The Island of Mayhem: Prologue

I am hungry. It's a feeling that stuck for centuries, yet it's still unfamiliar. Everything inside felt like it was twisting, turning, coiling about like a python. I wonder, do pythons get hungry like this? Is that why they have such gruesome methods when killing their prey? Looking back, I once had the same methods myself. I was just so hungry. I didn't know what to do. A lot of good it did me, trapping me here for centuries. I couldn't leave in fear of seeing the Red Flower once again.

So I sent others to do the work. I had no idea how I created them. I was desperate back then. They heed to my every will; when I wanted something to be done, they will do it with no protest. They only do it because they're afraid of me. They've seen what I'm capable of. They only follow me because they fear that I might resort to eating them when they couldn't find anything to satisfied me.

I wouldn't do that to closest things to children that I could ever get.

Then again, I am desperate. Especially when I found out the hard way that the others couldn't walk out of the caverns when the Sun is out. They disappear when the Sun comes out. This forces them to work only when the Moon is out. This doesn't help, and I get hungrier as the day goes by.

They often try to find something that's calming, but not enough to satisfied me. They would hunt animals and give me their meat. It was appetizing, but not enough. I was never satisfied. I needed more meat. They try to do that, but the populations had begun to perish. Especially when that human came and turned my home into something completely different.

Humans. They were the very reason why my curse started. I ate two humans because I was hungry. Desperate. I was no longer a human at that point. The only thing that mattered to me then was to satisfy my hunger and desperation.

If only it didn't end up me devouring my people. My family. I had lost them all because of my selfish desires.

That will always haunt me.

Even now as I desperately snapped my teeth on the Winged Beast's meat that one has found me, I still feel haunted. It's because I knew that the only way that I will ever feel satisfied is by sinking my teeth into another human again. That awful pleasure is the only thing that can soothe the hunger, the desperation.

I despised it.

Yet, it is the only thing that keeps me going.

A cry of happiness echoed off the walls of the cavern. I snapped my head up at the loud noise, momentarily forgetting about my unsatisfying meal. I have never heard one of them make a noise like that before; the only sounds they usually make are sounds of fear and angry mumbling amongst one another when one makes a mistake. To hear that one is happy caught my curiosity. I finished the Winged Beast and stood up. Though my legs ache from that fact that I was resting on them for so long, I ignored it and made my way out of the small hole that I call home.

The ones that rest beside the hole immediately awoken from their small slumber when they sensed my presence, I could tell by their bodies jerking out of nowhere in my vision. I could always tell how they feel when I see their movements. The way they're moving right now is like a flinch, moving away from me as quick as possible. They've always done that when I come out, thinking that I'm ready to feast on one of them.

However, I am not here to feast. I am here to find out the source of their happiness.

Before I knew it, two of them came running in with something in their arms. Their silhouettes came out of nowhere and were rushing at me so fast that I was startled. I screeched and fled to a nearby wall, climbing up as fast as I could. I looked down to see the silhouettes disappear, indicating that they have stopped moving.

I could hear many shouts of panic, multiple silhouettes running amongst the chaos. They're afraid that I might snap and devour them all one by one for that little scare. I could even hear the two shouting, begging me to spare them. Telling that they have found a human that could satisfy me.

"How dare you! I am not just somebody's dinner time!"

Wait...

I hop down from the wall, making the ones that were nearby scattered back out of the corner of my eyes. I move towards the silhouettes that are in front of me, the two were incredibly nervous and their bodies reacted by shivering, which highlighted their silhouettes. The smaller silhouette, the one that's in between the two, has stopped their movements and disappeared from my view. But I knew it was still there since no one in here would let it leave.

"Oh my word, it's true," I heard a voice, male, but not human-like as I imagined it. It almost sounded, fake. "You're even more beautiful in person. Oh, great Medgedagik..."

That's the name my people have been giving me the moment I turned into this. It's not my name, yet I continued it.

I suddenly felt this strange feeling that made my mouth curl. I never recognized it since the only feelings that I'd been feeling for a long time were hunger and desperation. This feeling; it was hope. Hope that I could finally feel satisfy just for a moment. For the first time in my life as this, I have never felt so happy.

