Earthbound CH03 - The Meteorite

The crows on the hill edge follow our every step. We take each step as carefully as we can. Slowly, trying to get away. Even King is wary of the birds and is slinking along with his tail between his legs. Should we run back to my house and hide? Maybe I can just forget tonight happened? Go back to sleep. No, something will just wake me up again.

We continue on and with every crunch of a twig, I jump. The hair on the back of my neck stands up, and goosebumps cover my arms and legs. The crows turn their heads in rapid movements, almost as if they are communicating with each other.

"N-Ness! What do we do!?" Pokey asks, nearly tripping over his own feet.

King lets out a low growl, too scared to confront them. He doesn't take his eyes off of them.

Too many weird things have happened tonight. Too many unreal things. My house is only a dozen yards away... we can make it, right? No... We can't leave Picky alone out here with these freaky birds.

"I can't handle this!" Pokey says, sniffling.

I glance back at him. His eyes are large and gleaming.

"Are you fake crying?" I whisper, "I don't think they care honestly."

"N-no! It's for real! I just want to go home!" He whines.

"Then go! I'll find Picky!" I say through clenched teeth.

I step away, and edge across the grass. Pokey stays frozen in place.

"Are you coming?" I say, gripping the bat tight.

"I'm gonna go get help!" Pokey says, and turns to run.

"Wait!" I whisper-yell to him.

He doesn't hear me. He takes off running, and doesn't make it more than three feet before the crows launch into the air and dive at him.

He cries out and trips, falling flat on his face. King darts over and snaps at the low-flying crows, but they attack him too. He dies out and runs around in circles trying to evade them.

I run over to them and swing my bat at the murder of birds. An explosion of feathers goes off with the loud crack of the wooden bat. It crashes into the hillside with a loud, "CAAAWWW!"

Several break free and come flying at me. I swing wildly, but it's near impossible to hit them! I cover my face as they peck at my eyes. I swing blindly with one arm, but I don't seem to be hitting any of them.

King leaps up grabbing a bird out of the air and shaking it like a rag doll.

Three latch onto my bat and start pulling. I grip it tighter and yank it back.

"Get-OFF!" I cry out.

"Ness! Buddy! I'm coming!" The voice of another comes from up the hill.

I swing and knock two more away. Our savior appears, with a sharp weapon in his hand. A crow screeches and crashes past me. Sparks appear and a flame comes from his hand, and all of the birds disperse and disappear into the early morning sky.

I fall backwards onto my butt, and sigh in relief. Scratches cover my arms. I look over at Pokey and King who are recovering as well. Now Pokey really is crying. Waterfalls flow from his eyes.

My backpack suddenly starts moving. I scramble and tear it off, tossing it to the side. A crow pops out with a cookie in its beak. The one Tracy gave me.

"Cacaw!" The man standing near me yells and the bird flies up into the air. It explodes in a sudden burst of fire.

I snap my head to face Lier X. Agerate and in his hand, he holds a flare gun.

"T-thanks," I say.

He kneels down and picks up my backpack handing it to me.

"You okay, buddy?" He asks.

"I think so," I say, accepting his hand.

He pulls me up to my feet. I wipe the dirt off my shorts. Pokey comes up to us, with the cookie in his hand.

"The crow tried to steal this," he says.

"Um... thanks," I say, and reach for the cookie, but he takes a big bite out of it.

King walks up to Lier and sniffs his shoes. They're covered in mud. As is the rest of his clothing. I realize in his other hand is a mining pick.

"Were you digging?" I ask.

Lier's eyes pop wide and he shakes his head back and forth.

"No!" he nearly shouts, "But hey, what are you doing out here?"

"We're looking for Pokey's little brother," I say.

"It's Picky!" Pokey says.

"Who's picky? Picky about what?" Lier asks.

I roll my eyes.

"It's his brother's name. Have you seen him?" I ask.

"What an odd name," he says, "Well I was too busy to investigate, but I heard a child's voice on the hilltop."

"Really!?" Pokey asks, and chomps into the last bit of the cookie.

"I'm a busy man, but when I do a job, I do it well. Ya know, because I'm a man's man," Lier says, grinning.

