Tag: Aetet 4

Word Count: 7,100

Nobody believes me. I know everyone thinks I am crazy, but if they saw the things I saw, they would be as terrified of the world as I was. People walked around every day in blissful ignorance, unaware of the evil ceaselessly surrounding them. The townsfolk called me agoraphobic, but it was not the open space that caused my crippling trepidation. I was afraid of what inhabited that space. Demons of darkness walked freely among the people and took joy as they caused pain and misery to everyone they could. 

Most of the world called the misfortunes that happened to them “bad luck.” There was no such thing as luck. Every time someone tripped and fell, every time someone shut their hand in a car door, every time a human was involved in some sort of accident, it was caused by the direct actions of these entities only I could see. Why I could see them and no one else could was something I never discovered. Being ignorant of the horrid, heinous entities all around them, other people looked at my ability as a mental illness. I looked at it as a curse. 

It was sometime when I was a little girl that I began to see these things, these sinister beings roaming the earth. It seemed like so long ago since I last saw what it looked like outside. I had not traveled past the boundaries of my own home in more than ten years. There was too much outside waiting to do horrible things to me, and I could not go out there to willingly expose myself to them. 

Before sequestering myself inside I learned the otherworldly entities stayed away from quartz. When my second sight first began, I discovered I could see the vibrations emanating from certain crystals and precious stones. It did not take me long before I noticed the ebony monstrosities avoiding this one specific mineral. I thought perhaps, in high enough concentrations, the vibrations from these transparent stones caused the dark creatures pain. 

I could not say for certain why they avoided the clear crystal, but I took full advantage of the knowledge. There were quartz crystals in every single corner of my house. I even had them in the corners inside the closets, cabinets and pantry. Stones occupied the corners of every window and the top of the blinds obscuring them. 

The local shopping market delivered my groceries to me every Tuesday and sometimes on Saturday. The owner’s son usually made the deliveries. He was a very nice caring young man who would spend an hour or so talking with me when he came by. I did not care for the owner bringing me my things because he always dropped off my delivery and abruptly departed. Sometimes I felt like he believed he would catch “crazy” from me if he stayed around me for too long. 

Both the grocer and his son knew I hated opening the door. When they arrived and knocked, they allowed me time after unlocking it to get safely away from the opening to the outside world before they entered. I was always afraid that, without the door being closed, one of those malicious interlopers might break the boundaries of the quartz to reach in and get me. There was no way I was going to allow an opportunity for that to happen, and even if they could not get me, I could still see the ghastly nightmares lingering right outside. 

The only other time I ever had visitors was when I needed to call on a repairman for something. On very rare occasions I got a visit from my doctor, but besides that the rest of the time I spent in my house alone. I inherited the large, seven-bedroom home from my grandmother when she passed, along with a substantial sum of money. Those beings of darkness that wander the streets would have surely killed me by now if it were not for what my grandmother left me. 

My house was the second largest house in our lightly populated and widely scattered town. I lived at the end of a long road a little more than a thirty-minute drive through the forest from town. Although there were many houses on this road, no one who lived here ever paid me a visit. They all thought I was insane, and I guess this made them afraid of me. I was the one person they should not be afraid of, but that was fine. More people coming to my house would mean the door would have to be opened more often, and I already wished I never had to open it at all. 

I found many things to occupy my time. I loved knitting, even if I did not have anyone to knit for. All the bedrooms and the four bathrooms in my home were decorated with blankets, doilies and other colorful displays. Reading occupied a lot of my time. I only read books. Magazines, newspapers and anything else with current news caused me too much anxiety. I stuck with the romance and western novels. Science fiction, fantasy and mystery novels I avoided because all they ever did was intensify my apprehension and fear. 

Every so often the grocer’s son would take a list of books I wanted him to purchase for me to the bookstore. He sometimes performed other tasks for me besides bringing my groceries. I always compensated him very well for his time, fuel and gave him money for the books. He was a good kid. If he thought I was paying him too much for the task, he would only accept what he thought he deserved. He was the only person in this world I would turn my back to without fear. 

The young man started delivering my groceries to me when he was sixteen years old, but now he was a high school graduate. He was taking a year off before going to college to save up some money, so in a little over a year I would not have him around anymore. Panic overwhelmed me at the thought of being all alone again. I felt like my world was crashing down at the idea of him not being here. My hands began to tremble, and a few tears ran down my cheek as I tried to calm myself down. 

Even if the grocer did send someone else to deliver to me, would he go to the bookstore or run other errands for me? Would he ever take the time to talk with me? 

I tried not to think about that. It was time for me to eat dinner, so I headed down from the second floor and made my way to the kitchen. The kitchen was originally designed to be used for a large family, but now I was the only one left. I probably did not use ninety percent of the equipment and could not say with any certainty if any of it still functioned. 

A sudden and hard knock on my door startled me so bad I fell to the floor. I was not expecting anyone to come to my house again until next week. My stomach turned and my focus narrowed into a tight tunnel vision as fear gripped me. It felt like electricity was coursing through my body as I tried to pull myself to my feet. Once I was again standing, I reached out and grabbed a small cluster of quartz crystals and hugged it tightly. 

Four more raps at the door came, and I fled to the nearest hiding spot I could. Running into the pantry, I carefully shut the door behind me. Moving as far from the door as I could, I kept my protective crystal bound tightly in my arms. I cowered away for at least thirty minutes after that second knock before I finally mustered enough courage to exit the walk-in pantry. Peeking around the corner of the kitchen, I took a good look at the door. It was still closed, the chains were latched, and the wooden plank was still barricading it, but I could not tell if the deadbolts and the knob were locked from there. 

I hid behind the wall for another ten minutes then cautiously crept forward toward the solid oak door. Once I could see the latches were all turned to the locked position and the chains were all in place, I forgot about cooking dinner and ran upstairs to my bedroom. I locked the door and quickly climbed into my bed. Still shaking from the fright, I balled up against the headboard with my knees pulled up to my chest. Tugging my comforter over me, I covered everything but the top of my head so that I could still see the door. 

After some time, the adrenalin from the fright of hearing that unexpected knock at the door wore off, and I drifted off to sleep. I slept until my alarm clock went off the next morning. After going through my wardrobe looking for something to wear, I headed to the ground floor to prepare myself something for breakfast. I never ate dinner last night, so I was very hungry. Before proceeding into the kitchen though, I had to go into the hall to make sure the door was still locked and barred. Satisfied the portal was well secured, I ate a bowl of cereal as I cooked myself some eggs and toasted some bread. 

