Mankind

The year is 2099, and things aren't going as smoothly as possible. Because of the intensive use of resources, the planet Earth is slowly dying, and the human race needs to find another place to go. Luckily, they had begun researching in new-age space technology in order to cross great lengths with an incredible volume of population. This could be their last hope.

At the turning of the year 2110, multiple recorded launches are activated. Their destination is to break free from the solar system, and explore the Milky Way galaxy in order to find a hospitable planet. Meanwhile, the other inhabitants of Earth remain, hopefull that they will find a new home amoung the stars.

Years pass, and it seems the explorers have yet to return. Hope dwindles, and the scarcity of resources begins to pin one man against another, in a fight to survive the wait. But, the luck of mankind has finally turned for the best. Midway through 2114, a ship returns. A messenger comes out, and explains the news. They've found a new home. The Other Earth.

Taking the good news, the people of the planet begin to pack up themselves amoung the crafts they had created over the years, preparing to travel, and leave their old planet behind. It's an exciting journey, exploration. Especially to find a new home, a place to create a family. Think of it like a galactic-sized Oregon Trail, if you would.

And, after a good long time coming, the human race arrives on the surface of Other Earth on 2118. Suprisingly, this new planet is strikingly similar to their old home, even complete with a breathable atmosphere and water. It's practically a miracle they found such a place in such a short time.

They began to constuct homes for the population, and settled down for a few months. But, now it came the time for discovery. This new planet had so much more to offer, and yet, the humans hadn't seen any of it. It was truly exciting, for a chance to explore a brand new world. But, with exploration, comes unknown dangers, and the fear of the unknown.

But mankind pushes forward, driven by a sense of determination to understand their new world. Past the mountains and hills, the rivers and streams, a group of men treks across the landscape. Geared with tools and some survival equipment, they seem to be prepared, just in case something would happen.

But they weren't ready for this, no. None of them were ready, not the entire human race.

The people back home waited, and waited. Days seemed to fly by since the explorer party had been disbanded, and no signs have been revealed as to where their location was.

A rescue team was sent out a week after their disappearance, and a few days later, something was uncovered. The body of an explorer was found, except you could barely tell it was him. The body was charred and torn, the skin was pierced and caked with a thick, black substance. It was like nothing they've seen before. The worst thing was, it was moving still. The body seemed to shimmy gently every few minutes or so, the liquid continuing to move around the body. It was like the thing had a mind of it's own.

The rescue party took the body back, while a few of them pressed forward to see if they could uncover the others. But, the only things they find are disembodied limbs, all riddled with gashes and tears. Once again, the black substance is back, along with the clear signs of burns. Something is out there, and it seems to have found them. But the question is, what happened to the rest of the bodies? It seems the head and torso has been detached from almost all of the victims, except for the first body found, which had all of the parts still together. The rescue party decided to head back after an hour of researching, and took with them the parts of the men who had fallen. There would need to be a much more involved discussion of what to do, once they got back.

But they never did. A few days later the bodies of the rescue party had been uncovered. Everyone began to worry, as they had no idea what was going on. Something had seemed to mark it's territory around that area, and it isn't happy mankind has landed so close by. Could there be any hope of cooperating with these beings? Or will they slowly close in on the humans?

The answer was revealed years later, after effortless actions to try and reason with the creatures. But, over this time, new threats had begun to arise. Not only did the weather become exceedingly violent at times, but so did the inhabitans of the planet. More and more varieties of fatalities had begun to appear, which only further frightened the alive people. 

This was the year to make a choice, Stay or leave? Who knows if they would ever find another place that could support them? And if they don't, they'd end up dying out in the nothingness of space. But if they stay, things could get even worse. Those things could gang up on them, and it could be all over. What's the right choice, if there really is one?

The council in charge decided, after a week or so of waiting, that their best chance of survival is to leave the planet, and to continue searching. Over those few days, things had only gotten worse, from the creatures closing in on the human territory, to shortages of food available in the area. An escape is needed, or the race may not survive.

During the original voyage, around Five million people had been loaded into vessels and travelled across the stars towards the new planet. And now, Only Five-Hundered Thousand remain. Times have grown grim, and now they face a tough decision. But, there might still be hope.

If the humans were able to get the rockets up again, they might have a chance to get away. At best, it would take around two weeks to reprepare the rockets for a secondary liftoff. The fuel and parts were still all in good condition, as they had been stored away under the roof of a small warehouse created in the early days of exploration. This meant that the elements, and rough weather of the new planet, couldn't get to them.

Preparation began, and the race against time had also begun. As the beings closed in, the horizon became littered with the corpses of the fallen, and the blackness that caked their bodies. Along with that, crimson red flames spread across the land. Time is running out, and people are dying left and right. There won't be much left after all of this.

The rockets have been prepared, fueled, and checked over as much as they could to assure they're in the best working order they can be. The humas load onto them, and look out to see the darkness closing in on them. It was now or never, one shot for humankind of be able to press forward.

The engines fired up, and smoke and fumes bellowed outward from the bases of the ships. The giant metal machines began to rise up off of the ground, just as the black consumes the rest of the ground around them. They took to the skies, and broke through the atmosphere. There has to be somewhere else to go, some other place that can sustain life.

Earth has run out, and this Other Earth is too dangerous to make home. Where do they go next, and what will be the plan for the future of humanity? Not even they are sure about it. But in due time, they will understand.

But, not everyone was as fortunate as the ones in the town. Many people strived out from the landing zone, going out to see the world for themselves, or just to live alone. Some people would much rather to be out in the world by themselves, than be part of the growing townships. But, even the people out in the wilderness weren't safe. Sure, they were farther from the landing zone, which was one of the closest areas to the territory of the creatures. But, there was more than just those creatures out there.

Among the trees and hills, cave systems littered the mountains. No one had dared enter the caves, for the unknown held untold potential. And Fear was especially prominent after the discovery of the other lifeforms on the planet.

Families strewn about the world would meet unheard fates, as there would be no way to know what exactly happened to them without any form of communication over distance. The whereabouts of those people is unknown, and may never be discovered, as the bodies covered by the blackness eventually decay, and sink into the corrupted ground they had been laying on. This removes almost all evidence from the gruesome deaths that had occured.

 Even though living on your own out in the wild was a dangerous and less than ideal way to live, some people chose the lifestyle anyways. They had lived a similar way during their time on the orginal Earth, and decided to continue on Other Earth. But, with all of the problems coming up around them, some chose to abandon their ways of life, in search for a safer enviorment. Most of the people ended up boarding the escape ships, and going out towards the stars once again.

But what would happen to those people who weren't as fortunate? The ones who would never hear about the planned escape, the rockets, or anything of the sort? They would never hear the news, instead hearing the sound of rocket engines firing up, and blasting off into the great beyond, without them.

The sense of abandonment was high, and the stress on one's mind is especially cruel when alone. Some people would rather be by themselves, while others fear that without one another, they would cease to exist, as their brains could not take it. People left behind would discover the site, just to see empty houses and camps, riddled bags and equipment, and giant craters from where the rockets had touched down, and relaunched from.

After seeing that they had been left to fend for themselves, and probably die without anyone ever knowing or hearing from them again, some resorted to taking their own lives. They couldn't bear the thoughts, and figured suffering on a planet with none of your own kind would be torture.

Some would fall into deep depressions, and slowly die off, losing hope that there would be any way to escape the planet, or to survive in general. Others would go mad, claiming to false hopes, and ending up turning on their own friends and families. Mankind was torn apart, and the ones left behind slowly degraded until there was nothing left but empty shells of a once known and loved person.

That is the story for nearly every person who had been abandoned on Other Earth. Nearly. There is an exception, though, to this reocurring tragedy. A man, who always kept to himself. Who stayed away from all others, and believed in the arts of self-sufficience and survival. He didn't need a family or friends, he just needed to keep going, to keep surviving. This was before the rest of his race left him on the planet, alone.

But, he didn't know it. No, he was far off in a dense part of a line of forest. He never heard the screams of the people trying to rush to the others, the rockets blaring as they took to the skies. He had seen nor heard nothing. He was completely, and utterly, alone.

The human race has left Other Earth in search of a new home to claim for themselves. A man lays in a field, all alone. He is tired, hungry, and without hope. He had once found fondness in the living among the elements, but now the world has finally taken it's toll. Is there any hope left for him? How far will he go to survive? How far will you go to survive?

Neil

Good Afternoon, Today is September 12, 2118. 

 

The man laid on his back on the ground, in a field, full of short-bladed grass, the kind that would easily cut through skin if grabbed tightly or ran across the skin. This was evident from the cuts and scapes littering his body, some fresh, blood dripping from the wounds. His face was rugged, paired with a rough, scrubble like beard. His clothes were torn and his body was meek, his features drained from malnurishment and dehydration. His once green eyes had begun to fade to a dark gray color, his black hair overgrown and covering his face. He had nothing, no equipment, no tools, no nothing. He didn't need anything, for there was nothing. No will to find food, no will to drink water. No one to comfort him, no one to help him. He was completely, and utterly, alone.

This man had a name, once. He is unable to recall the entirity of it. The only thing he could remember was Neil. It was a name he heard sometime ago. Was it his name, or someone elses? He couldn't remember, and at this point, he didn't care anymore. Neil was tired, and at this point, he was about to give up.

It had been many years since he had seen another human being. But, somehow, he had clinged to something to keep him going. The thought that, even if everyone was gone, there might still be worth in survival. As Neil laid there, once again the thought came to him. He scratched his head, sighing. Was it worth it, Will it be worth it?

Neil pondered for a minute or two, thinking deeply. If he had gone all this time without dying, then why give up? Even if there may be no rescue, what's the point in laying down and letting nature take it's course? The human race was created to adapt, overcome, and survive. They always had the thought, that somewhere out there, some beings might be more powerful than them. It was a terrifying thought, but at the same time, an exciting one. It was a chance to really show just how great humanity is.

 After an hour of in depth contemplation, Neil decided to press onwards. Of course, laying on the ground for the past few days had made his body incredibly stiff and weak. It would take practically all of his mustered up strength to pull himself off the dirt. He rolls himself over onto his stomach, and stares down at the sharp grass below him. Then, he spreads his arms out, and then back in again, putting his hands next to his body, his shoulders outwards, in a position to push himself off of the ground. He dug his feet into the ground and grunted, his arms veined with strain as he began to propel himself off of the earthly floor. It took a good few tries, but before long, Neil was standing up again.

The man would look around his surroundings, coughing off to the side. How long had it been since he had eaten, or drank? His body was almost in a constant state of pain, but the cooler temperatures dulled it slighty. It wouldn't be long till the snow came once again, but without any equipment to keep him going, Neil had a sense of worry when I came to the elements.

The weather of the new planet was grueling, and at some points, lethal. At every beginning of winter, there is a storm. But not just any storm, a storm to blanket everything around in white. Heat drops like crazy, and frostbite becomes a danger to anything without preperations and proper clothing. Wearing ragged clothes and without any equipment, Neil didn't seem very up to the challenge when it came to the upcoming winter.

But, that was a long way away yet. There were much more important matters at hand, if any chance of survival in the future is desired. He would need to find a stable source of food and water. Then, there would need to be a way to either patch up his existing clothes, or a way to acquire new ones. Last, Neil needs to find some sort of weapon. He knows that the world will be unforgiving and dangerous, but he doesn't know about the beings the other humans knew. No, not just yet.

Neil looked around the fields in which he was previously laying in. The lush short grass blew in the gentle winds, while in the distance, the trees of a distance dense forest blew viciously. Elevation changes everything when it comes to weather, and most of the time it's better off to be down near the ground level than be up high in the mountain regions.

The aggressive growling of his stomach reminded Neil of his first goal, to find food and water. He had seen many different animalistic creatures in the years on his own, but as of late, he hadn't seen anything around the vacinity. If all else fails, Neil could attempt to look for local edible plant life, if any. And for the liquid situation, the river he had passed by weeks ago was out in the direction of the mountain region, which from his current position, was out east.

This is the direction Neil decided to start in, as hopefully he would come across food on the way there. It had been so long to the point where he couldn't recall the last time he had a meal, or any nutrition at all. His mind was hazy from the severe dehydration he was facing, and his body was weak from malnurishment.

This would be a difficult journey, towards the river. But, if Neil couldn't make it, he would die. A risk worthy of taking, if there isn't much in the first place to live for. The man smiled, and began to make his way towards the mountain region. The grass would brush against his exposed skin briefly while walking, some blades sharp enough to cause even more small gashes. Neil's entire body was caked in cuts and scrapes from his time living in the wild, and it had been a good long time since he had a chance to wash himself up properly.

Passed the fields, and acoss a few plains littered with rocks, the dense forest came into full view. It was gigantic, spanning as far as the eye can see. Because Neil was so close to it, he could no longer see the mountain region in the distance. But, he still knew where it was, and what direction he needed to head in order to make it to his destination.

Thing is, almost all of the forest is unknown, uncharted territory. And that's to anyone who steps inside of it, not just one person. In some parts, the trees grew together so thick that the light from the system's star cannot reach. The floor of the forest is a cold and dark place, but it's the only way through to get to where Neil needs to be.

The man starts his walk through the trees, pushing his body through a group of shrubs to make his way to the forest floor. Looking up, he could see the dim light from the star, but as his eyes drifted downwards, the darkness could be seen in full effect. Neil knew that this was a place he would most certainly not want to be when come night time, as there could be no way to see anything.

Continuing to head west, pressing forwards through the vegitation widespread throughout the area, Neil began to notice something. He hadn't seen a single animal, in fact, not even a single insect. The entire forest seems dead silent, the only thing moving and creating noise being himself.

After an hour of limping through the trees, a clearing could be spotted through the brush. This could be a spot that can give a better view point than just the forest floor. Neil makes his way to the spot, and looks around. Little shrubs and bushes littered the area, and an overlooming mountain can be seen up ahead.

This must have ment that he was on the right track, and Neil took the oppurtunity to search the bushes for any fruits. Sadly, this came to no avail, and the man had to continue on towards the river on a still empty stomach. The growling and groaning of his midsection grew more and more agressive as time went on, and his head ached even more than before. But, he knew he had to press onwards, and make it to the river.

At this point, it was nearing evening. Neil hadn't noticed just how much time was passing until the shadows of the trees down below had begun to grow longer and longer with each passing minute. With no means of illumination, darkness meant that he would be completely blind, and lost within the forest. He would have to set up shelter somewhere near the river, or risk being picked off by something in the night. He wasn't sure exactly what was out there, but he knew that if he was a predator, night would be the perfect oppurtunity to stalk prey.

After another half hour of painstaking limping, Neil could hear the gentle rushing of water nearby. He had nearly arrived at his destination, and dusk was settling in quickly. He made his way to a small ridge, where the river could be visible down below. It wasn't an incredibly steep slope, but it was still high enough that if he wasn't careful, injury could most certainly be possible.

Picking up multiple strong fallen branches from the trees around him, Neil began his descent, using the limbs to brace himself on the way down, making sure he wasn't going to plummet down below. Sweat dribbled off his forehead with each step, as exhaustion set in gravely. But, once he got a chance to drink from the waters, things would finally begin to look up.

After he made it back to level ground at the base of the shores of the river, he set the broken and worn limbs aside, having plenty of the bark torn off from the way down from the ridge. Neil slowly trudged across the surface towards the water, and then, looked side to side, watching the water flow freely downstream towards a supposed larger body of water.

He slowly made his way onto his knees, and moved his hands close to the water. His mouth began to salivate, yet because of the dehydration, the taste was not of spit, but of blood. He reached down and put his hands in the liquid water, and instantly he felt the sweet relief. He bent his head close to the river and quickly moved the water enclosed in his hands to his face, and perked his lips wide. He then pressed his moist hands to his mouth and sucked in, the liquid being pulled from his hands and into his mouth. The fresh, cold drink began to flow into his mouth and down his throat, finally reaching a soothing relief to his painful throat.

Neil wasn't sure when the last time he had drank, but it didn't matter. He had finally gotten something to fill his stomach, sadly not food, but something is better than nothing. After a good few drinks, the man got up to his feet, wiping his mouth off. His stubble beard had become damp from the moisture in the river, and drops of liquid fell from his soaked hands.

At some point, he would need to come back to the river. But for now, his next goal had set itself in his mind. Neil needed food, and badly. He was sure he wasn't going to starve to death for another few days, but his strength was minimal. Things that should be a breeze are a struggle, and this weakness could be fatal if a situation gets out of hand. Thing is, how would he get food? He hasn't seen any animals, or any fruit bushes. Looks like he'll need to move a bit farther away then he had hoped. But in the end, survival is the goal.

As he stood up, brushing the gravel and dirt off his pant legs, something alerted him. Something that he had hadn't had happen in a very long time, even since he had begun his journey. He had heard something, a noise behind him. He hadn't heard anything in a very long time, and this was enough to drive him into anxiety. What was that, what did it want? If it was a being, or an animal, was it friendly? But, most important, was it food?

That thought was enough for Neil to investigate, pushing past his fears. If this thing could be eaten, then it would prove incredibly important for his continued survival. He searched his pockets, and then stopped for a second, and remembered. He doesn't have any sort of weapon or tool that he could use to kill said animal. Maybe then, he would walk and stay low, and just scout, before he would come down on his prey.

Neil began to slowly climb back up the ridge, watching the shadows grow longer around him. He would need to find a way to light up his little area, and his best bet would be to light a fire. But, he would need fuel, tinder, and other things. What was more important at this point? He rattled his head, trying to make a descision.

Finally, he decided to settle down, and begin to gather materials to create a flame. The fire he wanted to make wouldn't be anything spectacular, but just something to ward off the darkness of the night, and to keep him warm. The nights on the planet were suprisingly cold, and with winter slowly approaching, things were only going to get worse. Neil piled the tinder and branches together in a small hole he had dug with a fallen log nearby.

After that, he walked back to a seperate hole, naturally in the side of a hill, holding multiple jagged rocks. He wasn't exactly sure what kind of rocks they were, or even if they were rocks at all. But, they were solid, rough, and made sparks if banged together. Neil had heard stories about people using certain rocks to make fires, and this might be his ticket.

Taking two of the jagged rocks back to his little hole filled with materials, he began to bang the rocks together. He was surpised just how loud of a sound this created, and glanced around him every now and then to make sure he wasn't drawing any unwanted attention. After a few minutes, a spark or two began to show off of the rocks, and the man smiled. He kneeled next to the pile of twigs and began to scrape against the two rocks.

Eventually, the sparks flew and caught onto the tinders, and began to smolder, the flame gently beginning to form before Neil's eyes. It was truly a beautiful thing to see, fire. Mankind's discovery that lead to the survival of the very early beings thousands of years ago. And now, still being used to this day, by a lonely man on a planet all by himself.

He chuckled a bit at the thought, and went up from his knees, dragging over a log to sit on near the fire. Resting his body near the flame, watching it grow into quite the sizeable campfire. Neil smiled slightly as he laid down on the log, his eyes growing heavy, as the sky began to blacken even further. Night had come, but the light from the fire was enough to keep things well lit.

As Neil drifted off to sleep, the last thing he heard was the gentle crackling of the flames nearby. He was still famished, but with the water within his gullet, at least he wasn't completely with nothing. Tomorrow would be the day that he would return to his search for food. But first, he would need to make himself a weapon, in order to take down any animals roaming the forest.

But, all that could wait for the morning. Neil closed his eyes, and slept soundly. He might just be able to survive.

Shade

Good Morning, Today is September 13, 2118.

 

Neil had awoken from the slight sunlight beaming through the trees at dawn. The man yawned and stretched, looking around the area. The fire was finished, and most of the leftover ashes had blown away overnight. He slowly made his way up from the log he had slept on, and glanced towards the direction he had heard the noise the day before.

The best idea Neil thought of to get himself started with a hunting tool was to sharpen a well built twig with one of the jagged rocks he found in the small hole on the hill. Taking the rock in hand, he found a lowly limb and hacked it off, grasping it with his right hand, and holding the rock in his left. Then, he would begin to shave the excess appendages of the limb, and then begin to shave the end, to sharpen it.

It would end up being an incredibly primative weapon, but it was better than having no weapon at all. He didn't have a firearm, or any sort of knife, only what he could end up with in the wild. So, it seemed this pointy stick would have to do the trick.

Being alerted by his own upset, growling stomach, Neil would take up the stick and begin to make his way towards the area of the noise. He approached the region quietly, and kept close to the ground. He decided to check for any signs of tracks first, before trying to explore and find the thing. His years of hunting and living off the land had paid off after all, at least that's what he always would think to himself.

Staying close towards the dirt, Neil looked for any showings of movement. He wasn't exactly sure what to look for, but from his knowledge of forest animals, he figured paw or hoof prints, or something of the like. But, as he searched, he did find a track. But it wasn't an animal track. It was the track of a boot.

This boot track was much different than his, which meant someone had been through this area before him. Kneeling down near the mark, and feeling the track, he could see that it was relatively fresh, as it was still wet, and smelled of grass, which meant the that whatever had moved through, had done it recently.

The thing that confused Neil the most, was that there wasn't just a boot print. A strange substance seemed to be in part with the mark, a black, hazy liquid that filled in a few of the parts of the print. Neil had never seen something of the like, and decided it was best not to experiment with it, let alone touch it.

 The print seemed to headed in the opposite direction of his camp, which meant it must have passed by while he was still asleep. Neil held onto his wooden stake and slowly began to follow the tracks. As he followed, he noticed that whoever had made these prints, was walking at a very slow, and almost sluggish pace.

As the trail came to an end, Neil had noticed that more and more of said black substance had begun to overtake the tracks. And, as the trail continued, the pace had begun grow even slower, the footprints dragging heavily across the muddy ground. The end of the trail was at a small clearing in the woods, fit with a few bushes, and a lone tree. Neil looked behind him, making sure he would remember which way to go, when he had to head back towards his little camp.

Pressing on into the clearing, the man glanced around with each step, wondering why the tracks have stopped appearing. The last ones were completely engulfed with the black substance, and after that, there was nothing. It was like the stuff had wiped away the rest of them past that area. So the question arose, what was it, and why was it there?

Neil took a few more steps into the clearing before seeing something out of the corner of his eye, in the middle of a patch of rocks. A figure, a person. A real person, something he hadn't seen in years. It was incredible, to finally have contact after all this time! He took steps towards the person, and waved and smiled. But, the figure seemed to have no reaction. In fact, there seemed to be something off.

The person had a blackish aura around it, almost as if the black of night had clung to their body. The person was wearing what seemed to be a dark colored jacket, with jeans and what be the same boots which made the prints Neil had followed. The distance between the two was around 7 meters, or 24 feet. Still, the person infront of Neil remained stationary, motionless, showing no signs that they even acknowledge that he was there.

Confused, and at the same time interested, Neil took another few steps foward. This is where he finally got a response, but not one that he had probably hoped for. The person looked up, and just stared at him. The eyes of the person were gone, their skin clammy and dark, and what seems to be a substance begins to drip from it's face. A black substance, which Neil figures was probably from the prints he had followed.

