u/A_Ryno_Wrote_This

Jude was a troubled child, constantly in trouble for one reason or another. He had started a couple small house fires, painted the neighbors chickens, put the mayors horse on top of his house, tricked several other kids out of their possessions, constantly pranked travelers, And seemed to be a compulsive liar. His mom said he was not truly malicious, everyone else assumed he was and they spoke of him like a tragedy.

His parents had been patient with him, trying to give him any and every chance to change. But his siblings despised him, frustrated by the unending stream of annoyances and second chances. From the time he could talk he always seemed to be tricking someone. He was trouble to everyone around him, always causing a mess wherever he was. Many people in the town had liked the boy, until he had wronged them too many times. The other kids only recently started to avoid him after the mayors horse incident. All the kids got in trouble when the mayor found them laughing outside his house. Chiefly Jude sitting atop the horse. Jude’s mother had died that year and she was the source of patience for Jude’s antics. Most others only tolerated his antics in relation to her. But after she died, patience was no longer afforded to him by the townsfolk or his father.

No longer shielded by the reputation of his mother, Jude was treated without mercy or grace. Every white lie and prank met harsh treatment. While Jude slowly improved overtime, he was devastated by his mother’s death, which became his ultimate motivation to improve, and overcome his baser instincts. But the damage he had done to others would haunt him forever, marring his public image. Few would ever treat him normally even after not lying for years.
The unfortunate consequence of his mistake filled youth was doubt. Doubt was the default response to anything he would say. No one would believe anything he claimed without witness or corroboration. He felt resentment for this. Now understanding the errors of his youth, he felt he would never be trusted again.

One day many weeks after he turned 15, Jude was walking near the docks when he heard two fishermen straining to pull in their haul. In an honest attempt to help he started pulling the net when it snapped in his hands.
The two fishermen he was helping thought he had done this intentionally and berated him for sabotaging them.
“Stupid boy, why do you torment us.”
“Your father will hear about this you cretin!”
He apologized to deaf ears and began walking away when he noticed a glint coming from beneath the walkway in front of him. He dropped to the floor and looked through the slits to see a shiny shimmer underneath the water. Intrigued, he jumped into the water to find a bottle made of silver. Jude surfaced and crawled into the docks. He then asked the fishermen if they knew whose it was. They told him not to bother them, both all too aware of his history for mischief. Jude inspected the silver container for markings that might indicate an owner, but it was plain. It had nothing in it but it felt heavy and when he moved it he felt something sloshing around even though when he turned it over nothing came out. Intrigued by the strange bauble he decided to take it home and show his family.

After a short walk from the docks. Jude arrived at his family’s house, Jude announced himself before entering to find his father pouring over maps and charts.
“Father, I have found a bauble. It is most peculiar, would you-”
“I have no time for your games boy, do not bother me with your childish ways and foolish lies.”
“But, I’m not lying just look at it, it’s-“
“You have caused me enough grief. We still have to pay that man whose horse you lost and the mayor for the pots you broke.”
“But I didn’t lose that horse on purpose it pulled the reigns out of my hand.”
“And the pots?”
“I just fell. Total accident, why would I break them intentionally?”
“Enough!”
Jude’s father spoke without reverence.
“Cease these excuses and leave me be”
“But I-“
“ENOUGH, if you won’t stop lying then you can leave and don’t bother coming back until that changes”
“Where would I go?, no one would hire me.”
“Anywhere but here!”
After some silence, Jude’s father went back to his maps and Jude left his home full of shame and frustration.

That night, Jude went to a small outcrop of rock on the hill above the town. He leaned against a tree, attempting to plan his next steps. He took account of his possessions the shoes on his feet, the clothes on his back, And a small silver bottle. He inspected it once gain and ran his rough hands of the smooth silver, the bottle made a strange noise. At first Jude thought it was the wind whispering around him. Curious, he put the bottle up to his ear and listened, and in a faint whisper he heard a voice.
“Fill me with sunlight at-“.
Jude, assuming he was getting tricked, placed the bottle down and said aloud.
“Okay, okay whose idea was this. You can come out now.”
After a minute of waiting for a response he spoke, frightened.
“Okay this isn’t funny guys. You can come out now.”
Jude became worried at the thought that no one was messing with him, but then curiosity washed over him. He moved to the bottle and picked it up to observe it again. He examined its outside carefully, the words still audible.
“Fill me with sunlight at night-”
He looked inside but the bottle still appeared empty.
In an attempt to see the bottom inside, Jude moved himself so that the light from the moon shone directly into the bottle. The bottle vibrated and hummed lightly. Text appeared on the inside of the bottle at the bottom, swirling around in other languages until stopping with the message.
“Speak your greatest desire”
Hesitant, Jude thought that this was going too far for any prank. He sat down underneath the tree and thought for a few minutes, and then said.
“I wish to be accepted”

A great amount of smoke violently exploded out of the bottle in Judes hand. The smoke billowed around Jude filling his vision with blackness. Jude was no longer on the hill above his town. He was floating in blackness. Bright lights, more numerous than the stars, began to swirl around in strange patterns. As Jude adjusted to the feeling of weightlessness, he noticed the lights gathering into a single spot above him. Out of the light fell a drop of radiance that grew brighter and brighter until the dark void was entirely white. The great whiteness was too bright for Jude. He closed his eyes and put his hands over his face. Jude was startled to see through his eyes and hands confused by the bones that had never seen light. In a flash everything was back to normal. Jude was still sitting underneath the tree, Alone.
Mystified, Jude tried to recall what just happened
While going through the events he realized he wasn’t holding the bottle anymore. He moved to stand when he heard a voice booming above him. “What is your name?”

