Sohum's Stories

WARNING: This is a scary story. If you get scared easily, consider not reading this story. This story is shown from multiple perspectives, unlike the previous two parts, which were only from the perspective of Lindsey Winterfield. This is a continuation of “The Demon Within Us – Part 1: Change” and “The Demon Within Us – Part 2: Growth.”

Part 3 – 48 Days After Part 2

Faris Holloway

My mother always told me that change, growth, and acceptance were the most useful things in life. Put together, one can overcome the most difficult obstacles in life easily.

Well, change and growth have happened to me. Acceptance, however, never will.

My name is Faris Holloway. I live with my 14-year-old daughter, Deliah. Deliah’s mother was taken from her at a young age – she left us for heaven.

The Apocalypse started on a fateful day. No one knows the exact details, but all we know is that it started with the entire Winterfield family – along with their neighbor, Mrs. Wilson – disappearing. Who knows where they went.

The apocalypse sure is giving everyone a fright, and it’s only barely begun.

People have been seeing monsters and creatures everywhere. The only thing they have in common is that they have nothing in common! It’s almost as if-

“I’m home!” Deliah yelled from downstairs.

Deliah randomly leaves the house every once in a while. I try to stop her, because who knows what horrid creatures fester outside in the apocalyptic wasteland. She always wears a red hoodie with a blue, scaly fish on it. The hoodie was the last gift from her mother.

“Close the door behind you! Don’t let any of them in,” I called out.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, the demons are dangerous, don’t let them in,” she replied.

Deliah doesn’t exactly think the demons are… terrible in any way. She thinks they are just as welcome to earth as we are, like lions or some other dangerous animal, which is obviously not true. The demons came from the underworld. They destroyed their home and came to ours.

At least we think they did. We aren’t really sure where they came from.

I look outside my cracked window. I watch the dead trees swaying in the dusty wind and wish for a better time – a time when the apocalypse is finally over.

Deliah Holloway

My father always is so overprotective! It’s not like I’m going to die the second I go outside! Besides, all I’m doing is a trip to the park. The most dangerous thing there is a rat biting me!

I know there are monsters and all, but they just need your trust – then they won’t kill you. I think.

What happened to “go get a breath of fresh air” or “you need your vitamin D”?

Before you tell me that the air isn’t fresh anymore and that the sun is covered by dust and smog more than half of the day, I know that already. I was just listing sayings.

Speaking of fresh air, now I think I’m going to go outside.

“Dad, I’m going out!” I yell.

“Uh-huh,” he murmurs back, clearly not acknowledging what I said at all. As I walk out the door, I can hear a faint “Wait, what?!” from upstairs.

Ahh, the autumn air hits me smack dab in the face. A cold, dusty breeze travels up my nostrils. Some could argue that the apocalypse was a terrible event. I say that it just adds more personality to the fall.

As I walk to the park, a creature leaps up out of the sewer drains, making me jump back. It glowed a pale, light blue color, with seaweed-green scales and a purple forked tongue.

It reminds me of the time I scared some woman by saying that she shouldn’t be here and some mystical mumbo-jumbo. I screamed at her a bunch and totally freaked her out.

It was awesome.

Anyway, the creature took me by surprise, and because it made a sudden movement, it made me make a sudden movement, which scared the creature.

It bit me on the hand, which made me yell out in pain. Doing this made the demon frightened to hell and back. It ran off, anxious and panicked.

My perspective of the demons changed at that moment. I still thought they were welcome on our planet, but I realized that they are much more dangerous than we thought.

I grabbed my pulsing, swelling hand and yelled out once more.

“AAAAAAAAGH!”

Alden Fishman

“Alden, sing a song for me, will you?” my gentle, feeble Ma said, in a voice that was barely a whisper.

Of course, I could never say no to her, so I sang my song, making up the words one at a time.

“Alden and his Ma, on a raft they roam
Through waters wild, far from their home
The skies are dark, the world in disarray
But together they’ll find their way

Oh, Alden’s raft in the apocalypse
A boy and his Ma, in a world eclipse
With courage in their hearts, they’ll never fear
As they journey on, through trials severe

The waves crash high, the winds they howl-“

“AAAAAGH!”

Interrupted. My song was interrupted. I wasn’t very angry, because it kind of fit into the song.

“Alden, boy, someone’s in trouble,” my Ma told me. “Go help ’em.”

I rushed over to the point of the scream and found a girl grabbing her swollen hand in agony.

“Oi! What’s the matter with ya?” I asked.

“My hand! It bit my hand!” she said.

“What bit ya hand?”

“The monster! It bit my hand!” she yelled out. I picked her up by the shoulder, unsure if being bit by the demons was safe or not.

“What’s ya name?” I asked.

“Deliah,” she replied.

“Ah. My name’s Alden,” I informed her. I brought her back to the boat, where Ma helped tend to her hand.

Ma had a mental bestiary of all the demons, and when Deliah described the creature to her, she was able to identify it as a Blind-eyed Gobblewonker. Apparently, they are really poisonous, so we had to find a way to get the poison out.

Ma devised two ways:

1. Suck the poison out ourselves, or

2. Use holy water. Holy water disintegrates demons, so maybe it will disintegrate the demon’s venom.

Everyone voted for option two.

Ma and I sailed our raft expertly as close to the church as we could. Because Ma has permanent nerve damage in her legs, she isn’t able to walk. Therefore, Deliah and I would walk the rest of the way.

“Alden, you know the way to the church, right?” Deliah asked.

“Yeah! Why else would ya be following me?” I said, a little too harshly.

“I’m sorry, I’m just… worried,” Deliah apologized. We kept walking in silence. I recited the way in my mind.

Right on Elm Street, keep going past Park Way, Left on Greenwich Boulevard, left on Orich Road, and so on and so forth.

Deliah collapsed a couple of times. I’m sure she’s fine? We kept walking until she fell down, face first.

“Deliah? Are ya okay?” I asked, nervously.

“It… It hurts… Help me, Alden!” she yelped out in agony. “I can’t get… I can’t get up!”

I hoisted her arm over my shoulder and kept walking. Blood leaked through her ears and nose.

“Help… help me…” she moaned.

Finally, we arrived at the church. The door was jammed shut by wooden planks boarded up along it.

Someone must have been very stupid because they left the hammer there.

I made quick work of the door and entered the building.

” ‘Ere we go. The church,” I said. I laid her down on a bench as I looked around for her “medicine.”

“Holy wa’er, holy wa’er… where are ya?” I whispered under my breath. Nothing was here in this abandoned church. I kept searching.

Where would they leave it?! Suddenly, I happened upon a secret trapdoor. I looked back at Deliah. Her eyes were pale, with her pupils as white as snow. Blood splattered everywhere, and her body jerked around like she was having a seizure.

I decided to open the trapdoor. It was my only choice.

Inside, there was…

A person?

Maura Donaghue

The thing outside threw things across the room. What was it looking for?

I could hear some sort of liquid splat on the floor. Then a creaking as it slowly opened the trapdoor.

I grasped my knife, ready to defend myself. I had been safe by myself for the first 48 days of the apocalypse, and I wish to remain safe for the rest of the apocalypse.

When the trapdoor fully opened, I jabbed the knife straight upwards. It made a squelching sound when it hit the creature’s flesh.

I looked again, and that was when I realized it was a human.

Oops.

The human grasped his eye in pain, and I surveyed the area. The splattering sound was the sound of the Boy’s friend’s blood hitting the floor.

That makes so much sense!

What am I saying? It makes no sense at all.

The boy dislodged my knife from his eye socket. He opened his mouth.

Oh boy. Prepare for his angry rampage.

“Do- Do ya have holy water?” he asked.

“Why would I have that?” I replied.

“Because… this is a church,” he said like it was the most obvious thing ever. He winced once more.

“Ohhhhh, was that what that water was? I drank it all,” I said. I remember arriving at the church the day it all started, finding the water, and thinking some kind fellow had put it there.

“Oops,” I said, sheepishly.

“Oops?! What do ya mean oops?! Her life is on the line and ya drank the only medicine that can save her?!” he yelled.