Suddenly, the figure took a step forward, and it put it's hand up, spreading it's fingers out, in a gesture towards Neil. This is where an overwhelming feeling began to overrun his mind. He stumbled backwards, and grabbed at his head, scratching his temple. His eyes began to shake, and his body quiver. In his vision, he slowly began to see as shadowy figures surround him, as well as other people. Then, in this scene, he watches as the figures drag the people around him into the ground, into pools of the black substance, in which they are never seen again.

Now it all makes sense, why there isn't anyone around Neil. They had probably been forced to leave, and anyone who stayed was killed by these things. And no one had a chance to retaliate, to fight back. They all had nothing against these creatures, and neither did Neil. The visions repeating in his mind grow more wild and loud. From watching the people he once knew die left and right, to distorted memories he cannot comprehend.

At this point, Neil had begun to break down and cry, his eyes red from the constant stream of tears running from his face. He claws at his hair and face, shaking violently as he tries to understand what's going on in his head. As he gradually loses his mind, the figure draws closer, now within only a few meters of him. It's empty sockets gaze upon the crying man, and the hand of the creature grow ever closer the Neil's body.

Neil could do nothing. He was only a simple man, a human being. No person should ever have to experience such trauma, the trauma of being forced to watch visions that are impossible to understand, only throwing the brain into overdrive, and eventually, into madness and insanity. His crying grew worse, and he collapsed to the floor, holding his head and thrashing around. His body was no longer under his control, as the being has won. It had it's prey right where it wanted it, and soon, the cycle would continue once again.

The creature reached out, and grabbed Neil's throat, picking him up off the ground. The touch of the thing burned like nothing else, the man's skin being seared by the very touch. The cries of fear suddently turned to cries of pain and agony. But, as he was flailing out of control, he had grasped his wooden stake he carved earlier, and thrashed it into the creature.

The wound was not deep, nor in any way fatal. But as it impacted into the face of the figure, black liquid spewed from it's head, and it let out a disturbing, low growl. A noise that could make any person break down into goosebumps and hide for their life. But Neil could not think straight, and instead continued to attack the being. Noticing that it's prey was going to be much more of a problem with it's strength left, the being decided to take a different approach. It's arm molded into a sharp blade, and it gashed it into Neil's chest. He cried out in pain, and watched the red of himself spray onto the being.

Then, all of a sudden, his eyes opened once again, the tears slowing for just a moment. The intense pain had broken him from the visions for a split second, but it was all he needed. Neil thrashed at the being, and tore the stake from it's head, and instead, cut himself free from it's grasp by stabbing it's hand with the makeshift weapon. Neil dropped to the floor, screaming in pain. The wound in his chest was not deep enough to penetrate through, and suprisingly didn't gash any vital organs, but still, it was going to cause an incredible amount of blood loss.

The being growled again, and reached down to retrieve it's prey. But Neil grabbed onto the ground below him, and pulled himself away, staggering back onto his feet after propelling himself up from the ground. The blood was trailing behind him, and soaking into his clothing and skin. The tears would not stop, but the pain was better than anything the creature had planned for him.

Neil ran as fast as he could, running into trees and hedges, not really knowing where he was going, but anywhere away from that thing was better. A few minutes of desperate sprinting and internal bleeding brought a massive amount of fatigue to the man. He collapsed onto the cold, forest floor, pooling in his own blood. At this moment, Neil realized that if he doesn't act quickly, he won't make it past the next hour.

Tearing off cloth from his shirt and pants, he began to create makeshift bandages to clot up the bleeding. His skin began to pale, and his eyes shook as he worked as hard as he could to try and make the bandages. The tears from his face continued to fall, mixing in with the blood that began to coat his body.

After he finished making the bandages, and wrapping them multiple times across his wounded chest, he then went to feel his neck, where the creature had grabbed him. It stung, and still burned. When Neil removed his hand, he watched little gray flakes blow off of it. His skin must have been seared off, and turned to dust. Close quarters would most certainly be the last thing you want to have to deal with when it comes to these things.

To think there could have been another person on this desolate planet, Neil wouldn't have to be all alone. But it seems everyone else that had been left behind, had been taken by these creatures, and dragged into the depths of madness. Where, they must have merged with the strange substance, and been reborn as these figures. Figures that only seem to have one desire, to drag others down with it.

Thing was, just how many of these things are there? If this was just how dangerous one of them is, imagine more than that. Neil wished he wasn't thinking such things, but in his current situation, fear gripped him just as badly as the pain did. These things could easily take the life of any defenseless person, and the only way it seems to break from their hallucinations and visions is to inflict pain on oneself. Which, in turn would make you even weaker when dealing with the creature.

The shadowy figure appearence of the creature gave Neil an idea as to what he should classify the things as. Shades.

When he had fought to get away, and stabbed the Shade with his stake, he did notice he inflicted a small amount of damage. Thing is, he would need some serious weapons in order to stand any sort of chance. Question is, has anyone tried to kill one? Is it even possible? Guess there was only one person who could find out, and that was Neil. But he wasn't thinking about killing anything right now. He was more worried about his condition than anything.

After he patched himself up, bandages both on his chest region, and his neck, he layed back down onto the ground. The ground was warm, and covered with his blood. Neil looked down at himself, his tattered clothes now stained red with his essence. He shivered at the thought of death, bleeding out a very possible thing that could happen at this point. And without proper nutrition, his body wasn't nearly strong enough to defend against possible infection.

Speaking of nutrition, that was the entire reason he had gone out to investigate in the first place. He had gone to see what the noise had been, to see if it was an animal that had left tracks for him to follow. But things sure didn't go as planned, and escalated a little too quickly, and in the wrong direction. Now, it was now or never, that if he couldn't find some sort of food, and his body became infected, it was over.

Multiple minutes passed, and after about fifteen, Neil pulled himself back up and off of the ground. He shivered, and a wave of cold hit him. The effect of blood loss had already began to take full effect, and it wasn't in any case pleasent. The man wheezed as he got up, and stared at where he had been laying, the ground soaked and enriched with his blood. He shook his head, and turned towards where he believed the direction he had come from.

Being attacked by the shade had turned him all around, and he lost where he had originally came from, and what way it was to make it back to camp. But, there was a conveniant trail of blood that showed the direction he ran. So, Neil decided to follow the trail back, but a bit off to the side, to make sure that he doesn't run right back into the shade he had just escaped from.

Hobbling as fast as he could without disrupting his wounds, Neil arrived back at his humble little site in about a hour. Glancing upwards towards the bit of sky peaking out from the trees, he figured it must be a little past midday. Which meant, he still had a bit of time to see if he could find food.

Neil smiled a bit at the thought, and decided to start small. No animals or anything like that, no, he would go the traditional and basic survival route. If there are no animals or the like to trap or kill for food, the best bet can sometimes be right under your nose. Fruit bushes.

 

Berries

Good Afternoon, Today is September 13, 2118.

 

The goal was simple, to find some form of vegitation-grown food to be able to sustain him. Sadly, it had been a good while since he had eaten anything, and his memory had begun to fail him, causing him to forget which fruits were exactly safe to eat. Hopefully once he finds some, he'll remember right away, and doesn't eat something that would put him in an even worst position.

Neil began to scan his surroundings, mumbling to himself in the process. He moved towards a fallen tree and busted off a few branches, laying them into arrow-like shapes on the ground, in an attempt to create something like a road sign. The arrow with the "x" would signify the area with the shade.

He then looked to the direction of the river, and made another arrow, creating little waves with the twigs to show the water. There were two other directions, both completely unknown and unexplored. Which meant, they had to be surveyed before they could be mapped with an arrow. Neil decided it was best to check them out now, while the sun was still high, and his stomach was still knawing at him. Hopefully he could find some form of food on the way towards his uncertain destination.

The direction of the river was south, and to the north was the shade. So, it was only natural to go east, and leave west for last. At least, that's what Neil chose to do, anyways. Limping down the small, uncut pathway through the trees, the man kept his eyes peeled for anything that looked suspiscious and worthy of a closer look.

He guessed that he should have at least four or five hours of sunlight yet, so he'd at best make his distance in two hours, and give him plenty of time to return. Neil didn't feel like fumbling around in the dark, trying to start another fire. And now that he knows about the shades, it makes him even more afraid of what could be waiting for him in the blackness of night.

The terrain to the east wasn't anything too out of the ordinary. Plenty of heavy wooded areas, and a stone here and there. Compared to the other areas of the forest, this one seemed to be more than plentiful with green. Which gave Neil hope that one of these bushes held something of value, unless the sticks and leaves tasted good and held some sort of nutrition value. But, he didn't feel like trying it now, or anytime in the near future.

While making his way through the eastern region, he decided to tear off a bit more cloth from his shirt, and begin to weave a little pouch together. If he came across any edible fruits or the like, it would be best to take a good surplus of them with him, and keep them semi-shielded from the elements, if the problem would arise.

Attaching the pouch to his belt, Neil continued his walk, and ran his hand gently across every promising looking bush he could find. So far, only fifteen minutes or so in, he has yet to see a single bit of anything that resembles fruit. It was mildly frustrating, since practically every step was growing more and more painful. But at least it seemed the bleeding had began to slow down in his chest wound. So hopefully the chance to bleed out would be a little more forgiving.

Still, the loss of blood was impairing his actions. Occasionally he would stumble, or have large spurts of fatigue. Looking down at his hands, he noticed just how much his skin had paled over the course of time. His body had also grown relatively cold since then, which alarmed him more than anything. At this time of year, it wasn't as bad. But soon, it could become an incredibly dangerous problem.

While scanning the local green for any signs of food, Neil was also making sure to glance down every now and then to see if any small creatures had left prints, but to no avail. The man sighed, and scratched at his scruff beard. He wondered to himself just how long his facial hair could grow, if he just left it to it's own devices. He chuckled a bit at the thought of a beard that covered practically his entire lower body, and for a second, he felt something almost like a faint memory.

But it wasn't long before it was gone, and the search for food continued. To pass the time while looking around, Neil decided that he would try and count just how many trees there were in the side of the forest. This, of course, was an incredibly stupid, and also a nearly impossible to complete task. Like he examined earlier, the east is denser than any of the other regions, so this would be even more difficult. Not even Neil himself could understand why he thought of such an idea. Maybe it was just the thought that counted, just a chance to distract himself from the slog of a expedition he was on.

Another half an hour passes, and still nothing. At this point, with each bush, Neil began to grumble, along with his pissed off stomach. He'd probably be upset to if his body didn't eat in weeks, practically gave up on living, and then got attacked by some weird shadow creature.

But obviously the stomach had no mind of it's own, therefore it couldn't think for itself. Or did it, and he just didn't know it? Neil knew basic anatomy, or at least whatever they taught him in the junior high years. But, at the current age of Thirty-Five, sometimes things fade after a while. But stomachs with brains? Don't think that was part of it. Unless Mr. Brandley was hiding something from him all this time. Wait, how did he just remember his Health teacher's name? Who knows.

It's been an entire hour, and nothing has turned up. Not even a turnip. Get it? Turned up, Turnip, they sound the same? No, that wasn't funny? Neil was smiling for a minute straight at that one, his own joke. But then again, there wasn't exactly anyone to share the moment with him. Not even Mr. Brandley.

What was the last thing he ate anyways? If it was weeks ago, then it must have been some form of scraps or something of the like. Unless after that meal, the depression had set in. Neil couldn't remember. All he knew was that food tasted good, no matter the kind. Except lettuce, because that stuff was disgusting. Who in there right mind would eat a salad anyways? He would rather stuff his face with wild fruits than dine at some fancy eatery and eat a salad.

Now that he thought about it, Neil began to wonder what was the last returaunt he was at. Years ago, that had to be. So, So many years ago. Actually, had he ever ate at one? Ever since he can remember, he had lived out in the wild by himself. Maybe when he was really little he had done something of the like. Was it good? Probably.

This is unbelievable. An hour and a half and all Neil has seen is trees, trees, and more trees. And bushes, of course. With absolutely nothing besides leaves and twigs. At this point, he wondered just how tasty those leaves might just be. But each time he reached toward one, he stopped himself. He wasn't insane yet, only crazy people liked to eat leaves and stuff. Or vegans.

All this indepth thought of complete nonesense was sure making Neil hungry, along with the weeks worth of starvation. Life sure is rough in the middle of nowhere on a planet in the middle of nowhere. Speaking of that, where even is this place? It must be in some sort of solar system, but one probably without a name. Unless those fancy people with glasses and white coats decided to name it. He remembered what they called this planet. It was "Other Earth".

But then again, after living here for quite some time, Neil could certainly see the differences between the two planets. Sure, both have breathable atmospheres, liquid water, and energy sources. All the things that usually add up to sustain life. Thing is, the original Earth didn't have strange terrifying shadow creatures dragging people into the depths of hell, or where ever they take them. Neil wasn't too keen to find out himself.

Suddently, there was something in the corner of his eye. A bush, with something on it. Neil moved closer, and stared deeply into the plant. There seemed to be little blue spheres attached to the outer leaves of the plant. The man laughed and hollared to himself. He finally found something, after all this walking and talking to himself! Except he had been doing that for years.

Pulling one of the things from off the plant and tossing it into his mouth, Neil looked around at his surroundings. He would chew gently, trying to see what kind of flavor the sphere had. A smile grew wide onto his face. The taste, suprisingly, was similar to a grape and an apple.

"A grapple", Neil proclaimed in his head. He knew it was a stupid name, but he didn't think anyone would judge him. He hadn't had that problem for a good long time.

Thing was, he had no idea what exaclty was in these little grapples, but he didn't exaclty have the equipment to run any tests on the things. So, he decided to elaborate on his discover. They tasted good, and that's about it. Perfect, he'll grab all of them that he can carry in his little woven pouch.

An average grapple was about three by three centimeters in size. This allowed him to fit around a hundred in his travel pouch. At least, that's probably how many went in there. He wasn't going to count them all, he just tossed as many as the thing could carry and smiled. Finally, something good to come his way.

And with that, Neil began to make his way back towards his little site. It had taken just under two hours to make it to the food. He left some of the bushes alone, just in case he needed some more down the road. The best bet would be to search around for more grapple bushes, and stockpile the fruit somewhere. He's not sure how long they last in the elements, so maybe he should make some sort of enclosed place to hold his lifeline.

While on his way back, Neil began to hum a gentle tune. He wasn't sure what it was, but he had heard it at some point in his life. He wished he could explain it better, so he could try and remember. But he couldn't seem to understand anything about it, other than he knew it, and he was making the noise that it was. If only he had someone that understood.

The real question was, does anyone actually understand what's going on? Neil still wasn't sure if everyone was dead for sure. But, if you haven't seen people in over four years, you start to get a feeling that you might just be the only one. But, what little hope there is for human contact, he would hold onto.

Neil wondered where everyone was now, if they had found a new place to call home. He also wondered what they would call that planet. If Other Earth was the name of this one, was the next one going to be Other, Other Earth? The thought gave him a chuckle.

Now that he thought about it, would anyone really talk about this planet? It was an utter faliure in means to house humanity. Most of the time, whenever something went bad, everyone just covered it up and acted like nothing had happened. Would they do that this time to? Would they cover it up, and forget about everything, including him?

Oh, who was he kidding? Neil couldn't tell if anyone cared about him anyways. Not being in contact with anyone probably made it seem like he kicked the bucket at some point, and everyone could go on with their lives. People die all the time, and when the shades invaded, he was sure death wasn't a rarity.

 Time flies, and after another good hour or so if critcal thoughts of the past, Neil arrived back at home, or at least whatever the name is of this log and fire hole. The man sat down on the log and took a breather. He had been practically walking all afternoon. But it was better to attempt to find a way to get food than to wait and see if his wounds would heal. That was what tonight was for. He would eat up, drink up, and rest up. And hopefully by tomorrow, things would be in the progress of recovery.

After taking a minute or two of rest, Neil got back up to his feet, and limped over towards the southern region. Slowly making his way down the slope, and to the river bed, he watched the sky grow darker and darker.

It used to be such a beautiful thing, the sunset. But now, it was a thing he couldn't even see, because of the thick woods. And even if he could see it, the only thing it would bring him would be dread. The dread of the night approaching, the darkness slowly creeping over all that the surface has to offer. The world will go black, only for a time, but still. The terrors of the night are unknown, and unseen. No one knows what's out there, till it finds you.

Neil took a good few slugs from the river, and wiped his mouth dry. Then he headed back up towards his small little site. Then, he manuevered to gather sticks and twigs once again, for a fire. He glanced down into the small fire hole he dug, and then tossed the materials in.

The man walked back over to the hill, and reached into the small crevice to grab two of the jagged rocks. Neil sat down on his log and began to scrape the rocks together. A few minutes later, and the flames were arisen once again, and the cozy warmth of the fire settled in. He polished off a few grapples and layed himself down on the log. As the darkness took over everything he could see, besides the fire, Neil shivered.

He wasn't cold, he was nervous. After encountering that shade, he wasn't going to look at night the same way. He moved the log a smidge closer to the fire, just so that aura of light was closer to him. The light repels the dark, and it was the only thing he wanted once the night fell.

Laying back down, Neil began to close his eyes. It had been a long day, and had put him in an interesting situation. But, as he was once told, "The only thing that matters now, is tomorrow." Who said that line? He wasn't sure, but whoever did, he wish he could thank. That motto was a driving force in his life.

Knife

Good Morning, Today is September 16, 2118.

 

After a good few days of rest and recovery, Neil had begun to notice the bleeding of his chest wound decreasing. A stable diet of fresh river water and grapples, the man had started to feel himself growing in strength. It would be an incredibly long time before he would be able to reach his full potential, but it wasn't that important to him, at least not right now.

Today was going to be a change of things. A day of exploration, a day to scope out a new region. So far, this is how the region map is, according to everything Neil had mapped out in his head, and on the ground. He looked around, and thought about every direction around his little camp.

To the north was the shade, and a decently wooded area, full of small clearings, fit with bushes and piles of rocks. To the south was the river, the source of drinking water for Neil, a necissary commodity. To the east was the dense, rich woods, full of vegetation, and deep within, grapples. There was only way that Neil hadn't gone, west.

Well, at least not in the woods, and at this location. Going far enough west would lead him back into the fields in which he had gotten up from days ago. But he had entered the woods farther south, so he hadn't explore this area of the west region just yet. Who knows what untold potential this area held. Guess Neil was going to find out for himself.

Grabbing his pouch of grapples, the man headed out of his little camp site, and out towards the westward unknown.

Going west always would remind him of all those old stories about the westward expansion of the United States, and how people from all over flocked to move out into the plains and mountains of the new world. Fascinating, how exciting it was to go and see new places, have new experiences. But now, there was nothing new. It was all the same eventually, the world had grown dull. The Earth had became stale, and it's people strived to go new places. That's why the trips to the moon and mars were so thrilling. Passed that, going from the end of the solar system, and back again. And now, travelling across massive distances in space to reach new places never before known till now. Human kind, space pioneers.

Neil had got up extra early, to make sure he had plenty of time to explore, and plenty of time to return. He wasn't sure at all what this area had to offer. Nor did he honestly know about the east or south. He knew that north would eventually lead him to the mountains, but other than that, he didn't know. Guess he would have to continue having expeditions to find out.

Right away, he had noticed that the west held lower elevations than the others. The north had sloped up slightly, while the east stayed practically flat. The only other that went lower was the south, which made sense, because of the river. Question was, at lower levels, would there be different kinds of plant life?

Neil's question was answered soon enough, as he noticed the increased number of bushes and the like around his feet. It was all low growing vegetation, and it could be caused by the lower elevation's tendancy to have more water flow through it, mainly because it's closer to sea level than the others.

A few minutes passed the discovery of the low plant life lead to an increase in wet ground. Practically every step was a moist squish, the dirt below Neil's feet had all become mud, the grass mushed together with said mud to create a strange kind of concoction. The area had slowly become a marshland, and trees began to become farther and farther apart, leaving more room for the wet areas to grow.

He noticed that as the ground became more saturated, the plants overtook even more of the ground. No wonder the trees are spreading apart, the ground is littered with so many bushes and vines that there would be no place to start growing, as the sapling could practically be overtaken at any moment. Fascinating, the circle of life when it comes to plants. And it some times, brutal and unforgiving.

As time progressed, Neil began to hear something, besides his own footsteps. The sound of what was assumed to be water, swirling around itself. And as the man walked farther, he saw exactly what he was hearing. The western region was home to a great marsh, one spanning an impressive area. If it were possible to get an overhead view, the trees are cleared far and wide for this wet area to grow, which must mean that at some point, the river to the south must combine with this marsh.

Question is, just how deep is this water? Neil really wasn't sure, and didn't really want to find out, either. Getting soaked didn't sound like the most exciting thing at this time, or really, any time. Being wet is one of the most uncomfortable feelings ever, and it would be even worse when the only way to dry off is to make fire, which Neil only saves to make at nightfall. No point in wasting wood for anything else.

Deciding to not traverse the water, Neil decided to try and find a way around the marsh. But, it seems that everything he tries, there only seems to be more and more wetlands. This entire region is drowned in water. If he wants to get passed this junk, he'll either need to get soaked, or build a bridge. One sounds awful, and the other sounds incredibly time consuming and difficult to pull off.

At least Neil figured out what was over in this area, but it doesn't seem like he'll be getting too far into the thick of it. Nice thing is, because he left early, it won't take too long to reach the camp site once again, and he could do something else in the meantime.

But, just as he was ready to turn around, his foot hit something. Neil glanced down and kneeled, poking at the mud. There was, what seemed to be a leather grip for something, which was stuck in the mud. The man thought for a moment, and then shrugged. He grasped the grip, and pulled outwards. The object slid out with ease, and revealed itself as a knife. A hunting knife, it seemed to be. Must have been made with some sort of steel alloy, and one with incredible rust protection, since this blade was in pretty decent condition for being stuck in the wet mud for who knows how long.

How did this even get here? Maybe someone lost it a long time ago, and Neil just so happens to be the lucky person to find it. Sure, it was probably useful for whoever used to own it, but Neil has plenty of things he could use this for. One thing in particular, which he had been thinking about for days. He grasped the knife and walked towards one of the pools of water, sticking the blade in, and washing it gently with his hand.

The blade was still mildly sharp, as it sliced Neil's finger slightly. This was perfect. After the weapon was clean, Neil smiled happily, and began his walk back towards his site. He figured once he got back, he would make himself a little sheath for his belt to keep the knife in, similar to how he made the pouch for any food he had come across.

Speaking of that pouch, Neil had decided to snack on a few grapples on his way back. If only there was a way to have a portable source of water. But the water would soak through his cloth, so he would need to find some other material in order to make a canteen.

After a good hour of walking, he had arrived back at his camp. As mentioned before, Neil sat down on his log, and tore a bit more cloth from his shirt to make himself a sheath for his newly acquired knife. Once finished, he tied it onto his belt, and stuck the knife inside of it.

The things he could do with that knife is almost limitless. So many oppurtunities, so many things that have opened up for him. One thing for certain, that will come in due time. But for now, there is something a bit more important to tend to. His little camp could use a bit of touching up. Neil pondered for a bit, trying to think of ways to do so. Maybe an outside wall could be of use.

Finally decided on something to do, Neil began to gather up materials for his building project. Making sure to use the least amount of wood possible, he gathered large amounts of mud from the west to use as packing for the walls, and rocks from the southern area near the river to stabalize the walls.

