by J Deleon
“He’s too badly injured.” Scott sympathized. “Sir, can you hear me? This is Officer Ramirez. I’m here to help you.”
The man didn’t reply. Only his screams of pain came from him. His eyes were burnt away, leaving only empty sockets. The man’s ears were burned down as well, presumably causing him to go death. His face was melted down, leaving only tissue and muscle exposed. The man couldn’t seem to hear what Scott was saying. He was lost forever.
“Sir, can you hear me?” Scott repeated.
There was no response.
Scott stood up and looked around at all of the survivors. Ian was now realizing how many people were still alive on earth. Just that morning, he had believed it was only himself and Scott. Now, they were surrounded by people, ready to fight with them.
“Ian.” A voice spoke in his ear.
There was no pain, only a sudden flash of bright light before Ian was in another vision. This time, however, he was standing in real time.
“Where am I?” Ian looked around. A blinding white filled the endless void he was in. Not one other thing was there. Ian was alone.
“A sanctuary.” The same voice replied.
Ian turned quickly, trying to find the source. “Where are you?”
“I am everywhere.” The voice spoke all around him.
“What are you?” Ian asked.
“A special breed. Created by the gods of life, death, peace, and order.”
Ian felt as if he was supposed to be scared or even panicking to find a way out; but instead, he was relaxed, as if he’d been there all along.
“Why am I not freaking out?” Ian spoke aloud. “This is weird.”
“Not for you. You’ve been here before. Numerous times.”
“What do you mean?”
“In lives past, your soul has dwelled in the sacred lands.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t help.”
“You are at ease here. Not a care in the world. You are free.”
Ian thought about the idea. The wounds he had come across before were now gone. His mind was clear of all pain, even as he remembered that the world had ended. There was something about the sanctuary that made him feel comfortable.
“What am I doing here?”
“You must learn the truth.”
“Good, I’ve been really confused this past month.”
“In time, you shall learn all there is to know, but right now, time is imminent. You must strike down the blind man and his alleys.”
“What? No.”
Ian felt a cold, hard hand press against the back of his head. Before he could step away, his body became paralyzed. His body inhaled and kept still.
“Those people will be the death of your kind.” A vision of a lady holding a sword in her hand appeared in front of Ian. “They will join forces with the Udori and their beasts.” The lady, along with the blind man and the others, were commanding the aliens. “They will destroy all you love.” The lady was shown standing over a lifeless Scott. “The human race as you know it will be no more.” Earth was shown, completely lifeless, with the Red Orb approaching. “They will allow the Red Orb to come and absorb your planet. The blind man will lead them in this fate. He must be dealt with first.”
“Stop it!” Ian fought off the visions and fell to his hands and knees.
“Do you see what will become of your kind if you allow them to live? All you know will perish under your hands.”
Ian cried, clenching his fists in anger.
“You have the power to stop this. It is your destiny to reap what is yours and save your planet.”
“I—” Ian didn’t know what to say.
“The time has come. You must go.”
In an instant, Ian opened his eyes to see the blinded man in front of him. Scott leaned over the man, preparing to come to Ian.
“Are you okay?” Scott rushed to Ian once he noticed he was awake. “You were gone for some time. It was longer than usual. And your shoulder—it’s healed.”
Ian kept his eyes on the blind man. “You—”
“What?” Scott leaned closer.
Ian’s eyes were watered, his cheeks red and covered in tears. Scott turned to the blind man and back at Ian.
“What is it?” His voice leveled.
“It’s them.”
“W—wait. What is he saying?” The girl motioned to Ian.
“They’re working with them. The aliens. Please, God.” Ian covered his mouth, holding in his pain. It was the hardest moment in Ian’s life. He wanted nothing more than for things to become normal again, but that was long gone. Now, he had to save Earth. “D—don’t do—don’t do thi—is.” He couldn’t control his crying. “P—p—please.”
“It was just a dream, Ian. It’s not real.” Scott tried to convince Ian, but he knew what he saw.
“They sh—showed me. One of them has a sword. They’re going to kill all of us.”
“Stop it, Ian!” Scott shook him, scared. “Stop talking! None of this is true!”
“No, please, don’t kill us.” The girl cried. “You helped us!”
The mass of people around them argued, creating panic in all and frustration in Scott. Ian watched as Scott contemplated what was at hand. His face spoke the feelings he never showed. His eyes started to water as he covered his mouth with his gun. Ian finally noticed that Scott wasn’t saying anything anymore. He had actually pulled out his gun and was shaking vigorously. He looked down to the ground, eyes shut, as the people screamed around him.
“I saw it, Scott.” Ian didn’t want to believe what he was saying, but what he saw was real. There was no denying. His vision of a Red Orb had come true. The battle between them and the aliens had come true. The vision the gods showed him was inevitable unless they did something. “The Red Orb, it’s real.”
Scott looked at Ian, red, sweaty, and tired. His eyes showed sadness.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Scott told Ian.
“No, please!” The girl ran towards Scott. “Don’t!”
Scott stood up straight and faced the girl. “…I won’t.”
