Apocalypse: Tales of the Phoenix Days

It is Friday, February 21, 2020. 

A massive volcano in the Pacific has erupted, sending thousands of millions of gallons of water sweeping across the ocean in a tremendous Tsunami.
The Hawaiian Islands have been obliterated by the single titanic volcano, the surrounding islands and the inland united states sleeps as their watery assassin sweeps toward them.

At 12:23 AM, Hawaiian Time, on February 21, 2020, Honolulu is nothing but a fiery crater to a massive volcano.

At 2:51 AM PST, the entire pacific coast was on high alert, a massive evacuation had been issued, for all inhabitants to move as far east as Arizona, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.
All Televisions and radios were reports of a massive eruption in the Pacific, having obliterated the Hawaiian Islands, and warnings of a potentially massive tsunami headed toward the west coast.
Other reports were on the tsunami itself, reportedly being thousands of feet high.

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Apocalypse:

Tales of the

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Familiarity to Be Lost
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Amanda was online, playing casual games between cooking and watching TV in the background, when she noticed the breaking news interruption.
She stopped playing the computer and watched, making sure to keep an eye on the food in the pot on the stove.
It was spaghetti.

Television could be heard: "- and the volcano is three HUNDRED miles in diameter, it just came up without warning and obliterated the islands-" Mandy turned up the TV and called her daughter out, who had been in her old room on her own computer.
Meg called back that she was busy and would be out in a minute.
TV louder: "- the blast was so intense that it spawned a huge crater where Honolulu once stood, the resulting tidal waves are tremendous, they appear to be well over 500 feet high."
Reports went on like this on every channel, and Mandy went back to cooking until she heard a report about the tidal wave itself, by this time, Megan had come out of her room.
"What did you want?" Meg asked. Amanda just pointed to the TV, and turned it up more.
TV: "we've just got an evacuation notice for the ENTIRE Pacific coast, so far inland as Idaho, apparently the tidal wave is just massive, we have been patched to an international research institute for Tsunamis:"
"~ah, and the tsunami is breaching 2100 feet, uh, it is showing no signs of slowing, in fact, it continues to grow. uh, we will have to stress that all inhabitants of the pacific states evacuate at least to the next state over, if not further, as we predict the tsunami will be over 4 thousand feet high by the time it reaches the coastline."

"Holy FUCK!" Came Meg's excited concern. "We need to get out of here! OH MY GOD! ALL MY STUFF! MY HOUSE!!" She ran back to her bedroom and began packing, muttering curses to herself, while Amanda stared at the TV in disbelief.








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An African Awakening
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Date: February 21st 
Time: 3:15 PM, Tanzania from (+12 hours from pacific time)
Journal entry #593 

I just heard the news that a tsunami had Hit The U.S. islands and charging towards the mainland. Many of my fellow soldiers rejoice with gunshots and bonfires that earth mother finally rebels against U.S. pollution and global tyranny....
Their government may be corrupt...but most governments are....and all those people...Such a waste of life. I had shed a tear when i heard the news; first time in two decades i believe.
Oh Mola, why do I feel such pain? Is it a symbol or a coincidence that my nightmares start weeks before this rebellion of the Earth mother? Why is it that few people realize the Great desert Sahara grows larger, claiming more farmland by the day? Why is it that my countrymen grow more ravenous for blood and outlandish humanistic pleasures?
I have a deep fear that i will crave such lust in time...I would rather fight to the death before such ignorance claims my soul.
One day I pray that... 


Mizuka was interrupted by a fellow soldier barging through his barrack door and stumbling in with a 1/2 empty bottle of whiskey in one hand, and a AK47 in the other.
"Hey Mizuka, How goes the writing? You documentin our Military suc....suc....Succcess? or maybe about your *burp* FEEEEEeelllings??
"I'm just writing a little bit of..........Poetry, Eru, Nothing special." Mizuka replied.
"WHAT?! HUH?! Poetry??...............uhh...Whatever man.... Here" Eru stumbled towards him, handing out the alcohol.
"No thanks, you know i don't drink" Mizuka denied in slight disgust. "Go ahead and drink the rest for me....You deserve it"

"NOW YOUR TALKIN!" Eru Cheered and marched out the door and walked towards the crowd while chugging the whiskey and firing off the AK47 in the air.
"dont these fools know, what goes up must come down.....Mola Save them.....Mola Save us all..."







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The Wereskinwalker
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Catskill Mountains, New York

Shadow Wolf was hunting for food in the form of a coyote.
It was dark, the sun had gone down hours ago, cloud cover hindered the light of a crescent moon, and a light fog kissed unknown distances in the thickening darkness.
He picked up on the smell of a field rat and followed the scent, sniffing at the ground. Every once in a while he'd pick up his head, sniff the air, and quickly scan the area before returning to sniffing the field rat's trail.
Coming upon a large tree stump, the coyote stopped. The scent had gone underground but it was still close.  Smelling a small opening in the ground near the edge of the stump, Shadow Wolf began digging.
As he did, the form of his body slowly took on that of a wolf, starting at the paws, and working their way up and down the body, ripples of flesh and fur arising upon and subduing within themselves; his head, however, remained that of a coyote.

He dug faster.  Soon, he had found a small colony of rats. They poured out, scattering in droves, and he shifted back fully into a coyote, a modest tuft of fur exploding from his body, shedding some of the wolf fur.
He snapped at the rats, mortally wounding many of them, many more scattering in the distance.  When the rats were gone and he'd "harvested" about 12, he shifted into a Human male.
He swiftly found some nearby materials to make a crude basket, and gathered the rats. He wove some twigs and grass together to make the basket container, and used leaves to hole up the sides and bottom. It was terribly crude, but sturdy, taking about 13 minutes, but the rats weren't going anywhere.
When he had them in his basket, he shifted into a wolf, and picked it up in his mouth and trotted off to find his current den for the night.

A modest cave halfway up the mountains had been serving him well for the last 20 years and he felt content to stay.
Shortly after he arrived, he feasted on most of the rats' carcasses, and slumped down by the wall beside the cave entry, rapidly shifting into a bear, in a blurred heap of putrid flesh and fur on the way down, and fell to sleep upon the thick fur pile that dislodged in such a rapid metamorphosis.

[Shadow Wolf exits his body, and flies into dream state- he was in a strange tunnel like place with an occasional being passing by at amazing speeds. After what felt like an eternity, Wolf had found the exit of this strange tunnel.
It turns out to be a shimmering portal of sorts on the other end. Off in a vast distance of nothingness, Wolf will see a figure; like looking at the other end of the universe and seeing clearly what was, is, and will be there.
His astral body shifted into a swift, and flew speedily toward the figure.

It felt like he was getting nowhere and fast, he felt like he couldn't reach the being no matter how hard he tried.
He flew faster and faster...

Finally, after what felt like an eternal eternity, he closes in rapidly and sees the figure staring into another portal gateway; He looked at it as though it were strange and alien to him. This portal did not resemble the other portal, which Wolf had come out of. This one was strange and almost appeared to be malfunctioning, as if it were an organic machine up of light and energy.]

Shadow Wolf immediately sat up. He felt strange; he looked about and realized he was no longer a bear, but a small bird.
<That's strange, I fell asleep in a bear body... Why am I a bird?>
He ached, and he was sore from the improper position for a bird he was laying in. So he stretched, by shape shifting rapidly into and out of random faces, while stretching. He stopped on the form of a gray wolf, suddenly noticing it was still very dark, and he felt horribly rested as well. On top of that, he was nowhere near his den!

He wondered if he had flown out of the den in his sleep, <This is just utterly peculiar! I have never shape shifted in my sleep in all the millions of years I have been alive!>
He settled down, though still unsettled, uneasy, but more comfortable, and fell back to sleep.







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Twinsoul Half-Troll
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Southeastern Montagol, the neutral world between Troll and Elf Territory

Gaymi and Guyanne are just settling down for a late dinner- consisting of tubers, bark, berries, in a weak herbal soup. Guyanne coughed something under her breath; "cough crap, cough cough..."
Gaymi tensed, but suppressed his anger.
Guyanne teased him. Smiling cute like; mocking him, she said "You sure know how to make good berries though!" Gaymi growled, sensing his sister's intentions to trip him up. "Laugh it up," he said, "while i allow you to live."
Guyanne rolled her eyes, "says you." she slurped down her soup, and grimaced theatrically. "I almost hope you poisoned this, it tastes that bad..." She giggled, but Gaymi hit her over the head with the wooden spoon.
He broke the spoon.
Without skipping a beat, "Oh way to go Nimrod! Now we have to carve another one!" Guyanne teased some more. "Correction, dear sister, YOU have to carve another one." Gaymi responded, not skipping any more beats.
He smirked, Guyanne gasped, "well i am appalled! How dare you-" interrupting, he started to lose his cool, "Hey! YOU insulted my cooking; YOU can carve the new spoon!" Gaymi tried to suppress his temper.
"The least you could do is find me a stick" Guyanne pouted.
Gaymi rolled his eyes. Sighing, he yawned a little, saying "Come on, let's find shelter, or prepare camp..." Gaymi started to suggest.
However, as he conducted his thoughts, the ground began to shake. Gently at first but gradually more vigorous, and then rapidly more violent. "Earthquake!" Guyanne shrieked. "NO SHIT SHERLOOOOOCK!" Gaymi said, as the world opened up beneath them both like a living mouth; closing as if to chew and swallow.

They fell into a shallow underground river which had been torn apart immediately by the quake. Most of the water had fallen into cracks and holes torn open from the activity, there were spots above that shone through to the surface providing minimal air in their claustrophobic confinements, but the foul haze that seemed to seep up from below, and enshroud them, made difficult the task of breathing.

Before they could regain their senses, more earth and rock came tumbling on top of them. <shit!> Gaymi thought <15 feet under the earth, and getting buried! This I just KNOW I NEED>
<Shut up> Came Guyanne's thoughts on top of his. <... and start digging.> She finished.