Jude looked up to see a tall man wearing black clothes standing over him.
“What is your name”
He asked again.
“I’m- my name is Jude”
“I’m so glad to meet you Jude. My name is Neph and I have a gift for you. You may make two requests of me and I will be bound to make them so.”
“What do you mean I-“
the man clad in darkness spoke, either interrupting or ignoring Jude entirely.
“You opened the casket, you get two requests. You can request anything but beware, greed often leads one to suffering from their choices”
“You can give me anything?”
Jude questioned the giant. And he answered impatiently.
“You ask me for something and I give it to you, Any two requests.”
“I know what I want. I have been treated as a pariah for years. I just want to be normal and not treated like a menace. I’m tired of everyone always assuming I’m lying.”
“Normally I’d punish a lack of humility but I’m in a rush. You must make two requests. If you only make one I must wait here in this plane until you do. So think of something else you also want. I won’t be stuck here for a second longer than needed.”
“There is only one thing I want. If freedom is what you want then for my second request, you will have it.”
“For that, I’ll be more generous while interpreting your request.”
“I want you to make me believed, make it so that when I tell someone something, they will never second guess me.”
“Excellent”
Neph snaps his fingers and lights shone from his dark clothes as a beam appeared and fell on Judes lips. He opened his mouth to see he now had a golden tongue.
“Ok make it snappy, make your second wish.”
“But Neph, you still owe me 2.”

Jude was a troubled child, constantly in trouble for one reason or another. He had started a couple small house fires, painted the neighbors chickens, put the mayors horse on top of his house, tricked several other kids out of their possessions, constantly pranked travelers, And seemed to be a compulsive liar. His mom said he was not truly malicious, everyone else assumed he was and they spoke of him like a tragedy.
“If his soul wasn’t so ugly, he could’ve been a very clever man.”
“If he didn’t break everything he touched, he could have done anything.”

His parents had been patient with him, trying to give him any and every chance to change. But his siblings despised him, frustrated by the unending stream of annoyances and second chances. From the time he could talk he always seemed to be tricking someone. He was trouble to everyone around him, always causing a mess wherever he was. Many people in the town had liked the boy, until he had wronged them too many times. The other kids only recently started to avoid him after the mayors horse incident. All the kids got in trouble when the mayor found them laughing outside his house. Chiefly Jude sitting atop the horse. Jude’s mother had died that year and she was the source of patience for Jude’s antics. Most others only tolerated his antics in relation to her. But after she died, patience was no longer afforded to him by the townsfolk or his father.

No longer shielded by the reputation of his mother, Jude was treated without mercy or grace. Every white lie and prank met harsh treatment. While Jude slowly improved overtime, he was devastated by his mother’s death, which became his ultimate motivation to improve, and overcome his baser instincts. But the damage he had done to others would haunt him forever, marring his public image. Few would ever treat him normally even after not lying for years.
The unfortunate consequence of his mistake filled youth was doubt. Doubt was the default response to anything he would say. No one would believe anything he claimed without witness or corroboration. He felt resentment for this. Now understanding the errors of his youth, he felt he would never be trusted again.

One day many weeks after he turned 15, Jude was walking near the docks when he heard two fishermen straining to pull in their haul. In an honest attempt to help he started pulling the net when it snapped in his hands.
The two fishermen he was helping thought he had done this intentionally and berated him for sabotaging them.
“Stupid boy, why do you torment us.”
“Your father will hear about this you cretin!”
He apologized to deaf ears and began walking away when he noticed a glint coming from beneath the walkway in front of him. He dropped to the floor and looked through the slits to see a shiny shimmer underneath the water. Intrigued, he jumped into the water to find a bottle made of silver. Jude surfaced and crawled into the docks. He then asked the fishermen if they knew whose it was. They told him not to bother them, both all too aware of his history for mischief. Jude inspected the silver container for markings that might indicate an owner, but it was plain. It had nothing in it but it felt heavy and when he moved it he felt something sloshing around even though when he turned it over nothing came out. Intrigued by the strange bauble he decided to take it home and show his family.

After a short walk from the docks. Jude arrived at his family’s house, Jude announced himself before entering to find his father pouring over maps and charts.
“Father, I have found a bauble. It is most peculiar, would you-”
“I have no time for your games boy, do not bother me with your childish ways and foolish lies.”
“But, I’m not lying just look at it, it’s-“
“You have caused me enough grief. We still have to pay that man whose horse you lost and the mayor for the pots you broke.”
“But I didn’t lose that horse on purpose it pulled the reigns out of my hand.”
“And the pots?”
“I just fell. Total accident, why would I break them intentionally?”
“Enough!”
Jude’s father spoke without reverence.
“Cease these excuses and leave me be”
“But I-“
“ENOUGH, if you won’t stop lying then you can leave and don’t bother coming back until that changes”
“Where would I go?, no one would hire me.”
“Anywhere but here!”
After some silence, Jude’s father went back to his maps and Jude left his home full of shame and frustration.

That night, Jude went to a small outcrop of rock on the hill above the town. He leaned against a tree, attempting to plan his next steps. He took account of his possessions the shoes on his feet, the clothes on his back, And a small silver bottle. He inspected it once gain and ran his rough hands of the smooth silver, the bottle made a strange noise. At first Jude thought it was the wind whispering around him. Curious, he put the bottle up to his ear and listened, and in a faint whisper he heard a voice.
“Fill me with sunlight at-“.
Jude, assuming he was getting tricked, placed the bottle down and said aloud.
“Okay, okay whose idea was this. You can come out now.”
After a minute of waiting for a response he spoke, frightened.
“Okay this isn’t funny guys. You can come out now.”
Jude became worried at the thought that no one was messing with him, but then curiosity washed over him. He moved to the bottle and picked it up to observe it again. He examined its outside carefully, the words still audible.
“Fill me with sunlight at night-”
He looked inside but the bottle still appeared empty.
In an attempt to see the bottom inside, Jude moved himself so that the light from the moon shone directly into the bottle. The bottle vibrated and hummed lightly. Text appeared on the inside of the bottle at the bottom, swirling around in other languages until stopping with the message.
“Speak your greatest desire”
Hesitant, Jude thought that this was going too far for any prank. He sat down underneath the tree and thought for a few minutes, and then said.
“I wish to be accepted”