The walls would only be around a meter and a half by the end of the construction, which took hours. Packing together mud and rocks isn't as easy as it sounds. Shaping and molding the stuff was difficult, but Neil pulled it off in the end. Once finished, he took a break, sitting down on his log, and glanced up at his work. He smiled happily, for now, he finally had a bit more of a home. Sure, it didn't exactly have the features of a house, but who cares? Nothing like a mud hut to keep the heat in from the fire.

After a good half hour of rest and relaxation, Neil got back on his feet, and stretched. Before he finished up his little project, he wanted to add a little defensive capability to it. He wasn't exactly sure how useful it would be, and if it turned out to be useless, at least it would make his home look cooler.

He grabbed as many decently long sticks he could find and began to sharp the ends with his knife. Before long, he had a pile of what looked like primative spears. But these were going to be used as spikes for the walls. The best part was that it was simple to add them to the design, as the mud was compact enough to hold them nicely into place, without too much difficulty.

Neil stepped out the little slot in the wall which he supposed was his door, and took a gander at his new and improved home. It was certainly impressive to him, but then again, there wasn't exactly anyone else to judge his construction skills. After all, if the walls keep him warm and safe, who cares? Certainly not Neil.

The project had taken a good chunk out of the day, but Neil supposed he might have a good hour or so left before nightfall arrived. The evening light had just begun to show up in the sky, so there was still some time left. He exited his hut and slid down towards the river. There, he looked both ways, east and west. He hadn't went down the sides of the river, so maybe it could be an idea, but it would probably have to wait for tomorrow. No one likes a quick expedition, the best ones are lengthy and full of detail and interest.

Returning up the hill to the hut, Neil glanced around his little area. Over time, he was sure it would develop into something amazing, but for now, it's all he's got that safe.

He then moved towards the patches of trees surrounding his little shelter, and gathered plenty more twigs and tinder, carrying them inside the hut, and stacking them in the corner. It would be much easier to have a convinent pile of wood to toss on the fire then to have to go outside to gather more.

As Neil sat down to begin fixing himself a fire for the night, an alarming sound could be heard from up above. A crack of thunder. A storm was coming, and that meant rain. The man quickly got up, and began to ponder. He needs to find a way to keep the wood dry, or else there'll be no way for him to start a fire. Wet wood doesn't burn, and that sure doesn't help the cause.

Suddently, Neil strikes an idea. What if he gathered a bunch of branches, ones with plenty of leaves? The leaves could be used to redirect the water to the ground, and not onto the wood. Genius!

Smiling at his own amazing idea, Neil gets up and begins to commit to his plan. He found any low hanging limbs bound with leaves and used his knife to slice them down to the ground. After gathering a good amount of them, he hauled them back into the hut, and began to lay them one by one over the wood he had gathered for fires. Speaking of fires, he should probably start one soon, before it really does rain.

Grasping the jagged rock he had kept near his log, and his newly acquired knife, he created sparks in no time, lighting his fire hole's fuel ablaze in no time. What a useful tool this knife will be in the future. Sheathing the weapon and sitting down on the log, Neil yawned and stretched his arms. A good day of work, and a good day of completion.

As the fire grows, so does the sound of thunder. Neil decides to call it a night early, and grabs a surplus of leaf-riddled branches. Laying down on the log, he covers himself with the branches. Hopefully they'll do a decent job at keeping him dry once the rain starts.

Another crack of thunder is heard, and before long, the droplets of rain begin to fall from the sky at a steady pace. And, as the rain rolls in, the dark clouds cover up what left of the sunset there was, leaving only the fire illuminating the dark. But, because of the lovely new constructed walls, the light almost seemed brighter, as it was contained in a small area, rather than being spread out over a widespread area.

Neil began to close his eyes, smiling as he watched the fire ripple in the rain, almost as if it was dancing. He remembered dancing, but never doing it himself. It was something people always did at celebrations and parties, things Neil had never gone to, or at least he never remembers going to. He didn't need to do all those things to have a good time. No, all he needed was himself, and nature.

People are complicated, and of course, so is the world. But, at least the world will always be there. Where as people have a tendancy to dissapear, and leave. Neil knows plenty about this, after being left by his entire race. It still angers him at the thought. He swears if he sees someone else, he'll give them a peace of his mind.

But for now, he's got better things to do. Like sleeping.

Storm

It's Morning, Isn't It? It's so dark. I don't understand, I never remember putting a roof or anything on this hut. I can still hear the rain, I can still feel the rain. The leaves didn't work, I'm soaked to the bone. But I can't move, I'm stuck, I'm cold. What time is it? Oh, who I am kidding? No one is ever going to answer my questions. They haven't for years, and now, they never will. Another crash of lightning and thunder. The winds picked up during the night. Wait, is it still night? Am I sleeping? What's going on? I hear something. Not just the rain, or the wind. It's so dark, the fire has gone out, but how long ago? There's that sound again, and I know that sound. I heard it before, I remember. That day, by the river. That noise that I heard behind me. It's here, in my home, right next to me. And I still can't move. Time is frozen, I'm stuck. The rain, is slowing down, and so is the wind. Soon there won't be any noise, except for that noise. The noise of the shade, the noise of the past. The noise of something that you had forgetten, and yet, you are destined to remember. I wish I could understand, but I don't. That's why this is happening. Because I don't understand. But don't worry, it won't always be like this. No, not at all. The sound grows louder, the growling in my ear will not stop. It's louder than the storm, louder than the beating of my own heart. It wants me to go with it, to be dragged like the others. But I will not. I will be stronger than the rest, stronger than the ones who abondoned me. Who left me to die on the desolate planet, all alone. I will show them all that they have made a mistake. I will stop the noise. I will stop the visions. I will stop the nightmares. I will kill the shade.

Prey

Good Morning, Today is September 17, 2118.

 

Neil was restless. He couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried. The storm continued to rain on, the winds blew around the new constructed walls. The man got up, pushing the branches off of himself. He then glanced down at the sheath at his belt. He knew what he had to do. He nodded quietly to himself, and got up from the log. His clothing was soaked, the blood that had accumulated on him had been washed away and nurtured itself into the ground.

Neil stepped outside of his camp, and faced northward. He hoped it was still there, maybe it was waiting for him? Guess there was only one way to find out. He began the walk, each step squishing on the soaking wet ground, water logged from the intense rain, which doesn't seem to stop. He's sure that the western area would be flooded after this storm, but he'll check on that later. He's got more important things to do.

Sadly, the tracks had been washed away with the rain, along with the blood stains from days ago. But that didn't matter. He could hear it. Ever since that day, Neil could always hear it. But until last night, he tried his hardest to ignore it, to keep quiet with himself. But enough is enough.

Eventually, the man reached the clearing, the same clearing. The same rocks, the same grass, the same bushes. Stepping farther into the area, he saw it. It was just standing there, doing exactly what it did four days ago. But this time, things would be different. Neil would make sure of it. He reached down towards his belt, and to the sheath tied to it. Then, he flipped it open, and pulled out the knife he had found the day before.

The blade was shining in the rain, the hilt rough, but easy to grip. Neil stared at the shade, the thing causing his mind to go on a fluke. He would stand for no more of it. This would be the day that everything would change. For better, or for worse? He didn't really care, he just wanted to see if one thing was possible. If it was possible to kill a shade.

 He took another step towards the figure. Still no reaction. Neil wasn't close enough, but soon he would close the gap between the two of them. He didn't plan on giving the shade a chance. It deserved nothing, no rights, no mercy. These things have no feelings, no sense of reason. They deserve to die for what they have done to the human race. And Neil will be the one to put them down.

Suddently, he broke into a dead sprint towards the creature, brandishing his knife. Neil spoke nothing, no battle cry, no curses. The only sound filling the air was the rain, the wind, and the footsteps approaching the shade. The creature began to lift it's head to look at the approaching man. The eyeless sockets gazed upon Neil, and it tried to put it's arms up, in an attempt to grab it's opposer.

But, Neil was filled to the brim with momentum. As he charged towards the shade, the visions began to appear, impairing his movement. But, he knew what to do, how to temporarily disable the terror. The man turned the knife towards himself, slicing into his arm, dark red blood spewing off to the side and blowing into the wind. The rain washing away traces of the cut, which was only a few centimeters deep. But the pain was incredible. Mainly because of just how frail Neil's body had grown.

This was enough to break from the nightmares, and gave him a chance to fight. Even though he didn't know if there was a way to kill a shade, he was going to try his hardest. He flipped the knife over, pointing towards the figure, and took that last step. He then jabbed towards the shade, plunging the knife into the chest of the thing. Black substance spewed everywhere, and the thing began to growl.

That terrifying sound would have put Neil into shock, if it weren't for the insane amount of adrenaline filling his body. The cool rain surrounding the two began to chill the bodies of both. The black and the red washed away into the ground, and the man and the shade stared at eachother, being face to face.

Tearing the knife from the chest of the creature, Neil stepped backwards, bradishing his weapon once again, watching the black wash away from the blade. Was it injured? If not, then maybe he just needs to stab it a few more times. Or maybe more than that, whatever it takes. If it bleeds, it can die.

The shade jittered a bit, and then began to approach Neil. It put it's arm out, spreading the fingers on it's hand out, reaching towards the man. But Neil knew now, where it would aim, where it would attempt to attack him. It wanted to pick him up by the throat, in an attempt to immobolize him, but that wouldn't happen this time.

As the creature leaned towards him to grab at the throat, Neil slashes back at it with his knife, cutting into it's hand, once again the black substance spraying off to the side. Another growl emitted from the creature, and it's pace increase. It seems to be growing more agitated. Which means he might just be inflicting damage.

This time, when the shade went in to attempt to grab him, Neil evaded towards the right side of the creature, and slammed the knife into it's chest once again. The growl grew even louder, and it tried to use it's hands to move him off. The man put his other hand on the knife, and cut it out downwards, gashing the belly of the creature.

The creature must now have noticed that it had a conflict on it's hands, because it's arms began to morph and change, into a familiar sight. The same blades that Neil had been stabbed with days ago. The same things that had started the cycle of nightmares, which won't let him sleep. Neil grasped his knife tightly, staring at the arms of the creature. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but then again, if it was, then so many people wouldn't have died, without having the chance to fight back.

He closed in on the creature, and suddently, it motioned it's left blade arm, and unexpected backhanded Neil with it. The man staggered backwards, a searing gash now on his right cheek, blood dripping downwards from the wound, the rain washing it away, returning it down towards the muddy ground of the clearing. How much blood would be spilled at this ground? Red blood, black blood, the essence of life is blood. And so much of it may be lost, but the winner will be determined, by the one who holds onto their fluids the longest. 

The shade moved towards the man, and Neil watched it's left arm begin to move once again. Putting the knife up in an act to deflect a blow, he watched the arm closely. Once again, the blade quickly moved towards him, but this time, he tried to stop it with the knife. Puncturing into the arm, the black fluid spilled out once again. But it wasn't enough to fully stop the arm, as it once again slashed Neil, this time in the shoulder. His shirt slowly becoming soaked in red, the blood leaking all over his body. The rain would attempt to wash away the traces of blood, but the memory of spilled blood will always remain.

Furious, Neil decided to use it's own tactics against it, and grabbed the arm tightly, slamming the knife into it's belly repeatedly. A hole began to appear at the area of attack, the black blood spewing over the ground, over the shade, over the man. The creature growled loudly, almost like the bellow of a large animal. It moved it's other arm, smacking Neil off of it by catching him in the side.

This caused him to stumble to the right side of the being, holding his now bloody and cut open side. Neil's blue eyes stared through the empty sockets of the shade, almost as if he were trying to see right through it's tactics, it's ways, it's motivations. Almost like a dull attempt to understand just exactly what he was dealing with.

The creature began to move in closer once again, both of it's arms moving in sync. Neil backed away, watched them move. He would hold the knife off to the side, and dared make a dangerous move. He quickly dodged forward at the thing, and noticed both arms cling together over it's head, and make a motion to slam down in front of it.

Diving to the side, Neil barely makes it out of the way, and brings the knife across the creature's face while moving away. The slice was not deep, but still damage none the less. The creature groaned and turned towards him. But, before it could make a full turn, Neil pierced the back of it's skull with his knife.

Suddently, the shade began to change nature completely. After tearing the knife out of it's head, it began to flail around violently, slamming it's arms to the side, and then, begins to make a sound. A sound that, no person would ever want to hear. A blood curdling screech, one that practically dulled the sense of hearing from Neil.

After the scream, the shade closed in quickly, and grabbed the defenseless man by the throat, raising him off the ground, squeezing his throat hard. Neil yelped, and tried to get away, accidently dropping his knife, the feeling of his neck being seared was back once again. But this time, the shade wasn't going to let go. It then grabbed him by the shirt, and then by his chest, right by his wound. Suddently, the creature tore through his shirt, and grabbed into his skin, causing it to break apart, and bleeding all over Neil's body.

Reaching for his knife, Neil groaned out in pain. The feeling was similar to that if you were to imagine hot lead being poured onto your body. And in that area, once that molten metal settles, it is then slowly flakes away. The touch of a shade burns the victim alive, eventually destroying their skin, then tissue, then organs.

After minutes of mind destroying pain, Neil was able to regain his knife, grasping it tightly, the warm feeling of the hands of the shade had begun to spread. But, he knew it wasn't blood. The skin around the affected area was beginning to suffer a similar fate, and beginning to burn off and die.

Neil needed to act fast, but he didn't have to think twice. There was no second chances, no second guesses. It was now or never, it or him. He held the knife as tight as he could, to make sure he wouldn't lose it again. His hand gripped the handle so hard, the man's nails tore into his own hands, practically locking his hand together.

Then, he turned towards the shade, which still had him straddled in the air, holding his throat and chest tightly, not letting go. There was no use in attacking the limbs that were holding him. Instead, the best thing to do was to target the weak spot. Neil had figured out it was the creature's head, as it reacted the most when struck.

Reaching over with his other hand, Neil grasped the knife with both hands now. The man stared at the forehead of the shade, the spot in which he intended to strike and pierce through. He wound up, and brought the knife above his head as far as it could go. And then, he brought it down with all the might he could muster.

The shade hadn't noticed what was going on till it hit it. The blade had enough force to gash into the skull of the shade, but not just that. It pierced deep into the creature's head, and still, there was more. After it was gashed into the forehead, Neil grabbed the end of the knife, and thrusted it as deep as it could go. This wasn't going to be difficult, since it was already buried over halfway inside the thing's head. This extra force was enough to stab completely through the shade's skull. Neil watched as the end of the knife poked through on the other side, and a smile widened on his face. That had to hurt.

The shade tried to scream it seemed, but it couldn't. It's body had become shocked by the sudden internal damage in the head region. And that wasn't the only thing that was going to happen to it. Neil grabbed the handle of the knife once again, which was inside of the thing's head, and tore it out, downwards. This, if the shade had human features, would have not only sliced through the rest of the brain, but the brain stem, the throat, and some of the windpipe. If this thing was a human, it would have been dead, very dead.

But somehow, the shade continued to stay on it's feet, beginning to show signs of spasms. Along with that, black liquid began to pour from it's facial region, and started to pool beneath it's feet. It growled softly, which became more and more distorted as time progressed. The thing's voice was being garbled and covered by it's own blood.

While the shade was still in shock, Neil it as a chance to strike once again, and grabbed the thing by the throat, just as it had done to him. He stared through the empty eyes of the figure. He felt a small smile form on his face and he flipped the knife around, facing downwards, pointing slightly towards his enemy. He would do this for himself, and for everyone that fell by the hands of these creatures.

Neil then began to slice into the shade's body left and right. Into the hip, next the face, now the chest, there the leg. Over and over, over and over. He wouldn't let this fiend escape, to exist another day. He would end it's reign of terror on his mind. With each slash, more and more black liquid blood sprayed onto the man. Ten seconds, twenty, thirty, the clock ticks, and every second, another gash is added to the body of the shade. Neil didn't seem to show any signs of stopping. He was enjoying every second of this.

After five minutes of ripping and tearing apart the shade, Neil let go of it's throat. It fell to the ground, and made no noise, no moves. It simply layed there, completely and utterly still. Whatever signs of life were gone, and had been rid of minutes ago. The man stared at the body of the shade.

Slowly, the being then began to dissapear, the shadows that the body was composed of began to disperse, disspearing into the dark, rainy sky. Eventually, only one thing was left in Neil's view. His knife layed on the ground, coated with the black substance of the shade. But it seemed, as the rain hit the knife, almost all of it washed away. Except for a tiny smidge on the end. Neil fixed his eyes on the small black spot on his knife, and brought it closer to him. Suddently, the speck jumped off the blade and landed onto his bare arm.

Instantly, visions began to fill the mind of Neil, as he began to see things of the past. Things he had forgotten, things he had been confused by for so long. Things had became just a little more sensible. Was this his reward for killing a shade? A glimpse into the past, of memories of his? If this was true, if he could keep finding and killing them. he might just finally be able to understand all the things that have arose questions throughout all of his life. And maybe, that wasn't just the end of it. What if he could see more than just his past? What if he could see things far greater than that? Just how much could these shades show him? Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to try and find out.

But, after a long and painful fight like that, nothing beats a few grapples and slugs of water. Neil gasped a bit as he rose up to his feet, the adrenaline fading from his body, and he began to feel all of the pain he had sustained during the fight. Which was quite the incredible amount, something a normal person shouldn't be able to withstand, and remain concious. Neil found this out shortly, and a few seconds after standing and feeling all the pain hit him at once, he collapsed in the middle of the northern clearing, and blacked out.

The rain continued to fall, and would slowly begin to wash away all the evidence of the fight. The only thing that would remain was physical and mental memory.

Brother

Hello, is anyone there? Neil, is that you?

Of course it's me, what is it, brother?

I'm scared, and all alone. Why am I left to myself? Why can't I live with you, mom, and dad?

I don't know, I'm sorry. They never explain anything to me. All they said was that I cannot let you in.

Please, I don't want to sit out in the cold and in the rain anymore. I want to go home.

You know you can't come home.

Why not?

Because there is no home left to go back to.

What do you mean?

We're leaving.

Wait, to where? Where are you going?

Somewhere far away, I'm sorry.

You can't do this to me, I'm family too! I'm your brother! Don't you love me? Who cares what mom and dad say, please, take me with you!

It's too late, I can't bring you.

You're just going to leave me?

I have no other choice, I'm so sorry.

I guess you're just like the rest of them. All you care about is yourselves, and what's best for you. I mean nothing. I might as well go and live and die by myself. Obvious none of you care about me.

That's not what we mean at all, well, at least not me. I do care about you.

Liar.

River

Good Morning, Today is September 19, 2118.

 

The last few days were hell, but Neil was ready to get back on his feet. He needed to find some way to distract himself from the things he continues to hear. He thought that killing that shade was the answer, but it seems that it hadn't done anything. Maybe he needed to find and kill more of them. Or maybe uncovering the past was only going to cause him more grief. All that Neil knew was that he wanted to find a way to understand what the noise meant.

The thought of trying to take another one of those shades stung in his mind, as he knew that they could most certainly kill him if he's not careful. If only Neil had better weapons, it wouldn't be such a big problem. Wait, that's it. Weapons.

Sure, the knife was helpful, but if he wanted to continue to take on shades, he would need to grow stronger. But where would be the best place to start a search? Neil wasn't sure, but then it came to mind. What about the river? He hadn't walked along the bank of the river before, so maybe if he followed it, it could lead him somewhere?

There wasn't much else for him to go off, since the west was flooded, the east was too dense of a woods, the north could hold even more shades, and the south wasn't exactly accessible because of the river in the way. So, this might be the best idea as of right now. Neil sighed a bit, and pulled himself off the log, staring at the empty fire pit. He couldn't remember if he lit a fire last night or not. Guess it wasn't important anymore, since it was already the next day.

Grabbing his pouch of grapples and his knife sheath, Neil stepped outside his site and south towards the river. Sliding down the slope towards the riverbed, the man watched the water flow rapidly passed the rocks. Since the storm days ago, it seems that the water had grown much more violent. Stepping close and reaching out his hands, Neil grabbed a few drinks from the water.

Afterwards, he got back up, and then look to the left, and then to the right. He had no idea which way would be better to travel. He knew that if he headed west, he would probably end up back at the field he arose from, so maybe the best bet would be to head out east, and see just what kinds of things are awaiting him up there.

It was bright and early in the morning, so Neil had plenty of time to explore and venture into the unknown. As he walked, he would glance over his bandaged wounds covering his body. Ever since his encounter with the shade, his body have looked as if it was torn to shreds, and then thrown to the fire. His neck was still burned severely, which shows just how dangerous their touch is. The best thing to do from now on is to avoid being grabbed.

After a few minutes of walking, Neil suddently stopped and shook his head. He then proceeded to stare at his hands, and then at the sheathed knife. What was he just thinking about? All this about the past, uncovering things to understand? He doesn't really need to do that, does he? All Neil wants to do is survive, somehow. The man sighed a bit, and ate a few grapples, and continued on his walk. 

While strolling near the bed of the river, Neil noticed how the rising water levels have begun to already wear down and alter the sides of the water. It must have expanded nearly a centimeter or two since the time before the storm, which meant the amount of rain that the forest attained was a pretty impressive amount. He hoped that it would be a good long while before any other kinds of precipition decided to show up, since any others could seriously mean changes to the southern and western regions.

Sticking his hands in his pant pockets, Neil would continue to walk. Question was, just how long would it take to find something? And, in all honesty, what exactly was he looking for? Not even he knew. So, maybe it was more or less an expedition to find out why he was going on an expedition.

Which in itself really didn't make much sense at all. But sometimes, you need to find out why you're trying to find out things. Neil always had a tendancy to think a lot while on his travels, mainly because he had plenty of time to build this interest in talking to himself. Being alone for a large portion really changes your perception of reality. But Neil didn't mind, he enjoyed being outdoors, seeing nature, and living life as he believed people should.

He had seen other people back on Earth that lived a similar lifestyle to what he chose. Except those people had families, and people that they knew, people they could talk to. Neil never remembers having that. Ever since he had been out in the wild, he never wanted to talk with anyone. People seemed to inconvience him. But now, just a little human contact wouldn't be so bad. At least back then, there were people on the planet you lived on. Now, there is nothing.

The crushing loneliness was almost enough to stop Neil in his tracks, but he decided to press onwards, and continue to live on past the tragedy. Maybe that was a good thing, the ability to push on passed horrible things, to see if there was a way to make things just a little bit better.

While Neil rambled with himself inside of his own head, he had actually covered a decent amount of ground in the span of around a half an hour. The man stopped, and took in his surroundings. To the right, the river was pretty close to the same as he last saw it, while to his left he noticed the thick trees and bushes, characteristics of the eastern region. Across the river seemed to be something different, though. He could see that there began to be more of a rocky texture to the ground on the other side of the river.

This made Neil remember just exactly what he was headed for. He looked up from the river and to the east. There it was, the mountain. He had practically forgotten about the hulking mass of stone. At the very peak, it was possible to see the bits and pieces of snow. The elevation at the top must be incredible, and the temperatures freezing cold. Neil had always loved hiking and hill climbing, but maybe that mountain was just a little too much for his interests. Or maybe because his body was still beat up, and his internal systems not exactly in the best shape.

