Snippet

A little bit from an untitled story I'm writing...

WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD.

But it wasn’t on a billboard or building, it was just those words, floating in mid-air. Alex got off of his quadbike and looked around the sign.

   “Wow. That’s new.” Alex said.

   “Magic.” Justin said.

   “I know, its great innit?” Alex said.

   “No I mean, someone used magic to put it up there.”

   “That’s what I meant…”

   There was four seconds of silence, everyone was looking coldly at Alex.

   “So where to now?” Lucy asked.

   “If we follow the road we should reach a city or something.” Crystal replied.

   It only took them ten minutes to reach the city centre, and when they arrived they couldn’t believe what they saw. Justin was shocked the most, he was looking at the city in his visions.

   The buildings were giant, towering monsters of steel and brick, instantly dwarfing anyone who walked past. There were hundreds of them all over city, but somehow the sunlight still managed to find its way into the street. But that’s not what took their breath away.

   There were thousands of Shadow everywhere, chasing people non-stop like their own shadows. They were on the sides of buildings. Tops of cars. In the street. Everywhere.

   “Welcome to the new world? This is some welcome.” Lucy muttered.

   Justin pulled out his handgun and was about to fire when Alex jumped in his way.

   “Are you crazy! You’re gonna get us all killed!” He shouted.

   Justin didn’t hesitate.

   He fired three shots that tore through the air and ripped past Alex’s cheek. Alex froze, stunned and shocked. He slowly looked over his shoulder and saw a Shadow with three gaping holes in its face, which were slowly closing.

   “You lunatic!” Alex bellowed. “You could have killed me!”

   “But I didn’t! I saved your life! Your dumbass, cowardly shouting attracted it!”

   “Both of you shut up and look!” Lucy yelled, pointing at the Shadow that Justin had just shot.

   It had walked backwards and stood there, doing nothing. As if waiting for something to happen.

   “Hold up a second. The rest of them…” Alex said, looking all around him.

   In the distraction that Alex and Justin caused, the Shadow had all disappeared, leaving, decimated civilians lying in the streets, sitting in their cars, and motionless in their discovered hiding places, dense smoke billowing from a high overhead window, and this one solitary shadow. Fearing an ambush everyone backed into each other. Back to back they braced themselves for battle.

   The lone shadow just looked at them. It slowly stepped forward but was halted by one of Justin’s bullets. But it didn’t seem the least bit scared. In fact, it looked like it was smiling. It threw its head up in a chilling screech, reminiscent of a bird of prey. And just like a bird of prey, the rest of the Shadow vaulted over the buildings and swept down to surround them. Thousands of these black, featureless creatures, outnumbering them five hundred-to-one.

   “These ones are different.” Crystal began. “They’ve all got a red band on their left arm.”

   “Don’t tell me that these punks have ranks!” Alex muttered.
   The group of Shadow in front of Justin parted like the Red Sea, and down the path that they made, their commander walked down towards Justin, the grin still on its face. His every footstep seemed to take an age as he strolled up towards the group.

   “And this one has got two stripes! Damn!” Justin shouted. As it got close to Justin, he whipped out his sword and stopped it millimetres away from the beast’s neck. “Come closer. I dare you.” He said slowly.

   The Shadow stepped backwards

cautiously.

   “Our master has plans for you,” It began.

   “It can talk!” Lucy gasped.

   “Shut up!” The Shadow spat. “Foolish humans. Here is your ultimatum. Surrender or die.”

   It had no mouth, nor orifices at all for that matter, but its humanoid jaw bone lowered and raised as it spoke, perfectly emulating human speech as if it was once human itself…

   Justin slowly turned sideways to face Crystal; she nodded and put her hands behind her back. Alex and Lucy caught on and clenched their fists.

   “We will never surrender!” Justin yelled.

   Their plan was to fight their way out of the mob and try to escape. There was a blue flash and Justin, started pulsing a light blue. The fight had begun.