“Uh… yeah?”

He looked like he was about to practically explode with anger.

“Do ya have any of it left?!” he cried out, tired and annoyed.

“Yeah. One bottle.”

“Can ya give it to Deliah?” he asked, in a “this is an order, not a request” kind of way.

I gave it to the boy, who told me his name was Alden.

He made Deliah drink some, who instantly stopped bleeding internally.

She gradually stopped jerking around as much, and eventually was able to control her body once more.

Her pupils turned a hazelnut brown and she finally could talk.

“Thank you. Thank you both,” she said.

“Well, we’re gonna head back to our boat,” Alden said. “Ya wanna come with?”

“Sure,” I said. Three people are safer than one, after all.

It seems like this is going to be the start of a new adventure!

Aurora Fishman

I sat on the boat, waiting for my brave son and his injured friend to come back.

Five minutes passed. Then ten. Twenty. Thirty.

It shouldn’t have taken them this long. Are they okay? It was nearing night now…

Suddenly, a rustling noise came from the bush. I picked up my spear.

“Alden?” I called out. “Deliah?”

Like the gods had answered my prayers, Alden and Deliah arrived!

“Alden! Deliah!” I said, surprised.

“Hey, Gramma!” Alden cried.

“Gramma? That’s a new one. You’ve always just called me Ma.”

“Damn it, Garmag! You did it again!” yelled Deliah.

“Garmag?” I asked.

“Who did it again?” smirked Alden.

“Shut it!”

“What’s happening?” I replied, worriedly. “Alden? Deliah? Explain.”

“We were supposed to attack up close!” Deliah whispered, not quietly at all.

“Well excuse me, princess!”

“Attack?!” I cried. It suddenly hit me that these two were not the children I knew. They were demons.

But I can’t escape. My legs… they’re not made for running, especially not after… what happened.

Suddenly, the two creatures transformed into… well… I don’t really know how to describe it, other than an oozing, pulsing mess of a monster. It was disgusting. They looked somewhat like this:

The creatures opened their mouth wide, charging at me like an angry gorilla.

They got closer and closer until they were finally upon me…

Faris Holloway

It’s been hours since Deliah left. I think she might be in trouble. I mean, sure, she’s left for hours before, but that was before I established a curfew: 6:00, no exceptions.

Maybe she was here all along! I hadn’t gone downstairs.

“Deliah? Are you there?” I called out.

No response. She wasn’t here.

I could practically hear the “Wow… Thanks, Mister Obvious” or some other snarky remark from Deliah downstairs.

Of course, I didn’t actually hear it, but you know what I mean.

I guess I’m going out to find her. In the apocalyptic wasteland. At night. In the dark. With the moon and stars covered by dust. And no electricity. Meaning no light. At all.

Real spooky.

“Deliah… You’re grounded when we get back,” I muttered under my breath as I got ready to go out.

I gathered my pocket knife and brought camouflage clothing to blend in and hide when a monster attacked me.

I slowly opened the door. Cold, fresh air rushed into the house as smog and dust spread across the living room floor.

Alright, I thought, You’re her only help. Go save your last remaining family member.

I walked out the door, unready and unsure about a new adventure…

Deliah Holloway

Alden, Maura, and I all travel back to the boat. Can’t keep Alden’s mother (or “Ma” as she wants me to call her) waiting for too long!

I feel so much better. I can sprint again! Jump again! Move again! I didn’t realize how much I valued movement until I lost it.

I suppose it’s that way with everything. Especially toilet paper.

Anyway, I’m so glad that I’ve been cured. That “Gobbledygwo-nper” thing’s poison was terrible.

Maura and I made Alden an eye patch and bandage because his left eye was permanently gouged out and bleeding.

“So, Maura, how’d you end up in the church?” I ask.

“We’re getting kinda close to the harbor now,” Alden said quietly, but loud enough we could both hear.

Maura opened her mouth to speak. Alden and I both fell silent.

“To answer your question, Deliah, it all started at the beginning of the apocalypse. I was at the mall with my mom, shopping for groceries or some other junk like that.”

“Only fifteen more blocks,” said Alden.

Maura and I stared daggers at him.

“Anyway… During the shopping, some random hobo barged in, yelling, ‘It has come upon us! He has chosen us!’ Practically everyone burst out laughing until we looked out the window and found out it had come upon us. Portals in the sky, screaming people everywhere, unbelievably scary creatures…”

“Ten blocks left,” Alden whispered.

“Ahem,” Maura said sternly. “Carrying on, my mom and I rushed to our shabby home, but someone (totally not me) left the door open when we left, and the house was overrun with the demons.”

“Five blocks left,” Alden said, through gritted teeth and under his breath, so quietly that I couldn’t hear it.

Maura could.

“SHUSH!” she yelled. “ANYway, I grabbed my mom’s hand and ran… and well…”

Alden and I exchanged nervous looks with each other.

“She couldn’t… She couldn’t run fast enough.”

“I’m… I’m sorry for your loss,” I said.

“I lost me dog in the apocalypse,” Alden said. “Not dead, just… lost.”

Maura gave a look of empathy.

“I ran,” Maura vented. “I ran and ran and ran. I stopped for no one. For nothing. I ran until my legs were physically incapable of running any longer. I mourned my mother’s death. I surveyed the area, knowing everywhere could be unsafe, and found this place. Didn’t know it was a church, because the cross was missing. Some demon probably broke it off.”

“Well, if you ever need a place to live, you can stay with me and me Ma,” Alden said.

“I accept that offer,” Maura said, slightly smiling in one corner.

Alden stared at her with his one remaining eye.

“What’re you looking at me for?!” she said, with a hint of anger.

“I’m not looking atcha, ya idiot. I’m looking at that!” Alden yelled, pointing.

I followed his gaze. Maura did the same.

Just across the corner was danger, running straight at us…

Alden Fishman

I grabbed Deliah and Maura’s hands and dove to the side while that thing kept running at us. It looked – and acted – like no demon. Something as smart as that couldn’t be a demon.

It was covered in garbage and muck, so I couldn’t see it clearly. It was relatively small, similar to the size of a dingo or housecat.

I ran until we reached a shop with a glass door. I took the two girls inside, just barely closing the door before that creature banged its head on the glass. Clearly, in its hurried rampage, it did not realize the door was there.

The creature rammed against the door over and over.

It rammed once, twice, three times, until finally, the door shattered open with an earsplitting “CRASH!”

We all fell onto our rear end, not thinking a mere creature such as that could break open the door.

I raised my arm above me to block the creature as it pounced upon me, and all the trash and dirt descended from its body and splatted on the ground as I awaited my death…

Still waiting…

I opened my eyes and saw…

“Bear?”

Maura Donaghue

The creature, now fully revealed as Alden’s pet dog, Bear, stared at Deliah and me, and sniffed at our shoes, before pouncing on our laps and licking us, too.

“Ya know, Bear’s your dog, too. You’re a part of the family now,” Alden informed me.

“He’s a cutie!” Deliah said, happy that we had not met our demise, and instead met a really fluffy – and dirty – dog.

“Come on, let’s go back to the raft,” Alden called out, up on his feet while we were still overcoming the shock of “The Creature”.

Alden offered Deliah his hand, and she hoisted me up – with Alden’s help – onto her feet.

Alden offered me the same, but I promptly refused and got up myself.

We walked back in silence, with the occasional “[number] blocks away” from Alden, and the even more rare whimper of hunger from Bear.

Suddenly, Alden burst out with a happy whistle.

It was pretty good.

“What song are you whistling to?” I asked, impatiently.

“An old song me Pa taught me,” Alden said. “About fishermen. It’s called, ‘The Harbour’s Anthem’.”

“It’s nice,” I said.

“Yeah,” Alden replied, quietly. “Reminds me of me Pa. Me ma and pa passed away when I was young – too young to remember them otherwise.”

“What about your Ma on the raft?” Deliah asked, concerned.

“She’s me grandma,” Alden responded. “She adopted me when they passed, so I thought she was me ma, and I called her that. When I grew older and realized she was my grandma, it had already stuck and no one let me change it.”