Still feeling uneasy about the unexpected knock at the door yesterday, I decided after breakfast to check the windows around the doorway. Every window had glass containing chicken wire, iron bars on the inside and outside, blinds, curtains and finally a wooden stand holding a quartz crystal formation. 

I was extremely diligent not to look past the blinds. The thought of seeing what was lurking right outside, waiting to take revenge on me for avoiding them all these years terrified me to my core. As long as I stayed inside and kept quartz crystals everywhere, they could not get me. I knew they hated me for that. They wanted to pay me back for all the years I stayed out of their reach. 

I felt the bars to make sure they were still firm and intact. After checking the bolts in the wall holding the bars in place, I gave them a strong tug to make sure they were not loose. I could feel the glass through the curtain, but I could not check the bars outside. That was usually one of those kinds of things the grocer’s son did for me. 

The whole ordeal made me very uneasy. My hands were trembling again from anxiety, and I was feeling a bit faint. I poured myself a glass of water, got something to snack on and retired to the library. The library contained more books than would fit on the shelves, and I read every single one of them. Reading was the one thing that truly helped take my mind off of the horrors outside. I could get wrapped up in the fantasy of a romance novel and temporarily forget about all my troubles. 

It was nice to imagine a beautiful open prairie filled with tall waving grass and wildflowers, the sun shining brightly overhead. I would love to sit under a tall shade tree while enjoying a cool breeze. I wished places like that existed in real life, but I knew the truth. There was evil walking around everywhere, and for whatever reason no one else could see it. 

The one place I felt safest was in the library. It was in the center of the house, so I was as far away from any exterior door or window as I could be. I was the most surrounded by quartz crystals in here than anywhere except my bedroom right upstairs. In my library I could fully relax and for a short time forget about all those things that furiously wanted to get inside my house. 

Tuesday arrived, and I was looking forward to seeing the young man who delivered my groceries. He normally came between two and three in the afternoon, but by the time three o’clock came, he still had not arrived. I wondered what could be taking him so long; it was not like him to be late. 

Finally, a few minutes before four, there were three hard knocks at the door. Instantly, I knew something was not right. That nice young man who delivered to me always knocked four times. I stopped my advance toward the door, stepped over to the kitchen, and grabbed a blade from the knife block on the island counter. Picking up the nearest piece of quartz, I started backing my way into the library. 

There were three more solid raps at the door. Nearly jumping out of my skin, I dropped the stone onto the floor. I managed to maintain a firm grip on the knife though. The stone was going to have to stay there because I was not going to throw myself off guard by bending over to pick it up. 

Suddenly I heard someone call out my name. I recognized the voice to be that of the grocer. Once again I heard a knock, and again the grocer called out my name. 

Eventually I answered him and asked him what he wanted. He told me he was here to deliver my groceries. I wondered if this was really who it sounded like, or if something was trying to trick me into letting it in. The grocer should not be delivering my things. He had not delivered my things to me for a long time. His son was always the one who drove my groceries out to me. 

“Do you want your things or not?” he asked in an obviously agitated tone. 

I eventually made my way to the door, removed the wooden bar, unlocked the handle and deadbolts, unlatched the chains and hastily ran over to the staircase. Once I was far away from the door and ready to run up the stairs if need be, I hid the knife I was still holding behind my back and told the gentleman to come in. 

Sure enough, it was the owner of the local grocery market. I cringed as I saw the dark entities crowding around him right outside the doorway. The grocer walked past them completely ignorant of their presence. As he was bringing in the brown paper bags, I asked him if his son was sick today. 

“No,” he replied. “He was approved for a scholarship at the last minute, so he’s going to be heading off to college in a few weeks. He came by the other day to tell you the good news but said you didn’t answer the door. He assumed you were asleep.” 

My head started to spin when he gave me the awful news. The grocer continued talking for a bit, but all I heard was a hollow ringing in my ears. I became dizzy, almost losing my balance. I threw my hands out to grab onto the railing, and in doing so I tossed the knife in my hand to the floor. 

The grocer was visibly disturbed when the ten-inch chef knife fell from my hands, bounced down the steps to the hardwood floor and slid clearly into his view. I did not know what I should do. If I went after the knife to pick it up, he would probably think I was going to try to stab him. 

Should I try to explain to him what I was doing with that long blade in my hands? 

I never got the chance. I was so befuddled; I could not get a sentence out before he quickly told me to have a nice day and excused himself from my presence. He did not even pick up the money I had waiting for him on a table where I always put it for a delivery. Before I went back to lock and bar the door, I waited for a few minutes right where I was to make sure he was not going to come back in. Once I heard his car pulling out of my loose gravel driveway, I ran over to the door and put the wooden bar in position. After that, I secured the other various locking mechanisms. 

I wondered what the grocer was going to do. He was clearly bothered by the sight of the knife falling from my hand. Since he did not take the money for the delivery when he left, it was clear the man only had one thought on his mind. He wanted to get out of my house as quickly as he politely could. 

My entire body began to tremble as I descended into an outright panic. I desperately did not want other people to come to my house, people I did not know. I was shaking so bad I almost collapsed to my knees, but I managed to support myself temporarily utilizing the coat rack adjacent to the door. As soon as I was steady enough, I ran to the library and locked the door behind me. Feeling that was not enough, I braced the knob with a chair and put a chunk of quartz on the seat. 

Climbing into my favorite reading chair, I pulled my knees up to my chest and cried. As I pondered what was going to happen, I began downright sobbing at the prospect of strangers showing up to my home. I got so scared when the grocer knocked at the door, I did not even think to put that knife away before first letting him in. He delivered my things to me for years, so I hoped to everything that was holy he would respect my privacy and leave me alone. 

Reaching over to the table next to me, I removed a bottle of sedatives from the small drawer. Picking up a glass of water I had in here from earlier, I quickly swallowed the small pill and waited for it to take effect. I was seriously considering taking another one, but the pill started to help me calm down half an hour after I took it. 

The minutes passed by agonizingly slow. The soft ticking of the intricately designed wooden clock on the wall behind me sounded as if it were only ticking a few times each minute. I stayed huddled in my chair for hours, but I never heard anyone else at the door. Normally, I could still hear when someone knocked, even locked up in the library. 

When I finally did get up, I found I was rather groggy and a bit off balance. Making my way over to the door on the west wall of the library, I listened with my ear against the door for a few moments before unlocking it. Exiting my reading room into the hall, I rounded the corner and began to make my way up the stairs. Between the sedative and the scare, I did not think to pick the knife up off the mahogany hardwood floor. Instead, I made my way to the second floor and headed straight for my bedroom, which was located directly above the library. 

