Humanity

This is part 1 of a short story in progress, spawned from a random story line idea, and my boredom.

........

War never changes, some say... from many races and cultures, species and religions... war is war... hatred and murder of the enemy. I never imagined it would happen to us, though.

It happened.

Just during the day, during the setting of the second sun.

It took the world many hours to awaken to its current predicament... its doomsday... its last day. Oh, the humanity...

From up in the skies, they descended, and as they dropped, thousands of feet, they impacted the ground with a great, firey explosion, the likes of which no one in our domesticated world could have ever imagined, and much less, prepared for...

Great flashing lights illuminated the sky, blinding the world below, setting many homes ablaze... oh, the horiffic screams of the innocent, scattering about like mice, engulfed in total panic as the attackers from above continued their massacre.

Oh, the humanity.

How morbid they must be, I thought bitterly, staring up into the red sky. How terribly evil, those creatures... yes, evil indeed... the most evil beings in existence.

As I watched, my face twisted in disbelief. The innocents ran amok, shouting and crying for help, though none came. No one could have anticipated that a war would break out in the middle of this, what had started as a normal day...

I awoke, like any other day, and began my day with a sanitation ritual. Then, I observed the bright, beautiful world outside of my window and decided that I would pay my dear older brother a visit today. He was stationed very far away, and he was the head of our defense service. I wanted to fly out there and surprise him.

Who knew what on earth was happening to him now... now, in the midst of this, our darkest hour.

Only an hour had passed since my awakening. And here I stand, petrified with fear, peering up at the horrid sky and the attackers... bombs and fires... death... death, death, death...

What was I to do?

The direction, I thought. The direction of the defense service base... I would go there...

My limbs refused to operate.

My gaze remained on the attackers.

Just then... it became apparent that the attackers were not only killing from above.

Huge, monstrous vehicles overcame our roads... vehicles with wheels, great, big wheels... and a large, cannon-like guns on the top... a pine green war machine, something I'd never seen before... many of them flooded our streets...

Then, as my worst fears had imagined, they fired.

Bellowing explosions erupted from the guns of these great vehicles, blowing massive holes in the homes of my people. The homes collapsed almost instantly.

As the sounds, explosions, screaming, death and chaos all began to surround me, a rushing sensation ran though me... I have got to move!

Adrenaline overwhelmed me, and without thought, I darted away from my home without giving it a second glance, though I knew I would never see it again.

A small path between two destroyed homes was in my sight, directly ahead... I dashed across the street, just before the tanks could run me down. I don't think their drivers saw me.

I understand how they're able to attack from the skies... but tanks? This attack must have been an inside job...

My body felt lighter than it ever had before... suddenly, I felt as though any second could be my last... who knew when a bullet or an explosion would catch me off guard... or perhaps they'll set me ablaze, like the homes...

I flew between the two remains of the burning homes, and didn't halt. I found myself running at top speed, leaping over walls and dodging debris... I could have run for hours... I couldn't know how long it was...
And hours did pass.

As the time passed, my body ached, growing exhausted... I was able to hear explosions from every directions, but they were mostly distant.

I stopped, wrapping my slender, crooked fingers around my skinny knees, panting for breath. I could not stop here... not now...

Who knew if my dear brother was okay?

I had to know, I vowed, nodding to myself. If I am going to die today, I will die knowing my dear older brother is safe.

As I set my eyes on the attackers above, huge, flying black and silver machines soaring through the red sky, dropping bombs and parachuting attackers down onto our homeland, I narrowed my gaze at them, my stare fading into a frightening leer, hatred brewing in the pit of my soul.

You evil creatures will pay for attacking my home.

I took a few extra moments to regain my energy... then, I rushed off. I was headed west... west was the way, the direction of the base... I would get there... I would...

Images of my dear brother flashed through my kind with each step, and I quickened my pace... the memories of my beloved family all returning to me at once... oh, I've always taken them for granted... please... please let my brother be okay... I have to see him...

