6

I awoke instantly and I scrambled away. My mind throbbed inside my hard skull and every breath could barely be contained inside my lungs. I felt something warm and sticky run across my lips, but I didn't care. I had to get away. I scrambled, then slowly crawled, then I just limply dragged myself. The burst of energy had faded as soon as it came. I rolled on my back, breathing raggedly, and all I could focus on was the thing in the crater. The gold ball glowed ethereally and the mud became hot and baked wherever the light covered. But now... Now it had opened up. The golden ball had shifted, then the front split open and I saw that it had a dark interior, but inside the sphere was an immistakeable throne. Undecorated, made of gold, looking like it had been there for thousands of years.

In that moment I almost lost my composure.

The golden ball had violated me. It had forced its way into my mind before I could react, and I don't know how long for but the alien intelligence behind it had strolled across my mind, twisting my vision and my senses, and there was no telling what else it could have done. I felt myself numbly — no limbs were gone. My robe was still on. But when I touched my face I realised I had a nosebleed. The thing could have killed me. It could have easily rendered me a gibbering maniac, or a thoughtless vegetable, but it didn't. Instead, it had told me its intentions very clearly.

It was not just a meteor. It wasn't even just an orb. This was a vessel. There was an intelligence behind it; who influenced my dreams from wherever it was; who had sent this vessel to me. I remember a voice like dying stars, and it spoke of how something knew where I was, and how I needed to leave as quickly as possible.

So I asked the vessel who sent it. It didn't respond. I told it to go back to whoever brought it here. I got nothing. My emotions overwhelmed me and I just trembled for a moment. Then, out of fury, I hurled a stick at the orb with all the strength I had. The stick barreled through the air and slapped against the golden surface with enough force to cave in a skull, then fell, split brutally in two pieces by the harsh impact. There wasn't even a scratch on the Sphere.

I stared for a long time. When I felt the strength return to my legs I wobbled to my feet. I didn't dare approach the meteor, let alone touch it again. Now I felt nervous and fearful whenever I dared to look at it. Those etched patterns were so gorgeous, but I knew what sort of thing lay behind them. Whatever it was, it wanted to take me away from my only sanctuary. I didn't want to leave — I couldn't. This place was my home, and I'd defend it with all my heart. I have for thousands of years.

found my tongue. "Go back to what sent you. Go away and don't come back."

The sphere didn't even move. It was open for me. I felt my legs quiver in the direction of the trees and my urges screamed at me to run.

"I'm never coming with you. You're never taking me away."

I began to back away into the ruined trees, away from the golden sphere and its golden light. And while it didn't have eyes I could almost feel its judgemental gaze against my back. I kept on backing away until I reached the safety of the ruined trees, confident enough that I knew it couldn't possibly follow me or light could pierce. I turned and ran.

The place was a maze of tree corpses and dead soil, blanketed by darkness and silence. The air had turned from temperate and smothering hot to deathly cold. didn't care.

In that moment, I realised that it was very dark. It had to be night by now. This was what I've been dreading, but I'll get through the night if I have to. I didn't want to be anywhere near that golden monster. I was never going back there.

I heard the violent snap of twigs and branches, and the harsh wheezing intakes of something very, very large. My heart froze. Was the sphere following me?

I turned and from among the darkness and the vegetation, a fallen branch crushed beneath its massive paw, the Tiger stared down at me with bloodshot eyes.

---

The tiger's jaw split open and screamed at me. Loud and shrill and full of the most intense hatred I've ever heard in an animal. It was deafening, its jaw detached wide like beartrap. Then its titanic muscles tensed from underneath its filthy hide and in seconds it leaped across the distance between us for me, baring teeth like jagged machete blades.

At the last second I dove for the side, then rolled, and looked up at the tiger. It screamed in animalistic fury, bloodshot eyes wide and bulging like saucers, salivating from the mouth. It's eyes were a deep orange, marred with edging veins, it's thick fur dyed with viscera and dried blood from what it murdered earlier. For a moment I saw into its eyes and I saw nothing but murderous, lunatic hatred.

This was another creature of the Antumbricane.

It prowled around me and I mimicked the gesture, so me and it were locked in rapid encirclement of eachother. Adrenaline flowed through my veins and my heart was beating inside my throat. This had to be handled carefully. All it would take was it to land on me and I'd be finished; crushed underneath its legs or mauled unrecognisable. This was a matter of life or death now, so I had to be quick, but be careful with my time.

It's hind legs tensed and it jumped again, but I expected it. I moved underneath it, and it flailed wildly where I once was. One of its huge claws slammed against my cheek and tore a horrendous deep gash into my face. I was slammed to the ground, but I didn't have a second to spare before it lunged for my head to clamp it between its Jaws and squeeze me like a grape. I scrambled backwards, and I raised my hand to call on the forces within myself. It answered within a moment to fire out arcs of electricity from my fingertips, with enough voltage to fry a man to a crisp. It didn't even bother the Tiger.

