The sun was just starting to show as a new day broke as the creature sat by the edge of a nearby lake near the town, it was surrounded by dense forest land, tall trees and the sounds of running water. The creature was washing itself off after an entire day then night, of hunting, having had its face covered in blood which trickled down the length of its broad shoulders and slender arms. By the other side of the creek, a good 20 meters away, towards Pawling, were two lifeless forms of deer, having been half shredded and nearly all gone.
Easier than anticipated, I am superior in speed. The creature scooped up a handful of water and poured it over its face, it kept its plates firmly shut as this was quite a vulnerable position for it. The sounds of the running water masked any wannabe stalkers, so the creature had to be on guard.
Several minutes passed as the trails of blood filled the water downstream, before dissipating further along. After believing enough of the blood was removed from its face and body, it savoured a moment to pause and listen out for anything out of the ordinary, before dipping its head underwater and opening its plates. Letting tethered-soaked interior flush with water, and in turn, take a much-needed drink.
It brought its head back above water and sighed, resting in the cool stream for a moment. This place does have its pleasantries, I'm surprised my home didn't have this. I could get used to this...
The creature had known a life of struggle, fighting to survive and having minimal trust in even its species. The unforgiving landscape, hard obsidian ground and souring temperatures for weeks. Then terrible winters that even froze the CO2 in the air. Water was scarce, and mostly came in the form of ice during those seasons. A part of survival was trying to move large chunks of it into caves and caverns, as during the hot season, a lot of it would start to evaporate, nearly all of it by the end. Not to mention fighting over brothers and sisters, trying to get enough to survive. Mother killed my youngest sibling, as it had fallen into the small pool we had in our cave, it dirtied the water and that was enough for it to be killed off. 'clumsy enough around water, so not fit enough to support the family.'
The air felt suddenly thick for the creature, in the realm of things, was not a long time ago for it. Eleven moons had passed, which due to differences in planets, is two times slower than Earth's moon. So the creature was 22 before one day, its world was destroyed entirely.
It was the 10th month on its eleventh moon, generally, it would be winter, and it would be preparing to venture out and collect ice and hunt for food, however, it did not get cold. It was hotter than ever before, something felt wrong. Then one day without warning, the ground shook, and broke apart and the creature was buried in its cave. Darkness came as the air grew thin and the cold seeped in, the water flowed through the rocks covering the creature as gravity became no more, before freezing and entombing the creature.
The creature remembered its last thought before it lost consciousness: "Am I going to die?"
The creature stood up silently without another thought and walked away from the water, suddenly feeling less soothed from it and wanting to get away from it as far as possible, back to the safety of the town. Taking a quick pace back to town and not looking back.
The creature had kept a fast pace, running through the trees and dodging obstructions, taking relief as it got further away from the water source. The thumping sounds of its arms and legs on the soft ground and leaves, the brush of leaves past its face, and the full stomach that fueled its body, filled it with energy.
It slowed down as it broke through the tree line and reached overgrown grass, now keeping a steady walking pace as it panted slightly from the exertion. It was now standing just in front of a row of buildings, it couched down to catch its breath as it thought out its next course of action.
I want to explore a bit, maybe find more voice-makers and similar things. More if I can.
The creature stood back up to full height and walked along the hard asphalt, approaching a large building. It walked around the left of it, into what was a small carpark, which at the very end, led into the building steps and a large wooden door that was slightly ajar.
The library.
"Time for a bit of shopping ay?" John whispered to himself as he was just approaching the fuel station, watch vibrating to tell him it was now 7 am. His gate was a bit off-kilter, limping with his right foot, and trying his best not to arch his sore back.
He took his usual path around the left of the building, not daring to go through the front where the mass of shattered glass was. He took quiet steps around the back, still cautious of his surroundings as he opened the door.
