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“Officer Alan,” they speak in a unified, high-toned, vocal melody. “You are no longer required. Have the boys sit to either side of us and then depart until called upon.”
“Yes, my Ladies.” He motions for the boys to do as instructed, and they each sit at differing ends of the booth. The table is covered in a red silk cloth and is barren except for a crystal wine vase and twin jeweled goblets filled with a robust Tempranillo wine. The Ladies sip from these and patiently await Alan’s departure. Once he has gone, they each quickly turn their attention upon a separate boy, but continue to speak in unison.
“Which of you witnessed these strange creatures?”
Lendal nods his head, too terrified to speak just yet. This must be a dream; surely none of this could be real.
“Did you communicate with them in any way?” The question is pointed and assured that he had. Lendal understands now that there is no covering this up in any way.
He sighs heavily. “I looked into one of the creature’s eyes and it hypnotized me and took me on some sort of journey.”
“Fascinating. What did it show you?”
“A barren planet, far away, in which its inhabitants live beneath its surface on differing layers with sustainable ecosystems. However, its core is expanding, causing earthquakes upon the surface; eventually it will expand to destroy the planet completely.”
The Ladies look upon each other, nod to some unheard agreement, and say, “You two will now rise.” The boys do so immediately. They also rise and motion for them to exit the surroundings of the table. “You will now follow us.”
They lead the boys through the darkness of the room to a large door, much like the front door. It opens to reveal an immense and elaborate staircase that flows downward, softly lit by large candles set at strategic positions. As they follow the Ladies down the stairs, they are both suddenly aware of a presence following behind them. They peer back to find the hulking, intimidating form of Ottymer a few steps up. They had not even bothered to conceive of escaping, and now were ultimately aware that they can not.
They travel down the stairs for what can only be stories until they arrive at another door, which opens before the Ladies and they are led through a couple archways into a vast concrete hall filled with laboratory instruments, computers, and whirring machines where men and women labor at various experiments. Cages with animals and creatures can be viewed at different locations within the hall. Most never before seen or heard of by the boys, some humanoid in appearance. The boys are lead to a corner of the hall where a couple gray haired gentlemen wearing black, thick framed glasses are punching information into computers. Strange molecular structures and alien landscapes are visible upon the many large screens that surround them. Upon seeing the Two Ladies approach, they stop what they are doing and bow before them.
“You heard the boy’s explanation?”
“We did. We examined all known data logged in our memory banks and we think we know where this planet is located. We are convinced that it does not lie in the outer space surrounding the Earth, but within the inner space of the multi-dimensional aspect of our world,” answers one of the men. They are fairly similar in appearance and age, except one has gray stubble upon his face, where as the other is cleanly shaved. It is the stubble faced man that is doing the talking. “Lendal, right?” He looks right at him with tense examining eyes.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Come here, I want you to look at something.” Lendal is escorted before a large screen, the Two Ladies follow. The lab tech punches in a few codes and the screen flashes through wispy structures of colored energy forms and then through formations of solid matter resembling nebulae, stars and galaxies, except in irregular odd shape and form. Eventually it zeros in on a barren planetary-like structure like the one the creature had shown him. It is not spherical, but made up of many jagged angles, jutting out and in upon themselves to assemble the desolate mass.
“Is that it?”
“It is very similar, although it never showed me the whole outer mass. It just quickly took me through what I thought was deep space right to the surface.”
“Yes, outer space and inner dimensions can look very similar to the untrained eye, but they have very different physical laws. This form does have inner layered ecosystems teeming with strange life-forms, and a very unstable core ready to expand to catastrophic dimensions. This will not only destroy the mass itself but take out a large portion of its surrounding system. In fact we believe that the creatures that visited you earlier this evening are not from this particular mass form, but from this one.”
He punches in some codes and the viewpoint expands to show a nearby spherical, rotating mass that appears to have been intelligently designed out of some foreign building substances, with obvious functioning form and polish. Travel ways, lights, engines, reactors, buildings, spires, and yes, very obviously so, weapons. The tech punches in some more codes and the hideous creatures are once again staring at Lendal through the screen with those unearthly eyes. He and Tanner jump back, startled.
“Is that them Lendal?” asks Tanner. Lendal nods. “Holy shit, I can’t believe you held it together with those things outside our door.”