A great amount of smoke violently exploded out of the bottle in Judes hand. The smoke billowed around Jude filling his vision with blackness. Jude was no longer on the hill above his town. He was floating in blackness. Bright lights, more numerous than the stars, began to swirl around in strange patterns. As Jude adjusted to the feeling of weightlessness, he noticed the lights gathering into a single spot above him. Out of the light fell a drop of radiance that grew brighter and brighter until the dark void was entirely white. The great whiteness was too bright for Jude. He closed his eyes and put his hands over his face. Jude was startled to see through his eyes and hands confused by the bones that had never seen light. In a flash everything was back to normal. Jude was still sitting underneath the tree, Alone.
Mystified, Jude tried to recall what just happened
While going through the events he realized he wasn’t holding the bottle anymore. He moved to stand when he heard a voice booming above him. “What is your name?”

Jude looked up to see a tall man wearing black clothes standing over him.
“What is your name”
He asked again.
“I’m- my name is Jude”
“I’m so glad to meet you Jude. My name is Neph and I have a gift for you. You may make two requests of me and I will be bound to make them so.”
“What do you mean I-“
the man clad in darkness spoke, either interrupting or ignoring Jude entirely.
“You opened the casket, you get two requests. You can request anything but beware, greed often leads one to suffering from their choices”
“You can give me anything?”
Jude questioned the giant. And he answered impatiently.
“You ask me for something and I give it to you, Any two requests.”
“I know what I want. I have been treated as a pariah for years. I just want to be normal and not treated like a menace. I’m tired of everyone always assuming I’m lying.”
“Normally I’d punish a lack of humility but I’m in a rush. You must make two requests. If you only make one I must wait here in this plane until you do. So think of something else you also want. I won’t be stuck here for a second longer than needed.”
“There is only one thing I want. If freedom is what you want then for my second request, you will have it.”
“For that, I’ll be more generous while interpreting your request.”
“I want you to make me believed, make it so that when I tell someone something, they will never second guess me.”
“Excellent”
Neph snaps his fingers and lights shone from his dark clothes as a beam appeared and fell on Judes lips. He opened his mouth to see he now had a golden tongue.
“Ok make it snappy, make your second wish.”
“But Neph, you still owe me 2.”

(4-5 minute read time)(supplementary)
In the day and age of miracles and Divine Intervention. on the opposite side of the world from those that would build the boat, the world faced a flood of flesh.

On the first day, I had seen plains of grass surrounded by tree topped hills and brush covered mountains. In these lands I saw many creatures who looked like men. They were not like any I have seen before.
Many had misshapen features and forms that only faintly resembled man. Their customs were foreign to me, and they spoke in tongues I have not heard. Skins of different shades and eyes that were oddly shaped. None of them seemed to wear sufficient garments and their adults ranged in size from that of my children, To three feet taller than any man I’ve seen.
The beasts that roamed these lands were also gigantic, Some that ran on two legs and some that walked on four. some beasts grazed peacefully on treetops and some that hunted animals, stalking like lions. They had no fur, their skin was like that of the serpent.

On the second day, Upon the earth were three rock formations of great size. Through the arch of one was an impossibly wide space that looked like a lush forest atop a hill with an ocean far behind it. Thousands and thousands of men came out onto the land from this other place. They bore marks of sickness and infirmity, wounds of varying sizes and shapes. Out from their bodies many strange rounded protrusions grew.
They flooded the land like locusts and began hunting the creatures of the land. Swarming and chasing every living thing they found. However, when they attacked them, they did not kill them. they would wrestle them to the ground, then chant while rubbing their hands all over the faces of the animals. The animals would gain the marks of the beastly sick men. They would gain similar protrusions coming out of their bodies. Afterwards they would join their efforts to hunt and attack other beasts.

On the third day I watched as the greatest of these grazing beasts were attacked. These beasts were giant, beyond that of any creature I have ever seen living or dead. The largest of these easily stood taller than a skyscraper, and it was longer than it was tall. This colossal beast did not sound like any other The beast gathered the others like it. together they walked in a tight circle stepping on the sick men, crushing them. but the men did not die, their crushed bodies scuttled off away from the pack into the forest replaced by other sick men.
Eventually the beasts were exhausted and grew slow. The sick men climbed their long necks, and the beasts head grew heavy. One by one the beasts lay down with the men crawling over them like ants on a fallen piece of bread. The sick men went to its face and chanted in a strange tongue different than the tongue of the men of these lands. Several of these men even lay down in the beast mouths. After several hours the marks and wounds grew out of the beasts flesh. When they rose, they acted in unison with the sick men and made their way towards the cities.

On the fourth day. I watched as these sick men preyed upon all the peoples that they encountered. None escaped them. They overran cities and settlements large and small. The large beasts would hurl their bodies at any Walls until they fell. the sick would take every adult and child with them. Even the people who died from the beasts walking through the cities, they too would be brought back and subjected to their sickness. For towns with no walls they simply walked in and tackled everyone and did the same chanting that changed the animals.
They did not eat of flesh or grain nor did they drink of water or wine. They did not take any riches their only spoils were the people they inflicted their sickness upon. Many cities fell in this day, each one succumbing to the sickness. Everywhere the sick men went their skin sloughed off slowly leaving what looks like a layer of ash on the land.

On the fifth day, a city was being approached by the sick men. This city was filled with people who wore metal. As an alarm rang out the people of the city gathered. They looked much more like men than the other folk before. Among them were 7 pale giants. Standing above the rest by at least two cubits. Their walls fell soon to the beasts. But When the wall fell, fire began spreading and the sick fled from its presence, the sick beasts even moved away from it.
Seeing this, several of those Pale men began setting everything on fire. The children even gathered sticks to add to bonfires, When the sick men saw this they began screaming and howling, strange guttural noises came from their mouths. They all seemed to scream at the same time, All of them at once, beast and sick men alike. They began swarming the city much faster and more violent than before.
The giants charged into them with sword and spear. Bisecting several sick men with each swing, The sick that were cut in two were not filled with blood. their bodies were bloodless and had plant like veins. Their half parts would crawl back towards the forest outside the city.