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CNN is now the only television program running in America; An advisory warning is issued every hour not to use any recreational equipment that utilizes the television, keeping it free, and on at all times, for important news updates.

"At 3:00 this morning, Japan issued a late evacuation notice due to the largest tsunami recorded in history; we are unsure the current state of Japan. All communications have been lost and it..."

"... and most of the west coast will be destroyed by a tsunami that topped every record ever made. Around 4:20 AM, Japan issued..."

"... an estimated 10% of West Australia will be flooded, as a giant wave erupted from Hawaii. Australian Prime Minister remains silent..."

"... Antarctic research station feels the shockwave. It gently brings in an unusually low tide;  scientists unsure of effects on the arctic ice, evacuation posted for..."

Ever since taking over the United States airways, every channel was a different CNN report, covering all the different areas the tsunami had traveled and hit.

In Japan...

At 7:50 AM, just 7 minutes after the eruption, Japan was issuing a national evacuation. They issued a national SOS and requested that china evacuate to the west, requesting that they house [the] Japanese refugees...

2160 minutes remain... 36 hours before Japan and parts of east Asia will be under water.







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Rank
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Date: February 22
Time: 10:34 AM 
Journal entry #594 

I had a great lack of sleep, for the festivities went well into the night. Bonfires rose as high as 13 feet with the sound of gunfire and yells echoing throughout the valley. From a traveler’s point of view one would assume that a village was being ravaged by demons. The energy of my comrades are nearly as stagnate as their foul breath and it saddens me greatly. The Commander shows a great lack of leadership and strategic skills and its infuriating. Mola, I do not question your love for me, but your logic in drafting me to such a forsaken place is beyond my comprehension. 

Abruptly, Mizuka sat up and walked out of barrack and gazed towards the smoldering bonfires that still billowed out black smoke in the air. A signal that death approaches he assumed. Broken barrels and cups scattered everywhere just like the intoxicated bodies that lay before them. Out of frustration, Mizuka punched the aluminum barrack wall, and to his surprise, it left a large indent of his fist.
“This is just asinine; I’ve had enough….”
“There’s only one place that a pig like him could be” he thought. Past the bonfires, past the broken liquor barrels, past the tents and into the lions den itself…the commander’s quarters.
A heavily barricaded bunker that you couldn’t break with a cannon ball; yet alone an armada of bullets. 5 inch thick titanium door and the commander’s personal elite guards inside.
He walked up to the bunker’s entrance, knocked a few times… only a faint sound from within. After opening the door he knew he would regret it. The stench was horrendous…Smoke (with a smell foreign to Mizuka) appeared as fine smog drifted from a door that led to Commander’s quarters.
Out came a slender woman from a nearby village. As she walked past Mizuka, She glanced up, licked her lips and tried to fix her smeared makeup, glanced down at her small wad of silver coins and scurried off. In the back room sat Commander Re’mal, glassy eyed and drooling just as if he woke from a dream.

“Sir, I need to speak with you promptly. I have a few concerns”. Mizuka woke Commander Re’mal from his stupor. He Twitched and quickly zipped his pants. “What is it Private Mizuka? Cant this wait?”
“No Commander, this can't. When are the supplies going to be dropped in? This is the 7th week you said they would be here, and they haven’t showed. We are running low on food, clean water, Ammunition and we virtually have no Armor.” Mizuka contended trying to regain his composure. “Besides these predicaments, I don’t think it was the best idea having a celebration of that magnitude when we are still trying to defeat the rebels. I think we are losing our priorities sir.”

“First off…A great offense is a good defense… therefore we don’t need armor. When we come to the enemy, we can just steal theirs and problem solved. The supply wagons…..err….They will be here when they fucking get here, so stop your bitching.”
The commander's so-called retaliation; getting pissed only for losing his buzz. “Besides Pri-vate, if you forgotten, YOU were the one that were dishonorably demoted to my platoon; so you have no room to speak your bullshit to me. Didn’t your whore of a mother teach you to know your place?”
The only thought in Mizuka’s mind was how sweet it would be to snap his neck but could only savor gritting his teeth. “Commander Re’mal…sir with all due respect…I…”

Nostrils flared, “Respect?” As Re’mal quickly interrupted Mizuka’s words, “What the FUCK do you know of respect? You barge in here as I am trying to relax with my Blun…I mean Cigar- and question my authority? I should have you shot for your insolence…OFFICER DAUIN! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!”
“Yes Commander Re’mal SIR!” said the half conscious officer.  Remal gestured, “Does Mizuka here…look like a traitor to you?” placing the gun on his desk to show his superiority.  “Ye… Yes sir he does seem a little suspicious not enjoying himself with the other men and being cooped up in the barracks sir…”   The officer, of course, was mainly paying attention to the gun on the Commander’s desk than Mizuka; just praying that he doesn’t get his question wrong.
Commander Re’mal, now content, “As I assumed…Private Mizuka…you may go.” deliberately pausing a moment “and if you ever question my authority again… I will be sure to shoot you myself. Is that understood?”

“…Understood… Sir… I need to get some air anyway” He promptly walked out of the room and slammed the door shut.

After Mizuka left, Commander Re’mal took out and relit his cylindrical object. “That little prick of a private… Officer Dauin, Be sure to have some of our men keep an eye on him.... And be sure to inform them that there may be a spy among us; that'll show that little punk... By the way, would you care to partake in this wonderful 'contraband' I confiscated?”  Dauin, slightly hesitant “What’s in it sir?”
“Don’t be a bitch, its mostly just stuff the natives around here call ‘mystical shavings’ added with some weed and laced with a few narcotics for an added effect. Guaranteed to keep you ‘pain free’ for a few days.” He laughed aloud.
“Err…No thank you sir; I am still kind of buzzed from that whiskey last night, but thanks anyway”. Officer Dauin left to nap again.

“Fine, fuck off then; more for me anyway…” Re’mal was pleased and content… “Damn my crotch is itchy…”








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Salty Conspiracy Nuts
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Approximately 127 miles outside of NYC in the Catskill Mountains
Inside his home, watching television, Roy Hennisin is glued to the news, at the edge of his seat.

His large cabin in the Catskill Mountains is filled with equipment Roy uses to monitor conspiracies, which he suspects plague the United States.

Well off the beaten path, he also grows marijuana on his 15 acre property. 90% of the property is undeveloped and forestry land, the remaining 10% is dedicated to his oversized log cabin, and 'bomb shelter'-grow room. His cabin, near the front of the property, 3 miles back from Carl Road, four miles out from Hunter, could not be seen by any means other than satellite or air, without stepping on his property and traveling at least 100 yards.
The bomb shelter was smack dab in the center of his property; however after 13 years of seemingly nonstop effort, Roy had managed to tunnel in to his house. But, paranoid as ever, Roy is, he dared not reveal this tunnel, let alone the shelter where he grew his illegal plants; He did not connect his cabin to the tunnel, despite how easily he could have concealed a tunnel access point. Rather, he made the tunnel stop short 50 yards from the house, tucked into the mouth of the woods, concealed by low brush, rock, and vines.
Roy, so inebriated in his own conspiracy theories, has 12 monitors in his living space, all connected to a channel or web site that streams current affairs of 12 different branches of New York state politics.

But right now, only one monitor is alight. Only one channel has Roy's attention.
On the news, an average reporter face reads off a new international threat:
China has declared war on the United States and implied an Asian alliance.

Every once in a while Roy would interject something directed at the TV, even though he, debatably, knew no one was listening to him, let alone anyone around to hear him.
Things like "I knew them fuckers was serious when they said they'd nuke us!" Roy spoke and "THIS is why I have a BOMB shelter!" as well as a few curses directed at Asia in general.

Now Roy wasn’t generally racist, or hateful toward any particular group of people, but his father had raised him in an attempt to teach him "how all Asians are nothin' but a bunch of back stabbin' slaves gone thrown loose".
Roy didn’t particularly agree with his father, but he was quick to take up this hate after watching 4 solid hours of CNN reports of the new Chinese threat.

The United States of America's new Axis of Evil.

Something outside stirred in the bushes and Roy jumped out of his seat, spilling his half empty beer on the hardwood floors. He vulgarly cursed god as he took a brief glimpse at his spilled beer. He got up and peeked around the TV, out the window behind, to see if anything was out there. As he approached the window -noticing how dark it had gotten since he first sat down to watch TV 4 hours ago- a humming bird zipped by, again startling Roy, but not so much to make him jump.
He peered out, searching, looking for anything askew.
A rabbit hopped past his clear-cut line, some 80 feet out on the backside of his property, into the mouth of the woods. It was being chased by what appeared to be a fox of some sort, dipping in and out of the woods, encircling the clearcuttings.
Peering out, Roy saw something strange about the fox, namely its darker fur, and longer body. In fact, it appeared to be well over 3 times longer than the average fox!
Roy stared out in astonishment, watching the rabbit run the fox around the makeshift lumberyard. Something about the fox kept changing, something so subtle, and yet so blatantly obvious. Roy couldn’t take his eyes off the fox like creature.
The rabbit pulled closer to the house, and suddenly Roy realized that the fox was almost liquid!

It was constantly fluctuating like one might expect a creature made of water might, and for the first time since Roy gave audience to the fox-rabbit chase, he noticed the sleek shine of the fox-thing's body.
The rabbit, now only 7 yards from his house, suddenly stopped running, and did something that stopped Roy's heart for a moment. The rabbit turned to face the fox, staring it down.
"Oh my god…!" Roy uncontrollably thought out loud. He backed up a step when, suddenly, the rabbit grew and the fox solidified.
He stepped close to the window, exclaiming, "What the hell...?!" Roy's breathing pace accelerated, he began to sweat rapidly, watching the supernatural hallucination in disbelief.
 
He quickly backed away from the window to search his house.