"Wait, wait!" The human cried, but I ignored him to enjoy my internal celebration as I make my way over. "Now, I know you're very hungry and you haven't feasted on a human for centuries, but you can't eat me!"

When I got close enough, I grab the human out of the two's hands. His white silhouette glowing brightly as I brought him near my face.

"I'm not human-!"

I bit down on his shoulder.

Instead of the wonderful feeling of flesh being squished underneath my teeth and the warm sensation of blood entering my tongue, I immediately felt pain. I did not bite down on soft, human flesh, I bit down onto something hard and metallic. I completely registered the horrible stinging that's beginning to make its way to my teeth. That was when I couldn't take it anymore.

I released the man's shoulder straightaway as I howled in pain. It was absolute torture, like my teeth were ready to fall off. I put my enormous, yet bony hands around my mouth as I continue to scream. I began to jump about like a prancing horse. Before, it would seem childish for me, but I was too focused on the pain that I didn't care about anything else.

I could vaguely make out the sounds of the others crying in fear, they realize that they have made a mistake and are now terrified of what I'm going to do to them once I regain my senses. But I didn't even think about getting angry at them and chose to be angry at the pain. I stomp my feet around in frustration. How long will I continue to suffer?

I had temporally forgotten about the "human" that was with me and the others. So when I heard his voice again, I snarled in his direction in defense. "Well, I think it's time for formal introductions, your majesty."

Sounds of clanking made me crouch low on the ground, my defenses higher than ever as I watched the "human's" chest being highlighted, indicating that it's moving. As far as I could remember, no human could move their chest. And after realizing my teeth couldn't penetrate his flesh, I had more of a reason to be suspicious.

What I didn't suspect was a small silhouette appearing out of thin air from where the "human" was and possibly the world's most annoying voice entering my ears.

"Ta-ta-ta-ta-da DAAAAA! Puppy Power!"

Judging by the size of silhouette, this thing was small. Even compared to a normal human when it came to my height, it was small. I watch as it marches away from what I believed was the "human" and listen to it's senseless babbling.

"What are ya looking at you old cooks! Don't think I can't rock ya and sock ya like little pancakes! Show some respect when the cutest puppy in the world is gonna talk to ya king!"

I am not a king.

The silhouette kept coming closer to me and I could feel my aggravation growing. Just who does this mouse-sized rat think it is? Walking into my home like we are its servants. I could feel the others matching my irritation, they didn't like this thing just as much as I do. I could have sworn I just saw one of them about to walk towards it before another stops it.

The thing came a little bit closer before it stopped right in front of me. The silhouette disappeared momentarily before it began to appear again when the thing did small movements. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm actually seeing a complete legend! A lot of people told me you didn't exist, that the Medgedagik wasn't real. But I knew it! I can't wait to rub it in their faces!" Was the excited cheer I heard.

Now I knew I utterly loathed this rat. It just made me go through all that suffering from my teeth to that horrible thought of feeling hope just for a moment then ripping it away so that it could prove to someone that I'm real? That I'm existing? That my curse is something to entertain it?

I no longer care about satisfying my hunger at that point. I had been through enough suffering these past few millennium and this is where I throw the spear into the sand. If I can't feel satisfied when I'm hungry, then I will feel satisfied when I strike my vengeance upon this critter.

"Wait, what are you-?"

It didn't had time to react when I drew my hand my hand back and snatch his silhouette off the ground. I wasn't prepared for how light it felt against my grip, even though I knew I was strong beyond words, so the thing nearly went flying if it didn't grab onto my long , frail fingers in fright. The way it screamed and begged at me to let it go only fueled my irritation for it.

"Ah! Wait! Stop! You don't want to eat me!"

I'm always starving, so I don't really have much of a choice. Besides, even something small like this could keep me at bay for a moment.

"Can't we just talk this out like normal animals?!"

You're the animal. I don't know what I am. I open my mouth and move my occupied hand towards it.

"I know how to give you all the humans you can eat for the next ten thousand years!"

I froze. Did that thing just say what I think it said?

"Uh, if you could put me down and try not to eat me, I'll be happy to discuss dinner reservations with you!"

