The Sky Offsprings Darkness

“Is this right?” the old women in the super market keep asking everyone that stands beside her. She is scared, I am scared... everyone is scared of what is happening out there.

It rained, really terribly; We had to see cars washed away, some with their owners. It would have been okay if we were warned but this happened in the middle of summer and sudden; too hot, it was quite unusually sultry that we almost drown in our own sweat. Hell, I thought we were melting. It was hell and it rained as if someone from up there, so madly, decided to simply throw bucketful of water down at us.

That wasn't it. That was just the beginning; the rain stopped and everyone thought it was over and we can go back home, after a night and a day stuck at the place where everyone was at and then for three consecutive hours snow followed. Everything and some peoples, as if selectively, froze to death. Some of us who survived made it to the now by wearing whatever we find and cuddling in group.

I was in a yellow open back summer dress and sandals. You can imagine my situation; I’m not only shivering from the cold, but the tip of my fingers is dying, I can’t feel my face and my nose is red and painful as the tip of my fingers are already black. I am wrapped in a brown blanket from the same old women who keep asking peoples the same question over and over again.

It’s funny my eyes are on her; I couldn’t help myself but to see her. She seemed like she was looking for someone out there, as if whoever she was looking for will be here anytime soon. I feel cold when it starts raining but she seemed fine, standing near the window looking out and asking whoever gets near her, ‘if this is right?’ What is she asking exactly? After all we all know it is not right. The snow started and she smiled and I feared if she is mentally okay. she stands still for an hour as everyone tries to find a group to come together to stay warm. I was sitting still starting to freeze but a man gets to me with a black and white blanket and wraps me and couples huddles me in and then three more men.

They were all talking; about life and how they meet, anything that can pass the time. But there, I was simply staring at this very old woman. For a moment, I thought she freezs to death, but she moved after an hour and as if she knew I was looking at her she turns to my direction and stare at me. I felt jumpy as our eyes meet but I couldn’t help myself. I felt the need to look at her once again. She turns around look to my right and I see a young man with a brown blanket frozen to death as his hands stretches to her direction.

She presses a smile and walks to the man and takes the blanket and wraps herself with it. She quietly walks to our group and simply offers it to me and I quietly took it. I was so scared of her more than the situation we were into. It was odd that I felt her warmth through the blanket and as I took it, I have touched her hand slightly and she feels too hot that I envy her, but I felt alive. She went back to the same spot and stands still until the snow passes.

We can head home now but there’s a terrible mist out there. It feels like someone in control is undergoing a fight by the control panel that it keeps changing over and over again.

“Alright everyone,” the man who saved my life huddling me speaks, clasping his hands to his chest and I turn to see him to my left, but I felt a fast brush of wind as well a speedy shadow and I turn back looking for the old women.

She is still there but she is looking to our direction with a stationary pressed smile. I swallow hard as I frown and slowly turn to look back to the man. He seemed responsible; pass his forties, dressed well; shirt and a v neck sweater with a brown trouser, oxford lace up shoe and curly brown hair. Wide lips and bright smile. He's been taking care of everyone in every way he can.

“You’re right,” a woman answers and I shake my head. I didn’t know what they were talking about I was too busy staring at the old women. “I think it’s safe for peoples in the same village to walk back home together.”

I think I like that idea as well.

“I’ll take you to your mom, Katya,” he makes me frown as he walks to my direction. “I knew you have forgotten me,” he says. "It's me, Luke. "

“I’m sorry, it must be the brain freeze,” I breathe a smile and he giggles.

“Let’s say. If that can be a good reason for you to forget your new family member,” I gasp in shock and he gasps sarcastically as he helps me into a logger worker male boot.

“I’m so, sorry,” I breathe a laughter. “The web cam was bad, but mom was right about you,” I add and he frown quizzically. “She mentions how responsible you are,” I answer and forces a smile. This must be his shop. I look around in admiration and happy for mom.