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Ancient Children
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“WHHOOOOOOH! That was FUN!” Shouted the rabbit, as Kligtik took on a more human-like form.  Actually, he was morphing into a werehare, so as to maintain the rabbit features, but still give old Roy a spook.
The fox, now more like a snake, stood up. Hen was dripping wet, and stood erect. She had become a wereserpent, which resembled a wingless dragon with an elongated neck and tail. "You got away this time, but let's see you take on a weresnake! But no morphing again! You fight me strictly as a werebunny!"
"I’m a werehare! There’s a difference between a hare and bunny! Dip shit."

They laughed, and jumped at one another. Hen tried to bite Kligtik, and nipped his elongated left ear. He jumped away, back flipping, then lowered himself to the ground, preparing to do a flying front flip kick.
Hen was used to his tactics, so much so that she could see what he was preparing from a mile away. She knew from here he would do a flying flip kick followed by a head butt attempt, guarded with an uppercut. He wasn’t a good fighter as far as human martial arts were concerned, but as an animal, he was more vicious than the Lycanwalker gang.

Suddenly there was a loud bang of the back door flying open, followed by an even louder shot as Roy fired his shotgun toward Hen and Kligtik.








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Game Theory
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Teflon runs around side an abandoned building, gripping his fully automatic machine gun. his partner close behind him, repairing a his wounds, suddenly fires a shot past him. He sees the enemy and fires several short bursts from his high recoil gun. The Doctor runs past him, and picks up the kit their common opponent dropped upon death.
"I'm going sniper." Bent Needle tells him.
"No, don't, I need my doctor!" Turd shouts back.
Dr_Bent_Needle nods, and runs back to heal him. "I'll try to pick them off from behind you then, but try not to die again!"
Teflon Turd nods.
Suddenly a high pitched whistling sound is heard, and both team mates are blown into the air by artillery.

"Dammit! i didn't see that one coming!" Rick laughs, as he picks a new spawn point.
"Damn! they have almost all the flags! let's get them! north east corner!"

Richard and his father are playing Battlefield 2 late at night/early morning, getting their ranks up.
Tom has the phone upstairs in the "game room", as he was using it for errands earlier and never took it back down and hung it up. It begins ringing. The caller ID says "Felling, Amanda" and Tom answers it. "Hello hello," he says in a cheerful voice, "what's happening?" he finishes his greeting.
He listens to Mandy for several minutes, his expression slowly changing from excitement and joy to sudden dread.
Rick, shot and killed again, looks over from his computer screen, frustrated that his squad mate wasn't there, and wonders what's going on.
His interest in the war at Karkand is suddenly extinguished.

"What? What happened? Who is it?" he asks.
Tom turns off the phone and jumps out of his chair. This was very unusual, in fact down right WRONG.
James Richard Felling's father is never this energetic unless it's something important, and he has never even BEEN this energetic, to Rick's recollection.
Tom runs to the bedroom and turns on the TV. He changes the channel to CNN.
"- west coast immediately, I repeat, evacuate the west coast immediately. Wake your neighbors, and spread the news; the entire west coast is hereby being evacuated effective immediately. The massive tsunami cannot be braved, it WILL destroy the west coast and some of the inland states."

Rick had walked in just in time to catch the mention of a devastating tsunami.  "What the hell-?" no pause, "Your mom called just in time, she said a tidal wave is coming and we need to get as far east as we can, NOW. Start packing the computers!!!”  Tom was very frustrated and angry, running back to his machine and turning it off without shutting down properly.
Richard shut down his computer and unplugged everything.
They ran down stairs and started packing the van. Refund, a dog Tom had adopted when he was still just the runt of his litter, was barking mad outside, and had been for a few hours, but only now did either of the two men realize the nature of his frantic warning shouts.  They exchanged glances, then loaded the computers into the van in the back, behind the last seat, and lead Refund into the car.

"I'll meet you at Mc Donalds, Jim. Go make an ass of yourself and wake up the neighborhood. I'm gonna get Nicholas up and save his ass." Tom laughed at the end, still able to find a sense of humor.
Tomas sped off, and Rick started hollering at the top of his lungs, running across the street, banging on every door.

At the other end of the street, where the sheriff lived, several other people were already up and evacuating or warning others along with the sheriff waking people as well.
After everyone on the block was out of their homes, Rick told the sheriff he couldn't hang around to help, but would go down the back of the street and finish up on his way out.
It had taken 20 minutes to get everyone awake, and Rick desperately wanted to get back to his father and get the hell out of state, although the thought of leaving the beautiful Pacific Northwest pained his heart.

He ran up the street to the main road and turned right, straight toward the fast food joint, his objective destination.

As he reached the intersection stop light just before the restaurant, a white van sped past and turned the intersection, halting very abruptly. It was Tom, he had seen Rick running toward the Mc Donalds. Tom opened the door for his son, and yelled to get in. Rick ran for the door and jumped in. Tom sped off before Rick could even close the door.

Nicholas was close behind and had already sped off ahead of them, slowing only just enough for Tom to catch up.

"We're going to go to Wyoming." Tom ordered more than stated. "It's the closest definite safe zone. Just past the Rockies." Rick merely nodded. Refund was finally calm, as he knew they were going to be safe now. Refund believed he had saved the day with his barking, and fell happily asleep in the farthest back seat, proud of his accomplished warning cries.

By 3:30 PM, roughly 12 hours after the tsunami started across the pacific, roughly 12 hours after Richard and his father abandoned their home in Salem, Oregon, they made port at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.
Refund was just awakening in the back seat. <i wonder where we are> *sniff sniff* <this still smells like the car, where are we now, cars dont just stand still> Refund, curious as ever stirred around the back.
"Refund, knock it off!" Tom scolded, as refund bumped around the computer hardware. Refund whined back <oops im sorry, im sorry> and proceeded to lie down. <i wonder where we are>

Stopping at a diner after their 12 hour eastbound drive, they decided to fill up on some easy food before starting off for another insomniac trek, into the mountains. Inside, the air was thick of the scent of coffee. Which smelled much better than it tasted, as Tom was about to find out.
One out of the 3 waitresses tended to the pair and sat them at a table facing the van parked outside. "What'll it be fellas?" she asked, more anxious to get the work done and over with than to serve her customers.
"I'll have a coffee, and... Jim?" Tom jumpped in.
"Ah, I'll have waffles if they're good." Rick responded, following shortly after with "and an orange juice."

The waitress nodded as she wrote down coffee, OJ, and waffles, smiled cordially, and left for the kitchen, shouting the order to the back.

Rick stretched his arms and sighed. "God, I can't fucking believe all this shit is happening so suddenly, and out of the blue!"
Tom chuckled in his normal disrespectful sounding manner and followed with "I just can't believe we made it out alive!" followed by a laugh that implied he thought he was saying something meaningful and important, ever more so important than anything anyone else could have said.

Though he meant well, Tom is, and always was, proud to be an asshole, to the point of being an asshole about it. Rick loved that trait of his, just as much as he hated it. You either loved him or you hated him, and James Richard loved his father, not because he truly cared about him a whole lot, that too of course, but moreover that he enjoyed observing his knee-jerk behavior with a passion. Rick often hated dealing with him, listening to him as he paraded his dim insights like they were treasures of golden wisdom to him, but couldnt help but look back on such times and smile at his father's silly self importance.

While Tom was going on, as he does, about his ever so important, better-than-yours, observation of how they made it out of Oregon, reiterating only 5 times, Rick was looking back on how many other times such one-sided conversations have taken place between them in the past. Rick smiled and laughed, Tom took it as though he were listening intently and appreciated every word, and finally shut up as the food arrived.

Richard looked at his waffles with high expectation and thanked the waitress. Tom rose his cup and nodded, a sign of appreciation as any. He rose the mug to his lips, and stopped to have one last say about how huge the rockies were and how painstaking it would be to traverse them in such haste.
Rick had already buttered his waffle and had half before Tom was done and sipped his hot coffee. He winced, and frowned, but didnt say anything. He didnt like the flavor of the coffee, too weak, watered down a lot.
He liked his coffee black, strong, bitter.

But he didnt complain, caffeine is caffeine after all.

Rick, too, was disappointed in his beverage. the juice was served minute maid in a cup with a peel back foil lid. after vigorously shaking it, drinking a sip, he soon regretted not ordering the coffee. it tasted somehow too sweet, but not like an orange flavor sweetness, but some sort of candy coating.
Yuck.

He drank it anyways, vitamin C was vitamin C.
His waffles were wonderful, his juice, not so appealing.

The waitress that had served them had apparently just received the news of the disasters of the far west, and beckoned them to the TV in the corner of the small diner, turning up the volume when she reached the set. Tom recognized the footage and took the opportunity to impress that he had already known and, in fact, had come from the west coast, seeking refuge on the other side of the mountains.
On the TV, a helicopter reported the disaster from the skies above the wave.
TV: "The Wave is tremendous! It has been picking up speed since Hawaii, plowing over the west coast like nothing, not slowing! NEVER have we seen anything like this! This is just a monstrous wave! I can see homes, apartments, eight story office buildings, decimated by the waves tremendously violent force! at this rate we'll be looking at beach front property in Arizona!"
The waitress let out a soft, but shrill, gasp. "I have family in Arizona! I better call them!"

With that, she left through a door marked 'employees only'.

Rick was completely oblivious of the commotion. Tom was engaged in story with another patron, still working down his coffee flavored water.
When Rick finished his meal, he opened up a nearby menu and checked the prices of the juice, coffee, and waffles. he calculated the price to roughly $13.00, and left $15.00 on the table.

"C'mon old man time. I dont want to wait for the water to hit Idaho, let's get going. Your coffee's in a Styrofoam cup, you can take it with us."
Tom chuckled "That's my son, Jim, there. Yeah, he's a good kid." Rick was already leaving the diner.

He waited in the van for 37 seconds before Tom left behind him. He pointed to his watch urgently, hoping his father would get the message to get on out some time like now.

In the front seat, ignition turned, Tom laughed, "You dont have anything to worry about, the wave couldn't be that close! It's just water, relax. No; we need to get going, I know, but I'm sure a stop for some food wont ruin the whole trip!"
Rick mentally rolled his eyes, though his eyes remained fixed on the road ahead of them.
"Yeah, I know." he said plainly.

