by C.O. Amal
“Kevin, I am coming too.” A voice said from behind Kevin.
Kevin looked back.
“Raj? Didn’t you have something to do with Lucy?” Kevin asked.
A young man with about same age as Kevin stepped into the light.
“She left early, before I woke up. I can help you.” Raj said.
“Alright. Let’s move out. If we reach there fast, we can get back faster.” Kevin said.
“Okay.” Raj said.
They slowly moved forward. There is a small back pack on Raj’s shoulders. After a moment they reached an intersection connecting three tunnels. There is a number board on the wall of each tunnel. Centre tunnel have number 207, Left most tunnel have number 206 and the right most tunnel have number 208.
Raj and Kevin went through the tunnel 208. Before long they reached a big room like place in the tunnel. There are bows and arrows placed on the wall. Kevin took one bow and several arrows. Raj did the same.
“Do you know how to use one of these?” Kevin asked.
“Yeah. Lucy had gave me some lessons.” Raj said.
“Okay.” Kevin said.
They then slowly paced through the tunnel.
“So how’s Lisa?” Kevin asked.
“She will live, but she faints a lot. And there is inflammation near the bite wound on her neck.” Raj said.
“It’s a miracle Lucy went that way and saw Lisa. Or else that fucker must have made her dry.” Kevin said.
“Yeah. It is a miracle. Lisa is my only family, I can’t think of a world without her.” Raj said.
“Don’t worry, she will heal.” Kevin said. “And by the way we all are part of a big family. Don’t forget it.” Kevin said.
A moment later they exited the tunnel and in front of them stood a big metallic door. Kevin removed the chain link and opened the door and he peeked outside. It seems that the doorway leads to a cave and outside the cave there is a big grassland. Everything seems quiet.
“We need to return fast and we need to be alerted.” Kevin said.
Raj nodded.
They both slowly stepped inside the cave and Kevin slowly shut the door behind him. Then they walked out of the cave and stood before the grassland. Birds chirped from the trees and a herd of deer grazed through the grass.
Kevin stared at a deer.
“Come on, let’s catch the bigger one.” Kevin said.
They stood on the grassland and took aim at a big deer with the bow and arrow. Kevin hauled the thread of the bow back and he released it. The arrow propelled forward cutting through the air.
The arrow hit the deer in its neck. Quickly the deer dropped to the ground. Kevin and Raj rushed forward. After they reached near the fallen deer they made sure it is dead. Then they both lifted the deer from ground and moved towards the cave. They took about half an hour to reach the cave since the deer was very heavy.
Kevin opened the metal door and they both hauled the deer inside the tunnel. Then they stepped into the cave again.
“Come on. Let’s check if there are any apples.” Kevin said.
Raj nodded. They both ran through the grassland towards the forest. There are many apple trees near the forest edges, and Kevin and Raj filled Raj’s back pack with apples.
Suddenly sound of footsteps came from deep inside the forest. Kevin and Raj tuned their ears. Then they saw them. There are at least ten of them. They looks like humans but in one sight Kevin recognised them.
“Aliens! Run.” Kevin shouted.
Kevin and Raj ran through the grassland to the cave. When Kevin made sure he and Raj had put more distance from the forest he glanced back. The sight horrified him. All the aliens had seen them and they are now after Kevin and Raj.
Finally Kevin and Raj reached the cave. Kevin immediately opened the metal door and they both got inside and Kevin closed the door and he dead bolted it.
“Do you think they have seen us getting inside the tunnel?” Raj asked.
“I don’t know. If they did, it will be a matter of time before they get inside Tunoria. If that happens everything we all worked for will be in vain.” Kevin said.
Suddenly violent knocks came from the other side of the metal door.
“They have found us.” Raj said.
“God, help us.” Kevin said.
Outside darkness starts to conquer everything.