Please!

I hadn't the faintest idea of how far I had run, but it must have been far... nevertheless, I kept my pace, passing through neighborhoods and dodging obstacles.

Something stopped me on a dime.

A voice... a young, shrill voice, crying out to me...

I froze, then examined my environment, searching for where ever the noise had come from. Then, I spotted it.

A short, tiny, adorable little child, standing only yards away from me in the road, alone. No... not entirely alone...

There next to the crying child lie a body on the ground.

I approached the child, though my eyes were immediately fixed on the body.

It was awful; the face of this body had been completely obliterated. They must have been shot... gunned down... Leaving this child without a mother.

Flabbergasted, I didn't waste even a second. I embraced the child and lifted her, then began down the road, away from the body. Carrying a child would slow me down, yes, but I couldn't leave her alone...

Those evil creatures killed this child's mother.

This was war.

I stopped trying to wrap my mind around it... how anyone could be so evil...

Why?

Why are we being attacked?

As the child continued to cry, I attempted to silence her, placing a hand over her mouth, giving her a sympathetic look. She did not cease her cries, though she did quiet down just a bit, which was good enough for me.

Then, a moment passed by as I looked around once more at my still, broken environment.

Though no one seemed to be close to us for the moment, the gunfire and bombs in the distance kept me on my toes. Then, I decided that it was a bad idea to be standing out in the open.

I walked with the child for an extended amount of time through the ruins of my home town. How long? I have no idea...

The red sky began to darken into crimson, and at long last, as my legs ached so badly I feared they may fall off, I came across a small storage building that was still standing just behind a destroyed home.

I forced the door open, then slammed it shut after the child and I entered the small, dark room.

The two of us curled up together upon the hard surface of the floor, wrapping around one another, stealing each other's warmth. Hopefully, no one would find us... no one would destroy this old shed...

I held the girl close, wishing that I could somehow hug the sadness out of her.

Then again, those evil bastards murdered her mother right in front of her eyes. Of course she would be horror stricken...

The thought of it enraged me.

How dare they.

How dare they murder my people.

Sick, dark thoughts consumed my mind as I kept a close hold on the girl, and eventually, the both of us drifted into a disturbed sleep...

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


That's really good. It had my heart racing.

I'm sorry I haven't given you any ideas. I do believe I'm going crazy and need help.

Keep writing, it's good.

Peace
-nat the crazed cat-

Hi there. Nice story which i enjoyed reading. The pressures on for part 2 now

Whoops double post due to strange internet behaviour

Well, all is good. And since I'm currently suffering from a serious caffeine wirhdrawl and can't sleep, I guess I'll have time to write tonight. Part two is on the way.

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


Great story! They say that some soldiers smell fresh baked bread or fresh cut grass when they are about to pass on. Anything that makes the horror and reality of the situation easier to bear...if there ever is such a thing. It is a shame we live in a world where war occurrs....if only the dove of peace could prevail and fly among us instead of the flags of war unfurled. Anyhow, your story brings home the thoughts/feelings and such of war and what it entails. Looking forward to more of your writing and thanx for sharing your thoughts/feelings. Blessings. ^j^

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


What happens next ???

reply to post by shrevegal

What I meant to express...(insomnia has got me foggy headed here)... Is that whether we have war of our own making or a war of the worlds scenario, it is still hard to endure. Whether our soldiers have to fight a foriegn "enemy" of this world or an alien enemy from another world, it is still the same relevant to feelings and fears and tragedies, These are such uncertaint times, one never knows when we could be confronted with either scenario. Thanx again for a great read. Sorry I wasn't very clear in my reply...lack of sleep is a bummer. Take care. ^j^

Part 2

...........

Our sleep was short... only an hour or two.

The war didn't leave me in my sleep. I dreamed that I was still running, avoiding bombs and hoping not to get spotted by the enemies...

