(I've been gone for quite a while now! I've just been so busy, I didn't have much time for this, nor my youtube channel. But I finally got around to writing more. Don't worry, I'm most definitely finishing this story. Just...over a long period of time. As for my others...perhaps I'll do them some day...or month...or year. XD Also, between a point in this chapter where I lost motivation and time to work on it and the time I recently returned and finished it, I decided to switch to present tense. Just a heads up. You'll be reminded of this when it happens. Enjoy!)
(*Update* Anywhere you happen to find the word "baring", I meant to say "bearing". Bare means naked, so I had to clear up that mistake.)
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock* "H-hold on! I'll be over in a second!", Dave yelled from the boys' bedroom, where he had spent the past thirty minutes sobbing.
The door swung inward, revealing to the policemen a man who looked as pale as a ghost, his eyes swollen and red from rubbing. He looked at the two officers and his jaw dropped.
"This is it? I call about four missing children and they send me two police officers?!", Dave exclaimed in disbelief.
The left policeman, or policewoman, spoke up, "I'm sorry, but according to what you said in your call, there isn't much to do but investigate the scene. I'm a forensics detective. My name is Susana and this is my assistant, Corey. We'll simply be looking for evidence and DNA to get a better understanding of what we're dealing with. So, that being said, may we come in?"
Dave blinked and hesitated, "Uh-sure, of course. Come in.", said Dave before moving aside while holding the door for the man and woman.
As they entered, Dave closed the door and headed for the chipmunks' and chipettes' room while gesturing to the cops to follow. When they entered the room, where Jeanette and Eleanor were quietly reading a book together on Brittany's bunk, Susana immediately approached them and took out a note pad and pencil from her pocket. The two chipettes looked up at her. Only Jeanette spoke.
"Oh, h-hi ma'am. Are you here about the incident last night?"
She smiled brightly, inducing a warmth like that of the sun in the two chipettes, "Yes girls. I need to hear about what exactly happened. You were there when the kid napping occurred, am I right?"
"Uh huh", Eleanor replied.
"Good, good. You're both ok with discussing this matter right now?"
"M-hm", Jeanette assured.
"Ok then.", Susana turned to Dave and Corey, "Could you two leave us to each other for a bit? They may find it easier to tell their story with a smaller audience."
"Of course. Dave? Shall we discuss the matter on our own elsewhere?", Corey asked.
Dave contemplated this for a moment then sighed, "Ok...", he said, almost inaudibly and vacated the bedroom as Corey followed.
Now alone, Susana turned back to Jeanette and Eleanor, "So, allow me to begin by introducing myself to you. My name is Susana. I will merely be listening to your story concerning the events last night in order to kick start this investigation."
"Ok.", replied both chipettes in unison.
"Alright. So, could you describe to me exactly what happened?"
"Well, ", began Jeanette, "we didn't see much of what happened to be honest. Whatever it was that took the chipmunks and Brittany rendered me and Eleanor unconscious before it kidnapped them. I woke up when I heard a strange sound. I turned to Simon's bunk but he was asleep like everyone else. When I looked back at the bunk above me, the next thing I knew , I was pinned down by that thing!"
"Could you describe what it looked like?"
"Uh, sure, vaguely. It was pitch black, darker than a power outage at night with all the window blinds closed on the night of a new moon. It was...indescribably unsettling. I don't even think it was an animal, nor human! It's exact shape was quite nebulous, but I can guesstimate that it was three times my size, if that helps."
"What did it do?"
Jeanette shuddered, "I don't really know. I-it reached for me and touched my forehead, it..."
"Go on.", Susana urged with a light smile, with a reassuring tone.
"It felt like it reached into my mind, but physically, yet without wounding me. I'm sorry but I don't know how else to describe it!"
"That's ok. Did anything else happen?"
"Uh-well...no. I blacked out when the thing touched me. I don't know anything else..."
Eleanor spoke up, "The experience was very similar for me, but like my sister...I don't know much."