Mane fuzzy, face bleeding, it screamed and lunged again, and this time I scrambled from its outstretched jaws. The tigers dislocated jaws slammed at the air, with enough force to shatter its two front fangs. Through the adrenaline and the terror I saw stringy red blood flow from its mouth, but it didn't care for the pain, just like I did. I shocked it again with a blast of electricity, and it shrieked with hatred.

The tiger was powerful, but it was slow and thunderous, sloppy with animalistic rage. I could take advantage of this. Wherever it tried to get me, and I would duck or weave or respond in kind with a brutal electrocution. Around every brutal attack I moved like water, ignoring the horrendous bleeding agony in my face, then I'd electrocute the tiger. Again, and again, and again. The Tiger began to slow down, stumbling wildly in its movements, the constant electrocutions whittling away at it.

Then, at the final moment, it swang aimlessly at me and it got lucky. It hit me in the stomach and I was sent, flying madly across the foilage and landing crumbled in a bush. I coughed up blood, feeling broken ribs in my malnourished chest.

The tiger was there, staring at me. It's fur was singed, face covered in burns and thick blood, beady orange eyes blazing with animalistic hatred. It screamed again, its jaw getting wide enough to easily swallow me whole, and I realised what it wanted to do. It wasted no time to gallop at a terrifying speed. I watched it, then raised my hand and called on the energy contained within myself, focusing the Heat concentrated in my fingertips, getting hotter and hotter, then a furious column of blazing fire shot from my fingertips. The column became an inferno, and the tiger was swallowed in flames. I dived to the side, and the flaming body of the tiger galloped through the empty air where I once was, only to slam violently against the thick tree. It writhed with agony where it lay, screaming, crying. The fire across its titanic body illuminated the vegetation around it.

The air became thick with burning hair and blood. So, I had won. But I wasn't done yet.

I approached, slowly and carefully. Then when the distance was cleared, it looked up at me and moaned. I ignored it, then placed my hand to its skull, and I calmed it down. Its primitive mind, far more advanced than that little Mackerel, but no match for me. I found out the reason why it wanted to kill me.

It hated me.

This island was all the thing knew. One day, a meteor comes from the sky, and conveniently, I arrive. I was an intruder on its little island, which it had never seen before. So, the clever animal put two and two together, and it been tracking me for the entirety of the day. It knew where I was, but as it realised where I was heading, it slowed behind me, for not even it would dare take a step near the Sphere. So instead it waited on its borders to ambush and murder me. The rest is history.

I felt a sting of pity.

So I calmed it. Slowly I dulled its nerves and just stared me down. The pain faded, and paralysis overtook the tiger, and its screams and moans faded. Then it just stared. But there was no peace in its eyes. Instead it stared with me with eyes full of accusation. I met its gaze, and stared back. Two minds, so vastly different, for an infinitely inconsequential period of time, stared into each-others eyes and wondered what alien intelligence lay behind them.

I didn't say a word. So Instead I just got up and left it alone. The tiger burnt to death behind me, silent and painless.

———

The Beach grew near. I could tell from the change in texture of the ground underneath my feet, and the distant sounds of the sea that grew louder and louder with my approach. I limped my way through, hand pressed to my brutalised chest. The jagged cut on my face was covered with tied fabric torn from my trouser legs, washed meticulously and used as a makeshift bandage. I hoped it wouldn't become infected.

But the day was done. There was nothing for me anymore. It was time to go home. So I limped across the winding gold beach, underneath the gorgeous night sky which illuminated the way forward in starlight. I pushed my beached raft from the sands and back into the sea, where it bobbed precariously but remained afloat. I boarded it, then I waved my hand and it began to push itself across the waters.

I went across the sea underneath the midnight sky.

The air was a tingling cool, smelling of the woozy aroma of the sea, sparse wind tickling my face. Above me, the stars numbered in the thousands. Without any natural light they burnt awesomely, and so far out in the sea, they seemed so much prettier than they were from back in the Valley, with flowing constellations saying things forgotten, and roiling blue nebulae that looked like they split space in half. The sea reflected the sky and the stars reflection stretched for miles in every direction. Apart from the soft sounds of sloshing water, everything was quiet.

The journey was long. Hours long. It'd be a long time until I reach the valley again. And the fight with the tiger and the encounter with the Sphere... It all exhausted me. I needed to sleep. Without an existental threat breathing down my neck or clawing at my broken chest, I was too tired to move the raft quicker along the seas. Not without sleep... I could always sleep here. I deserved it. I deserved atleast one pleasant thing to happen to me, and this was it. Drifting across a tranquil sea, sleeping underneath the thousands of stars and swirling silver constellations and splitting blue nebulae. Alone, where nothing could hurt me, and what could was burnt to death or miles from me by now, and it was going to stay that way.