Still, I was not relieved upon waking up.

The hard surface of the shed's floor was a wonderful pillow... it truly was, when I thought of what must have been occurring outside... I'd rather sleep in this uncomfortable position forever, rather than leave the shelter of this small building and face the hell outside...

But I couldn't.

I sat up slowly, looking over the tiny child beside me, who had fretted herself to sleep. Even sleeping, she looked quite disturbed. I placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a few light shakes, until she awoke, looking at me wanderingly.

I told her that it was time to go.

She seemed terrified, but did not argue with me.

The two of us stood, and I cracked the door open, scanning over the world outside.

Nothing much had changed. Everything surrounding us was still in ruins, and bombs, gunfire, and jets could still be heard far off in every direction.

The child grasped my arm, and after a moment, my three fingers coiled around her shoulder tenderly.

I didn't know what I would be able to do for her... hopefully, once we reach the defense base, my brother and his comrades would be able to protect us both... but leaving her alone was not an option. I care too deeply for my people to leave an innocent, defenseless child on her own when our beloved world was under attack.

If I were to do something so despicable, I would be the same as the heartless monsters burning our home and slaughtering our people.

Never.

As the holocaust continued, I slipped out of the building, still keeping a tight hold on the child, and made my way west, down an empty road covered with debris, hoping desperately that we weren't going to wander into an ambushed area.

As I speed-walked, I couldn't prevent my profound thoughts from racing. With every explosion I heard, every vibration of the world beneath my feet, every scream, murder, and death, I found myself thinking...

What makes man kind so thirsty for war?

Such a sickening race...

Revolting.

My expression went sour without my realizing it. As I grew angrier and angrier at our attackers, I began to get a pep in my step. It took me a few minutes to realize that I was walking so quickly that I was dragging the child behind me. I apologized to her, then kept a move on.

We would reach the base... we surely would. If there is a God, he would not allow us to die here... not now... not before... my brother... I must--

BANG.

Unlike the other explosions, this one seemed to be less than a mile from us--the ground shook violently, knocking us both down. It startled me beyond measure... I wrapped around the child, snapping my eyes shut, praying dearly that we were not about to be vaporized...

Minutes passed.

Ignoring the child's frightened crying, my eyes slowly opened.

A monstrous cloud of smoke was visible on a small road to the left, where a bomb had exploded... but it had not obliterated us.

We were just out of reach.

Thank God.

My body trembled beyond my control, though I was eternally grateful that it had not killed us. Still, a bomb within such a close range to us meant that the invaders were much closer to us than I had expected.

My mind was shouting madly at my body to get up and move, though it was a few minutes before I would fully recover from the shock. After steadying myself, I stood, gripping the child's arm, then began westward again--but this time, walking a large, round circle around the anticipated blast zone.

I twisted my neck, staring in all directions to ensure that none of the invaders would spot us, then I broke into a run, yanking the child along the way.

We ran at a pacing rate for hours. The child would sometimes cry for me to slow down, but I rarely did. I knew that we were more than halfway to the base, and I did not intend to slow the journey.

At least two drones flew above our heads, though they didn't attack us. They were most likely in search of bigger targets... clusters of survivors, rather than two lonely stray ones like ourselves.

After the sky grew brighter, illuminated by the big sun, it dawned on me that it had been almost a full day already since the attack began. We finally escaped the residential areas, approaching a small creek.

I told the child to sit next to the water as I scooped some out of the creek, which was difficult due to the awkward shape of my hands. I held my hands to her mouth, and she swallowed the water in two big gulps.

I then stuck my head in the water and guzzled as much of it as I believed my body could hold. It was wonderfully refreshing... I'd nearly forgotten what it felt like to have cold water run down the inside of your body...

Part 3

..........

When I looked back at the child, I was taken back. She no longer looked as though she was overwhelmed with emotion... now, she merely looked tired, cumbersome, and almost apathetic, sitting slouched over the water, watching her distorted reflection.

