By Samuel Gachon
She couldn't even remember her own name. All she could remember was an explosion. Nothing else.
She lay there. She had no idea where she was. She tried to remember. Nada. Void. She stayed immobile for what seemed to be an eternity.
Eventually, she recovered some strength and stood. She looked around. What she saw frightened her. Everything — destroyed. Corpses lay scattered on the ground, but there was no sign of violence. They were like...frozen.
She could see outside through shattered walls, all of it dark and lifeless.
The ruins of a city. What had happened ? If only she could remember...
She wandered the ruins for hours, seeing only destruction and frozen corpses.
She sat against a wall.
Something moved beside her. What was that?
She looked around, but saw nothing. “Who's there?” she called. No answer.
She fell back into her quest for memory, and the movement — closer this time — came again.
There it was. A small creature. She had never seen anything like it before. Like a lizard, but with white skin and glowing blue lines all over its body.
It looked at her, wide-eyed, probably as surprised as she was.
“What are you?” she asked. She was not expecting an answer. Stupid to try and speak with it.
But the creature did answer. “I am here to set you free,” it said, its voice warm and welcoming, curiously lacking any lip or mouth movement.
“Your world is no more,” the creature continued. If you stay here, the Great Shadow will take you and force you to suffer for eternity. Follow me and I will take you to my realm where you will know Eternal Sunshine. Everyone else is already there. They are waiting for you.”
She shook her head. “I know what you want,” she said. “I’ve seen what you did to the others. And you want me to be next. Why?”
“I only want to save you. What you see are their former prisons. I took them to a place where they don't need them. Follow me as well, and you will understand.”
Was that supposed to comfort her? “What will I understand?” she asked, “Who are you?”
“I am what you would call an angel. I was sent here to save you from evil. You do not belong here anymore. You do not deserve the horrible fate that awaits you here. Your home is with us now.”
She was still afraid, but it seemed she had no choice. She let the creature come to her. At the instant of physical contact with the lizard, her pain vanished.
She floated away from the ground, away from her body frozen below like the others.
She closed her eyes, and finally learned the truth. There was no Great Shadow. These invaders had bombed her city, and sent this messenger to collect survivors.
She was still alive down there. The creature was draining her energy for its masters to use as fuel.
Nevertheless, she was happy. In fact, she had never felt so good in her life.
At least they allowed her to die happy.
And then nothing.
About the Author
Samuel Gachon
Samuel Gachon is a student in creative writing at QUT, with a minor in media and entertainment.
He lives in Brisbane, and has published a few stories on Wattpad and Deviantart.
Links:WordPress: <https://wordpress.com/pages/samuelgachon.wordpress.com>.
Wattpad: <https://www.wattpad.com/user/SamuelGachon>.