Susana sighed as she scribbled down a few notes and turned back to Alvin's bunk.
She stared at the blackened spot and torn bed sheets, "What happened with that?"
"We don't really know, "said Jeanette, "I believe it may be burns."
Susana walked over to the charred bed and ran her hand over the black spot, feeling the sandpaper material crumble beneath her finger tips. She then pulled out a small plastic bag and scooped up a small handful of charred shavings before placing them into the bag and sealed it.
She turned back to the chipettes, "I'll be back if I discover any helpful results. Thank you for your time, girls!", and with that, vacated the room, shutting the door quietly behind.
She walked down the hall and into the living room where she found Dave and Corey , "We're finished for now. We had best be going, now. I need to send this sample to the lab."
"Good. ", said Cory and turned back to Dave, "Thank you for your time, Mr. Seville. We will return as soon as we can if-...when we discover the cause of your sons' and daughter's disappearance. I wish you a good day."
"Right...thanks for the help."
So then, the two cops left the residence, with Dave closing the door behind them.
*SCENE TRANSITION*
Bleek turned around at the sound of shuffling foot steps and a concoction of sniveling, moaning, and shudders behind him. What he found was Alvin, cradling his left arm as the pain contorted chipmunk hobbled over and sat on the log beside him.
Alvin quivered and held up his right paw to the blazing fire, "I-I-I-I'm s-so c-co-cold...", the red-clad chipmunk stuttered.
"Hm, I could have sworn I told you not to get yourself into trouble.", And with that, Bleek slipped a dagger out that had been strapped to his side and plunged it into the palm of Alvin's outstretched paw. It was all one swift movement and was pulled out immediately and wiped on the log before Alvin began to scream.
He fell back off the log and hit hard on the dirt, "AAAAAGH! WHY?!", he shrieked and shortly after, curled up and began sobbing miserably.
Bleek looked down at Alvin without a shred of remorse but liquid ice in his veins, "You shall suffer until your corruption. You will not be pitied. In fact, I won't so much as carry you up the mountain for the ritual. This is a big problem for you considering you will likely bleed to death lest you make it to the mountain top to be saved."
As Bleek said this, a corrupted ran full speed into the clearing and halted as soon as he saw Bleek, "*pant* *pant* Bleek! The Cataclysm calls. We are ready.", said the corrupted, who's apparently a courier.
"It is early. All the better I suppose. I doubt Alvin would have survived till the scheduled time.", said Bleek who then gestured to the bleeding chipmunk behind him.
The courier chuckled before runing off to deliver more messages as Bleek got up and walked over to Alvin. Alvin yelped in pain when he was lifted to his paws by his arm pits. He staggered a bit but managed to stay upright and gingerly supported his dislocated arm with his severely damaged paw, from which blood continued to leak from.
"Alvin, you've lucked out. We're leaving early for the ritual.", Bleek explained.
Alvin lifted his head with some effort, "Just show me the way. I want this to end..."
Bleek stared for a moment and then turned to head down the path out of the camp. Alvin traipsed after him sluggishly at first, trying to get a feel for how bad his wounds were, but found that he could walk without causing mind racking pain.
Bleek stopped to wait for Alvin at the border between the camp and the desolate world beyond for a moment. As Alvin approached, Bleek turned and continued onward.
The path stretched outward from the camp for only a few yards before fading into black rock. Further out, the surrounding rock formations narrowed down to a gaping maw of jagged rock that leaned inward. As they entered the formation, Alvin glanced up at the over hanging stone. The rocks formed a sort of rib cage like structure, and the further he walked, the closer the ribs got. Suddenly, the formation opened up to the red and black sky, and Alvin reverted his attention forward to find that they had now reached the formation's end. Then...he look down. Vertigo shrouded Alvin's head from the shear drop that bordered both sides of the narrow path that he and Bleek now had to tread across. The rock beneath their feet went straight down at not even a ninety degree angle but ever narrowing, crooked and cracked with several portions baring gaping crevices and gaps, into the pitch black depths below. It's sides and the void it sunk into were coated in razor like rocks, ready to skewer anything unlucky enough to plunge into them and amidst the void were monumental pillars of rock that reached up into the red and hazy heavens. Beyond the pillars and murky ground below, the area ended abruptly with an all surrounding wall of jagged rock, like rows of teeth piercing the air. The red sky shown dimly over the teeth, giving them a crimson hue, as if they were covered in blood.