It pained me to meet her eyes, to see such immense pain behind them.

As I began to contemplate how I could possibly cheer her up, the explosions destroying my society distracted me. Hundreds and thousands of my people were dying... and here we sat, with no way to do anything about it.

I couldn't remember ever having experienced anything so horrifying before.

More thoughts of my dear family played through my mind... oh, how I missed my parents... true, they died many years before this sudden war, but at least they didn't live to see it... the only family I had left was my wonderful older brother, who dedicated his life to raising and protecting me. His job at the defense base paid for our home, and so much more... it always was lonely, living there alone with only rare one-day visits from my brother, but it was, on a whole, a wonderful life.

A life I would never know again.

As my memories continued to roll through my mind like a movie, I suddenly felt intensely guilty, looking at the child again. My parents may be dead... but at least I didn't have to watch them die in some horrible, violent way like this poor young child did.

I patted her on the head.

She looked at me.

And, for some odd reason I can't explain, I smiled at her.

Yes, I smiled... through the morbid, sinful events that we were both living through, this little, pure, innocent, gem of a life form before me... this little child... was the single most wonderful thing I could hope to lay my eyes on, in this... this dark, sadistic world.

I then began to wonder if my brother saw me the same way... he often used to watch me as I talked to him, and give me a gentle smile. He never told me why, though I always wondered, and never asked.

I softly stroked her face, petting her as though she was some sweet, adorable animal.

The child returned the smile, tears forming in her big, luminous silver eyes.

I sat behind her and embraced her with my lanky arms, concealing her from the brisk air. The day was at its peak now, the sky glowing the most brilliant color red, and the both of us sat still, watching the sky, the attacking drones and jets, the distant explosions...

Oh, the humanity.

After a settling period of time sitting and relaxing, I at last made my stand, and took her by the arm, leading her away from the creek.

We were still headed west, I knew. We were wandering through a vast, open area that looked much like a desert. I only ever visited the defense base once, about ten years ago, when I was very young... but I remember that the place was surrounded by an open, desert-like area.

We're close.

The defense base was the best place to go, I told myself as we marched through the emptiness of the open area. It was very good that my brother worked there... because he's already in the safest place possible. We just have to get there and meet up with him... then it'll be okay... we'll be with the military... we'll be protected...

And we're sure to be there soon.

Time passed.

We continued... before we knew it, more hours passed.

We will reach it, I knew. We had to.

We absolutely have to.

A faint, frightening thought whispered in the back of my mind...

What if we don't?

This possibility unsettled me as I stepped, crunching the dry dirt, glimpsing to the side at the child beside me, whose safety was entirely in my hands...

The answer hit me like a ton of bricks.

We must.

My brother never failed to protect me... never. And I would not fail to protect him. This is my time, isn't it? I never had much of purpose, other than morally supporting my brother as he supported us both... but here I am. Saving a child's life. Absconding dangers and disasters unimaginable. Finally amounting to something.

The rush of such a feeling overcame me. Yes, I understood... we're all feeling it now. My people, I know it. There are others escaping, surviving... and they feel the same way. They understand the same thing.

We will win this war.

Hope erupted from the pit of my stomach like a volcano when I focused my gaze forward, laying my eyes upon a large group of buildings far ahead of us, growing ever so slightly larger as we drew nearer. The many buildings were surrounded by an enormous thirty-foot fence, and there were huge vehicles surrounding and guarding the big fence.

I couldn't hide my delight.

We had arrived to the defense base.

We made it!

Part 4 (FINAL)

............

It was there, within a running distance, just before us... and my brother... my beloved older brother was in one of those buildings...

YES!

I bolted forward, dashing faster than I ever had before, pulling the child along, lagging behind me. I moved so quickly the air stung my watering eyes as I kept my gaze locked on the base, unable to look away, or blink.

We're here... here, at last.

At last.

My brother is here...