<where are we, did you get food, I smell food, boy am im hungry.> Refund said to everyone, which, of course, was interpreted as a series of whines, muted woofs, moans, and grunts.

Refund was IMPOSSIBLY old for a golden retriever, somewhere around the 29 year mark, but amazingly happy, despite his near deafness, and formerly injured & sensitive leg.

Richard grinned at Refund. The diner conveniently used paper plates, so Rick hadnt needed to ask for a to-go box, and slid the last half of waffle off of the plate into refund's mouth. "i guess i can spoil you this once." he said.

<ooh! thank you thank you!>








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She's no Demon
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East Asia: Japan, T- 17 hours till impact

Japanese militia work fervently to scuttle the entire mainland to evacuation boats and choppers. Much of the Japanese fishermen have converted to rescue aide. Large ships line the coast off Tokyo, new militia guiding the population on to crab and fishing boats in pattern.

On an island in south Japan, however, inhabitants are largely unaware of the impending threat of tidal wipeout.

On one such island, a rare survivor of a prehistoric breed of humanoid awakens late in the day...

Her name is Oni, she is not only a rare species to walk the earth, believed to be pure fantasy or extinct -depending on who you ask- she is also a rare breed of Ogre, more intelligent, outwardly aware, and self conscious than her brethren. She yawns and stretches and tosses and turns while laying in a heap of leaves and evergreen needles finally sitting up and scratching her hind side. She looks around, wondering whats wrong. She feels a sense of severe danger but sees nothing but pristine tranquility around her. Shrugging, more to try to discard the sense of doom than giving up on the thought, she stands up and lumbers toward a nearby stream for her morning bath.

One of the Mansion's attendants greeted her with an urgent shout and a wave as he ran toward her usual haunt.

An American friend of Mr. Kelly, Jonathan Smith was deeply intrigued by Oni, and was always friendly toward her, perhaps even her only friend.

"Hey! Oni!!! We have to go, NOW!" He shouted when he was closer, close enough to accurately be heard. Even still, his voice was quiet as a conversation during funeral services might be. But she heard him clearly, and looked toward him, puzzled.
"Oni!" he shouted, even closer still, "There's a tremendous tsunami headed for Japan! We're going to DIE if we stay here!"
Oni's heart sank, she was confused. Her life mate was coming closer and closer by the mile every minute, and now they had to leave? She frowned, not out of fear, but distaste, and Jonathan recognized it. "What's the matter, dont you want to save yourself from the deadly wave?" He asked.
"Oh.. No, I dont want to die, but..." she bit her lip.

Though she was still bathing, she was not shy. In fact, she had no prospect of modesty or shame, she got out of the water and dressed right in front of Jonathan, as though he werent even there.
Jonathan was not shy either, but still blushed when she rose out of the water. Despite her being an Ogre, Jonathan thought she had a very pretty face and wasnt bothered by her enormous size and weight as most people might be. He turned around and asked "But what? What's bothering you? Let's talk as we walk, or run; if you dont mind carrying me again."

Oni giggled "I dont mind, you're not that heavy."
Jonathan laughed heartily. He was a stout man, working with Stanley at the docks, lifting heavy materials every day, he had developed a strong build while he was young, and still weighed in at 233 pounds of muscle.
"you never cease to amaze me, Oni." As he spoke, she scooped him onto her broad shoulders and took off toward the mansion, but Jonathan halted her. "We must go to the heli-pad, the mansion has already been evacuated." She took a sharp right hand turn and jogged on.

The mansion was a mile away from the heli-pad, because Tenchi had a flair for wide open spaces, and room to move.

Before he fell victim to a large dose of electricity, Tenchi was an active man, despite his age, and practiced Thai-chi daily, as well as continuing his daily regimen of exercise, which included a large amount of jogging. He designed the property so that his jogging would follow a twelve mile path around the mansion to the helipad, the grainery, the windmill, the servants' quarters, and back to the mansion. The windmill was his favorite stop, marked at the longest section of his path at 6 miles, he would often times break his jogging to climb up into the higher reaches of the tower to survey his property.
Now, Oni and her friend Jonathan ran to the helipad as fast as Oni's legs could take them, which was pretty fast. Though her considerable weight was composed largely of fat, muscle was at least 47% of her girth. Ogres possessed a seemingly unnatural amount of strength by comparison to other creatures of ancient pasts, unrecorded by history, and were able to travel relatively fast.

The helipad, ranged at 2 miles from Oni's nature bound stomping ground, was reached in under a minute.

A heavy transport chopper was fueled up and ready to go. It was bought by Tenchi specifically to carry Oni.
Given her tremendous weight, a commercial helicopter would not be able to take off, bearing her, so tenchi payed a hefty sum to design a specialized helicopter capable of bearing a 2000 pound load. The servants had already dispersed in a separate helicopter, all that was left was Jonathan and Oni.

Jonathan climbed aboard first, and extended his hand to Oni, more as a gesture to climb aboard than to really assist her on. "Wait." Oni said, and hugged herself, turning away from Jonathan. "What in the world would we wait for?" he asked, bewildered by her sudden decision to stay and die.
"HE is coming..." she said.







____________________________________
Accusation of Insubordination
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Feelings of weakness and abnormal sensitivity crept within him after walking away from Commander Re'mal like moisture and maggots would develop within a fresh corpse. He noted that it took extra effort to open the door from the inside than It had from the outside; as if the sound proof bunker acted as an abysmal tomb, where the screams of pitiful souls could never escape.

After departing from the miasma filled bunker, the stench of whiskey and urine from his drunken comrades collided into him like a tidal wave assaulting a small beach house. Mizuka winced and and turned his head as if to evade the toxic air and stifling energy, as if the encampment sucked the life marrow from the once fertile ground.
“Sanctuary....i must find sanctuary” was the only thought his weary mind could muster. While Mizuka sprinted through the inebriated crowd, the soldier Eru rolled lethargically onto his back and struggled to point the AK47 muzzle at Mizuka's blurry figure only to once again roll back over to puke and pass out in his own vomit.

Past the broken barrels, and wading through a sea of bullet shells, he wondered if a battle actually occurred here. Its funny how the world seems to provide a different perspective if you slow down and observe things at a different angle. Finally into the barracks, only to realize that the intoxicating smell and heat somehow seeped through the bullet holes and seemed to exacerbate within the confines of the tin walls.
Mizuka held his breath and ran inside, uplifted his bed, grabbed the hidden notebook and pencil and stumbled out before the smell, or heat (for he did not know which was more fatal), made him lose consciousness. After leaving the barrack and placing his items in the front pockets, he contemplated simply running away, for now would be a better time than any... But honor filled his veins and he didn't think he could withstand the burden his family would ensue if he were found and they were told he was a traitor of his country.

“Alright, Just a little exploration.” He mumbled to himself while surveying the lands. “I have no food, no water, and no way of knowing exactly where I am in these parts... only thing to do now is follow the sun.”

After striding through a little valley about a mile east from the camp, he saw a rather expansive forest where, at the border, the trees merged to form an alcove entrance and lush carpet-like grass for Mizuka to follow. It was a warming comfort to glide his hand across tree trunks and caress the leaves as he had done when he was a child. For he had always loved nature and felt at home when surrounded by the stoic giants.
He let his intuition guide him into a clearing with small puddles scattered about a lone tree.
Leaning against the soft bark, the soothing scenery was a much needed blessing. Birds chirping in the distance instead of gunfire, springy grass instead of dried dirt... thus was the closest thing to Heaven; Closing his eyes, Mizuka absorbed the lush greenery.
As his mind began swaying in the sweet aroma of the foliage; he began to find peace within himself once again and let the environment rekindle his weakened spirit. Mizuka crawled to a nearby puddle to drink; Its taste was pure and cool as it flowed down his parched throat. He gazed into his reflection as the water rippled began to slow and realized a falcon was staring hard at him. He recoiled and spotted it on a branch high above him. Its gaze was that of fear and curiosity, as if its vision penetrated deep into his soul.
A gecko spiraled up the tree, though noted for eating small birds... this lizard laid right next to the falcon as they both leer at Mizuka...another piercing gaze into his heart. Shuttering for the 3rd time, he turns and rest against the smooth grooves of a tree. While not 10 yards away from him is an old dog equally fixated on him as the other animals...all from a different species...all with one target in mind; as if Mizuka walked into their home and sat on their couch uninvited.

“If they feared me, then they would have ran away... and if I was a threat, they would have attacked me.... hmm.... Ignore them, only paranoia grows if you worry about them. Now lets see... People spend their lives trying to find paradise... what does one DO after they have found it?” he said aloud while retrieving his dilapidated notebook swarming with thoughts and poetry.

“No, no... Too dreary... Maybe this is a good opportunity to find enlightenment they way Buddha did, under this tree that the animals seem so drawn towards.”

Legs crossed, spine straight, eyes closed, hands folded, slow and deliberate breathing meditation just as his mother taught him. Darkness obscures the vision as the energies of the earth mother dance elegantly into his root chakra. Balanced and poised within the slender space of his conscious and subconscious mind is where peace can be cultivated.
While wandering within the depths of his subconscious, Mizuka's awareness begins to pulsate as if he were a butterfly in a vibrating cocoon..... not quite feeling the pulsations physically... but aware of their presence as if the very air was quivering around him.
The pulsations become more frequent and intense with each passing moment until they become an ongoing stream of tremors within the mind. From the darkness, faint colors can be seen in the distance followed by inaudible voices. What at first tends to only be abstract noises floating in a sea of prolonged muffled buzzing, laggardly progresses into speech... not Swahili, English or any other human linguistic format... but something all together foreign yet easily comprehended through rhythmic thoughts and patterns.

“no tou..ch.this one.....special”
“we move now...stay you...guard”
“ascension ..soon come...small one..”