I turned out the lights, leaving only one dim lamp on. If I did not leave some kind of light on, my room became pitch black. Without any windows in this room, no light made it in from the inside. Once I removed my clothes and got into a nightgown, I climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep. 

The next morning, when I was bringing my breakfast dishes back to the kitchen, a knock at the door startled me, making me scream and drop the dishes in my hands. Broken fragments of ceramic lay scattered about the floor as I realized I recognized the knock. It was the nice young man who helped me so much over the last few years. 

What would he be doing here now? 

Perhaps he was coming back to tell me himself that he was going to be headed off to college. I picked up the larger plate fragments and dumped them in the trashcan. There was another knock at the door, and then the grocer’s son called out my name. 

I did not want any visitors, but I was happy to see him. He was such a good young man. I went to the door to remove the bar and open the locks when I heard another vehicle pull into my driveway. Something was definitely amiss, and I immediately backed away from the door. He knocked several more times, but I did not answer him. 

I slowly and quietly backed my way to the staircase, beyond which was the west door of the library. The grocer’s son quit knocking, and only a few moments later someone much more heavily fisted began pounding on the door. It was the sheriff. He was asking me to let him come in to talk to me, but I did not answer him either. Instead, I went into the library, locked the doors, barricaded them with furniture, and climbed into my reading chair. 

I hummed a few tunes to myself as I picked up the novel I was in the process of reading. I continued to hum to help drown out the sounds of the people banging at my heavy wooden door. Twenty minutes elapsed before I finally heard the wonderful sound of silence. I did not think they were ever going to leave me alone. 

All my hope for humanity died when that young man tried to deceive me into opening my door. He was so good and kind to me over the last few years; I could not believe he would try something so sinister. That young man was fully aware of how leery I was of strangers, and he worked as their pawn to help the so-called authorities get into my home, my sanctuary. It turned out he was not the good kid I thought he was. 

Several days passed and no one returned to my house. I did not know if the grocer was going to deliver to me any more after the knife incident or not. I was sure he was in on the deceit his son and the sheriff tried to perpetrate. He was probably outside with the rest of them as they tried to trick me out of my home. 

If he stopped bringing my groceries and other items, I was eventually going to run out of food along with a lot of other things. I was so confused, and I felt another panic attack coming on. I took a sedative from the table next to my reading chair and walked upstairs. I walked all the way to the third floor to my childhood bedroom and sat amongst my old toys. They brought me a small measure of comfort, but that was all. The porcelain dolls and stuffed animals did not reassure me like they usually did. 

Four days passed, and no one returned to my house. My grocery delivery was supposed to be tomorrow, but I was completely oblivious as to what I should expect. I did not know if the grocer would come, or if he did would he come alone. His son was going off to college in a few days, and I imagined I would probably never see him again. 

If the sheriff came out with the grocery delivery, what was I supposed to do? 

I could not let them in my house, but I could not go forever on the vegetables I canned during the late spring and early summer. I had meats of various sorts in the freezer, but by my best guess that food would feed me until the end of the year when it was cold and snowy. 

It was about an hour before nightfall when I heard a vehicle pulling into my driveway. I recognized the sputtering engine of the truck belonging to the young man involved in the subterfuge to fool me into letting strangers into my home, my sanctuary. A few moments passed then I heard a light knock on the door. Immediately after that he called out my name. 

“I’m so sorry ma’am. I didn’t want to do it, but they made me,” he said through the solid wooden portal. “If you will let me in, I brought you some groceries, some books and a few other things. 

When I did not respond, he said, “I’m alone. I promise.” 

Something in his voice led me to believe he was telling the truth. Making my way over to the door, I removed the wooden bar and undid the other locks. I went over to the stairs where I normally went when letting someone in then called out for him to come in. 

When the door swung open, I could see him carrying a brown paper bag. Another rested on the ground. Picking that one up as well, the young man carried the bags to the island counter in my oversized kitchen. Excusing himself, he went back outside to grab some more. In total he carried ten paper bags into my house. Normally my deliveries were only five, six bags at most. 

The young man apologized repeatedly for his deceit a few days past. He told me the reason and it filled me with unequivocal trepidation. The grocer told the sheriff about the knife, and said he was worried I was going to hurt his son. They wanted to make me attend a competency hearing to determine if I was a threat to myself or others. 

No one else understood me like this young man did. Everyone else thought I was crazy, but he knew that was not the case. Whenever we talked, he did his best to understand me and why I am the way I am. Even after I told him about the shadow creatures that roam the world, causing misfortune to people, he did not treat me any different than before. I did not know if he was playing along with me or if he really believed me. Regardless, he treated me just like anyone else. 

He could not stay long. No one knew he was here, and he wanted to go before anyone realized where he was. The fine young man took the payment for my things, said a long goodbye and closed the door behind him. I ran up behind him and put the wooden bar back across the door and secured all the various locks. 

What was I going to do? 

I could not stay inside my home if I did not have anyone else bringing groceries out to me. It might be possible for me to convert the sunroom into an arboretum so I could grow my own vegetables inside, but that would mean opening my door to contractors and their crews. I never realized how dependent I became on the grocer and his son in order to survive. 

I had not been outside in over a decade, and I was not about to go outside now. I ran the situation over and over in my head as I put away the groceries. One of the bags, instead of containing food, was filled two-thirds full with books. Most of them were clearly used books, but I did not care. Several were books I already owned, and a couple of them were outside my preferred genres. It almost looked like the young man quietly took up a collection for me from some of the other townsfolk, perhaps from some of his friends. 

I greatly appreciated the efforts of the grocer’s son, but I did not know how much good it was going to do me. He brought me enough groceries to last three additional weeks, perhaps more if I rationed my meals carefully. There was still going to come a point when I would need more groceries and other supplies, and I did not know how I was going to do that without allowing in people I did not want inside my house. 

Maybe it would all blow over. If the grocer was worried about his son, he was leaving in a matter of days. I never made any threats to anyone, and I certainly did not pull a knife on the man as he delivered my things. I merely dropped the knife I was already holding when he came into my house. 

The anticipation was crippling as I waited for the normal day of my grocery deliveries. I did not need groceries at the time, but that was information I was not going to tell anyone. If they knew I did not need anything, they may put two and two together and figure out the grocer’s son was here. 

Tuesday arrived, and I was on pins and needles all day. I tried to go about my usual routine, but I could not get my mind off what might happen. I did not know if the grocer would even come, and if he did, I did not know if he would bring anyone with him. When the day was approaching late afternoon, I sat on the large staircase and waited to see if anyone was going to knock on the door. I remained seated on the steps for an hour and a half before I finally heard a knock at the door. 

