Tony barely manages to fire.
The shot explodes in the middle of the night, but the bullet misses the creature. Its claws, however, do not miss him. Three deep cuts open across his ribs and Tony drops to his knees. Pain drives the air from him. Miraculously, the pistol remains in his hand.
The creature comes at him again, striking him once, then again. Tony shields his face as best he can. Each impact jolts his head. Blood and fluid from his attacker’s blisters spatter his skin.
“Enough!”
No one obeys.
The being raises an arm again. Tony fires. The creature pulls away. He does not know whether he hit it, and it does not matter. Something falls onto his forehead, a couple of drops. Tony looks up and confirms that it has begun to rain, although what falls from the sky does not look like water.
The drops are warm and viscous, like spit. One lands on his wounds. Tony cries out; it burns. He forces himself to remain on his knees; if he falls completely, he will not rise again. A crimson flash of lightning turns night into day for an instant.
The lightning reveals the skyscrapers surrounding him. They rise in the distance like enormous black bones, their upper floors lost in the clouds.
Fleshy growths cover some of the buildings. They are translucent, and something moves inside them.
There are pods everywhere. In the streets, on the roofs, against the walls. Each contains a creature.
“God…”
Thunder rolls over the city. In the distance, standing among the pods, a silhouette appears.
“Mneut,” he cries.
The creatures part to let her through. Tony tries to raise his pistol, but his arm no longer responds. He can barely keep his eyes open.
The pale woman stops a few steps away. She has no blisters. Her wet, black, curly hair clings to her face and neck.
“What more do you want from me, Mneut?”
Silence.
The others are there as well. Mnuh’rum. V’Mnot. X’Mnulthu is nowhere to be seen.
Mneut tilts her head.
“Have you ever felt hunger, Tony?”
Tony looks at her.
“What?”
“Hunger.”
She takes a step toward him.
“Real hunger.”
Another step.
“The kind that burns in your guts.”
Mneut touches her abdomen.
“The kind that leaves room for nothing else in your mind.”
Tony tries to stand. His legs fail him.
“I did what you asked.”
Mneut remains still.
“Have you felt it?”
“My children are sick.”
She stares at him.
“That does not answer my question.”
“I didn’t come here to talk about hunger!”
The creatures react. Several of them move toward Tony, but Mneut stops them with a gesture.
“I came for my children,” he continues, more quietly. “I already explained it to you; they’re sick. I need the medicine. I had no choice. You told me to hurry.”
She looks past Tony.
“I didn’t want to come in here,” he says. “I didn’t want to invade anything. I came for the medicine and nothing else.”
Silence.
Rain falls over the pods.
“Can you still walk?”
Tony takes a moment to answer.
“Yes.”
Mneut studies his wounds.
“You’re lying.”
“I can walk.”
“All the way to your home?”
Tony clenches his teeth.
“If I have to.”
“You will have to.”
She extends a hand.
“We had an agreement.”
Mneut does not react.
“I kept my part of it,” Tony says. “Keep yours.”
She waits.
Mneut looks toward Mnuh’rum. The creature growls. Tony raises his pistol again.
“No.”
Mneut looks back at him.
“You have only a few left.”
Tony does not answer.
“Bullets.”
Tony lowers the gun. Mneut takes a dirty nylon bag from one of the creatures. Inside are bottles, ampoules, and small boxes.
Tony opens the bag. When he sees the medicine, he embraces it against his chest.
“Thank you. This is more important than you think.”
Mneut watches him.
“Thank you.”
She spits on the ground.
“I won’t forget this.”
“Arrogant.”
Tony remains silent.
“Arrogant and dying.”
Mneut points toward the darkness beyond the creatures.
“Out.”
Tony tries to stand. This time, he succeeds.
“Cross the desert during the night,” Mneut says. “The sun will kill you.”
Tony looks toward Mnuh’rum.
“I know.”
“No. You remember. It’s different.”
Tony puts the pistol away and slings the bag against his body.
“I’ll make it.”
Mneut comes close. She smells of rain and earth, with none of the stench of decay.
“There are still good people here, Tony.”
Tony looks at her.
“Here?”
Mneut smiles. There is nothing kind in it.
“Very good people.”
Tony looks at the creatures around them.
“Some of them are healthy,” Mneut continues. “Like me.”
A pause.
“But we are all hungry.”
Red lightning flashes again. For an instant, Mneut looks almost normal.
“Never forget that.”
Tony grips the bag.
“I won’t.”
“And never come back.”
Mneut steps aside.
“Respect your place.”
The creatures open a corridor between them.
“Go.”
Tony walks away. Mneut remains behind him.
“If you or any of your kind comes back…”
Tony stops.
“…I’ll personally make sure you discover how long you can remain alive while wishing for death.” Tony continues walking.
“Understood.”
He walks among the Mnidrominics. They growl and sniff at him.
Tony quickens his pace, then begins to run. His wounds reopen and warm fluid runs down his side.
He reaches the edge of the organic forest and sees the sand beyond it.
Tony’s silhouette disappears into the darkness. Mneut nods. Mnuh’rum follows him with his eyes.
Tony reaches the sand. The dead megacity stretches behind him, covered in pods. Hunger follows him into the desert.
Auriga is still two days away. Dawn has not yet arrived.
He thinks of his family and keeps walking.
Behind him, Mnuh’rum follows.
END OF AVAILABLE CHAPTERS