Disclaimer: I only own my OCs.

Upon the night sky sat a pale moon.

The man focused his sight, eyes scanning wildly around the house searching. His hands shook wildly with fear. His sight fell upon the corners, the crevices, even the doors that had not been touched yet, for they would contain the monster that had consumed the entire populace.

He looked down to see the tiny figure of his daughter, clutching his leg tightly, for if she would let go, she too would be devoured.

The man blinked back tears. Her mother-his wife-was consumed by the inhuman beast. All the man could hear was her last words, a promise to protect the girl no matter what and to flee away from the place. When he fled, all he could hear was her screams as it became farther and farther away, until it was an echo in the distance.

He choked back a sob.

"Papa?"

Watery eyes looked down at his daughter. "Where are we going? Where's Mama?" The girl's seaweed colored eyes looked up at him, her own fear prevalent.

The man opened his mouth. He wanted to comfort her. To tell her everything would be all right. But it would be nothing but false platitudes. Meaningless words.

He could only watch, unable to stop it, unable to move, as the monster came upon his wife.

His body shook.

Her beautiful face became nothing more than an extension of the monsters, her neck and back fusing into the monster's own body of flesh and teeth, as she screamed and screamed.

Hot tears ran down his face.

His body long in shock and frozen, he watched as the inhuman monster continued to devour her, turning with its many fleshy legs, thin and thick, of an insectoid, as if mocking and taunting him to do something.

Then, an unearthly scream erupted from its open cavities, the pits of death letting out a howl as it mixed with the screams of his wife; two becoming one.

It then rushed towards him. He could only stare as death in the fleshy beast of death and nightmare came for him, frozen in fear and horror . Shoving over chairs and objects aside as if they were a nuisance, crashes sounding out. Then just only a meager foot away, it stopped, halted in its tracks.

Crouched in the corner of what was to come, he tentatively raised his eyes to see the horror of a creature towering over him, a flesh of tongue in its jaws elongated and waving about to snatch him up for its feast.

It seizures violently, a horrible, horrible noise of what used to be his wife and monster. Together as one, they howled and howled and thrashed and thrashed, knocking over more objects lying around, hitting a window sill. A glass vase tipped over and smashed to the floor. All he could do was watch.

Then, as it turned around to show his wife, a cry of horror erupted.

Half of what used to be a Kuranta was his wife, the rest was loose hanging flesh, large portion of flesh hanging off. Pale skin mixed with a sallow reddish, grey of the monster, opening to nothing but the empty depths of flesh. Then, it spoke.

"ShIn? SHin?"

He could only watch, still in tentative fear and horror.

"ShiIIINN!" The warbled voice of what used to be his wife cried out.

The man, Shin, could only watch. "Janice?" He uttered softly, yet even so, he was sure she could hear it.

Woman and monster gave out another ear piercing scream that shook the house as it violently seizured once more, moving in a twisted dance of uncontrolled movement, as if the two organic beings merged into one was fighting for the control over mind and body.

Shin was still stuck, in fear and horror and indecision. But the only thought that passed through his mind amidst the fear was that his wife was still in there. She was still alive.[1]

Before he knew it, his body stood up, and he walked slow steps to the monster that had become his wife.

"Janice?" Or was it his wife became the monster?

The Janice monster turned its body one eighty, looking at the man. Registering the man in its sight.

For a moment, the danger passed. Then, it came once more.

Janice lunged at him with the howl of woman and monster and Shin screamed once more, raising his arms in an attempt to defend himself. His eyes shut close.

But it never came. Another howl erupted.

As he waited for the monster to take him, he peeled open his eyes tentatively to see Janice fighting control with the monster of flesh once more. Her arms, now nothing more than one of the many legs used to travel, grasped at the empty floor in many directions, scuttling about.

It suddenly stopped once more, ending as soon as it began, and the beast looked at him. No. Shin knew that for the moment his wife had taken back control. Momentarily.

"RunNNNNN!"

He could only stare.

