Transmission In the Dark

"Hello?" It was about time that he gave up, but Bane couldn't help but click the button on the battered walkie-talkie once more. "Hello?" His hollow voice echoed amidst the crackling static. It was working, sending his greetings into the air. But there was no receiver. As always.

Bane made another hash mark in his radio log. Almost 400 days transmitting without a single reply. The radio worked, but no one heard. He hoped there was someone to hear, somewhere.

But on the 401st day, the static cleared, just for a moment, and a child’s voice came through, muffled. “Yes? Yes? I am here!” The child had a faint French accent, so Bane rattled off a few words in that language, then “Where are you?” A pause. “In the dark,” the child replied.

Bane clung to his trusty ham radio. “What do you remember before the darkness?” he asked the child. “I’ll need landmarks if I’m to rescue you.” The child paused for a moment. “I remember passing through four stone arches before making a right and walking several miles ...”

“We passed two McDonalds, three Burger Kings and a Wendy’s” he continued. Bane knew there was only one place in the world with that many fast food establishments in close proximity: Dayton, Ohio. They set off in search of the child’s home (and maybe a McFlurry).

The real truth was though, and Charlie knew this. That when they find the child’s home. They would find a McFlurry, and even more than that. They would find the secret formula behind The McFlurry