"What the actual fuck happened here?" John couldn't hold back his astonishment, there on the floor were smears and scratches of tomato sauce, sliding and stumbling from the start of the backroom, to just by the back door which also had sauce on it. He almost had second thoughts on entering, but instead carefully stepped around the dried marks. "Fuck, he must've come careening in, expecting me, but instead was met with a slippery floor. I didn't anticipate that of all things, just a few tracks or steps is all." John was smirking and doing his best not to giggle as he walked around to the right, and then onto the shelves.
The list was simple, just some strong painkillers for his back, maybe some antiseptic cream or ointment if he can find it too. He worked left to right, then looped around to the succeeding shelving unit and worked right to left. Keeping up that pattern until he found his target. "Bingo, ibuprofen," John said relieved, quickly snatching the small cardboard box flipped it over to the back and started reading.
"Adults take 1-2 whole tablets every 4-6 hours, no more then 4 times in 24 hours unless under doctor's recommendation." John ripped open the tape and pulled out the foil sheet sandwiching the tablets, ripping open 2 pockets and chucking the small white tablets in his mouth. Before grabbing a bottle of water that sat on the adjoining shelf and downing it with the refreshing liquid.
"Work quickly please, John is dying over here." He said, finishing the rest of the water and letting out a sigh, anticipating the relief to wash over shortly. He did a quick scan through the medical section but found nothing of use. "Condoms and tampons. Two things I don't need right now. Geez imagine if I was a girl in the apocalypse, that would not be fun needing to rely on these, especially not makeshift ones. If I am struggling with hygiene now, I would already be dead if I was the opposite sex."
John found nothing except another first aid kit, but he made sure to grab another one as well as a second box of painkillers. He grabbed a few water bottles, and the last of the muesli bars, before zipping up his hiking bag and setting off to the back door, however he was stopped dead in his tracks by a sudden realisation.
"Where did the CD player go?" John asked plainly, scanning the floor around him and expecting the destroyed remains of the player. Except finding nothing at all.
He looked under the desk by the back door in case it was pushed under, then into the shop floor and around some of the shelves there, still nothing. He doubled back into the staffroom as questions went through his mind. "With how bloody loud that monster was coming here, I would expect it to be atomised. But, not literally. Where is it?" John pondered this thought for a few moments, still walking around the room looking for remnants of the device he built.
"It would have been smashed, then, where did the pieces go? I hardly expect that killer of all things to pick up after itself." Then a thought suddenly crossed his mind. "Maybe it wasn't the alien, could it of been... No way... Could it of been a human?!" Let out an astonished gasp. "Another person, with me? Holy shit of course, I would be so dumb to think I was the only one that survived."
John could barely contain his relief and sudden excitement, having gone for almost a month without another face, was starting to take its toll on him. "Because of course, I was quiet the entire time since things happened, so how would anyone else know I was here, without the monster too."
John was finally starting to feel at ease, but a detail egged on his mind still. "Why would anyone immidietly come here after one of those aliens did? Also, why would he pickup a pressumably destroyed device. Even if it was still in one piece, that is still a lot to risk, just to have a device that makes noise, the opposite of what someone would want in the scheme of things." He felt the wind pushed out of him, but started feeling more confused, then dismayed. "Idk why anyone would get that device. But it is certainly not here, nor did I see it outside. It is either that the monster took it, or another survivor took it. I am inclined to believe it was the latter, as the former is in no way civil enough to of done that."
The creature was walking through the isles of the library, not sure of what to make from the different objects that lined the shelves. Its curiosity won over the concern it would normally have in a place of human origin, so its plates stood on end, allowing it to get a crisp sight of everything around it. It went from the far left of the building and made its way over to the right, enjoying the wooden floors, as well as the soft carpet that covered the floor of the entertainment section. Much more pleasant than the hard floor of my den.
The creature kept its calm and steady stroll through the building, only taking notice of the objects that stood out. Lamps on desks, books on tables, games on the floor. It did not understand their purpose but was curious either way. Fascinating creatures they are, I hadn't the slightest clue what any of this is for, if only I was able to ask one. The creature chuckled slightly at the absurd remark before stopping as it reached the far right of the building, feeling satisfied that it had seen everything, and getting ready to head back.
