Sparky began to shiver as he sat near the muddy bank of the Monongahala River in KcKeesport. The small brown furred Chihuahua found that being out on the river at night was always too cold for him to tolerate. But he had no choice as he was here with his companion, Jake. The five foot, four inch tall, twelve year old black male wearing cut off blue jeans shorts and a black Pittsburgh Steelers T shirt with the large, bold number seven on it’s chest. His white sneakers were stained with moist mud from the river bank. Jake was holding a fishing rod in his hands. It’s line cast into the murky water. Standing next to Jake was his older brother Sid. A twenty two year old standing six feet tall. His white sneakers standing out against his black shirt and shorts. Sid also had a fishing rod in his hands. With it’s line cast in the water in the hope of catching a fish. Sparky admired Jake and Sid’s ability to withstand the cold. But in spite of their comfort Sparky hand just one thought going through his mind. I want to go home.
As Sparky looked up at Jake he knew that Jake was content to be out here since the sun went down and it turned dark. He also suspected that Jake was not satisfied with the three small fish that he caught and was holding in the white plastic bucket on the ground behind him. Jake was still trying to catch more. But as far as Sparky was concerned the those three fish were enough. He began to shiver as he looked across the rapidly flowing dark water. Then he looked back at Jake and let out a high pitched growl. But Jake ignored him as he was involved in a conversation with Sid. The lack of response only caused Sparky to growl louder.
Jake and Sid both looked down at Sparky. Jake smiled. “What’s the matter. You hungry? Want me to fry you up some fresh fish?”
Is there a stove out here? Sparky’s thought. Take me home and I’ll cook the fish myself.
“We’ve been out here for six hours and all we got are three fish,” Sid grumbled. “Maybe we should give Sparky a rod and let him help catch something.”
Sparky glanced over at Sid. Maybe you should give me the car keys and I’ll drive myself home. Jake kneeled down and gave Sparky a quick pat on the top of his head. “Are you cold boy? You look like you’re shivering. Don’t worry. We’ll go home in a couple of hours. Right after we catch a few more fish.”
A couple more hours out here? Sparky’s grumpy thought. He was tempted to run home by himself, if it were not for the fact that they had driven too far away from the familiar sights and scents of their home territory. Sparky knew that he would get lost too easily. He had no choice but to continue shivering in the cold while Jake and Sid continued to spend more time trying to catch fish that would never appear.
Jake stood back up and began to crank the small handle of his reel. “Maybe I’ll have better luck if I change my bait.”
Sparky growled. You changed your bait ten minutes ago. Your luck hasn’t gotten any better. Sparky looked up at Jake. That was when he noticed something strange. It was a bright green ball of light streaking across the night sky. Sparky followed the light as it left a long green trail in it’s wake. Then to his surprise the ball of light exploded into a massive halo of fire, with a loud boom. Startled by the sudden explosion Jake and Sid both jumped, then looked up to the sky. Sparky let out a yelp of fear when he saw seven large flaming fragments falling from the explosion and heading in different directions.
Jake pointed up to the sky,” What the hell was that?”
“An airplane blowing up?” Sid theorized.
Jake pointed to one of the burning fragments falling towards the river. “It’s coming our way. Lets get the hell out of here,”
Jake dropped his fishing pole and quickly scooped Sparky up from the ground. Carrying Sparky in his arms Jake joined Sid as they both ran from the river and across a short field to reach the street. There were three cars stopped in the middle of the street. Their drivers getting out to look at the object falling from the sky. Sparky felt the tight constriction of Jakes arms. As well as being bumped and jerked by his each running step. Jake and Sid stopped running when they crossed the street and turned around just in time to see one of the huge objects hitting the river. A tower of water was hurled high into the air when the thing crashed into the river. A twenty foot tall wave flowed out from the point of impact and washed up onto the shore. The water flowed across the field and nearly reached the street. Jake turned to follow the second object that was falling towards an area a mile down the street. The object hit the ground with a loud boom that filled the air. Sparky yelped out, fearful that the explosion’s huge expanding fireball would reach this spot where Jake and Sid were standing. He was relieved to see that the fireball dissipated before it could reach them.