"GEt-" The voice cut off in a howl yet Shin knew who she was referring to. "RuNNN!"

His mouth opened in a plea. For he could still save her. For she was not gone. Everything could be fixed. But it was a denial of the truth, of what was already far too gone, yet he didn't want to accept it. A part of his brain that still prayed on hope, yet it was false hope.

"GoOOOOOOOO!" The beast lunged at him once more, now finally taken back the control it had been denied.

He ran.

He didn't know how. But he lost the monster. He didn't know when; He had lost time and now he didn't care anymore.

Keeping track only reminded him when and how his wife had transformed into the monster.

I was a Janice; a Kuranta who lived with a job cutting down trees with my husband off the scope of Kjerag in a town. The name did not matter. But I am now her. She is me and I have her name as well. We have a daughter. I, as Janice, knew that from the moment I became her. Her sight became mine, her thoughts as my own. I, as Janice, clenched my hands and they responded. I had to make sure.

My own kind of biomass also had its origins. That one right there, a formation of a rounded shape was another little Kuranta who was sledding with his friends. He was one of the first few ones, if I recall. Falling off a hill while sledding. My arm, no arms, split off from my folds into the world of white, traveling to wherever to take. Another there, hunched over disproportionately. That was an elderly Cautus.

We did not start out in the world of cold and white. Before, we were up beyond the vast scope of Terra into the galaxy. We were explorers, ambassadors, who traveled to countless worlds, communed with many, and took their names and faces. I cannot recall how many, but I do remember a ship that was swallowed up by the gaping jaws of black and our ship crashed. A few of us died. The little ones could not handle the impact. I was lucky to be one of the bigger ones in our kin.

We grouped up together to recount how many of us were left, and with the wreckage of our craft, we took to setting out in groups to see if he could find any material of the sort to repair it. Travelers we later became walked by us as we hid in the elements of white. They talked as we trailed behind them, knowing that if there were people then there were civilizations. Of course, all the planets we've been to had civilizations built from the ground up.

And sure enough, there was. We did not take them just yet, for we knew if we took them now, then it alerted others to our presence and we would be forced to flee. We discussed them looking strange from the few others we have communed. They have ears and tails. But they look quite different. It didn't matter. We studied them, and they appear no different from quite the other few we met from our explorations.

So we retreated to a cave where we communicated with the rest of our brethren still scouring, and then they all met us. Devising a plan was simple, and as the dark skies fell, we took the town.

Not immediately though. We took them one by one. Becoming them made them unwary and their trust in us as we became them, as with communion, we became that person and we got to experience their lives.

I am Janice. The town is our town. Communion brought us together.

No. I felt a shudder. I am not Janice yet. I felt our body shake. We are connected. But I have not become Janice yet. I need to become Janice. "Shin" has escaped us.

I talked with my kin, and off they went to find Shin. I need to finish becoming Janice.[2]

I rushed forward with my brethren to find Shin. I was the child boy named Josh. He fell off a cliffside near our abode. We stood stationary in the white of the climate. He at first, touched me with his gloves on, then took off his gloves and touched me once more, curious. Even if he didn't, I would have taken him.

I then, as Josh, looked around the world, flexed my fingers, and realized I was still young.

My kin who were still waiting to become someone; told me to go out and explore and study the town, so I did.

When I came to my friends, they all asked me if I was alright, and I answered yes. I smiled and laughed, and then they eventually laughed along with me, their worries sated. A man, who was the father of one of my friends, told us it was time to go back, and so we did. A few of my friends asked me if I had time tomorrow for playing another game, and I said yes, I just had to make sure with my parents first, of course. I went back to my parent's house, and they welcomed me and asked if I had fun. I smiled and answered yes as I took off my winter clothes. I asked them if I could play again tomorrow, and after a small discussion, they answered yes.

I being Josh, smiled, hugged them, and went to bed.