On the sixth day the giants were fighting with the sick men. They managed to hold their ground longer than any others have, managing to permanently kill a few of the sick men with fire. Each time one died, the horde would scream with pain. However the swarm was too numerous. While the giants were surviving, The people of the city were being inflicted with sickness. The giants were being overrun. In their aggressive fight, One of the giants had been surrounded and taken down. When the sick men attempted to inflict themselves upon him. He remained unaffected, In this moment the sick men began to retreat. The giants were screaming of victory and triumph as the sick men ran.
The sound of trumpets and horns erupted all around them, deafening to all. The earth began to shake violently. everything fell to the ground. When the shaking subsided, the sick men began to flee. The giants ran in all directions looking for survivors in the rubble the two largest giants ran after the sick men. Eager to learn what they were doing. They followed as the night drew near.
The giants came to find several sick beasts surrounding those Large doors. As the sick were going through the large doorway. The giants were making plans to go back and get their allies when they looked and saw a mountainous wave of water approaching them from the direction of their city, it was already too late. The beasts began to panic and rush into the doorway. The two giants seeing the open door ran toward it. As they reached the hilltop, the door closed. And the large beast that was in the door way split and the front half along with the world beyond the doorway disappeared. The back half of the beast fell into the water that lay at the base of the structures, and two other doorways began to flash with bright light. In the last few moments before the wave hit, the giants each went to the doorway closest to them as the doors flashed into existence. the giants went through and disappeared as the water crashed against the structures doors now empty again.

On the dawn of the seventh day, John awoke. And immediately wrote down every detail that he could, to try and preserve that dream. He never had such vivid dreams before. When he told his wife about it she told him that everyone who lives in Blackwater has visions at some point when living here. He’d only been here a month.

(4-5 minute read time) unfinished
In the day and age of miracles and Divine Intervention. on the opposite side of the world from those that would build the boat, the world faced a flood of flesh.

On the first day, I had seen plains of grass surrounded by tree topped hills and brush covered mountains. In these lands I saw many creatures who looked like men. They were not like any I have seen before.
Many had misshapen features and forms that only faintly resembled man. Their customs were foreign to me, and they spoke in tongues I have not heard. Skins of different shades and eyes that were oddly shaped. None of them seemed to wear sufficient garments and their adults ranged in size from that of my children, To three feet taller than any man I’ve seen.
The beasts that roamed these lands were also gigantic, Some that ran on two legs and some that walked on four. some beasts grazed peacefully on treetops and some that hunted animals, stalking like lions. They had no fur, their skin was like that of the serpent.

On the second day, Upon the earth were three rock formations of great size. Through the arch of one was an impossibly wide space that looked like a lush forest atop a hill with an ocean far behind it. Thousands and thousands of men came out onto the land from this other place. They bore marks of sickness and infirmity, wounds of varying sizes and shapes. Out from their bodies many strange rounded protrusions grew.
They flooded the land like locusts and began hunting the creatures of the land. Swarming and chasing every living thing they found. However, when they attacked them, they did not kill them. they would wrestle them to the ground, then chant while rubbing their hands all over the faces of the animals. The animals would gain the marks of the beastly sick men. They would gain similar protrusions coming out of their bodies. Afterwards they would join their efforts to hunt and attack other beasts.

On the third day I watched as the greatest of these grazing beasts were attacked. These beasts were giant, beyond that of any creature I have ever seen living or dead. The largest of these easily stood taller than a skyscraper, and it was longer than it was tall. This colossal beast did not sound like any other The beast gathered the others like it. together they walked in a tight circle stepping on the sick men, crushing them. but the men did not die, their crushed bodies scuttled off away from the pack into the forest replaced by other sick men.
Eventually the beasts were exhausted and grew slow. The sick men climbed their long necks, and the beasts head grew heavy. One by one the beasts lay down with the men crawling over them like ants on a fallen piece of bread. The sick men went to its face and chanted in a strange tongue different than the tongue of the men of these lands. Several of these men even lay down in the beast mouths. After several hours the marks and wounds grew out of the beasts flesh. When they rose, they acted in unison with the sick men and made their way towards the cities.

On the fourth day. I watched as these sick men preyed upon all the peoples that they encountered. None escaped them. They overran cities and settlements large and small. The large beasts would hurl their bodies at any Walls until they fell. the sick would take every adult and child with them. Even the people who died from the beasts walking through the cities, they too would be brought back and subjected to their sickness. For towns with no walls they simply walked in and tackled everyone and did the same chanting that changed the animals.
They did not eat of flesh or grain nor did they drink of water or wine. They did not take any riches their only spoils were the people they inflicted their sickness upon. Many cities fell in this day, each one succumbing to the sickness. Everywhere the sick men went their skin sloughed off slowly leaving what looks like a layer of ash on the land.

On the fifth day, a city was being approached by the sick men. This city was filled with people who wore metal. As an alarm rang out the people of the city gathered. They looked much more like men than the other folk before. Among them were 7 pale giants. Standing above the rest by at least two cubits. Their walls fell soon to the beasts. But When the wall fell, fire began spreading and the sick fled from its presence, the sick beasts even moved away from it.
Seeing this, several of those Pale men began setting everything on fire. The children even gathered sticks to add to bonfires, When the sick men saw this they began screaming and howling, strange guttural noises came from their mouths. They all seemed to scream at the same time, All of them at once, beast and sick men alike. They began swarming the city much faster and more violent than before.
The giants charged into them with sword and spear. Bisecting several sick men with each swing, The sick that were cut in two were not filled with blood. their bodies were bloodless and had plant like veins. Their half parts would crawl back towards the forest outside the city.