I was supposed to meet them at their place to the direction she gave me. Well, for a supposed dinner. I just got here yesterday and decided to go out and look around and this happen while I was in this very supermarket that turns out to be my step father’s place and also saved my life as well. It’s funny I hated him before I knew him, for I loved my father and again liked him before I knew him as well.

“She’s always positive,” he says smiling and frown as he looks up and over my shoulder. I turn back and realize the old women is still there, but her arms spread sideways and whispering with her eyes closed. Everyone looks to her direction since she is a little too loud.

“Someone, shut that women,” A pregnant women utters annoyed. I think she is in pain and not meaning to be rude.

“They are coming,” she says as she opens her eyes and with a smile as she closes her sentence. Her eyes are at me and I feel jumpy secretly.

“Don’t worry,” he takes my attention once again. “Thanks to our beaches, we have guestsof all sorts. An...” A loud scream takes our attention to the pregnant women’s direction and I start panting fearfully. He stands up looking to her direction and when he intends to go to her, I hold him tight on his leg.

“Help, something... someone.... help....” everyone is gathering to her but I hold him tighter. “Som... some... something... just took...” the women who cuddled in our group takes over the scream and I think it’s her husband.

I felt it, what I felt earlier. Before every scream a speedy shadow and a brush of wind. Everyone is screaming from every direction and we are all turning around to every direction where the screaming comes from.

“Everyone, gather around and fo...” before Luke completes his sentence something tries to snatch him away but I tighten my grip and everything falls under a sombre silence. I rise my head up as both my hands grips tight on his left leg.

I look up to the thing that wraps itself around him; smug like structure all over it as a tail like thing is gripping around my step father’s left arm as his right arm presses on it to push it off. It’s in the form of man but too smooth and slate gray colored skin, no hair, no arms, no ears and three legs.

“Hush,” my step father says with his right hand and place it back on it as it tightens its tail around his captured arm. He is hanging horizontally between my hold and the creatures hold. Unfortunately, his left arm start bleeding as he tries to push it off himself, but another tail slides out under its skin and wraps his other arm. I gasp in silence.

“Oh God, oh God,” a young man is not able to stop himself. His hurt eyes from cold too wide. Everyone is receding backward trying to stay as quite as possible.

“Shush,” I said to him with a shivering voice. I couldn’t control my tears any longer. But the thing shakes and on its left side of its face umbrella like structed, satellite type, spreads out as a spike like structure pours out on the surface of its body.

“They’re here,” the old women scream and everyone screams running to every direction as Luke’s forearm got burnt off and we both scream falling down.

I manage to drag him away and hide as the creature shoots the spikes out it’s body and everyone running is catching one. We're behind a shelf and I start wrapping his elbows with the blanket, sobbing and covered by his blood. I turn around see that the young man who was panicking while everyone was quiet got spiked on his neck.

I frown looking at his wound closer; the spike seems to have life and it sinking in deeper before my eyes and I look down to his belly, where there is a movement.

“Don’t,” Luke whispers weak waking up from a momentary pass out and I look back at him in fear.

“Let’s just go,” I get behind him and start pulling him away from the body but he bursts open and snake like, short, oil black, creatures starts bursting out his belly and start towards everything. “Get up!” I scream as I pull him up and place him on a cart and start pushing as I run. I don’t know why I am screaming like it will change anything but I can’t stop. “Aw!” I stop as one of the snake things bites me on my leg. I bent down and snatches it off me with both my hands and see that they have long and sharp teeth. I threw it on the floor and smashes it with the pairs he placed me into. I look up to his direction and see that he is screaming because of a bite from two I snatch threw one off from his hanging leg and smash the other off from his shoulder. “Hold on!” I scream as I keep pushing him back to the way out and I realize that the creepy old women is standing still as if she is taking something from the bigger creature with a third tail trusted through her belly. I grab a blanket from the floor and wrap myself with it as I place one on him and use the busted down wall to go out to the main street.

For a while we stay quiet as I push the cart listening to peoples screaming in distance and as I feel something passing by us now and then in the mist.

