Chapter 12. The Storyteller


"The two brothers stood apart from each other, facing eye to eye. Each man and all the women had to make their own decision. It was a decision of fate, either way all may die. Even though they may be of the same blood, mother and father. Their separate decisions on how they should leave were embedded into their minds made it harder. One chose to thrive underground in the deep caverns. The other on in the harsh hell above. They both were the same, all were one."

""Brother why won't you come with me? Together we can keep living in our world just as we always, all the same. Yes we had wars and yes we had slaughtered our world. Now it is void of life. No more birds to keep the air with sound, no more animals to keep us company and to eat. Still this is our life! We can change it!""

"The brother of the future Eloi shook his head. "No my brother this is not the way anymore! Yes there will be changes but not up here. This earth we have destroyed and now it shuns us. We have to live down below and shield ourselves in shame. We have killed everything." The Morlock brother turned away and led his followers into the deep caves down below the surface. Here they etched out a living in new ways. Their skin, once the sun was kind with, now burned if they even dared to show their backs to the light. Their lightless eyes flashed like a spark in the darkness, showing them the path in their ever-black world. Their lust for prey grew stronger then ever before and soon they hunted their brothers as most other creatures soon disappeared."

"The Eloi brethren had stayed in their home. A different fate over took them and they became weak and under-minded and soon became the prey of their Morlock brothers. Now only the Morlocks themselves know of the past and how it came to be. To the Eloi it had all washed away from their memories. No more storytelling, no more sharing of tales of myths and journeys on their part. They have become our life as we are theirs. Lest we may forget, the Eloi, however stupid they may have become, are what keeps us going. We must remember to treat them with ever most kindness till the end of their slaughter. Do all Morlocks take part of this code? No not all. Some are extremely abusive and kill their Eloi with utmost methods of torture. Together we have a tie that binds us permanently. Predator and prey, slave and captive. However you desire to call it. Never look down on our one past brothers. Now their fate was of their own fault as ours our own. Eloi and Morlocks! Our little children of the past!"

Fere raised her hands into the air and bellowed out the last line. The other Morlocks repeated the same line in unison. At a first glance it made seem like they worshipped their food, in a way they did. At the back an Eloi was lead forth and it's neck broken in a sharp snap of the head. It's blood was drained into a bowl and given to Fere. She dipped it back and sipped the steaming, fresh fluid. Here it was passed around to the others. Fere took a few choice pieces of the Eloi and brought them to Fown's cave. The old male was growing stronger and fatter each day.

"You should be strong enough to feed yourself now." Fere dropped the meat in front of him. "You were strong enough to be at the ceremony as well."

"I don't believe in any of that Eloi and Morlock crap. They are our food and that's that." Fown snuffed. "It was their own fault, so why do we have to treat them with kindness? They deserve it for drowning their own world out with stupidity."

Fere furrowed her brow at him. "Feel that way if you want too. Don't you dare tell me in my face that it is crap. Be happy I am the only one here that is willing to feed your stupid ass. I have met much less Eloi that needed pampering."

Fown leapt up and clamped his hand around her neck and shoved her against the wall.

"You dare compare me to an Eloi again I will personally make a meal out of you!" He snarled in rage. "I don't need your help anymore! Dare tempt my anger any further!"

"Dare to harm me then. Trust me I have many allies in these caverns and far beyond." Fere coughed. "You have nothing to gain in killing me."

Fown snorted in her face and dropped his hand. "Don't see me anymore."

Fere glared back at him with disgust. "Typical of you. No thank you, just a sneer. I will expect to see you working and hunting for your own share for now on." She left him with a few curse words.

Fown felt his hair standing up on end on his shoulders. Spittle drooled down the side of his crooked mouth. For the moment he felt awful to talking to Fere that way. He was angry at her because she was right. He far lagged behind on growing accustomed to this new life. These Morlocks acting so strangely compared to what he had grown up with. Everybody was gruff and sloppy in his world. Everybody treated the Eloi as the simple meals they were. If you were hurt you were on your own unless you had a mate to help you along. Growing up, he had learned right away it was extremely important to have a partner. Not only was this mate supposed to be your lover but also your crutch at bad times. It perceived him as strange how Fere instantly started to take care of him. If this had happened at his own place he would have probably taken her as a new mate but he knew right away by their strange customs it was only meant to be kind. He highly doubted that she had the same ideas floating in her head. Now he had ruined any chance of gaining a friend.