As the dark skies fell once more, I communicated with my brethren. My parents believed me to be asleep, however, that was not the case. I opened my windows to my room as one of my kin waited outside my home. It informed me that one of our own had become a man, one of my friend's fathers who was returning back after a period of work outside the town. I cannot help but feel jealous, as I have taken Josh who was still young and not very strong. However, I cannot remain that forever. Greed destroyed our kind before, and greed has no place where we must work together. Not every single one of us goes without a person to become, and if one takes more than the fair share, then it is exiled.

I have not become my parents. They are who I or my kin will become later.

The day came tomorrow and I informed my brethren that I would bring Josh's friends to become. They agreed, and so I told Josh's friends, as Josh was the leader and I was Josh, that I found an interesting cave to go exploring.

A few of the other young ones like me became Josh's friends in no time. So did the father of one of Josh's friends. However, he had nearly foiled our plans. As he discovered us becoming his child and child's friends, he screamed and ran, and one of our older kin lashed at him as he fell. He became one of us.

I was scolded for my lack of foresight. However, I told them I didn't know Josh's friend's parent were trailing us, and that he probably must have seen Josh and his friends venture too far off the usual path. They accepted it, but gave me a warning.

It wasn't until later that I realized being Josh had its merits as I walked into town. Josh was well liked and innocuous in the town. So were Josh's friends and most of the town.

In just two weeks, the town had become ours.

Now? I, as Josh, went along with my tall brethren, to find Shin and his daughter. I remember Josh saying she was too young to play with me and my friends. Not to be mean, but because her parents had said so. Strict, but kind.

My tall kin had informed me they have found Shin and his daughter, hiding in one of the homes of a lone couple. We are now discussing plans to how to take them. I volunteered. Being Josh was trusting. He was young and he could bring Shin in. I being Josh, would attempt to run from them chasing me, making Shin believe I required help as I fled from them.

They had agreed. My biomass morphed. And I as Josh, ran, crying and screaming for help to Shin.[2]

Shin heard it. From an echo in the distance, it became louder and louder. He stood up as his daughter looked up at him, confusion brimming in her eyes. Then he heard it, a voice. Wait… that sounded like…

Josh!

He went over to the window.

It was no mistake. The boy was crying, running as fast as he could down the field of snow, tripping over a few patches but retaining his momentum and sprinting towards the house he and his daughter took refuge in. The boy screamed for help, behind him… His eyes widened in horror. Those things were chasing him!

There was no time. In mere seconds, Josh would be devoured by the creature as his wife was. He turned to his daughter. He didn't want to leave her but…

"Papa?"

"Mara. Stay and hide here. Do not come until I say so."

"Papa, where are you going?!"

"Stay, Mara!" It was the only way he could guarantee her safety while helping Josh.

He pushed open the two way doors, rushing past the grounds as he came towards the boy and the mutants of flesh.

"Josh!"

"Help me!" The boy cried out.

Shin scanned around wildly to see if there was anything he could use to slow Josh's pursuers. His eyes fell to the sticks lying about on the empty field.

Grabbing one, he aimed and hurled it like a javelin at one of his pursuers. It struck the flesh beast, not enough to kill it, he knew, but enough to slow it down and give Josh enough time. There was only one pursuer now.

"Josh! Hang on!" With the second and only sharpened weapon, he hurled it once more, striking the center of the open cavity, and the beast staggered back, it's momentum broken and descent slowed. But it was enough. Josh raced in the two way doors as Shin slammed it shut and locked it.

Josh panted, nearly stumbling to the ground, as he struggled to catch his breath. His chest heaving large gasps of air. Shin looked to the boy and then to the door, before turning back to Josh and grabbing him gently by the shoulders.

"Josh? Josh? Are you all right? Can you hear me?"

The boy, having caught his breath, peered up into the eyes of the man, and nodded.

"That's good." He sighed in relief. At least the boy managed to make it out of what befell the town. "Josh, where are your parents?"

The boy's eyes widened, as if he remembered, and then tears began to form in his eyes. "They… they're…" he blubbered.

Shin knew then. Those things have taken his parents. He was possibly the only one left.