But, maybe one day he would stand at the foot of the mountain, not entirely sure why. He would attempt to climb, to scale the massive rock, and for what? Would he even know why? Maybe, Maybe not. What secrets could that mountain hold, a secret cave? Maybe there was something being hidden on the other side, which was being kept from view. The list could go on and on. Neil was just enjoying speculating what the mountain could mean for his journey.

Then again, the mountain was incredibly far away. Who knows how long it would take for Neil to actually reach the thing. But, one thing is for sure, it did look pretty in the morning sunlight, the orange glow of the sunrise reflecting off the snowy cap of the mountain. Just another thing to love about nature, it's beauty. There was no way to recreate such amazing scenery with industry or science. Well, at least no way that Neil was aware of. Who knows just how far the sciences have advanced since his birth, but then again, he didn't really care all that much.

Continuing on the riverside, Neil contemplated multiple things within himself. One of the biggest things was the idea of creating a canteen to hold portable water, to be able to take on expeditions, to be able to make it longer without having to return to home camp and drinking from the river.

Obviously he wouldn't have to worry about that currently, since he was following the river. But, let's say a journey to the north, which would end up being the farthest away from the river. There might be water up there somewhere, but if not, Neil would have to come back at some point. Having a portable water source could prove handy at some point. Just another idea to add to the pool.

Before he knew it, the total time was now at two hours. How did things progress so fast, distance and time? Who knows, maybe distractions are the key to victory. Once again, Neil stopped to observe his surroundings. He had gotten closer to the mountain, but not even a smidge close enough to claim that he was actually near it. The dense eastern forest had grown more jumbled together, the trees practically stuck together. While across the river, trees became much more sparse, as the rocky landscape continued to appear more frequently.

Neil had also noticed that the river had begun to grow larger, mainly in length. Which made the question arise, could there be one of those really amazing mountain lakes up ahead? Putting that thought into his head, it made Neil want to keep going even more. He had always seen pictures of mountain lakes, but to see on in person? The experience must be breathtaking. Or, at least it would be for him.

Finally having a goal in mind, Neil set himself out to find this possible-to-exist mountain lake, and take in the beautiful sight for himself.

Being only two hours into the expedition, Neil began to wonder just how many steps he has taken so far. The average person takes about a two and a half foot stride. Which, would probably in turn be every two steps every second, at least that's what Neil's pace is. Being bored enough makes you count and see how many steps you take in a minute, so he's been doing this for some time now.

Taking it that every second Neil would make about five feet of ground, all he has to do is multiply a whole bunch. First taking the five and multiplying by sixty, for a single minute. This gives that in a minute, he travels around three hundered feet. Impressive, probably.

Now, he would need to take that three hundered, and multiply that also by sixty, for every minute in an hour. This gives the answer of eighteen thousand feet. Good grief, Neil wonders just how incredibly crazy these numbers could get. But, at the same time, nothing beats a little road trip math, now does it?

The next step would be to take eighteen thousand and multiplying it by two, for every hour he had walked so far. This, of course, gives the final answer of thirty-six thousand feet. Or, if he would be so kind to translate that distance into a more well known measure of distance, miles. it would amount to around nearly seven miles. Seven whole miles? Incredible!

Maybe at some point in the future, Neil should retrace his steps, and see just how many he has taken in this little journey of survival. That would certainly be exciting, and also a giant waste of time. Like all of this math! Just doing all these dumb multiplication problems have caused an entire hour to pass by, that's another eighteen thousand feet!

But enough of that, as the mountain grows nearer and nearer with every step, the more suspense grows within Neil as the wondering of the possible mountain lake grows. Just how big could it be? Now that he thinks about it, how long is the river? Maybe that could be an expedition of it's own, possibly in the next day or so. Gee, all this talk of numbers and math sure works up an appetite. Looks like it's more grapples down the hatch.

Eating those little fruits made Neil wonder if there were any other kinds of foods growing on the bushes in the eastern region. He has yet to see any of the other areas even have anything close to what could become food. The west is too wet and the south is too rough. The north is far too dangerous to trek through, unless food is so important to the point where going toe to toe with another shade sounds like a good idea. Which it really doesn't.

Speaking of shades, Neil hasn't seen another one ever since that one in the clearing up north. He's not complaining or anything, he's almost concerned. There is definitly tons of those things roaming around, it's just a matter of time before Neil stumbles upon them. When that day comes, oh boy will it be something to behold.

At this point, It seems another hour or so had passed. Neil had begun to lose track of time, as the walk grew farther and farther from home. He never really stopped to think about it, he was too involved in the possible discovery of the mountain lake to think about it. But now, it might be a bit of a problem. Sure, it might almost be around midday, but still. Getting caught out in the dark is a terrible idea, and isn't one of the things on Neil's bucket list, even if he had such a thing.

Decided it's best to head back towards home base, Neil turns around and looks back the other way. It's a shame he couldn't make it closer to the mountain, but hopefully in due time there will arise a chance for him to do so. Neil would think of it almost as a goal, to see such a thing. And who knows, maybe the lake will be teeming with aquatic life? Or, maybe not. He's got no clue, and he never even thought about it, to check the river and see if anything was swimming around in it.

But then again, when it comes to unfamiliar water, the last thing most people think about doing is sticking their heads in and seeing if they can spot anything. Don't need any unfriendly visitors biting Neil's nose.

The man put his hands in his pockets once again, and began the long walk back home. But, to make things a bit more involved in his head, he brought back up the thoughts of the math behind the distance. Now that he had opproximately walking a total of four hours, which would total out to be seventy-two thousand feet. But, if he were to also make it all the way home, that would add another four or so hours to the mix. Adding this all together, Neil would have walked an astounding one hundered and forty-four thousand feet, or twenty seven miles. How does that even happen?

All this math was tiring, and Neil couldn't wait to get home and take a nice long sleep, or at least try to.

As the man finally reached home base, the sun had slowly begin to set. This was Neil's cue to begin the fire for tonight. Walking inside of his hut, he grabbed some of the twigs and tinder he piled up, and tossed them into the fire hole. Sitting down on the log now, he unsheathed his knife, and grabbed the jagged rock. Once again, he used the two metal objects together to create the sparks to ignite the fire. Before long, the flame was lit, and the warmth was growing.

But, Neil had a brainiac idea. What if he roasted some grapples? He snagged a thin twig, and stuck a few of the small blue fruits onto it. Then, he moved over towards the fire, and hovered the grapples over it. Why did he think this was a good idea? Who knows, but nothing beats a nice warm meal, even if it's fruits.

After waiting a minute or so, Neil began to notice the fruits changing color. From their deep blue, to a bright yellow. How exciting, a color changing fruit! Pulling the grapples from the fire, he poked them to see just how warm they were, which suprsingly wasn't very. Neil then popped one of the cooked fruits into his mouth, and savored it. Where as the blue ones tasted of grape and apple, these yellow ones taste of a lemon and a peach. A "leach".

Feeling proud of his brand new discovery, Neil decided to head to bed. He layed down upon his log, and closed his eyes slowly. It was a good day, full of exploration and discovery, sort of. But the greatest discoveries, always are saved for the next day, as it's never certain what could happen in the future to come.

Forge

Good Morning, Today is September 20, 2118

 

Another morning has arrived, and Neil was ready to get to work. Recieving a decent enough rest, and plenty of time to think, the man now has a clear idea of what he wants to do. Today would be a day of progress, of building.

Neil knew that there was something on the other side of the river. It seemed to be more of a rocky landscape, especially compared to the rest of the regions. Down south was somewhere he hadn't been, so it would be all new experiences from there on out. Thing is, what exactly could be off to the south? Guess there really was only one way to find out.

Getting up off of his log, and finishing off the last of his leaches, Neil walked out of his hut and moved towards the river down south. Looking over to the river, he began to think just how long of a bridge would actually be needed. And, it would need to be relatively sturdy, but nothing too impressive. After all, because of the only berry diet, and the few sips of water every now and then, Neil probably didn't weigh as much as he used to. Not saying he was a fat man back then, but he definitly had more meat on his bones years ago.

Sliding down the hill, Neil made his way to the edge of the river. Looking across, he began to ponder to himself. Sure, he would have to first figure out how long it was, but second of all, he would need to figure out how deep it was. He wouldn't want the wood to up and sink on him. Now that he thinks about it, how is he going to get the wood for a bridge in the first place? Neil began to wonder if you could cut down a tree with a knife. And it sprung an idea!

If he were to take some of those jagged rocks, which were believe to either be flint or some form of metal, and melt them down using fire, he could try and forge an axe to be able to hack down some trees, which could be much more useful in the long run than just twigs and branches. Thing is, he would have to make the fire much, much hotter, and also much bigger than it normally is.

Which means that he would need a different place to make a fire. A nice, open area to use to burn a large fire. And then, it hit Neil square between the eyes. The field that he got up in all those days ago. He could use that to his advantage, and make the fire there. It was widespread, and an open area, which would be perfect to create a fire in.

The best way to probably get back to the field would be to go along with the river, but instead, go the opposite way that he went the day before. Thing is, just how long did it take him to get to the camp site in the first place? Neil couldn't remember exactly, but it didn't matter too much. He had awoken fairly early in the morning, so he should have plenty of time to set up.

Which brings up the thought, just how long would it take to melt down the rocks and metal? Neil wasn't really sure, mainly because he hadn't known anyone who was involved in the profession of blacksmithing. These days, not many people would use it anyways, because of the invention of machines to do the work for them.

Neil had always rented tools from fellow wilderness folk, so it never was much of a problem. But now, there wasn't exactly anyone to go to for tools. So, either he would have to explore around the regions and look for some place that used to produce said tools, or he would have to make his own.

 He understood a bit of how it worked, having to melt the metal, alter it, forge it, and then of course, merge it with whatever handle you could create. He would also need to be near a source of water to cool it off with, so it's good that the river would be so close. Neil was actually slightly excited, this would be something completely different than anything he had ever attempted to do before.

At the river, he looked left, and off into the eastern distance, the way he had ventured off the day before. This area was dense with forest, and closed in on the rocky terrains of the mountain region. This area also might just hold a mountain lake, the thing Neil is really looking forward too, as he loved seeing pictures of said lakes. The beautiful mountain in the background, the sun shining off the snowy peak, the reflection on the water, the trees on the sides, to give emphasis to the great structure of rock in the middle. Truly a work of natural work.

But, this wasn't where he was going today. Neil looked to the right, looking off to the west. This region was flooded, marshy, and downright messy. This would be especially true since the storm produced quite the amount of rainfall, so the area would be soaked. Good thing he was planning on staying close to the river, and wouldn't actually step up out of the river bed and go into the western area itself.

Neil needed to go past the marsh, passed the river, to get to the field where his lonely journey of survival started. Here would be the perfect open area to make a blacksmithing fire, forge, and the whole nine yards. How hard could it be? Neil had no idea. But, he guessed that this part of the journey was going to teach him just difficult it was, the easy or the hard way. But, learning is one of the best ways to acquire knowledge.

After some thoughts and mental preperation, Neil was ready. At least, he figured ready enough to go on this expedition. Glancing up at the sky, he noticed it was still nice and early, the dull orange from the sunrise glazed across the dark morning sky. The sky was one of the many wonders that makes up a planet's atmosphere, figuratively and literally.

Enough waiting around, there was ground to cover! Neil began walking at the previously self discussed pace of five feet per second, but Neil didn't feel like counting steps again, thank goodness. The only thing on his mind was the goal at the end of the river, at both ends. On one, a possible beautiful scene, where the other may hold the possibility of a new tool, and weapon.

The difference between knife and an axe was giant. On one hand, a quick device, able to gash and thrust to one's heart's content. The other a heavier, stronger, and more bludgened device. Perfect for chopping down trees, and hacking into any possible opponenets. Just in case if Neil runs into another shade, he would have a new trick up his sleeve.

As the man continued to walk, he glanced back behind to watch his steps in the gritty sand and dirt mixture appear with each step he takes. It's fascinating, to watch the exact places you've been show up before your very eyes. Sure, they'll wash away one day, either when the water rises far enough, or if another rainfall occurs, but still, it's an interesting thing none the less. Just like the footprints on the moon, they'll always be there. Well, these one's might be washed away, but the memory will still remain.

Ah, memories. The one thing humans can hold onto. Almost all other creatures cannot create memories, remember things of the past. Humans can do the same, but in widespread fashion. Sure, as age grips oneself, things become harder and harder to remember. But in truth, you may forget, but the world will never forget. And whatever happens on that world, than planet, that galaxy will never forget. And in that galaxy, the universe will never forget. In Neil's mind, everything is somehow connected, almost like a space time sized spider web. Hopefully, without any galactic sized spiders.

Speaking of insects and the like, there hadn't been any in a very long time. In truth, the seasons were changing, and growing closer to winter. But still, there should be something out here. No birds either, no animals. This planet was always so quiet. Without anyone else to make noise, or to keep company, there really isn't anything here on Other Earth. Except Neil, and the shades. Life is rough when the only things around you want to kill you.

After what seems like an hour of walking, Neil decides to took a gaze over on his right, to see if anything on the western front had changed. And it had, very much so. The trees were still spread far and wide, but because of the increase in water because of the past rainfall, the ground must have shifted slightly, and the trees were pushed back, much closer to the edge of the region than before. Neil wondered if it was possible if, with enough water in the system, to actually push the trees out of the entire region. Physics would say so, but it would sure take a lot to remove a tree from the ground, even for water.

Looking over from to the right, Neil then turned to his left, looking to the other side of the river. It actually didn't seem to change much at all, even with distance. This almost struck him as interesting, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. If it were to get closer towards the mountains, rocky terrain would make sense. But, if it were to get farther away, the generic forest terrain would remain, as nothing would really be able to alter it.

After finishing looking from left to right, Neil continued to walk. Glancing back down to the river itself, he watched the flow of water run up against the edge of the ground slowly. It was a soothing view, as the liquid ran west. Neil knew the field stretched far westward, so hopefully it ran smack dab into the rest of the river. He had come from a different direction originally, so this was going to be a bit of a different area of the field. But, either way, he still made it to where he needed to be.

Keeping up his pace, Neil began to mumble about random things, because it seems to be his specialty when he becomes bored. So what could be the topic for today?

Neil fiddled through his pockets, and pulled out a few of the jagged rocks he had brought along. He wondered just exactly these little spheres of hard material were. Metal or rock, they could both be used for his little project. But, which was it? The question struck Neil hard, even though it was exactly an important thing to worry about.

Metal could be much more sturdy, but would require a higher heat to melt and form, while rock could be much easier shaped, but probably not as durable, but require less heat. Neil guessed there was disadvantages and advantages to both, which would make sense, now wouldn't it?

He knew exactly what the head would be, but what about the handle? Would it also be formed from the rocks, or could it be made with something else? Neil had absolutely no idea. He figure wood would burn, and anything else would melt. So might as go material on material.

Question is, how large should he actually make this thing? His knife was about four centimeters in width, and ten and a half in length. This axe should be strong and large enough to fell trees. Maybe not the huge ones, but at least some of the smaller and younger ones. Anything that could be used as a larger source of wood would work.

Neil began to think about the dimensions of his new tool, and just how he should plan and go about making it. The head could be about a twelve by fifteen, while the handle could be a three by twenty. The man figured he was probably using those measurements in correct format, or something like that. He was using centimeters, mainly because it was easier, nothing was going to be large enough to use meters, and he wasn't a filthy American who used inches.

Neil remembered living in the beautiful widespread forests of northern England. At the time, no one really owned a large chunk of them, because who was going to use a bunch of useless land? Why not just expand the cities in all other directions? Ugh, disgusting modernists. Life was nice and simple out in the woods.

Of course, he wasn't sure about anything else, as the memories of back then were still plenty foggy. But none of that stuff was incredibly important at the moment, especially since he had arrived at his destination.

Neil stopped, and looked out at the fields before him. Lush grasslands, barely any trees dotting the plains. And the giant river running through all of it, and into what looks to be a large group of hills far off to the west. Who knows what's over there, but that could wait for now, because a forge needed to be set up. Or, well, a fire, and some other junk to help make this axe. Neil wasn't sure really what a real forge looked like, but it something to do with an anvil, he thought. Too bad there weren't any anvils laying around in the woods.

He began to set up his little station, digging up a hole for the fire, and settling down by the river, setting up a big stone slab for a working table, and a short stump for a chair. Call Neil the modern day caveman. With a lot less facial hair, body hair, and all around less hair. And a proportionally larger brain, greater understanding of everything, and also, believe it or not, language. No ooga boogas from this man, what a shame.

After Neil struck the fire to the life, he began to set out the stones on the slab table. He had gathered around twenty stones, some big, some small, but there should be enough to suffice an axe head at most, and a decent enough handle. Thank goodness his shirt had pockets, along with his slacks. Otherwise it would have been a long haul carrying these small stones.

Pulling out his knife, he looked over the set up. Water, check. Fire, check. Stones, check. What more could he possibly need? Well, probably tons of safety equipment, but Neil's one of those guys who lives on the edge. Also because he hasn't any in the first place, so he couldn't even if he wanted to.

Now, all there was left to do, was begin to attempt the melting of these rocks. Neil found a few more stone slabs, and layed them near the fire, almost like racks to set the stones upon. Then, he set a good few stones across the slabs, and organized them in a shape of his hopefully soon to be axe head. Thing was, this fire wasn't close to large enough. So there would need to be a few more things added.

Luckily, Neil was full of suprises. During his gathering of the metal rocks, he found a few lumps of black rocks. He checked, and believe it or not, it was indeed hardened carbon, or coal. This could most certainly be helpful in the creation of a large and piping hot fire, perfect for the use of melting metal, and forging tools. It's just like the old days! Wait, did you need a license for this?

Probably, but who cares. Nothing like rebelling against the nonexistant society by doing some illegal blacksmithing. Which also happens to sound insanely lame. But hey, Neil thinks it's pretty neat, so good for him.

Tossing in the coals, and adding more bits and pieces of twigs and tinder, the fire began to rise and roar. Perfect! Now, to actually make this thing. He had no idea how long it would take to melt these stones, but he figured more than a few minutes. So, in a very professional fashion, Neil decided to pass the time by resting his eyes for a bit.

Axe

Good Afternoon, Today is September 20, 2118.

 

After powering through an hour long nap, Neil awoke to the sound of bubbling. He glanced over to his little forge station, and noticed his metal had begun to melt!

Quickly, he reached for the knife, and begin to move the melting metal around on the slab, putting it back into the intended shape. It was still melting yet, so it had a bit to go before it was completly liquid. After that, he would let it solidify, and then cool it off by, he guessed tossing it into the water. He wasn't planning on touching the super heated metal, so he'd just pick up the slab of stone and slide the molten axe head and into the water. Genious plan, he knew it.

Waiting for a half an hour or so, eventually he noticed that metal had finally finished melting. Picking up the slab, he set it near the river, to first turn solid. While this went on, he kept the fire going, but down slightly. He didn't want to burn up all the coals too quickly, as he still had the handle to finish.

Sitting down once again, Neil picked up his knife. Some of the liquid metal had got on the blade, and had created what seemed like strange growths on the sides. He shrugged, and then looked towards the axe head. Suddently, he had an idea. A dumb idea, but an idea none the less. He wanted to engrave the axe, with something to show his survival.

Strolling over to the cooling axe head, he bent down, and took out the knife. Pressing the blade to the metal, he wrote "Neil". A reminder of himself, of his goal, of his life. Whoever found this after him, would hopefully understand just how helpful it was to the man. He smiled to himself, and stepped back from the metal, sitting back down on the stump, letting the blade of the knife cool off. In the meantime, Neil took a small snack break, chomping on a few grapples, since he had run out of his lovely, and newly created, leaches.

But wait, that's a perfect thing to do in the downtime! Neil grabbed a thin stick laying beside him, and stuck a few grapples on it, laying the stick across the opening in the stone slab. Nothing like roasting a few fruits to bring out new flavor. The question was, if there was a way to make grapples taste different by cooking them, what if he were to let them freeze?

Now that would be an experiment that he'd have to remember. Sure, winter was far off yet, but still. Being is only food source as of right now, might as well spice up life a little.

He wasn't sure how long he should let the metal cool, so every ten or so minutes, Neil would move over and poke it with his knife. Eventually one of these times it would become solid enough to push into the water. He didn't want to set it in while it was still forming, because who knows what kind of mess that would make. Probably a whole bunch of steam, and stuff.

In the down time, Neil thought of different things he should work towards in the future. Sure, the bridge idea was a good one, and definitly something important, as the southern area past the river might just have something of use, something of value for him. But, there must be other things he needs to accomplish as well.

Of course, one of them is the mountain lake. He needs to see if there really is one, to fufill his desires. Most people wouldn't care much for a hole filled with water and a big hill, but man does Neil love those kinds of things. Maybe that's why he was usually all alone. Maybe, maybe not, guess he won't find out anytime soon.

Another idea would be to explore the other regions farther than he has already. Thing is, only one of them is techinically decent to go through, and that's the eastern area. The others are in rough shape, one flooded, and the other possibly riddled with more shades. It would be some time before anything would be done with those areas. Of course, he could build a bridge across the wetlands of the west. But the shades would be a different story, as he would need either stronger weapons, or a way to steath past them. All things in due time, Neil supposed.

 After a good hour of waiting, the axe head was finally solid, and ready to be cooled off by the water. As he did this, Neil prepared the rest of the axe, the handle needed to be forged yet. He made a similar effort, laying out the metal chunks on the slab, and heated the fire back up to full power. He would retrieve the axe head in a bit.

The man waited a good few minutes before reaching into the water and feeling for the axe head. It was cooled off enough to be held, and Neil picked it up, and extracted it from the depths of the river edge. Pulling it out, he examined it. It wasn't perfect, or really that amazing, but it looked like an axe head, sort of. And that was good enough for him.

Decided to enjoy this small victory, and give the handle time to melt down, Neil pulled off another nap. Another chance to think over what he would be doing in the future. Thing was, he wasn't sure what else there really was. In all honesty, the highlight of this thing would probably be the trip to the mountain.

Oh, how he looked forward to that day, that day to go to the mountain. To see the lake, to see the everything. It would be something no one had done before, he was sure of it. He would be the first one to ever see that mountain lake on this entire planet. How crazy would that be? Neil sure thought it was pretty amazing, and impressive.

Once again, he woke up from his victory nap, and heard the similar bubbling noise, the handle had begun to melt down. He looked down at the axe head, and picked it up, setting near the molten handle. He let it settle to full liquid, and then moved the slab to the same spot near the river once again. After this, he combined the two together, as the handle slowly turns to solid, he would merge them. Slowly, the handle and head became one.

After a good while, the handle was cooled, and solid enough to be tossed into the water. Neil did so, and then looked up at the sky. It was somewhere past noon. It must have taken at least three hours to reach the place, and a good two or so hours to forge the tool. But it was time very well spent.

Neil waited, and then after a while, he snagged the tool from the depths of the river, and looked it over. It was a thing of beauty, a pure metal axe, or more of a hatchet, but none the less, a chopping tool. Something that would aid greatly in the building and completion of that bridge idea he thought up. Finally, now he could find out just what was on the other side of the river!