Deliah and I stared – at Alden, and at each other. We had no idea about this “dark” upbringing.

“One block left,” Alden said, expertly changing the subject.

We continued the walk in silence.

The calm before the storm.

” ‘Ere we are! The harbor!” said Alden cheerily, looking at us. Then he turned around and walked into his raft. “Ma, we’re hom-“

“What? What is it?” Deliah asked. We both hurriedly rushed over.

There he was. Alden, kneeling on the ground, by his Ma, holding her hand.

His Ma, lying on the ground, eyes closed, stomach ripped open, flesh exposed, blood mixing with lake water…

Aurora Fishman

The three children crowded around me. I slowly opened my eyes. Ow! It pained me to move. To sprint. To jump. Everything was blurry.

I opened my mouth.

I could hear a faint “She’s alive!” coming from one of the girls.

“Alden…” I called out in a gravelly voice.

“Yes, Ma?” I could see the tears in his eyes.

“Don’t… Trust… Anyone… They can… They can transform into… Into humans,” I said, straining my voice.

“Ma… Look, Bear is back!”

“Yes, I… I see,” I said. I couldn’t see. Bear licked my face and whimpered.

“Do… Do you want anything?”

“Sing… Sing me a song, please. Your voice… It’s the only thing that makes me happy.” My voice got fainter and fainter.

“Okay, Ma…”

“In a small, quiet town, lived an old woman gray,
With laughter in her eyes, and wisdom to convey.
Her heart was pure gold, her spirit ever bright,
But darkness lurked nearby, waiting for the night.

She’s climbing up to heaven, on wings of grace,
Guided by angels, to a better place.
Though the reaper took her life, she’ll shine forevermore,
In the arms of her
Maker, on that distant shore.

One fateful evening, under the moon’s pale glow,
A shadow crept close, with intentions dark and low.
It whispered wicked lies, spun a web of deceit,
And in a moment’s silence, brought her to her feet.

She’s climbing up to heaven, on wings of grace,
Guided by angels, to a better place.
Though the reaper took her life, she’ll shine forevermore,
In the arms of her
Maker, on that distant shore.

But as her soul departed, from this earthly plane,
Her light grew brighter, casting out the stain.
With courage in her heart, and faith as her shield,
She embraced the unknown, to never more yield.

She’s climbing up to heaven, on wings of grace,
Guided by angels, to a better place.
Though the reaper took her life, she’ll shine forevermore,
In the arms of her
Maker, on that distant shore.

So let the bells ring out, let the heavens sing,
For the old woman’s journey, on angel’s wings.
Though she faced the darkest night, her spirit now is free, Forever in our hearts, her memory will be.”

His salty tears fell on my neck. It stung my skin while mixing in with the blood.

He hugged me once more.

I told him one more thing:

“I love you, my son, my only kin. I love you, Alden.”

Then it all…

Turned…

Black.

Faris Holloway

I had a direct course for the apocalypse. The park. She said she was going there. I continued walking through the apocalypse, scared and nervous. I even jumped at the sound of a twig breaking before my feet!

I tried to make some poems or limericks about this to calm me.

“In a wasteland, a man takes a stroll,
Through the debris and dust, he does patrol.
With a straight face, he strides,
As the world around him abides,
Thinking all is well, his heart whole.”

Hmm. Not shabby. I’ll try another stanza. I thought.

“In a wasteland so bleak and bare,
He saunters without a care.
Amid ruins and strife,
He embraces his life,
Thinking all’s fine with the wind in his hair.”

More! My brain hungered.

“In a wasteland of desolate plains,
He walks with no hint of disdain.
Through the rubble and sand,
He ambles, unplanned,
Thinking, “All is well,” as he reigns.

Through desolate lands, he roams free,
No worry or fear does he see.
In the wasteland’s embrace,
He finds solace and grace,
Content in his own company.”

Ok. Now let’s put it together.

“In a wasteland, a man takes a stroll,
Through the debris and dust, he does patrol.
With a straight face, he strides,
As the world around him abides,
Thinking all is well, his heart whole.

In a wasteland so bleak and bare,
He saunters without a care.
Amid ruins and strife,
He embraces his life,
Thinking all’s fine with the wind in his hair.

In a wasteland of desolate plains,
He walks with no hint of disdain.
Through the rubble and sand,
He ambles, unplanned,
Thinking, “All is well,” as he reigns.

Through desolate lands, he roams free,
No worry or fear does he see.
In the wasteland’s embrace,
He finds solace and grace,
Content in his own company.”

“Perfect! All it needs now is- WOAH!”

I fell into a hole. A man-made hole. Or a demon-made hole?

It felt like I fell for days. For weeks. Years. Some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, I passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, it turned out that I fell into a ditch about two feet tall.

“Oh,” I said. “That was anticlimactic.” I stood up and was about to walk out of the hole and continue my course to the park, but then a very small net came over my head. It reached from my head to my neck.

I turned around and saw two small demons.

“Gods of Aurixiomar, don’t harm us!” one of them yelled, in a very small, quiet, and squeaky voice.

“What’s Aurixiomar? Anyway, I won’t hurt you.” I reassured them.

“You don’t know what Aurixiomar is?” the second one yelled.

“Um… Yeah. Should I?”

“Feronaxar, he doesn’t know what Aurixiomar is!” the first one said. I had to really strain my ears to hear them.

“I know, Loxlthor, I heard him say it!” The second one said.

“Geez, man! We know what Earth is, you should at least know what Aurixiomar is!” said Loxlthor.

“Earth is a planet.”

“So is Aurixiomar!” yelled Loxlthor. “It’s where we came from! In fact, you should be thankful you ran into us and not into other Aurixios. We’re peaceful, but the others – not so much.”

“So you guys aren’t demons?” I asked, confused. “You aren’t from the underworld?”

“BRO – have you not been listening the entire time?” asked Feronaxar. “Let me make it simple: We aliens from Aurixiomar. We called Aurixios.”

“I know, I’m just confused about that. When you all first arrived, everyone said you were demons.”

“So? Just because everyone does or says something, does it make it right?” asked Feronaxar.

“Psst! Yes, it does!” whispered Loxlthor.

“No it doe- You know what, never mind.”

“Well, I’ve got to leave. I have to find my daughter.” I called out to them.

I was starting to walk away, when suddenly…

“Hey!” yelled Feronaxar. “Be careful out there.”

That one interaction changed my view of the Aurixios forever.

Deliah Holloway

We stood at Ma’s grave. It wasn’t much, because we don’t have much. I wish we could have made a better funeral than just using a shovel, a rock, and a Sharpie. I wish we could have had a bigger funeral than just us three. She deserves it, after all.

But we don’t have the resources or the people to do that.

Alden’s tears trickled down his face, like rain from a cloud.

“She… She shouldn’t have…” he whispered.

Maura held his shoulder in empathy.

They had done so much for me, and what did I give them back? A death and a lost eye.

Alden Fishman – Two Days Later

As dawn broke over the apocalyptic wasteland, the sky ignited with a dazzling display of color, casting a serene yet ominous glow.

The landscape, scarred by destruction, lay silent beneath the golden hues, a stark contrast to the beauty above. Shadows danced among the ruins, hinting at the lingering fears that haunted the desolate world.

In this fleeting moment, the sunrise painted a picture of both breathtaking beauty and unsettling foreboding.

The serene facade of dawn was juxtaposed by the remnants of a world once teeming with life, now hauntingly quiet and haunted by memories of the past.

In this fragile moment between darkness and light, the sunrise over the wasteland was both a spectacle of awe and a reminder of the balance between hope and despair in a world forever changed.

Amid the sunrise, my heart pounded with worry as I watched the sun rise above the horizon, casting shadows across the desolate landscape.

Deliah had ventured to the store hours ago, promising a swift return with many resources. Yet, as the moments stretched into eternity, anxiety gnawed at my soul.

Every creak of the crumbling buildings amplified my fears, each gust of wind carrying whispers of danger.