* * * * *
Chapter 4 – Allen
2026 July 31, Unknown Grasslands
Allen and team spent the night on the grassland. Only a few of them slept. In the early morning Allen and team started cutting down long thick branches of the trees. They used sharp stones for that. Of course cutting down branches using sharp stone wasn’t that easy. They spend about one hour in cutting down a branch. After they cut all the branches they need they sharpened one end of each branch by using stones.
After the noon all the men had a sharpened spear in their hands. Then they started their walk towards the narrow path. Within moments they retraced their path and got back into the muddy path. Then they paced through the narrow path surmising Johanna and team took this path.
A moment later they exited the forest and in front of them, below the hill, lay a big town with large mega story buildings.
The thirteen survivors climbed down the hill and paced towards the dead city. The city once prospered is now in ruin. All the windows are broken and doors are a wreck.
Then they saw it. A flying saucer. It is flying through the sky away from the city. Allen and team sighed deeply.
Everything about this place is odd. First the vampires, now the flying saucer?
“Do you think those alien thing we saw back on the tower is working with the vampires?” Allen asked Lena.
“Maybe. I am sure the flying saucer belongs to the aliens.” Lena said.
“Now we have to watch out for these two monsters.” Allen said.
They slowly moved through the dark road. Everyone is on extra alerted now. Suddenly sound of footsteps came from their front. Everyone quickly hid behind a building in the alley and they peeked at the road. Then they saw them - those five vampires, who Allen’s team had seen on the forest near the grassland.
Then a clap came from the end of the alley. Fear shook Allen and team. They looked at the end of the alley and saw a man standing there. He is staring at Allen’s team and he continued to clap his hands.
“I am impressed. Your running is about to end here.” The man said.
The man rushed at Allen screeching all the way. Allen without thinking in a fluent movement stabbed the attacker’s stomach with his wooden spear. The spear went straight through the man’s stomach.
“Ahh ...” The man screamed at high pitch sound.
Suddenly the owners of the footsteps stopped on the road in front of the alley. Quickly survivors stood firm with their spears in attack mode. All the five vampires standing on the road screeched at high pitch sound.
Allen retrieved his spear from the fallen man thing’s stomach. The man thing wriggled on the ground in the narrow alley. Allen walked near the fallen man thing and with a fluent movement he crushed the man thing’s face using his boot. Quickly all movement of the man thing ceased. Then Allen walked towards the front line of the survivors.
Allen wiped away freshly arrived sweat from his brow and he braced for the attack by the vampires. Suddenly, all the five vampires rushed towards the survivors. Allen manoeuvred his spear inside the leading vampire’s stomach. The vampire screeched and dropped dead.
Then a scream of a survivor came from Allen’s left. A vampire is on top of a man on the ground, and it sunk its teeth on the man’s neck. Allen rushed towards the vampire and with a sudden rage he stabbed the vampire’s back. The spear went straight inside the back of the vampire and it then went through the flesh of the man lying below the vampire. Vampire’s and the poor man’s head fell to the side for never to rise again.
Allen looked at his fellow survivors. The remaining three vampires are attackin
g them and two of the survivors had dropped dead. Quickly all the survivors surrounded the three vampires and everyone stabbed them all at once. Vampires quickly fell under the might of the humans. Allen stood with joy. Suddenly a blue light ray came out of nowhere and hit a survivors in his head. The man fainted. Looks like the ray was some sort of stun ray. And the stun ray had come from a flying saucer which is hovering in the air over the dark road.
A moment later a series of stun rays came from the flying saucer.
“Run!” Allen shouted.
Survivors ran in different directions dodging from the blue light rays. Allen and Lena ran through the road. A moment later the flying saucer followed all the survivors and it shot down everyone. Fortunately it didn’t saw Allen and Lena. Allen and Lena hid behind a building and watched the aliens coming out of the flying saucer. Aliens hauled the paralysed survivors into the flying saucer. Then the flying saucer with a swoosh flew away into the horizon.
“What the hell just happened?” Lena asked.
