Back to Origins [SEC2014]

There’s no describing the contempt I have for myself.

I haven’t shaved in months, and my skin itches from my three inch beard. I haven’t shaved, because I can’t. Life has been hell lately.

Stuck in these long ago excavated tunnels, I realize now why the government created them. It was to complete the insanity, to give humanity a reason to survive. We’re a tough lot, us remaining humans, and every single one of us will fight to the death.

I can’t walk around down here anymore without getting alien slime on me. Sure, we nuked the surface to belay their advances, but there was just too many ships, coming too quickly, and all at once, the nations of the world panicked. There’s now no reason to go above ground.

We fight for space underground.

Last week, we ran into a band of alien scouts. We lost 3 men instantly, in a solutionless encounter, yet fought off the need to wrap ourselves in our own ensued demise.

Perhaps I should explain a bit about them. They’re nothing like what we expected, frail tiny little green men. How silly we were to think that our nearest neighbor, our first encounter, would be bi-pedal and like us somehow. These, these, things, are nothing like us.

Imagine a worm, iridescent and five foot long, about as thick as your forearm, that are able to split open and replicate. Each oozing slug produces about three to five young, and there’s no doubt they couldn’t survive up top. It’s how we figured out we could roast them.

Exposed to heat, they crinkle up like a vagrant worm in the sun on a hot summer day. Our flamethrowers cook them, sure, but there’s simply too many of them.

We have no more running water. They’ve infested it, the water supply, clogging the pipes with their mushy bulk, getting stuck but incapacitating us.

Water rations. I’ve been simply wanting a drink from a soothing spring that no longer exists but in my memory. It used to be, I know that, while I deal with my sanity in this forgotten tunnel.

It won’t last much longer. I know that. Tonight, perhaps the next, the worms will burrow through the walls, and find me. I have nothing to defend myself, no water, and I haven’t shaved for months.

They’ll find me, and reduce my body back to soil.

Good luck !

Good job! enjoyed it.

Good luck

a reply to: Druid42


Now I'm worried about you, will you survive the next day...I want more.

Good Luck Druid....fine fine writing.

Des

Grim tale indeed! Is there no hope against the worms?? (Shudder)

I like the renvisioning of the alien beings. Also, the short-sighted nuclear option to deal with the infestation speaks to how we humans tend to deal with "bugs..."

So glad you joined the contest!

Peace,
AB

a reply to: Druid42

Great story

Thumpers

a reply to: Druid42

Great... now I'm going to dream of worms coming for me... lol...

Your writing is exceptional as always Druid! S&F!

Great pacing

the story flowed quite well

It was broken up into readable paragraphs
and it was interesting



Is there more coming
Just interested in the outcome for the survivors

Seems like all my writer friends are improving vastly, leaving me behind in the dust. You hit the nail on the head with the "completing insanity" feeling. Awesome!

S&F

Wow! Is there nothing that can be done? Are they not like their smaller cousins, the slugs and snails, here on earth where a bit of salt will do the job?

Is there more or will you leave us wondering...