I have the child...

We will retaliate...

We will win this war...

My dear brother...

It's happening...

It's not all over...

How wonderful...

How simply, astronomically wonderful!

BANG.

The noise didn't occur to me at first.

Oddly, the child suddenly stopped running, which yanked me back. I turned to see why she had stopped.

When I saw her, she'd collapsed.

She lie on her back, in the dirt, her eyes wide, her body shaking terribly... My hand still coiled around her little arm, I knelt over her, studying over her frantically. She looked as though she was in terrible, incomprehensible pain.

What...?

What on earth happened?

It caught my eye.

A large hole in her chest... blood pouring from it, splotching her clothes...

I took back.

No... how could this...

How could this have happened?!

I turned around, staring at the base... my brother's base, the large fence... we had come so close... I squinted at the base, the bodies of my people lying on the ground... the tanks surrounding the place, the men in black patrolling the place, inside and out, carrying machine guns...

Many of the men... who were not my people... were standing outside of the fence, carrying guns, all looking at me as I sat crouched over the dying child, my eyes tearing up, my rage building like a steady fire...

I reached my feet and charged.

A maniac, bellowing scream escaped me... I flew at them... I'll kill them....

I'll kill them...

I'LL KILL THEM!

The man closest to me, just yards before me, met my infuriated eyes...

He lifted his gun, aimed--

BANG.

I didn't stop... didn't feel a thing...

He unloaded more shots, two of the other men joining in as well.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG.

I kept forward, through each bullet, each and every one... the shots continued firing, tearing me into pieces like tissue paper... I kept forward... still... come on....

I slumped, crashing to the ground... an uncountable amount of bullets in me... my body draining of blood, soon to be depleted like a raisin...

My crooked arms extended in front of me, my green, scaly skin dotted with blood, fading from my blurring vision... my three long fingers groping at the men standing before me, desperate to reach them... to kill them...

The men standing over me approached closer, then they began speaking in a language I could not understand.

"Ugly damn things, ain't they?" One man said. "Big green monsters."

"That's what we're here for, soldier." Another man said, laughing. "Extermination. This ain't war... it's freakin' pest control."

They all chuckled.

Anger ran through me as my ability to hear was growing less and less strong... their laughter, their sickening voices... they're slaughtering my people... and they laugh...

They have their own planet... why must they take mine?

I lifted my head, what little strength left in me allowing me to do so... I glared hatefully into the eyes of that pinkish-colored man, his cold, merciless eyes, his smile... his smile...

As the second sun of my world began to set once again, it casted a beautiful light over my world... the world that no longer belonged to me, or my peace loving people... the world they're stealing from us... consumed by greed, wrath and hatred of anything different...

My eyes burned into his.

Greedy, worthless, evil creatures...

He raised his gun, the cold barrel placed gently against my head.

My dear brother... the child... my home... my people... all murdered, just for you... just for your greed... for your sickening little smirk... death, destruction, money, lust... all the things that feed your appetite...

I wish you a special place in hell...

Oh... the humanity.

BANG.





.................

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


WOW !!! part 3 and 4 were really good - sad though, cant they live cant they find the brother and beat the odds Then I would not feel sad....

'freaking pest control' .. haha brilliant

Originally posted by HelenConway
reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

 

WOW !!! part 3 and 4 were really good - sad though, cant they live

cant they find the brother and beat the odds

Then I would not feel sad....

'freaking pest control' .. haha brilliant

I wish I could have let them live... but I do that in a LOT of my stories.

I don't write my fair share of tragic stuff, so I had to give it a dark ending this time.

And, thank you very much.

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


maybe they were shot by alien time transporters that took them to another dimension - so maybe they are not really dead ?

Originally posted by HelenConway
reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

 

maybe they were shot by alien time transporters that took them to another dimension - so maybe they are not really dead ?

That's exactly how I cope with unwanted deaths in stories... make an alternate ending.