A Cold, Pale Sun [Halloween2015]

She pulled her hat down and walked right out of the house. She opened her phone and ignored the scratches on the screen. She just wanted to see the time. The time was 16:53, but what caught her eyes the most was the date. The 31th of October, 2019. One year after that dark day. One year after the horror. It still felt like yesterday.

The sun was sinking in the sky towards the horizon, like a ship into the seas. She pulled her large hat down some more, her face safely hidden in the shadow.

She glanced around as she walked by. The streets were rather normal. The usual car wrecks on each corners, nothing unusual for these insane years. There was no one walking around in disguises, though. No one hunting for candies, no decorations, no one partying. Even though it was halloween, the streets were just as they were in any other days.

And there was a very good reason for that. She swiftly turned around a corner; calmly making her way to the store.

There have always been those who wanted to feel superior to others, and this is why today was shrouded in this sinister atmosphere. An entire global population, corrupted. This was no world for the trusting, for the romantic, for the naive. This was a world of concrete, of darkness, of survival. The Alpha Star - as this elistic group liked to call itself - made sure of that. They had turned mankind into revolutionary forces; before robbing them of their humanity.

She remembered that day when humanity was stolen from her. A shiver ran down her spine, she dismissed the thought.

She soon reached the store. She walked right in. It was in ruins; maintenance was obviously not the priority of whomever owned it. Luckily the refrigiration system was still working, albeit badly. She opened the door and found what she wanted - more by the smell than with her vision. It was a neatly packed pound of meat. She inspected it and then walked to the counter.

"Is there anyone around? Arianna? "

She looked at the back doors.

"I just want to know if this piece of meat has been in contact with any type of silverware - I am alergic to silver. "

After a while she decided to simply place the amount onto the counter - twenty gold coins. She glanced at the chocolate bars with disgust. No one wanted those anymore these days. Finally she simply walked back out of the store and to the park nearby. Her dress weakly floated in the cold breeze with each steps she made in the growing, ireegularly-cut grass.

She hid inside the lillte forest patch. After a minute there she emerged out again - in her hand she was holding the now-empty package which used to contain the raw meat she had bought.

She disposed of the rubbish into the garbage bin and made her way back home. She admired the skyscrapers, most of them now empty because of the population's inability to tolerate the presence of one another. Funny how efficient the elite's Project Escaping God had been. She kept on walking. Better get home quickly before dusk.

She could hear the population waking up - the nocturnal part of it, anyway. She could smell the city's air become heavier, more sinister.

She inserted her key in the doorknob. The sun was already setting - a cold sun, unable to heat this cold place with its pale rays. It was shining its last lights, from its lowest angle possible before its disappearance. It illuminated her face. She winced. She showed her teeth at the sun, her wolfish muzzle snarling for a brief instant. Her yellow eyes glowing in the dying light.

She pulled her hat further down; before finally walking back in.

__________________________-/-___________________________

I really wanted to put more focus on the atmosphere itself of the story, I hope you enjoy it!

a reply to: swanne

Awesome Swanne! I loved this !! Nice Work!!! I read the first Paragraph and was inspired to start On Mine! I did Several paragraphs and wanted to have a break and read This! I'm glad (I Think) I did. Now I have to begin another Story!! LOL!!! Who would've thought?! LMAO!!! (I'll send You what I have so Far Bro...) You will see why I laugh!!!... ...

a reply to: swanne

I wasn't going to read anyone's story until I've written mine but...the temptation was too great.
Wow, that was excellent!

Project Escaping God sounds nightmarish, nihilistic and bleak. There's a lot to be said for holding on to the unknown wonder in the world.
S&F

a reply to: beansidhe

Cool Halloween Avvy Bean!! Haven't changed mine over yet, but plan to. You know, Procrastinator that I am I haven gotten around to it yet!! LMAO!!! ...

a reply to: SyxPak

Well, get it on!!
Can't wait to read your story either, Syx. This contest is going to be amazing (or awesome as youse would say )

B x

a reply to: beansidhe

HEY! I look forward to reading Yours as well!! Have You begun?! I have, but wanted to wait for Swanne to read it, (What I have so far, Like 7 paragraphs...)... His eludes to mine, and I only read His first paragraph to get My idea!! Now I don't know if I should go with it, [Cant Wait!!] or begin a new Story.... Either way, I hope to have one finished by Tomorrow... I do have another idea, so...
Oh, and Yah YAh Yah. I will get a new avvy soon!! LMAO!!!...

originally posted by: beansidhe

Project Escaping God sounds nightmarish, nihilistic and bleak. There's a lot to be said for holding on to the unknown wonder in the world.
S&F

Thanks! Project Escaping God is only briefly mentioned here, but it actually is a story in itself - an elite-like group decides to play around with the DNA of mankind. Here we are seeing the aftermath - cities in which strange people try to survive; strange people such as, well, a wolf-woman.

a reply to: SyxPak

Thanks mate! Check your inbox

a reply to: swanne

Nice work Swanne! There is more isn't there? Be sure to share with us. Peace.

a reply to: swanne

I have to read your other stories... This is simply amazing, WOW!! I know its not a purist Halloween story, no witches or ghost (though a werewolf), but it is absolutely perfect.

What I like, is that you have no idea what actually happened, what Project Escaping God is about, especially at the beginning of the story, but the atmosphere.... Its just so creepy. You hold your breath, because you know there is something absolutely evil (imagine Troughton's accent) about it, about the Alpha Star, but you just can't figure out what. And you're left loving every second of the story, and ready to read the others.

A big S&F, swanne, as always! Keep up the good work.

I like it. I've always been a bit of a werewolf at heart. Well done.

a reply to: SyxPak

I cannot wait to read your entry mate!

I am sure most of us here would agree if I say that the contest would not be complete without you.

originally posted by: grayeagle
a reply to: swanne

There is more isn't there? Be sure to share with us.

More of what? Of the wolf-woman, the Alpha Star, or Escaping God?

a reply to: Yavanna

I am so glad you feel that way! Otherwise I would have done all this for nothing...

originally posted by: swanne
a reply to: Yavanna

I am so glad you feel that way! Otherwise I would have done all this for nothing...

Heheh can you make a new one
i enjoyed reading it
you should become an author

a reply to: swanne

That one was good.

And adorably cute...

a reply to: Vroomfondel

Thanks mate! You got a great entry too BTW!

a reply to: lamplighters

Well, I have already written Project Escaping God, which is where the Alpha Star started to toy around with DNA.

Congratulations on your third place!!! (big hug) You deserved it.