Horror From Below

DARK NIGHTMARES

My mom always told me when I was a child that there would always be hope even in the darkest of times, and she was right. After a few hours of driving my prayers were answered. I came across a small town guarded by a bunch of COG soldiers. I had really lost faith in the COG, but on that day I wasn't more happy to see anyone else. When I arrived at the town the Gears had me write down information about myself in a little book, they said it was to keep track of everyone in the town.

They booked me into a motel and told me to be ready first thing the next morning because they were going evacuate everyone to Jacinto. I was really relieved but I wasn't a civilian. I was a GOG soldier trained for war. It would have been be a waste to keep my talents locked up behind the walls of Jacinto. There was no way that I was going enjoy life while every other Gear risked their lives to end the war. I would not have been able to live with myself by being a coward so I told them I was a certified Gear and asked them if I could join them and help with the evacuation. They told me that they didn't need help on that day and that I should get myself settled in and help the next day.

Something about what the one Gear had said to me after I told the man in charge that I was a former Gear really had me thinking a little bit. He whispered really softly but loud enough so that only I could hear, "You made a big mistake man." The words he had told me lingered through my mind, I knew what I was getting into, it was my job, but the expression on his face really made me doubt my decision a little bit. "No turning back now" I said to myself as I drove off. I suffered a few scratches and gashes with my fight against the monkey dogs, It was starting to bleed again so I decided to see a doctor before I checked in at the motel. I drove around and spotted a small building with red crosses painted all around it. It was a clinic of some sort. I parked my car on the side of the road next to the building. I got out and made my way inside. As I walked in I saw a bunch of people with bullet wounds and scars all over them. Some were even missing a few limbs, it was horrifying to see. I gave the receptionist my name and waited for my turn. Whilst I was in the waiting room I saw a little girl, it was probably the doctor's or maybe the receptionist's kid, I wasn't sure.

She was really shocked to had seen the horrors of the injured people around her. All those gashes and wounds, it wasn't a normal thing to see in everyday life. I could see that she was confused and had no idea of what was going on. I guess her father thought it best that she didn't find out about the state of the world. It was at that moment, that I realized the youth of the entire world had their childhood taken away from them and replaced by the horrors of war that one could never forget at any age. An hour of waiting had passed by and I was finally able to see the doctor. He patched me up and offered me a place to stay for the night, but I told him I was ok because the COG booked me in a motel a few blocks down. I didn't know why but something about that doctor and that clinic seemed wrong, I couldn't explain it but I just didn't feel right sleeping in that clinic. After I was patched up I went straight to the motel. I checked in and headed to my room. When I got there I noticed it was a family room, those rooms that have a door that separate two rooms opposite each other. I knocked a few times and got no answer. It was unlocked so I decided to go see if there was anyone in the other room. Sure enough there was a guy, he was just sitting there staring at the wall almost like he was blind. Before I could say hi or anything he said, "If you try anything stupid I'll knock you unconscious."

I had a good comeback to say to him but I recognized that voice. "Ben? Is that you?" I asked. "Whose aski- ..... Jason, I don't believe it, your alive!" he said. It was my best friend from high school, Ben Millar. Just like that he jumped off the bed and that same blank stare turned into a happy smile. He gave me one of his deadly bear hugs which I haven't gotten since high school. "Oh man it's been so long" he exclaimed. He wanted to know how I survived and how I ended up in the town. I told him everything from what happened on the highway all the way to that very day. "Wow that's rough buddy, you lost everything, but don't worry I'm here now." he said after I told him how my parents died. Those words really hit me, made me feel ...... happy, almost forgetting about all the madness that was going on out there. When I mentioned "monkey dog thing" he laughed and said : "These murderous monsters have names you know." He saw the confused look on my face and then pulled out something from his pocket. It was a news article. It had guidelines and information on what to do in the crisis. Most of the instructions were stay inside and avoid contact with the creatures which I found out they call the Locust horde. "They started giving these out to everyone this morning, looks like they forgot to give one to you" he said. The article had a little bit of information about the Locust. They gave each creature a name and a bit of information about it.