It turned out to be a tree.A tree should be an ordinary thing, indeed. It doesn't move, or make any sound, or feel, or do anything to remind one that it has life even when science claims that it does, but this one was different.The roots were pulled up from the ground, moving like small worms before her. The bark was, just like the appearance of animal zombies, peeling off, and the leaves were brown, but not dry.What made Gloria scream was the head that stuck at the top of this tree, exactly like the head of a Venus fly trap, only that it was almost fifty times bigger, and the branch that reached to curl itself about her as the tree bent to catch her.She rolled away from the reach of the grasping branch just in time so that it harmlessly waved over where she had been only a moment before, and made the mistake of underestimating the tree, because the branch simply extended and pinned her where she was. The smaller branches attached to that branch made her captive with how they wra
The scene that met their eyes took the fight out of their minds.Their large helicopter was being torn apart by as many as five trees that kept going at it like boxers pummelling at their opponents. With each blow, a part of the aircraft fell away, and by the time they saw it, one of the blades was already crashing down.Frozen, they watched helplessly, without knowing which they were more afraid of. The size of the trees — which made them stand twice as tall as the usual, or the heads sitting in the middle of the trees, just on the point where the branches spread from the body of the tree, or the fact that these trees were moving like animals, pulling up their roots from the ground as they did, or the fact that they were now trapped in this place, with these things.Whichever way, there were those who started to run.The General refused to back down. His only move was a backward step which he allowed himself for his horror, before barking his order.“Shoot.” The man yelled, and leadi
Gloria Seaman opened her eyes to a setting sun. The last thing she could remember seeing was the tree, right before it swallowed her, and she screamed at the memory and sat up. The first thing that struck her was that she was naked, clad only in panties and her hands went to her breasts to cover them on instinct. Looking around her in terror for the tree, there was nothing in sight, except for her clothes folded and carefully kept by her head, and some objects arranged to form a circle around her. Red, black. Sandy. Almost wet. Metal too. With a jolt, she jumped at the sight, seeing a piece of military headgear covered in blood at one part. Now she knew what they were. Pieces of human flesh cut in pieces, divided, mauled and arranged to form a circle whose centre she had just woken in. The most prominent one was a decapitated head at one side, exactly perpendicular to where her feet had been. It was the head of General Pierre. The only thing that was untouched. Her han
Back in Middlestown, the three in the van, unaware of all that had happened had gotten themselves to Pearl McCarthy's food stash, which was so much that it made Max want to hold in whatever grudges he held against her. She had stored enough to last all of them in the bunker for months.“How did you gather all of this?” Kevin asked, perplexed. “I wanted to stay alive for as long as I can.” “Well, it's enough to think that you overdid it. A bit.”She laughed at this. “I thought the same, but I did it because it became a hobby to me. When you're stuck, and alone, with no one to talk to, then you do what you can, don't you?”Kevin nodded in agreement.Max only stood behind them, listening to their conversation. His eyes were on his friend's face and the way his eyes glowed as he talked to Pearl, and a deep seated envy grew in his heart.It wasn't against Kevin. It was against Pearl.Somehow, he'd never made his friend's eyes glow like that. They had loved each other as brothers, but no
The emotional effects of the Zombie Catastrophe had been telling on all.Everyday, the zombies covered more ground, with the people in their path moving in whatever way they could to help themselves escape. Amongst these men, women, and children, hung a now perpetual cloud of fear as they did not know what could happen to them. Those who had been unlucky to get away had become zombies, adding to swelling ranks, and those who had became refugees, dying of hunger, disease, rape, and violence where they managed to find shelter and a place to stay. Farther inside, those who were still a long way from the coming zombies locked their borders and stayed in, waiting for anything that would happen, while the army who continued losing so many men was clueless on what to do.With General Pierre’s disappearance, it was safely assumed that he was dead, and unsurprisingly, no one wanted to take his place. Many powerful generals thought they would be fighting a lost battle with trying to fight the z
WARNING: Please note that whatever is added here is completely fiction, has nothing to do with reality, and does not reflect the author's religious beliefs in any way.*******In a far off galaxy thousands of lightyears from the Milky way, and millions of years before the present time, sat and still sits the planet Rhi. Similar to, but not so unlike Earth, or Mars, it is not like them in the sense of how luminous it is, with the predominantly white colour having black swirls on its spherical body, making it look like something done with the gentle, thoughtful strokes of an artist’s brush.The planet also has five suns, named Xavia, Aenir, Ghani, Tishi, and Vivuz, nine moons which will not be named, and two rings — all of which float about it and move in their orbits around its glowing body, as it is their centre of gravity. Therefore, it is not moving around some other body like the Earth does around the Sun.On this planet there is never night, as a sun is always shining with a moon
Every one of the Rhisana had one unique skill.There would be one who could breathe fire, and another could fly. A third could create illusions, and so they would go on and on with all their unique skills, each to one Rhisana. But our main focus shall not be on all of these, but on one particular individual.Ainenrhi.Largely considered the weakest individual by the rest of his race — not because he lacked strength, nor because of a flaw of his, but because of his skill.The Rhisana only consider skill in valuing one another, just the way many humans only consider wealth. The stronger and more impressive your skill, or the more experienced you are with it, the more respect and love you earn from the rest of your race, who all knew each other by sight. With Ainenrhi, it was agreed that he had the most useless skill.His was being creative.“Among us, the Rhisana, there are those who can fight every other person here, and those whose singing voices can cause the stars to fall upon Rhi.
Ainenrhi came back with the climbing device.As Rhiparuc watched the young Rhisana struggle to pull with him this device that was almost his size and bring it up to the top, he saw everything — from how small this Ainenrhi was, to the very looks of the device in his hand. It was quite roughly fashioned, and not so pleasing to look upon, but Rhiparuc looked at it anyway. Had it not helped him to climb Minen Rhiparuc, which hardly any other Rhisana had climbed?“This is my climbing device, Rhiparuc.” The young one beamed with the pride of a child who has done something great, baring all his white teeth in a glow that contrasted his black, luminous skin. At once, the big one set to inspect the device. “What did you make it with?” He asked, running his hand on it. It was like a T that sprung up, taking up the user with it. “Materials I found at the foot of the mountain.”“And for how long did it take you to do it?”“A day, Rhiparuc. From the moment Xavia and her moon moved for lonely