Fragments Gallery
Off The Path
The man's feet scuffed the ground as he walked casually along. The hour was late and dark had fallen but he was not worried; he knew these woods well. There was nothing here that he feared.
For others that was not the same. Many feared the woods; especially at night. In the darkness people’s minds conjured up all sorts of monsters to inhabit this place. Not Varant though, he respected the woods and the creatures that lived here; he respected it but did not fear. He alone was the one who would venture out after dark. For that the other villagers both feared and honoured him. It made him a bit of an outcast.
Gnarled branches reached towards him from the edges of the path but effortlessly he evaded their grasp. During the day these woods were like any other. But at night... well things changed. Branches moved, plants shifted and animals changed in the darkness.
Varant was nearing his home when a flash of light from the woods caught his attention. That’s odd, he thought, there should be no one out there and the moon was nowhere near bright enough to emit light that reflected that brightly. He dearly wished to go investigate but even he was cautious about leaving the path this late at night.
After moments indecision his curiosity won out and he stepped from the path. The gleaming light had since faded away but he remembered the general location of the light’s source. Although the trees moved to catch him it was still a simple matter to step clear of those branches that clutched at him. The dance that carried him through the forest kept his mind occupied until he reached his goal, and it wasn’t long before he found what he sought.
At first he wasn’t sure what he had come across. A wall of darkness appeared in the shadows up ahead. As he grew closer he realized the shape was a structure rising from the forest floor. Closer examination showed that the outer surface was metallic; when he banged upon the side it rang hollow from within. He circled around the object but there was no indication of what the structure was intended for or who had built it. He picked a rock up from the forest floor and gently brushed it against the surface; despite the squeal the gesture produced the motion didn’t leave a mark.
In the darkness his ability to examine the object was dampened. Since there were no clear markings of what this thing was or where it had come from he was at a loss on how to proceed. The forest was growing… restless. The trees were clearly agitated and the eyes of the forest’s creatures glowed in the moonlight. Nothing had ventured near him thus far but that could change quickly; the creatures were out there gathering their courage to approach. This night could end poorly for him if the creatures overcame their fear of him. He was considering leaving to return in the light of the next day when a rumbling began to emit from the structure.
Without warning a portion of the wall started to rattle and the rumbling changed to a whirring sound coming from beneath the metallic surface. A slab of iron separated from the wall and sank towards the sodden ground. The inner side of the slab was carved into a series of steps leading up into the structure.
“Will you join us brother?” Asked a voice from within the structure as the whirring subsided.
Varant’s instincts told him to run, but something in that voice aroused his curiosity.
“Who are you?” he asked, his voice remaining remarkably calm, “What do you want?”
“I am one of those whom you have always sought,” said the voice, there was a hint of laughter in the words. The speaker still had not shown herself but the speaker was most definitely female.
“Come now,” said another voice when he hesitated; this new voice was deeper and more powerful.
Those words struck a chord within him and something within the voice compelled him to obey. Almost unthinkingly he set his foot on the first step. His other foot then hit the next step. He climbed as though he were in a trance. When the entrance finally loomed before him he entered slowly.
A light began to seep down from the ceiling after he entered. The interior of the structure was entirely hollow and every inch of it was covered with wiring, screens and button panels that glowed softly in the black. The growing light began to reveal the beings that also occupied the space.
As their forms were illuminated an expression of pure horror formed on Varant’s face. He began to stumble back towards the door. One of the figures gestured and the door snapped shut behind him. That’s when the screaming began.
Outside, the structure pulsed white and then fell dark once more. Soon afterwards the muffled screams faded away and silence took hold.