Fragments Gallery
Stillness
The chilled air swirls around you as the wind ruffles your hair. You look up at the grey skies. The clouds up there are foreboding; the way they move suggests something of anger. Lightning flashes far away and thunder follows it a few moments later. There is no rain here yet, but there could be soon. You make up your mind; you should head for shelter.
Your eyes return from the skies and land once more on your surroundings. You are in the center of a small park. Small stands of trees and shrubs grow in seemingly random places in the center of the green; past them you can see the old wooden playground standing vacant in its pit of gravel. Something squeaks as the wind picks up. You turn slightly to look at the set of wooden swings which lay between two towering oaks a short distance away. Another strong gust of wind pushes causes the seats to swing again on their old chains, again you hear the squeak. The bushes around the edges of the park stop you from seeing the houses that sit past the boundaries but still you know they are there. You will go to one of those houses for shelter.
As you begin to walk you notice something odd. Beyond the whistling of the wind and the occasional crack of thunder all is quiet. You cannot hear the roar of cars in the background; there are no birds calling or insects chirping. There is only silence.
It doesn't seem right.
Ahead of you is the exit of the park. It’s little more than a narrow passage through the bushes but still you’re a little surprised that you haven't seen it by now. As you draw level with where the entry should be you find yourself staring into unbroken foliage. The entry is not there.
You pick up your pace and run alone the line of bushes searching for the path out of the park. There is nothing there. The path was gone.
It didn't make any sense. You turn to head back in the other direction but you find that the park has vanished. Now you’re in a grassy clearing surrounded by gnarled old trees. Thick fog slowly drifts beyond the trees limiting your vision. The stillness of the world makes it seem empty and devoid of life. You spin around searching for something, anything, to help you find where you are. In the distance you spot a sign hanging from a tree. Eagerly you rush towards it.
Your heart falls when you grow close enough to read the sign. It is inscribed with one word which has been clumsily scratched into the wood.
"Beware."
You find your eyes drawn to the area beyond the sign. Out there in the fog the ground is littered with still forms. They lay there silently; some alone while others lay in mounds. All of them perfectly preserved with no signs of decay. You can't count them all, there are too many to comprehend.
Were they alive? You couldn’t tell. All you know is that you are horrified by the sight.
You spin away from the scene and begin to blindly run away. You violently push through the foliage, fighting to get as far away as you can.
What you saw… how could that have happened? What could have caused that?
You trip over a knotted root and come tumbling to a halt. Stunned, you lay there for a moment. As your breathing slows you hear the crackling of the leaves behind you.
Something was there and it was coming towards you. The ground is soft, cold and loose beneath your hands, you sink into it a bit as you struggle to raise yourself from the leaf strewn carpet. Your left ankle now refuses to take your weight so you rise shakily, precariously balanced on one leg. After glancing around you notice a low hanging branch you can use for support. You latch onto it and continue to stare around helplessly. You can't possibly escape. The creature is almost upon you now, your eyes widen as you stare into its face. There is such hatred in those hot, angry eyes. The jaws full of small daggers open and it lets forth a feral roar as it leaps towards your chest. Your mouth opens but no sound emerges-
You sit upright in bed, a cold sweat covering your skin. The room around you is dark, the only light comes from a thin gap in the curtains through which pours the moonlight. The light passes through the still air and comes to rest against the base of the door.
You stare at the light for a long moment before realizing something is wrong. Something is moving in the light. Darkness is seeping beneath the door. Your eyes widen as you stare at that darkness. Slowly, cautiously, your hand moves towards the lamp on your bedside table.
The light flickers on with a click. The darkness coming beneath the door is not black as you had first thought. Instead it is red, a deep red. It takes you a moment but eventually you recognize it for what it really is.
Blood, the darkness is blood. The pool continues to grow.
You can only stare on in shock.