Annihilate
Chapter Five: The Unknown
She sat in the sand, her knees buried deep below the surface. The ocean breeze gently cascaded across her skin, the waves broke against the shore, and birds sang above her head. The calmness held an eerie feeling. Noise was nonexistent, no sounds from the ocean, no sounds from humans, just the birds chirping echoing louder and louder. Then she was running, the animals diving at her head, pecking her skin until blood oozed. She ran next to the noiseless water that carried the same oily shimmer as the fungal wall.
The biologist awoke suddenly from her nightmare. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, blurring them for a few seconds. The ocean was only a dream, the birds…only a dream. She repeated herself over and over in her head. Unzipping the tent, she grabbed the rifle next to her and stepped out into the rain soaked forest. The others sat around a fire making small talk. She sat next to the flames, hovering her hands near it to get warm. She was slightly confused, yesterday it was in the high nineties and now it’s in the low fifties, the Beyond certainly didn’t know how to make its mind up. This place was a strange new world with strange occurrences, she tried to wrap her mind around it but she just couldn’t grasp what was happening here.
The continued their journey, heading deeper into the unknown. A thick shimmery fog surrounded the air around them. The biologist studied it, tilting her head side-to-side, looking at it from every angle. It was beautiful, twinkling as the sun struggled to shine through it. A voice called out inside the cloud. A voice not so human, it didn’t sound like the growls of a mutation, but something more ferocious, something far deadlier. The team stood in silence, waiting for the creature to show its face. Sweat dripped from the biologist’s forehead, her body trembled in fear, her mind focused only on her impending doom. A faint whine cut through the silence, a whimper only heard by those paying close attention. A body flew through the fog, clashing with the biologist. She fell to the ground, the lifeless shell of her fellow comrade lying beside her, throat ripped out. The heavy fog began to dissipate, revealing the beast, a full-grown bear. It stood on its hind legs, pink and blue flowers blossoming from its fur, its head mutated into a fungal mess.
The surviving members stood in silence, watching the bear sniff out its next victim. The monster jumped towards the man beside the biologist. He leaped out of the way, the bear’s teeth wrapping around the trunk of a tree. In full panic, the biologist grabbed her rifle and flicked off the safety switch. She perched on one knee and aimed down the sights. Her finger twitched over the trigger. She pressed down hard, unleashing a hail of bullets. The monster roared, chunks of flesh lodged between its exposed teeth. It charged towards her, she fiddled with the magazine of her rifle, desperately trying to reload. It stopped quickly and turned back to the man, his weapon smoking from the barrage of bullets he let off. Finally reloaded, the biologist fired a few more rounds. With one finally dying roar, it hit the ground. She found the bear intriguing, its DNA mutated into something viscous, capable of destruction beyond her imagination.
The team regrouped at their fallen comrade, the Beyond burying her in a mountain of vines and roses. The biologist and her group set off once more, leaving behind the memories of their loved one. They crossed the swamplands in paddle boats found at a sunken fishing hut, and traversed the fungus ridden environment until finally reaching a field, a large military base in the middle lay in ruins, surrounded by vines and tall trees of shimmering fungus. Outside a large metal door stood human like figures. Vines and flowers interwoven, creating arms and legs, almost like a real person. The Beyond mimicked the humans, as if it was creating a new breed of people.
The sun was just beginning to set as they made camp inside a small room, just big enough to fit all of them lying side by side. The biologist couldn’t sleep, she stood on a platform just outside of the room, leaning on the railing, and looking out over the forest. It wasn’t composed of one or a few dominating species, like in a cold temperate zone, but of countless flora stuck in a continuous mutation, constantly making something new. The Beyond puzzled her, made her think, she was constantly on the tip of her toes at all times, wondering when the next attack would come. The room they took refuge in sat high up, looking over the whole entire area, not one light in sight…they were the only humans here.
There she was again, at the noiseless ocean, the waves smashing against the shore, the birds singing a lullaby. This time was different though, to the right of her stood a large tower made from branches and bright colorful flowers. She rose from the sand, the wind pricking at her arms, her hair disheveled. Flames engulf the tower, burning it to the ground, the fire reflecting in her eyes. A creature wobbles out of the inferno, its body glowing with the oily shimmer. It has no eyes, no mouth, and no face. It’s heading straight for her. She digs the rifle out of the sand and shoots, vines exiting the back of the creature with each shot. She screams, rapidly firing the weapon, unloading the whole magazine into it. The thing doesn’t stop moving though. She loads another clip into the gun and fires again, the oily shimmer replacing the color in her eyes.