Bleek continued to press onward, with Alvin following close behind, his heart beating a mile a minute, faster and faster the further they ventured into the treacherous mountains and the longer he went without tending to his wounds. The slope or the path was ever steepening, rising leisurely above the void and snaking about the rock pillars, then rose even above the enormous surrounding teeth, unveiling the unending expanse of desolate land. The world consisted of nothing but barren and atrocious terrain ranging from vast planes of dirt and soot to highly active volcanoes that seemed to always be spewing their glowing contents into the sky. Plumes of volcanic ash spread across the horizon like a stand still flood of muddy water.
Alvin suddenly bumped into something soft, yet solid, and yelped as he fell back, then gasped in dread as he slid across the soot covered rock a little, which caused a few stray pebbles to plummet into the darkness. Alvin stared down into the abyss and shuddered before looking up at the grey chipmunk looming over him.
Bleak glared at him for a moment before promptly blowing up in his face, "WATCH YOURSELF, RAT! You aren't here to sight see!", he screamed, sending flecks of spit flying onto the cowering chipmunk below him.
Bleek then turned and proceeded down the path that had reached a curve, from which Alvin would have walked straight off, had Bleek not stopped him.
Cautiously so as not to irritate his throbbing arm, Alvin stood up and wiped droplets of brownish saliva from his face with the back of his still bleeding paw, which rekindled the sharp searing pain in it, and trembled in disgust.
They continued to trek along the path, eventually vacating the crater like area in exchange for a path as narrow as its predecessor, but ran along the side of the mountain they now approached, the desolate place Bleek called Mt. Oblivion.
Minutes turned into half an hour as Bleek and Alvin pressed onward. Despite their progress, the top seemed farther than ever. As Alvin continued along the steadily rising slopes, he began to think about his brothers, mostly in attempt to take his mind off the pain. Alvin thought to himself, 'I hope Simon and Theodore are ok. Oh God...Theodore...please be ok. M-maybe they're together somewhere. Neither of them stand a chance alone in a place like this. Ugh...I wish we were home again.'.
*SCENE TRANSITION*
(I've concluded that I utterly despise past tense writing. Therefore, the rest of this story shall be in present tense. Just wanted to let you know.)
Simon drags himself along behind Bloodnick, exhausted and unfathomably thirsty. He's relieved as he an Bloodnick reach the base of another mountain range, where at, there is a massive crevice that carves deep into the steep, jagged slopes that tower over them.
Upon approach, Simon speaks, "*huff* *huff* D-does that go underground?"
Bloodnick nods.
"Thank God! Where a cave goes underground, there is water. Currently, where there is water, there is me gorging myself on it, so let's get a move on!"
Simon then runs ahead of Bloodnick and into the cave, devoured by its darkness. Bloodnick quickly scans the desolate land behind him, then reverts to the cave and follows his blue-clad companion inside.
Simon's hasty gait is instantly diminished to a cautious shuffle along the damp, smooth stone that makes up the cave floor. The cave seemingly consumes all light, leaving nothing but Simon's paws stretched out before him for guidance and the cool wind that glances off his body from inside. Simon shivers as the thought of walking through the throat of some grotesque monster flashes by his mind.
It doesn't take long before Bloodnick's foot falls approach him. Simon trains his arm beside him to help Bloodnick find him, but said chipmunk stops short.
"I can see in the dark better than you. It's one of the few perks you get out of corruption.", says the carnivorous munk.
Simon lets his arm fall beside him in annoyance and continues feeling his way forward.
"Hold up!", Bloodnick barks with a paw on Simon's shoulder, "Hold onto my tail. I'll guide you through. It'll be faster."
