For a few minutes, I just stared at the dead stranger, wondering what I should do with him. He was too far gone for any sort of first aid or medical attention. Although I wanted to look at the blue box more closely, I decided I should instead go find someone to pick up the body.
I stood up, putting my hand to a rock shelf, but before I climbed the first step, I noticed a brilliant light filling the chamber.
Surprised, I spun around and suddenly found myself surrounded by a cluster of strange looking men with tan suits and tentacle faces.
They stood silently around the body in two perfect rows, their squid-like heads bowed in solemnity. Each one of these creatures held a glowing orb in their left hand, except for the odd `rightie' on the far end, dressed in khakis and a Hawaiian shirt.
Amused as I was about the mismatched squid, the others creeped me out so much that I wanted out of there, and fast.
The dog growled, backing into a corner, and I agreed with the sentiment. I grabbed her as quickly as I could, hefting myself onto a shelf.
"Stop!" I heard a voice shout.
I turned around and saw one of the brown suits pointing an orb at me.
"What!" I said. "What did I do?"
The stranger didn't reply.
Zanie barked at the thing. Well, as close to barking as she can manage.
"I won't tell a soul. I swear."
No answer.
"Can you at least tell me why you want me to stay? Am I your new protein source? Are you trying to cover up some grisly crime? What?"
In response, the entire group raised their orbs, pointing them threateningly at me.
"Come here," they called in unison.
These creatures didn't inspire much confidence, so I said no, climbing up higher.
"Come here!" the creatures shouted.
Their voices did not come out of their mouths, wherever they were, but rather in my mind, and the combined effect of their unified shouting was like that of a migraine headache. I clutched my skull, curling up on the rock.
"Come here!" they repeated.
"I don't want to!" I yelled.
They must have had some sort of mind control power, because, against my will, I found myself climbing back down, shuffling zombie-like into their group.
"Stand here," someone said, and I unthinkingly did so.
I saw a flash, and everything around me disappeared.
When the blinding light faded, and my eyes adjusted, I found myself standing on sort of a narrow plateau in the mountains somewhere.
The sky didn't look right, kind of an off purple color, and the rocks didn't resemble anything I knew from geology class. In fact, directly across from me, I could see another cliff, and its supports were so spindly and weak looking that for the life of me I couldn't figure out how they stood at all.
The tentacle faced creatures still surrounded me, giving me looks that reminded me of illustrations of angry octupii you'd see in vintage books and rustic fish restaurants.
Hearing a pitiful whine, and something poking me, I looked down and saw my dog pawing on my leg. With a chuckle, I picked her up, though she weighed as much as a bowling ball.
These strangers had brought "Mr. Saved Them All's" body along with them, for reasons that were unclear to me. I assumed they were either burying a leader or carrying him off to their kitchen for a little teriyaki marinade. The thought made me want to bolt, but there wasn't anywhere to go.
Behind me was a precipice, to either side I saw a sheer drop, the bottom of which I couldn't even see due to the thick clouds of fog. I guessed it to be at least a couple thousand feet to the bottom, probably more. Directly ahead, where all the squid men were walking, seemed to be the only way.
After walking in that direction for a few yards, I noticed the land spreading out, becoming more stable and easy to navigate. My tentacled captors continued marching in single file, but I chose to walk out of step.
I had seen enough Planet of the Apes movies to know that being captured by aliens usually entails an extended stay at the local zoo, and maybe some unnecessary brain surgery. I didn't know if this would happen to me, but I wasn't about to hang around and find out.
Noticing a gap in formation, I seized my chance, I gripping my dog like a football as I broke into a run.
"Stop!" they shouted, but I was gone.