Something terrible happened. I woke up abruptly to a thick smoke
filling up my lungs. My eyes were burning and my skin felt like it
was melting. My eye cleared up a bit and I saw orange and red. My
head was pounding. The loud crackle of fire was piercing my ears and
the boom of falling trees made it feel like I was getting hit. I look
around and I see the animals fleeing, pigs, spiders, birds,
rabbits…Everything was leaving. Running for their lives. The loud
roar of the fire was terrifying. It didn’t feel real. Was I in
Hell? Did I die?
I stood up and regained a sense of reality, this was actually
happening and I had to leave. I ran as fast as I could to get out. My
legs were in so much pain. My lungs felt like they too were on fire.
I could barely breathe and the coughing was excruciating. I didn’t
want to stop running. Almost like a wall, I was freezing. I made it
out of the fire. I watched this fire slowly dissipate. Trees fell,
animals that were clinging onto their last thread of life finally
passed on. Some of the bigger ones went back when the fire was gone,
looking for their loved ones. Many found the ones they were looking
for, but they couldn’t leave with them to find a new home.
“What have I done? Did my campfire start this fire? Was I the
cause of this tragedy?” I thought to myself.
On the morning of the fire I barely escaped with my life. The
forest I burned has damaged the ecosystem in a devastating way. Food
and shelter has been destroyed for the wildlife here, and it was my
fault. There was no life left. Just the burnt aftermath. It was such
a grim scene. Small animals looking for their parents only to find
them burnt to a crisp, lifeless and gone forever. How will these
animals live in a world that is trying to kill them? How will they
survive against monsters like me? I had to leave; I could not witness
this anymore.
I wanted to head back to my base camp. At least there were no
trees I could catch on fire there. I wanted to hibernate through
winter, even though that is not an option. I needed to formulate a
new game plan. I wandered in the direction of my base camp, not
really caring what could happen to me. When I try to recall what
happened, I am coming up blank. I ended up shooting passed my camp to
a somewhat familiar area.
It was high noon and despite the sun shining, it was incredibly
cold, I didn’t care though. I came upon an igloo. When I looked at
my map, it was in the same place where I found that odd brick like
outline. However, this time around, there was someone or something
there and it was not kind to visitors.
I was attacked, by what looked like a walrus, but it had feet,
hands and clothing. It was an odd sight to see but seeing those pigs
for the first time kind of desensitized me to surprise when it comes
to the inhabitants of this place. This walrus was not alone. He had a
smaller walrus with him and a hound that was blue. He sicked the
hound on me first. I reached into my backpack and grabbed what I
thought was a spear. It was not a spear; it was a stick with a red
gem on the end. I had no idea where this came from; I do not remember
getting it or packing it. However, I made do and tried to use it as a
weapon. It wasn’t sharp so I used it as a club. I smacked the hound
on the head and a fireball shot out the gem hitting the igloo.
It was a wand of sorts. I kicked the hound back and shot another
fireball at it. I hit the hound square in the face. It caught on fire
and eventually stopped moving. I look at the walrus and we lock eyes.
I saw the anger flare up, he charged after me. I sidestepped him and
threw a fireball at his back. It hit, but he just shook it off like
it was nothing. He turned with a blow gun in his hand. He fired off
some darts; I was able to dodge them. I couldn’t get close; I
didn’t want to get hit. They could be poisoned or tranquilizers. I
could hear the darts whistle passed me. He ran out of darts in one
pocket and he had to find the rest he had. This was my chance.
I move in closer to make sure I hit him. He finds more darts and
fires them. Left, right, left, right, duck, slide I moved with
seamless ease. I fire off two fireballs, this time catching him on
fire. He ran around in a panic, screaming for mercy. He dropped to
the ground with a loud thud. Still alive, but unwilling to fight. He
was slowly dying. I turn to see the smaller walrus standing by the
igloo, ready to fight. He was ready to kill. It had to be a kid; I
may have well just killed his parent or guardian. The little guy
charged after me, I raised the fire wand and threw a single fireball.
Direct Hit.