I didn't know what that word meant. I almost consider biting its head off when that horrible feeling of hunger came back at me. The feeling, it wants me to listen to that runt. The idea of having human flesh against my tongue once again made me desperate. I had to listen to this thing's ideals. I'm so hungry. I am desperate.

I let go of the thing, noticing the way it dropped to the ground with a loud thud. Its silhouette disappeared for a moment, indicated that it stopped moving before I saw the silhouette come back a few seconds later. I watch as the thing lifted itself back up.

"Gee, you could have done that softer."

Don't make me reconsider my thoughts.

I listened to his ramblings-I had finally recognized that this thing's voice was of male, even though he was not human-of a plan that involved me and the others. Apparently, it wanted revenge against a family member and their friends, and the only way for it to do that is to perform the Darkopolypse Ritual.

I'd vaguely remembered the legend of the Darkopolypse Ritual. It had been soon long that I almost forgotten the teachings of my village. The Darkopolypse Ritual is a ceremony that if one were to absorb enough good souls, the land of darkness will take over the Earth. The Sun will be gone by te... Thou... I couldn't remember how long it will be until the Sun comes back. But I did knew that a newborn child's grandchild will be dead by then.

Why would something as small as him would want total darkness on Earth? I decided to continue to hear this runt out. I wanted to know where my endless hunger comes into this. I watched the little silhouette continue to pace back and forth across the floor.

"-once I see the pathetic look on their faces, I'll rock 'em and sock 'em! Then before ya know it, your little minions will finally be able to get all the humans your tiny, molecule-sized stomach desires without having to worry about them disintegrating in the sun!"

I couldn't help but growl. While I do feel entirely grateful for him finding a way where I could finally feel satisfy with my hunger, I still felt suspicious. Why is he so willing to help me? Could it be that he's desperate like me? Is his desperation for vengeance just like my desperation for satisfaction? Or is this something sinister and I will end up suffering more until the end of time?

"Hey! Don't look at me like that! This deal benefits both of us, Medgedagik! I can finally get my vengeance on those who wronged me, and you can get your dream buffet. It's a win-win for both of us!"

My fingers twitched in discomfort. I still didn't trust him. I may had lived many years in solitude and isolation, but I knew the darkness of the world. I'm living proof of that.

"Look, you're not really gonna do anything that's super hard or something like that. I just want you to give me command over all your loonies. I can't really start a ritual without the beasts of the night, am I right?"

If he was trying to be funny, I wasn't laughing.

"So, whadda ya say, pal? Deal?"

The silhouette of his limb came closer to me. He was offering me a handshake. I remember how everyone did that to seal a promise with one another. If I give him command over the others, then he will be able to perform the Ritual and I will finally be satisfy for years. However, some part of me - the human part - told me that this is a bad idea. I shouldn't cause others misery because of my gluttonous desire.

Then the feelings of hunger and desperation came back. I am hungry. I am desperate. I can't take it. I must feed. If Runt will give me flesh, I will give it control. I'm hungry.

I didn't even realize that I already grabbed his limb when the feelings dwell down.

"Perfect! Alright, line 'em up, you lazy skin bags! Your boss just assigned me your new leader! If you got a problem with that, then ya have to face the one who ya were already working for the last century. And I'll tell ya, that's something I don't want to do. So, any questions?"

No body moved. At least, not from what I could see. They all stood still. They were afraid of facing punishment from me.

"Thought so! Now move along, you got some training to do!"

Hearing sounds of confused mumbling, I saw multiple silhouettes began to follow the smaller silhouette around. I noticed a few seconds later that the Runt had disappeared and the "human's" silhouette came back and eventually they all went further away from until I couldn't see them anymore. I am all alone in the place that I call home but it is yet my prison. I had given away the only company I will ever have to a complete stranger for my gluttonous obsession.

I didn't know why I listened to him. But I'm desperate. There was nothing for me to eat. They couldn't find any proper food. He promised me all the food that he could offer me as long as I helped him. I didn't like him. But I still listened to him...

Because I'm hungry. I'm desperate. I am starving.

That will always be my curse.

The Island of Mayhem

Coming Soon on August 15th.