On the sixth day the giants were fighting with the sick men. They managed to hold their ground longer than any others have, managing to permanently kill a few of the sick men with fire. Each time one died, the horde would scream with pain. However the swarm was too numerous. While the giants were surviving, The people of the city were being inflicted with sickness. The giants were being overrun. In their aggressive fight, One of the giants had been surrounded and taken down. When the sick men attempted to inflict themselves upon him. He remained unaffected, In this moment the sick men began to retreat. The giants were screaming of victory and triumph as the sick men ran.
The sound of trumpets and horns erupted all around them, deafening to all. The earth began to shake violently. everything fell to the ground. When the shaking subsided, the sick men began to flee. The giants ran in all directions looking for survivors in the rubble the two largest giants ran after the sick men. Eager to learn what they were doing. They followed as the night drew near.
The giants came to find several sick beasts surrounding those Large doors. As the sick were going through the large doorway. The giants were making plans to go back and get their allies when they looked and saw a mountainous wave of water approaching them from the direction of their city, it was already too late. The beasts began to panic and rush into the doorway. The two giants seeing the open door ran toward it. As they reached the hilltop, the door closed. And the large beast that was in the door way split and the front half along with the world beyond the doorway disappeared. The back half of the beast fell into the water that lay at the base of the structures, and two other doorways began to flash with bright light. In the last few moments before the wave hit, the giants each went to the doorway closest to them as the doors flashed into existence. the giants went through and disappeared as the water crashed against the structures doors now empty again.

On the dawn of the seventh day, John awoke. And immediately wrote down every detail that he could, to try and preserve that dream. He never had such vivid dreams before. When he told his wife about it she told him that everyone who lives in Blackwater has visions at some point when living here. He’d only been here a month.

(6-8 minute read time)
1-
Three people stand around a trash fire warming their hands. Discussion about the state of their community is interrupted as a man approaches with hatred in his eyes and blood on his hands.

“Those bit-brained, Tinskinned, Wire-Headed, CLANKERS! They have been harassing our scavs for a week. Every time we try to make a supply run outside the canyon, someone gets hurt!”

After several seconds of silence he spoke, sustaining severe suffering.

“Dan died.”

From Malice to mourning in a moment.

“He stuck his head up over the ridge just to have his brains liquified. We need to find a solution that doesn’t result in more dead fathers!”

jack said frustratedly, furious at his own failure. He moved to warm his hands over the fire as Karen, ever eager to aggravate, dismissively derides.

“Isn’t this why we have guns?”.

“The few guns we do have are for hunting small animals. We don’t have anything big enough to punch through metal let alone the tempered stuff in those sec-bots”.

“Are water guns out of the question?”

“KAREN, you lizard-nippled FREAK! Did the light make you permanently sarcastic too?!, Why can’t you see this isn’t the time?!”

Ben raised his walking stick to quiet the group.

“A storm is surfacing”

“The sky is clear, I guess he sees something we don’t?” Karen mocked.

Before Jack could strangle Karen, Billy interjected.

“where from?”.

Ben pointed north with a crooked finger.

“I see beams of brightness beyond the border, daring to dance downward, past the peaks to the north. The Hue of heaven decorates a demon of shadow and scale.”

Jack reacted rapidly.

“Douse the fires and get everyone back to Vatt”.

Billy stretched a steady hand out to stabilize Bens shaking arm.

“You need to quit using that stuff Ben, it mustn’t be good for you.”

Ben nodded in response. Jacks instruction indicates incertitude and implies immediacy, Karen then spoke sass-less.

“I’ll head to the river to check for the water boys.”

“Ok, I’ll go to the cabin to look for the huntsmen then head north along the river to meet up with you. Billy, make sure Ben gets back safely.”

Jack ordered as he ran south.

Billy, while putting the fire out, asked Ben.

“What about Ulec? Should we send word over to them?”.

“Death decides our day. It steals what is sacred and sours our sapience.”

“what?”

Said billy confounded by the crude conveyance of Ben.

“The path to heaven is hellish, saunter slowly, safety is silent.”

Ben said as he shooed Billy away, Toward their neighbors in the canyon. Ben stumbled towards the entrance of Vatt shakily straddling his stick, as Billy made for Ulec.

-2-

Billy walked west, passing the farms just outside Vatts doors. His trek across the canyon floor a particular path predetermined by potholes and the paranoia of previous pedestrians. Billy approached the flattened plateau that holds the outer door to Ulec. from beneath the ridge of rock, he announces his appointed assignment.

“Billy from Vatt approaches Ulec with a message”.

A Deep voice calls out.

“Come forward and deliver it, Billy of Vatt.”

Billy crawled up and over the ridge to see the sizable sentry surveying the situation around the outer door. A large toothed door behind him, and a campground in front of him.

“I bring a warning, something approaches from the north. You should close your door before it arrives.”

Billy stated.

The huge man looked over his head past him towards Vatt.

“We already know about the machines you-.”

“This isn’t about the bots”.

After some silence, the guard pulled one of several horns from his belt and blew into it. A loud whistling sound echoed off the canyon walls. A few minutes later, A man and a woman come out from an opening next to the large rolling door that bears the name of the town. This bespectacled man and woman put the size of the guard into perspective. they stand shorter than the waist of the guard.

“This one speaks a warning of danger from the north.”

The guard told the two. The man and woman share a few glances and hushed whispers. the man curiously questioned.

“Who sent this warning!?”

“Ben!”

The man, his visage now void of vacancy, asked.

“What did he say?”

“He said a danger was coming from the north”

“No, what exactly did he say?”

“I’m not sure, he was talking about light, darkness, shadows, and death”

With Billy’s response, The man turned to the guard and nodded his head and took the woman back through the opening. Billy walked forward to say

“I can go back and ask, if that helps”

The guard raised his hand to stop him from getting closer.