With each passing minute, my concern deepened, imagining the worst scenarios playing out in my mind. In the eerie silence of the twilight, my world narrowed to a single, desperate thought: where was Deliah, and would she ever return?

Maura Donaghue

I woke up, tired, wishing for just one more hour of sleep. I lay down, closed my eyes, and tried to fall back into my dreams.

It didn’t work.

Even though it was early, nevertheless I decided to start the day. I noticed Deliah and Alden’s beds were empty. I climbed out of my bed and washed my face. There was no need to change my clothes because I had no pajamas.

I saw a shadowy figure, gathering materials from our boat. The figure was sewing something on its eye, so I recognized it as Alden. He was sewing the eyepatch on to make it permanent.

I cleared my throat.

“Hey,” I said. My voice was groggy.

“Hey,” he said back. Clearly, he had woken up much earlier. “Want breakfast?”

“What’s for breakfast?”

“Spam.” Alden could clearly see my revolted face. “Deliah was supposed to go out for resources, but she hasn’t come back yet,” he said quickly.

“So you’re going out to find her?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe wait a little longer. She might just have brought a lot of food.”

“I’ve waited all night, and all of yesterday, Maura!”

Amidst all the commotion, Bear had woken up and was slowly trotting towards us. He stuck his tongue out and whimpered hungrily.

“Alright, alright,” Alden said, giving in to Bear’s puppy dog eyes. He gave Bear some bacon.

“We have bacon?!” I asked, confused about why Bear was getting higher quality food than us.

“Only enough for Bear. There are only five strips. I gave three to him. The other two’s for us.”

Alden and I ate our spam and bacon on the table, alongside Bear, on the floor.

Finally, once we all were done, we walked off the boat.

Three shadowy figures, walking through the apocalypse. What could possibly go wrong?

Faris Holloway

In the eerie silence of the post-apocalyptic world, I walked alone, my footsteps echoing off the desolate buildings that stood as silent witnesses to humanity’s downfall. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the once bustling streets were now hauntingly empty, save for the occasional rustling of debris carried by the wind.

I clutched my pocket knife tightly, my heart pounding in my chest with every step I took. I knew I wasn’t alone out here. Shadows danced in the corners of my vision, and strange noises echoed from the darkness beyond.

As I ventured deeper into the heart of the ruined city, the sense of dread weighing on me grew heavier. Buildings loomed like silent giants, their shattered windows casting eerie shadows on the cracked pavement below.

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the silence, sending a shiver down my spine. I froze in my tracks, my senses on high alert as I strained to locate the source of the sound. But all I could see was darkness, swallowing the world whole.

With trembling hands, I continued forward, each step heavier than the last. The air seemed to grow colder, and a sense of impending doom hung heavy in the atmosphere.

And then, as if from nowhere, they came. Grotesque figures emerged from the shadows, their twisted forms illuminated by the faint glow of the moon. They moved with an otherworldly grace, their eyes gleaming with hunger as they closed in on me.

They wore black cloaks, making me unable to see them. From the shadows covering their face, I could see two glowing figures, most likely their eyes. Their dirty teeth were visible, as saliva dripped from their mouth.

Heart pounding, I fought with every ounce of strength I had, but it was futile. I screamed, I kicked, I yelled, but the creatures overpowered me, dragging me into the darkness as my screams joined the cacophony of terror that echoed through the night.

And in the silence that followed, the world continued to crumble, a haunting reminder of the horrors that lurked just beyond the edge of our world.

Deliah Holloway

In the desolate wasteland of the post-apocalyptic world, I ran blindly through the barren landscape, my heart heavy with guilt and fear. The memory of Ma’s death haunted me with every step, a relentless echo in the depths of my mind.

I can’t shake the feeling that it was my fault. If only we had been faster, stronger, smarter… maybe we could have saved her. But now, there was nothing left but regret and the gnawing terror that seemed to follow me wherever she went.

The shadows seemed to reach out for me as I ran, twisting and contorting into grotesque shapes that seemed to mock my pain. My breath came in ragged gasps, my legs burning with exhaustion, but still, I couldn’t stop. Not until I had outrun my demons, if that were even possible.

As night fell, I found myself alone in the darkness, the only sound the pounding of my own heartbeat in my ears. Every rustle of the wind, every creak of the abandoned buildings around me, sent shivers down my spine.

And then, just when I thought I couldn’t bear it any longer, I heard it. A soft whisper in the darkness, like a voice calling out to me from beyond the grave. I froze, my blood running cold as I strained to locate the source of the sound.

But there was nothing there. Just the empty expanse of the wasteland, stretching out into infinity. Or so I thought.

As I turned to run, I felt it. A cold hand closing around my ankle, dragging me down into the depths of the earth. I screamed, clawing desperately at the ground, but it was no use. The darkness swallowed me whole, leaving nothing behind but the echoing laughter of the shadows.

And in that moment, I knew. Ma’s death wasn’t my fault. But in this unforgiving world, the past could never truly be escaped.

Alden Fishman

In the desolate aftermath of the apocalypse, Maura and I embarked on a perilous journey through the bleak landscape, our hearts heavy with worry for our missing friend. We knew the dangers that lurked in the shadows, but our determination to find her outweighed our fear.

As we ventured deeper into the barren wasteland, the air grew thick with an oppressive silence, broken only by the occasional eerie howl of the wind. Every step felt like a battle against the encroaching darkness, but Maura and I pressed on, fueled by hope and desperation.

Their search led them to the outskirts of a dilapidated city, where the crumbling ruins loomed like silent sentinels, guarding their secrets jealously. My heart raced as I scanned the desolate streets, my senses on high alert for any sign of Delilah.

And then, amidst the eerie silence, we heard it. A faint cry echoing from the depths of the city, carrying with it a sense of urgency that sent chills down our spines. Without hesitation, we followed the sound, our footsteps echoing off the crumbling buildings as we raced toward the source of the distress call.

But as we ventured deeper into the heart of the city, the shadows seemed to grow darker, the air heavier with an unspoken dread. My grip tightened on my makeshift weapon, my senses tingling with an instinctual fear as we reached the abandoned alley where Delilah’s cry had originated.

As we ventured deeper into the heart of the city, our hopes of finding Delilah began to fade like the dying embers of a fire. The shadows seemed to grow darker, and the air heavier with an unspoken dread.

Their footsteps echoed off the crumbling buildings as we pressed on, our determination unwavering despite the creeping sense of unease that lingered in the air.

As we reached the abandoned alley where we had hoped to find Delilah, our hearts sank as we realized it was a dead end. The looming shadows seemed to mock our efforts, offering no solace or sign of our missing friend. With heavy hearts, we turned away, their determination unshaken as they continued their search in the unforgiving darkness.

We exchanged a somber glance, our hearts heavy with the realization that our friend may be lost to the darkness forever. But together, we knew we have to carry on, or else terrible things could happen in the face of the unknown.

With a heavy sigh, we prepared to continue our journey, a sudden chill swept through the alley, freezing us in our tracks. And then, without warning, we were surrounded. Shadowy figures emerged from the darkness, their twisted forms advancing with eerie grace.

Bear quickly ran, escaping the shadows. Us, however, did not.

We fought with all their might, but it was futile. The darkness enveloped us, swallowing us whole as our screams echoed through the empty streets.

And in the silence that followed, the city reclaimed its secrets, leaving nothing behind but the haunting echoes of lost souls in the night.

Maura Donaghue

In the unforgiving darkness, I wandered alone, my heart heavy with the weight of solitude. The shadows seemed to stretch endlessly, swallowing the remnants of humanity whole, leaving me feeling utterly isolated in a world devoid of light.

Every step felt like a battle against the encroaching despair, my heart heavy with the weight of loneliness.

I couldn’t stop thinking, Was I alone? Were Alden and Deliah… Gone?

But then, like a beacon in the night, I spotted them. Alden and Delilah stood before me, their figures barely visible in the shadowy world. In that fleeting moment, a surge of hope flooded my soul, casting aside the shadows of doubt that had plagued me.

