The Sound of a rocket engine jolts you awake.
The flames from it's exhaust nozzle fill your vision and harmlessly dance around you. You are standing right in the launch zone, somehow not dead. Then suddenly the ship it's attached to, a silver teardrop shaped behemoth, takes off down a worn metal runway and launches out into space.
A silhouette shouts and waves their arms at you. “Hey over here!”
But as you turn to them, you are no longer on the runway. Instead you are standing quite inexplicable in a bavarian style village with cobblestone streets. Bolts of magic streak down the road and bound along the stones in brilliant red plumes. They scatter across the rocks and the sparks grow bigger and bigger as they tumble away and with a blink of the eye they have formed into an avalanche of shiny red apples. You shift your eyes back and forth following the trajectory of apples going every which direction and then slam them shut trying to make sense of it.
Not even a second passes before your nose is overwhelmed with the smell of salt air mixed with rare locri perfumes. Another second passes and it becomes the scent of stale pizza and the wintergreen aroma of birch beer. It shifts again to recycled factory-processed mushrooms phoning in their impression of a hot fudge sundae. The earthy aromas twist and acidify. You somehow recognize it as the smell of atmosphere before a radiation storm.
You think about turning back for the bunker before it’s too late.
Not even a second passes before your nose is overwhelmed with the smell of salt air mixed with rare locri perfumes. Another second passes and it becomes the scent of stale pizza and the wintergreen aroma of birch beer. It shifts again to recycled factory-processed mushrooms phoning in their impression of a hot fudge sundae. The earthy aromas twist and acidify. You somehow recognize it as the smell of atmosphere before a radiation storm.
You think about turning back for the bunker before it’s too late.
But what bunker? And you begin to wonder whose thoughts you have?
A radio sounds off somewhere nearby as the boisterous host of a radio show exclaims, “it’s… itss …itss.. your favorite rad-rad-rad-rad,” the tone shifts down into a low rasp, “roooooowwwchh, I’m totally buggin.” The moon catches your eye and you feel a primal connection to it, and then suddenly you are the moon. No, you are only standing on it. You gasp for air as moon dust fills your lungs and you realize that you don't need to breathe.
You turn around to see a great ball of fire where earth should be. You panic, but then it changes its appearance. Blue, ‘fwip.’ Green, ‘fwip.' A pyramid, ‘fwip.’ An egg, ‘fwip’. You spot another silhouette, but this one is different. You see a couch lit by the screen of an old 1950s television. The backlit shadow of a creature with an oddly shaped head and two rubbery limbs is visible on the couch. They are wrestling with a small rectangular device, ‘fwip, fwip, fwip.’ The earth changes three more times before taking the shape of a moldy baseball. Before you can say or do anything, the figure turns toward you. It screeches and then hurls the remote at you before skittering off to the nearest crater.
You turn around to see a great ball of fire where earth should be. You panic, but then it changes its appearance. Blue, ‘fwip.’ Green, ‘fwip.' A pyramid, ‘fwip.’ An egg, ‘fwip’. You spot another silhouette, but this one is different. You see a couch lit by the screen of an old 1950s television. The backlit shadow of a creature with an oddly shaped head and two rubbery limbs is visible on the couch. They are wrestling with a small rectangular device, ‘fwip, fwip, fwip.’ The earth changes three more times before taking the shape of a moldy baseball. Before you can say or do anything, the figure turns toward you. It screeches and then hurls the remote at you before skittering off to the nearest crater.
The remote gracefully twirls through the air before slamming into your face. Everything slows down and you feel your cheek ripple from the blow as time stretches out.
The sound of a lone carillon bell rings out three times and you hit the ground with a snap. You are back in the dark this time. No 50s televisions. No moldy baseball.
As you sit up in relief, a pale-yellow mask the size of a house protrudes from the ground ahead of you. The visage is that of a demon with two broken horns. You feel a sense of overwhelming familiarity followed by dread, but their name escapes you in that moment. Beads of red light appear in the eye sockets of the mask like two floating pupils. They focus on you and an invisible grip pulls you towards its mouth. -a gaping maw with pure nothingness inside. A sinister belly laugh erupts from the black hole, ‘ooo-hoo hoo hoo-hoo hoo.’ “I warn’d ah hue. Your Soulforge did this to us both.”
You claw at the dirt but the loose soil gives way as you are pulled in, and again you are falling.