Even though I was expecting this visit, it still brought sparks to my eyes and made my skin crawl to hear him pounding on the door. My stomach wrenched as I moved close enough for him to hear me. I called out loudly and asked who it was, even though I knew it was the grocer. He answered back and confirmed his identity. Next, I asked who else was with him, but he assured me he was alone. 

I was filled with intense consternation at the thought of letting the man in my house. I did not think I could trust him like I could his son. I would not be surprised if he had the sheriff with him, and I could not look out the window to confirm he was alone. I knew he would not wait forever though, so I had to make a decision fast. 

Suddenly a thought occurred to me. I asked him if he could take them into the garage and leave them there. That way he would still be bringing the groceries into my house, but I was not giving him access to the interior of my home. I did not like going in the garage, but I would rather do that than step outside to get my groceries. 

To my surprise and relief, he said he would be happy to oblige. I told him I had the payment for the delivery last week and for this one, and I was going to place it outside the door that led from the house to the garage. He seemed fine with this, so I was inclined to believe him when he said he was alone. It looked like this was all going to blow over after all. 

I felt so relieved after today’s delivery. I was sure they were going to try to trick me into letting the sheriff into my house, but they did not even attempt to get in. Maybe the grocer realized I was not trying to hurt anyone and had the sheriff back off. 

I slept easy for the next few nights. With the sheriff and the competency hearing off my mind, I was once again able to relax inside my own home. By the time the weekend was over, I read three of the books the young man brought me. The books he gave me outside my genre I added to a box of similar books upstairs. 

Monday came, and I was feeling much better than in the previous weeks. I woke up that morning refreshed, hungry and full of energy. After getting dressed, I headed downstairs to the kitchen to fix myself something for breakfast. I decided since I was feeling so well this morning, I would cook myself something special. Eggs benedict were my favorite, so I decided to dirty up a few pots and make some. That was something I had not cooked in quite some time. It was a delicious breakfast and a great way to get the day started.  

I only finished cleaning the kitchen a few minutes before I heard a vehicle pulling into my driveway. I anxiously held my breath until there was a loud knock at the door. 

“Ma’am, it’s the Sheriff,” a voice called through the door. “I have a warrant to take you to the courthouse ma’am.” 

A few seconds passed and the sheriff said, “Ma’am, I know you are in there. I have a warrant to take you to see a judge for a competency hearing. I got the warrant a couple of weeks ago, but I waited to serve it on you today, so I did not have to keep you away from your home any longer than necessary.” 

What the grocer’s son told me was true. I had to go in front of a judge and prove I was not crazy. I was not crazy; the problem was the vast majority of people were too limited in their perception to see what was right in front of them. As I stood frozen, trying to think of what I should do, there was another knock at the door. 

“Ma’am, please,” the sheriff said. “If you won’t come out, I am going to have to force my way in. I know that won’t be easy and quite frankly I have no desire to damage your lovely home.” 

Oh, how I so desperately hoped this was all going to blow over, but it looked like I was going to have to leave my home one way or another. If I did not go willingly, they would eventually extract me forcefully, and that would probably cause me to lose the hearing without a doubt. Finally, I answered the sheriff and asked him how long we were going to have to stay gone. 

“The hearing is in three hours, so we don’t have to leave right now. We can wait another hour if you want. I don’t know how long your hearing will take, but the courthouse closes at five o’clock. It won’t be any later than that.” 

I asked him if I had to open the door and let him in right now. He told me no, not if I did not want to. The sheriff said he did not mind waiting outside, but in an hour I was going to have to open the door. I agreed to his terms and told him I would unlock the door in one hour. 

Pacing back and forth in the hallway, I began to weep. Salty tears ran down my cheeks as I thought about what was outside waiting for me. I was not sure if I could actually go through with this. He was not just asking me to leave my house, he was going to take me into town. Butterflies churned in my stomach and my head felt as if it would float away. Although it only seemed like I paced around for a few minutes, the sheriff knocked on the door and told me the hour was up. 

I said I would be there in a moment, while I stood as if my feet were glued in place. Shifting my feet one inch at a time, I slowly crept my way to the door. The thought of what was waiting for me out there scared me more than anything else in this world. If I did not go, they would force me out and probably hold me at the hospital or something until I had the opportunity to see a judge. 

Who knows how long I would be separated from my sanctuary then? 

I picked up and put a few pieces of quartz in my pockets, and I always wore a necklace and bracelet made of the crystal. I prayed these trinkets would be enough to hold those entities of darkness at bay. I knew they resented me for discovering how to hold them back, and I had very little doubt they wanted to get back at me for it. 

My hands trembled violently as I removed the heavy wooden bar from the door. Clumsily I dropped the wooden plank to the floor causing enough noise for the sheriff to hear it. Before I could try to begin unfastening the other locks, he asked me if everything was alright. I told him I was okay, that I was only trying to get the door unlocked. I unlatched the chains, but I could not bring myself to release the deadbolts still holding the door secured to the wall. 

I began crying over the thought of what awaited me just outside the door. I know the sheriff thought he could keep me safe, but he was blissfully unaware of the evil beings all around him. Feeling my legs growing weak, I turned and leaned against the door I was too terrified to open. A few minutes passed, and the man outside called for me again. 

“Ma’am, are you coming out?” he inquired. 

I told him I could not do it. He assured me he would be with me the entire time, and I had nothing to worry about. Fighting through my tears and quivering lips, I told him there was no possible way he could give me such a guarantee. 

“Please, just come out,” he said. “I promise I will do everything in my ability to keep you safe, but you have to come out.” 

Reaching up and grabbing the doorknob tightly, I used it to help me get back to my feet. Struggling to get past my crippling fear, I unlocked the deadbolts one at a time. All that was left was to unlock the doorknob and expose myself to the evil outside. 

Why could they not leave me alone? 

They did not know about the things outside waiting to make me suffer for holding them at bay for more than a decade, but I did. Finally, I turned the lock on the doorknob and gripped the knob so hard my knuckles turned white. I begged the Sheriff one last time not to make me leave my house, but he continued to insist. 

Turning the knob I held firmly in my hands, I slowly pulled the door open. There stood the Sheriff in his uniform surrounded by at least a dozen of the wretched demons. Their black shapeless forms defied the light. Their bodies did not reflect the light but instead absorbed it, so they appeared as nothingness. 

Seeing the shapes surrounding the man, I began to scream and fell back into my house with my eyes closed tightly. He was quick to react and was on the floor holding me almost immediately. I know the Sheriff was a good man, and he had no desire to hurt me. I wished others could see these beings of the netherworld, but if they did the world would probably cease to function. 