Sparky was still shivering. But now fear was his motivation instead of the cold. He looked out to the river. There was a tall tower of steam rising up from the water after the impact of the first object. He turned his head and looked down the street at the red glow of the fires left behind by the second object.
“Did you see that?” Jake exclaimed. Two of these things came down. What the hell were they?”
“Hell if I know,” replied Sid. “Lets go down the street and check that one out.”
Bad idea, Sparky thought. He looked back out to the river. The steam was still rising, now joined by a wide circle of bubbles churned up from the water. As Sparky studied the sight of the impact his senses, unique to canines, picked up a consciousness laying beneath the water. Sparky felt intrigued, as he had never felt anything like this before. Allowing his curiosity to get the better of him, Sparky leaped out of Jake’s arms and ran towards the river.
“Sparky. Where the hell are you going? Get back here,” the voice of Jake called out.
Sparky ignored Jake and continued towards the water. His feet became soaked as he padded across the wet ground. He stopped just a few feet away from the river bank and gazed into the flowing water. From deep within the river he could still sense the consciousness. Sparky had no idea what it was. But it was large. And it was powerful. He could feel it’s power increasing as he maintained his contact with it.
Sparky was startled when Jake scooped him up. “Come on you crazy dog. Fishing trip is over,” Jake scolded.
With Sparky in his arms Jake followed Sid to their blue Ford that was parked at the curb just a few feet away. Still holding on to Sparky, Jake sat in the front passenger’s seat. Sid sat behind the wheel and started the car.
“We might be able to get there before the cops show up,” Sid told Jake. “It looked like it hit that field near the old apartment complex.”
Sparky was familiar with the area. The Crawfield Heights apartment complex has been abandoned for years. If the second object when down in that area then hopefully no one was injured. As Sid was driving down the street Sparky squeezed out from Jake’s arms and stood up at the passenger’s side window. He watched several people on the sidewalk running to reach the scene. From the long row of houses people were emerging to see what happened. In the far distance his keen ears picked up the sounds of sirens. As they continued driving the road up ahead became congested by a long line of cars. Several drivers in these cars were getting out to walk to the field. In the opposite lane there was no traffic coming out from the area. Sparky predicted that Jake and Sid would also have to leave the car if they wanted to investigate the thing that dropped down from the sky. A quarter of a mile up ahead there was the bright red glow of a fire.
“This traffic isn’t moving,” Sid grumbled. “Why the hell are these jackasses getting out of their cars?”
“Can’t you go around?” Jake asked. “Drive in the other lane.”
Sid laughed. “Oh sure. Drive in the lane with on coming traffic. The cops will be on me in five seconds when they get here.” Sid turned his head to look out of the rear window. Sparky also turned to look. There was a blue pick up truck approaching from behind. It stopped just a few feet from the car. “We’re going to park it and walk.”
“Walk?” Jake asked.
“You want to get a close up look at this thing before the cops show up and move everybody back?”
Sid pulled back on the small lever at his right hip to shift the car in reverse. The car moved back a few feet. Sid shifted the lever forward and turned the steering wheel to the right to park in an open spot at the curb. Jake grabbed Sparky in his arms. Then he and Sid got out of the car. They both began to run down the sidewalk. They approached two white teenaged boys as they were running to reach the area where the thing came down.
Jake called out to one of the teenagers. “Dude. Did you see what came down?”
“No. But I felt it. It shook the whole damn house,” the teenager shouted back.
Jake and Sid continued running. Sparky was finding it difficult to breathe while he was being carried in Jake’s tight embrace. While at the same time being shaken as Jake was running was equally discomforting. I hope this kid doesn’t kill me before get there, he thought. They continued to run, merging with several other people who were also trying to reach the area. At the end of the row of houses they came upon the ruined shells of four homes that were damaged by the force of the impact. Sid and Jake stopped for a moment to inspect the damage. They stepped over broken lumber and masonry that was scattered across the sidewalk. It appeared that no one was at home during the moment the houses were destroyed. Sparky looked about but saw no humans stirring from inside or bodies laying on the ground.
Sid and Jake continued moving down the sidewalk until they came upon a large field. Sid and Jake pushed their way through the crowd of people that had gathered here to get in front so that they can have a clear view of the field. The field was littered by small bits of burning debris. Several yards up ahead there was a large blackened area surrounding an even larger crater. Within this crater was a sight that caused an immediate reaction from both Sid and Jake.