As you sit up in relief, a pale-yellow mask the size of a house protrudes from the ground ahead of you. The visage is that of a demon with two broken horns. You feel a sense of overwhelming familiarity followed by dread, but their name escapes you in that moment. Beads of red light appear in the eye sockets of the mask like two floating pupils. They focus on you and an invisible grip pulls you towards its mouth. -a gaping maw with pure nothingness inside. A sinister belly laugh erupts from the black hole, ‘ooo-hoo hoo hoo-hoo hoo.’ “I warn’d ah hue. Your Soulforge did this to us both.”
You claw at the dirt but the loose soil gives way as you are pulled in, and again you are falling.
“Something’s wrong,” whispers a voice.
Your vision swivels through emptiness with no sense of up or down, left or right, back or forward, but the voice is like a lighthouse in the fog. For a moment you hear the crash of waves and imagine a ship being thrown upon the rocks, but the snap and splinter of wood becomes the sound of trees groaning in the wind. For now, it seems that things are starting to normalize.
The scene before you slowly fades into view as trees appear. You see a flicker of lantern light and the unmistakable outline of two lookouts in their post. One is taller and masculine with the appearance of age. He has white hair and a rough trimmed beard. The second figure is only slightly shorter with light brown hair, but they are visibly uneasy about being here. The tree blind where the two were watching from was little more than a platform with three half walls and which was only accessible from a narrow step ladder resting at a low angle. It had a small soft plastic cover made of some forgotten piece of spacer garbage that read: ilverwin Stat. Neither of them could read the foreign language, but they used it all the same as a rain cover, and it rained a lot here.
The scene before you slowly fades into view as trees appear. You see a flicker of lantern light and the unmistakable outline of two lookouts in their post. One is taller and masculine with the appearance of age. He has white hair and a rough trimmed beard. The second figure is only slightly shorter with light brown hair, but they are visibly uneasy about being here. The tree blind where the two were watching from was little more than a platform with three half walls and which was only accessible from a narrow step ladder resting at a low angle. It had a small soft plastic cover made of some forgotten piece of spacer garbage that read: ilverwin Stat. Neither of them could read the foreign language, but they used it all the same as a rain cover, and it rained a lot here.
And then a familiar feeling sweeps over you. Small at first, but grows steadily.
You realize that neither of the lookouts can see you. At the same time you feel your awareness of the world grow, things you shouldn't be able to know appear in your mind. You get a sense that each of the lookouts believes the rain cover to not be very good for the job, but they think the glyphs are neat looking, not that they have ever said this to one other. The younger person likes to imagine it came from an ancient city of fairy folk with pointed ears who could project waves of magic from their mind. The older man wondered if this ‘Stat’ was a person, a ship's captain that was famous enough -or perhaps just eccentric enough- to want their name emblazoned on the sails. Neither knew it was just a shredded banner from an office party in a far away realm, but you somehow do.
“It’s nothing. Your imagination is getting the best of you,” Says the older man.
You see a name materialize from thin air, ‘Gillahan.’
Gillahan continues, “Don’t focus on your anxieties, you need to keep yourself in the present and aware of the moment. When we are out here, we are the first line of defense between the monsters and Hope.”
“What about the barrier?” Says the younger lookout. “Isn’t that the first line of defense?” A name appears next to them this time.
‘Dane.’
“And they can learn.” Gillahan smirkes in jest.
Dane replies, “I’m just pointing out that we are doing a job that doesn’t need doing. We should be at home in the bunkhouse with everyone else.”
“Dane, you need to understand, it makes everyone feel safer. Us being out here. And I know an attack hasn’t happened since before you were born, but it was bad. We once held the old hill, the reservoir…”
Dane interrupts, “And the Great Bridge to Beyond. I know. You’ve been very explicit about this in history lessons.”
“It’s important. I know you don't feel the same, but we don’t know if anyone else is still out there. The bridge was gone before any of us were alive and we could be all that is left," Gillahan insists.
“It’s nothing. Your imagination is getting the best of you,” Says the older man.
You see a name materialize from thin air, ‘Gillahan.’
Gillahan continues, “Don’t focus on your anxieties, you need to keep yourself in the present and aware of the moment. When we are out here, we are the first line of defense between the monsters and Hope.”
“What about the barrier?” Says the younger lookout. “Isn’t that the first line of defense?” A name appears next to them this time.
‘Dane.’