Packing up his few things, and sliding his brand new, still slightly wet axe into his belt. It seemed every day he turned more and more into either a caveman or a nordic woodsman. Whatever sounded cooler worked for him, even though he wasn't sure either or them were technically cool. He guessed it were better to be a nord than a caveman.

Munching on some of the leaches he made earlier, he began his walk back home. This three hour or so walk would give Neil plenty of time to plan out just what exactly he was going to do with his bridge.

First of all, the thing was going to need to be sturdy. Which would mean these boards he would cut up would need to be fairly stable. If only there was a way to tie them together, and make sure they wouldn't move. Unless he could use the foilage around the undergrowths of caves near the eastern area to create ropes.

Guess there would be only way to find out, and that would be to try it out. But, this was only one of the few steps in this bridge. Even though the combination of wood was solved, sort of, he still doesn't know exactly how long the bridge needs to be. So, Neil figures he should make it incredibly long, just in case it doesn't work. And, to make sure it doesn't float downstream, he'll weigh it down using as many stones he can find.

Sure, this might cause some parts of the bridge to sink, but it would be better to do this than to let the bridge float away. Getting wet isn't the problem, it's the whole being submerged in the water part that Neil doesn't want to take any part in. The water was still very cold, and very rough. It could be easy to be pulled downstream, and taken to somewhere he really wouldn't want to be.

That's why he would cross any flooded parts with extra weight, to make sure he wouldn't be pulled along. This would hopefully solve another part of the bridge crisis. But, there was still one thing that bugged him, how he would move the trees. Sure, he could cut them down with enough swings with his axe, but was he strong enough to carry, less move one of the logs? Guess there's also only one way to find that out as well, and that's to try it out.

Hopefully this entire plan isn't a giant waste of time. But he wouldn't know until he put it into action.

Nearly half way back to the camp site, Neil takes a small break, downing a few leaches, and take a few slugs from the river. Wiping his mouth off and smiling to himself, the man gets back to his walk. Speaking of walks, he wonders just how long, since he started this entire thing, he has walked. Must be a huge number.

After a good while of pondering steps and time of exploration, Neil finally arived back home. His mud hut looked as exciting as ever. But, now that he has his axe, he has a plan. A fancy plan, at that. He was going to try and roof his house. But, before he could do anything like that, he would need to quickly make his way to one of the eastern caves and gather a bunch of vines for rope making.

Neil quickly ran over towards the east region, and stopped at one of the isolated cavern entrances, beginning to amass a collection of vines, grasses, and other strong, long green things. After gathering for a good few minutes or so, the man decides he's gotten enough, and headed back towards his camp.

This was exciting, a chance to once again spice up his little home! If only he had enough time to remake his entire house out of wood, that would be the day! But, a roof was essential, especially if it were to rain again, Neil needed something to keep him, and his equipment, and his fire wood dry.

Thing was, he needed to hack down a tree, and he hasn't done that in a good long time. But at least it's not the most complicated thing in the world. Not exactly simple either, but he knew enough to the point where he pulled out the axe and began chopping away at a smaller tree.

He figured he wouldn't need one of the thicker, larger, and older trees. At least not yet, he would use some of those to create boards for the bridge. But, for now, all he needed was wood to weave together to make a roof to cover his head for the night.

Neil chopped at the tree for about an hour before the mighty wooden titan fell and crashed into the ground with a mighty sound. It made him feel a lot stronger than he actually was, and nothing was better than feeling good about yourself. Especially in Neil's case, because if he didn't, no one else was going to for him.

Moving to the fallen tree, Neil began to hack off decently thick slabs of wood, and then tossing them gently to the side, making them into a fine stacked pile, sort of. It good a little under a half an hour to chop up enough wood to cover the roof area of the home. And, after he was finished, he sat by the stump of the fallen tree, and rested for a few minutes, popping a few grapples, and panting. It was tough work, but important work.

After the quick break, the man got back up, and got to work. He took the boards, and began to weave them together using the vines he picked up earlier. These things were actually surprisingly tough, and could be very useful in the long run. Being able to tie things together could become an essential skill in the future, probably. Neil had absolutely no idea if it would be helpful, but it sure was when it came to combing wood together.

After a few slabs here and there, another board there, and another there, the roof was complete. Now there just came the task of installing it. Good thing Neil left a set of mud and rock steps in the back of his little hut to gain access to the high parts of the walls. He would use these to his advantage, hauling the roof up, and laying it across the gap. A nearly perfect fit, but the extra edges can stay, who cares about perfection here?

After the installation of the roof, Neil began to pack mud in between and around the roof, to make sure it would settle together with the walls. And after that, he used rocks to sturdy the areas where the two meet. It was a beautiful creation of architecture, one that would probably get at least an average grade in school. Neil would probably pass one of those classes. Probably.

With the roof finished, there was finally a chance to rest, for real this time. The dark had slowly begun to creep in, as the evening hours began to show up in the day. Neil strolled inside of his home, and pulled some of the wood from his trusty pile, and tossed it into the pit. He struck a rock with the knife, and lit the fire once again.

With the roof now in place, the light was no longer going to escape out the top, nor was the heat. It had become a bit more cozy, and home-like than before. Sure, it didn't have a proper door. But Neil didn't think he was capable of creating a door, so he figured to just leave the hole in the wall open.

Finally, the man layed down on the log, and began to drift to sleep instantly. He was tired, but also very excited. Over the next few days, he would attempt to cut down enough trees to create a bridge to cross the river.

Tempest

Good Morning, Today is September 25, 2118.

 

Today was the day, the day to cross the river. Neil had finished the construction in the span of around four days, and it was sturdy enough to hold him down, weight down enough to stay put, it was ready. Sure, some of the spots were flooded over from the weight, but it didn't matter too much. The man would use a rock to weigh himself down, to cross without any problems.

The day was gusty, much more windy than other day, even more than the day of the storm all those days ago. As Neil stepped outside, the wind howled, and the trees around him groaned and danced in the wind. It was almost a beautiful sight, if it weren't so aggressive. The man shrugged his shoulders, and made a few last checks. He had his food pouch, his knife, and his axe. Neil was pretty sure everything was all set to cross to the other side, and finally see what's on the other side of the river. A little wind wouldn't stop him.

The man grabbed the heavy rock beside him, having now enough weight to be able to brave the current. He steps out and onto the bridge, the water running at his ankles. It bothered him none, as the additional weight made it so there wouldn't be any worries of falling in. Which was good, because the water had grown very, very cold.

The river was a few meters in width, so it would take a good while to make it across safely. But then again, once across, things would get much easier on the way back, once the storm had finished.

As Neil continued to slowly make his way across the river via bridge, he noticed something on the other side of the bridge. The air was hazy and the wind blurred his vision, but it almost looked like something was there, something that caused the air around the end to darken. But, then Neil realised what it could be.

The man stopped, and then made an effort to try and turn around. He was about halfway to the otherside of the river, but now with this obstacle, there was no hope to cross at this moment. But, he couldn't move. His body was frozen in place, and his eyes gazed towards the thing in the distance, beginning to slowly close in on him.

It floated over the water, it's empty eyes stared through the man. It had caught him right where it wanted it. There was no hope of escape this time, as the way forward was blocked, and the man was under the effects of the visions, which impaired his movement.

Neil struggled to push the things out of his mind, but the noise grew louder and louder, even worse than before. He stumble, still holding onto the rock, trying to still turn around to get away. If he tried to reach for his knife and cut himself, to rid of the visions, he would have to drop his rock, which would cause him to go over the edge.

Tears began to fill the man's eyes, as he watched over and over, a familiar man standing infront of him. He couldn't remember who exactly it was, but it seemed like they had met before. The man continued to sob infront of him, screaming because of something Neil had done. What did he do, what did it all mean? He had no clue.

Stumbling backwards, he began to lose his balance, as the wind increased with each passing moment, the current growing more and more treacherous. Neil began to cry harder, shivering from the cold, and the presence of the shade. The air grew thick, and difficult to use to breathe. He would cough and wheeze, watching the thing grow closer and closer.

The shade then extended it's arm, closing in on him, and moving towards his throat. This was it, there was no way out of this one. Neil couldn't move, couldn't defend himself. If he was grabbed, it might just be over with for him. There was only one way out of this, and that was to die.

But, it seemed that nature had other plans. A exceptionally strong gust of wind blew through the riverside, and was enough to cause Neil to lose balance, and grip of the rock. The man screamed in horror as the stone fell from his hands, the extra weight now gone from his body, and the current in full force. After this, he felt his foot be pushed aggressively off the edge of the bridge by the water. The last thing he saw was his own body flying from the bridge, and the shade watching him fall into the cold drink.

After hitting the water and sinking downwards, Neil struggled against the current, but to no avail. He quickly looked around, and noticed his knife's sheath and his berry pouch had detached from his belt. He tried his best to swim towards them, but the current took them quicker than he could grab, and they dissapeared from view.

He cursed in his head, and began to try and move closer to the shore. The freezing cold river water seemed to practically sap the energy from his body. It was difficult to move, difficult to swim. If he got too tired, it was all over, and he would drown at the bottom of the river. But, then Neil realized something. There was still one thing he had with him, something that was too heavy to drift away. His axe.

Quickly reaching for it, and gripping the handle tightly, he used it to anchor himself into the ground of the river's edges. Almost like a mountain climber, Neil would use the axe to make his way up the side of the river. His supply of oxygen was running low, and he could feel his lungs slowly begin to kick into overdrive. It was becoming more and more painful to stay under, but he was so close now to be able to escape the depths.

With one last axe into the side, Neil was able to pull his head to the surface. He gasped and coughed, quickly grabbing onto the shore, using the axe once again to anchor to the ground. This would allow him to pull his entire body out of the water, and give him a chance to rest.

He glanced up slightly, and noticed the shade was still standing at the bridge, staring off into the distance. This would prevent him making it back towards his home, which meant he would have to go off into the unknown southern region. At least he was able to make it over here, sadly not in the fashion he had hoped.

The man rested a bit longer, and after catching his breath, pulled himself up from the ground. He slid the axe in his belt, and took a long, deep sigh. It was incredibly unfortunate to lose both his pouch, and his knife at the same time. But, he still had the axe, which was still a tool that could be used for multiple things, and would still be useful in the long run.

Beginning to make his way to the edge of the riverbed, and attempting to climb up the side, Neil coughed up more river water. But, then he heard something behind. He glanced backwards, and saw the shade, pursuing him. It must have heard or seen him, and had given chase once again. At least this time they were both on even ground, but Neil didn't feel much for fighting. The water had drained him greatly, and  he was still sore from the rough current.

But it didn't matter to the shade, as it closed in on him. He knew that the thing wouldn't let him get away, and there wasn't much he could do to get away in the first place, being as winded that he was. Neil slid his axe from his belt, and watched the shade. It was a bit different from the first one, it's figure was smaller, but it's arms were paired with long claws. Maybe in it's previous life, it was a female. It was only a guess, from the body shape.

It didn't really matter either way, as no matter what, it was still very dangerous. But, with this new axe, maybe Neil could inflict more damage than he could before, which could be very helpful.

As the creature stepped forward, and brandished it's claws, Neil would evade to the side, and swing his axe downwards with force. The thing was significantly heavier than the knife, but it wasn't anything unbearable. The weapon would come down on one of the thing's arms, and actually cave into it, causing the thing to growl lowly and reel.

The black substance leaking from the creature's arm as Neil tore the axe from the wound. If he were to hit the thing again, maybe he could sever the arm? That would sure make things much easier.

After it backed away a bit, the shade closed back in, this time it moved it's claws back and fourth, and Neil began to back away himself. Whatever it was doing, it wasn't looking good for him. As he tried to back away a second time, the shade lunged forward, slashing with both sets of claws. Neil attempted to put the axe up and deflect the attack, but one claw still flew past, and caught his left arm, gashing into it. He yelped as the shade tore it from his arm, multiple deep red gashes showing up on the surface of his arm and shoulder. It burned like crazy, but this would help him be able to break free from any future visions in the fight.

Neil watched the thing begin to walk towards him, this time putting up it's hand up near it's head, the same arm he had hacked into earlier. This could be his chance to cripple the enemy, if he was given an oppurtunity to do so. Just as he was thinking that, the arm came down with a crack, nearly taking out his eye, but he was just far enough to the side that it only sliced his cheek.

Retaliating from that attack, Neil swung his axe into that same same, trying his best to hit the same spot as last time. And he succeeded, slaming the head of the axe into the wound on the arm, and because of the force, it sliced clean through the arm, dismembering the shade.

The thing screeched and wailed, swinging it's other arm wildly. Neil quickly moved back wards, waiting for the thing to calm down, before he would move in to attack the second arm. If he was able to, getting rid of both arms would prove incredibly useful, as it would lose it's most prominent weapons, and ways to engage.

But, it seems the shade wasn't going to calm down, instead it rushed forward at the man. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to deflect the attack, especially at that ferocity, he decided to step into the attack, and go for the attack. He slammed into the arm with all his might, and cleaved with his axe, clearing the arm right from the body in one swift strike. The shade stared at him, screaming once again. The sound was unbelievably loud, almost enough to make a man deaf.

Taking this oppurtunity, Neil picked up his axe, and stared down the creature. It just stood there, emitting that blood chilling screech. But, after this, it would no longer make any noise. The man rose the axe above his head, and brought it downwards with as much force as he could give it.

The axe hit the creature square in the mouth, and split the lower half of the face in two. It tried to make noise, but it just came out as a scratching noise, black blood pouring from it's throat. Neil decided to finish the job in style. He grabbed the axe with both hands, and wound up an attack.

And with that, he brought forward a horizontal strike aimed right at the shade's neck, clearing the head right from the body. It sailed, and turned to dust. Neil chuckled a bit, and kicked the rest of the body over, watching it turn to dust as well.

Sitting down, he took this chance to catch his breath, setting his axe beside him. He panted, and looked over to the bridge. It was still in tact, which was perfect. Now he had a chance to head back to his home, and gear up for his next expedition. Which, he wanted to head up towards the mountain, and of course, the possible mountain lake.

Waiting a few more minutes, Neil glanced over to where the body of the shade once stood, and watched the small bit of black appear on the axe, just like it did when he killed the first one with the knife. He still wasn't exactly sure what it symolized, but he figured he shouldn't dwell on it too much, because it would just give him even more to question, and to worry about.

All he knew, is that when he defeats a shade, memories began to flood back to him once he closed his eyes. This was his best way to remember. Althought not the most normal of memory recovery options, it was the best one Neil had, and it was better to remember now than to forget, and then never remember.

The man reached over to his axe and looked closely at it, the head covered by black still. It shined gently, and didn't dry or blow off because of the wind. It just sat there, motionless. Neil layed down on the river side, and looked up at the clouded sky. The wind continued to howl around him, the trees moaning as they moved around in the tempest.

Maybe that's what these storms signify, a shade's appearance. Both of the shades he had to fight, had been under the effects of unnatural weather. Or maybe it's just a coicidence, he had no idea. No reason to over think any of this stuff, because he knew he wouldn't be getting any straight answers any time soon, or ever.

Reaching down towards his belt, he went to grab some berries from his pouch, but then remembered he lost his pouch to the river current. The man sighed, and put the axe back in his belt. The wound from the shade was still bleeding, and Neil decided to tear some cloth from his pant leg, and wrap it around the affected area. He would also do the same for his face, which had only been gashed slightly.

After his wounds were tended to with the best of his ability, he decided it was time. Time to see what this shade had to offer in the area of past insights. He closed his eyes, and layed his head back. He waited to the effects to take over, and before long, he was deep in sleep.

Family

He cannot be allowed to live with us, under any circumstances. Do you understand me?

Yes, mother. But, why can't he?

He's not the same as us, he's different. He keeps to himself, distant from everyone, even you. Isn't that strange to you?

Maybe he just isn't a fan of crowds, or talking to others.

He's been like that all his life, and there won't be any changes, I can feel it. He'll be alone for the rest of his life, and that's probably what he wants anyways. So let's give it to him.

But what if he really does want someone there for him?

Too bad then, if he doesn't want anything to do with us now, then it's his own fault.

It shouldn't have to be this way, even if he is keeping away from us. Don't abandon him.

If you want to try and to stay with him, go ahead. But we'll leave you behind too. Remember that.

I understand ma'am, and I'm not sure if he wants me either.

See?

Yes, I see, I guess.

Your father is right, as always. You're just like him, you know? But your brother is nothing like either of you, not even me. He's something else.

Isn't it okay to be different?

No. He isn't different, he's wrong. He's not even capable of acting like a human, so we'll treat him like the nothing he wants to be. That'll teach him.

I don't think that's the right thing to do.

Well too bad, because you've got no say in it anyways.

I know, I never do, It's always you doing everything, and not allowing me to have a say in anything regarding my brother.

What was that?

Nothing, Mom.

Good, now let's go. Your father is waiting for us.

Of course.

Journey

Good Morning, Today is September 28, 2118.

 

After a day of healing and a day of preperation, the day had finally come. Yesterday, Neil had made sure to make a few checks here and there, making a new berry pouch, and making himself a little pack to carry all of his things with him. It wasn't much, but it was better than having to carry everything by his bare hands.

Also, he decided to try and clean off his axe, which worked decently well with the water in the river. He did it farther downstream, so none of the blackness got in his area in which he used for drinking. While he did this, he also looked at the bridge. It was still in good shape, which was perfect. He would be going on his journey towards the mountain on the other side of the river, to see two things in one, the southern region, and the possible mountain lake. Just the thought of that beautiful sight made him smile.

The man stretched a bit, and then grabbed his things. He put the pack on his back, and tied it to his chest, so that it was nice and tight. After that, he slid the axe in his belt, for safe keeping, and of course, the berry pouch on the other side. It was a bit weird not having the knife's sheath, but he would manage. It served it's purpose well, and Neil wouldn't forget it's service.

Once he had gotten everything he needed, he stepped out of his hut, and looked back at it. So many good memories over the last two weeks or so. It was nice to know that after his expedition up to the mountain, he would have a nice little place to head back to, and enjoy to his heart's content. Maybe when he got back, he would spice it up some more, somehow. Maybe he would rebuild the whole thing out of wood? Now that's a project that would totally get a high grade in school. Probably.

Neil was finished giving his goodbyes to his little campsite, and walked over to the ridge that went down towards the river. He slid downwards, and spotted the rock he had layed out to use to cross the gap. It was about the same size as the first one, if not a little bigger. Can't be too careful when it comes to these things. At least it wasn't gusting incredibly high winds this time.

Taking the rock into his arms, he took to the bridge, slowly making his way across. His axe glently clanged against his belt as he walked along the bridge. It took a few minutes, but at last, he was across safely. Neil plopped the rock down on the other side, and patted it gently on the top. He'd be back to hopefully take it across another time in the future.

But here is where the journey really starts. The adventure of a lifetime, Neil thought to himself. To travel across the great southern region, and make it to the huge mountain in the distance, that had teased him ever since he awoke in the field. It was always there, looming over the surrounding area. But soon, he would be at the foot of the glorious work of nature. He didn't care how long it took, he would make it.

Turning to his left, he began his walk. It would be an exciting journey to fufill, and one he had been waiting a long time to complete. And these first few steps signified that he was ready. Neil was ready to see what he had wanted to see all this time. And all it took was a walk, a walk through trees, and stones, hills and whatever else happens to be on the way.

Neil would stick close to the river's edge, to make sure that he was still on the right path. Didn't want to get turned around all the way up here, because he certainly wouldn't be able to tell. Unless his footprints stayed for a good long while, and were perfectly visible.

At the first leg of the journey, Neil decided to hum a tune, a similar tune that he had made a good while ago. He still couldn't put together where he had heard it, or why he had decided to hum the song, but it didn't really matter too much. It sounded nice to him, and that's all that really mattered to Neil. Something soothing to listen to on the great journey.

The sky was bright, the morning sunlight slowly creeping across the landscape, lightning up trees and bushes alike, everything slowly beginning to come into view. The sunrise was almost like a great revival of all things, where night is a culling of life, darkening the surface in a blanket of nothingness. Maybe Neil was thinking a little too hard on this one, and was also getting a bit too philosophical for his own good. Maybe.

As he walked, he observed the change of his enviorment. Sure, he knew how it worked, since he had walked this way once before, but he hadn't been on the same side. Now, he could look over to his right, and watch the landscape change, from wooded, to rocky. The terrain actually began to slope in multiple ways, showing that the southern region was very uneven, and riddled with hillscapes, and the like. It was sure a big change compared to the other regions in the area.

But, sometimes change isn't such a bad thing. It sure gave a bigger variety to the forest, as besides the trees and other vegitation, tons of other things exist. The marshlands, the river, the hills, the mountain, and hopefully the lake. Nature sure is beautiful, but Neil already knew that.

The man listened to each step he took, watching the wilderness around him slowly scroll by, like a panorama slowly sliding across the screen. Of course, Neil had no idea what a panorama was, or is at all, but sometimes people compare things to other things, without truly understanding.

Neil put his hands in his pockets, and felt the gentle wind blow across his face. It was nothing like the wind from the storm before, this one was nice and soothing, a reminder of the weather, and it's existance. As time goes by, he ponders to himself things that he should do once he arrives at his destination.

Of course, the one main thing was to bask in the glory of the mountain lake, but there must be more. An indepth inspection must be made, all around the lake. What could be on the edges? Woods, Rocks, Hills, Swamps, Marshes? He guessed all these things, but in reality, he had absolutely no idea what could be waiting for him all that distance away. The excitement of the unknown truly gripped this man, and it wasn't anything bad either. This was what many call the feeling of being alive, to be able to feel great joy within things.

He had remembered just how long his first journey was. It was around three or so hours, in this same direction. Which was nothing compared to what he was going to need. He wasn't nearly close enough to the mountain to see anything yet, and now that he was on the seperate side of the river, maybe he'd spot something he hadn't seen before. Something unique to the southern region. Actually, it would be more of a western area, a south western area? Close enough, Neil supposed. The mountain was out west, but being on the other side of the river meant being slightly south. So, south western region it is.

All this thinking of directions, regions, areas, and other things sure confused Neil to a certain degree. But at the same time, truly interested him, the understand and documenting of things. Like maps, journals, books, and other things of that same calibur. He had never been one to write much down, but maybe one day he should. Think of it, he could title it something really fancy, like "Neil's Outdoor Survival Extravaganza".

Okay, maybe not that, but at the same time, why not? It's Neil's choice after all, it's his book. Thing was, he hadn't written anything in ages, so he wondered just how bad his penmanship had fallen since then. Pulling his axe from his belt, he looked over the signiture on it. It was okay, he supposed. At least he could read it, if no one else.

Putting the axe back in it's place, Neil pondered just how long it had been since he actually talked to someone. Had to be an incredibly long time, over years he guessed. He was thirty-five, so still a perfectly fine young man, so if he wanted to get into chatting with people, at least he had his good looks to go along with. But maybe some shaving and a shower wouldn't hurt too. His beard and hair had begun to grow wildly and tangled. Soon, he'll look like a true caveman.

Hours began to go by one by one, all including a different thought discussed by Neil to himself. When time drags on and on, sometimes people get bored, and Neil was very bored. Sure, the excitement was still there, but it was a good long ways away yet, and he needed to find some way to keep himself occupied. So, he thought of a genius idea. He would count the trees.