Tears of relief welled up in my eyes as I rushed to embrace my companions, their presence a lifeline in the vast expanse of darkness. In their arms, I found a sanctuary from the relentless solitude that had threatened to consume me.

With renewed determination, we stood together, united against the relentless tide of despair. As we forged onward, I knew that with the strength of our bond guiding them, we would find a way out of the darkness, no matter how insurmountable the odds seemed.

As we journeyed onward through the darkness, my keen eyes caught sight of a faint tear in the oppressive shadows. A glimmer of light pierced through the darkness, beckoning us towards the promise of escape.

With newfound hope coursing through my veins, I led the way towards the beacon of light, my heart racing with anticipation.

But as we neared the tear in the shadows, my breath caught in my throat as I realized it was slowly closing. Panic surged through us as the light threatened to slip away, leaving us trapped once more in the suffocating darkness.

With each passing moment, the gap grew narrower, the faint glow fading into oblivion.

As we neared the tear in the shadows, Alden and Delilah, fueled by a shared determination, surged forward with a burst of speed that left me trailing behind.

Their desperate sprint propelled them towards the narrowing gap, their outstretched hands just grazing the fading light. With a final leap, they pushed through the diminishing tear, their bodies bathed in the warm glow of escape just as it threatened to close shut.

Desperation clawed at my chest as I reached out, my fingertips brushing against the fading light.

Just as all hope seemed lost, Alden’s strong hand closed around mine, pulling me back from the brink of despair. Together, we surged forward, our determination unyielding in the face of adversity.

With one final leap of faith, I burst through the closing tear in the shadows, emerging into the blinding brilliance of freedom.

As we stood bathed in the warm glow of the sun, I knew that we had escaped the clutches of darkness, our bond stronger than ever before.

Bear sat there, waiting for us with a concerned look on his face.

And as we embraced in the light of our victory, I whispered a silent thank you to Alden, knowing that without him, I would have been lost to the darkness forever.

Faris Holloway

Stuck. Cemented. Trapped. Captured. Fastened. Cornered.

Right now, I was all of those things. The creatures took me to the abandoned Deli and they put a thick silver chain around my body. The strapped me to a post so I couldn’t move as well.

“⌰⟒⏁ ⏁⊑⟒ ⎅⏃⍀☍ ⊑⏃⍀⎐⟒⌇⏁ ⏚⟒☌⟟⋏,” one of them said.

“What are you guys saying?” I asked.

“Aurixiomarian,” the first one said. “Our language.”

“Prophet, shall we begin?” said another.

“Yes. Reapers, join the circle. The Dark Harvest is beginning.”

They all walked behind a wall so I couldn’t see anything. They must have not known how windows work, because I could see through the window.

The Prophet drew a small circle with these weird symbols on the side. I can try to recreate the symbols to my best extent, so here it is: ⊑⟒ ⏁⊑⟟⍀⌇⏁⌇. ⊑⟒ ⊑⎍⋏☌⟒⍀⌇. ⏁⊑⟒ ⍀⟒⟟☌⋏ ⍜⎎ ⏃⎍⍀⟟⌖⟟⍜⋔⏃⍀ ⌰⟟⎐⟒⌇ ⍜⋏.. I could tell who the Prophet was because it had a small picture of a sideways crescent moon on its forehead, at least the part of the cloak that the forehead is under.

The Prophet drew the circle with some sort of caterpillar instead of chalk, by squeezing the bug so its blood came out of its mouth. The bug was clearly alive because it made clicking noises every couple seconds.

“⎅⏃⍀☍ ⊑⏃⍀⎐⟒⌇⏁ ⎅⏃⍙⋏⌇, ⋔⏃⋏☍⟟⋏⎅’⌇ ⟒⋏⎅ ⋏⟒⏃⍀, ⏚⏃⌰⏃⋏☊⟒ ⏚⍀⟒⏃☍⌇, ☊⊑⏃⍜⌇ ⌇⟒⏃⍀⌇,” they chanted.

“⊑⟒ ⟟⌇ ⋏⟒⏃⍀⌰⊬ ⎍⌿⍜⋏ ⎍⌇,” the Prophet said.”⟟ ☊⏃⋏ ⎎⟒⟒⌰ ⊑⟟⋔ ⎍⌿⍜⋏ ⏁⊑⟒ ⍙⟟⋏⎅. ⟟⏁ ☊⍜⎍⍀⌇⟒⌇ ⏁⊑⍀⍜⎍☌⊑ ⋔⊬ ⏚⌰⍜⍜⎅. ⟟⏁ ⌿⎍⌰⌇⟒⌇ ⏁⊑⍀⍜⎍☌⊑ ⋔⊬ ⎐⟒⟟⋏⌇. ⊑⟒ ⏁⊑⟟⍀⌇⏁⌇. ⊑⟒ ⊑⎍⋏☌⟒⍀⌇. ⏁⊑⟒ ⎅⏃⍀☍ ⊑⏃⍀⎐⟒⌇⏁ ⊑⏃⌇ ⏚⟒☌⎍⋏.”

The circle glowed as the reapers made a symbol with its hands. It was like an OK sign, but the middle finger is clenched into a fist. The right palm rested against the bottom part of the middle finger, fully open, and it was facing towards their face.

“☊⍜⋏⌇⏁⍀⎍☊⏁ ⏁⊑⟒ ☌⏃⏁⟒⍙⏃⊬, ⍀⎍⌿⏁⎍⍀⟒ ⏁⊑⟒ ⏚⏃⍀⍀⟟⟒⍀, ⎍⋏⌰⟒⏃⌇⊑ ⎅⟟⌇⍜⍀⎅⟒⍀, ⏃⌰⌰⍜⍙ ⍀⟒⏃⌰⋔⌇ ⏁⍜ ⋔⟒⍀☌⟒.⏁⊑⟒ ⍜⎐⟒⍀⌰⍜⍀⎅ ⟟⌇ ☊⍜⋔⟟⋏☌, ⍙⟟⏁⊑ ⏃ ⏁⊑⟟⍀⌇⏁ ⎎⍜⍀ ⏚⌰⍜⍜⎅, ⍙⊑⟟⌰⟒ ⋔⏃⋏☍⟟⋏⎅ ⟟⌇ ⎅⟒⏃⎅, ⏃⋏⎅ ⊑⟒⌰⌰’⌇ ⟟⋏ ⏃ ⎎⌰⍜⍜⎅,” they chanted.

The circle glowed until a black, rough-edged sphere was summoned floating just a couple feet above the ground. It hovered in the middle of the circle. It glitched, like it was a hologram seeing into wherever this… sphere was.

“Who dares disturb my slumber?!” it yelled.

“My lord! It is I, Agaric!” yelled the Harvester. “We are here, on Earth!” The Harvester pulled off his hood to reveal a scaly, spiky mess with scars all across his face.

“Agaric?”

“Yes, it is I, your advisor!”

“You betrayed me! You used your black magic to bring an end to the monarchy of Aurixiomar!”

“NO!” yelled Agaric. It looked angrily at Agaric, like a king would do to a peasant trying to put him in the time-out corner. “I mean…. The portal closed when you walked through. That horrid act killed you, bringing you to the Netherglow, but I am here to bring you back!”

“What makes you think I want to come back?”

“I… I don’t… I mean, I would have like it, but… I suppose…” Agaric mumbled.

“I am perfectly content where I am. I do not want to come back.”

“⋔⊬ ⌰⍜⍀⎅, ⟟ ⎅⏃⍀⟒ ⏁⍜ ⌇⏃⊬, ⏃⎍⍀⟟⌖⟟⍜⋔⏃⍀ ⋏⟒⟒⎅⌇ ⊬⍜⎍,” argued Agaric. “⍙⟒ ⋏⟒⟒⎅ ⊬⍜⎍ ⏁⍜ ☊⍜⋏⏁⟟⋏⎍⟒ ⍜⎍⍀ ⌰⟒☌⏃☊⊬, ⍜⎍⍀ ⍀⟒⟟☌⋏. ⍙⟟⏁⊑⍜⎍⏁ ⊬⍜⎍, ⍙⟒ ⊑⏃⎐⟒ ⋏⍜ ⍜⋏⟒ ⏁⍜ ⍀⎍⌰⟒ ⎍⌇, ⏁⍜ ⌇⏃⎐⟒ ⎍⌇.”