Helping me to my feet, the lawman told me I did not have to look. He gently put one arm around my shoulders and held my hand with the other. One small step at a time, he led me out the front walkway over to his vehicle. The things could not touch me because I was protected by my crystals, but I also knew without looking they were trying to figure out how to get me. 

It felt like hours before we finally reached the sheriff’s large pickup truck. He was very kind and patient with me, which is a courtesy I did not think I would receive if I made them force me out of my home. After helping me into his vehicle and buckling my seatbelt, he closed the door and quickly ran around to the other side. 

I was very familiar with the sound of a vehicle driving on my loose stone driveway, so when we hit the paved road, I knew where we were without looking. I knew where we were, but I looked up anyway. I was used to hiding from the world, not shutting my eyes to it. When I glanced up, I saw one of those things standing in the road. It was reaching up with, for lack of a better word, its hands, and it was in line with the sheriff. 

They could not harm me directly, so they were going to hurt me by killing the man driving the truck. I could not let that happen. Not thinking about myself for once in my life, I unbuckled my seatbelt and grabbed the steering wheel. The sheriff did not have time to react before I took hold of the steering wheel and pulled hard in my direction. 

The creature came only inches away from hurting the man who was only doing his job, but thanks to me opening my eyes in time he was still alive. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about me. I swerved the vehicle away from that horror and kept it from getting the sheriff, but when I pulled the vehicle to the right, I drove us straight into a tree. 

The truck stopped at the tree, but I continued forward at our driving pace. Without my seatbelt to hold me in place, I crashed through the windshield and rolled down the hood. Striking my head and upper torso against the tree with incredible force, I shattered my skull and ribcage before the inertia sent me spinning to the ground. Those things gathered around my mangled, lifeless body sharing a sense of glee at my demise. They reveled in the knowledge they finally caused the death of someone who kept them away for so long. 

I was pronounced dead on the scene. Because of my actions a man was still alive, but no one would ever remember it that way. There was no way anyone could know what really happened. In this little town spread throughout the forest, everyone would forever speak of me as that crazy lady at the end of the road.

Copyright 2023 ©

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The salty aroma of the briny water filled the warm air of the small coastal city. The white granite stone buildings hanging on the face of a steep slope formed a crescent wrapping around the sandy beach of the island cove. Fishing boats were returning to the port later than they did for many generations as the catches seemed to be growing thin. The hope was casting their nets further out would allow the fish population closer to the island to recover. The city’s dense populous was very dependent of fish and kelp as staple foods. 

Tenements built along the hillside allowed very little room for any form of lawn or garden, and the steep slope would make tending to them a difficult task indeed. The narrow rectangular homes were one to three levels in height, built with adjoining walls, and most of the shorter homes had more houses constructed on top them to maximize the usable living space. There was no flat land, apart from the beach, within miles of the sandy, rock-walled cove. Riding animals up and down the steep and sometimes slick cobblestone streets could be perilous. The safest and most efficient way to get around town was on foot. 

Trails led from the top of the hillside all the way down to the wharf, winding through large breaks between the homes left to allow for such paths to exist. Most of the walkways consisted of stairs either artistically etched directly into the bedrock or constructed from the granite stone that made up much of the island. Granite worked well as the grainy surface helped grip the leather soles of shoes and provide traction, but after centuries of use, the stones wore smooth in places. Certain sections could be outright dangerous on rainy days, especially if someone did not know where the slickest spots were. 

Although not part of the original design, wooden handrails were added to some of the more dangerous sections after several fatal falls happened two winters in a row. In the heavy rains of the cooler months, the trails could become difficult to navigate. Virtually everyone in the city was either a carpenter, mason, fisherman or metal worker, so constructing the handrails only took one summer. The process of grooving the stones so they once again provided strong traction took much, much longer as there simply were not enough people to spare for such a daunting task. 

For all the time I was alive, I can remember them working on the surface of the ancient stairways. The first time I obtained monetary employment was only a month before my eleventh birthday, and that was working carefully on the stone steps with a small hammer and chisel. Many my age did this kind of work, which taught us the value of determination and the satisfaction of seeing our work completed. By most children’s thirteenth birthday, they no longer worked in the community but instead obtained an apprenticeship with one of the city’s many artisans. 

My skills with the chisel and hammer showed great promise, and I was offered an invitation into the stone mason’s guild. For the first six months, I worked with a small crew replacing some of the old stairs that were too far gone to be repaired. I wanted to build dwellings and carve artwork from stone, but I guess I had to work my way up first. By the time we finished the new section of stairs, it was a work of art in its own right. 

Together we added designs and patterns both as a safety measure and to enhance the beauty of the area. Each step displayed the individual craftsmanship of each worker on the crew. The patterns allowed for additional grip and for more efficient water drainage during the rainy season.  

I was sitting at a short wall where my friends and I gathered together after dark one day for a brief period of socializing before we returned to our homes. I typically worked from dawn to dusk six days of the week, but I did not complain because my family desperately needed the extra income. My father fell ill the previous winter and was unable to perform his duties at the shipyard. The money my mother and sister earned on woman’s wages was simply not enough. Being that I was gifted with such talent when it came to working with stone, I earned a few more coins a week than most people at my level. 

After I returned home, I decided to stay outside a bit longer and enjoy the night air. I was not yet sleepy, and the cool breeze blowing up the hill from the sea felt wonderful on this late summer night. I sat on the wall that held the level of our family lot a few feet above the cobblestone street. The moon was almost full, and its reflection danced gently on the relatively calm waters of the cove. This was a sight I always enjoyed. The overall beauty of this aesthetically splendorous city on the hillside and the magnificence of the ocean made it worth all the work it took to live here. 

I noticed a faint glow emanating from the water near the center of the cove. Initially I thought it was no more than the light of the iridescent moon dancing on the water’s surface, but this faint blue glow remained unwavering in the water. It was obvious whatever this was glowing in the water was rising from the depths as it continuously grew brighter and brighter for several minutes.  

Although it got close, I was sure it never reached the water’s surface. I saw no rippling to indicate it did. Many times I heard the tales of the fishermen describing extraordinary creatures that produced their own incandescent display, but I never saw anything like it myself. On occasion I found a dead gelatinous sea creature washed up on the beach, but those were exceedingly smaller than what I was seeing now. To give it my best guess, I would say this illumination in the waters of the cove was nearly an arm span in width. 