“Well they caught our friends. It looks like they don’t like to waste any ounce of blood.” Allen said.
“What would we do? Can we survive this world alone?” Lena asked.
“Let’s find out.” Allen said.
They slowly started to walk through the road surmising Johanna must have went this way. Before long the town ended and a forest came into view.
“Are we going into that forest?” Lena asked.
“Yes. And those things who went looking for us are dead. So there will be no pursuers.” Allen said.
“Then lead the way.” Lena said.
A moment later they both got inside the forest and they moved through the narrow muddy path.
* * * * *
Chapter 5 – Jimmy
2026 July 31, Tunoria
Jimmy, Charley and Audrey quickly became friends with other kids in the city of Tunoria. In the morning Jimmy, Charley and Audrey, after breakfast went to play with other kids. At the time they reached a small underground playground most kids were already there.
Tunoria is a really beautiful city and the whole city is underground. There is even vegetables growing inside the city in several places. They say that this big cave system is built by gods during the great battle that took place long, long ago. When Jimmy asked about the Great Battle he didn’t get a response. They don’t know much about the battle.
Jimmy and team slowly went near other kids.
“Hey, Ben, why are you so sad?” Audrey asked a boy.
“My father says that the aliens had found our hideout. It’s just a matter of time before they break in.” Ben said.
“What? Now what should we do? We don’t have a place to go.” Another boy said.
“That sucks.” Jimmy said. “I guess we need to be armed.”
“But, elders won’t allow us to carry weapons.” A boy said.
“That too sucks. So what are we going to do? Are we playing today?” Charley asked. Charley is so much eager to play.
They usually play hide and seek at this time of hour.
“Play? How can we play when we are on the verge of death?” Jimmy said.
“I am not going to sit here wait for the things to settle. I am going to read that journal. Are you guys coming?” Audrey asked Jimmy and Charley.
“Yes, I am coming.” Jimmy and Charley said in unison.
“Wait, you know how to read?” A boy asked Audrey in surprise.
“Yeah, don’t you?” Audrey asked.
“No one here knows how to read things. Remember, there is no school here. Of course elders know, but we don’t have any reading material. Can you read for us?” A boy asked.
Other boys looked at Audrey with expectation.
“Okay, I will read for you too.” Audrey said. “Everyone sit around me.”
Everyone quickly sat on the ground around Audrey. Audrey lifted the hem of her shirt and took out the journal from her waist band.
“This journal is written by one Mister Jacobson of Wolforia.” Audrey said.
Everyone nodded.
Audrey flipped through the pages and stopped in the page whose date is 2004 March 9. Audrey read aloud the journal entry.
2004 March 9 Tuesday
It’s the second day after the aliens arrived at Wolforia. Today I went outside my house and looked around. The neighbourhood is in ruin. I saw the body of Mister Lucas in his home. His neck has two holes where the aliens had sunk their teeth. His body is pale due to excessive loss of blood.
I looked around the neighbourhood for a long time but I didn’t found any other bodies. I am sure that I saw lot of bodies in the night but now they all are gone. May be the aliens took them. The candles of night lamp are still burning since there is no one to blow them out.
It took me hours to search all the house. Finally I got inside Mister Samson’s house. That house is also in ruin. In the past I normally saw them with their infants but now they are all gone. Aliens even took the infants.
Then in the night I saw a flying saucer. I had heard about flying saucers from my childhood and I am sure that what I saw was a flying saucer. It was big and circular in shape like all the other flying saucers. First I thought it will land but after hovering over Wolforia for some time it flew away into the horizon.
I saw the flying saucer through the roof of Mister Martin’s house. Like all other houses, Martin’s house was also empty but in this house there is blood marks everywhere. There are also signs of some struggle. Tables are upside down and the living room is a mess.