His perfect white teeth contrast his dirty skin, and five o'clock shadow.

"We need to get him," I say, "Do you want to come with us? These animals are acting freaky tonight."

"No can do, I need to go back to work," Lier says, "But don't forget to come by later!"

I nod, "Of course."

I owe him now. It looks like I have no choice but to go. Lier heads back to his shack, humming to himself.

Pokey points ahead, "Let's go."

"Yeah, let's hope nothing else attacks us. What was with those birds?" I say.

"I don't know. I also don't care. I just want to find Picky and go home before Dad and Mom get back!" He says.

Tired, we walk up the hill, peeking around each tree, and every curve. We don't see any more crows or dogs, but we can hear them howling and cawing in the distance. Each time we hear the noises we jump, but eventually we get to the barricade the police left behind.

"Right up there!" Pokey says, pointing above us, to where a bright glowing light is burning.

"Picky?" I call out.

We walk around the last curve.

At the plateau at the top of the hill, we finally come into sight of the meteorite. I stare in awe. It's beautiful. It glows serenely, the only sound now is the wind.

King's howl tears apart the night. I spin and find King with the scruff of his neck standing up. In a flash he bolts off. I've never seen him move so quick.

"Where's he going?" Pokey cries out, "We need him! What if something else comes after us!"

"Something spooked him..." I say, looking around.

"I'm scared," Pokey whispers to me.

"Let's just get Picky and forget this nightmare," I tell him.

The meteorite is blazing hot, sitting in the center of the steppe. The grass around it doesn't look affected. It hasn't died or wilted at all. The crater also looks as if it crashed straight down. Don't these things usually crash at angles?

I look around. The top of the hill is wide, but it's void of everything except a pair of trees.

"Do you think he's really up here?" I ask.

"Y-yes!" Pokey says, "Go check the trees. I'll be right here!"

Again, I roll my eyes. I ready my bat and approach the ree directly across from us. As I get close, there's a sound. A low rumbling, and then breathing in, and breathing out.

"Picky?" I ask.

No response. So I put my back to the tree.

"Picky!?" I ask louder.

The rumbling stops for a moment, but continues on. I jump around the side of the tree, bat ready to smash any wild bird, dog or snake.

"Wha-!" The small blonde boy yells, "Oh!"

"Picky!" I say, "What are you doing!?"

He yawns, "You woke me up."

"I know how that feels alright," I say, glaring at his brother who still is across the hilltop. He stares on, oblivious.

Picky stands up and stretches and takes notice of his brother.

"Pokey! I've been looking all over you..." He calls out to him.

"Looking for him!?" I ask, "Really?"

I turn around, crossing my arms. Oh yeah, I'm angry.

"You see," Picky says, "Pokey got scared and ran away."

"That's not the way I heard it, isn't that right Pokey?" I say, putting venom in my voice. I really want to swing the bat at him now.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay at least," Picky says, staring at his terrified older brother.

Pokey looks at me, walking over. His eyes are wide and he mouths two words, 'he's lying'.

"You're despicable," I tell him.

"Let's go home now," Picky says, "I bet Mom and Dad are worried sick of us."

"Oh no! What do we do!?" Pokey asks.

"Geez! Sometimes I wonder which one of us is the real big brother," Pick says, cutting him off.

"I've been dragged out of bed too many times tonight. Let's get going," I say.

Picky wipes the sleep from his eyes and nods. I ruffle his bowl-cut hair and it falls right back into place. He smiles up at me.

So we start off. We walk past the meteorite and Pokey grabs my shoulder.

"What now!?" I snap at him, removing his filthy, pudgy hand.

"Do you hear a buzzing that sounds like a bee flying around!?" He asks.

Picky shrugs. I listen with my eyes shut. I do hear a faint buzzing, but who cares.

"What's the big deal?" I ask, "Is a bee going to attack us too?"

"Yes! You can hear it, too!" he says.

I'm dumbfounded by the level of annoyance he puts off.

"Bees are normal-unlike everything else we've seen tonight," I tell him.

A sudden gold beam of light shoots out of the center of the glowing ball of fiery rock. My eyes go wide and I hop back, drawing my bat. I hold it up ready to kill the murderous insect of doom! But it's not a bee that appears, it's a large fly. One as big as a golf ball. The light slowly fades away and it begins flying in circles around the three of us.