Stunned and unsure what to think, I watched the thing in the water begin moving toward shore. Initially it moved very slowly, but it picked up speed as it headed toward the shipyard. At top speed it probably moved as fast as a skilled swimmer in calm water. After several minutes it disappeared under the concealment of the fishing boats that filled that section of the cove. I continued to watch for anything out of sorts for another ten minutes without seeing anything more before finally heading off to bed. 

The next morning the whole town was abuzz with talk of two fishermen who went missing some time during the night. The men were working long after dusk aboard the deck of their boat, and neither man returned home. They could not be found anywhere, which was abnormal on its own, but what sent chills down my back was what they found on board the ship. Although there were a few things knocked over and in disarray, there did not appear to be any significant sign of a struggle. All their clothes, all their belongings they had on them at the time were found in two piles aboard the deck. It was as if the men simply vanished, and their possessions dropped right where they were. 

Immediately upon hearing about what happened, I headed straight for the Constable’s building. Having worked so much on the city’s staircase system, I was very familiar with all of the pathways. I knew which paths, alleys or roads to take to get to my destination as fast as possible. More people than usual for this time of day were out on the streets because word of the macabre incident spread quickly. I was at the Constable’s office within thirty minutes of hearing what happened. 

I was shocked to find a crowd surrounding the doorway. Apparently, I was not the only one to witness that strange glow in the water last night. At least twenty people filled the law-enforcement official’s office, and three dozen more waited outside. I waited for a long time in an attempt to have my experience put on record, but when it started getting closer to mid-day, I decided they had enough accounts. There was probably nothing I could tell the authorities that those other witnesses did not, as I did not see anything beyond a strange illumination in the cove. 

On my way to my current worksite, I began to worry. Not once since I first began to work chiseling grooves into the granite stairs was I late for work, and I arrived very late today. I worried about losing my good standing in the guild for my extreme tardiness, but I was not the only one who did not make it to the work site on time. These disappearances in the shipyard had the whole city upset, scared and wondering what could be capable of doing such a thing. 

We did not get much work done during the remainder of the day. Everyone was talking about the two missing men and the strange light seen in the water. Fear quickly tightened its malign fists over the whole city as speculation led to rumors causing the story of the incident to change and magnify as the day went on. Those of us who arrived to work today tried to keep in the loop for what we hoped to be an update on the news. 

By the time the day came to an end, we heard so many different stories of what happened in the cove last night, I did not know what to believe. I knew once nightfall hit, we would hear no official word from the town criers at least until sometime the next morning. I could not think of one time in my life when the town criers went out at night. 

Our entire work crew was performing sluggishly the next day. They, as did I, stayed up late last night watching over the cove for any strange lights. Most of the city was up watching for something abnormal to appear, but the entire night passed without incident. We tried to get as much constructed as we could, but we were far from meeting our mark when the day came to an end. We had to push ourselves hard for the next few days to get caught back up to schedule. 

Several days passed without a statement from the Constable or any news from the town criers, and the population began to grow agitated with the lack of official information. Endless rumors already spread regarding the disappearance of the two fishermen, and now rumors were beginning to circulate regarding the city officials’ apparent silence on the matter. The Constable obviously picked up on the extreme tension building among the city’s residents, because he sent the town criers out the next day. 

The criers did not tell everyone what happened to the two men as we all hoped. Instead, there was a brief mention of the happening and then reassurances of the precautions being taken to ensure this incident did not repeat itself. Armed men were patrolling the cove and someone was posted to the lookout station at the top of the hill ready to sound the labraphone to alert the population of any danger. When sounded, the horn echoed through the cove waking anyone who was not already so. Torches lined the beach to aid with visibility at night, and the oil cisterns at the top of the hill would be lit to help illuminate the entire city. 

Needless to say, the public was not happy with the announcements. Everyone hoped for some answer concerning the details of the aberrant disappearance of the two fishermen. Although not happy with the news, the people of the city were glad to finally get an announcement of some sort. Knowing this was better than knowing nothing at all. 

Officials asked for any men of fighting age to take their turn patrolling the beach or manning the lookout post with its massive horn. The long horn was carved from the trunk of a single tree, and when blown created a nearly deafening roar that was easily heard all throughout the city. No one was required to volunteer, but according to the criers, the city wanted to muster together as many fighting men as possible. The time for organization was now before something else happened and not after it was too late. 

I still had little over a year before my fifteenth summer, so I was not allowed to join the fighting men. I did however sign up to cover several shifts at the lookout post. The building was still sturdy and the interior was in order. It was so long since the post was used though, dust coated every horizontal or diagonal surface in the structure. I was rather relieved my time to serve as lookout was still a few days away. Those before me should have it cleaned by the time it came my turn to watch. 

Tension laid across the city like a wool blanket. Everyone was afraid of what might come out of the water and what it might do to us. The fishermen were extremely reluctant to go out into the open ocean to practice their trade, but they really did not have much of a choice. Fish was our primary source of food. A few shepherds tended to flocks in the long valley on the other side of the island, but they were primarily raised for their wool. We could not turn to them as a primary food source. 

The fruit trees on the island provided a hefty bounty, but it could take days to gather enough to return to the city to sell. Some fruits lasted a week or two after being picked, but some only lasted a few days. For the gatherers these could bring in a very generous profit, but the chance of the fruit spoiling before it could be sold made such an option very risky. The safest way for them to make a steady income was to sell the fruits taken from the trees rather than shrubs and bushes. 

Without the fish, there simply would not be enough food to sustain the people of the city. The boats went out with extra crew armed with harpoons and spears in case whatever took those first two men tried to take them too. This fear and paranoia went on for several more weeks, but when the four-week mark from the day of the incident arrived, people began to relax again and let down their guard. 

Five days later, a few hours after dark, I was working my third shift at the watchtower. No one saw anything glowing in the water since the night of the incident four weeks ago. At this point it was getting to where people were not expecting anything else to happen. That turned out to be nothing but false hope. 

There was another man with me, and we talked about whatever we could think of to keep ourselves awake. I was sitting at the massive window in the bunker when I suddenly noticed what I thought was possibly glowing under the water. After a few seconds I saw two more spots. Immediately I screamed for my partner to blow the horn. He sat there for a moment as if he did not believe me, and I shouted at him again to sound the alarm. 

Frantically he scrambled to the mouthpiece of the gigantic instrument and began to blow. The sound was so loud, it was deafening from where I was standing. I covered my ears with my hands, but that did not provide much protection. Not once in my lifetime has anyone blown the labraphone for any reason, so I was not expecting it to blast as ear-stingingly loud as it did. 

I could not hear anything, but I could see the men gathering on the beach with their weapons in hand. As my companion continued to sound the booming alarm, people began coming out of their homes and gathering in groups. Some carried harpoons and spears while everyone else carried whatever they could find. Residents collected at specified places creating large crowds in multiple locations throughout the city. 