I exited Martin’s house and went into the mountains for any sign of survivors but I found none. In the evening, after searching all the known places I returned to my house. In the night I heard a scream of a girl. When I looked out through the window I saw a flying saucer. There was lot of blue light coming out of the flying saucer and in that light I saw a young girl screaming for her mommy. I stayed in my house because there was nothing I could do. The place was surrounded by the aliens.
From where the girl came is a mystery. I had searched the entire village during the day and I didn’t saw her, but the aliens found her. Her fate had decided. After some time the flying saucer and the aliens went away plunging the whole place in darkness.
“That day’s entry is over.” Audrey said.
“Read the next entry.” Charley said.
“If we read all at once we will not have anything to read tomorrow.” Audrey closed the journal and she tuck it in her waist band.
“Oh! We wanted to hear all the story.” A boy said.
“We will read it tomorrow.” Audrey said.
“What if the aliens break in? Then there will be no tomorrow.” A boy said.
“I am not changing my mind. Come on Jimmy, let’s head back to our room.” Audrey said.
Audrey, Jimmy and Charley went away from the playground. Other kids sighed deeply and they all went in their own way.
“I am scared, Audrey. What if they break inside?” Jimmy asked.
“Then those men in this city will kill them all. Don’t worry about a thing.” Audrey said.
After they got inside their room in a wooden house, Jimmy closed the door behind him.
* * * * *
Chapter 6 – Aaron
2026 July 31, Unknown forest
Aaron, Johanna and Matthew waited the whole night for the aliens to go to sleep but sadly aliens didn’t even moved from their position. Aaron and team didn’t even slept. With tired eyes they just sat in the bushes for some time.
Morning sun came and went and now the sun is in its highest position.
“Guys, it’s time to go.” Aaron said.
“Yeah, we stayed here too long. We will come up with another plan.” Johanna said.
“Okay. Where will we go?” Matthew asked.
“We will go around the building through the forest. Then we will devise a plan.” Johanna said.
“It’s decided then. Let’s go.” Aaron said.
They sl
owly started their walk. They moved wholly through the forest and they went around the building. Within minutes they reached in the forest at the back of the building. Suddenly sound of footsteps came from their left direction. Aaron and team quickly sprinted deep into the forest.
It seems that the footsteps are following them. There is only a pair of footsteps coming. So Aaron and team hid behind a tree and drew out the knives in their hand. A moment later the owner of the footsteps went through their front. Aaron and team kept silence and waited for the person to move away. Suddenly the person stopped moving and he turned towards Aaron and Johanna.
Aaron showed his knife to the man or man thing.
“I saw you yesterday. I thought you were one of them.” The man said.
“Is this some trick?” Aaron asked Johanna.
“Are you a human?” Matthew asked.
“Yes. Of course I am. Can’t you tell from my shape?” The man asked.
“Show me your teeth.” Johanna said.
“Come on. I am really a human.” The man said.
“Then show them to me.” Johanna said.
“Alright.” The man opened his mouth showing his teeth. “Satisfied?”
“How do you know he is not one of them by looking at his teeth?” Aaron asked Johanna.
“Well, those things’ teeth are sharp.” Johanna said.
The man came near Aaron and team.
“I thought I was alone in this world. Where are you all coming from?” The man asked.
“We are from Earth.” Aaron said.
“Earth?” The man asked.
“Yeah. It’s another planet?” Aaron said.
“Do you know if the aliens will go away at some point from that building?” Johanna asked.
“Yeah. They will go to lunch soon.” The man said.
“And how long will be the lunch?” Johanna asked.
“About thirty minutes. Why?” The man asked.
“We are going to free the prisoners.” Aaron said.
“That’s a bad idea. They will tear down everything if they have to.” The man said.
“We are escaping to our world. There is a portal to Earth near that building.” Johanna said.
“They will kill you on sight.” The man said.
“Look, Mister ... What’s your name again?” Johanna asked.
“Oh, I am Danny.” The man said.
“Well, Danny, there are weapons of mass destruction in our world and we can kill them all if we could get back to our world. So are you in this?” Johanna asked.