“Whoa!” both teenagers gasp out.
Whoa! was the same thought from Sparky.
Protruding from the crater was a massive, green crystalline object. Oblong in shape. Standing fifty feet high. Sparky’s wide, unblinking eyes stared at the object for several seconds. Then like he did with the object that had fallen in the river he began to sense a consciousness. Within the object there was something alive. Something powerful. But unlike the thing resting at the bottom of the river this power was radiating an evil. Sparky whined in fear as he was feeling this evil growing stronger.
“What’s the matter boy?” Jake asked Sparky. “You want to get a closer look?”
No! I do not want to get a closer look! Sparky’s thought.
“Come on. Lets take a closer look,” Jake told Sid.
On come on! thought Sparky.
“Sid. Get your camera out. Get a picture of this,” said Jake.
Jake and Sid joined a few other people as they began to make a slow advance into the field to get closer to the huge object. Behind them the sounds of sirens were getting louder.
Where are the cops when you need them? Sparky wondered.
Jake and Sid continued their advance. Then they both stopped in their tracks when they heard a loud boom coming from the object. After a few seconds they heard it again.
“It’s a bomb!” a female voice cried out.
“Get back!” shouted another voice.
There was a third boom. Jake and Sid both jumped back as the side of the object began to crack. There was another boom and the side of the object shattered. Large chunks of crystal showered the area. Then two huge, black spidery legs emerged. One of the legs ended in a long scythe blade with a serrated edge. Another boom came and the object shattered completely to reveal more of the legs that were attached to the body of a massive scorpion-like creature that was as large as a five story building. There was a huge mouth with rows of long, sharp teeth in front of it’s dark, oblong body. Above the mouth were four rows of eyes blazing red. The creature’s body was supported by it’s eight long legs. The front two of which ended in the long scythe blades. It’s long serpentine tail thrashed left and right, knocking away the final fragments of the crystal that it was sealed in. There was a chorus of male and female screams as the creature was now free and began to crawl out of the crater.
“What the hell is that?” Jake shouted to Sid. “What is that? Are you getting a picture of this?”
Sid whipped out his small black cell phone from his pocket and held it up to his face. “I’m getting it. Hold on. This image is crap. We have to get closer.”
We don’t need to get a picture. We can watch this on the news, Sparky’s frantic thought.
Sparky gazed back at the huge monster and reestablished a connection to it’s consciousness. Sparky yelped in shock as his mind was flooded by several images. Scenes of cities beyond Earth in flaming ruins. countless skeletons littering the ground. And entire planet transformed into a graveyard. And in each of these scenes was the same monster that was standing across the field. Then a name came to Sparky’s mind. Skyron, the Devourer.
“Get your phone out. Help me get a picture of this,” Sid shouted to Jake.
As he was holding on to Sparky, Jake’s right hand fumbled into his pocket to reach his cell phone. “I got it. Give me a second.”
“Hurry up. We have to get closer,” Sid shouted back.
Get closer? Are you mentally I’ll? was Sparky’s thought. That thing destroys planets. We have to get the hell out of here.
Two teenaged boys, holding up their cell phones with their built in cameras, took the lead and moved closer to try to get a quick snapshot of Skyron. Skyron reared up it’s two front legs with the scythe blades and opened it’s toothy mouth to let out a screeching, high pitched roar. Then several long, writhing tentacles sprouted out from it’s back. Two of the tentacles stretched out towards the two teenagers. The boys both screamed and turned to run from the tentacles, but they did not move fast enough. They screamed out as the tentacles grabbed them and lifted them up from the ground. The teens continued screaming. Their bodies thrashing about violently. A second later they became still and quiet as a white foam engulfed their bodies. Sparky was horrified as he watched their flesh melt from their bones while seemingly being absorbed into the tentacles.
There were more screams from the crowd of onlookers who were watching the same gruesome sight. The tentacles dropped the two dead teenagers, now reduced to piles of soggy clothes and fleshless bones. Seeking more victims the tentacles were joined by several others reaching out from the monster, Skyron. They were now heading in the direction of Sid, Jake, and Sparky.
TO BE CONTINUED.