I laid down carefully inside the raft. It was large and hollow, so I was able to fit, and I found the hard wooden surface strangely comforting. I closed my eyes and let the exhaustion claim me atlast. Sleep took me quickly.

Underneath the stars, I dreamt that I was alone on a boat, sailing across an infinite sea. I looked up and I stared in terror at the flaming meteor trails against the charcoal night; and I prayed to Allah that none of them would ever land here.

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Ur-Man. Ur-Man. Ur-Man.

UR-MAN.

UR-MAN. UR-MAN. UR-MAN. UR-MAN. UR-MAN. UR-MAN.

UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN UR-MAN.

PLEASE.

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It blotted out the sky.

With eyes like the sun,

And melted skin falling like rain,

It boiled the ocean with heat and blood.

It wept and the world began to die.

I awoke in a storm of raining blood, and eyes the size of a stately mansion. Flying above, blotting out the stars and the constellations, a baby, with a gigantic and malformed body. Bloody, melting skin that sloughed off an ill, shriveled body covered in giant gashes and scars, like it was the victim of a ravenous animal, and a bulbous bald head with patches of rotted bone and horrendous gaping wounds pouring with congealed blood. It had a face, the proportions off and unsymmetrical and each hideous feature moved rapidly independently of eachother, and the look it gave me was a lunatic fusion of absolute agony and brutal tearing rage. It opened its gaping mouth and wailed with cosmic hated and my ears began to bleed.

In that moment, I felt my heart stop beating, then accelerate to blinding speeds. Adrenaline took hold of me entirely; my eyes became wide orbs, my entire body trembled, I found myself frozen to the place and incapable of looking away. An unspeakable, primordial terror flooded through every crevice of my mind.

The fetus gnashed rotten horse-teeth and the world shook violently as it spoke in a single monolithic voice that within it carried unfathomable, lunatic hatred for all that lives, and raised vast tsunamis in the far distance.

UR-MAN.

PLEASE.

The barrier. The Valley . Get behind it. Reach it in time. The Terror became desperate, lunatic survival instinct. I willed the raft to move, and I moved. Ten miles an hour. Thirty miles. Fifty miles. I was going fifty miles an hour. The very presence of the Fetus made the world scream, the sea was getting hotter and hotter and it became violent like an animal with rabies, splashing and roiling and giving birth to brutal thunderstorms of boiling water and blood. Underneath the Fetus.

The Valley rapidly came into view. I was close already. I could see the Beach and the steep cliff edge.

UR-MAN.

The raft smashed through everything in its way. The ocean around me bubbled and hissed as the surface temperature rapidly increased. I had to look up again and the Fetus was there, it's attention on me and me alone, and it just stared at me with the sort of horrendous cruelty that only an utterly alien being could have. Then it wailed again, and the thunderstorms became earthshaking in their intensity and the rain of congealed blood pelted my face and burnt my skin. The blood was coming in a constant trickle from each ear.

PLEASE.

The sea was scalding in seconds. The corpses of fish and whales began to surface by the hundreds, skin sloughing off liquefied muscle, jaws hung open from bloody skulls in silent agony. Steam surrounded me on all sides like a horrendous mist. The smell was unbearable and I retched but I had to keep on going. Far above, the Antumbricane-predator screamed at me a third time and I felt like I was going to die. I just needed to endure it all for another minute.

The water burnt my skin and made my vision red with scalding hot agony. The Fetus had begun to shake violently in the air, and it's enormous chest, festooned with bones and overstretched skin, split and opened up, and oceans of congealed blood and rotted viscera cascaded out. From the opened chest among the gore, there extended a vast arm of red intestine and sinew and barbed teeth. It raised, high into the sky, parting the clouds with its volume.

I slammed violently into the beach and I scrambled with all my strength from the raft. Ignoring the pain and ignoring everything I could manage to, I forced myself into a loping run, and the arm came down. For a few moments the beach went even darker under its gargantuan shadow, and I ran faster than I had done in millennia.I threw myself at the barrier and it let me through, and I landed on the sand on the other side in a heap.

Only a few metres behind me, the giant hand slammed down with a force of a falling world, and it made a violent brutal shockwave of thunder and countless tons of sand and rock and scalding water, thrown up into the air with merciless brutality. The beach had been hidden behind the gargantuan red skin of the Predators arm. Everything on the other side had been crushed beneath it. Then, it shifted violently in place and its herculean muscles untensed. All I did was stare, hopelessly, as the tentacle raised back up again and the wind picked up again, and it lurched forward then slammed itself against the barrier with a deafening boom of immense power. Muscles the size of my house contracted, then tightened as they brutally attacked the thin barrier, again and again, and each godlike impact was harder than the last. I feared that It'd break through. But it didn't. The barrier pulsed, shuddered violently, but it held.

I looked up at the sky. From the horizon with the oceans of blood and scalding water, so far above the Fetus stared down at me and only me.