Darkness engulfed the obscure colors as quickly as they had materialized into existence. Mizuka sat perplexed within himself contemplating what had just transpired.... had he fallen asleep and dreamed it? Or perhaps the stirring of some untapped creature from within the forsaken bowels of his mind? No matter, maybe with luck, the colors will reoccur so he can benifit much more from his auspicious visitors.

As if the blinking into a new frame of view, Mizuka's awareness eases from the transfigured darkness onto the exterior of a cottage encompassed by thick pine trees on all sides. He began creeping into the quaint building with door wide open to find a large mirror facing a couch in the living room. Mizuka spun around the room ready to go back outside only to notice a cadaver.
Slumped against an adjacent wall under a windowsill, it lay with multitude of bullet wounds to the chest and head, shrouded behind a child's paper mask. Apparently a bald male that didn't even have a chance to react by the looks of the body positions. Must have been a soldier of some sort by the looks of his tattered clothes and dog tag. Leaning down, he put 2 fingers to his lips, and eased them onto the corpse's head as a sign to signify safe travels.

“I pray you find rest weary traveler. You poor soul... No one deserves a mask over their head as they die. Unjust and dishonorable to dehumanize the dead.”
Untying the strings, Mizuka carefully removed the mask, as to pay as much respect as possible only to drop it and stumble back with sheer terror into the open door as it smacked hard against the wall with a hollow echo throughout the cottage; for shaking violently, he stared into the face of his dead body.

“Dear Mola, what kind of witchcraft IS THIS?!”

“Oh good! You've decided to join us! I was afraid you wouldn't make it”

Mizuka sighed at the familiar voice. Standing erect while shifting away from the daunting figure and replied... “I remember now...I figured I had banished you...5 years of absence...what do you want this time?” as he contorted his head to face his nemesis. “my doppelganger...”

Facing the mirror the doppelganger with the distorted face gripped the AK47 in hand and replied, “you see brother, A new age will blossom forth shortly after the dusk horizon. Our souls were once intertwined before that whore of a mother ripped us apart. I request this audience so that you join with us. I dont expect an answer now, but just know that the offer is on the table. You see brother...Within the following week, this world will be crippled into chaos, Darkness across the realms have gathered together and with you on our side... we cant lose.”

Facing the doorway, Mizuka replied “I am no longer your brother, You have chosen your way as I have chosen mine. I see you have dispatched the guardian to keep you within this prison. But no matter, if the shadows of oblivion creep upon my doorstep then I will be there to smite thee. You will Not destroy the nature within my soul or on this existance.”
“I see....Always the difficult route with you...such a blind fool. Darkness and light are simply 2 sides of the same coin. You live in a palace while I live in poverty. You are secure while I am shackled. The balance of this world WILL Change....and if you are not my ally in this claim for freedom...” The stranger pauses to lift the automatic muzzle at Mizuka's head, “Then you will Die an enemy in a fate worse than your pawn over there. I will see you IN HELL!” He spun quickly and shot at the mirror as Mizuka, feeling the hot rounds puncture into his torso, collapses near the doorway.

“NO!” Mizuka twitched violently from the sanctity of the tree to find a large crow pecking at his chest where the imaginary bullet wounds lay as if it were the devourer of hopes and dreams. The crow arched its beak, pecked his forehead and cawed menacingly as it flapped away to disturb someone else's nightmares.

“Oh.... just a dream...thank Mola...”
Hearing a scream in the distance and automatic fire startled him greatly....but his heart felt at ease when he envisioned that one of the drunken fools woke from a stupor still holding their gun and demanding for more alcohol; so he dismissed it as quickly as it had occurred.
Raising to his feet once more, Mizuka scanned the area to find that of the 3 animals, only the dog remained gazing at him intently. Dusk was arriving along the horizon as if the sun was uttering its obituary prior to being eternally snuffed out from existence. How many hours had passed? It had been mid-day when he departed on his trek from that wasteland yet it seems that time eluded him once again.

“So,” talking to the dog while brushing himself off, “seems like your friends are gone... It looks like its just you and me.” the dog just cocked his head to the side and licked his face as it sat in silent obedience.
“Thanks for keeping me company... But if the people I hang around with found you.... they would probably torture you for their sick fun... or eat you... most likely both; so best to lay low for a while until my unit leaves. Well I am off, take care of yourself.” The dog nodded his head in understanding and Mizuka stared pondering if the dog just acknowledged him. But the dog wandered off into the brush before he could hypothesize his thoughts.

Striding with a renewed sense of peace and prosperity, Mizuka began seeking his way out of the glorious forest... for no matter what conflicts may arise, he knew he would be able to travel to this safe haven for his mind to rejuvenate. Tracking his own footprints in the nocturnal hours of dusk, he begins to find his bearings in the lush wilderness and into the clearing of the alcove of trees only to be greeted by an ambush of gun muzzles surrounding his every angle. Mizuka raises his arms slowly while peering into the eyes of nearly two dozen hungover soldiers....
angry... delusional... trigger happy. A beautiful end to a perfect day.

A cry from the distance as the soldiers laggardly paced a few yards backwards with the front flanks on one knee... cross hairs still drawn on Mizuka's vital organs. Execution maneuver.. where the soldiers pace back a small distance to crouch down so everyone has a chance to fire at once. So if their target does act from instinct, they have plenty of time to react with gunfire.
Cursing while marching through the crowd and past the front lines. Eru addresses him with a clean left hook, unholsters his pistol and presses it heavily against Mizuka's shaven forehead.

“WHERE...IS...MY...COUSIN!” Barked Eru.
Mizuka shifted his eyes towards the direction of the voice “How should I know? I never knew you had a cousin.”
“Zuga walked into these woods about half an hour ago... we hear scream and gunfire....we come here and we find you.”
Eru started tugging at Mizuka's tattered shirt. “WHERE IS HE!”
Mizuka reasoned, "I have no idea anyone was around here, I was resting near a tree."
“So you 'DIDNT' hear Zuga scream?” Eru stampered.
"I heard a yell and gunfire, I thought someone wanted to continue the festivities of the previous night.”

“He LIES!” several men squawked in the armed mob.
Eru chucked and retorted “There's a BIG difference between a blood curdling scream and a cheerful yell that even a child could notice.... Whats this?” grasping the notebook in Mizuka's pocket and tossing it towards the crowd.
Mizuka shifted from one side to the other, “Its only Poe..”
“SHUT UP! If its poetry then you have nothing to worry about. If not...then you're in a hornet's nest of trouble.” Eru interrupted

Light crackle as the paper book smacks into the hands of a nearby soldier.
“Hey....I cant read this shit....can you guys?”
Officer Dauin, Commander Re'mal's henchmen and spokesman, the cockroach of the unit, walked to the front and snatched the book from the hands of another. “You idiot, its in Spanish.... What's a soldier in the great Tanzanian Army know about Spanish writing?" Muted grunts scurried up from the gang.

“You guys been noticing how Mizuka here has been really distant from us? You know... he was demoted to us for disobeying direct order... and earlier today he was bitched out from The Commander.... I dont know about you fine gentlemen, but I smell a spy” Dauin finished with a smirk painted on his deceptive face.
The soldiers became restless and angry as if that was the final rock thrown at the hornets nest.... trouble dawned on Mizuka like the shadow of a tsunami before the inevitable crash. It was never the aftermath... rarely the storm... but it was the waiting, the choking tension building up...
That was the worst.

“Fuck this, Ive heard enough of this traitor” Eru raised his pistol high in the moon lit sky and smacked Mizuka in the back of the head. Falling into oblivion, all that could be heard was the vacant thud as he smacked the soft grass and being drug by the ankles in the direction of the camp, back to hell.







____________________________________
Twilight Road
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They had stopped briefly outside Boise just 3 hours ago, had a short meal, and hit the road again.

Most of the ride was in silence. Both travelers were in shock at the idea of what has been going on since twilight hours. What of the Tsunami? Why arent the radio stations reporting more about it? The major content of the western radio was emergency evacuation reports, but no news, no information regarding the speed and location of the Tsunami.

Rick finally broke the silence. "You think it's a hoax?" There was a pause, an almost awkward silence started in just as Richard added "I mean, the radio isnt telling us more than get the fuck out of dodge, but... you dont-"
"NAH! It couldnt be, they wouldnt run the radio like a GAME, JIM. People arent THAT stupid, I mean, I know you THINK-" the emphasis he placed on 'think' made Richard cringe "that everyone is dumber than you, but they're NOT."

"YEAH, I know THAT," Rick said, cutting in so as to shut his father up. "But the way they arent telling anyone about the actual tsunami is rather disturbing. I don't KNOW, I was merely speculating, 'what if?' I mean, it could be just as simple that they have converted all available resources to rescue services and evacuation efforts, but STILL, I'd LIKE to know what the fuck is going on to my home state!"
Tom just laughed "Yeah I know pal, I know."
Back to silence. Rick actually preferred it now. He was GRATEFUL for it.
Rick checked on refund in the back.
Refund licked his crotch vigorously.

Now, just barely 3 miles outside Blackfoot, Idaho, Tom started getting drowsy on Interstate 15. Rick didnt like to drive, but offered to take over the wheel anyways.
They pulled off the freeway into Blackfoot, and stopped at a convince store.
Tom went in to get some cigarettes and Pepsi for himself, and a Gatorade for "Jim" while Rick scooted over to the driver's side of the van.
Refund had fallen asleep after his energetic crotch licking, just 2 hours ago.
Tom entered the car, handed over the Gatorade, tilted back his seat, and lit a cigarette. Rick rolled down his window.
After Tom put out his cigarette and passed out, Rick sighed, partly out of relief, partly out of contentment.  He rather enjoyed the turn of events, Strange as it might seem to another person, the enjoyment of a major disaster would have been wrong, but to Richard...

Rick lived for this moment. He knew, just KNEW that he wouldnt be alive right now, what so ever, without a genuinely good reason to be.  He knew he should be dead if there wasnt a tremendous reason for him not to be.

He just knew... surviving the end of the world had a lot to do with his existence on earth.