The tech resumes his explanation. “We are not sure what they think we have here that will help them, or more importantly why they don’t move their designed planet safely away from the unstable mass. It could be they wish to move it into our solar system. If that is true we want to know how they could find that possible. Regardless, Two Ladies, this is a disturbing contact. We can only hope that they are not hostile.”
“What about what woke me up, the moving earth?” wonders Tanner aloud.
“We believe they are searching for something. We found a number of other similar holes around the township area. We believe we know what it is they are searching for, but that is classified information at the moment. They did head in the direction of Meldoone Manor upon leaving the boys’ home.”
“This is most alarming,” say the Ladies. “The energy is fluctuating negatively toward our existence. It cannot be denied. This occurrence is something to be feared. We must do all in our power to attempt peaceful communication, urgently.”
“Yes, my Ladies. We will open all forms of communication immediately.” The tech turns to his partner. “
“Excuse me,” Lendal finally found the nerve to speak up. “What the hell is going on in the town tonight? I would think that unchecked rioting would be more of an immediate threat then the possibility of what these creatures may or may not be up to.”
The Ladies turn toward Lendal, and he feels the full weight of their attention upon him “This is the beginning of the transference. All the Earth’s global power and governmental control is being transferred to us, here. It is being done through managed mental manipulation from sections of populace to sections of populace; chaotic uprising is being used to mask the power shift. This inhibits local, national, and international forces of authority from reacting to the source in time to stop it. It is being witnessed the way you witnessed it, as a form of violent mass insanity affecting all humanity, slowly and deliberately. It is time for full knowledge of our existence and the true nature of Earth’s reality to be shared with all that survive.”
Lendal appeared flabbergasted, “How is that possible?”
“It is merely time. Humanity has existed in the darkness of ignorance and confusion for the necessary duration. This is truly your New Age, and we are here to see it through. It was concluded that if left on your own to evolve to this crescendo of the living experience, the Human race would have become stuck in an unending cycle of growth and destruction, unable to ever rise above your deep fear of the unknown and untested. To deconstruct your lifestyles of comfort and ease without violently destructive reactions is merely too much to ask your kind.”
“But people are being hurt and are dying out there.”
“Experience is sometimes painful; death is a doorway to the next experience. You will soon know this, and still cherish life as you do now from fearing and misunderstanding it, even more so. Not all of humanity will accept this alteration in lifestyle and they will fight and try to hinder its revolution at every step. This New Age is not for them right now, and they must move on to next thing. We will keep no prisoners and we subjugate no people in order to proceed, all those against us must die. With the way that life is viewed, currently, by your society this may seem cruel and unjust, but you will come to understand that it is neither.”
Tanner is wide eyed, his scientific brain churning with question and theory, “Are you human?”
“Humans are our children, but we are an ancient race of few number, but immense in knowledge and power. We have always been here, at one time in greater number, but time and experience have decreased our size. Over the eons we have contacted and guided you through desolation and prosperity alike. Now it is time for you to know us and to know the extent of reality that we have always been aware of. Moreover, as you have learned tonight, the growing danger that awaits you in this New Age.”
“This is quite the coincidence, these possibly world conquering beings visiting us on the night of the transformation.”
“As you suspect, Lendal, it is no coincidence, they know what is to transpire on Earth and they are here to take full advantage of it. They will attempt to take ascendancy in these anarchic times, profiting off the dwindling of human numbers to wrest control of the planet from us. It was not unbeknownst to us that some powerful race would attempt this; we believe that we are well prepared."
The car makes a sudden left, and then another quick left into an ally that ends half-way through the block in an alcove surrounded by the backsides of three to four story old brick buildings. The smoky fog is very thick here, but the lights from street lamps, doors and windows, and the glow in the sky (from what can only be various fires burning within the town), light up the area fairly well. There is a gathering of older men, drinking from bottles, at the back of a particularly dark, drab building. They are dressed in thick long sleeve shirts, heavy duty work pants, and work boots. Most are gathered around a steel barrel containing a low burning fire, while a couple recline on some stairs and a small loading dock behind that. On the black tar roof of said loading dock sits an erudite old man of seventy or so, legs crossed. His eyes are deeply set under a pronounced brow, with white hair and a beard that flows long about his shoulders, chest and back. He is observing in a state of deep repose, sipping from a smoky green bottle.
In the distant can be heard the steady rumble of shouting and yelling with an occasional scream piercing the night air. Loud crashes and the low roar of explosions shake the ground every few moments. Officer Alan exits the vehicle, as his door opens Tanner’s sense of smell is assaulted with the odor of burning wood and chemicals; it seems to him to have gotten stronger. Alan does not seem to notice any of these peculiar irregularities, and slowly walks to stand amongst the gathered group of men and peers up at the white bearded man upon the roof.