“⟒⎐⟒⋏ ⟟⎎ ⟟ ⎅⟟⎅ ⍙⏃⋏⏁ ⏁⍜ ☊⍜⋔⟒, ⊑⍜⍙ ⍙⍜⎍⌰⎅ ⊬⍜⎍ ⏚⟒ ⏃⏚⌰⟒ ⏁⍜ ☊⍀⟒⏃⏁⟒ ⏃ ⌿⍜⍀⏁⏃⌰? ⏁⊑⟒ ⊑⊬⌿⟒⍀☌⌰⏃⌇⌇ ⋔⏃⏁⏁⟒⍀ ⟟⌇ ⌰⍜⍙ ⍜⋏ ⟒⏃⍀⏁⊑, ⏃⋔⍜⋏☌⌇⏁ ⍜⏁⊑⟒⍀ ⌿⍀⍜⏚⌰⟒⋔⌇.”

“I brought many Grashilds. They support an overwhelming amount of Hyperglass matter.”

“Agaric, I have been starved in the Netherglow. I thirst. I hunger.”

“Yes, we have prepared for that, my lord. Fresh, human blood, only the best for the Overlord.”

“Yes… Bring it to me…”

Agaric left the Reapers at the circle and walked towards me.

“Are… Are you going to kill me?” I asked.

“No, I would never do such a thing.”

I exhaled a sigh of relief.

“Why kill you once when I could slowly take your blood, giving him a great snack?”

He took out an injection, with some black fluid inside, and stabbed my arm with it. He drained the blood with a valve.

Blood leaked out across the floor.

“⏚⌰⍜⍜⎅ ⏚⍀⟟⋏☌⌇ ⊑⟟⋔ ☊⌰⍜⌇⟒⍀. ⟟ ☊⏃⋏ ⌇⋔⟒⌰⌰ ⊑⟟⌇ ⟒⌇⌇⟒⋏☊⟒. ⏁⊑⟒ ⊑⟒⏃⍀⏁ ⍜⎎ ⏁⊑⟒ ⍾⎍⟒⟒⋏ ⟟⌇ ⟟⋏ ⏁⊑⟒ ⌰⏃☊⍾⎍⟒⍀⟒⎅ ⏚⍜⌖,” he said as he walked to the Overlord.

“I can feel it upon the wind. I thirst. I hunger.”

Everything went blurry, and then…

Black.

Deliah Holloway

We walked back to the raft, with nothing to lose, unaware of what lurks just beyond the edges of our world.

I worriedly explained why I ran away. The other two understood immediately, because they could connect with me, since they had family members who had passed as well.

We decided to walk back to my home, because my father was probably worried after his child had been missing for days.

In the dim glow of dawn, we navigated the desolate streets, my breath forming misty clouds in the frigid air. The remnants of a once-thriving city loomed around me like silent sentinels of a forgotten time. Crumbling buildings bear the scars of an unseen catastrophe, their shattered windows reflecting the eerie stillness that now pervades the urban landscape.

With each step, I crunched over debris and detritus, the only sound in this ghostly realm. Nature had begun to reclaim what was once hers, with vines snaking through cracks in the pavement and weeds pushing defiantly through cracks in the asphalt. The skyline, once punctuated by towering skyscrapers, now stands jagged and broken against the pale morning sky.

In the distance, a faint wisp of smoke rises, a solitary beacon in the desolation. It serves as a grim reminder of the harsh reality of this new world, where survival is a daily struggle against the odds. Yet amidst the ruins and the rubble, there is a strange sense of tranquility, a quiet beauty in the stillness of the apocalypse.

We kept watching the cold, dirty landscape until we finally arrived at my house. Alden and Maura left me right then and there to go back to their boat. Better to not be outside during nightfall.

51 days into the apocalypse, I opened the door. My father was not downstairs, because other than dinner he was always upstairs.

I closed the door before slowly trotting up the stairs, one by one, until I was finally at the top. I knocked once, twice, three times on the door.

“Dad? It’s Deliah.”

No response.

I opened the door unsure what to expect, only to find…

He wasn’t there.

My dad was missing.

Alden Fishman

The once-vibrant city now lay in ruins, its towering skyscrapers mere skeletons of steel and glass reaching desperately toward the gray sky. Streets that were once bustling with life now lay silent, cracked and overrun with weeds reclaiming their territory. The air hung heavy with dust, carrying the faint scent of smoke and decay.

As we made our way back to the docks, the path was treacherous, littered with debris and remnants of what used to be civilization. The occasional gust of wind sent clouds of ash swirling around us, stinging my eyes and coating my clothes with a fine layer of grime. The sun, a dim orb barely visible through the thick haze, cast an eerie, blood-red glow over the desolation.

Amidst the destruction, there were signs of life struggling to survive. Small lizard and bug scavengers picked through the rubble, searching for anything of value amidst the wreckage. Feral animals prowled the streets, their eyes gleaming with hunger and desperation.

As Maura and I approached the docks, the sight of my boat offered a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. Its weathered hull rocked gently in the polluted waters, a solitary beacon in the sea of devastation.

Leaving the town I grew up in was devastating, and I knew I would miss this place and Deliah, but it had to be done. For my – and Maura’s – safety. In honor of Ma.

With each step, I could feel the weight of the apocalyptic landscape pressing down on me, but I pressed on, determined to leave this nightmare behind and seek whatever refuge the open ocean might offer.

Maura Donaghue

Alden and Bear were already at the wheel, and they beckoned for me to follow them.

Stepping on the boat was a tough decision. It meant leaving the only home I ever knew, leaving my mom, and leaving my life, but it also meant salvation, and safety from this horrid apocalypse.

It meant answers.

I don’t know if the apocalypse is just here, or if it is a worldwide event, but Alden, Bear, and I were soon going to find out.

I stepped onto the boat, ready for adventure, answers, and a new place to call home.

Our train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a crimson, slimy creature, with two protruding legs, no torso, and an ugly, blobfish-like face. Strings jutted out from its forehead. It was sweating, and blood leaked out of its mouth

“⏁⊑⟒ ⍜⎐⟒⍀⌰⍜⍀⎅ ⏃⍙⏃⟟⏁⌇ ⊬⍜⎍. ⌿⍀⟒⌿⏃⍀⟒ ⎎⍜⍀ ☊⊑⏃⍜⌇,” it yelled. “⏁⊑⟒ ⊑⏃⍀⏚⟟⋏☌⟒⍀ ⊑⏃⌇ ⏃⍀⍀⟟⎐⟒⎅.”

It abruptly vomited a big, chunky pile of blood, leaving only a big mess and a corpse in our hands.

“Well,” Alden said, “This is a great start to our journey.”

Bear barked in agreement.

Faris Holloway

In my dreams, Deliah and Mialo were still with me. We were at that park, the one were Mialo and I met.

Deliah had met Mialo, her mother, a very few amount of times. Maybe three to six days before Mialo succumbed to a new disease that no one had ever seen before.

In my dreams, Mialo was alive. She had never got that horrid disease, and the apocalypse never started.

But that was just a dream. Not reality.

An illusion.

Hope is an illusion.

Deliah is lost, Mialo is dead, I’m going to be sacrificed, and Earth’s demise is coming.

I woke up with a thick, blunt stab in my arm. Agaric’s needle.

“Wake up, sacrifice. We don’t want the Overlord to be upset with you, do we?”

I swatted him, weakly, with my tired, worn-down arms. Agaric quickly had a change of expression, from a knowing look to an angry one.

“Look, kid. I’m more than 25,000 years older than you, and I know more than you. I know you can either willingly let my lord come through, or you can let him come in angrily. It’s your choice: The easy way, or the hard way.”

“I…” I mumbled. “I choose… the hard way.” I slapped him, this time with much more force, on his face. His firm scales bruised my palm, leaving a battered, bloody hand, while Agaric didn’t even flinch.