The moment Scott uttered those words, everything stopped. The girl stopped moving, but her face showed pain. Ian looked around and saw everybody around them doing the same. Ian wondered if they were feeling the same paralysis that he had felt in the Sanctuary.
“They won’t interfere, anymore.” The god’s voice echoed in Ian’s ears.
No one was able to move anymore. Ian turned to Scott to notice that he was moving.
“Scott?” Ian spoke.
“I—I can’t—control—” Scott aimed the gun at the blind man, his whole body was trying to fight the action, but the force of the gods was too strong. They were controlling Scott, forcing him to follow destiny. They had frozen the others so they wouldn’t interfere. They told Ian that it had to be done. This must have been what they meant.
“Scott, stop! Don’t do it!” Ian shouted.
“It’s not me!” Scott replied.
Ian watched as the blind man fell to the ground. The gunshot hurt his ears, but it was nothing compared to the monster’s shrieks. A few seconds later, Scott fell to the ground as well; dropping his gun and covering his eyes. All of the others fell as well. Most cried, some stared blankly, and the rest ran towards the blind man. The girl held the man, screaming.
Ian couldn’t believe what had just unfolded. Scott was forced into murdering the man. He didn’t want to. Ian was more afraid than ever. He now knew he had a destiny to follow, but what lengths were the gods willing to go to in order for him to do so?
Jennifer
In the mist of all the wreckage, Jennifer noticed something strange just a few buildings down. A person was running the opposite way of the monsters, not wanting to fight. They held something close to them as they ran. Jennifer only saw the figure through the small openings between buildings. They ran as fast as they could down the street.
“Jennifer!” Cecily called out as she ran towa
rds the person.
Losing track of all the fighting and the screaming, Jennifer made her way to the street the person was running on. She looked down the long path and saw the person still running. They were some distance away from her, but she bolted towards them anyways. The only thing Jennifer could think of at the moment was catching up to the strange person.
Why were they running? Why were they alone when there were people just across the street? What were they holding? Jennifer wanted to find out.
The person ran, looking confused as it continued to stop at every car or building it came across. They stopped and looked around for a moment, noticing Jennifer running towards them. The person fumbled and started off again, but became trapped by the fallen buildings and ruined cars. Finally, as Jennifer grew closer to them, the person extended the item they were holding. As Jennifer came closer, she made out the object they were pointing towards her.
It was a sword, but not one like she had seen before. It appeared to be a long, old, bone, carved poorly into a weapon. Streaks of a red glowing pattern marked the rugged sword. Its hilt was sharp and pointed, curving wide and then narrow once more where the guard should be. The sword widened once more as it ascended to the chipped tip. The color was a darker tint than normal bones, but still resembled one. Its asymmetrical form gave it the appearance of being bent and battered over time. It was unquestionably an old sword, but from where?
The person held the sword out with both hands, waiting for Jennifer to come closer. Noting this, Jennifer stopped just before she was in reach.
Now clear, the person wasn’t a person at all. It was an alien, running from its own kind. It had dark blue skin with long, brown hair. It wore rags and had no footwear on. Jennifer, for a moment, expected it to be dressed as a human. She disregarded the notion once she remembered what it was.
The alien started to speak, but in a language Jennifer couldn’t understand. Its voiced sounded scared, desperate.
“Who are you?” Jennifer asked it, half expecting an answer in English.
The alien spoke again, the fear in its voice was thick.
“I don’t know what you are saying.” Jennifer considered running away. The thought of being right next to an alien for this long scared her beyond belief, but her curiosity kept her from leaving. “Why are you running?”
The two were speaking to each other in two different languages. They were never going to get the answers they were looking for. Jennifer tried to step forward, but the alien slashed at her in fear. Jennifer stepped back and lifted her hands. She was so afraid of the alien; her hands shook as she tried to surrender.
“Just, don’t hurt me.” Jennifer pleaded. “I just want to know why you are doing this.”
Just as Jennifer considered stepping forward again, the shriek of the monsters bellowed the area. The alien seemed more afraid of the sound than Jennifer was. Jennifer covered her ears and squinted her eyes at the flash, but the alien crouched down and took cover. Was it afraid of them?
In that moment, Jennifer took the opportunity and jumped at the alien. The sword fell out of its grip and onto the street. Jennifer fell on top of the alien and pinned it down.
“Why are you doing this?” Jennifer shouted at the alien.
“You will not find what you seek, Jennifer.” An angry voice boomed in her head.
The alien fought Jennifer off as she was distracted and grabbed the sword. It slashed at her with all of its weight. Jennifer rolled out of the way and tackled the alien. She punched the alien in the head, immediately feeling the pain. She cursed at the pain, but continued to punch the alien on the torso and at the throat until it stopped moving—her knuckles torn and bloodied. She fell on her back and grabbed the sword.
“Who’s there?” Jennifer shouted at the heavens.
“You mindless fool.” The angry voice spoke again.
There was no presence around her, the voice was coming from her head.
“What’s happening?” Jennifer asked the voice.
“You must give that sword to Ian. It isn’t yours to possess.”
“I don’t know who Ian is.”
