whisper, “Wake up…”
Dee opened her eyes to the strange dream once more, discovering she had never left her bed the night before, sounding a bit perplexed, “Or did I?” She wasn’t quite sure, as she rubbed her aching head.
She walked to her kitchen half expecting it to be destroyed, nevertheless everything seemed in its place. Dee didn’t see any debris, nor any damage to the door, as she began to wonder, “Had any of it happened at all?” Slowly she retraced her steps, looking at the medallion on the floor, feeling the key around her neck. She kneeled for a closer look, noticing a small dark slit between the pines, which looked very much like a keyhole. Instantly her hand moved to the key around her neck, convinced this key belonged to the Annunaki medallion. She had no way of knowing what was really going on, or what this had to do with Colton, but the key seemed important. And the only way to solve a mystery is jump headlong into the fray.
December daringly removed the key from her neck, and nervously twisted it in the hole. She could hear a clink, as if the toggles all fell into place, and the floor opened up. For the first time she realized she wasn’t dreaming, everything that happened was real. Now her nerves were getting the best of her, as nothing but blackness pooled in the depths below her kitchen floor, and fretted about what might be down there. One foot over the other she climbed down the ladder into the black abyss, as the opening above her closed once more, drowning her in the inky depths of the unknown. Dee fearfully blinked once, then twice, but the darkness didn’t seem nearly as dark as in her dreams. Soon she was walking along one of the many connecting catwalks leading to a central stone structure with a door, as she uneasily entered the opening, not knowing what or who may be on the other side. Amazingly the room was no more than an elevator room, with hundreds of stops.
This government facility was humongous even by today’s standards. The central button in particular seemed worn out by use, seeming to be the obvious place to start, as she accidentally hit several other buttons in the process. One by one the elevator made its stops, opening to a cafeteria, a gym, and records room. “Records.” Her curiosity was peaked, and she moved out of the elevator. Quickly she scanned the hall in both directions, uncertainly listening as the elevator door closed, and slid eerily down the shaft.
Instantly she was awe-struck by a group photo of the 200 Aurora victims on the wall directly before her. The photo was mostly of younger males and females all strangely appearing oblivious to their certain demise, as she sadly at last tore herself away.
December went into the file room, seeing layer after layer of dust upon the file cabinets, which had been left in disarray. She was sure everyone left in a hurry after the deaths, but why hadn’t they disposed of the evidence. Dee reached for a file resting on top of the nearest cabinet, and began to read. Mary Adderson file, died three weeks after project began, body retained in cryo for future testing. A shiver inched up her spine, and she opened the next file. She read the name Kevin Badish, as a gasp escaped her lips, and she wondered, “How could this be?” She started to read the file, quite surprised that he had died nine months into the project. Then her mind suddenly stopped, inquiring into a mind numbing question, “Could Colton’s name be here too?” Quickly she sorted through to the end of the alphabetized names, finding Van Damned. She anxiously opened the file, 23-year-old male, strong psychic abilities, responded well to the DNA introduction, becoming stronger, died in the ninth month.
The file was purged from her hands like hot lead, as she watched the yellowed paper land around her feet. The she sprinted back to the picture, scanning the oddly smiling faces, and promptly discovered Colton’s unchanging face in the photo from the 50’s. “No!” she cried out, barely hearing the elevator behind her, or the shuffling of feet into the room.
“Miss Moral you need to come with us.” it was an order.
Dee gasped trying to run into the adjoining room, even as that same strange gust of wind slammed the door closed in front of her.
“There is no place to run.” A man said.
“Who are you people?” she turned on the shadowy forms, asking, “What do you want from me?”
“Come.” The man held out his hand, saying, “You will find out.” As she reluctantly followed him into the elevator having no other choice, since one of the others grabbed her arm. They rode the elevator down to the central room, even as she wondered if she would be waking up from this nightmare soon.
They walked the long stone path into a reception area, with three other darkly dressed men, and Colton standing nearby.
“Welcome.” The leader called out, standing at the head of the room directly in front of another Annunaki project group photo, “I’m glad you could join us Miss Moral.”
“What’s going on?” she demanded looking from him to Colton’s distressed face.
Colton looked as if he wanted to speak, but the overriding voice of the leader went onward, “Sorry about my manners. I’m Kevin Badish leader of Aurora city.” He chuckled, “I’m sure you are much more confused than before.”
“No!” she stated angrily, “Your file said you are dead. So I’m having a nightmare and this is not true. I think this is some kind of hell.”
The men laughed, as Kevin Badish smirked, “Your close December.” He breathed, “But do you remember anything at all? For instance this city?”
“Only in my dreams.” She replied.
“Well let me tell you about this fine place.” He growled, “The government brought together a group of people whom showed signs of psychic or kinetic abilities, and tried to enhance those traits with alien DNA, such as the Annaunki race, and other experimental drugs. Everyone was sick all the time, some died quickly, while others suffered more slowly. Then there was still a handful that survived many months, with their bodies retained in cryo for future testing. In the end only eight of us survived. But the cost had taken its toll, and we rebelled the only way we knew how, with our newfound abilities, making them believe everyone had died and the project was a failure. But we survived, aging very slowly if at all, healing quickly, able to read minds, see the future, move objects, see in the dark, and highly intelligent. We are a super race.”
“Why are you telling me this?” She suddenly was frightened, knowing they would soon have to kill her.
“Because.” He stressed, “Miss Moral. You are one of us.”
“No!” she flatly replied, it just couldn’t be true, as she hissed, “You liar…”
“Yes.” He was positive, “You and Colton joined the project as a couple. We have brought others back from cryo, but we had to euthanize them because of loss of mentality.” Stating at last, “All we want is our race to survive.”
“Why do you need me?” She pleaded.
“At first we thought the cure Colten created to save you from cryo didn’t work, like all the others that we had to kill, all crazy.”
“But Colten claimed to see the future and you only needed time. My thoughts were that he was withholding the inevitable ending, all because of love. Love an overrated emotion. But his abilities have proven much stronger than even the rest of us combined. That is the only reason for your survival all these months.”
She was even more confused.
“Colton was right you only needed more time. You are part of the Annunaki race. With nothing to fear from us now.”
“No!” she cried, “I’m just dreaming again.”
The man held out his hand saying, “Then come. See the face of your dream.”
Slowly she walked up looking at the woman standing next to Colton in the photo, with his arm around her. The hair was pulled back, but no mistaking it was her own face.
Then reality come to call, she was one of these people. The Annunaki project was a sad mistake, so many had to die, and die again. Her memories sorrowfully came flooding back, as Colton sat beside her while she was sick, and somehow even now she knew the Annunaki race would rise above death and become strong once more.
Colton hurried to h
er side, wiping away her tears, telling her, “Everything’s all right now.”
Dream or nightmare, she belonged in his arms, and informed him, “We are having a baby.”
He was overjoyed, giving her a knowing smile, as he looked down at her, “I know.”
It ended with a kiss.
Thank you for reading. Annunaki, Exiled, Here in Sullen, Children of Elmhearse, After Dark, and Death do us part, which is part of a collection of short horror stories. You can also check out my book HADAGERY, which has a lot of horror. Please leave reviews
Annunaki Page 2