“And they can learn.” Gillahan smirkes in jest.
Dane replies, “I’m just pointing out that we are doing a job that doesn’t need doing. We should be at home in the bunkhouse with everyone else.”
“Dane, you need to understand, it makes everyone feel safer. Us being out here. And I know an attack hasn’t happened since before you were born, but it was bad. We once held the old hill, the reservoir…”
Dane interrupts, “And the Great Bridge to Beyond. I know. You’ve been very explicit about this in history lessons.”
“It’s important. I know you don't feel the same, but we don’t know if anyone else is still out there. The bridge was gone before any of us were alive and we could be all that is left," Gillahan insists.
“If Hope is the last settlement, then I’m a Templar," Dane says sarcastically.
“If you were a Templar then we wouldn’t need the barrier and-“
Gillahan pauses.
“Did you hear that? Hand me a flare.” His voice was suddenly deadly calm. Dane quietly opens a compartment in the tree blind and hands over a small red cylinder. “I'm sure it’s nothing. Just a fire lizard,” they say to themselves.
Gillahan raises a finger to his mouth and then learns out over one of the half walls. He levels the flare at the forest and listens.
Tense moments go by and then there is a crunch of leaves. Gillahan squeezes the cylinder and a burst of red light silently erupts from the cylinder and arcs out across the forest.
Pearly white skulls appear in the dark.
“Shit!” exclaims Dane.
Gillahan points the cylinder to the sky and releases two more bursts of light. They arch high, this time making a loud magical BANG and a sizzle of repeated bursts. He yells, “It’s a breach! We’ve got to get back to the town.”
The two scramble out of the tree blind and quickly down the path. As their feet hit the dirt, the horde of bones quickens it's pace. These monsters were simple but effective hunters, wrapped in shadowy tendrils and propelled forward by forces unknown.
The monsters began to route the lookouts and drive them into the woods. You watch breathlessly and try to force your body to materialize. You see Dane trip over a branch and Gillahan quickly lift them to their feet. He draws his bow and fires two arrows into the horde. A skull blows to pieces and the second shot vanishes into tendrils. They continue to flee.
Dane reaches a small wooden bridge that crosses a deep ravine and begins to cross. At the other end they grab an ancient looking hammer that was tucked into an alcove. Dane knew that the original settlement had built these bridges to collapse in theory, but they had never seen it done. Both lookouts clear the bridge and Dane tries furiously to hammer in the mechanism but it won’t budge. They begin to panic and shout, “We will have to leave it!”
Gillahan says firmly, “No, they need the time.” He then takes the hammer from Dane and rushes onto the bridge. One of the monsters was already in the middle and he makes quick work of it with a direct smash to the head. Dane takes out their own bow and tries to help stem the advance, but there is too many of them.
Gillahan shouts, "Retreat!" But as Dane goes to run, Gillahan faces back toward the horde. Dane turns their head to watch and at that moment they knew there was nothing they could do.
“Gil!” They shout.
The old man raises the hammer and brings it down clean through the support on the center span. There is a sickening crunch followed by the groan of old stone and wood. Then it collapses.
The bridge, the monsters, and Gillahan tumble into the ravine and are no more.
Dane stands there paralyzed and grasping at what they should do next but there is no time to mourn. The horde begins moving again, and Dane watches in terror as the monsters, these Husks that were once people, shamble to the edge. A few tumble over the edge and a larger one emits a bellowing call. Several others keep trying to leap across but they barely make it halfway. Dane sees them communicating as more bellow and grunt at each other. Then several of the Husks twist and wrap their tendrils around one another.
Slowly, they begin extending themselves across the gap like a rooted vine. Even more of them fall into the ravine as the mass of creatures grow in size. They seem to have no end to their reinforcements.
And then finally one closes the gap.
Dane tries to fire arrows to stop them, but to no avail. One, and then two, and then five manage to clear the gap. Dane flees into the forest and tries to find the route back to Hope. One of the monsters quickly closes the distance, never tiring, never ceasing. Dane slips as they crest the next hill and goes tumbling down to the ground. They lay there for a moment and drop into a defensive position with their bow stretched and waiting. The creature charges down the hill as branches and debris tumble down.
Dane fires an arrow and it strikes the things shoulder. Breathing heavy, they prepare to take their final moments and think of the people of Hope. 'Had they bought enough time?'
