junk-rats-studios

[junk-rats-studios]

Seeking Refuge

Written by Brandon C McGee

Editor: Chris Williams

We packed what few things we needed, clothing, rations, waterskins, weapons, and a few other supplies. Still recovering from the attack I took one last look at our home; the disaster left by the monster who broke in, the scattered dishes, broken table and chairs. The fight took a lot out of me. Mariela wrapped her arms around my waist and held me close as we mourned our last moments here.

Lukas came in to let us know the wagon train was ready whenever we were, I asked who else would be joining us and to my surprise the rest of the remaining townspeople agreed to leave with us, safety in numbers. Twenty-seven people including my wife and I, my friend and his wife, and a couple of other families had prepared to try and find a safe place to reside. I walked out to the wagon train and got everyone's attention. I informed them of what happened and how I was able to kill the creature. I announced that if we travel east there is another town a few hours away and we might be able to gather some information.

I grabbed the blade I drove into the curse mark of the beast and took it to my friend asking if he would be able to sharpen it for me, soon after several others brought a variety of silver utensils to be forged into sharp weapons made to pierce the cursed beast’s flesh. After about an hour Lukas made several silver shivs and handed them out to several of us who were willing to fight if the need arose, what silver was left from the production he kept in a small bag so he could melt it down and make new weapons down the road if he could come across a forge in a next town.

We took a day to rest after the monster ordeal to try and recollect ourselves before we left. And at the end of the third day something happened that made us even more weary of our situation, the crimson star disappeared. The moon still rose and fell with the massive gash in its side but the cycle never faltered, the only difference now was the lack of blood red from that star, the silence was still deafening from the lack of insects and the animals we still had around lived with hollow eyes, no, looking again without the red light they were just empty sockets, our horses and hounds were living husks of the old world who obeyed our every word without fault.

We left our little town behind, traveling down a winding road that led to our future and hopefully, our salvation. After arriving in the next town we looked around but it wasn't a pretty sight, beasts took the town for themselves, too many to fight outright. We kept moving forward, and thankfully our trip was peaceful and boring, it seems like the beasts weren't ones to walk the roads. Two full days of traveling later and we came across a small church that our scouts found off the beaten path, we all agreed to make camp there as it seemed empty minus a hooded priest.

[junk-rats-studios]

The Crimson Star

Written by Brandon C McGee

Editor: Chris Williams

The moon has hung in the sky for about three days now. Ever since the star first appeared in the night sky the moon never falls, it shines a blood-red color that bathes the world in its crimson glory. Nobody knows what, or why this happened, but I have a better question, what happens next?

Here's what happened. It was a night like any other, insects filling the air with their unique songs, a gentle breeze caressing the world around us, and a bright and beautiful moon sleepily dozing in the heavens. It was pure bliss until screams from the other townsfolk echoed through our home. Red suddenly washed into our room through the window, a dark, dirty, unease began filling the air around us, then, everything went silent. The insects and critters outside were nowhere to be heard or seen, there was no need for torches as it was bright enough outside from the sinister glow.

I told my wife, Mariela to stay put as I quickly got dressed and rushed out to see what was happening. I ran to the center of town with the rest of the men and saw them looking up, my gaze wandered until I saw the sight myself. There was an ominous black, jagged streak in the moon, and just to its left was a crimson-colored star. The ill-colored star was a little darker than the sky and other than the moon, the only thing to be seen when looking up.

Today is the third day we've lived in this new world and we have made a horrible discovery. We can't die.

A few of my neighbors weren't able to handle living like this. A couple of families left our little town while a few others attempted to end it all. I say attempted, but it was a success, for a few hours anyway. They came back to life with a single difference, a black mark carved into their foreheads. Mortified, they tried again, and again, and again. With each new death, there was a new feature on their bodies, small horns would protrude from the head on some, claws and black, rotting flesh would show up on others, even to the point of twisting and distorting the bodies.

These poor souls became grotesque creatures quickly. They started losing their minds and would huddle in dark corners and fill the air with deafening wails wishing for death. One broke into my house, I don't know why but it was aggressive and acted aggressively. I grabbed my ax as it rushed towards Mariela and I brought it down severing the head of the creature. The horrific head rolled to a stop against the wall but the body began to stumble and slash around blindly while the head screeched in pain. I flipped the table to provide some cover so my wife could run out of our house, after she was gone I kicked the body into a corner as it continued to writhe. I looked at the wailing head and noticed the black mark. I grabbed the nearest blade, an old silver knife from the cabinet, and shoved it into the mark pushing the blade as deep as it would go, the wound started smoking as the head went quiet and the body slowed to a stop.

I sat there breathless as the body and head started to decay into dust, the thing was dead. The first real death in this new world. I left to find Mariela and found her being held by my friends' wife, Alyson. My friend, Lukas, stood close to my doorway with a pitchfork in hand ready to attack, I nodded as I emerged and went to my wife as Lukas went in to see what happened.