Simon feels something furry brush against his paw. He grabs onto it, then as Bloodnick's paw leaves him, the furry object, which must be Bloodnick's tail, tugs away, and Simon follows it's tugging in nervous silence.
Time passes by, and as it does, a soft hissing sound grows, "Hey, Bloodnick. I think we're approaching a water source.", alerts Simon.
Not long after, the two chipmunks round a corner, where the cave stretches another dozen yards or so, and at its end, dim, bluish light showers over the slick walls and ground, which reflects further towards them.
"Over there! Hurry!", Simon's voice echoes through the cave as he lets go of Bloodnick's tail and scampers on all fours to the light.
As Simon reaches the corner, he skids to a stop and averts his attention to the brilliantly luminescent alcove that the tunnel opens up to.
The stone room boasts an abundance of faintly bluish, white crystals that protrude in patches from the ground and walls, and seem to be the source of the alcove's light. The alcove is only big enough to comfortably hold about twenty chipmunks the size of the corrupted, and it would be a tough fit for any human, as it's canopy of stalactites overhang to allow merely three feet of height at best, and some are almost low enough to scrape Simon's head. From these jagged rocks drip droplets of glistening water, which shatters with a wet 'ping' on the ground, and collect into three crystal lit pools embedded in the rock. The closest pool of water, nearly at the gaping gateway Simon stands in, is to the left wall, and light streams of steadily flowing water cascade from little fissures etched in the wall and into the pool.
The first pool is right at the entrance, next to the left wall, while the second pool is on the right side, adjacent to the wall as well, and the third lies in the alcove's center.
Simon gapes wide eyed in astonishment by the breathtaking sight as Bloodnick joins him in the alcove, "Bloodnick, look at this cave! Those crystals; they're...I've never seen anything quite this magnificent before!", Simon stares in silent awe for a moment, whilst Bloodnick crosses his arms and sighs, letting the blue-clad chipmunk take in his little moment, "Wow. It's nice to see something like this again. Though I've not been here for long...I really needed to see a reflection of my world...serene beauty...no death or dreary skies...but something nice."
Bloodnick clears his throat, sparking Simon's attention, "Hey, I know you're into shiny rocks and what not, but we need to keep going. Now get some water in your stomach already and let's get a move on."
Simon hesitates, then finally responds, "Very well."
With that, he kneels down to the closest pool and plunges his face into the water. Simon's eyes remain open, taking in the glowing crystals that encrust the rock below like jewels encrust a priceless ornament as he sucks gulp after gulp of the cold, fresh, rejuvenating water.
Simon at last pulls his head out from the pool and staggers to his rear paws, panting as he does, and shakes his head, sending flecks of water all over the place.
"Are you quite finished?", asks Bloodnick.
"Yep.", Simon replies and lets out a refreshed sigh, "Shall we proceed?"
"What the hell do you think?"
"I'll take that as a yes."
Bloodnick strides over to the other end of the alcove and begins examining a crack in the wall that trails up to the ceiling. As Simon joins him as he crawls up into the opening, Simon's mind wanders to that of home, how much he hopes he will return soon, and finally end his and his brothers' horrible plight.
*SCENE TRANSITION*
Theodore is transfixed by the unnatural, sickly green fur of the corrupted that now stands beside him. He, kneeling as he is, still towers over Theodore by a foot and is adorn in a belt and collar of chains, both lined with skulls peppered with dark brown stains. Aside from that, a tattered drape hangs down behind the corrupted by the collar, like a cape, and a scythe that stands erect on the ground in his grip completes him.
The corrupted speaks in a soft, mildly high pitched tone, "Greetings, little one. I surely hope the corruptions did not harm you.", he then averts to a robust tone, "Because what would be the fun in that? You've only just arrived!"
The green-furred chipmunk stands and offers a paw to the smaller munk beneath him, who reluctantly accepts.
"Now, introductions! I am called Na Kordia, but everyone decided to nick name me Gutdrench. Don't ask why; too long of a story, and you look too young for it anyways. But any who, you are?"