____________________________________
To Initiate Awakenings
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A cave high in the Catskills

Shadow Wolf Had awakened again, later during the day than usual.
He looked back on his dreams...

[Wolf peered at the strange figure for some time, and then the portal the figure was staring at.
He examined the portal close up. it seemed to be just fine, with the exception of it's irregular patterns dissimilar to the other portals Wolf's seen before.
he put a hand through it, it felt no different either. he entered it, and woke up]

<that was so strange...> Wolf thought, interrupting his dream recall.
<what was on the other side...?>
He stretched again, and became a human. Me sat and meditated on the rest of the dream.
An hour later, he stopped meditating...
"Chaos..." he muttered.
"I did not sense it was ours... but the name, never the less, is..." he stopped thinking out loud, and noticed how starving he was.

Not wanting to work for his meal this morning, he shape shifted into a striking female human with long red hair and green eyes. Beautiful by most human standards, he'd learned. He put on the clothes that he had stolen earlier, so as not to get in pointless trouble for not wearing them...
<these customs are so fucking weird> he thought as he put on the women's suit. <and so uncomfortable! how can they WANT to wear crap over their robes?!>

Shadow Wolf trekked down the mountain to a road that ran through parts of the mountains.
(S)he walked along the road, flagging down cars as they passed.
<i hope my human tongue still speaks well...>
Finally, a sedan pulled over. the driver lowered the window, and poked his head outside, examining Wolf's striking female body.
"need a lift?"
<duh, why do you think i flagged you down?> "yeah, that'd be great!" Wolf pranced up to the car and got in.
"where to?" came the driver's voice before Wolf was even all the way in the car. "New York."

The driver smiled and put the car back on the road, heading for the big apple.
The driver tried to make conversation the whole trip, but Shadow Wolf kept an indifferent stance toward him.
Finally, frustrated with his "prize", the driver pulled the car over, with about 25 miles of the trip left... already in urban areas.
"you know-" the agitated driver started to say, but Shadow Wolf was quick and cut in "Thanks. I can walk the rest of the way. you've been a terror help" realizing he had slipped and used the wrong word, Wolf just turned around and headed off abruptly.
As Wolf started getting out of the car, the driver's objections were heard behind,
"it's too far!; it's too dangerous for a pretty girl like you!; you'll never make it!; get back here!; bitch!!"

The tires peeled out, and the car sped off into the heart of the city.
Wolf started walking south.





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Desperate Skinwalkers
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Hen took the full blast of the shotgun while leaping in front of Kligtik.
Given her miraculous expertise with shape shifting, she was able to absorb the bullets and gently expel them, slowing their momentum enough that they would be harmless by the time they reached kligtik. As she padded the shot, her whole body shook, vibrated, jiggled, then splashed against Kligtik.

In fear, Kligtik had morphed out of form, into that of a bear, and during the process his spinal genetics were combined with Hen's, their spines intertwined.
The bullets were, indeed, harmless, but now trapped between the flesh of Kligtik and the spinal bone of Hen.

Roy was dumbfounded, to be sure, but still had enough of his wits about him to reload the shotgun.
He drew upon them again, and fired another shot.
This time he winged Kligtik, and blasted the liquid mass of blood, bone, and fur that was Hen.

The bestial roar that erupted from Kligtik knocked Roy back on his ass hard enough to erupt from him an involuntary cry of pain.
Hen saw her opportunity and swiftly took it. she extended a portion of her mass toward Roy in the form of tentacles, blocking him from further shots.
"Kligtik! shape shift out! neutral body!" Hen urged. "but..." Kligtik attempted to plea, but Hen was firm and insistent, "NOW!"
Kligtik began shape shifting back to the stick-like form of the skinwalker, allowing Hen to decouple from his spine.

Once free, and still holding a barrage of tentacles toward Roy, Hen glanced at Kligtik's skinny, alien, frightening, vulnerable body.
Her eyes showed sincere most fear and concern for him, turning tu a glowing violet hue, something that startled Kligtik yet warmed his heart.

Another shot.
Hen whipped around to face Roy as the pellets from his last shot bled out the other end of her liquefied tentacles and flew at her melted human-snake face at an alarming speed.
She pulled her mass up from the floor and mustered enough molecules to fatten her head, just enough to slow the bullets from piercing her vulnerable brain, and pushed them back out.  She needed to look back at kligtik and make sure he was unharmed, but could not risk getting shot like that again, so she leaped forward with a slimy splash, vainly attempting to close the gap between her and Roy. Roy fumbled the next shell.
Perfect!
Hen morphed her lower body into giant scorpion legs and tail, and her upper body into that of a human torso and head, and shouted at Roy, "STOP!!! NO MORE!"

Roy had ahold of another shell and was fully prepared to load it. He didnt skip a beat.

Shell in place.
"PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU!!"
Shotgun cocked.
"DONT SHOOT!!!!"
Roy pulled the trigger.







____________________________________
Paranormal Investigation
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Juliet stood slightly slouched, her long frame leaning partially against the dirty wall behind her. She looked at the street lamp as the light flickered. She started wondering if the man she had arranged to meet here was real. She didn't truly believe he would be able to help her locate the being she was looking for, but she truly had nowhere to go with her search at this point.
She glanced at her watch, wondering where he was as the wind blew through her short red hair. When she inhaled, the stench of werewolf assaulted her nose. She realized with a jolt that she had been set up, as she took off running in the opposite direction of the stench. She turned to the nearest building, jumping from window ledge to window ledge, to work her way up to the roof.
She was still blissfully unaware of what was going on with the rest of the world.







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As Though Sweet Sorrow
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Jonathan was shocked, bewildered, nearly speechless. He stared at Oni for a moment before asking, "Your soul mate? he's coming? here?! I thought you said he was very far away!"
Oni hugged herself like she were lonely but smiled softly, "he was, but now he is..." she pointed to the east, "out there."

Jonathan slowly followed her finger, dreading more and more as he finally rested his gaze east bound. "you cant possibly mean..." he was at a lost of words, no longer shocked, but dumbfounded, nay, stupefied.

The chopper pilot spoke up "are we going to get moving now or not???"
Jonathan was snapped back to reality "Oni! We gotta get moving now! we can come back and find your soul mate later, AFTER the water recedes from the property, but we HAVE to go NOW!!"
He reached out and grabbed Oni by the wrist, and tugged with all his might just to lift her arm to eye level. Oni got the message and reluctantly climbed aboard the huge helicopter.
The chopper slowly ascended into the sky, bearing just under it's maximum weight capacity.

Oni stared off into the distance facing the east, looking directly at the long distant location of her soul mate. looking where she felt him, speeding toward Japan.
It was a long silence in the helicopter before Jonathan placed his hand on Oni's bulky shoulder and sighed. "Oni, i am really, truly, sorry that we must leave right now." He said softly.
"i know." she replied solemnly.
Jonathan sighed again, "We have to stay strong, keep our spirits up. We will be flying out to Ulanbator, Mongolia. Tenchi has an old friend who used to do a lot of traveling, it was through him i met Tenchi, myself. He is now living somewhere in Mongolia, and given the current situation, we must find him and deliver the news of Tenchi's coma, and the destruction of their homeland. It's been several years since i last saw Koji."
Oni remained silent, she simply nodded, and returned to gazing eastward. When finally the helicopter began turning left, toward the west, Oni simply sat in silence.

Jonathan could tell she was distressed to be leaving, when, for the first time in her life, her soul mate was headed toward her location.  He patted her on the back. "come on, cheer up!" He said smiling, "We can go on a long exploration of Mongolia when we land!"
Oni's eyes lit up and Jonathan continued "no one knows where Koji is anymore, he simply left India one morning and left a note that vaguely indicated he was going to Mongolia to find peace. It will be a lot of searching before we find him, and you know what that means..."
Oni was excited now, she grinned big and said "we are going on an expedition of a new land!"
Jonathan smiled back at her "i know how much you love being in a place you dont know, that feeling of being lost and learning the lay of the land! it will be just like that night at the mansion!"

Oni giggled, her mind was not off her soul mate, it never was, but now she had something to look forward to that eased the pain of leaving him behind.





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Frantic
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Juliet kept running and gracefully jumping from roof to roof, until easily available roofs became scarce. Then she took a ground route designed to confuse her persuers even more.
She wound through the complicated city streets, changing her course many times, never continuing in a straight line when there was a turn to be made. She finally stopped to catch her breath when she judged it to be safe, at least for now. The first thought that consumed her was how she could be so stupid as to be tricked like that.

The second was to where in the city her running had taken her. She looked around at her surroundings. The dingy buildings had seen better years, and so had the streets.
She rationalized she must have gone further downtown. She felt a few rain drops fall on her nose and decided that her next course of action would be to get somewhere dry, with an internet connection.
It was time to try again to find her friend.




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They Think they Know everything
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Shadow wolf was now in the outskirts of Hawthorne, just 20 miles from the Bronx, Walking southbound, headed for the Big Apple.
Traffic along this route was picking up as it was nearing rush hour. Not that this concerned Wolf, nor that he even knew what rush hour was, he was amused by the display of flashy colorful metal hulls speeding past him.

<These humans...> he thought to himself, <i just cannot understand, where they went wrong! It was only a short 5000 years ago that they were on equal terms to the rest of the world, struggling no more, no less, than the rest of creation; naked and cold, just like the rest of us. How could everything be changed so drastically in such a short time, i wonder...>

His thoughts distracted him from the walk.
He dove deep into thought, almost a trance, a state of meditation, reflecting on his past and his encounters with humanity in prehistoric times...








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Grave Digging
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Gaymi's thoughts intruded <Dont stop digging! we're almost out!>
<OH HUSH!> Came Guyanne's retort <We've been stuck under here for nearly an hour with nonstop digging, just cuz i'm out of energy doesnt mean im stopping. you and i both know full well that if we stop, we die, just shut up and keep digging.>

Gaymi stilled his psychic tongue, for he knew his sister was right in her logic, and he knew that arguing wouldnt solve anything, only slow them down.  So he just kept digging.
He still couldnt help but notice Guyanne becoming slack, and slowing down. This irritated him, and to express that, he would dig even harder and faster.
In a sense, trying to show his sister up.