“Wait.”

The guard pulled out another horn, sounding several short horn blasts. After the echoes dissipated, a different whistle came from the direction of the northern entrance to the canyon. He turned to Billy and said.

“Billy of Vatt, you are allowed inside until it is deemed safe.”

Billy looked back towards Vatt.

“I can make it in time, I’m not slow.”

“you risk only yourself.”

The guard stated. Billy quickly made a decision and jogged to the door, eager to take the opportunity to see his sister town. As he got closer, he noticed the guards other outlandish features. Too many fingers and skin too pale.

“Mind the door, Billy of Vatt.”

the guard waited until Billy had crossed the threshold of the hole and then he slowly rolled the large toothed metal door into place blocking the entrance to Ulec. though the door did not move on railing as the door of Vatt does. The door had handles on the inside that would let you push or pull it into the wall to make it flush on the outside, mimicking the machinery that did the same job at Vatts entrance. To the sound of the guard straining. The door slid inward, sitting in the hole that matched its shape in the wall.

Day dimmed and darkness dominates Billys eyes.

-3-

Billy Scrubbed the sunlight from his sight. He turned to see a large open antechamber that lazily sloped down towards the back of the cave and the inner door of Ulec beyond it.

“Hey!”

The woman from outside slapped Billy on the back. “Where’s BoB?”

Confused, Billy asks.

“Bob?”

“The Guard?”

she sarcastically replied.

“Oh, I don’t know where he went after he closed the door”

“Great.”

She began to walk forward towards the back of the room and Billy tried to make conversation as he followed.

“My name is Billy.”

“Why did you stay, Billy of Vatt? Shouldn’t you have run back home before the danger comes”

“Well, I’ve never seen Ulec. I have only delivered messages to the gate. I wanted to see the inside. Plus, The guard told me to stay here, he seemed confident I wouldn’t be able to make it back to Vatt safely”

“Weird. DoD looked worried but I doubt it’s anything BoB can’t handle.”

“What’s your name?”

“You can call me SoB”

“Sob?, and the guards name is Bob. You got a brother named Hob and a sister named Kob?”

She rolled her eyes violently, and responded with a harsh tone.

“you earn your name in Ulec, BoB broke that outer door off its track when he first arrived. So they call him Breaker of Barriers. so I call him BoB and he calls me SoB.”

“Is that why you both called me Billy of Vatt?”

“Nothing gets by you.”

“What do you have to do to earn a name”

“If you can set yourself apart from the rest in any manner, but it’s not always positive. One girl that was here when I was new had a name based on the amount of men she slept with.”

“What?”

Billy laughed

“Let me guess, Consumer of cum, breaker of beds?”

“No, they called her a whore”

“Oh, That’s not nearly as funny”

“Why did you think it would be?”

“My Mistake.”

“Most are mundane, I’d say Curator of Coffee is a good example. He does make the best coffee in Ulec though.”

“Got any examples of a cool name being earned?”

“Debater of Deadmen is the title of our leader”

“How do you earn a name like that?

“DoD was in an argument with the previous leader, Painter of Faces, when he was done speaking he realized that PoF was dead, she died in the middle of the argument.”

“Is DoD the guy with glasses, from earlier outside the door?”

“Yes”

After a brief pause, Billy asked.

“Hey, You never specified, What does SoB stand for?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know letter-boy, you expect me to tell you my life-story?”

Under his breath.

“At this point, I’m guessing it’s sarcastic old B****.”

“I’m not old” she remarked sincerely

Eager to change subjects, Billy apologized

“I’m sorry, is Ulec down that way?”

He said pointing to the back of the cave.

“Yes, we don’t usually let outsiders in, so we’ll have to clear you for entry. They will probably just let you stay out here until they are sure it’s safe.”

As she reached for a radio on her waist Billy asked

“you said usually?, how many people have y’all let in before.”

Ignoring the question, SoB spoke into the radio

“SoB to Sec-one, Sob to Sec-one, over.”

A man’s voice replied.

“Sec-one for SoB, over.”

“I have an outsider that needs clearance to enter, over.”

Billy canvassed the cave as they continued to converse. After meandering for many moments he began to make out a sound. Initially, he couldn’t locate or identify it. Slowly it became louder and louder.

“Hey SoB.”

The sound was coming from beyond the doorway. Billy, more worried, asked again.

“SoB?”

A confusing cacophony of chaotic crying was coming from outside.

-4-

The wailing of women wofted in first.

“Help, somebody help me! I’m hurt! I need help!”

Then men viciously vociferated through vexed voices.

“THEY ARE COMING, HELP US! WE NEED MORE MEN! ”

And the contrition causing crying of children contaminated the chaos outside.

The wails and cries overlapping with each other. Billy went to the door, pressing his ear to the metal.

“We need to get this door open. I can hear people screaming!”

said a panicked Billy. After hearing no reaction, Billy angrily turned to find SoB.

“SoB?”

Billy had turned to see she was already next to the door at a console placed in the wall. Talking to herself.

“-be unrelated. unknown. surveillance failure cams one through 4. Copy.”

“Are you ok?”

SoB seemed more confused than worried. In a quiet voice she said in a whisper

“Billy of Vatt. Step away from the door, Slowly.”

Thrown off by this, Billy whispered back.

“Whats wrong, who’s out there?”

“Listen.”

He held his hands up to his ears as they both listened. Billy started paying attention to the voices individually. At first they sounded like a multitude of people screaming and wailing, however, now Billy could hear that the voices were similar. It was like hearing a parrot mimic a person, a copy of a copy. strange vocal intonations that a human isn’t capable of. The same voice would repeat in 10 different tones.

“Repeat. Unknown. Copy.”

SoB muttered to herself. Billy walked over to see the terminal. He watched as SoB cycled through a video feed showing several different angles from the cave they were currently in, landing on a blank screen.