Is it actually going to attack us!? What could a fly do?

"A bee, I am not," The fly says, in an almost electronic voice, "I'm from ten years in the future, and in the future, all is devastation."

A bee spouting doomsday prophecies... Yeah that's it, now I'm sure this is a dream. Still, my eyes are open and my jaw is slack.

"Giygas," it continues, "the universal cosmic destroyed sent all to the horror of eternal darkness..."

"You don't say?" Picky says.

"Why is he so calm!?" I ask Pokey as I fall into hysteria, "Is he seeing what we're seeing!?"

"I don't see anything," Pokey says. It's true, he's covering his eyes and cowering.

"However," the fly says, "you must listen! Where I am from there is a well-known legend that has been handed down from ancient times."

I look at Pokey again, and he's peaking, utterly horrified. With one hand he's clutching his chest. He may be about to go into cardiac arrest. Picky on the other hand is eating this up, staring at the buzzing super fly.

"The legend says," the fly continues his story, "When the chosen boy reaches the point, he will find the light. The passing of time will shatter the nightmare rock and will reveal the path of light."

I slowly nod my head, and try to digest this 'legend'.

"You see, it is my opinion that you are that boy, Ness."

"M-me!?" I stammer, my legs nearly give in.

"This I believe," Fly tells us, "Giygas' monstrous plan must have been set in motion somewhere on Earth..."

I shake my head, "Giygas? What's a Giygas?"

"If you start to confront the enemy immediately, you may have time to counter the evil intentions of Giygas," It says.

"Wait a sec," I say, "I don't know if I can..."

"Three things are of the utmost importance: Wisdom, courage and friendship," the fly keeps going, "...the legends from the ancient times tell of three boys and a girl who defeat Giygas."

I look at Pokey again. He's gone ghost white and is trembling. Picky just stares up smiling and nodding.

"But..." I try to cut in.

"I will tell you more later," Fly says, "Go now! And do not be anxious about the future! You have much work to do Ness. Did you get all of that?"

"...sure," I say, exasperated.

I pinch my arm and twist, hard.

"Ow!" I whine.

I felt the pain... just great, I'm already awake.

"Thank you for listening to my long story. You are as exceptional as I expected you to be..."

"What's your name, Mr. Fly?" Picky asks.

"Ahem..." It clears its tiny fly throat, "Buzz Buzz. You may call me this."

I almost laugh as the hysteria envelopes my core. But Pokey grabs me and shakes me out of it.

"Ness!" He says, "It looks like you're really in a lot of trouble this time..."

"I think-I think so," I whisper, taking off my baseball cap and running my hand through my hair.

"Three boys, he said?" Pokey asks, "Uhhh... I'm not one of those three am I? Cause I'm not into this kind of thing at all..."

"Somehow I doubt it. My sister is braver than you," I tell him. Plus he said courage, wisdom and friendship. Last I checked you're running low on all three."

"Geez," he mumbles, "My heart is almost pounding right out of my chest!"

"Okay, let's get going!" Picky says, "This is so cool!"

I nod, as Buzz Buzz flies around my head. I turn and march down the hill, hoping somehow I'll wake up, still. Even though I know it won't happen.

As we walk past Lier's shack, he's standing outside. He waves.

"You found the boy!" he yells, "Good! But Ness, don't forget I have something to tell you and only you. Can you come visit later? Alone?"

"Sure," I say and wave.

We walk to the bottom of the hill without incident. No more crows, dogs, or insects approach us.

ZZZZBBBRRRT.

A beam of white light strikes down like lightning. It's only feet from us, and a figure is on its knees inside of it. The light fades and the figure stands. It looks like a man in a silver shiny spacesuit. A black energy covers his eyes, just like the crows. The smell of metal in the air is more intense that it has been yet.

The man chuckles from within his space helmet, but loud enough for us to hear.

His voice comes out,which sends chills through me.

"It's been a long time, Buzz Buzz."

Enjoy the works of Jake A. Strife? Check out the official Facebook page of Jake's original series:

DarkDayzProject