Guyanne knew what he was doing, but didnt want to let him know she pulled some tendons in her arms when they fell in and couldnt pick up the slack. she simply persisted as best she could, trying to hide her injury.
Finally they started making some progress when a burst of cool oxygen caressed the siblings. Still more than half buried, at least they now had room to breathe.

<i'm stopping, i need rest> Guyanne informed her brother. "dont stop, we're almost out, and you know we need to get out of here, we're going to fail our mission if we stop now!" Gaymi said out loud so as to emphasize his seriousness.
Guyanne sighed.
It looked like she didnt have a choice anymore. "I cant." she said, lifting up her arm to show Gaymi the bruises and said "i pulled my tendons when we fell in... i cant use my arm any more than i already have.  I need to rest."

Gaymi's concern for his sister was all that prevented an outburst of rage, but it was not enough to stop him from losing his cool. "FUCKING HELL! THIS IS JUST LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN! WHY THE FUCK CANT THINGS JSUT GO SMOOTHLY FOR ONCE IN A WHILE?!"

He continued to curse and shout as he pulled twice his weight to unearth himself and his sister.  She didnt mind, she knew his mind, this was not directed at her and merely built up energy with nowhere else to go.
They had already breached the air, so he really didnt need his sister's help, but he felt like it was her fault that he had to do the rest on his own.

Around halfway out of the hole, Guyanne had passed out from the pain. Gaymi hadn't noticed until they were free to leave. He dragged his sister's dead weight out of the hole and carried her away from the uneven earth and debris.
<we should have been more prepared for that, they told us the earth was angry and would tear itself apart soon...>

<><><><><><><>Flashback<><><><><><><>

"Gaymi & Guyanne, our city's champions and heroes, you must understand what you are asking!!" Came the Elder Troll's pleads, "We will be unprotected without you! I am but a feeble Half Troll, I know my reputation is stained with the revelation of my Elf mother, and you are the only ones keeping the rest of the clan in line. I cannot lead the village without you, surely you understand this! The others will take me for granted, they wont listen now that they know I am half Elf!"

Guyanne placed her hand on Elder Trykun's shoulder and sighed "It is unavoidable, we HAVE to go. We've been chosen by the spirits of our ancestors to."
The Elder troll bowed his head. Being half Elf made him an intelligent troll, it was because of his elf mother that he was blessed with the intelligence he needed to lead their clan to peace and tranquility - something that, in spite of their chaotic nature, trolls seek throughout their lives.
"You've done so much for our tribe, Elder Trykun Sha'at-küno, it is nothing short of blatant disrespect that we leave you like this, but we dont have a choice." Gaymi started to explain.

But the elder already understood perfectly and silenced him with his palm.
There was a moment of awkward silence.
"I know now that you understand what you are taking upon yourselves. I just wanted to make sure you understood that. You do know that once you leave this world, you wont have much time in Montagol, right?"

"I've heard rumors that the world that separates Elf and Troll territory has been overrun by Demons, but that's just a rumor, right?" Guyanne inquired.
"I wish it were young one, i wish it were, but they have infected the very planet itself. You will have a very short amount of time to reach the gateway to the neutral worlds before the planet dies and tears itself apart. I pray that the demons havent found it yet, you must not let them enter the portal to the neutral worlds!"

Gaymi assured the old elf-troll that they would do everything in their power to reach the portal and prevent the Demons from infecting Gaia.
"But now that the tribe knows you're part elf, what are you going to do, elder? They will cook you over a spit and have a feast like they used to have before you ended the Elf Wars!"

"such is my fate young girl. i am okay with that. i've done my part. If the tribe truly learned anything from me, they will let me live. If the clan truly values what i have done for them, they will spare my life. even if i am exiled, i am content with my fate."

A tear ran down Guyanne's cheek. Gayme was irritated by this affection his sister had for the elder, but let it go, since this would be the last time they would see Trykun. He remained silent.

Guyanne had an idea and blurted suddenly "We could take you with us! even if-"
Trykun's heart warmed, a faint smile pierced his lips but faded almost as soon as it revealed itself. "I am too old for a new adventure. It is as i told you child, i am content with my fate! There is nothing you can do for me now, let this weary old troll rest." That smile managed to sneak out again, this time more permanently.

Guyanne sobbed silently.
"Oh my child, dear Guyanne, do not waste your tears on an old man who is at the end of his lifetime!" His smile seemed to grow, and even become more sincere, "Why. I have done enough in my lifetime to make up for every member of the tribe who has slacked off and done little with their lives! It is time for your adventures now. But it is not at your leisure! You must go now!" His smile faded, though his sincerity still intact.
"Montagol will be obliterated by the demon infection soon! You must go now if you ever intend to reunite Gaia with the Infinite Whole! Gaia is at risk of an infection of demons much like Montagol! You two have been chosen after all. I understand that now, seeing the two of you so eager to move on with your lives, I understand that we are all connected to the infinite whole-even those whom Belial has cut off from the source. You must hurry, the Planet is being torn apart, great quakes ravage the world everywhere, if you do not hurry, there will be no Montagol left!"

Gaymi & Guyanne were both overcome with a sense of dread, their minds meeting on the same question.
Simultaneously, they asked "What do we do about the portal once we're there?"

Trykun's expression fell to the floor. "The portal is a living being, a person whose will was to transport people around the infinite all..."
He began to explain.
"Back when the worlds were first brought into existence, back when the first beings walked the surface of Montagol, The portal had already existed. The portal vicariously taught the first elves and trolls how to use magic, the Elves' curiosity drove them to study the portal, and their generosity paved the path of Troll magics. They taught our ancestors the basics, but feared that our chaotic nature would lead to dangerous magics, so they would not teach more. But, covered in the basics of magic, we can use magic to speak to the portal. It is the portal that helpped us evade an endless war. It was the portal that advised the Elf leader and I to leave montagol and settle in new worlds. But it was only a short few years away from Montagol that the Demons filled our vacancy..."

Trykun's expression, already on the floor, seemed to fall even deeper into regret.

"While there is psychic-magical means to communicate with it, you must destroy the portal."





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Secret Societies
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As she stared blindly at the computer monitor in the internet cafe, with a cup of black coffee in her hand, Juliet pondered the chain of events that had driven her there. It all started when her friend decided to take a short vacation. "I just have to get away for a few days" he had told her.
He said he'd be back soon enough, and not to worry.

"I know you'll miss your sparring partner, but when I get back, we'll practice plenty to make up for lost time."

He left two years ago. She hadn't heard from him since. At first she thought that his vacation had just run a little long.
It was understandable; his sire had been riding him pretty hard as of late, about training, about socializing, about upholding the masquerade, and just about every little thing that went wrong.
When a few days turned into a few months, she started to freak out. She called everyone she knew in his circles; no one had heard from him. His cell phone was off. He hadn't told her where he was going, so she had no idea where to start.
She waited six months.

After that, Juliet got sick of waiting and started looking. Every lead had turned up a dead end until now. But even this winds up being an attack rather than a lead.
The cheap internet finally warmed up enough for her to open up a web browser. Where to search now, she wondered emptily.







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Burning Alike Yet
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Sporadically drifting in and out of consciousness, Mizuka had finally awoken from a beer bottle crashing above him. Its contents splashed down upon him. The glass cutting his flesh and brown putrid liquid seeping into his wounds. He assumed it beer but couldn't be certain for he realized that the only thing that worked properly on his head were his ears.
Nose busted, eye lids swollen, throat parched, and worse yet, a nagging migraine making every sound and slit of light a dagger into the mind.

"Hey, he's moving around down there! Get the Commander!" came a voice that seemed a mile away.
If his face was in such anguish, Mizuka didn't want perceive the state of his body. But as the thought passed through his fractured mind, awareness came stuttering in. He soon realized that his body was tightly bound to a splintery wooden pole; seemingly suspended a foot off the ground. Skin blistered by prolonged exposure to the suns scorching rays. While making sure he had no broken bones, the ropes dug menacingly into his flesh.
The simple act of breathing was a laborious task, while he heard footsteps nearing.

"Well well well, Look who decided to awaken." Whimsically drifted an all too familiar voice. "HEY, Did someone give him water?!" The sound of a gun cocked. "I Explicitly told ANYONE who gave him any food or water would be shot.... Who did it... NOW!" Erupted Commander Re'mal.
"Take it easy sir... I'm the one that threw the bottle at him. And thats not water Sir..." The nervous voice of Eru, Mizuka assumed.
"Wait...You wasted my Perfectly good BEER on this traitor?!" he spit the "p" in 'perfectly' when saying it.

"No! No, no Sir! Never! That's 3 day old piss, I was cleaning my pack and decided to put it to good use."
"... Would you please tell this battalion why you kept 3 day old piss? Thats disgusting private.."

The sound of a gun uncocking and sliding into its holster.

"Its from when we brought him back into camp sir, I pissed on the way here and just kept it in my knapsack."
"Well you at least, as you say, put it to good use. But for giving him ANYTHING you are hereby ordered punching bag duty for three 8 minute intervals every hour for 4 hours, before the sun goes down."

"You Fucking Kidding me Re'mal?! The sun is only up for 6 more hours!"

"Then you better get started. But feel free to lessen your sentence with some of your buddies." Re'mals pace grew near until making an abrupt stop. He kicked some sand and soil, showering Mizuka and forced him to wince as the sand particles land into his lacerations. "And make sure he's not dead yet... he still needs to be made an example of."

Mizuka lifted his heavy eyelids to see his surroundings. A 6 foot deep bowl pit, seemingly 4 feet radius.
Easily deep enough to bury a man in this circular grave.
The binding tan ropes were stained black with dried blood and vomit. A shadow loomed over, obscuring his torment from the sun. He lifted his head in excruciating toil to see the frustrated Eru staring down at him in such loathing.
The soldier jumped down into the circular pit and began pacing around Mizuka.
A strong factor of torture is not the physical anguish, but the psychological degradation that precedes. Hoisted up like a piñata, at the mercy of the elements, with no food or water can deteriorate one's disposition with ease. Heckled and humiliated by the forming crowd only made this blight condition all the worse.