Just kidding, no he's not. Well, at least he didn't think he was going to. He gave himself a real chuckle, thinking back to that first expedition, and his math calculations about steps and what not. The man sure did get bored easily, but had such strange ways of dealing with said boredness. Was that even a word? He figured it probably was.

Another thought that came to mind, was the latest sequence of past reference. The first one seemed to be him speaking to his brother about something, and the other was something to do with his mother, or something like that. Neil couldn't remember exactly, but he thought it went something like that.

Stopping for a second, the man kneeled down and took a few sips from the river. The water up here was much more clean, as it must be coming from a pure source. Which could be that lake that Neil keeps thinking about. That's another thing to add to the list of things to do once he's up there! He'll drink straight from the lake's water. It's like the fountain of youth, without any of the supernatural powers, and it's just water.

Which, Neil guessed, would make the fountain of youth a really bad comparison to the mountain lake. But he'll just stick with it anyways, because he wasn't sure about any other famous water-related things in mythology or folk lore. What about that one Greek dude? Neil thought he was Greek, he probably was right.

Some guy who had a trident and stuff, and was like the god of the oceans or lakes or whatever. Maybe drinking water he made was like super powerful, or something like that. Neil figured that might be a thing people say in Greece. Actually, now that he thinks about it, he wouldn't want to drink any of that guy's water. That's kind of weird. Neil isn't about that life.

When was the last time he ate meat? He couldn't remember, must have been before he ever came to this planet, because there doesn't seem to be any animals anywhere. Maybe he was just in the wrong side of the planet, or something like that. Neil used to love meat, but now it doesn't seem like he'll be getting any for a very long time. Guess he's going to have to become a vegan, or whatever they're called. Weird people who don't eat meat, and stuff.

Neil glanced up, and watched the mountain slowly get closer and closer. It must be only a few hours away now, and that meant that it would only be a few more hours before he would finally get to see it in all it's glory. There weren't too many things before this that excited Neil to this level before. Or else he most certainly would have remembered. But this, this was on a whole other plain of existence. This was something greater than anything on Earth.

Mainly because where he lived, there were no mountain lakes. Or no mountains in the first place, because it was all level forests and woods. Still, it was nice, but not as thrilling. Maybe once he finished enjoying the lake and all of it's surroundings, he should scale the mountain. First man on Other Earth to do that, he bet.

Neil popped a few grapples and smiled. He still can't get over how good this stupid little fruits taste. Maybe one day he'll be able to share the flavor with other people. Wait, are they actually fruit? Or do they just taste like fruit? Guess it wasn't really that important, but maybe it was an idea to save for the future.

Speaking of the future, he wondered just where he'll go after this. Maybe back to the fields to explore that hill region he saw while forging the axe. Or maybe to follow the river all the way until he reached the other end of it. That sounds like a good one, to fully explore this huge river, from start to finish. Maybe then Neil will get a chance to name the body of water.

Question was, what would be a fufilling name for it? It has to be something catchy, so that tourists from all over the place will come to check it out. But what would technically be something these days that draws attention from people? What's hip with the kids? Neil for sure didn't have the answer to that question. Not many people do, because it's always an ever changing thing. One thing is in, and before long, it's out the door, and something else takes it's place.

But, the man had better things to do then contemplate the current trends of young people in the twenty-second century. The great stone mountain grew ever so closer to Neil with each step. It had to only be an hour or so away now. This was it, the final stretch of the journey. Soon he would be able to bask in the glory of the amazing mountain lake, and fufill his life dream! Or, at least his goal for right now.

 Neil smiled at his thoughts of happiness, and how great it would feel, to watch the sun set upon the mountain, the shadow of it growing across the water. The dim light shining on the lake, the reflection shining with little light there would be left in the sky. Like something straight from a fantasy. Or, at least Neil's fantasy.

The man always wondered if he acted as old as he was. He was sure the reviews would be mixed on that one, some claiming he was childish, while others thinking he was old and senile. Either way, he was still himself. A man who loved the outdoors, travelling, and keeping conversations with his own concious. He was sure there was someone else who understood his way of life. Hopefully.

An hour passed, and finally, the time had come. Neil's footsteps grew more frantic, and excited. The river had begun to open up, and grow wider with each step. The trees on each side began to spread out farther, and began to move around a large central area, which was just now coming into view. Just a little inclined hiking, and he would be there, he could feel it. It had to be up ahead.

Neil slowly made his way up the slope, and reached to the top, pulling himself up and over the side. As he got back up and onto his feet, he gazed upwards, and his jaw dropped. The river, once it topped at the point of the slope, and widened, and expanded. It connected itself to an opening, an opening to a giant body of water. Around that body of water was a stone bank, and past that was dense forest as far as the eye could see. And, behind all of that, to the far west, there was a massive, magnificent, beauty of a creation. A giant stone monument created by nature itself, a mountain, the top peak coated with beautiful, shining, white snow. It was nothing like Neil had ever seen before in his entire life. The mountain lake was here, infront of him. He had finally made it, after all of this time. The man began to tear up as he made his way to the bank of the lake, gazing up at the mountain, and then moving his gaze to the rest of the area. This was fantastic.

He sat down on the edge of the eastern part of the lake, next to the area where the river and lake merged together. The man rested and unstraped the bag on his back, setting it down beside him. After that, he slid the pouch off his belt, and ate a few grapples, in honor of this self victory. That's it, he knows what he'll call the river! The Grapple River!

Neil laughed and patted himself back on that one. He sure was proud of his own ideas, which was vital when he had no other ideas to go off, since he was alone.

But none of that stuff really matters for now, because he finally made it. Nothing would ever be as great as this moment for Neil. He wanted to bask in this feeling forever. It took him this long, but now, he was here. All the things before had led up to this. The knife, the axe, the shades, the bridge, the hut. It all tied into this one moment.

It wasn't over yet, though. There was still daylight, and that meant that there was still exploring to be had, and to be done.

Lake

Good Afternoon, Today is September 28, 2118.

 

First, of course, the thing to do would be to drink from the mountain lake's rich pools of liquid. Neil kneeled down and scooped up some of the water and put it to his lips. The taste was incredible, plentiful of minerals and other things, this water was practically ten fold of what he was originally drinking.

Maybe when made it back home to his camp, he should go back to the forge at the fields, and melt up some more of that metal rock, to make himself a jug or canteen to hold water. Then he could take even longer trips, especially away from the river. He just imagined all the places he could go with that one small addition to his equipment stocks.

But that of course would have to wait a while. Because right now, there was more exploring to do. The outer areas of the lake, past the ridge around the body of water, was littered with trees, and large ones at that. The woods over here was much thicker than the original eastern forest, which in itself was impressive. Neil wasn't sure anything could be have beat it.

Picking up his things, and restrapping the bag onto his back, the man began to investigate the surrounding forest. He wondered to himself just what kinds of vegetation could grow in such dense parts of the forest. Especially since it would block out a good deal of the sunlight, which means plants on the ground floor wouldn't be able to survive, or at least very well. Cruel, the way of life, even in a forest, teeming with it. There is always conflict over the source of energy, causing power to swell for some, and others to die off, powerless and with nothing left for themselves.

It's sad, as humanity is much of the same way. How political rulers attained heads full of swollen thoughts of power, and their followers backing them agreed to whatever they'd say. It was a nightmare, without the aid of sleep needed. People would be killed because of unruly reasons, some of them close to the ties of the past, and discrimination. Many people had hoped that they could have outgrown their old ways, but it seemed that no matter what, darkness was always part of man's heart.

Neil stepped into the forest, pushing aside brush and twigs from branches. The amount of trees and the like was practically suffocating inside the woods. The man looked up, and could barely see the sky, let alone the sun itself. After he stepped in a good ways, he looked down, and noticed that most of the things at the bottom were dead, just as he suspected. But, as he looked closer, there was something that caught his eye.

Vines had begun to wrap around some of the gigantic trees, which towered over all the rest. Vines are plants that sap the life from others, usually causing the affected plant to die, and the vines to prosper. Even thought the mighty wooden towers overshadow everything, these vines will try and find anyway they can to survive, even if that means killing their parents, the trees which may have been home to the things which bore seeds, that created the other plants in the forest. A murderous cycle of parent and child, where the guarantee of survival exists for no one, not even the strongest.

Before Neil had a chance to step out of the forest, after a good fifteen minutes of snooping around, viewing the plant life, he saw something on the forest floor. Something different than the rest of the plant life down below.

There was a small little bud, it's color a faint green. This little plant was no taller than Neil's ankle, and yet, it was surviving past it's brothers and sisters, which surrounded it, all dead. This one plant was pushing past the limits, to be able to grow strong enough to raise it's own family, and prosper, just like the trees above them. Sometimes plants can really get philisophical. Or, maybe that's just Neil.

 Stepping outside of the woods, he was once again back out in the open area of the lake. The next area he wanted to see, was the otherside of the lake. He noticed the elevation was much different, the trees all in different spots, compared to the more level other side of the lake, this entire side was almost all hills.

Neil stuck his hands in his pockets, and walked over towards this new area of the lake. Gazing inside of the trees, he looked at the ground. Indeed, it was sloped and jagged, with stones littering the place. This enviorment might be just as hard to survive in, but it's not competition this time, it's nature based. One would have to find some way to be able to survive on an incredibly dangerous enviorment, sloped and jagged, one that has no safe, flat spots. This was a plant's nightmare, because if weather were to go badly, let's say with rain, the water would rush down these hills, and because of the momentum, destroy practically anything in it's path, if not sturdy enough to withstand.

Where as the other side was plants fighting eachother, trying to reach the top. This one was plants alone, seperated from eachother, trying to just stay alive long enough to grow strong and resist the dangers of this area. Neil looked over the ground on the hills, and noticed multiple felled trees, small bushes torn out from the ground, and flowers trampled by weather. This was a graveyard in itself, the bodies becoming nutrients for the thing killing it's inhabitans. But, not all of them had to suffer such a fate.

A giant tree, seperate from the other, had huge roots, strewn around the populus. This allowed it to anchor itself to the ground, to make sure that it wouldn't be toppled. And, if something were to be surrounding by it's roots, it was slightly protected by the elements. This was a cooperation, to try and last past the terrifying destruction that could happen at any moment. United we stand, divided we fall.

 After examining the second side of the lake, Neil stepped out, and began to walk back towards the lake itself. The water was incredibly clear, and the reflection of the mountain was beautiful, almost identical to the real thing, no ripples or discoloration, just a pure reflected image of nature.

But now, it was time for the main course. The real part of the area that stuck out, towering above everything in the region, the whole forest. The massive mountain, higher than the trees, the rocks, the lake, the river. Taller the Neil himself, and he to the rock, only a tiny insect, insignificant and powerless. At least, if the mountain had a brain, it would probably think that way. But, as far as Neil's knowledge of basic geology, they don't.

The man slowly made his way towards the mountain. Suprisingly, it was still relatively far away, with a good deal of thick woods infront of it, the lake actually not connecting to the mountain itself, but was very close to. Neil would have to push through a bit of trees and bushes in order to reach this magnificent destination. But he assured himself, it was all plenty worth it.

Maybe he should try to climb up some of it? Thing was, could he make it back down to the ground safely? Neil didn't feel like busting up any of his limbs, at least not yet. He'd rather do that a little closer to home, where he could rest and try to recover. So, maybe not today, or tomorrow, but some day. Some day he'd scale the mountainside, and see just how high he can reach on the monument of nature.

His time in the English forests, all those years ago, was very lacking in mountains. At least, the region that he lived in was. He always loved the pictures of mountain lakes, and their stones behind them. He just never had a chance to see one up close and in reality. It was a special moment for the man, no matter what others would have said to the goal. It was important to him, and him alone. And it wasn't a bad thing, no, not at all.

After pushing through the trees for a good ten minutes or so, Neil finally arrived at the foot of the mountain. Looking up, he could see the peak had become slightly enshrouded in clouds. Was this how it always was, or was it sign that weather was coming? He couldn't tell, but it still looked amazing either way.

Walking up to it, Neil rested his hand on the cold, rough stone of the giant mountain. He made it, finally. First person to ever do this, to touch the base of the mountain. And, one day, he'd be the first person to make it to the summit, he believed. Sure, it would take a very long time to prepare for, and equip himself correctly, but one day. It wasn't impossible, because nothing is impossible, just some things don't happen for reasons we don't understand. But, if we understood that, than we would all have flawless lives, and then eventually, we would all lose our minds, in pursuit of understanding more than that. Knowledge is power, but it's also one of the most dangerous things in existance.

Some would go as far to kill one another, just for a chance to understand. Understand their very existance, why they were created, and what they should push towards as their goal in life. This shouldn't ever be the case, as people should make their own goals, and their own life. No one should tell them otherwise. At least, that's how Neil wished it was. But sadly, that wish would probably never be true, because all people are only human, and no human will truly understand anything, so the best thing they can do, is attempt to at least understand themselves.

Neil sighed a bit, and began to walk away from the mountain. His goals had become clear in his mind, and he knows that it will take a long time to fully complete those goals. But, it would be plenty worth it in the end of things. He just hoped that other people, somewhere, would follow in this path, and not the other.

The man hummed the same tune from before, and made his way back towards the lake. The sky had slowly begun to darken, and Neil figured that night wasn't far off, and he would have to set up camp near the lake itself. Which, he had no problem with, as it would give him one beautiful view when he closed his eyes, and opened them once again when he awoke the next day. 

He began to set things up, first by digging himself a fire hole, similar to the one at home, and began to gather twigs and tinder from the trees within the surrounding forests. Then, he would stuff the pit with said twigs, lining the hole with stones, to make sure the fire wouldn't escape. But, then again, he was on a stone floor, and there wasn't exactly anything that the flames could spread to. Besides him, of course.

After that, he hauled a stone slab from the outskirts of the lake, and set it down, lining it with grass and other things. This would be his lovely makeshift bed, and a bit of a spice up from the log he usually slept on. Sometimes variety sure can be the spice of life, in certain scenarios, he supposed.

The sky had begun to darken much quicker than Neil had hoped, so he began to get things ready a bit sooner, pulling the axe from his belt, and pulling his convienant jagged rock from his bag on his back. Striking the two together, sparks flew, and before long, the fire hole was lit, and began to grow in size, heating up the man.

As he sat down on the stone slab, he began to think, especially dealing with the sky. Was it really that late last time he checked? He didn't think so, he figured he had an hour or two before it really was supposed to get dark, at least by the statistics of the other days. Which could mean, that this darkening sky wasn't the nightfall, but something else.

Then something hit Neil, something that he wasn't exactly sure what to think of. A strong gust of wind was blown into his face, and the fire infront of him flickered and wavered. It could just be a bit of a gusty night, Neil figured, and hoped. Suddently, he heard the trees in the distance begin to groan and move, as more wind began to fly through the clearing with the lake. Something wasn't right, something was going on, and Neil was smack in the middle of it.

He began to frantically look around, to make sure nothing was around him. But, the sky darkening had taken a toll on the visibility, and Neil could barely see anything. He set more fuel into the fire, in hopes that it would light things up. But, the wind blew harder, and the fire began to falter. The man stared at the flames, and began to shiver. The air had started to become unnaturally cold. All these things had begun to add up in his mind, and anxiety skyrocketed in his body.

Neil began to sweat, darting left and right, his eyes trembling as they scanned the area around him, what little they could pick out. The man slid the axe from his belt, and held it close to his body. He peered over his shoulder, and noticed the lake. There were only three directions he could go, as going backwards would throw him into the lake. This limited his escape capabilities, if his assumptions were true.

The weather, the storm that was brewing, could only mean one thing. They had somehow found him, followed him all the way up here. They wanted to strike when he least expected it, when he was finally happy, when he finally had achieved something. Neil had travelled all this way, to see the mountain, and it's beautiful lake. It was all too good to be true, and now, he was going to be put into a situation he had no answer for. No shelter to protect him, he was out in the open, only armed with his axe, and his bare wits.

Suddently, he saw something coming from the darkness to his left. There was no mistaking the sounds, it was a shade. Why did it have to come now, and here, of all places? Even thought it was a storm made darkness, it wouldn't be long before the true night came, and glazed the surface in blackness. And then what?

Neil stayed as close to the fire as possible, he couldn't let anything happen to it. He swung the axe at the air infront of the shade approaching him, as a sign to stay back. His entire body was shaking, trembling in fear. Then, he saw it put up it's arm, to begin the visions. But he knew all too well how to combat this. He cut into his arm with the axe, blood beginning to drip, the pain surging through him. The visions that were supposed to inflict him did not, thanks to the pain shield he could give his mind.

But, then Neil heard something he hadn't ever heard. Something was to his right, something was moving closer to him. He glanced over, sweat pouring from his face. Another shade had appeared, and was closing in on him, as well as the other doing the same on the other side of him. He was surrounded on both sides, but he didn't care. He threw more fuel into the fire, and slammed his axe into the stone slab beside him, creating a loud banging noise, trying to drive the shades back.

His eyes slowly became bloodshot, the sweat burning his vision. The skin of his body slowly beginning to pale from the increasing anxiety, his blood going crazy. He wouldn't let them have their way, he wouldn't fall victim, like all those that were taken before him. He made it this long, he was going to make it last. No monsterous shadow creatures would drag him down, not tonight, not ever.

The man gritted his teeth, the two shades raising their hands and staring at him, their empty eyes piercing through his mind. Suddently, the visions began to appear once again. They somehow broke through the pain that he had inflicted on himself, which meant he needed to do more than that. He sliced into his arm again, the blood beginning to pour out, Neil gasping from the shock. It was a lot of blood, but he would be alright, he swore it to himself.

Then, he noticed the area around him growing darker, the fire having died down some. He quickly turned and stuck more fuel into it, the last of what he had to use. The wind howled around him, the growls and noises of the shades seeming to be all around him. The two just stood there, motionless.

As Neil faced away from the fire, he heard something. Something almost like a whisper, right behind him. He was going to turn around and swing his axe as hard as he could, but it was already too late for that. The fire was snuffed out, and everything went black. Neil was blind, alone, and terrified.

He began to scream, and swing his axe wildly in the air. He didn't know anything else to do, as there was nothing he could do. If he ran, he would get lost, and die. If he tried to fight, he might die. If he tried to escape with the water, he'd drown, and die. No matter what, it seemed the odds were stacked against him.

How did things go south so fast? Was he really powerless? Neil was only a human, a human who was being attacked by creatures much more powerful than anything he could imagine. And they were stalking their prey the whole time, waiting for a perfect moment to strike. And now they had him.

Suddently, Neil felt something on his back leg, and he turned around to look, shaking violently. There was a third shade, it's face looming over his shoulder, staring right at him, it's face only a few centimeters away. Then, without a chance to resist, the other two grabbed his arms. The man had no idea what to do. Should he scream, should he fight?

Then, they pushed him to the ground, and the axe fell from his grasp. The dark was so thick, he lost it instantly. He was defenseless, and was restrained. Then, the shades began to pull him towards the lake. Neil realised what was about to happen, and his mind was set into overdrive.

The man began to thrash and grunt, trying to break free from the grasp. The water edged closer and closer, soon Neil felt the cool liquid on his legs. It wouldn't be long before he was dragged into the drink. He tried to grab onto anything, the ground, a rock, anything at all. He didn't want to go like this, drowned in the very lake he sought to see all this time.

Tears welled in his eyes, and he began to sob. Everything around him was falling apart, he was going to lose everything. So many things he hadn't known, things he didn't understand. And it looked like he wasn't ever going to know them.

Instantly, the shades all pulled at the same time, and Neil flew into the water, going deeper, and deeper. The bubbles escaped from his nose and mouth, floating to the surface. He tried to struggle, to do something, to break free, to be able to survive. All this time, it was his only goal, to be able to live. To not die like all the others before him.

But it looks like all that hope, that will to live, was all for nothing. Because he was overpowered, and had nothing to fight back with. It was over, and he felt his lungs began to give way. Seconds ticked, slower and slower. His head began to shatter to what felt like a million pieces, his body growing freezing cold. The pressure of water pulled him lower and lower. Looking up, Neil saw the three shades watch him sink farther and farther into the lake. All the hope of living was gone, he couldn't do it anymore. It was over, He had lost. And to think he could have done anything at all. Slowly, the air within his lungs became no more, and his body began to crave oxygen, but there was nothing left. He began to take in water, his body filling with it. The last thing he heard, was the flowing of the liquid into his mind and heart, and drowning him, along with all his hopes and dreams. Neil's journey was over, ending at the bottom of the mountain lake.

Marcus

Good Morning, Today is September 30, 2118.

 

The last thing the man could remember was hitting the button, and watching the bright flash happen through the window. After that, he must have blacked out from the intense velocity. Who knows how long he had been out for, but he had finally awoken, his eyes slowly opening after a long time of being unconcious.

He remembered setting the course of the pod to the old planet, the one they were forced to leave. He needed to go back, to rescue him. He had nothing else to live for, after all. The rest of them were dead, and this was the only person he had close to him anymore. Besides, would anyone really miss him once he left?

Once the man regained full conciousness, he began to make his way to his feet, holding his head. His hair was in a mess, but that's how it usually is anyways. His big, bushy beard was tangled up, also not suprising. His clothes were a bit worn, but nothing too drastic. He still had his jumpsuit from the ship. Everyone had to wear one, to make sure they all knew who was who. To make sure, everyone got their own suit with their name on it.

Marcus Bright, that's who this man was. No mistaking it, especially since that's what his suit says. He had no problem remembering his past and himself, sadly though, he doesn't want to remember most of it. Filled with distressing memories, he wished he could go back and fix the things he had been too weak to do anything about.

But now, this was the best he could do. He was certain that his brother was still on this planet. The Other Earth, that's where he was. The place everyone left, yet it really wasn't everybody. Some people never made it, and on the ride upwards, people cried for loss of loved ones, and significant others, who hadn't made it on time.

Marcus had lost his family to the shadow creatures before they launched. His brother came with them on the ships, but he wasn't sure where he ended up. And it sure wasn't on the ships that left the planet, because he looked all over, contacted other ships, and everything he could think of. The only thing he had left was to use an escape pod to shoot himself back towards the Other Earth, and look for him himself. Thing was, with no family, besides his brother, there really wasn't anyone for him. There was no point in living, so it was worth it at least to see his brother again, and try to be the big brother he should have been all those years ago.

From what he last remembered, his brother was younger by a five year margin, which must mean he was thirty-five, as Marcus himself was fourty.

Now off of the ground, the man made his way towards the front of the escape pod, and looked out the window. He had landed during the time he was out of it, and seemed to have landed in some field somewhere. He pushed the door open, and slowly made his way out of the pod, looking around. 

Stepping on the grass covered ground, he noticed it was similar to short grass, the ones with the blades that could easily cut someone if they weren't careful. In the distance, he could see a giant mountain, and to the side, a decently sized river. Behind him, it looked like a large set of hills was strewn around the area. This sure didn't give many things to go off of. His brother could be anywhere, so where was he supposed to start?

Marcus strolled over to the river, scratching his beard, and looking up at the sky. He arrived at a pretty decent time, early morning. That would mean he would have plenty of time to search before nightfall. He gazed over at the river, and noticed something odd near the shore. There seemed to be a large stone slab laying on the grassy ground, and seemed to be laying over a hole.