She awakens to the sun peering through the windows of their small room. She can’t tell if her dreams are nightmares, or visions of what’s to come. The beyond has a firm grip on her and wont let go.
The biologist awoke suddenly from her nightmare. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, blurring them for a few seconds. The ocean was only a dream, the birds…only a dream. She repeated herself over and over in her head. Unzipping the tent, she grabbed the rifle next to her and stepped out into the rain soaked forest. The others sat around a fire making small talk. She sat next to the flames, hovering her hands near it to get warm. She was slightly confused, yesterday it was in the high nineties and now it’s in the low fifties, the Beyond certainly didn’t know how to make its mind up. This place was a strange new world with strange occurrences, she tried to wrap her mind around it but she just couldn’t grasp what was happening here.
The continued their journey, heading deeper into the unknown. A thick shimmery fog surrounded the air around them. The biologist studied it, tilting her head side-to-side, looking at it from every angle. It was beautiful, twinkling as the sun struggled to shine through it. A voice called out inside the cloud. A voice not so human, it didn’t sound like the growls of a mutation, but something more ferocious, something far deadlier. The team stood in silence, waiting for the creature to show its face. Sweat dripped from the biologist’s forehead, her body trembled in fear, her mind focused only on her impending doom. A faint whine cut through the silence, a whimper only heard by those paying close attention. A body flew through the fog, clashing with the biologist. She fell to the ground, the lifeless shell of her fellow comrade lying beside her, throat ripped out. The heavy fog began to dissipate, revealing the beast, a full-grown bear. It stood on its hind legs, pink and blue flowers blossoming from its fur, its head mutated into a fungal mess.
The surviving members stood in silence, watching the bear sniff out its next victim. The monster jumped towards the man beside the biologist. He leaped out of the way, the bear’s teeth wrapping around the trunk of a tree. In full panic, the biologist grabbed her rifle and flicked off the safety switch. She perched on one knee and aimed down the sights. Her finger twitched over the trigger. She pressed down hard, unleashing a hail of bullets. The monster roared, chunks of flesh lodged between its exposed teeth. It charged towards her, she fiddled with the magazine of her rifle, desperately trying to reload. It stopped quickly and turned back to the man, his weapon smoking from the barrage of bullets he let off. Finally reloaded, the biologist fired a few more rounds. With one finally dying roar, it hit the ground. She found the bear intriguing, its DNA mutated into something viscous, capable of destruction beyond her imagination.
The team regrouped at their fallen comrade, the Beyond burying her in a mountain of vines and roses. The biologist and her group set off once more, leaving behind the memories of their loved one. They crossed the swamplands in paddle boats found at a sunken fishing hut, and traversed the fungus ridden environment until finally reaching a field, a large military base in the middle lay in ruins, surrounded by vines and tall trees of shimmering fungus. Outside a large metal door stood human like figures. Vines and flowers interwoven, creating arms and legs, almost like a real person. The Beyond mimicked the humans, as if it was creating a new breed of people.
The sun was just beginning to set as they made camp inside a small room, just big enough to fit all of them lying side by side. The biologist couldn’t sleep, she stood on a platform just outside of the room, leaning on the railing, and looking out over the forest. It wasn’t composed of one or a few dominating species, like in a cold temperate zone, but of countless flora stuck in a continuous mutation, constantly making something new. The Beyond puzzled her, made her think, she was constantly on the tip of her toes at all times, wondering when the next attack would come. The room they took refuge in sat high up, looking over the whole entire area, not one light in sight…they were the only humans here.
There she was again, at the noiseless ocean, the waves smashing against the shore, the birds singing a lullaby. This time was different though, to the right of her stood a large tower made from branches and bright colorful flowers. She rose from the sand, the wind pricking at her arms, her hair disheveled. Flames engulf the tower, burning it to the ground, the fire reflecting in her eyes. A creature wobbles out of the inferno, its body glowing with the oily shimmer. It has no eyes, no mouth, and no face. It’s heading straight for her. She digs the rifle out of the sand and shoots, vines exiting the back of the creature with each shot. She screams, rapidly firing the weapon, unloading the whole magazine into it. The thing doesn’t stop moving though. She loads another clip into the gun and fires again, the oily shimmer replacing the color in her eyes.
She awakens to the sun peering through the windows of their small room. She can’t tell if her dreams are nightmares, or visions of what’s to come. The beyond has a firm grip on her and wont let go.