Theodore stands there, petrified, not out of fear, but a mix of conflicting emotions and thoughts too chaotic to make sense of.
After what feels like an eternity, "I-I'm Theodore.", the green-clad chipmunk squeaks.
Gutdrench's demeanor changes to that of frustration, "Ok, Theodore. What can you tell me about yourself? How did you come to be here? How are you handling the changes?", he pries, eager for details.
Theodore looks down to think, suddenly finding his mind blank of any memories or thoughts. He struggles and stutters as he replies, "Well...me and...um...I have some brothers. A-Alvin and...Simon. W-We're rock stars..."
The corrupted raises and eye brow, "Define rock star."
Theodore's voice is weak, "What? Um...I-it means we can sing. We're-"
"You're a musician?! Please, do sing a song for me! It is truly an honor, for I've never once heard music but tales of its beauty! I must hear some!"
"Huh? Oh no, I can't sing now. I have to have my brothers with me."
Gutdrench frowns at this, "I was not asking."
The green-clad chipmunk swallows a lump that had formed in his throat and looks away, as if simply averting his eyes would drown out his company's voice, and contemplates. Images of his brothers flash by his mind, and of Dave and the girls too. Memories of home, back in his tiny neighborhood in his modest house.
Suddenly, Theodore is snapped back to reality by a sharp bark of a yell as he makes his decision, "HEY! Did I not just command you to sing?"
(From this point, bring up another tab or page for youtube and search the song, "Home", by Alvin and the Chipmunks. Try to get it so that you continue reading as soon as the vocals of the song begin, which is about one second into the song. Also, to minimize confusion, I must inform you that this scene transitions between the locations of all three chipmunks as they, out of some sort of brotherly, mental bond, or what ever explanation you prefer, sing the same song at the same time. Enjoy!)
(Theodore) OooooOOOooOH...OOoooOoOH...OOOoooooOoooo...
(Theodore) I'm staaaring out intooo the night.
(Alvin) (Simon) OOOooOooh...
(Theodore) Trying to hiiide the pain.
(Alvin) (Simon) OOOooOOH...
(Theodore) I'm going to the place where love...and feeling good don't ever cost a thiiing...and the pain you feel's a different kind of paaaiiiin...MMmmMmm...
(Alvin) (Simon) (Theodore) I'm going home...to the place where I belong...and where your love has always beeen enoouugh for meeeeee. I'm not running froooom, no, I thiiink you've got me aaall wrooong. I don't regret this liiiife I've chose for meeeeee.
(Alvin) But these places and these faces are getting ooold...So I'm going hooome.
(Simon) OooooOOoooh...ooOoOOooOoh...yeeeaaaah...MmmhmmMmm...
(Theodore) The miles are getting longeeer, it seems...
(Alvin) (Simon) OOOooOooh...
(Theodore) The closer I geeet to youuu...
(Alvin) (Simon) OOOooOOH...
(Theodore) I've not always been the best man or friend for you, but your love, it makes truuuuue...and I don't know whyyyyyy...you always seem to give me another tryyyyyyyyy...
(Alvin) (Simon) (Theodore) I'm going home...to the place where I belong...and where your love has always beeen enoouugh for meeeeee. I'm not running froooom, no, I thiiink you've got me aaall wrooong. I don't regret this liiiife I've chose for meeeeee.
(Alvin) But these places and these faces are getting ooold...
(Simon) Be caaareful whaaat you wish fooor, cause you-
(Alvin) (Simon) (Theodore) -just might get it aaall...yeah, you just might get it aaall...and theeen some that you don't waaant. Be caaareful whaaat you wish fooor, cause you just might get it aaall...yeah, you just might get it aaall...and theeen some that you don't waaant.
(Alvin) OooOoOoOoOOOOOooWhOOOOAAA!
(Simon) (Theodore) I'm going home...to the place where I belong...and where your love has always beeen enoouugh for meeeeee.
(Alvin) Enough for meeeeeee!
