10
I call, crying.
Ignoring me, he steps into the light. The little Pomeranian lunges at me with a snarl, teeth bared, and I know no more.
Humans by Madilyn Frick
Sulfur, a smell you could never forget. The harshness in the air, if you could even call it air anymore, burnt your lungs with every breath. The air itself was trying to kill you, as if by design. The fires of hell raged around me, and anarchy was master here. I felt a slight pull from below me, and I looked down upon my own body, the one I knew my whole existence. Lifeless, my burnt corpse withered away in the flesh-like dirt ground. I could almost still feel my lungs, remembering the corrosion breaking down the cells left in my body. Soft splashes came from a wet tunnel. A long, bony hand reached out, grasping the outer rim of the hole. A slender, dark figure pulled itself from the darkness, and looked as if it had found something of interest. I observed the dark figures as they crawled from the tunnel over to my body, and began tearing my flesh from the bone. I couldn’t feel a thing; blood splatters on their faces, revealing rows of teeth that one could assume was for ripping the burnt and rough flesh of their victims.
This is not what I expected to happen when I died. After all, we expect eternal sunshine and rainbows, not damnation and hellfire.
Moving on from my body, my soul brushed past other ghostly figures and dead wood. A slight tug on my soul from the ashy floor invited me to rest with the dead. I refused, promising myself I would not succumb to this realm. A cliff face stood mighty and unbroken before me, unmoved by anything that came it’s way. Blood dripped from the top, like a stream being stifled by debris. The corruption of my mind, masked by the screams of lost souls in this hellish landscape. Thoughts I wish not to remember, in the years I’ve spent becoming less and less myself. Around the jagged rock was a man, hiding behind a bush made of eyes. As I neared, each individual eye followed me, silently judging me from the rotten floor. That tug again, but this time different, as if I had a connection to it. The man looked around, with a soulless look in his foggy eyes. I lunged forwards, as if by instinct and he shrieked in pain, as my spirit ripped into his back, inhabiting the husk of the man.
I looked down at my new hands, the foggy cover over my eyes blurred most of my vision. Bones cracked and skin stretched and ripped under my control. I knew I would no longer be able to rely on my strength or eyesight, as this vessel was frail and broken. Taking the first steps was debilitating; each step felt like an eruption of agony, but the pain wasn’t the worst thing that could happen here. Creatures shrouded in darkness descended from the blood red sky, and behind me, a hiss signaled the arrival of a succubi. Limping towards a crevice to hide in, the air changed colors as the succubi attempted to lure in its prey with beautiful colors. A few wanderers, scorched by the flames walked towards the glowing light, humming demonic hymns as if possessed by something out of their control.
The succubi revealed itself from behind a cloak of darkness, a feminine figure with the unrivaled beauty of an ancient goddess. It extended a slender and smooth hand to them, and they accepted their sweet fate. The once pretty expression on its face now showed it’s deceptive truth, as unending and jagged teeth beheaded every single one of them. I know better than to reveal myself in the presence of a succubi, as I narrowly escaped in the past. The beast seemed to not be done, throwing away the bodies like dolls. The glowing light intensified, and the monster moved ever closer to me. It smelled the air, pungent with smog and sulfur. Turning its head, I was now eye to eye with the thing, and I screamed as it pulled me from the crack in the wall. It grabbed my arms, and tore me limb from limb. I knew I could not avoid death this time. The last thing I saw was the face of impending doom, and darkness as it swallowed me alive.
“I suppose when you look at it, we are nothing more than little creatures staring up at a big sky longing that we are not alone. Dreaming that we aren’t the only creatures with warmth in the vast expanse of the cold universe.” The Old Being said standing on the great rock, staring up at the vast blanket of stars.
“You know, I don’t believe there is anything else out there. Can you really imagine other creatures out there? That’s outrageous, truly outrageous.” The Younger Being replied with a look of pure disgust painted on his face.
The Older Being just stood there, tears glossing his old eyes, the creases around them telling tales of his age. He placed his grey scaly hand on the purple spiked shoulder of the young one, letting his reptilian-like wings droop to the ground. Perhaps there was no such thing as Humans out there, his belief was slowly fading.
Fields of Freedom by Carrot
The rhythmic pound of hooves on the morning grass, and the wind rushing through my mane and tail gives me the blissful feeling of peace.
I feel like I could run forever on these sloping hills, with the soft, lush grass. I'm the youngest of the herd, the only foal, but I have boundless energy, and despite my shorter legs I can easily keep up with the herd.
We run on, only stopping to rest when we come upon a bubbling stream. When we fall asleep, I dream of my brother. He's growing old, and will soon join us here.
Sulfur by Anonymous