“Officer Alan,” he speaks with a smooth raspy voice that is easily heard above all the commotion, even to Tanner and Lendal sitting in the police cruiser. He is not shouting, but his voice carries easily in the air. “What brings you before me tonight?”
“I request an audience with the Two Ladies. There has been a disturbance that cannot be explained, with possible dire consequences. I must bring it to their direct attention and receive their most high advice.”
The man with the long white beard sets down his dusty green bottle, rests his forearms upon his knees, and coolly gazes into the eyes of Officer Alan. “What of the strangers you have brought amongst us?”
“They are witnesses to the occurrence, and one is in illegal possession of two powerful firearms. The Two Ladies will want to interrogate them.”
“Interrogate?” Lendal said out loud so only Tanner could hear. Tanner returns his friend’s look of encroaching horror at the predicament they have suddenly found themselves in.
“Very well.” The old man forms the fingers of each hand into two very different signs and rolls his eyes up into his head. A sudden and harsh wind rises up, seemingly from the ground, blowing the fire out and violently rustling the clothes of the men standing about, all ostensibly frozen in place. The old man’s long locks of hair rise about him, ghost-like and whispery, and bright sharp white light flashes within the clouds behind him. For a few moments the intensity of this moment continues, and then dissolves away. The old man’s hair returns to his side and his eyes roll down into place, his wrists go limp and his fingers relax.
“It is done. The Two Ladies will see you. They have already arrived and are awaiting your appearance.”
“Thank you Master Herald, I am indebted.” With that the officer put his hands together and bowed, then turned and headed back to the patrol car. As they drove from chaos infused block to chaos infused block, Lendal gathered the courage to ask some questions.
“What the hell is going on?”
Both officers ignore him.
“How can you two stand by and let your town riot? How can you arrest me if you are not going to arrest these obvious law breakers!?!”
Still nothing but silence from the two men. Disgusted, Lendal huffs and sits back violently in the seat. “Damn it!”
Shortly thereafter they pull into the parking lot of a large early nineteenth century (but recently renovated) tavern, complete with a slanted thatched and tiled roof, and large multi-paned windows. There is also a large yard surrounding the tavern and extending out to the ends of the block, it appears to be of the original woodland of the area, unmolested. The Officers exit the vehicle and each open a backseat door and beckon a young man to exit to him. The boys are not handcuffed, but each has a strong hand placed upon their shoulder and are strongly maneuvered toward the tavern’s front door. Lendal notices that the night’s ruckus is occurring a block or so away in all directions, but seems to keep its distance from the block of the tavern.
The large front door of the tavern was constructed of some thick, strong aged wood, smoothed and polished. A small window containing ornamental iron bars had been placed high up, just above the men’s heads, and a large iron ring knocker is bolted into the middle. Officer Alan grasps the ring with both hands and sends a resounding boom throughout the establishment. Shortly, the squeak and scrape of iron hinges turning in the distance can be heard, and then light shines through the door window.
“Officer Alan?” a resonant, scuffing voice questions rigidly.
“Yes, Ottymer, it is I.”
The heavy door opens slowly with a sustained squeal from the hinges, and standing at its length, peering gravely down upon them, is the most enormous man Lendal and Tanner have ever seen. He is somewhere above seven feet tall, and must be four feet wide from shoulder to shoulder, large tight muscles surely speckled every part of his body underneath his turtleneck sweater and slacks. Ottymer motions them through an engraved archway, into the barroom. Candled chandeliers hang about its ceiling, lighting it with soft white light. Men and women sit at various tables and curtained wall booths, sipping from mugs and glasses, conversing in hushed tones. They pause to observe as the Officers escort the college boys past their tables on the way to the back room. The bar runs along the entire side of the large room, carved and built from the same ancient wood that the front door had been constructed. Leather padding cushions its edges and reaching vines, blooming flowers, demon and fairy faces peer out from the engraved wood. Upon the wall behind the bar is a humongous mirror that stretches from end to end, ceiling to floor. When Lendal and Tanner look into it they see faint reflections within a cloudy vastness with colored mist in the distance, frightened they quickly look away.