“they are 50ft up hidden in the canyon wall. I don’t think it’s a bug. Unknown. Unknown.”

the wailing got louder. Along with a loud banging noise that came from the door. both looked over to see the door move slightly inward. SoB hurriedly began typing commands into the terminal.

Billy looked to see what caused her panic.

“Whats wrong?”

“machinery failure. Unknown. door out of place. The door will not stop. Copy”

Billy watched as SoB finished typing and hit a large button to the side of the terminal. Loud alarms started blaring inside the cave.

“Level five alert! Level five alert!”

The voice came from the ceiling of the cave. The screaming people outside got louder and louder becoming near deafening. the beating sound coming from the door had a strange rhythm, like a galloping horse ran on the door. With his hands over his ears Billy looked to SoB. And screamed his question

“Whats happening!”

SoB snapped at Billy harshly. At the same time the alarm stopped.

“SHUT UP!”

The screaming and slamming stopped and several seconds of silence strangled the situation.

A new sound snaked through the stone walls and sounded like a choir of parrots practicing a new word.

“Ssshuuuttt uuuppp. Shutttt uppp. Shut uppp. Shut up. SHUT UP! SHUT UP!”

-5-

Billy stood in shock, stuck in stunned silence. SoB, however, sought a solution. She waved her hand in front of Billys face to gain his attention. She then made gestures and hand movements telling him to follow her. Billy wasn’t catching on. SoB began to walk slowly towards the back of the cave. Being careful to not make any excessive sound, SoB whispered hoping Billy would hear.

“need to be inside. Follow quietly.”

“What was that?”

“Worry later, safety first”

“But what about-“

With a single loud clang, The door lurched across the ground almost pushing all the way through. SoB started running before the outer door fell inward.
Billy was too slow. The voices erupted from all around him.

“IS ANYONE OUT THERE! Quit crying! HELP US! You fool! SHUT UP! Dad, Where are you?!”

With his hands over his ears to dampen the intense noise, Billy looked for SoB while walking forward. She had disappeared. he couldn’t see her. she was not in the cave at all.

“Run-! Who’s out there-! DIE!- Man your sta-! Don’t look back!”

Billy looked to see the source of the voices equal parts terror and curiosity**.** But in a panicked state, he couldn’t see through the haze of his own fear. With his vision clouded he fell backwards to the ground and tried to stop breathing so hard. It continued to cry and wail as It moved towards him. Billy heard Heavy steps crunched the ground around. The Flapping of huge wing pushing the air past his face. The smell of death and decay penetrated his senses, shocking him out of fear and into disgust.

“Help us-! Open fire-! Momma-!”

Looking up as It drew near, his brain failed to process the images his eyes were viewing. It was an absurd, frantic, amalgamation of forms. Overlapping features and characteristics mismatched in tone and style. His vision a Kaleidoscope of parts and pieces separate from each other. The very attempt to understand was corrupting his brain for the crime of bearing witness. The (being/entity/spirit) (floated/slithered/stomped) towards him, its very presence in this world an (abstraction/conundrum/insult) to the space it inhabits. It moved forward still emanating cries and shouts. Billy winced at the gust of hot air coming from it. While squinting, Billy had closed his right eye. Now It was much clearer to him. The dense fog of the uncanny now a light haze.
With his left eye, he viewed circles intersecting circles, tessellating through solid gold with countless eyes and wings coming from it with a giant blade of light at its center. it vibrated to a blur and the blade burst into flame. The edges of his vision showed winged men floating around balls of light surrounding the flaming wheel. Billy opened his other eye, wanting to see it more clearly. But the jumbled chaotic nonsense of the thing was all that he could see, With Only faint glimpses of the form from before. in an attempt to escape this (unseen/redacted/invisible) thing, He started stumbling backwards, he fell and cut his forehead on a rock, crawling away from It to gain any distance he can afford. blood now trickled down over his left eye. As he tried to crawl away. he turned back and saw something different where the thing was. It had innumerable horns coming out of its back and blood drenched fur covered its limbs. Its head, the shape of a bull with the mane of a lion, was on fire and smoke billowed out of the many wounds and cuts on its body as it took powerful steps forward crunching rock with its monstrous hooves, scraping the ground around it with a spear of wood and horn. In fear Billy closed his eyes Ready to die. He waited for the screaming to end, he thought about his life in Vatt and the people that raised him after his abandonment. Billy began to think of his life and all the regrets he had. But the sound of screaming never faded. His pain never stopped. He opened his eyes to see the thing had moved further into the cave. Billy stood and began to walk back to the entrance without looking at it. As he reached the door that had fallen inwards. He had the urge to look again. To try and identify what he could just barely perceive. Curiosity is a curse to the cognizant.
With both eyes open he cupped his eyes to see only what overlapped. An entity with a round hollow body filled with glowing substances moving inside. Long elastic tendrils snaked off of its slime covered carapace. Its tail made of long curved tentacles. It made no noise apart from the crying as it slithered along the floor. Five head shaped masses floated around the highest point of its body had no eyes and no mouths yet Billy was certain that the crying and screaming were coming from them. The form of this thing made no sense but the dread that Billy felt inflicted on him was the same tingly sensation he would experience when his Geiger counter would go off, blood burning, teeth vibrating and eyes liquefying all at once. While looking at it he was felt a compulsion to move closer, to view it, to understand it. He fought the urge. And pushed through the door. As the light came back into Billys eyes he looked around to gather his bearings outside. He could still hear the wailing from inside the cave so he ran. His panic made him faster than he had ever been. he saw the trail beyond was trampled, like a thousand feet made flat the once rough floor of the canyon, a straight shot from Vatt.