The last thing a social outsider desires is public ridicule. The more Mizuka squirmed the more he realized all but his abdomen were tied. It was that moment he comprehended the term "punching bag duty".

"wooh! Its an oven down here... This pit was Re'mals design. It's insulated by sand, and at the highest point of the camp, it collects the sun quite well. So how does it feel being up their in all your glory; piss and shit all over yourself. And all of this could be avoided if you tell me the location of Zuga. So, let me give you some incentive."
Eru faced Mizuka, eye level directly with his torso and began hammering his fists into Mizuka's gut.

The pain was numbing, only becoming acute when a rib cracked or cut into muscle. Alas, He could no longer remain the victim but lessened himself and became the witness.
A distant observer trapped in first person perspective.
The world around faded to slow motion as virbirations from knuckle to flesh slowly became poetic with its rhythmic soliloquy.
Sweat dancing off every impact and evaporating as quickly as it exploded onto the arid earth.
Blood and saliva began oozing from his mouth, drizzling the ropes and Eru's fists. By the time he stopped to realize, his throbbing hands were painted crimson.

"Bah! you slimy fucker..all over my arms and shit. But i'm feeling rather generous since we used to be pals and all. I will give you a 5 minute break to collect yourself." Eru walked up and wiped his hands on Mizuka's pants. "When I get back and you're still drooling like a retarded baby, then there will be consequences." The repulsed soldier stumbled drunkenly back into the pit wall, then turned around and pulled himself out.
Mizuka heard the carrion crows cawing quietly above.
He imagined them encircling his rotting corpse; awaiting the last heartbeat so they can swoop down and feast. A Sky burial would be a welcomed reprieve, for there's only so much the human body can endure before the inevitable organ failure and this realm fades to black. Would his soul be sent toward hell for his past atrocities? Or heaven for his redemption and salvation? Or perhaps will there be another reincarnation? In truth, the thought hadn't really crossed his path before.
If only he could hear Mola's words again, if only he had listened...

From the depths of soul he forced air through his vocal chords. The will to create words was an excruciating endeavor. To swallow was like burning shards of glass sprinkling down his esophagus.
"I'm.... ... so, so... sorry."

"DAMN RIGHT! HAHA! You're the sorriest *hic* Piece of shit I've ever laid eyes on. But at least you admit it. I decided to take over for Eru *hic*"  The sarcastic man gave a mocking expression Mizuka was blind to. "...I Sooo Hope you don't mind... not like I'd give a shit anyway."
2nd in command Dauin, presumably.

Dauin shuffled towards the pit. His blurry outline guzzled down another swig of whiskey as he hopped into the pit...tripped and fell to his hands and knees. A moderate thud and kicking up of dust.
Though it hurt, Mizuka could't help but crack a little smile at this pitiful man, as if he was bowing to Jesus on the cross. If he had any saliva left in his glands, he would have taken this opportunity to spit on him.
Dauin lifted himself from the dirt, more pissed off that he spilled his whiskey than at the amused traitor.

"The fuck are you smilin at? *hic* You think you're so fuckin... Spesh-eial.. Like your shit don't stink or somp'thin. *hic* Thah's ok though, I got some-thin-g for ya. Did you know i was a baseball fan? Love it... Being in the military, they don't let us have a bat too often, But..."
    He brandished a miniature bat that had been protruding from his pants pocket. "But I carry this little thing everywhere. Let me show you."

The drunken Soldier shuffled forward and smacked the bat hard against Mizuka's right leg. "You wouldn't think it would hurt so much. But *hic* that's the beauty of this little thing. it's Solid wood; gives room for great momentum up close. Could easily break a bone or two if someone's not careful." He swung the bat again at Mizuka's torso.
"You know, ever since we brought you in, I couldn't help but wonder... What WERE you doing in that forest all alone anyway? *hic*.... Personally, I think you're a spy for the resistance, sent here to spy on us and went to meet up with your friends to trade intell. Of course I told Re'mal, thus why i was granted to use this little piece of love. Ohh.. your starting to to drool again. *hic*".

Mizuka hadn't even noticed, his mind drifted from Dauin's monologue and for a second he was at peace. Back in the lush forest underneath the tree, soon to drift fast asleep. But as with all good dreams, he was rocked back to reality by the bat cracking off of his cheek bone. Seering pain shot through his face and radiated down the spine.
"I SAID, do you have anything to say for yourself?......WELL?!" Dauin pushed the end of the bat to mizuka's chin and lifted his head in an accusing manner. Fresh streams of blood trickled down his chin onto the bat like a snake coiling on a tree branch.
The initial recovery was a grueling chore. But even amongst the heavy blow, Mizuka still found the will to stare down and smile at his assailant.

"DAMN IT TALK! *hic* Say SOMETHING you Cocky Son of a Bitch! Fine...fuck you then." He pulled out a dark brownish grey sock and stuffed it in Mizuka's mouth. With a busted nose, breathing became that much more dire. The fear of suffocating began to overcome him.
Death, not from an Intoxicated fool, but from a sock, seemed far more demeaning.

Dauin arched his hand low, swung high and bounced the bat off of Mizuka's chin. An array of stars exploded behind his eyelids, Wheeling him out of cognition and slipping further into the eternal black. Even in this state of suspended animation, He could still feel his distant body yearning for rest.
But to no avail, the inevitable reprieve was out of his reach for the moment.
A familiar voice developed from the emptiness. "your vessel is only flesh and bone, but your resolve can shatter steel. Do not gaze into the abyss young one, not yet. Not while you've yet your Twinflame."

Though no ambiance could be comprehended, Mizuka felt a floating sensation over take his soul. And from the darkness, light burst forth in a plethora of colors and undefinable shapes. His being wafted through the images like a leaf dancing from a tree, drifting on an autumn breeze.
When Mizuka passed through the colors, a collection of a single thought pieced together. As if the puzzle of his conscious was being reorganized. "Hold out a little longer" repeated until the entire experience faded.









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Friday, Febuary 13; 9:07 PM, PST, 17 hours left to go.

A Live broadcast of the UN is being streamed into homes all over the world.

Translators work fervently to provide intelligable international news reports covering the new Asian Alliance.

Chinese and Russian officials state their cases that the world "is overpopulated and it's time for Asia to reclaim it's place as the rightful world superpower.". Japan is mentioned as the third ally but not present, due to their current tsunami evacuation.

Indian officials get riled up by the Asian Alliance and declares war on Pakistan on live international TV.

The Live UN feed is hectic, several bodyguards are present and interfere on several occasions. sometimes without warrant.

People watch with awe filled eyes and wonder and fear, as a British ambassador's body guard attacks Chinese representatives, unprovoked, sealing Europe's fate while chinese officials watch in tactical preperation.

In all the frantic commotion, 13 people are attacked, 5 people are killed, and 8 wars are declared on live international television.









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Tanzania: Home to the Skinwalker Society
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In Tanzania, Africa, Mizuka hangs helpless and nearly expired. As his psychidelic experience faded and blackness returned, a small voice in the distance of his consiousness spoke softly, while fading out "you have new friends you have yet to meet...".
Dauin had given up shortly after it was evident Mizuka wasnt going to wake up again any time soon and was passed out in the pit.

A small scorpion sat, poised on his chest, watching Mizuka intently.






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Wherefore Art Thou Romeo
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Dawn was only a few short hours away, and Juliet's feverish attempts to scour the world wide web had left her exhausted and ready to find Elysium.
She shut off the connection and left the internet cafe. Fresh air did not greet her in exchange for strong coffee roasts and light smoke, but a massive odor that seemed to come as if out of nowhere.

The sudden realization that she was surrounded by werewolves hit her upon exiting the cafe and she bolted away from the smell, toward water.
Arriving at the Potomac, Juliet could smell thousands of Lycanthropes surrounding her at every angle, yet strangely keeping a distance, strangely not attacking, just following.
She stopped dead at the center of the bridge across the Potomac. The wind kicked up some nearby garbage and blew it into the river.

The scent of these lycanthropes was slightly off. They werent just werewolves. Juliet could smell several wereapes and weretigers in the mob, as well as various other miscellaneous were-kin.
But there was one thing that bothered her above all else. she could "smell" the absence of a scent in the area.  A smell unlike any other she had ever encountered.  It was THERE, present, yet unscented all the same.  Her only means of knowing this scent was there was its contrasting effects in the air, causing other scents to die out and disappear in it's vicinity.

She froze, stopped dead in her place, had she not been a vampire, this magnitude of stillness would have been certain death for mortal functions.
"I've been wanting to speak with you Juliet."
Came a mysteriously familiar yet unrecognizable voice.
The Therianthropies, mostly lycan, began showing themselves, appearing everywhere, from rooftops, alley ways, even some from the sewer and under the bridge.
She was overwhelmed by the confusing situation, her sense of smell being masked by this mysterious odor, seeing but not smelling thousands of werewolves, the mysterious familiarity of this stranger, much less the very presence of any other were-kin than wolf; alone which unnerved her beyond rationale.

"Wh- who... What are you?!" she bared her fangs and hollered.
"I am your cousin but that is unimportant, as I am not your kin, but I come seeking something you have to offer."

Juliet recoiled, her head swam gently, but with rising vigor. "I dont have, for you or anyone else, anything of your concern!!" She whipped her had across the air, as if to swat his voice away.

"You really should stop and listen, dear. I've something for you in exchange, after all."
A bald middle aged oriental man strode out from a mob of well coordinated werewolves, a weretiger, werespider, and three wereapes. They parted evenly and closed the gap behind him as he emerged, as if magically.

"I know who you are looking for and might have some information to your benefit... if you can lend another vampire your first born."
Juliet's eyes wildly widened with utter shock and fear.