"Damn you Fown, you stubborn brute. Have to keep your balls in your head and chase everybody away." He grunted out loud to himself. "I should make it up to her. I would hunt for her but they keep their Eloi down below for now so that is pointless. Maybe I can find her some old things of man." He paused for a moment. "Oh wait! That place where I scented Shikha and Mog's old scent at once. That old cave with the strange things. I remember taking something."

Fown dug around in his things that he had collected with him over his journey. Morlocks like collecting things on occasion that peaked their interest. He pulled out a musty box that seemed so ancient it would crumble at any slight pressure. Actually it was fairly strong and carved out of some very tough stone. It had a rusted lock that held the two halves together.

"I told you he was a total ass." Mog grumbled at Fere. "Your neck is red. Did he do that to you?"

"No he didn't touch me." Fere answered in his defense. "He only yelled, he's still very depressed about the devastation. I don't know if he will ever fully heal."

"Shouldn't stand up for him. He's always been an ass even before his mate got killed." Mog shook his head. "I will never forgive him for threatening Shikha."

"I like your stories Fere." Shikha commented. "I hope to listen to more."

"Thank you dear. Now I should return to the others." Fere smiled and left them. In reality she had nothing to do that day but she still felt shaken up from Fown's ugly temperament that she wanted to just crawl up in the corner of her cave and cry. She wasn't used to such negative reactions from her kind.

To her greatest dread Fown showed up in her cave later on. Was he here to finish his deadly deed? Now she was trapped and there would be no way to dart around him to escape.

Fown sensed her fear growing at his every move towards her. He made himself look in every way possible as submissive. He went down on his hands and knees and crept closer.

"Fere I wanted to say something." He winced. "Um I have something that you might like. It's a-I mean it's a thank you present."

"So you didn't come here to hurt me." Fere snarled. "Feel bad for being such an ugly brute?"

"Yes I am." Fown blushed. "I was very nasty and you don't deserve that from me or anybody."

Fere admitted him to come as close as he wanted despite keeping an eye on his teeth and claws. She scented another hint from his body as well. He leaned forward and nibbled on her shoulder. His eyes fell shut and he leaned against her, further digging his teeth into her.

She popped him upside the face and huffed. Fown blinked in confusion and rubbed his red cheek, feeling very embarrassed.

"I am sorry! Please forgive me." He pleaded, pulling out the present he had for her. "I didn't mean to do that. Here is the gift I wanted to give to you. I found it in an old cave I believe Man had once stayed in. They made this."

Fere had all forgotten about the little lustful moment and grabbed the box. It was surely ancient and not in the style any Morlock she has seen make it as.

"Were there other things as well? In this cave you found it in?" She gasped.

"Oh yes many things. Those strange things they used to write stuff on and rusted clumps of machinery they once used." Fown puffed his chest out, feeling he had done good. "It was a place where Man had once stayed in."

"I would have imagined most such places would be long gone." She marveled, feeling her fingers around the exterior and the hinges. "It is hollow. I can hear something inside it."

"I don't know how to open it. Unless you want to smash it open." Fown laid his chin on her shoulder. "It's for you to keep and do what you want with it."

Fere beamed at him and rubbed her nose against his cheek. "You are too kind."

"I am glad you like it." He pressed his tusks against her neck. "You are very sweet and kind."

Fere pushed her elbow into his stomach and leaned forward away from his teeth. "Now Fown that doesn't mean you have free access to fulfill your pleasures with my body."

"Oh I am sorry. I just can't help it." Fown got up. "I should now start working my shifts now. I am rather missing working with those precious machines. Perhaps repair a few water pipes as well." He joked. "Well good day."

"Good day Fown." She winked at him and returned her attention to the strange box. "He has a kind heart."