"Shh." He hushed the boy hugging him close. "It's all right."

The boy was possibly forced to witness the beings of nightmares devour his parents, leaving him one of the few possible survivors. In his confusion and distress, he attempted to flee to a safe haven. Shin clenched his teeth. If he had not been there…

The moment was cut abruptly when a mighty sound erupted unwelcomed. Howls from outside of their momentary safe abode came once more. Shin's eyes widened, nearly forgetting about their current situation. They were not completely safe.

Josh's own expression morphed into one of fear and horror. "They're outside!" He quickly began to back away from the door, as if any second they would come crashing in right now with their prey entrapped. "No! Where do we go now?!"

He turned to Josh, shaking the boy's shoulder. "Josh… Josh! Listen to me! Go to Mara! She's in the kitchen!"

Josh turned his expression at the doors to Shin. "No! Mister Shin! What are you doing?!"

Shin knew the home of the couple inside out. The house belonged to a brother in law's friend, who was once a retired soldier. While no longer one, he had taught Shin how to defend, and Shin knew the basics. If those beasts came crashing in, he would have to protect Josh and Mara.

"Josh, go! Go to Mara!"

The boy just stared. "Now!"

The boy nearly leaped, and raced off into the depths of the house. With Josh safe with Mara, Shin turned back to focus on the task at hand.

He missed the expression of Josh when he turned around, watching him cautiously.

Mara wrapped her arms around herself. The house shook and gave a loud boom, along with a roar.

She didn't know what was going on. Where was Mama? Her mind supplied answers to what she had yet to discover, she couldn't be sure in her guess.

Papa ran off. She didn't know where. He told her to stay here. She looked around. From the corner of her gaze, something moved in the lengthy hallway. She curled back in fear, peering intently…

"Mara?!"

She knew that voice. "Josh!"

Josh ran in, and the boy let out a gasp of relief. "Ah! It's you Mara!"

Beyond the haze of confusion and bewilderment. Mara was confused, but happy. She was happy to see Josh, though she didn't know why. There was a roar and the house was shaking. Did Josh know? She had to ask.

"Josh? Josh, do you know what's going on?"

"Huh?"

"What's happening outside? Papa won't tell me what's going on?! He won't tell me where Mama is! Do you know?!"

"Mara, I…" the boy paused, his lips turned down into a frown.

"Josh? Josh, what?"

"I…"

What happened next was a horror Mara would never imagine. Her parents had told her bedtime stories of mythical creatures, but what came next was one of them a nightmare that she often dreamed of. Josh's speech ended as his face tore open, one half staring indifferently at her, the other hanging limply with loose flesh, staring at the floor. Glaves of sharp teeth sprouted out from the open body of his face.

Mara only knew her friend had become a monster. He had become one of the nightmare monsters.

She screamed.

Shin's heart leaped to his chest when he heard a shrill scream. A scream of horror. Yet in any case, Shin knew it to be his daughter.

"Mara!"

He didn't care about the monsters outside at the moment. They, as far as he was concerned, were preoccupied. All he cared about now was his daughter.

Shin raced down the halls, slipping past rooms and furniture, the dining room, and then he could only stare in revulsive shock.

Standing there was Josh. But he was not devoured.

No.

He had already become one.

His face split open from the middle down to his nose and chin, the other half sagging and loose, as if it was close to falling off. When he turned, Shin could see the clothes the boy had worn had quickly fallen off, leaving a pit of red empty flesh and tendrils wagging about through the open stomach.

And in the corner, was his daughter, hiding behind chairs and the kitchen table.

"MARA!"

At the same time he yelled, the boy-monster screamed. It lashed out with a tendril at Shin. Shin leaped to the right to avoid it. It lashed out with another at Mara, missing, as it hit a chair instead, splinters flying about. She shrieked.

"MARA!"

"Papa, help me!" The girl sobbed.