Then a shot rings out with a thunderous boom as it ricochets off a nearby rock and into the monster’s skull, bursting it into splinters.
Dane freezes.
“There is someone alive down here!” came a voice.
A moment later the area is filled with light and two strangers with pointed ears come out of the darkness. One holds a magic light in their hand and the second shoulders a real life gun.
Dane had never seen a stranger in their life.
'It was impossible. There wasn’t anywhere else to come from except Hope.'
Gillahan pauses.
“Did you hear that? Hand me a flare.” His voice was suddenly deadly calm. Dane quietly opens a compartment in the tree blind and hands over a small red cylinder. “I'm sure it’s nothing. Just a fire lizard,” they say to themselves.
Gillahan raises a finger to his mouth and then learns out over one of the half walls. He levels the flare at the forest and listens.
Tense moments go by and then there is a crunch of leaves. Gillahan squeezes the cylinder and a burst of red light silently erupts from the cylinder and arcs out across the forest.
Pearly white skulls appear in the dark.
“Shit!” exclaims Dane.
Gillahan points the cylinder to the sky and releases two more bursts of light. They arch high, this time making a loud magical BANG and a sizzle of repeated bursts. He yells, “It’s a breach! We’ve got to get back to the town.”
The two scramble out of the tree blind and quickly down the path. As their feet hit the dirt, the horde of bones quickens it's pace. These monsters were simple but effective hunters, wrapped in shadowy tendrils and propelled forward by forces unknown.
The monsters began to route the lookouts and drive them into the woods. You watch breathlessly and try to force your body to materialize. You see Dane trip over a branch and Gillahan quickly lift them to their feet. He draws his bow and fires two arrows into the horde. A skull blows to pieces and the second shot vanishes into tendrils. They continue to flee.
Dane reaches a small wooden bridge that crosses a deep ravine and begins to cross. At the other end they grab an ancient looking hammer that was tucked into an alcove. Dane knew that the original settlement had built these bridges to collapse in theory, but they had never seen it done. Both lookouts clear the bridge and Dane tries furiously to hammer in the mechanism but it won’t budge. They begin to panic and shout, “We will have to leave it!”
Gillahan says firmly, “No, they need the time.” He then takes the hammer from Dane and rushes onto the bridge. One of the monsters was already in the middle and he makes quick work of it with a direct smash to the head. Dane takes out their own bow and tries to help stem the advance, but there is too many of them.
Gillahan shouts, "Retreat!" But as Dane goes to run, Gillahan faces back toward the horde. Dane turns their head to watch and at that moment they knew there was nothing they could do.
“Gil!” They shout.
The old man raises the hammer and brings it down clean through the support on the center span. There is a sickening crunch followed by the groan of old stone and wood. Then it collapses.
The bridge, the monsters, and Gillahan tumble into the ravine and are no more.
Dane stands there paralyzed and grasping at what they should do next but there is no time to mourn. The horde begins moving again, and Dane watches in terror as the monsters, these Husks that were once people, shamble to the edge. A few tumble over the edge and a larger one emits a bellowing call. Several others keep trying to leap across but they barely make it halfway. Dane sees them communicating as more bellow and grunt at each other. Then several of the Husks twist and wrap their tendrils around one another.
Slowly, they begin extending themselves across the gap like a rooted vine. Even more of them fall into the ravine as the mass of creatures grow in size. They seem to have no end to their reinforcements.
And then finally one closes the gap.
Dane tries to fire arrows to stop them, but to no avail. One, and then two, and then five manage to clear the gap. Dane flees into the forest and tries to find the route back to Hope. One of the monsters quickly closes the distance, never tiring, never ceasing. Dane slips as they crest the next hill and goes tumbling down to the ground. They lay there for a moment and drop into a defensive position with their bow stretched and waiting. The creature charges down the hill as branches and debris tumble down.
Dane fires an arrow and it strikes the things shoulder. Breathing heavy, they prepare to take their final moments and think of the people of Hope. 'Had they bought enough time?'
Then a shot rings out with a thunderous boom as it ricochets off a nearby rock and into the monster’s skull, bursting it into splinters.
Dane freezes.
“There is someone alive down here!” came a voice.
A moment later the area is filled with light and two strangers with pointed ears come out of the darkness. One holds a magic light in their hand and the second shoulders a real life gun.
Dane had never seen a stranger in their life.
'It was impossible. There wasn’t anywhere else to come from except Hope.'