Not much more I can do here, besides- Wait a minute. The creature froze suddenly, angling its plates to enhance the resolution of what it could interpret further. It slowly crept forward to a pair of tables that sat by the far wall, noticing a familiar object.
Before he sat the second chess clock, the creature gently reached out and picked it up, being conscious of the other piece that was connected with wires.
This is where he got this other part from, that humans truly did make the device. To think, while I was intently listening out for a wild animal screeching, he was instead in here, building the device that fooled me.
The creature gently placed the device back down on the table before standing back to think over things. I can see it now, this place is very structured and clean, except for the section back there with those thin square objects in stacks on the floor and table. He was indeed here. I entirely underestimated his ability. I sat there for a few moments, feeling quite lucky it come across this building and the ingredients inside for what the human had created.
Now this begs the question. Is the human close by?
The creature walked towards the entrance of the building, through the desks and then outside onto the steps. I came in from the south, that is where I first heard him. I heard him a second time within that building, where he just slipped by me in that small room. I had made my way too far north and heard nothing until finally, I heard the device in the same building.
That was in the rough centre of this place, which means he was either at the start or centre, otherwise, I would have heard him so close to me.
The creature continued to think as it walked through the carpark, piecing together the bits of information. The human must have used that device, combined with the viscous substance to test if I was in earshot. It wasn't to harm me, only to lure me in. Why not anywhere else? Why not farther away, unless... Unless he was afraid of accidentally stumbling upon me, he wanted previously charted grounds in hopes of not encountering me.
Going further, if he was afraid of me, he would not want to go too far from home if he suspected I was nearby. He must'nt be very far... The creature shone a grin, its piecing of information seemed right, and with all its instincts, it felt right.
The creature made its way along the path to the left of the library, it expected it would need to over a few buildings before it would make any significant discoveries, so it tempered its excitement.
A doorway came into its view to its right as it followed the path, so it turned and faced it. Carefully applying pressure to the door to see if it would open, surprised the creature as it did so effortlessly.
Curious...These don't do that normally.
The creature stepped inside, looking around and passing the few sets of tables before it as it made its way around the L-shaped cabinet. Looking behind it fully, finding nothing, but soon noticed two sets of doors leading further into the building.
It again gently applied pressure, and they swung inwards, exposing a room with complex tools that went above and underneath benches. The creature stepped in and looked around, it tried to keep itself focused, but 'seeing' all these objects gave it questions.
What would they use these things for? It asked itself, picking up a long and sharp knife, running its finger across the blade and studying it, before remarking the tip. Much like the point of my fingers, interesting.
The creature set the blade back down onto the countertop before finishing its survey as it approached the last door. It reached out and applied pressure to the door, it initially did not move. The creature studied it before placing its hands on the handle, remembering some doors required them to be rotated, and indeed, it went downwards, and the door clicked open and swung inwards like the rest revealing a small room.
Initially disappointed in not finding the human, the creature stepped inside to at least look around, before it stopped.
Wait... The excitement started building in the creature as it soon started taking into detail, the pile of clothes on the floor, the strangely placed objects scattered around, and most importantly, another CD player sitting near the assortment of cans and water bottles. The human's den. The creature remarked to itself as it knelt to grab the CD player, and picked it up, feeling a different set of excitement.
The creature looked back towards the door, and to the CD player in its grasp. I could take this and use it back at my den, I could hear the voices again! I wonder if this one is different, and says different things. Maybe they might talk to each other! It could barely contain its excitement as it thought of the possibilities, but it stopped.
What would I do if the human walked in on me right now? Would he attempt to kill me? Would I in turn try to kill him? I... I feel confused...
The creature carefully stepped out, avoiding some of John's mess, and closed the door behind himself. He held the CD player firmly as he stepped out of the cafe, and looked around, making sure the human wasn't nearby, before setting off at a quick and quiet place home.