The creature let out a roar once more as more than one tendril lashed out, aiming for multiple places on his body, Shin knowing that it assumed that one tendril would not be enough to put him down for consumption, so it would lash out with multiple so the man could not dodge. Shin raised a trash can lid, deflecting each and every one of them, wincing only momentarily as the sharp tendrils grinded against the metal with a loud, as he was pushed back slightly.

"Mara! RUN!"

She sobbed loudly amidst the screams of man and monster.

"MARA!"

She sobbed, shaking her head wildly as tears ran down her cheeks, wanting to believe it was a nightmare. That right now her friend who had become the grotesque monster of her dreams was not true, that her mind was playing tricks on her. Yet it was real. The house shaking and the friend that became monster was proof all was real.

"Mara! Listen to me! You have to go! It will hurt you!" He called out.

The monster screeched once more, and Shin narrowly deflected a tendril to the bulkhead ceiling, tearing a chunk of roof and upper floor off. Had he been slower, it would have pierced his chest through.

"MARA!"

"I can't, Papa! What happened to Josh?! Why did he become a MONSTER?!"

There was no point lying, and it wouldn't help their dangerous predicament any further. "MARA! Listen to me! You have to go upstairs!" He hesitated "You can't help him!" He hated what he was saying, but either lying would get Mara devoured by the monster before him. She was too kind, and he knew that if she attempted to help him, she would suffer the same fate as his wife. It was best to tell her the true fate of the boy. It was too late for them to help him. "You have to go upstairs! Hurry!"

The girl hesitated, pausing in her grief, and looking to the monster that was once her friend. The face of her friend was now gone, split open entirely to reveal empty pits of flesh. She sobbed and cried, "I-I can't! I'm too scared!"

Shin shouted. "Mara! You have to!"

The monster that was once Josh howled once more, angered that it had not devoured man or girl. Turning its attention to the girl, it rushed at her. Mara shrieked.

Shin was the third to scream. "MARA!" Leaping over the counter, his body shone a light blue aura covering him from head to toe, he slammed the lid with all the force he could muster into the flesh.

The monster never got to touch her, for it went flying back, slamming into the wall with a crash that reverberated throughout the mansion as it knocked over appliances and kitchenware. Shin spotted the knife counter, and reached into it, pulling out two of the large knives. It was only for a brief moment that he was able to use Arts. As his brother in law's friend was a soldier, he too was an Arts user. Being a trained soldier gave the man merits, and Shin had been taught the basics of the practice.

He stared at the monster, hoping that it was knocked out or, whatever its anatomy was, concussed. Having no formal training, his use of Arts was only meager at best, and it was limited to boosting speed and strength. The attack had sent the monster flying across the opposite side.

His hopes were dashed to bits as the monster rose once more, crying out in rage and fury. And Shin knew that he couldn't beat the monster, at least knock it out. It was in a booklet from the one of the prestigious Academies his brother in law's friend attended.

He turned back to Mara. "Mara. You have to go. Take this!" He shoved one of the large knives into her hands

She shook her head. "I can't go, Papa! I'm scared!"

"You have to! Mara, please!"

The girl was in denial once more. "I-I can't-"

He grabbed her shoulders and shouted. "MARA! LISTEN!" The girl shut her mouth, staring at her father. He never shouted at her before. "You have to go. You have to hide upstairs. Take this with you. If it finds you, stab it with the knife."

The girl's eyes watered once more. "B-but what about you, Papa?"

"I'll go and hold it off. You go upstairs and find some place to hide! Now, Mara! GO!"

The girl looked at the monster and to her father, before she nodded, snatching the knife from his hand. "Okay, Papa! I'll go!"

"Good, now hurry!" His eyes flickered from monster to daughter, keeping track of both. "I love you, my podling."

"I love you too, Papa." Her eyes widened. "Papa! LOOK OUT!"

He whipped around, but it was too late. Even as he raised the lid, the powerful tendrils smashed it aside. Then it stabbed through his chest.

Blood splashed everywhere, painting the three red.

A terrifying noise, one filled with so much agony, Shin never realized it until the pain began that it was his own.

Mara screamed. "PAPA!"