At the end of the room is another, larger, engraved archway confined from the barroom with heavy red curtains. Here they pause, and Officer Alan exits through the curtains and is absent for a short while. The boys can feel the eyes of every patron upon them and faintly hear parts of their conversations, which have momentarily grown exaggerated. Alan reappears and motions for them through the curtain. Officer Tom stays behind.
The next room is dark, faintly lit by a sole chandelier with just a few of its candles burning. It is positioned over a large table set in a lush upholstered half-circle booth, at the back of which sits two identical looking feminine figures, both with long straight black hair, and pale, thin features. They are wearing black custom tailored jackets, with white poet collared and French cuffed shirts underneath. Each has a silver necklace about their neck with a clear white jewel set in a silver bezel, it appears to both reflect and consume the light around it.
Tanner and Lendal sit on the couch in tense, uneasy silence. Lendal runs the images that the creature showed him through his mind, marveling that things like that can even exist. He convinces himself that he needs to tell the whole truth to the authorities, to warn them of what could be impending doom for the planet Earth. The world must be warned. There is a loud knock on the door, and they jump from their seats nervously. Lendal quickly opens the door and is greeted by Officer Alan shining a pen light into his eyes. He shuts them and tries to shield them with his hand.
“Open your eyes and remove your hand please,” orders Alan.
Lendal obeys, “What’s this about?”
“Just following procedure.” After a few moments of scrutiny, “Please step away. Tanner.”
“Yes.”
“Please come here.” Tanner stands before the officer, and the process is repeated.
“You don’t believe me,” says Lendal.
“It doesn’t matter whether I believe you or not. I have to investigate all possibilities when such a claim is made.”
“I’m telling you the truth. I think we are all in danger.”
“That may or may not be. Can we come in and look around?”
“What for?” asks Tanner, backing away from the officer.
“Procedure.”
“Sure, what the hell. We have nothing to hide,” quips Lendal, immediately regretting his upstart nature.
“Thank you. Tom, you stay down here with Lendal. Tanner, would you escort me upstairs?”
“Yes sir,” a nervous Tanner slowly leads the officer up the stairs. Once they are upon the second floor, Alan begins questioning the young student. “You witnessed these dog-like beasts your roommate spoke of?”
“Ah, I heard them digging. It’s what woke me up.”
“Digging?”
“Well, sort of. Earth being moved, rumbling.”
“Can you validate any of the visual claims that your roommate stated?”
“I cannot, but I know something large and strong slammed into the front door. And I know Lendal was terrified by something other then a couple guys.”
“What makes you sure of that?”
“He had me get…I could just tell.’
“What did he have you get?”
“A baseball bat.”
“That sounds like something you would get to protect you from a ‘couple guys’. Have you two been drinking tonight? Smoking anything?”
“No, no, I have a huge test later today. There’s no way I would party before a big test.”
“Why were you up here when we first arrived?”
“I was putting the bat away.”
“Whose room is this?”
“Lendal’s”
“Can you open the door?”
“Sure.”
“Is the bat in here?”
“Ah…I think so…”
“Don’t you know where you put it?”
“I’ve just been so startled by all this, I’m kinda nervous.”
“OK. Well, I’m going to look around this room a bit. OK?”
“Alright,” says Tanner sheepishly.
Alan opens the door and turns the light on. He takes one quick scan around the room, and then kneels down to peer under the bed with his flashlight. After a contemplative moment, he gets back to his feet. “Tanner, would you please pull out everything that is under this bed for me?”
Tanner knows that his friend is busted, but he decides that there is nothing he can do but comply with the officer’s wishes. He gets down upon all fours and pulls out a couple boxes and then the shotgun and assault rifle which he had covered with a towel.
“Lift that towel for me, please.”
Tanner exposes the weapons.
“Are these Lendal’s?”
“Yes.”
“Follow me into the hall.”
Once out in the hall, Alan calls his partner upstairs, making sure Lendal stays in the living room.
“What’s up?” asks Tom upon his arrival.
“I have a couple weapons. Confiscate them while I escort Tanner downstairs.” Alan and Tanner head down the stairs where Lendal is waiting nervously on the couch.
“Do you know what I found Lendal?”
“Yes.”
“Obviously the assault rifle is illegal in this state, do you have a license for the shotgun?”
“No.”
