man was just naturally likeable. Shaun held out his hand, smiling with sympathetic eyes as he stood in his beach shorts and T-shirt, a still-capped beer in his pocket. I took his hand and shook it.
    “Glad to see you’re all right,” he said. “We were wondering what the hell had happened to you. Phil tried to call you a few times earlier, and all he was getting was your answer phone. We didn’t think you’d been in there, as you were out when they left and the fire crews had managed to check a few flats before it came down, yours included. But still …” he shrugged. “Send the guy a text though, eh? Let him know you’re okay.”
    “I will,” I replied, and meant it, but I didn’t think Phil would be too worried. We liked each other, but we weren’t close. “I’ve had no signal for most of the day, to be honest, but I don’t think I’m the only one.”
    “No, everyone here’s been saying the same thing. Did you … did you have anything in there that was important?” Shaun asked, wincing theatrically.
    “Nope. Laptop here in my bag, phone here, everything else was just clothes, food, a few pictures,” I said, slurring my words now and waving