Please note, although vulgarities are against the rules, this has 2 words that are such, but are the only mentioned vulgarities in the whole story. Please understand.

A series of stories written in the perspective of the reader, oddly enough, with no detail given about the main character, just a number, but everyone has a number, no names.

Genre/Themes:
  • Fantasy
  • Horror
  • Sci-Fi


Enjoy.

The Shades
By Ben Poynter

It all began five years ago. It doesn't seem so recent... it feels like we were born this way, with those.. those monsters, controling our lives, if we choose to join them. And if we do join them, we can't speak out against them, even if we wanted to. But I'll explain that all later, right now, I'm sure you wanna know when the Shades came.

O O O O O

I could hear the alarm sound. Another drill. Every Friday. Although in a safe haven, the world has been under threat since our natural atmosphere disappeared and the High Council had to create a makeshift one from various chemicals. It wasn't perfect, but it will do, for now. The alarm continued to wail. I jumped straight from the bed, popped some slippers on and walked to the window. Everything seemed fine, people were walking around, the sun was shining.. wait.. the sun? But that burnt out ten years ago. Why hasn't anyone noticed. I quickly got dressed and ran into the street, and as I did, a young boy pointed into the sky, giggling at the intensifying light. The “sun” was getting closer. The boy's mother came running from her house, tears streaming down her face, and pulled the boy back inside. I could see the movement of the sun, and as it came ever closer, it became ever clearer. It wasn't a sun, or a meteor. It was a ship. The day had come. The world was over. Even with my brain, I could work out that an impact from a craft that size would wipe half the world out. I ran inside, closed my eyes, prayed, and braced for the blatant impact. But the deafening bang and screams of fear and grief never came. Just a flash of light. That was all? I began speculating. A transport craft or resorce craft, heading somewhere and we happened to be in the path, and with no anti-gravitational atmosphere to deflect it, it had to fly past. But before even that, I saw a steel leg the size of my house smash into the tarmac on the road outside with such gusto that all windows nearby smashed, causing screams and yelps of fear and shock to be heard all down the street. A constant hiss of gas could be heard from the steel limb, supposedly lowering the main body of the craft.. but that would crush the house, and so, it seemed, thought a lot of my neighbours. As I fled to the garden, I saw the torso of a crab-shaped craft, but no shadow.. I wonder why.. no shadow on something so.. oh wait.. no sun. God, I'm so stupid. I gazed at the feat before me.

O O O O O

The figure smashed his fists against the control panel.
“Abort the ****ing landing” it said, rather gravelly, “I don't think this planet is strong enough.. they don't even have a proper ****ing atmosphere”
“But sire,” a man behind the shady figure spoke up, “We have readings of high Orbokium deposits beneath the crust”
“Do not ques..” the figure began, “High deposits you say? Well, lets make a pit stop. Prepare the advanced guard. Get out setup to at least 60% before I speak to my people, however much like scum they seem, they could be useful.

O O O O O

The rear of the craft began to open as I drove past the town hall. I could make out a couple of figures, dressed all in black. They were on the ground, staring at the opening, and I watched in awe as more figures just appeared behind them. They walked into the town centre and stood by the monument in the square, casting a shadow over the stone statue.. wait.. a shadow. They opened their mouths, and a deafening wail was emmitting from their throats. The world began to swim before my eyes, and I struggled to keep concious. Who were these people, and why were they here. Who.. I felt my head hit the ground, and my thought track was broken as I finally faded into the dark and silent world of unconsciousness.


Please comment with constructive criticism if any