“I am going to have to place you under arrest. You have the right to remain silent…”
Tanner had been downtown a couple times since he had been living here. That had been during the day while searching for tech items he needed for school. Mostly he traveled from home to school and to a shopping center close by Balentine for food and things. When you decided on
There is a smoky, gaseous fog floating in the air, just at the town’s entrance, with flashing, glowing lights waving within the brick bearing masonry buildings. The car slows as they enter the town. There are the faint sounds of shouting in the distance and the air carries the smell of chemicals and burning wood. Tanner and Lendal exchange concerned looks. Besides slowing the vehicle, the officers do not seem to notice that anything is amiss. Their radio has been virtually silent, with occasional unrelated bulletins.
The blue and white squad car, with “Aniston County Police” graphically arranged within an enlarged five pointed badge upon its door, carefully maneuvers through the town streets. As they approach the town center, more and more people appear on the sidewalks, although there did not seem to be any cars in the streets. In fact Tanner has not seen one car driving anywhere. Granted it is very late, or early, but then why all the people about, walking, running, some are even dancing. There are those gathered in groups, conversing loudly and gesturing wildly, bordering on bedlam in some areas. Something is up, something is going on, yet the police do not seem to be concerned, or even to notice.
Then Tanner notices something else very odd. Some people are carrying open containers of beer, wine, and whiskey and drinking in plain sight of the police, without fear. Tanner leans over to Lendal and whispers, “What do you think? Spill out from a party or something?”
“I guess, but this is really weird. When have you ever seen cops not want to bust some illegal drinkers?”
“Never.”
They are approaching a flashing, glowing light that is getting brighter as they turn a corner. Then they behold the source, a small department store is on fire, with a mob of people spilled out onto the street in front of it. Men are in the process of throwing a garbage can through one of its large front windows. The squad car drives around the mob and continues on its way.
“Did you guys see that?!” Lendal hollers, not willing to go along with the increasing insanity of the moment.
“Shut up!” shouts Tom, turning to face them, a stone serious look upon his face.
“Alright, alright.” Lendal retreats, not wanting to tangle with the burly little man in the least.
Very faint, the long high pitched sound of a police siren. The creatures’ triangular shaped ears rise up a bit and start moving to and fro upon their heads. With sudden and exact quick movements, they turn and bound into the distant darkness of the night.
Lendal drops the curtain and backs up, picking up the shotgun, to stand at Tanner’s side. He holds the shotgun at the ready and is shaking and breathing hard.
“OK, they’re gone! Cops scared them off!” He spoke hastily, each word tripping over the other, adrenalin and fear coursing through his veins. “Got to hide these guns before they get here!”
“You don’t have licenses for either one!?!”
“No sir I do not!”
The siren comes to a stop and tires screech out in the street.
“Here Tanner, take the shotgun and hide these carefully under my bed. Put the safeties on first! K?”
“Yeah yeah, I got it, don’t worry.” He turns and walks quickly up the stairs just as heavy pounding comes upon the front door.
“Open up! Police! We got a call about a possible break-in!”
“OK! Coming!” Lendal tries to stall a bit, but then feels that he had better not and maneuvers, hurriedly, to open the door.
He immediately professes relief and gratitude in hopes of resolving the situation quickly. “Oh thank you for coming officers, your sirens scared them off. “
The officer that had knocked on the door was a tall, thin, middle aged man with brown hair, neatly trimmed. Behind him, a shorter, stockier officer stands at the edge of the porch surveying the house and surrounding yard. The taller officer reaches up to the CB microphone that is attached at his shoulder, and rests his thumb upon the push-to-talk button patiently. “Did you happen to see which way they went?”
“Yes, off in that direction.” Lendal points to where the beasts had vanished into the darkness. “They were off in a split second.”
The officer squeezes the push-to-talk button, “Suspects have fled premises on foot in south easterly direction. It looks like they are headed in the direction of Meldoone Manor.”
“Roger that number 9, we have units in pursuit,” responds the operator from the CB radio attached to his belt.
The officer continues his inquiry, “Did you get a good look at them?”
Lendal knows he has to answer quickly and since he has already said that he knew in which direction they had fled, he has to give them some kind of description. “Yeah, they were large black…,” he pauses. He couldn’t lie and cause some sort of racial profiling incident and he brakes down, “…dog-like alien beasts.”
The officer leans back toward his CB microphone in preparedness to relate the description to the operator and stops, drops his hand from the microphone and leans toward Lendal with some aggression.
“What!?!”
“Yes sir. I’m telling the truth. I saw them plain as day right there where you are standing now. My roommate saw them first; they were digging or something right out there in the front yard!” Lendal dispenses the information with some excitement.