The man peered inside the hole, to see ashes and remains of a fire. The stone slab also seemed to have plenty of burn marks on it, which meant that someone was either a pyromaniac, or attemping to have a barbacue. Either one didn't probably go very well, and whoever made it sure ditched it in questionable condition. Unless this is what it was supposed to look like, Marcus wasn't quite sure.

He would the look down the river, the way that lead into the woods, towards the mountain. Was this the direction he was supposed to go? He had no idea, but then again, if it wasn't, then he guessed he could come back and try the other way. Marcus got up from looking at the burned stone slab and began to make his way upstream.

When was the last time he even saw his brother? Must have been that day when they arrived. At least, he thought that was him. He might look completely different now, depending on how much time has passed, and his condition. Maybe he's grown a magnificent beard like him, or maybe not. Either one would work, because Marcus knew his beard would still be better.

While walking, he would continue to glance at the ground, the river, and the other side of the river. He wasn't exactly what kind of signs he would be looking for, or how long he would have to travel. But it didn't matter much, whatever it takes to find his brother and finally be able to be with him. His folks wouldn't ever let them be together once they got older, and left his brother behind. He wanted to do something, but his mother and father scared him. They even threatened to leave him behind too, and he was too weak to do something against them. Oh, how he wished he could go back and do the right thing, to help his brother.

After an hour or two of walking, Marcus began to notice what seemed to be faint boot tracks in the sandy rock terrain of the riverside. He kneeled down to get a better look, and noticed these prints were going the exact same direction he was. He had no idea who's boots they were, but it was enough of a lead to continue forwards, and keep looking.

It wasn't for another hour until something else came up. But this was something much more interesting then a few tracks in the sand. Upstream, off to the side and above the ridge of the river, was a hut. A hut made out of mud and rock for walls, and a cobbled together wooden roof. Whoever made this thing sure had been here a while. Stepping inside, he noticed whoever lived here must have slept on an old log, and used another similar fire pit to the one created down by the field. This must be the same person.

Leaving the little hut, Marcus stumbled upon something else. There seemed to be arrows on the ground, made of wood, that were pointing in the cardinal directions. He didn't know what any of the symbols near the arrows meant, and decided to leave this one alone. He was sure following these might lead him into something less desired. So, Marcus headed back down towards the river.

Once he made it back down, he saw something he completely missed when he first arrived. Someone made a bridge to get across the river. Looking across the river, he could see more prints, these much more profound. It must mean that whoever made the hut, the little thing by the field, must have made this bridge as well. And whoever this is, sure has a lot of unique ideas, and a lot of spare time to kill.

Marcus looked the bridge up and down. He wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to cross it without getting soaked, since he could see that the boards were slightly submerged, and the current didn't look very forgiving. But, then he looked across the river again, and saw a large stone laying on the side of it. That must be it, he would need extra weight to get across safely, and to make sure he wouldn't be swept off his feet and into the water below.

The man climbed up the ridge, and began to search around for a decent sized rock. After a few minutes, he found a little outcove of a cave in the east area, and pulled a rock from a wall. Carrying it back to the bridge, Marcus thought to himself a bit. Was this bridge going to be safe, or was it somehow rigged by the creator to drop unwanted visitors in the drink? Guess he'd have to find out somehow, and that was to attempt to cross it.

Holding the rock in his arms, Marcus slowly began to cross the bridge. For as interesting it looked, it actually held up pretty well. He noticed it was tied together with a bunch of ropes, which seemed to be created by vines. Maybe they were from that cave he found the stone in, as it seemed some of the vines hanging down had been torn, the top of them torn up and still regrowing. It sure took a long time to regrow on this planet.

After a slow and steady paced crossing of the river, the man tossed his rock he used to the side of the one on the other side of the river. He looked over to the mountain, and then at the prints on the ground. They seemed to be pointing and headed up towards the mountain, which for sure must be a good long ways away. But it didn't bother Marcus much, even if it were going to get late, he'll be alright. The dark never affected the man, and besides, he had plenty of things to deal with the nightfall.

Before he headed off towards the mountain, the man stretched his legs a bit. He didn't want to end up cramping halfway to his destination, so it was always a good idea to stretch beforehand. Once he was ready, he started his walk. He wasn't sure why this person was headed all the way up towards the mountain, but maybe he would find them up there, and get a chance to ask.

He wondered to himself just how long this person walked for, especially on a daily basis. These were multiple hour walks, so this person must have either been decently prepared for an expedition, wanted a lot of exercise, or was trying to tire themselves to death. It was probably at least one of those three.

As he walked, he noticed the prints slowly becoming clearer and clearer, which shows that this person must have come up this way at least in the last day or so. Still the question of why exactly someone would come up all this way lingered in Marcus's head. He would never need to come all the way to a mountain for any reason. Too much hassell, he'd rather just stay at that mud hut, and expand off of that. Much simpler, and plenty less exhausting. For the most part at least.

Hour after hour, it seemed the mountain grew closer and closer in view. Marcus also noticed that the ground began to slowly incline, which meant his destination much be up on top of a ridge or slope. Was it maybe the source of the river? It would make sense, since the river had been widening every now and then. So, this person wanted to come all the way up for water? No, that can't be right. There couldn't be much wrong with the normal river water.

Maybe it was a personal journey, something only this person wanted, something another person wouldn't understand. Even if this were his brother, Marcus still had no idea why anyone would want to come all this way. Maybe it was a nice view? Or they wanted to scale the mountain? He was running out of assumptions.

It took forever, but finally he had made it. He made it to the last leg of this long and incredibly boring walk, as the ground began to slope drastically upwards. This must mean that this source of water must just be up ahead, and the Marcus had made it. He was thrilled, mainly because he could rest once he reached the top, as he had been practically walking the entire time nonstop. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't feel the need to take a break whatsoever. Except now, a break would be very nice.

Climbing to the top, he rolled himself over and ontop the summit of the hill. If this was how mountain climbing was, Marcus wanted nothing to do with it. There were plenty of things he would do, but that, was most certainly not one of them. It's incredibly exhausting, forcing you to constantly lift your entire body over and over again. Especially since he wasn't exactly a small person, this was even worse for him. Not saying that he's fat, but his body was decently built, and muscle weighs more than fat.

After catching his breath, the man got back up and onto his feet. Glancing over the clearing infront of him, he could clearly see the water source. It was a giant lake, the reflection of the mountain clear as day, and very nice looking at that. No wonder the person came up here, it was a beautiful sight to see. Marcus was never a big person for nature, but he would admit this was nice scenary.

Once he was finished at looking at the water, something caught his eye. Or, rather someone. A figure stood at the foot of the lake, looking up at the mountain. Marcus's spirits rose high, and he smiled to himself. This could be him, his brother, who he had been searching for all this time!

"Brother, is that you? It's me, Marcus, I've come to be here with you!"

The figure jittered slightly, and then turned around. The figure was a man, had to be early or late thirties, his hair and beard were ragged, his clothes torn, and his body torn up badly, multiple wounds shown through his torn up shirt. Whoever this was sure had taken a beating throughout their journey.

"Can you hear me?"

The figure shook once again, and this time, looked directly at Marcus. He looked back, and then saw the man's eyes. They were gray, faded, and filled with sorrow. The figure stumbled towards him, and stopped a meter away. It's skin was pale, and clammy. Almost like it had been in contact with tons of water. Now that Marcus thought about it, the entire person was drenched. Were they just out for a swim, or something of the like?

"Neil, is that you?"

The figure stopped, and stared at Marcus. It's face was almost that of someone who had seen over a hundered horrors. But, soon that face of terror turned to one of sorrow and pain. The figure then waited for Marcus to look back up at it, and then, it nodded.

Neil was back.

Reunion

Good Midday, Today is September 30, 2118.

 

"It's been too long, brother. And I have so many things I want to talk about with you"

Neil would nod slowly, and then point in the other direction, the direction of the field. Marcus was confused at first, looking at the arm, and then the direction, and then back at his brother. But then, he spoke.

"This way, Marcus. We will talk on the way. But we must go there, to the fields", Neil mumbled. His brother nodded, and smiled. It was so nice to have someone to talk to, and his brother of all people at that. It was truly amazing.

The two brothers then began to make their way back to the starting point of both their journeys. Neil would look over at his brother, and mumble quietly to himself. He felt wrong, something was very off. Something wasn't right, none of this should be happening, and yet, it is anyways.

"So, Brother, I want to make an apology. For a lot of things, too many things to count", Marcus spoke to his brother. Neil looked over, a bit confused. What was he sorry for, did he do something? He couldn't remember anything, even why he was still here. He shouldn't be walking right now.

"I have been weak all my life, not in physicality, but in mentality. There have been so many times, especially when we were younger, that I wanted to be there, to help you. But I couldn't, I couldn't force myself to do it, the reprocussians too powerful against me. I was weak, and put myself over you, and for that, I'm so, so sorry."

Neil looked at him, his eyes still gray, a somber, watered down color gray. Who cares about the past now? There is no way to return from whence we've come, this was it. The cycle was supposed to be complete. Birth, Life, and Death. Why isn't it working?

"I hope you can forgive me, brother", Marcus said as he patted his brother on the shoulder. His body was cold and wet, but he didn't pay much attention to it. Maybe he would treat him to a warm fire later on, dry him off, and get nice and comfy, to be able to continue to converse and hang out with his brother.

Neil would ponder for a bit on what to say. Does he just go along with it? He couldn't tell if that was the best idea or not, but he couldn't feel anything. He just wasn't sure what he should do.

"I forgive you, Marcus. There is no reason to be upset anymore, I'm here now."

Neil felt as if he told the greatest lie in the history of forever. And to his own brother, of all people. But he couldn't crush his hopes, not like he had his destroyed. He wanted Marcus to be okay, to be better than he was. At any cost, no matter what. No one should have to suffer like that.

 A quarter of the way to the field was where the brothers were currently. They had made it down the slope, and were once again on flat ground. On the side, they would occasionally watch the stones and trees go by one by one.

"So, Neil, you made all of that stuff back there? I didn't know you were into crafts."

In truth, he really wasn't. He just needed to make improvements or new things, or else he'd die. Funny how that all worked, how all this preparation, all the building, gathering, sleeping, eating. It all meant nothing in the end. Life was unfair, and unjust. There was nothing he could have done in the end, only watch, and cry inside.

"I was only doing what I had to", Neil responded. He at least wasn't lying this time.

"I see, so you were really trying to survive out here, all by yourself?"

Well, that was the point. At least, it was supposed to be. It wasn't easy either, with the constant threat of the weather, the shades, and everything else, Neil wasn't in for an easy ride for the start. But the thing was, none of that mattered anyways. Because at the end of the journey, it didn't matter what had lead up to it.

"I am, yes", Neil would speak back. Was he really alive? Was this man still surviving to this very moment? He didn't feel like much of anything, nor could he feel anything either. It was like he was disconnected from everything around him, even his own brother, who came all this way to be with him.

A bit more time passes, and the halfway mark was reached. Neil glanced over at the hut on the other side of the river as they crossed the bridge. All of this time, the hut and the bridge, all wasted. He tried so hard to be able to last, to survive, to be the one who would make it.

"Why did you come back?", Neil mumbled to his brother. He was indeed confused. Why would someone come all this way just to see their kin, who they left behind all this time? What would have been the point, the reason behind all of it? There must be some other motivation.

"You see, before we all left on the rockets, to be able to escape the planet, mother and father were slaughtered by the shadow creatures. They didn't make it, only I did. As we blasted off, I was scared and alone. I didn't know if you made it on the ships or not. But, after a while, I decided to check to make sure, and couldn't find you. That's why I'm here, with you. You're the only family I have left", Marcus responded. It was true, all of it. Neil was the only thing he had left, and if he was gone, there really wasn't much else to live for. He had no love life, no nothing after family.

Neil felt horrible. He wasn't the only one that was alone. Sure, his brother had other people around him, but no one he knew. He was without family, without anyone, and he didn't even know it until not too long ago. He should have been there with him, but no, he went out into the wilds by himself, and left his brother to suffer the loss of their parents by himself. What a disgrace.

"But it's going to be alright, because now we're here and together, the family is back together", Marcus assured his brother with a smile. He really was happy, and Neil could almost feel it too. He could almost feel a tiny bit of warmth within himself, among the numb feeling of absolute nothingness. He can't seem to understand what's happened to him, and he's not sure he wants to know either.

Only a quarter of the way left to the fields. Neil could feel it, the place that he needed to go, to be back where it all began. It felt like it held some sort of intense significance to him, especially now. His body almost urged him to move forward, ignoring anything his mind would tell it.

"Say, brother, have you run into any of the shadow creatures?", Marcus asked. Neil knew all too well what he meant. Shades. But, should he say that he has? Should he worry his brother any more than he already has? Maybe he should just lie again. He doesn't want his brother to have to conflict any thoughts about him, he just wants him to be safe, to be happy.

"I have not", Neil responds, the lie burning him in the back of his head. But, it's for the best, the best for Marcus. He wants him to be able to not have to worry.

The brothers would look at eachother, and then look away, gazing around at the scenary. A few times Marcus would comment on the trees and stones, and Neil would just look over. He once felt an unbelievable passion for all of nature, and now, he couldn't seem to feel a single thing, not a thing close to that past feeling. He wasn't really himself anymore.

During the last few moments before the arrival at the fields, there was a moment of silence, neither brother spoke to themselves, or to eachother. They didn't even look at eachother. Both just looked ahead, watching the destination grow closer and closer. The evening hours had begun to show themselves, the sky turning orange, and the surface beginning to slowly darken.

Finally, both of them stopped, and looked at eachother. The time had come, but for what? Marcus had no idea why he was here, back at where he started. But Neil had a perfect idea, or at least something inside of him did. Something understood a lot, a lot of things he didn't himself. It was a strange feeling, like part of his body knew, and the other didn't. Like he was divided down the middle, with no way to attach one half to the other.

Suddently, Neil had an overwhelming feeling in his head. Something was trying to take him over, to force him to speak something. He tried to resist, but it was no use. With no willpower, there wasn't much driving him in the first place, besides the thing within him, which was now going to speak.

"Marcus, my dear brother. I must have a word with you, a serious topic, and something I should have told you from the start."

Marcus glanced over at Neil, and nodded, as a show that he was ready to listen. He had many questions yet for his brother, but they could wait till after whatever he had to say. It had been so long since he had heard Neil's voice, and it sure had changed a lot, but sometimes change is a good thing.

"A day ago, I was pulled down to the depths of the lake by three of those shadow creatures, and I drowned."

Marcus, for a split second, chuckled in disbelief. His brother was standing right before him, how could he have drowed in the bottom of the lake? But, then he looked at Neil once again, and remembered his wet clothing, and the gray skin and eyes. No, how could that be? That doesn't make any sense, someone can't come back from the dead. That's not how anything regarding life works at all, especially from what he's known all his life.

"I'm not sure myself, why I'm here, but I cannot feel anything. Nothing at all. I've been stripped of my emotions and feelings."

This is unbelievable. Why would this happen? He came all this way to be with his brother, to comfort him and apologize for what he's done. They were going to make up, and go about being brothers once again. It was going to be great, a happy ending. A chance to be able to be happy again! He was the only family he had left, and now, this? What's the point now?

"But, I have a plan. A plan to do something, regarding those shadow creatures, which I call shades."

This things have murdered his parents, his brother, and so many people that he once knew. If there was some way to get back at them, Marcus was all for it. The things he was hearing began to frustrate him beyond belief.

"In order to carry out this plan, I must release myself from this body."

Wait, what? What does that even mean? He doesn't mean that, does he? Why would he have to do that, of all things? What's even going on anymore? Was Marcus losing his mind?

"I must kill myself, in order to release my spirit from my body. After that, I will attempt to conjour this thing that has taken me, and use it against the shades."

This is practically the most insane thing he has ever heard in his entire life. But, what else is there for a plan? Marcus had no idea whatsoever. Was he to trust his brother with this? He wasn't sure, but he seems confident enough in himself on this one, does he let him do it? He would lose the only person he can relate to, his last family member. But, if they could get back at the shades, would it be worth it? They had destroyed both of their lives now. Maybe this was the right course of action, to try and stick it to the monsterous beings for murdering so many humans.

"I understand", Marcus responded to his brother's plan. It was going to be tough, but he knew that this could be for the greater good, and a chance to make right what was wronged all that time ago.

"Then, it is settled", Neil replied, and put his hands to his face. Marcus wanted to look away so badly, he didn't want to watch his brother commit such an insane act. But he couldn't seem to look away. He began to have conflicting feelings. He didn't want to lose his brother anymore, he couldn't bare seeing the only family member he had left die infront of him, especially by means of suicide. He moved in to try and stop him, tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

But Marcus was too late. As he approached his brother, Neil pierced his throat with his hands, and grabbed his head, snapping it backwards. His body fell to the floor infront of Marcus, lifeless.

"No, this can't be happening! Neil, talk to me! There has to be another way, you can't die on me! Please, don't! Get up, Get up brother! This isn't right, please! Brother, Brother please! I don't want you die! You're all I have left!"

Marcus broke down into a sobbing session, falling to his own knees, holding his face and punching the ground. His sobs were interrupted multiple times with gasps to try and continue to breathe. He was overcome with emotion, his anxiety of the unknown had begun to skyrocket. Was he going to have a heart attack? That would be best, then he could be there, with his brother, in death.

But that wouldn't happen. Neil still layed there dead, and Marcus was still alive. This is a living nightmare. How could things come to this of all things? Everyone in his family is dead, all that's left is him. He doesn't want to be alone. He wants his mom, his dad, his brother. He wants someone, someone to be there with him.

But there wasn't anyone to be there. Everyone was gone, except him. He was alone, on an entire planet. Everyone was gone, all of them gone because of these creatures. These shades have ruined everything, his entire life has been thrown off the rails. So now what? What's Marcus supposed to do? Wait till one of those things comes and kills him too? It's only a matter of time. A matter of time till everything is over.

Marcus stares at the body. He really was gone. His brother was gone.

Overcome

Everything was dark, so dark. It was cold, and he couldn't tell where he was. But he knew who he was. He was Neil Bright, the brother of Marcus Bright, son of William and Rubie. A man that had been thrown into an existential crisis within himself. A man who was torn from his life by ungodly creatures of unknown origin, creatures he called shades.

These shades had forced humanity to leave the Other Earth because of their unbelievable violence. They closed in on the humans, killing more and more each day. But, even after evacuation, there were still people who remained. People who had gone to live out in the wilderness of this new planet. They weren't as fortunate as the others.

These people were hunted down, slowly, and without warning. It seemed that these shades enjoyed toying with their prey, watching them succeed, just to tear them down, and down into the ground. But, Neil would be the last one to suffer this fate. He would make sure of it.

He would make sure that no other person should have to suffer the way he did, being forced into a life of nothingness and a life of no emotion. To become a husk, one that wasn't really living, but one that had to wait until they lost their minds and became shades, or overcame whatever was inside of them, and became something else.

Except, no one has ever won this battle. No one. Until today. Neil was determined to change everything, for the sake of his fallen family members, and for his brother. He would find a way to grow strong enough to destroy them. He would kill the shades, one by one, just as they had killed the humans, one by one.

He would ignite the flames within himself, and release the pent up frustration and anger. He would burn all of it to the ground, everything will be destroyed. He will not stop until they are all gone. He will protect his brother no matter what, he will protect everyone no matter what. No one will die at the hands of a shade ever again.

Neil began to feel it within himself, the hole growing full once again. A hole that had been eaten into him when he drowned, but will soon be refilled, with pure rage. Nothing will be able to stop him once he's done overcoming this thing, this thing inside of him.

Suddently, he began to see fire. Fire, everywhere. The flames that would be used to purge the Other Earth, to make sure that no shade will survive. They will not win, no, they would lose. They would lose absolutely everything, their home, their people, their lives. Nothing would be spared in the wake of the flames. Neil would be sure of it.

Another spark began to grow. He felt his entire body begin to heat up, from it's cold and dead previous state. Soon, it would be more alive than anything else. Nothing would put out the flames of revenge, of true anger and hatred.

The thing was, would it be enough? Maybe Neil would have to give up a little bit more, just to make sure everything is destroyed. He can't afford to lose, to fail. He would let down every single human. But especially the fallen, and more than anyone, his brother. He wanted him to be safe from the shades. The fire would be used as a weapon against the darkness.

It will burn and burn, an eternal flame to purify the planet. Everything will be purged. It will all be clean. Neil would make sure of it, he would make certain.

The Other Earth will burn.

Fire

Good Afternoon, Today is September 30, 2118.

 

It had been nearly a half an hour. Marcus sat there, looking at his brother's body, still with no signs of life. He still couldn't come to grips with it, that he was really gone. It crushed everything in his body. It hurt more than death would.

Suddently, something began to happen. He noticed that something began to gather around the body. It was like some kind of smoke. Actually, it was smoke, like, smoke from a fire. But, it just showed up out of nowhere. How does that work? Marcus slowly stepped backwards, unsure of what was going on.

Then, in an instant, his brother's body became engulfed in flames. Marcus yelped and jumped backwards, the heat more intense than anything he had ever felt. The man stared in awe, confusion, and terror. This made absolutely no sense, first his brother comes back from the dead, then he kills himself, then lights on fire? At this point, he figured he was really losing it this time.

The body began to rise to it's feet, as if it was alive once again. This was insane. Marcus stared in horror as his father's corpse, burning in fire, stood up, and looked down at him. He didn't dare speak up, for he didn't know what it would do to whatever it was that he was looking at. Was this really his brother, standing in front of him? Or was it some unholy devil creature, who possessed his body, and lit his body aflame?

Neil then opened his eyes, the color of them being orange, his pupils melting into sharp slits in the middle of his eyes. He continued to stare at his brother, unaware he was actually there. After a minute or two, Neil turned and began to walk away, moving towards the hill riddled forest, the other way the river went.

With every step, flames spread from Neil's feet. Before long, Marcus watched the grass around him begin to catch on fire. He screamed and got up, running to the river. The entire field had begun to burn down, and it wouldn't be long before the entire forest was destroyed. With that much fuel for the fire, this thing would be unstoppable.

He watched his brother walk away, off into the other side of the field, the flames swirling around his body as he dissapears from view. Marcus coughed and wheezed, the smoke already spreading all around him. He looked around, and then realized where he should go. He should try and make it back to the mountain lake. There would be plenty of water, and the stone ground around it shouldn't catch fire. Thing was, he would have to outrun this blaze, before he was cooked himself. They say that being burned alive is the most painful death imaginable, and Marcus didn't feel like testing it.

The man began to make his way back the way he came, watching the ship he made it to the planet becoming covered in flames, and melt. After that, he turned, and began to run upstream, his destination being the mountain lake. He wasn't sure how quickly the fire would spread, but hopefully not as fast as he could run.

The sound of his feet pounding the ground was almost nullified by the enormous roaring of the flames behind him. He didn't dare look back, for that if he did, he might slow down too much, and not be able to catch back up to speed in time, and would be charred. Marcus loved barbacue, but not when he's on the menu.

As he continued to run, he noticed the river's water steam up, the heat from the fire making it boil, the water vapor rising up and coating the sky, in combination with the massive amounts of smoke rising around the area. Before long, the entire forest region would be suffocated in black smoke. Marcus just needed to keep running, and make sure not to slow down. It wouldn't be long before he reached the hut, which would be the halfway point. At least, he thought it was halfway. It probably wasn't, but he didn't really have time for any kind of indepth thinking.