When the deafening roar of the labraphone came to an end, and my hearing began to return somewhat, I could hear others blowing smaller horns. It was not really necessary, but the tones helped boost the morale of the people of the city in anticipation of whatever was about to happen. 

My companion in the watchtower assured me he would be able to keep blowing the massive horn a few more times, so I grabbed my hammer and scurried down the hill to join some of the others. All the able-bodied men, and some of the women, from this part of the city gathered in the street not far from my home. Ready to do what I had to in order to protect my city, my home, I joined the crowd and found who had taken charge. 

From our current position, we could all see the light in the cove moving toward the beach this time. A dozen armed men, some of them also wielding shields, awaited the arrival of this dreaded intruder. When the gelatinous creature reached land, it slithered its way across the sand toward the nearest group of men. Outside of the water, the transparent mass outshined the torches lining the beach only twenty paces from the first row of buildings. 

Several of the men threw their harpoons at the abomination from the ocean’s depths, but they did not seem to faze the creature in the slightest. Instead of causing the creature harm, the transparent blob rapidly dissolved the harpoons leaving it behind as rust when it moved on. The creature suddenly stopped where it was and became motionless. Everyone thought it was probably unable to survive outside the water, and the men on the beach halted their retreat. 

Everyone watched helplessly in horror as the thing from the sea lashed out a tendril that engulfed the closest man’s legs. Before he had time to scream in terror and pain, his body converted into a transparent gelatinous mass. The creature absorbed the gel that was once a man and left all the man’s clothes and possessions lying in a heap on the ground. 

The other men on the beach threw their weapons at the amorphous creature in a futile attempt to injure the horrible thing from the deep. After disarming themselves, the men turned in a desperate attempt to save their own lives and ran as fast as they could. Two of the men were not fast enough, and the creature lashed out with several tendrils which converted their bodies to a gelatinous mass as it did with the first man. 

At this point the entire city was in a panic. People rushed into the narrow streets trying to make their way up the hill. Never before did the city ever need to be evacuated, so it was not constructed with this need in mind. Residents slipped on the cobblestone roads, and the panicked mob behind them did not stop to help them up. Dozens of people were trampled to death as the terrified crowd tried to make their way up the hill. 

I was helping my mother and sister get my father out of the house so we could get him to safety when I saw several more circular lights moving in the cove. People were screaming and fighting with one another as they tried to force their way up the streets and pathways. The pathways were even worse than the winding streets since they were constructed at a much steeper slope. 

I could not see the first creature to wriggle its way onto the beach any longer. I thought perhaps it headed back into the water, but then I saw a bright green glow coming from between some of the buildings closest to the cove. Whatever these things were, it was clear they had the ability to survive outside the water for short periods anyway. 

I knew of a pathway that was rarely used, and I hoped I could get my family to it and out of the city. We only had to get Father two tenements further up the hill, and then I was sure we could get him and ourselves to safety. To accomplish this, we were going to have to fight our way through the crowd until we could turn off onto a rarely used road where we could make our detour. 

A population that worked together so well for countless generations was now shoving and elbowing each other in a vain attempt to get just a little further up the hill. If everyone would only calm down, the exodus of residents would go much smoother. In their panic though, the normally cooperative people were ready to kill to get a few feet further ahead. 

Struggling to move with the flow of people while supporting my father was extremely difficult, and at times was almost impossible. My mother was in front of him so he could support himself by holding her shoulders while I walked beside him with my arms wrapped under his. My sister remained wedged between me and my mother. 

More of the creatures made it to shore and were overtaking the panic-stricken people closest to the cove. We could hear the people screaming, crying out in absolute terror for help as the glowing entities reached them and began to “feed.” Their voices could even be heard over the crowd surrounding us, then suddenly the lower section of the city fell silent. 

I felt a small sense of relief when we finally reached the smaller road. There were not many people using it because in this section of the city the road sloped downward a bit, and everyone was trying to push their way upward. This road was almost exclusively used by laborers, so not many people knew their way around here like I did. Now only passing the occasional terrified citizen, we were able to get my father to the closed pathway. 

No one was using this pathway at all because it was barricaded in most sections. Since this was the pathway on which I worked for the past six months, I knew it was almost totally complete. There would be a few places that would present us problems, but at least we were no longer having to fight the crowd of residents fleeing for their lives. 

The pathway between the rows of tenements was steep, which normally would not be a problem. After years of walking up and down steep hills, paths and staircases, one grew accustomed to it. My father’s poor health and weak physical state made what would normally be an easy task into a very difficult one. 

I stayed above and helped lift father up the path, and Mother and my sister stayed behind him to provide support. We reached a particular section that allowed me a wide view of the city. I could see at least a dozen places aglow with that eerie green light, which meant there were at least a dozen of those things already in the city. I could see more lights in the still water of the cove that were making their way to shore. 

For gelatinous creatures clearly out of their element, they were closing in on us quickly. If we did not pick up our pace, they would eventually catch up to us. I had my father wrap his arms around my neck while my mother and sister supported his legs. This allowed us to move a little bit faster, but I was not sure it was going to be enough. It was not long at all before this became too difficult to continue doing. 

I had no choice but to have to stop for a moment to catch my breath. Even if it was only going to be a few seconds, I had to stop because of the pain this was causing in my back. This was when my father said the words I did not want to hear. Father said there was no choice but to leave him behind. Without him we could escape. 

I told him I was having none of that; I was getting him out of here. 

He smiled proudly at me and said, “I had a really good life. I have a strong son who is growing into a strong man. Protect your mother and sister.” 

With that he pulled away from me and lunged down the stone staircase. I could see him break his neck on his second tumble as it suddenly moved in ways it should not. I yelled; I yelled at him and for him. There was absolutely nothing I could do, and I cursed myself for not holding on to him tighter. I was supposed to be helping him get out of the city. I was not supposed to allow him to fall to his death. 

My mother began crying hysterically, and I could not get her to listen to me. It gave me no pleasure at all to do so, but I had to give her a firm slap on the cheek to get her to finally settle down enough to pay attention to me. My father charged me with one last task, and I was not going to dishonor his memory by failing. I did not care what I had to do; I was going to get my mother and sister out of here. 

It was obvious by the increasing light the creatures were closing in on us. Since I could not see them directly, I did not know how many of the gelatinous horrors now occupied the city. I could tell, though; by the number of streets illuminated that many more came out of the water to join the ranks of this invasion. 