The officer turns his head toward his partner. “Tom, see if there is any evidence of digging in the front yard.”
“OK.” The stout, somewhat muscular officer turns and walks down the porch stairs.
“What’s your name?”
“Lendal Mevoul.”
“Have you been living here long?”
“About two months.”
“Your roommate’s name?”
“Tanner Schmel.”
“He’s been here how long?”
“Same. We found this house together to rent for the school year.”
“Students at Balentine U?
“Yes sir.”
“Can I speak to Tanner?”
“Sure.” Lendal turns and shouts for Tanner, whom is still upstairs.
“Alan.” Tom has returned from his front yard investigation. His brow is tense and tight, his eyes wide. “You need to come take a look at this.”
Alan joins his partner and together they walk down the porch stairs into the large front yard.
“What’s up?” Tanner is behind Lendal. He turns from watching the police stride off, murmuring to each other, to face his roommate.
“Did you hide the guns?” he asks in a tense hushed voice.
“Yeah, don’t worry, they are stored away. How’s it going?”
“I had to tell them the truth about what I saw, at least the basics.”
“What!?!” Tanner is suddenly visibly worried. “They aren’t going to buy that, Lendal. They’re going to suspect some sort of mischief.”
“I know. I panicked a little bit.”
“A little bit?!”
“I didn’t have my story straight, I didn’t know what to say. I’m hoping that hole out there will give credence to the weirdness I witnessed.”
Tom is uneasy and is fiddling with is holstered pistol as they walk into the yard. “I know what that kid said is some crazy talk, but wait until you see this.” He pulls out his flashlight, Alan follows suit, and they shine the lights ahead. Within about ten feet or so, in the middle of this massive front yard is a large opening in the ground, at least fifteen feet or so in perfect circumference. There is no dirt, of any amount, outside of the hole. It is surrounded by the lush green grass of the lawn.
"There is no dug up dirt anywhere."
“What about in the hole?” Alan asks as he cautiously approaches the opening.
“Take a look.”
Alan shines his light inside the expertly round opening. The sides are smooth, almost glazed, and as he peers in he can see that the hole tunnels straight downwards well beyond the illumination of his flashlight.
“Either this hole has been here forever, or we are going to have to believe that something extraordinary occurred here recently,” said Tom, right hand still resting on the handle of his pistol.
Alan sighs, “Yes. It looks as though we will. The metamorphosis has begun, it must be related. The kid said the creatures headed toward Meldoone Manor, which is not good.”
“I hear you. What next?”
“First, I radio this in so command is aware, then we return to the house and clearly disbelieve them. We’ll check their eyes for dilation and redness and try and get them to allow a search, and then ask them to come down to the station.”
“Arrest them?”
“If we find something, yes, otherwise, no. We’ll tell them we need to get their story documented, witnessed, and their complaint registered. We need to take them in, regardless”
Two four legged beasts, the color of coal and the size of lions, flash up from a large hole and fix their piercing hot white eyes upon Lendal. Earth is flowing, funnel like, up from the pit into the sky above them. He backs slowly toward the door, shotgun aimed at the creatures. They snort in unison, begin a low growl, and lean back on their haunches as if to spring.
Lendal turns on a dime and sprints through the door.
“Shut the fucking door!”
“What!?! What’s out there?”
“Just shut it! Shut it now!” He could not disguise the urgent terror in his voice, and Tanner is quickly affected by his fear. The door slams shut.
“Back away,” Lendal orders, pointing the shotgun at the door as he slowly backs up. Tanner obeys, moving quickly to stand a few feet behind his resolute roommate.
BA-BOOM!!
Something massive slams into the mahogany front door, knocking pictures off the walls and sending violent vibrations throughout the house.
“Shit, Lendal. What was that?”
“Some kind of creature. I don’t know. They look like really big fucking dogs, except they aren’t. If they want to get in here, they will. Go call the police!”
“Call the police?! What am I going to tell them? There are some really big dogs trying to break into our house?”
“No, no. Just tell them someone’s trying to break in. We think more then one person. Come on, hurry up!”
Tanner places the 911 call on his cell. While he talks to the operator, Lendal cautiously approaches the front window with the shotgun at the ready. It had become eerily quiet out front, the sounds of earth being moved had ceased. With the barrel of his gun, he moves the curtain to the side and peeks out slightly. What he sees freezes him. It is so unusual, so terrifyingly strange, that he drops his shotgun in horror.