In no time, Marcus watched the bridge shoot by as he sprinted past. It was a real shame that all that work his brother did was about to go up in flames, but then again, Neil was doing the burning, so should he really feel sorry for him? Probably not, but the man still felt bad for everything. It didn't deserve to be treated like this, to be burned to the ground. Sure, the shades deserve it whole-heartedly, but not all these trees and other parts of nature. Suddently, it seemed like Marcus cared a whole lot about nature. Everything burning around sure must have that effect on people.

His breathing became more and more sporatic, wheezing and coughing in between breaths. The smoke was beginning to cover everything as far as the eye could see. Thing was, the smoke spread much faster than the flames, which made it practically impossible to outrun. And, to make things even more difficult for Marcus, because he was running, he would be forced to take in much more smoke than he had hoped for. But a bit of smoke in his lungs was better than being burned to death.

Everything had happened so fast, and the man was still attempting to piece things together. What did all of this mean? He might have an answer, but it was still incredibly crazy. But, then again, was his father ever wrong? He had trusted him whole heartedly ever since he was young, and had been very close to him. Maybe it was true.

The man heard his head pound, his heart pumping blood two fold within his body. Adrenaline began to kick in high amounts, causing Marcus to be able to run even faster. He wasn't sure how long this little self-created boost would last, but he hoped that it would be a good while before he tired out. Because once an adrenaline rush ends, the body grows stiff and sore. If he wasn't far enough from the fire by then, he might be in trouble.

As he continued to sprint past everything, he noticed the thicker trees and sloped, rocky area. He was nearing the slope, he could feel it. Once he saw that inclined ground, he would know that he was there, that he had made it to safety, at least for a moment. In reality, no place was safe anywhere near the forest. The entire place would be ignited before too long. And then what? Would Marcus have to hold out and wait? Or would Neil come for him, too?

Marcus once again began to think about the words his father spoke to him all those years ago. He still wants to deny it, but with the evidence all around him, it seemed to be true. Why his brother of all people? He never thought that it could have gotten this bad, but now, he knows.

Then, in the far distance, he could see it. The sloped, inclined plain of ground, and in the background, the mountain. He was so close now, he felt like he could practically touch the mountain. And in a short while, he would.

As he began to climb up the slope, he heard the roaring of the flames off in the distance. He had been able to gain a decent amount of ground away from the fire, giving him so time to recover, for a moment at least. And in this time, he began to wonder to himself. Was Neil really going to try and kill him?

He was his brother after all, certainly he would enough of a sense of reason to stop himself from killing his own family. Marcus hoped that this would be the case, that his father would be wrong, that it wouldn't be as bad as it seemed. Deep down, Neil must still be in there somewhere. Maybe he just needs some provoking to come out. Everything might just come out alright.

But, there still wasn't a way to stop the fire. It would spread and spread until everything would be destroyed. So, even if he is able to help Neil, they both would still be in a great deal of trouble because of the flames. The only place Marcus figured might just be out of reach of the fire would be the mountain. How would he be able to climb all the way up there? He guessed the best way to find out would be to try it.

Eventually the man made it to the top of the slope, and set foot next to the lake. The water was still and calm no longer, and was rushing to the sides, almost as if it was in a panic, afraid of what might come to be of it. If the fire did overtake everything around it, it might evaporate, all of it. There would be nothing left of the beautiful mountain lake.

Just as Marcus sat down to catch his breath, he began to hear the screaming of the fire closing in on him. The man sighed, and got back to his feet, setting his eyes upon the giant mountain in the distance. This hunk of rock was his best bet to escape the fire alive. Even though there were plenty of ways getting up there that could result in his death, it was his only option. He would need plenty of luck on his side.

Marcus began to make his way towards the mountain, peering behind him to see the flames creep up the slope, and begin to devour the surrounding forests. The view of the destruction was terrifying, enough for a man surrounded by flames to break into a cold sweat. The ashes and embers began to circulate in the air, floating up and around almost everywhere. It was practically the end of the world, and in the case of the Other Earth, it was, literally.

But, just before it reached the end of the lake, he noticed something laying the on the ground. It looked as if it were a makeshift axe of some sort, melted together with some type of metal. It was crude, but could be useful. Marcus quickly picked it up and kept it in his off hand, and began once again on the race to the mountain, him versus the fire.

The man watched as the mountain began to close into his view. He tried to speed up, desperately wanting to get ahead of the fire, so that he could have a chance to begin climbing without the pressure of the fire almost on top of him. Step after step, he felt closer to the possibility of survival. He might just make it out of this one.

Upon reaching the mountain, he began his ascent immediatly. He wasn't sure exactly what he would do to make it all the way up. But, then he remembered something. Marcus looked down at the axe in his hand, and nodded to himself. It might not be the most beautiful or well made axe, but he bet that it would be possible to use it as a climbing tool. Hacking the axe into the stone, he used his upperbody strength to pull himself over the rocks.

He looked up, and stared at the peak region. It was so far above him, but it wasn't impossible to reach. Especially now that he can use the axe to his advantage, he might just be able to pull away with this one. Just barely.

As Marcus began to climb once again, he heard the falling of trees and the crackling of flames. He turned around and his heart sank. The fire was gaining on him quicker than he had hoped, and was nearly at the base of the mountain. There was still plants and grass sticking out of the base area, which meant that the fire could still spread up the mountain. The only place that would be safe was the highest areas of the rock.

Slamming the axe into the mountain again and again, the man tried his best to climb up the side of the huge monument of nature's creation. Even though he was trying to move as fast and safe as he could, the fire was almost reaching him, and began to creep so close that it practically was touching his boots.

Marcus used his muscles to go use, whenever he didn't need to use the axe as much, he could use his raw strength to pull himself up past rocks and stones. His suit was relatively tight, and didn't allow for much to escape, so sweat drenched his face, practically soaking his entire body in it. And it didn't smell like roses, he could vouch for that.

Almost a quarter of the way to the peak, Marcus felt something touch his foot. When he looked down, his eyes grew to practically twice their size. And as he looked, he then felt the pain. His entire boot had caught on fire, and was searing the material away in no time at all. The man tried to move as fast as he could, kicking his foot all that he could in an attempt to put out the fire. As it ate through each layer, he felt it grow closer and closer to his flesh. It was terrifying, knowing that if the fire was not put out, his foot might become charred and useless.

It took a few minutes, but the fire was eventually put out on his foot. But only a layer or two remained intact. It was an incredibly close call, and Marcus was lucky that he didn't lose his foot. He pull himself up another few sets of stones, pulling up on the axe. He glanced downwards as he ascended, watching the flames creep higher and higher.

Then it hit him, he didn't need to make it to the peak. Around half way should be enough, since the grass and shrubs end there, which meant if he rose a few layers above that, he should be perfectly fine, since the fire won't have anything to spread to, leaving it where it was. He figured that if he wanted, he could still make it to the top of the mountain. Without the pressure of the fire, why not?

After a good fifteen minutes or more, Marcus realized that the vegetation had stopped. He was out of the fire's range, but he decided to continue to climb. He wanted to make it to the summit, to be able to at least say that he made it. And, if anyone wanted to come rescue him, it would be easier to spot.

Step by step, he would slowly continue to drive upwards. His hands became sore and raw, but it didn't matter. He was going to make it all the way, no matter what. Sweat was pouring from his face, his eyes bloodshot from the constant burning of sweat in them. It hurt to continue going, but it would be worth it all the more once he made it to the end. Because then he could rest at the highest part of the entire mountain. He'd be like the king of the world. Except his world was burning to the ground, which was unfortunate to say the least.

The man continued upwards, and began to see snow forming all around him. With that, he also noticed that the air had become thinner, and also much, much colder. The suit wasn't made to insulate much, so Marcus's body had begun to get incredibly cold. He ignored it of course, as it would only set him back from the summit. He was getting so much closer, he just felt it in his bones. Or maybe that was his body becoming inflicted with frostbite. Either one worked for him.

Marcus used the axe to sink into the snow, being able to pull himself upwards with each pocket he found. It was slippery at the top parts, but it was much more beautiful. The white combined with the clouds surrounding him was something to see. He knew that at the peak there was a large open area, as it was visible from down below. It was just barely able to be seen, an outcove on the other side of the mountain. This was the goal that he wanted to reach.

Finally, with one last swing of the axe, and one more pulling of his body upwards, Marcus rolled himself into the outcove. He was exhausted, cold, and worn out in all different kinds of ways. But he had made it, all the way to the top. He felt proud of himself, for that he did something he never thought in his entire lifetime he would do. But, most of it was done because of the fire.

But that fire was halfway down the mountain, so he was plenty safe. Now he could rest, and await someone's rescue. Speaking of people, he wondered what Neil was doing right now. Probably going out to find more shades to slaughter, or more trees to burn. Marcus layed back on the stone, and put his head down, looking at the ceiling. It was finally time to rest. He closed his eyes for a moment and smiled. He was going to make it after all.

Semblance

Good Evening, Today is September 30, 2118.

 

Suddently, Marcus heard something. It almost sounded like crackling. But what could it be? He was at the top of the mountain, nothing should have been able to reach him there. He was higher up than practically anything in the entire region.

He opened eyes, and just stared. It was Neil, standing there, at the other end of the stone outcove. His body was charred, and sparking with flames around him. His eyes had become red, compared to the orange they were originally. Something seemed different, he almost seemed less like himself than before. Had something happened while he was down below? Marcus had no idea, especially as to how he got all the way up here.

The man rose up to his feet, rubbing his eyes, and then looking over at his brother, who seemed to be just standing there, staring at him. Those eyes were demonic, no mistaking it. Was his father right? Did his brother truly end up becoming a demon because of that condition within him?

"What do you want with me, Neil?", Marcus exlaimed. He watched his brother's every move, making sure he wouldn't pull any fast ones on him.

"Everything must be burned, purified. Nothing will be spared, not a single thing. Nothing must survive."

How did it come to this? His brother wants to kill him, and for what? There was nothing about Marcus that needed to be purified, he was a good person, a law abiding citizen. Or at least, he tries to be. He watched as his brother's eyes scanned him up and down. Then he noticed what he was looking at, the axe in his hand. It must have been Neil's before he had become a demon.

"Why would you want to kill your brother? Does that make any sense to you, Neil? Hello? Are you there?"

The demon just stared, cracking it's neck, continuing to stare at the axe. Marcus got the hint, and tossed it to the ground near it, coughing off to the side. He didn't need the axe anymore anyways, there wasn't a safe way to get down from the mountain anyways. So it really didn't matter in the long run.

"It doesn't matter the reason. You are weak, a human. You wouldn't be able to stop me if you wanted", the demon spoke. After saying that, it seemed to snicker, it's sharp teeth being shown. Obviously this thing didn't know who it was dealing with. Sure, Marcus didn't look like much on the outside, but it didn't matter. He knew something that the demon didn't.

"You know, Neil. I think it's finally time I tell you something. Something our father had known for a long time, and had passed down to me."

The demon glanced over, seeming to be intruiged, or at least interested in what the man had to say. Marcus smiled a bit. He wasn't supposed to ever tell this to Neil, but he didn't care. At this point, it was do or die anyways, so it didn't matter. If things didn't go in his favor, he'd have to apologize to his dad once he saw him again.

"Our father knew about your demon, Neil. He had pieced it together, your violent outbursts when you were young, the immense brutality when you were angry, the list could continue plenty. He knew that you couldn't be trusted with anything, let alone live along with us. He loved you, but he didn't want anyone else to get hurt because of you. Mother was scared of you, Neil. She was scared because she knew too, knew that someday you might become this, a mindless, destructive, monster. A demon, who only wants to kill everything in it's wake, no matter what it is. That's what you are, brother. You're a demon, a monster."

The demon snarled, and took a step forward. It didn't seem to enjoy when Marcus talked about it like that, but the man didn't really care either way. He deserved to know the truth eventually, and obviously mom and dad weren't going to say anything any time soon. So, he had to be the messenger to his brother, one way or another.

"You say like it's a bad thing. I'm no monster, I'm a higher being than you, dad, and mom. I'm more powerful than all of you, and I can chose what I want to do. I started with the shades, but now I realized just how pathetic the human race is. How they ruined their own home, and had to be forced to attempt to relocate, to find another place to live. And somehow, they ended up here, right in the middle of the territory of one of the most fearsome creatures ever discovered. They deserve every single little thing they get, and now, so will you, brother."

Marcus couldn't believe his ears. Somehow, this rage had completely turned his brother on his head. He had become an egoist murdering psycho. One that believes in non-human superiority. A man twisted by his own demons, and ended up being consumed by them, becoming one himself. It was a sorry sight, and it didn't seem like he was going to be able to get through to his brother. He feared that there may only be one way to end up solving this problem, and he didn't like it one bit.

Neil took one more step forward, and his face broke into a wicked smile. Fire began to grow around his body, and spread around the side of the room he had been standing in. It must have been some attempt to antagonize Marcus, or a taunt. Or maybe it was an attempt to scare him? Either one failed miserably. Because Neil didn't know something about Marcus and his father. Something that would be the determining factor in this fight.

"I understand that you feel almighty and much more powerful, Neil. But I had a trick up my sleeve too. You see, our father had discovered something mythical, something unbelieveable, while he was studying martial arts. When he had a close call, and almost was killed by a cheating opponent, he had activated some sort of internal power, an ability to channel his essence into a weapon. He stepped forward, and adopted a stance. But not any ordinary stance, no, this stance held an incredible power. The power of the wyvern, a dragon. The audience was captivated as our father rose back up, and defeated his opponent that day. He had discovered the power of semblance, or the ability to alter oneself from the inside out by using their very essence as a tool."

The demon before him was confused, pretty much at everything he was speaking about. This made sense, as he would never have been told anything about it. If he would have been taught the ways of semblance, he might have unlocked himself, and became something that could be indestructable.

"How does this make you any more threatening, brother? You speak highly of our father, and yet you show no signs of strength past me or him", Neil sneered. As the flames continued to build around him, so did his confidence. He was sure that no matter what, he could defeat his brother, and continue his destruction of everything.

Marcus had hoped Neil would have said something like that, because now he would have a chance to show him. To show exactly why he should be afraid, to be worried about this upcoming encounter. The man had been preparing for use of his own abilites for a very long time, and now, he finally would have a chance to show them off.

He then put his feet together, and stuck his chest out, his hands moving together at his waist, locking together. Marcus looked up at his brother, and began to smile himself. He then took a step foward, and thrust his palm outwards from it's locked position at his waist, the air around the attack snapped, and with the release, popped loudly. The force of the attack was incredible, and with that much force, it could be possible to knock opponents unconcious.

After that demonstration, Marcus went back into his locked position, staring down his brother.

"This is my semblance stance, Bolt. I used my strength to alter my stance, being able to have incredible maneuverablity, and the form to attack with air defying strikes", Marcus explained. His brother just glared and crossed his arms. He didn't care how flashy his brother got, he still knew that he had the upper hand, no matter what. He wouldn't lose, not again. There was no more death for Neil Bright.

The time had come, both brothers prepared for what might be the greatest conflict in their lives, pinned against eachother. One, a flaming, mighty demon whose desire is to burn everything around him. While the other, a man of great respect, who perfect his own unique techinque, plans to defend himself, and to defeat his brother, for the sake of others.

Then, both brothers stepped forward, and a rush of air began to flow between the two of them. They moved with such speed, and yet, they both kept eyes on eachother. The small outcove had become a battleground between two bloods, and only one would be able to leave and claim the title of the last survivng member of the Bright family.

Neil would ignite the ground around him, letting it glide across the floor at his brother. But, at the same time, Marcus would quickly evade to the side, being able to cover an impressive amount of distance while in his stance, his evasion skills almost seeming to triple while his hands were locked at his waist. After escaping the flame attack, Marcus pulled close and attemped to strike his brother.

The palm was just barely out of reach, and Neil grinned, grabbing his brother's hand and searing it, throwing him into the wall of the cove. Marcus cursed, and his made a fist with his burned hand. He returned to his stance, and moved his foot back, watching for the next thing his brother attempted to throw at him.

Neil was slowly walk towards him, the fire burning the stones beneath his feet, each footprint being profound on the ground below them. As he closed in, Marcus quickly sidestepped around him, and smacked him upside the head with his burned hand, making a fist at the last moment to grab a tuft of his hair, jerking his head to the side. His brother growled, and swung around towards him, fire blasting the area near him, causing Marcus to reel backwards, resetting his stance.

This time, Neil was going to attempt to engage. The man stepped into his brother's area, and thrust his fist forward, flames gathering around it, and igniting instantly, exploding outwards. Marcus dove through the attack, burns scarring his side, but he ended up behind his brother one again. Unlocking his hands, he lunged forwards and striked his brother in the back, his palm exploding with air, sending Neil into the wall.

Marcus quickly readied himself once again, this time jumping into the air, and kicking forwards into Neil's side, which he was still pinned against the wall from the first attack. Neil absorbed the second blow, and then grabbed his brother's leg, slamming him into the ground, his leg becoming engulfed in flames.

He tried his best to put it out, but it still caused an incredible amount of pain. But, this made it possible to be able to move even quicker, because of the massive adrenaline rush from the pain. Marcus zipped around back and fourth around his brother, who looked from side to side, trying to find him.

Then, from out of nowhere, Marcus appeares below his brother, and rises up with an uppercut with his palm, the energy exploding from his hand, and causing Neil's head to snap backwards, and his body to flip over. The man landed on his feet, and blood began to spill from his mouth and nose. But, even after that attack, he returned it with a smile.

Once again, Marcus began to quickly maneuver around his brother, keeping his hands together, his stance still in place. But this time Neil wouldn't be fooled, and quickly stuck his arm out, shooting a blast of flames from his body, igniting Marcus's entire arm. He screamed in agony, and wailed in pain, his eyes trembled. His flesh felt as if it were about to melt straight from the bone, and he would have nothing left to fight with.

Using this intense pain as a motivator, Marcus jumped infront of his brother, and released a flurry of blows into his face. Some with his fist, others with his palm, and one final one with both hands, bashing downwards on his skull, sending his brother into the stone floor. Marcus lands and kicks him in the face before zipping backwards and staring at his arm. The fire was out, but his skin was charred and black, some of it peeling off. It hurt immensely, but he could still fight.

His brother rose to his feet, slowly wiping the blood from his face. It dripped from his face, and onto the floor. It was slowly becoming less and less red, and more of a black color, the color of demon blood. As the fight dragged on, it seemed that Neil had begun to lose more and more humanity. Before long, there might be nothing left within him, and he truly would be a demon. Marcus wanted to end this, before his brother suffered too much.

"You think you're really clever with all the quick blows and stuff, don't you? But don't worry, I've got a plan for you", Neil chuckled to his brother. Then he bent down, and put his hands to the ground, and from his hands began to sprout fires, that began to creep across the ground. They were spreading fast, and before long, Marcus wouldn't have any room to fight.

Quickly, Marcus thought of something. He snagged the axe from the floor and jumped for the cove, latching onto a cliff on the side, climbing up higher in the mountain. Neil could be heard cursing in the distance, and the fire spilled from the cove. Marcus could see a small area atop the peak that could be used to continue the engagement, this time with a bit more room, and less walls to get cornerned in, which was perfect.

It wasn't long before Neil climbed his way, growling loudly at his brother. He put his arms to the ground once again, but before he put out any fire, he was met with a blow to the throat, as Marcus had rushed over and palm struck his neck when he bent down. The strike then exploded with force, and caused Neil to collapse to the ground once again, the snow melting away slowly, and the snow that didn't, became coated in blood.

Neil screeched and jumped upwards, grabbing his brother's already burned arm, and seared it once again. Marcus cried out in pain, and grabbed Neil's face, using his strength to pry him from his body, holding him up, and using his burned arm to club his face in while he was in the air, stepped backwards after the attack to tend to his arm. The skin was broken and bleeding, burned and black. Both of the brothers looked at eachother, and then stepped forward quickly.

Marcus went for the low blow, while Neil went for a high smash. Marcus's fist crashed into his brother's chest, force exploding into his body, but at the same time, his brother's fist collided with his face, scalding him and causing his head to be thrown backwards. After the attack, both of the brothers stumbled backwards, glaring back at eachother. Marcus held his burned face, while Neil held his injured chest.

Quickly, Marcus took the chance to re-engage, blood flaking from his face and arm, but he didn't mind. He then jumped to the side of his brother, and proceeding to litter his brother's back with punches while he was bent over, holding his chest. Each punch caused more blood to spray from Neil's mouth.

Neil then swung his arm as hard as he could around his body, catching Marcus in the face, causing him to spin off balance and crash into a stone pillar. Then, the demon spit out the blood flowing into mouth and smiled, the liquid dripping from between his sharp teeth.

Marcus pulled himself back to his feet, holding his head, blood beginning to drip from his nose. He clutched his fists together and reset his stance, watching Neil's movements. Suddently, his brother set in a dead sprint, and threw a wild punch, flames exploding off of his hand. Without thinking, Marcus threw himself into his brother, igniting himself in the process. While he was in contact with his brother, he pushed both of his palms together, and thrusted with all his strength, the power exploding and causing Neil to fly into the air, and come crashing down on his back.

Now on fire, Marcus had no choice but to quickly use the snow around him to cool himself down. Practically his entire body was now riddled with burns from his brother's attacks, but at least his internals are doing better than his brother's. With every blow, his explosions of power cause internal damage, and with enough of it, he could beat him. Thing was, he had to land enough blows before becoming engulfed in flames.

But, it looked like he had landed just enough on his brother's chest to deal some significant damage. Once Neil landed on the ground, he slammed on his back, and blood shot from his mouth, and he held his chest. All the attacks must have begun to damage his vitals, especially his heart. Marcus didn't want to have to kill his brother, but if it was the only way to stop him, he had no choice.

Then, he watched Neil slowly get back up, blood now pouring from his mouth. And once again, his face turned towards him, and with that same, twisted smile. But this smile was pained, blood seeping out of his mouth as he did so. He stumbled towards his brother, and balled up his fists as he approached. Marcus quickly locked his hands, and watched Neil's movements.

All of a sudden, something unexpected happened. Neil opened his arms, and grabbed onto Marcus, holding him tightly. He stared at his brother, and his brother did the same. His smile grew wider and wider, as so did his grip grow tighter and tighter. It didn't seem like Neil was going to let him escape his grasp, and then, he figured out just exactly what his brother was planning to do, and anxiety began to skyrocket within him. Was he serious?

Demon

Today is September 30, 2118.

 

Suddently, his brother began to ignite himself, and Marcus as well, in the process. His grip was as tight as ever, and Marcus thrashed, trying to escape the flames that have begun to spread from his brother to him, lighting his body on fire. It was more painful that anything he had felt before in his entire life.

Silence

A somber ending, Marcus holding his brother's corpse as he is rescued.

Epilogue

The aftermath of the rescue, what's going on with Marcus, the new planet. Another book?

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 26.11.2019

Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Widmung:
I dedicate this book to the NaNaWriMo 2019 Challenge, and hope that all of the people out there who love to write, embrace it and do what you love.