(Simon) (Theodore) I'm not running froooom, no, I thiiink you've got me aaall wrooong. I don't regret this liiiife I've chose for meeeeee.
(Simon) But these places and these faces are getting ooold...
(Alvin) I'm going hooooooooooooooooome!
(Theodore) Toooooooo...
Theodore takes a few deep breaths after he finishes the song, then sighs with a smile.
Gutdrench finds himself standing there with an expression painted with shock and awe, dumbfounded by Theodore's singing.
"Child, that was amazing. I-I'm at a loss for words!", the green-furred chipmunk glances about him, then reverts his attention, "It's been too long since I last came across something worth saving. Far too long...come. I will not allow you or your brothers to be defiled like the rest."
Gutdrench swiftly pads over to the center of the once blackened room and holds a paw out to the green-clad chipmunk.
Theodore nervously approaches him, "W-what are you doing?", Theodore asks.
"As the only other corruptor, I am not a puppet of The Cataclysm, and therefore can make my own choices, and I can reinforce those choices with great power as well. Now take my paw. I can take you somewhere safe to hold up until I gather your brothers.", Gutdrench replies, now contort with a serious expression.
"What's going to happen?", Theodore asks as he grasps the green paw.
Without an answer, the two of them are enveloped in a writhing orb of black energy, which then swallows them whole before dissipating into nothing.
*SCENE TRANSITION*
They are coming close to the peek, where clouds of red and black spiral over them, menacingly. Alvin has been reduced to a weak shuffle at this point. Every moment has become a feat, and his vision has begun to fade away.
"H-heeey!", the bleeding chipmunk feebly calls out, "I don't know how much further I can go. I'm...aw nuts...I'm so tired..."
Bleek turns back to him for only a second, "I'll leave you to rot up here if you stop! Keep moving!"
Alvin lets out a shuddered sigh, blood still trickling, though slower, from his mangled paw, and follows Bleek further along the treacherous path.
Alvin rounds a corner of rock the path surrounds after Bleek, then stops abruptly in awe.
The path continues on for a few feet before sharply dropping down the mountain side, and is substituted by a poorly made bridge that sways and creaks over a steep dip in the mountain that reascends at the other end of the bridge. What is so incredible though is what is at the other end of the bridge. The mountain top roughly flattens to form a small plateau. Along it's sides sit various sized boulders embedded in the the dirt, as well as a dead tree to the left side of the plateau, until meeting at a massive, curved, stone wall directly across from Alvin's side, which bares thousands of markings engraved in it's surface. In front of the wall, the ground glows bright red and distorts the air around it.
Alvin stares in silence, a sudden warm terror welling up from inside him, then begins to walk forward, dropping both his paws to his sides. Everything that has been plaguing his mind seems to be blocked by some unknown presence. Alvin is soon on the plateau, walking up to the edge of the glowing, sizzling dirt and falls to his knees, unable to go any further.
Alvin closes his eyes, then opens them. Before Alvin stands three corruptions, they're glowing red eyes burning holes into the red-clad chipmunk's soul. The two on either side back away and sink into the burning dirt, leaving black rot in their wake while the third corruption steps forward. Alvin contorts his face in horror as the corruption shrinks to his size and fades from black to brown, followed by red fabric materializing over it. The clothing forms a hoodie with a bright yellow A emblazoned on the front.
The copy of the petrified chipmunk looks into his eyes with it's only difference, red eyes that seemed to flicker like fire.
The corruption's voice is identical, but echoes loudly with power, "Alvin...at last I meet you in person. I have been watching you and your brothers for a long time now. It is rare that I have the opportunity to corrupt an already sentient chipmunk.", said the corruption, who then cocks his head to the side to examine the wound in Alvin's paw, "You are injured. Hm, I suppose we had better get this over with.", he slowly inhales deeply, then exhales, blowing a sickening scent of death over Alvin, "I can smell how little blood resides in you."
Alvin weakly nods and looks down, "Please do it...I don't want to die..."