A face molded and crafted by eons of time and the depths of space and mass. Fronting a head somewhat bigger then a lions, black fur lines its edges, with leathery pointed ears arching outwards, rotating and straining for sound. A deeper, polished, hue of black is the complexion of the skin, with large rolling wrinkles like a Shar-Pei, a nose like a gorillas and a gaping fanged mouth that is almost human like, except for its humongous size and hard leathery lips. And its eyes, golf ball sized orbs of light, as white and as deep as stars, piercing his soul and paralyzing him in their gaze.
He is at the behest of this creature; it can burst through the window and tear him apart if it chooses. Lendal simply can not move and can not break the hypnotic gaze that the creature has him locked into. A deeply agonizing feeling overtakes his mind; the gravity of the creature’s presence is forcing its way inside his inner consciousness. Lendal shuts his eyes and furrows his brow, concentrating in a vain attempt to keep the creature from consuming him, but it is inside him on some strong telepathic wave, collecting information. It has now fully seized control of Lendal and begins to take him upon a journey of epiphany and vision. His mind hurls through the blackness of space as distant white lights flash by him at incredible speeds. Then, through what must be clouds of cosmic dust and rainbow nebulae, until he arrives upon a planet of black terrain and volcanic mountains. Now pulled beneath its seemingly inhabitable surface, through lava encrusted rock and down through cavernous layers teeming with alien life forms.
Glistening four legged greenish creatures with lustrous skin, about the size of rhinos, with translucent dome like bumps rising in rows about what could only be their heads. Bipedal humanoids about two or three feet high with thick jagged bodies that look hard and rigid, working in rows of twisted, bright forms of vegetation three times their height. Whispering, incorporeal entities twisting and turning in the zephyr. Twirling tentacled things with spiked orifices dancing along the ground. Lendal is amazed as the life forms pass by him on his way to what has to be the white hot center of the planet. It is here that his journey pauses. A churning orb, pulsating with an amalgamation of energy forms, is sizzling and convulsing. Parts of which routinely lash out violently at the surrounding core of the planet, cracking fissures as shock waves roll and then explode throughout the mantle and crust on the way to the surface. The planet is dying.
As suddenly, Lendal is again looking out the window into the terrifying creature’s eyes, frozen in fear.
“They’re on their way,” Tanner’s voice is echoing in the distance, getting louder and then steady as it returns to normal. "What’s out there? What do you see?”
He stays frozen, blocking the creature from seeing his roommate, and from Tanner seeing it. “Not right now! Upstairs, in my room, in my closet, on the top shelf is a box with the word ‘heavy’ written on it in black magic marker. In that box is a Daewoo Maxi 223 SBR and a couple clips. Bring it down here.”
“What!?! You have a semiautomatic assault rifle in your closet? Aren’t they illegal?”
“The hell with that right now.” Lendal is trying to speak calmly so as not to startle the creature. “Go and get it, and if you think you can lock and load it safely, do so.”
“The police are comin’!”
“I don’t care about them right now. Just do it.”
The creature’s brow furrows, but it does not relinquish the hypnotic gaze that has Lendal transfixed, even as its partner approaches from the yard. It stalks from the darkness of the night into the bright light of the porch. He can now see what the rest of these creatures look like. The head fronts a long, stout torso of coarse black fur covered muscle, with a leathery skinned underbelly and chest. It moves upon four long and brawny bare skinned appendages that end in large metacarpi with six elongated digits each. Once it reaches the side of its companion, and gets a good look at the frightened human peering at it from the window, it opens its mouth and rolls its lips back over its fangs, releasing a short high shriek that causes Lendal to shake.
“I have it!” says Tanner suddenly behind him.
He does not turn around, “Were you able to put it together, buddy?”
“Locked and loaded.”
“Good, good. I’m going to slowly back away from the window and let the curtain drop. Keep that pointed at the window, if anything comes through, start firing and back away.”
“What exactly is going on out there?”
“That will have to wait, just trust me. Really Tanner, I just don’t know.”
“What!?!”
“Turn that down; I have a test in Particle Creation tomorrow. Just a few decibels, please, I can hear it all the way downstairs!”
“OK. OK.” The music lowers and the door opens. “Hey Tanner, I’m sorry. I thought you were at the library tonight.”
Tanner pushes his glasses back against his nose. “No, they were closing early for some sort of meeting tonight. Thank you, this is going to be a tough one.”