Even as he hacked out blood, he still screamed at his daughter. "GO, MARA! RuNNNNN!"

The girl watched, and could only stare.

"GO!"

She ran. Sprinting out of the room, tears running down her face and blinding her vision, all she could do was flee as the screams of the monster and her father became one.

The sound followed her as she ran, but she could not look behind, for she believed it would give chase.

She tripped over something in the dark, and cried. Pain erupted from her ankle. She clutched it momentarily, but knew the monster would come for her. She got up, hopping on her foot to the upstairs. The noises of father and monster rang as one.

She searched wildly for a place to hide. Downstairs, a crash of glass sounded out, along with two more cries of… monsters! She knew now that she and Papa were hiding from monsters. And one of them hurt Papa. She looked down the stairs, opening her mouth to cry for her father, and her feet had just touched the first step down.

Papa's words rang in her head, telling her to run and hide, and she looked once more. Peering down, she saw the interior of another room within, swelling with darkness. The basement! Papa must have opened it for her.

Beneath a floor below her, away from the hallways of the upper floor and the separate basement, the screams mixed as one; a cacophony of noises of the monsters of her nightmares and father. She wanted to go down. Yet she knew the monsters would then come for her.

Papa told her to hide. He had opened the attic for her to hide.

The howls continued even after she slammed the basement door closed.

Mara shuddered, encapsulated behind large stacks of boxes and other large materials that fully covered her from view. At some point, the screaming of her father halted. Did the monsters get him?

Tears blurred her vision. No! Maybe it was safe now! Maybe Papa fought the monsters off!

A small flicker of hope was burning in her heart. But then subsided, as if to be sure of the statement.

But then where was Papa? Was he coming up?

The sounds of the floor rattling filled her ears. Was that Papa?

Her eyes peeked through the open gaps and spaces of the enclosed area, eyes intently focusing through the darkness of the basement. Her intent on the outline of the door.

The door swung open.

I was very surprised. Becoming Shin was a harder task than expected. Of course he resisted, just as many others of the town. I should have expected that by now. I have already received lectures from others of my brethren.

Mara has escaped us, but it is only just a small setback that requires us to find her. Before I became Shin, Isaw him, in his own features of Kuranta-now ours-his memories became mine, and I knew exactly where and when to go.

I communicated for my brethren to wait, and we headed into the belly of the home.

All she felt was very cold. The sight of only monsters and not father-it should have been Papa, why did he leave her?

She was scared. And she was very, very lonely. There was no point in running.

She buried her head into her body, shuddering in her sorrows.

She was still like that when they fell upon her.

This is the first horror thing I've ever done. So yeah.

I absolutely do not condone or support child torture or any vore of any sort, so please don't get any ideas from this prologue chapter. The purpose was to show how the Things assimilated and took over the town fairly quickly. Since children are still young and can easily be tricked into doing things they are not supposed to do, it made a quick takeover. Again, this is not torture porn or some sort of hate for children. It is how the town quickly became assimilated.

I got this from randomly browsing the web and watching Thing clips. My other inspiration for this story also came from J.B Goomba Soldier44's story "Arknights: Operation Cookout". Highly recommend you guys check it out.

[1]-So the whole moment in that while watching both the Thing 1982 original and the 2011 prequel was that while Adam, one of the characters in the 2011 prequel had his face assimilated to the Edvard-Thing, becoming the Edvard-Adam-Thing, what we all know as Split-Face in the 1982 film, he was still quite alive, even though he had his stomach pierced by one of the tentacles of the Edvard-Thing, as shown while he was screaming while being assimilated. It isn't officially stated in continuity so I made it up. As a person is partially assimilated by the Thing, they still retain body function and some level of control and speech.

[2]-This whole speech is based on the short story written by Peter Watts, "The Things". It is a non canon story that goes over the 1982 film based on the perspectives of the Things. I'm not trying to match Watt's prose, because I certainly couldn't hold even the slightest candle. It was just to show the perspectives of the Things. And admittedly, to show off my own prose.