I got my mother and sister up the ledge and we were again running up the stairs. I stayed in the rear so I could protect them, although I had no idea what I would do if we did encounter one of these things. After seeing how that man’s harpoon skewered harmlessly into the sea monster’s transparent body, I did not believe there was any weapon I could find that would hurt these things. 

I tried to block out the terrified screams coming from the main road winding through the city. So many people were fighting each other in a race to get over the top of the hill, it made my stomach turn. Those creatures were consuming people one after another, and the people were killing each other trying to get away from them. 

Eventually our pathway came to an end in front of a row of large stone tenements. We had two choices before us. We could go to the right which would take us to the main road connecting the top of the city to the port, or we could take the alleyway to the left where we would find another ascending path in about forty yards. 

I knew the main road was out of the question as everyone in the city tried to force their way through the crowd. The only real option was to turn to the left and head for the next path. We only had three rows of buildings left until we reached the top of the hill. Fleeing from the top would be much easier than climbing up the pathway to get there. We were only a few steps into the alleyway, and I could see down the path where my father died was one of those things rippling like water as it oozed its way up behind us.  

Only a second later a group of people emerged screaming from between two buildings on the path I was trying to get my mother and sister to so we could finish our climb. Another one of those horrors from the deep was not close enough to them that I could see it yet, but its haunting green iridescence announced its presence. We were going to reach the pathway before the others, but I held my mother and sister back. I knew in their panicked state, this group would have thrown us aside in their attempt to get ahead. I decided we were safer behind them than in front. 

The gruesome monstrosity appeared between the buildings just as the group made its way past us. The abomination lashed out with an oozing tendril and struck the last one of the group in the back. I clearly saw the look of terror on the man’s face as he was only ten feet away from me. His body literally became transparent and colorless right before my eyes, and then the beast from the ocean absorbed his mass through its tendril into its body. 

Suddenly the glowing monster began to quiver and vibrate, slowly at first but with increasing speed. I rushed my mother and sister up the stairs as I did my best to keep an eye behind me. Even though I was unable to stare at the thing, I could see enough to know what was happening. The creature’s gelatinous body started to divide. That was how they were overtaking the city so quickly. After they absorbed enough mass, they divided and multiplied. The more people they consumed, the more of the ungodly things there were. 

Another family came scrambling from behind the next row of tenements calling out for help. There was nothing I could do to help them, and I had my own family to worry about. They did not make it to the steep pathway until we already made it to the next row of buildings. That was not soon enough, and the two new creatures down below caught up to them.  

We heard their screams, their terrified screams for help, and then they suddenly fell silent. I knew they were dead without looking. I knew in only seconds the creatures would consume the bodies, and if they did not reproduce, they would be coming up for us in no time. I could only hope the fact there were six people in that family would slow their progress even a little. 

With only one row of buildings left between us and the top of the hill, I could feel the freedom like I could feel my own pain. I knew the creatures were close behind us, and I looked for anything, and may the gods forgive me, anyone I could throw to slow their progress. The only thing I saw worth grabbing was a lantern someone discarded next to the path. 

Quickly I turned and threw it behind me before resuming my climb. There was a loud steady hiss, like wet wood placed in a fire. Sure I did nothing but anger the thing, I waited for that transparent tentacle to grab me from behind. We were almost to the very top when I turned to see what was happening. 

Both creatures lost their luminescence and were instead now burning with a low blue flame. I started screaming to anyone who could hear, anyone who would listen that fire was their weakness. Some people heard me, igniting and throwing what they could. Some were throwing lanterns and torches at the sea beasts, but it was not enough. We could not get enough of a spread on the flames to hold the creatures back. 

There was only one thing left we could do. I, along with a dozen or so others, picked up a log that was to be used for lumber and began to pry the base of one of the cisterns off the ground. The flaming cauldron was full of oil which would cover the ground if only we could turn it over. Several of the glowing horrors were almost within striking distance of us when the large apparatus began to tilt. Oil splashed from the rim of the cistern and set the ground before us ablaze. Reeling back from the flames, the creatures ceased their advance. This gave us the time to fully turn the huge clay container over until it began to roll down the steep hill. 

The black earthen cistern did not break when it fell to the next level like we expected, but instead began careening down the pathway that brought my family and I up to the top edge of the city. As it rolled, the massive vat threw burning oil all over the buildings setting row after row of tenements ablaze. Confronted with the flames, the monsters from the ocean began to retreat. 

The creatures that did not retreat quickly enough were ignited upon contact with the boiling hot, flaming oil. A second cistern rolled off its base as another group followed our lead. Within minutes our entire city was engulfed in flames.  

We watched helplessly as the gelatinous blobs returned to the sea, and our city, everything we had burned. I never would have imagined turning over the cisterns would cause such damage. I thought the fire would remain mostly confined to the top row of buildings since I did not expect the massive clay cauldrons to roll down the pathways as they did. The flames reached heights I did not think possible. The heat grew intense fast, and we had to retreat down into the valley on the other side of the hill. 

We remained deep in the valley until we saw only small plumes of smoke rising from the cove face of the hill. Families huddled together, some crying and some in a total state of shock. Everyone had difficulty coming to grips with the entire situation. Nothing so tragic ever happened in the history of our culture, and the surviving residents tried to cope with the horrific events as best they could. 

The fires continued for three days. The blaze did not stop until there was nothing left but the boats in the harbor. The stone walls of the buildings were charred and black but remained mostly intact. Beyond that there was nothing left. Not even half of the residents made it out alive. The rest were consumed by the alien invaders or trampled to death by other citizens as they tried to flee in the chaos. 

By the time the fires ended, there were no bodies left to give a proper disposal. So many people died. It was staggering, difficult to comprehend. Our friends and families fell victim to the illuminated horrors and the consequences of mass hysteria. We could not bear the pain of rebuilding our once glorious city. Almost unanimously the population of the island decided to leave the home our ancestors lived in for centuries, and set sail for a distant island chain. 

We loaded enough livestock for breeding when we arrived, and any nautical equipment that was not destroyed in the fire. Taking every boat we had, we said goodbye to our home and set sail. Our beautiful, sculpted city was now nothing but a hollow shell of blackened walls.  

With great sadness and heavy hearts, we left behind all we ever knew. The reason for the sea creatures’ assault remained a mystery to us. It never occurred to us that, when we over fished the waters, we were depriving anything else of sustenance. We were not attacked out of anger from the gods, or an invasion of gelatinous monsters. It was our fault. We depleted the waters of the giant schools of fish that once swam here. All they were doing was protecting their food source. Because of our ignorance, we had to say goodbye forever to our beautiful island cove.

Copyright 2023 ©

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