“I’m stopping,” I said for no response, but I can’t help myself, my leg is in scorching agonizing pain. I lift my dress up and I frown in disgust. I think it is infected; the bitten flesh is black as the surrounding of it is covered with spreading vessels. I slowly touch it and the wound is a bit sticky like pocking a finger in a honey. “I think it’s infected,” I said as I rip the bottom tip of my dress and I tied my leg so it won’t spread, that’s if it’s not too late. “Luke,” I call his name and he is quiet. “Hey,” I open the blanket off him and I gasp as he tiredly opens his eyes to meet me in my eyes.

“I’m okay,” he says but it’s impossible to hide his pain. After all what is happening to my leg is happening to him as well and it’s already spreading out to his skin on his face.

“You’ll be fine, mom will nurse you,” I said to him worriedly and I press a sad smile. I don’t think he is going to be okay but I know what type of nurse mom is. I think she will make everything okay once we meet with her.

“No. That way,” he says pointing to a direction and I look around.

“Short cut?” I ask and he nods.

“Straight ahead and house 4456,” he utters tiredly.

“House 4456,” I repeat his words and set on as I pushes the cart down the road. I think it is the snow or that Luke is getting heavy if I am not getting weak. Besides, I am a little limp thanks to the pain. “Talk to me,” I said. I am scared listening to the screaming and the ear-piercing sound coming from the creatures.

“I think they don’t want to attack us, like we're no use,” he utters weak and I frown. I notice that as well, but I just can’t make sense out of it.

“I meant; how did you meet? With mom.”

“She was my nurse,” he answers quietly. “She is good... smile...” I think he is tired, but I can no longer push the cart. It breaks and he falls down and I fall with him screaming. For a moment I felt and heard the creatures jumping and moving around us in speed but nothing happened; we might not be any use to them or it’s because we are quiet. As the voices and movements stops, I get close to him and places him in my embrace as he slowly breathes.

“She loves you,” he says and I sob.

“I know. And I’m sorry that I hate you first.”

“I understand you,” he says. “Some more feet and you will get to her. Tell her I love her.” He says and I can feel it from his weight. He is gone. It must be because I am scared, I couldn’t stop crying I stay still, but I get up and proceed on my steps to get to my mother. I can also feel it, I am changing, like my body is changing into something and it’s painful but I have to get to my mom. That’s all in my head. I need to tell her about the good man she chose and that he loves her.

***

House number 4456. Katya is here and her mom was waiting for her. She just couldn’t leave without knowing the end. She knew she would see her again.

The news on TV, before the rain, was too late, they thought it’s just a stone with different substance that lights up, but it was something else. They said in the air there was slight climate change and it was because of the stones that falls from the sky, but no one thought the effect would spread this fast throughout the whole world. The evacuation from those arias with the stones was also too late.

“Katya,” she whispers. Her daughter’s name, she fears she might be one of those peoples changing. Katya’s hair is naturally light honey blond but it is now fully gray. “Baby,” she sobs.

Katya can hear them all. She is conned with the others, but her eyes aren’t fully changed; her left side is black and the right side is still star blue. She is fighting it.

“Baby, you can fight,” she says as she takes steps closer to her.

“She is changed,” another woman walks out the house with shot gun.

“Look, she is fighting. She can hear me, I know you can,” she says and Katya flick turn to look back then turns back to her mom. “It’s me, mom,” she takes more steps closer. As Katya realizes that they are around her she pushes her away and her mom falls back as the women gets ready to shoot. “Don’t,” she says standing as she blocks the way. She turns fully round to the women and signals to be quiet. Many of Katya’s kind walks by the house with the bigger creatures. Katya turns around to her mother and closes her eyes nodding and turns back and joined the others on their journey. The other woman slowly gets closer to Katya's mom.

“You’re right, there is hope,” the women utter whisperingly surprised as she holds Katya’s right shoulder. “They’re not fully gone,” she adds.

“We need to pack and go. The rest of them should know,” Katya’s mom says through her teeth and marched back into the house as Katya turns looking back once again, as tears fall down her cheek, but she have to proceed on her walk.

The war just began and yet to come...