“Yeah, no problem. I took that class last year; you are going to have to stay on your toes in order to keep that grade point average of yours. Professor Bonner is a tough old coot.”
“I know,” Tanner agrees. “He gives a test every week, sometimes two, and all the reading! He’s wearing me out.”
Lendal rubs his shaved head and lets out a sigh, “What a bastard. Sorry, I’ll keep the volume low. Hey, did you mail the bills off?”
“Oh!” He throws his hands up in the air. “Slipped my mind. I’ll get that together after my test tomorrow, swear.”
“Make sure you do. A couple of them are already past due.”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it. Well I have to get back to studying.”
“Right. Good night Tanner, see you tomorrow.” He closes his bedroom door.
“Night, Lendal.”
Scrape. Scrape. Shook! Shook! Waaa-woooom! Waaa-woooom!
“Wha…?” Tanner opens his tired eyes as he comes to consciousness. “What the hell is that? Digging?” He lifts the book off his stomach, sits up on the couch, and reaches for his glasses from off of the coffee table. The unmistakable sound of earth being physically manipulated is coming from the front yard. Tanner looks at the DVD clock, it’s roughly two a.m. He feels very uneasy, even a little scared. It’s not like anyone is trying to break in, but there is heaviness in the air and the sounds coming from the front yard are so very loud.
Standing up, he thinks about peeking out through the drapes of the large front casement window, but decides that he had better wake Lendal to back him up. He bounces up the stairs, skipping steps, and is before Lendal’s door within seconds. Knocking upon the cherry wood, he calls out in a hushed voice, “Lendal. Lendal, get up!” He does not answer, Tanner opens the door half way and leans in. “Lendal, get up! Something’s going on in the front yard. Get up!”
Lendal sits up quickly and removes the covers from over him. “OK. OK. I’m up!”
“There are weird sounds coming from the front yard, come with me while I check it out.”
“Sure, sure. Hold on a sec.” He gets out of his bed, kneels down and reaches underneath it, feeling around for something. After a few seconds he pulls out a 12-guage pump action shotgun.
“Whoa, I didn’t know you had that! Wow.”
“Oh yeah, you know it. It’s not anything you advertise, you just introduce it when you find yourself in predicaments”
Tanner nervously brushes his wavy blonde hair back upon his head. “I’m sure it’s nothing too serious. I’m just a little uneasy.”
“Well, my dad taught me that you can never be too cautious, and he taught me how to use one of these.” He positions the fore-end of the gun in his left hand, elbow bent and tight against his left side; his right hand releases the safety and then rests against the receiver with his finger on the trigger guard, the stock is tightly pressed up against his right side. He moves his arms straight out and holds the shotgun uniform to his body and then brings it back to its prior position. “So it’s coming with us.”
As they hurry from the bedroom to the staircase, rumbling and whooshing sounds fill their ears. Tanner quickens his pace and begins hopping down the stairs.
“Tanner!”
Tanner pauses midway and looks back to see Lendal has paused by the hall railing. “Come on!”
“I need to put some shoes on, I’ll be right there.”
Tanner turns and finishes his jaunt down the steps, he then slows his pace and tip toes to pause before the front window. A few moments pass and he can hear his roommate coming down the stairs. When he feels his presence a few paces behind him, he moves to stand at the right side of the window. Slowly, with deliberate movements, he moves the curtains with his left hand and looks outside.
“Well?” Lendal is getting anxious.
“I don’t know. I don’t see anything; of course I can’t see the whole front yard from here. There might be some movement in the distance, not sure. Is that a dust cloud?”
“Alright, this is what we are going to do. You are going to open the door slowly, but keep behind it while you do. I’ll stand at the ready, just in case.”
“OK, let’s do it.”
Tanner did as he was instructed. The rumbling and whooshing is loud enough now that Lendal can feel it in his chest. He stands in the door opening with his shotgun at the ready, and peers out. The house has a large porch that runs across its entire front side, with a balustrade along the bottom and ornament brackets against newel posts at the top. The porch light illuminates a portion of the large front yard as it stretches out and vanishes into the black of the night. He can see some movement at the edge of this, in the gray, and it would seem that there is a large amount of dust swirling around in that vicinity. He believes he can make out what is there if he will just step a few feet forward, and so does. He pauses a foot or so before the porch stairs and now clearly sees what is going on in his front yard.
“Holy shit!”
...TO BE CONTINUED.
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