“Take the sword to him. Now!” The voice shouted.
“No. I need this sword.” Jennifer panted.
“The power it possesses is far greater than you can ever imagine. It is not yours to keep.”
“It’s important. It’s why they’re here, isn’t it? They’re looking for this.”
“You have no idea what purpose that sword holds. Ian must have it to save your planet. To stop the Red Orb.”
“I don’t know who Ian is?” Jennifer shouted.
“He is the true bearer of the sword. Only he shall possess it. It is his destiny.”
“Why him? I’m the one who found it.”
“It is his burden, not yours.”
“Fuck you. You probably had something to do with all of this. Why do you want him to have this so bad? What are you?”
“I am Destiny. I am all that was, is, and ever will be. I can give you everything you desire, and I can take it all away.”
“Then give me my family back. Give me my life back. Give us our world back.”
“Destiny is always in motion, there is no changing it.”
“Bullshit. You can do all, can’t you? Give me what I want.”
“You don’t deserve it. You deserve to be imprisoned for all of eternity, being punished for your treason to your own kind.”
“You’re not destiny. You’re nothing.”
Jennifer’s body tightened. Her skin pressed tightly against her bones and muscles. Her eyes rolled up until there was only darkness and pain. Her mouth widened and widened, stretching farther than ever possible. Her skin felt like it was about to rip.
“You will follow destiny. It is for you now to deliver the sword to Ian. Whether you choose to do it or not is your choice.”
Jennifer’s body started to rise. She stood up, holding the sword, and began to slowly walk forward. She couldn’t feel, see or hear anything outside of her mind, but she knew the voice in her head was controlling her.
Her jaw loosened, allowing her to speak once more.
“Okay, I’ll do it.” Jennifer couldn’t feel her mouth.
Her body relaxed, making her fall to the ground. She curled up slightly, waiting for the pain to go away. She didn’t want to move ever again. The pain Destiny had caused her was too much to bear, but she had no other choice—despite what the voice told her.
Jennifer grabbed the sword and held it tightly against her. She had no other option but to give the sword to Ian. She didn’t know an Ian, but she was sure that ‘destiny’ would lead her to him. Whether she could trust him or not was what was on her mind as she regained feeling all through her body.
After the pain had subdued, Jennifer stood up and tried to make her way back to Cecily. During the walk, the sky began to turn red right before her. It was a gradual change, but the burning feeling it gave off was quick.
It only took a few minutes of walking to get back to where she had left. Just a few buildings away, Jennifer saw that the monsters were fleeing. Jennifer stopped to watch what was happening. The other group was still there, but something had happened. Upon walking closer, Jennifer made out Sean, badly wounded, crawling on the ground. Cecily, covered in black, stood next to him. A man held up a young boy who was pointing at the two.
There was no making out what they were saying, but arguing went on between the two groups.
The man held out his gun and pointed it towards Sean. The people tried to stop him, but stopped for some reason. Jennifer tried to run over in time to stop him herself, but the gun was fired before she could. She fell to her knees and stared at the scene. Sean, her friend, one of the only people she was comfortable actually being around and talking to, was now dead.
Adam
“The Lune is gone.” Lescion searched around for the beast that brought them to Telemy.
“No, it can’t be gone.” Adam worried. �
�I need to get back.”
“They don’t just wonder off. The trained ones are obedient. Someone took it.”
“Then we need to get another one.” Adam suggested.
“No, you don’t understand. That means that somebody is here. Somebody knows you’re here.”
Adam began to understand the situation.
“Don’t move.” A strong voice shouted at the two. Beyond the trees in the distance, a few aliens riding lunes charged at them. The two tried to run, but the monsters quickly circled them. They held bows and arrows at them; along with swords, hammers, and axes.
“Wait, I need him.” Lescion begged as they grabbed him. “He can stop the Red Orb!”
The others grabbed Adam, tied him up, and carried him along Lescion. Adam fought and shouted as they carried him away.
Scott
Scott fell to the ground. For the brief moment, he was completely paralyzed; being controlled by something he could not explain. Never once had he killed a person.
The girl fell to her knees as well; crying her eyes out. Scott watched as she crawled quickly to the man and held him. She cried ‘Sean’.
Ian cried as well. Scott assumed it was traumatizing for him. Looking around, everyone circled around him were either at a loss for words, angry, or sobbing. Scott, however, couldn’t feel a thing.
“Don’t defy me.” A low voice spoke in his ear.
Scott tried to register what the voice was, but was too distracted. He would never do a thing like that. Ian’s visions were all true. There was something speaking to him, showing him visions, and they were going to stop at nothing to get it done.
“Ian.” Scott tried to regain focus. “We have to go.”
“What?” Ian sobbed.
“Now. We have to go.” Scott stood up, anxious. “It’s not safe.”
“We have to help.” Ian motioned toward the girl and Sean.
“We can’t. They’ll come.” Scott feared that the voice would return to force him to kill the others.
Scott hurried down the road. Ian followed Scott, begging for him to stay. The rest of their group slowly joined, knowing there was nothing else to do for the strangers.