(5-7 minute read time)
My father confessed to killing several families, but it can’t have been him.

when I was younger I watched him beat a man to death. We were hunting in separate stands near a field on the property. It was my first time alone. I was watching some deer come on and off the field when a shot rang out. I watched as the deer scattered and a 12 point walked a few yards from the field and dropped dead in a clearing, in my naive youth, I had foolishly assumed that Dad had shot him. I started crawling down the stand to get over to it. What I didn’t notice was my father, looking for the source of the gunshot. He tried to stop me silently, but I didn’t see his anxious plea.
I walked over to the deer with my rifle lowered looking at the nice antlers. I heard a loud “HEY” yelled from behind me. He must have come from the fence line, a tall man with a rifle. he walked towards me, asking what I was doing, where I was from, if I was alone. I was young and ignorant, i thought it was just some mixup about how we were hunting in the same area. I didn’t know he shouldn’t be there. When he started yelling for me to put my rifle down I noticed Dad, running at him. A noisy, loud, rumble through the brush, the breaking of twigs underfoot and snapping of branches. when dad tackled him I thought this was just some weird game. I watched as my father grabbed the man by the neck and beat his head into the ground, over and over, from a hard cracking to wet meaty slapping. He kept doing this long after that poacher became a corpse with no face, I couldn’t see his head from where I stood, but when he finally stopped he turned around and told me with a smile that we had to go home. maybe that’s how it started.

Over the course of the next ten years several criminals and their families died, all in different ways. The first was Brady Sanglin. He had stolen 2 goats from the small Jones boy, Brady knew that he couldn’t afford to replace them. I remember seeing him beating on the kid just before and immediately after he took them, Brady also beat jones again when he tried to get them back. I told my Dad about the goats and how jones was getting beat, the police took their time to get the goats back for the Jones kid, Chief Ceras and Bradys Mom were close. And when they were finally returned, they had been beaten, cut and starved. Those goats were in such poor condition that the Vet just suggested to salvage what meat they could.
The Sanglins were killed by a pair of hogs that were let loose in their house, Brady and his Mom had been gored and then eaten. id only ever heard stories from dad of how nasty feral hogs are. a biblically brutal mess of half eaten limbs and buckets of blood. There had to be more blood than the they could have produced. I will never look at hunting pigs with dad the same ever again.

The second was Kate Benson, and she definitely killed John on purpose. Her claim of “Accidentally” making a chemical concoction and “unfortunately” finding him dead on her couch, was beyond ridiculous. She had been bragging about sleeping with the entire football team behind his back. John was too polite to deal with her in public. He told me he was going to talk to Kate privately and see if she was lying for some reason. I tried to stop him from going but John was adamant to try. he died that night, and we didn’t know how for weeks. John was a good friend, our dads were friends long before we were. the police ignored the several kids who told them it was likely intentional. I was mad but Dad always said bad people face true justice in their own time.
The fire was visible from my house. The youngest wasn’t home but Kate and her parents were. The bensons house burned down with them inside it. There were scratch marks on the inside doors and burnt flesh seared to the handles, they were locked in their own home. gasoline had been poured through the windows and onto the roof, the parents were at the doors, but Kate was tied to her bed without any marks of struggle though. No one ever heard from Kate’s younger sister so we still don’t know what happened to her. We had to drive past the remains of the house for weeks before they cleared it. they still haven’t put anything new on that land. But even while empty, the tragedy that took place there made me sad every time we would pass that lot.

At first people in town saw these killings as random, nothing tied them together except loose connections that everyone had in that small town, the police were not releasing information to the public but were still lost, until they thought they had a big break. the year after Kate and her family were killed, my mom was T-Boned by a drunk driver. She died at the scene and Todd Smith, her killer, survived the accident, but not the week. He was found dead in his home along side his wife, their heads caved in with a Sledge-hammer. The hammer was heavy and it was lodged through his head into the floor beneath. Neither of them looked like they had struggled, there were almost a hundred empty bottles at the scene but the house was tidy otherwise.
Our little town of BlackWater had initially suspected my father as the logical suspect, I may have outgrown him, but he was still 6”1’ and 250 pounds with a lifetime of hard Labor they said he could swing that hammer with enough force to obliterate a skull and embed it into the floor. but at the time they were being killed he was at a funeral-home with ten witnesses, choosing a casket. the fingerprints that were found on the hammer did not match dads or Todd smiths. He was guiltless and they still accused him.

Even though there was no proof Dad was involved. the Chief publicly made several accusations against him, he clearly had some vendetta against him. Ceras slandered him in front of the whole town, people had started to treat dad as Guilty even though he was innocent and had just lost his wife. I couldn’t go to the funeral. the pastor described it as darker than everything before genesis 3, how else could one describe the loss of such a bright life. Darkness is absence. And burying her seemed too final.
That day, Chief Ceras and his family died.
The Ceras’ died by having their tongues cut out, they had been tied to chairs, made to face each other. They watched as each member in their family slowly bled to death from cut throats. Ending with a lonely chief. This made more people silently assume the guilt of my father, even though dad had witnesses again at church during the time of the killings. If anything Dad seemed mad that, of all people, Ceras had died too. Dad didn’t do it.

There were no more killings after that. Everyone seemed to Avoid my dad like Medusa. Refusing to even glance in his direction for fear of making eye contact with a monster. He was so lonely. when I got married 2 years after mom’s funeral, dad had seemed more cheery again. he’d been looking into the killings trying to find The killer hoping to clear his name. During his first year of investigating I was preparing for my first child.
He had seemed sad the week we were going to deliver our baby boy. I wanted to let him know how much I respected and cared for him. When I handed him my son for the first time, I told him that I wanted to introduce him to his grandson who has his name. He finally smiled again. But I could tell that there was still some sadness in his eyes. Within a month he had confessed to the killings.
They never found any proof or evidence linking my dad to those Deaths, and they never will, the evidence they have is circumstantial at best, and downright prejudicial at worst, but he confessed anyway, I never would have understood why he would confess to crimes he didn’t commit. At least until I had my own child.
I too would do anything to protect my son.