“Alright, boy. I didn’t want to do this, but…” He raised his knife up, ready to stab me. “You want it the hard way, eh? Alright, I’ll give you the hard way.” He brought the knife down, square on my heart.

I gasped for air, before slowly collapsing back on the floor.

Deliah Holloway

Alone. I’m alone.

No family. No friends. No life.

I suppose now the only thing I can do is to get back to Alden’s boat. At least I know there’s civilization there.

I closed the door, before rummaging through the rubble for anything that could be of use. Nothing except an empty packet of Sailor Snax, a Popeye-themed graham cracker snack that was cancelled about two years ago. I wonder how it got here?

I made my way across the wasteland, passing many different, crumbling buildings, while looking for any sign of life, both human life and demon life.

I eventually stumbled upon two small, slimy creatures. One of them whined, “Feronaxar, I’m tired of this ‘Broccoli’ garbage!”

“Loxlthor, stop whining! We can’t be too finicky or we’ll starve.” ‘Feronaxar’ said.

“Fine,” he harrumphed, extending the n and e when he said it, sounding like a hangry baby.

I hid behind a small, half burnt, dead bush, as the two demons kept arguing.

“Shh! Loxlthor…” Feronaxar said, his voice now barely a whisper. “Somebody is… watching us.”

He slowly turned his head towards my bush, before Loxlthor, unable to control himself, lunged at my face. Fortunately for me, he was too short to reach my face. Unfortunately, he got my legs, and was tearing away at the flesh.

Feronaxar quickly restrained Loxlthor, who was yelling, “Lemme at her! Lemme at her!”

“Loxlthor! Look at her face, she looks like that Faris guy! Maybe she’s the person that Faris dude was looking for!”

“But she’s a spy! WE HANG SPIES!” Loxlthor yelled.

“That was our old job. We don’t hang Aurixiomarians at the gallows anymore.”

“Fine. I’m letting her go just this once. If she tries anything again…” He made a motion with his hand, pretending as though there was a noose around his neck and that he had a hand on the rope above him.

He suddenly jerked his hand upwards, making a constipated face, as though he was saying, I really want to hang someone.

I decided to keep walking, and the two slimy organisms pointed me in the right way. However, it was nearing night, so I decided to seek refuge at the nearby Deli, remembering Alden’s rule: “Never traverse the wasteland at night.”

I recalled a moment, long before the apocalypse. I was around six then. I ordered a foot-long sub that my father and I shared. I remembered the juice in the slab of chicken, the crispy – but soft – lettuce, the tomatoes I always left out, and how I described it as “Supa dupa gowd!”

Those were the days.

With a revolting jerk, I was brought back to reality. I opened the glass door, seeing the “Open” sign, and changing it to “Closed”.

Then I turned my head around. I found a cloaked figure, raising a metal bar over its head.

Then I ran.

The Deli, a once glorious haven of food had now become a devastating reminder that in the apocalypse, nowhere is safe.

Alden Fishman

I put my hand on the wheel. Usually Ma would steer, but now that job has been passed on to me.

The waves slowly crashed against the barnacle-covered hull. Maura stared at me, as if it was a motion for me to start.

We brought the old, dirty sail, made from a big old rag Ma stopped using more than 30 years ago, down.

I pulled the anchor up from the small, anemone filled rock. Small fish swam away in time so as not to be crushed by the metal figure.

I sighed. My first

We were just about to set sail when I heard footsteps.

A crunching in the rubble.

I turned my head slowly, finding a humanoid creature with an old, weathered hoodie.

“Stay right where you are!” Maura hissed, raising her hand, which held a dagger.

Bear barked as well.

“Wait!” the figure exclaimed, pulling off the hood. It was Deliah!

Maura Donaghue

In my haste to defend myself, and surprise when it was Deliah, I dropped my dagger on (none other than) Alden’s foot.

As we cleaned the deck and applied yet another bandage, I couldn’t help but ask Deliah, “Why are you here?”

She explained how when she arrived, her father was gone, and about these “Feronaxar and Loxlthor” creatures.

She decided that instead of directly saving her father, she would come to us for help.

And help she got indeed.

Faris Holloway

Nice acting, right? And I only took one week of drama camp!

When the knife was brought down upon met, it was blocked by the chain that was covering the region my heart was in. I covered the chains metallic clank by my “groans of agony.”

Luckily, Agaric has no idea about how dead humans look like, so I can close my eyes and he won’t suspect a thing!

The night of the 52nd day of the apocalypse came to an end, as the dawn of the 53rd day arose over the horizon.

I slowly opened my eyes, only letting a very narrow slit for me to look through. I observed my surroundings for anything of interest.

Agaric was being “The Prophet” again. The circle of resurrection. Daily blood sacrifice, and so on and so forth.

But then I saw something. My chains were untied!

Of course, due to the loss of blood, my senses were dulled, so my vision was blurry and my hearing, smell and taste were faint.

But I could see my chains untied. And movement. An organism not wearing the cult’s clothing.

Red hoodie with something blue on it. Rings a bell. A faint bell, but nonetheless a bell.

Then, a murmuring. Something like “Dahwd! DAHWD! Cohm wift ush!”

Dahwd. Dahd. Dad?

Then I realized where I’d seen this person.

It was my own daughter.

Deliah Holloway

My dad seemed oblivious to me, and I was practically yelling.

“Dad. DAD. DAD!” Unfortunately, on the third ‘dad’, the cult members seemed to hear me.

The one with the special outfit took off the hood.

“You’re too late, girl. He’s dead.”

The words struck me like a lightning bolt. Like a punch in the stomach.

Was he really… gone?

Suddenly, my dad stood up.

“Agahric…” he said, sounding intoxicated. He raised his arm, pointing at the disgusting cult leader. “Hurt my daughtEr and you’Ll Pay the price.”

Agaric smirked. “I’d like to see you try.”

With one swift motion, the slimy, ugly, oozing, revolting, rancid, ugly creature raised his arm and spanked me on the face.

The sound echoed across the Deli.

My dad brought his leg up, and powerfully slammed it down, doing the one thing to him that everyone hates: Stubbing their toe.

“⌇⍜⋏ ⍜⎎ ⏃ ⍀⍜⌰⏁⎎⏃⋏⏁!” Agaric cried.

The other cultists winced. Murmurs of “he just called him a roltfant” and “he was burned like that pig we ate the other day” could be heard.

But then Agaric turned around and yelled at the black sphere: “⌰⟒⏁ ⏁⊑⟒ ⎅⏃⍀☍ ⊑⏃⍀⎐⟒⌇⏁ ⏚⟒☌⟟⋏!”

Alden Fishman

A tense, eerie silence fell over the Deli as we huddled together in a corner, our eyes wide with horror. The once lively atmosphere was now thick with fear and the acrid stench of burning metal.

Outside, the world lay in ruins, consumed by the cataclysm wrought by the Overlord and his legion. The sky, once a comforting blue, was now a swirling maelstrom of dark clouds and red lightning.

The air crackled with an unnatural energy as Agaric, the Overlord’s sinister advisor, stood at the center of the deli, his tall, gaunt figure shrouded in a cloak that seemed to absorb the light around him. His eyes glowed with malevolent intent as he chanted in a guttural, alien tongue, summoning dark forces to revive his fallen master.

In the middle of the deli floor, a grotesque tableau unfolded. The Overlord’s lifeless body lay upon a makeshift altar of shattered tables and chairs, surrounded by an array of strange, pulsating crystals and arcane symbols drawn in blood. The corpse was bloody, with many cuts across it, and giant, taking up as much space as the kitchen itself, which was about a third of the entire building.

As Agaric’s incantations grew louder, echoing through the deli with a bone-chilling resonance, the rotting corpse grew bigger and bigger, crashing through the walls with an ear-splitting “Crunch!”. The Dark Harvest had begun.

The air grew colder, and a palpable sense of dread seeped into the very walls. The dark, agonizing orb penetrated the Overlord’s flesh, entering through his chest.

Deliah clutched her father’s arm, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched in terrified fascination. Maura and I exchanged fearful glances, both realizing the gravity of what we were witnessing.