The corruption scoffs, "The one known as Alvin will die here. You will be reborn a creature capable of amazing things, a corrupted. As The Cataclysm, I decree it be so!"
With that, long, jagged and black claws stretch out from The Cataclysm's right paw and plunge deep into Alvin's chest, making him gasp in utter shock, unable to cry out as the immense pain steals his breath away. The claw is torn from Alvin's chest, spraying blood and bits of ribs, guts, and flesh onto the dirt. Alvin stares wide eyed at his still beating heart, held in the fake him's paw, then falls forward to his knees, blood cascading down from his chest and into a growing pool around him. He coughs, spewing strings of blood everywhere, then falls face-first into the dirt.
The dying chipmunk paws feebly at the hot dirt he lies upon, no longer capable of thinking about anything but the horrendous agony brought by the drooling red void in him. He tries to cry out for mercy, but all that comes out are more terse strings of crimson and an unsettling gurgle.
As Alvin lies limp, The Cataclysm speaks, "Now. Let shrivel the life beneath you! Let the light around you die out! Let emotions phase you not, and allow not yourself to be cower-some to pain! Spread my corruption and plant it's seeds of hopelessness in the soil at our enemies' thresh hold! BECOME MY DEVICE...OF...DESTRUCTIIIIIIOOOOOON!"
That final word echoes with incredible force, shaking the ground and rattling everyone and everything. From it, a burning current of black energy surges through Alvin's mutilated corpse, causing it to convulse and spasm, and Alvin's eyes shoot open as he draws a sharp breath. He is hyperventilating at first, but his breathing hastily turns into screaming as his now growing muscles become more distinct. They ripple along Alvin's arms, legs, torso and neck like a horrifying disease spreading just under his skin. They bulk everything to three times his original size, then begin working deeper as the sounds one would hear from stressed wood groan from the previously dead body. Alvin loses his breath and blinks in shock as his limbs stretch, and he grits his teeth and lets out a raspy groan as his head expands, all the while his fur fades from it's robust brown to a dingy russet, and the fur coating his belly and face turns grey. Flesh begins to string out over the hole in his chest and skewered paw like snakes, entwining around each other to thicken and take up the empty space. They latch together at the center and smooth out as fur rapidly grows from it, then the same thing occurs to his hoodie, repairing the torn fabric. It is over at last, and as the ordeal's agony finally begins to subside, Alvin's moans of agony dissipate into slow, heavy breathing.
He cautiously sits up, propping himself onto his elbows, and scans the plateau, but he is now suddenly alone. Alvin stands up, staggering slightly as he is still exhausted from the transformation, turns around, and begins following the path back to camp.
*SCENE TRANSITION*
Deep underground, close to the upper mantle, in a caldera bubbling with lakes of magma and centered by enormous pillars of metamorphic rock, The Cataclysm stands on a shore of red hot stone, and before him are several corruptions.
One steps forward and kneels, bowing its head, then looks up to The Cataclysm, the supreme Corruptor.
The corruption lets out its deep, gurgling voice, "MASTER. WE HAVE CALLED FOR YOU TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION; WE FAILED TO KEEP OUR LAST TREK DISCRETE. THEY ARE NOW HIGHLY ALERT OF OUR EXISTENCE; MERELY UNAWARE OF EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE...WE THINK IT IS TIME."
The Cataclysm glances at the other corruptions, and they nod in agreement. He reverts, his eyes glowing bright red now, and his voice roars out in anger, "UNACCEPTABLE! THEY WILL PREPARE, AND THEN WHAT OF OUR PROGRESS? IT IS FOR NOTHING!"
Rocks fall from the caldera top as the uproar silences. The Cataclysm remains quiet for a time...and then speaks once more, "Gather the army. You are correct. It is time. Once they are at the base of Mt. Oblivion, the portal will open, and the invasion shall commence."
The corruptions stare at their master for a moment...and broad, red glowing grins grow along their black faces. In a blink of dark wisps, they vanish.
(S*** is about to hit the fan. XD )