This was no ordinary resurrection; this was a dark ritual that defied the laws of nature, a desperate attempt to restore a malevolent force bent on universal annihilation. The Reapers gazed on in wonder and admiration as their master arrived back to the physical plane of existence.

Suddenly, the ground beneath us trembled, and an unearthly howl filled the room. The Overlord’s body began to twitch and convulse, his eyes snapping open to reveal glowing orbs of pure hatred.

The temperature plummeted further, their breaths visible in the icy air. Agaric’s voice reached a fever pitch, his skeletal hands outstretched towards the Overlord.

With a final, deafening roar, the Overlord rose from the altar, his presence exuding an overpowering aura of darkness and power. The deli’s lights flickered and died, plunging the room into a suffocating darkness illuminated only by the Overlord’s terrifying glow.

My companions and I stood there, paralyzed, the true horror of our situation sinking in – we were in the presence of an awakened god of destruction, and the nightmare had only just begun.

Maura Donaghue

The towering creature, with one quick swipe, destroyed the deli, leaving only rubble, dust and us.

The Overlord seemed to be growing bigger and bigger.

One second, he was the size of a lamppost. The next, a building. Then, an entire block, until finally his foot alone was as big as a neighborhood.

Each step demolished the place an entire community of families one knew.

Each second, we gazed up, straining our necks and eyes, and we grew more frightened. My knees started to shake, my palms got sweaty, and my mouth went dry.

I grabbed Alden and Deliah by the hand, and they grabbed Faris. I tried to catch up to the Overlord, but he covered too much land, and quickly outran us.

We knew of no force that could stop it. Scratch that, we knew nothing could stop it.

Elsewhere…

In the boundless stretch of endless light years, a barren planet revolved through space. A comet swept by, close enough to illuminate Aurixiomar’s sky like a third moon.

Close enough to shift the tides and quake the continents.

Earthquakes rippled through the ground, displacing stones that had been settled for eons.

Deep below, in the shadows, an ancient slumber was abruptly disturbed.

And hope was rekindled.

Faris Holloway

As we watched, getting ready for our inevitable demise, I felt something.

Something I thought had died inside me a long time ago.

Hope.

A bright, white, glowing orb flew across the sky, shifting forms until finally settling on a humanoid shape, with armor, as if it was a literal “night in shining armor.”

It flew up, gaining size and speed. It went so fast, incredibly fast, with an otherworldly agility, before slamming into the Overlord’s leg.

The Overlord toppled down, crashing upon the ground. A black ooze leaked out from his body.

Blood.

The Reapers were nowhere to be found, but Agaric was right there, next to us.

“My king!” he yelled out, with an arm outstretched towards the monstrous creature.

The Overlord, however, swiftly picked itself up and brushed itself off.

“The Harbinger of Light. I have been waiting for you,” he bellowed.

Deliah Holloway

In the heart of a devastated city on the apocalyptic planet once known as Earth, the resurrected Overlord stood in his obsidian armor, flanked by Agaric and an army of shadowy creatures. The sky was choked with ash, and ruins lay all around. The beam of radiant light cut through the darkness, heralding the arrival of the Harbinger of Light. Clad in shimmering armor and wielding a star-forged blade, the Harbinger embodied hope and perseverance.

The Overlord unleashed a torrent of dark energy, but the Harbinger created a shield of light, absorbing the attack. Their battle was fierce, light against darkness, each clash shaking the ground and lighting up the sky. Agaric, summoning a storm of shadows, tried to turn the tide, but the Harbinger’s light dispelled the darkness and incapacitated him.

In a final, desperate assault, the Overlord channeled all his apocalyptic power, drawing upon the very essence of the devastation he had wrought on Earth. The air crackled with dark energy as the ground beneath him trembled and fissures erupted, spewing dark flames. The sky, already choked with ash and smoke, darkened further as a vortex of shadows swirled around him, coalescing into a massive wave of destruction aimed directly at the Harbinger of Light.

The Harbinger, standing resolute amidst the chaos, raised its star-forged blade high. Its eyes shone with unwavering determination as it called upon the deepest reserves of its power. A brilliant aura enveloped him, intensifying until it outshone the surrounding darkness. With a swift, decisive motion, it brought its blade down, unleashing a wave of pure, blinding light that surged forward to meet the Overlord’s onslaught.

The collision of these two titanic forces created an explosion of energy that lit up the entire sky, a dazzling display of light and dark intertwining. The shockwave rippled outward, shattering windows and toppling weakened structures. For a moment, it seemed as though the very fabric of reality was tearing apart.

I stared at the sky, seeming as though it was erupting, and cosmic forces from beyond our understanding were at play. Everything moved so slowly. However a quick crashing of a skyscraper woke me up.

The immense battle had started.

Alden Fishman

Gradually, the light began to overpower the darkness. The Harbinger’s wave of light pushed through, breaking apart the Overlord’s dark energy and dispersing it into harmless wisps that faded into the air.

The Overlord staggered, his obsidian armor cracking under the immense pressure. His form flickered, the dark energies sustaining him unraveling. Desperation flashed in his cold, dark eyes as he realized the tide had irreversibly turned against him. Summoning his remaining strength, he tried to launch one last attack, but his power faltered, dissipating into nothingness before it could take shape.

As he fell to his knees, the Harbinger approached, its blade still glowing with the light of a thousand stars. Even with the cold eery silence, the Harbinger’s voice resonated with calm, unyielding resolve. With a final, merciful strike, the Harbinger’s blade pierced the Overlord’s heart, ending his reign of terror once and for all.

There was a yell, so loud that, as I learned later, made Faris lose his hearing. It rumbled across the once-bustling metropolis before slowly fading

to

nothing.

Maura Donaghue

The Overlord’s form dissolved into nothingness, his essence scattering like ashes in the wind. As he vanished, the oppressive darkness that had shrouded the world began to lift. The skies slowly cleared, the thick clouds parting to reveal the first rays of sunlight in what felt like an eternity. Warmth and light began to spread across the desolate landscape, signaling the end of the apocalypse.

Then the Harbinger picked Agaric by the collar and socked him in the stomach. Not powerful enough to injure him, just knock the wind out of him.

With a gasp, just barely a whisper among the apocalypse, Agaric sighed, “He will never be gone…” But even with that, I knew we wouldn’t be seeing the Overlord again. At least not for a while.

The Harbinger of Light stood victorious amidst the ruins, its presence a beacon of hope. Its radiant form illuminated the wreckage, casting away the last remnants of shadow. The Harbinger knew that the battle was over, but the real work of rebuilding and healing the world had just begun.

The harbinger lifted off its helmet, to reveal none other than Lindsey Winterfield. We all clamored towards her, desperate for answers, but with that, Lindsey flew back into the sky, Agaric in hand, knowing her job was done.

Epilogue

The five adventurers set sail on the boat, looking for answers and other civilization. For salvage.

In case you’re wondering, yes, Bear, their dog, is fine. Alden, Maura, and Deliah had only left him at the boat when they rescued Faris from the Deli.

They came across many wonders of this planet, new things that the apocalypse has revealed.

But their story is over.

I, Lindsey Winterfield, may have saved the universe, and my questions were all answered, but I didn’t save the people dearest to me.

Now I traverse endless light years, looking for someone, somewhere, who is just as powerful as me. Agaric is long gone now. You don’t need to worry about him.

In the balance of the universe, I have gained all the knowledge it is possible to gain. I know what caused this universe, what made life, and every single greatest mystery this universe contains.

I am The Watcher.

And the story of how I gained this particular title? Well, that’s something for another time.

THE END

Author’s Note: Use this: https://lingojam.com/AlienLanguage to read Aurixiomarian. You can also read Alden’s Songbook here: https://sohumstories.com/2024/05/30/aldens-songbook-from-the-demon-within-us-part-3-arrival/. Also, the lines “It felt like I fell for days. For weeks. Years. Some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, I passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, it turned out that I fell into a ditch about two feet tall.” are a parody of a quote from Lord of the Rings.