The Wrong Road Part 1 Through 16

The Wrong Road Taken Part 13

What are its origins, where did it come from, and the one thing that has been preying on my mind is what did it want?
That last question is based upon the idea that the "water" is self aware.
If the "water" is self aware, is it a thinking organism?
Does the "water" here know what the "water" a thousand miles away is doing/thinking?
If we are in fact tapping into the quantum fog, so to speak, is the water a part of, or a byproduct of the quantum world?
I had been thinking about the "water" and the concept of quantum entanglement.
Is it possible that the water is capable of instantaneous communication with "water" elsewhere?
One more thing, is the "water" a series of independent things, or is it a singular world wide organism?"

Once again, I saw Asahi and Martin share a look when I concluded my musings.
Returning to his cushion, Asahi began telling me about some of the things that the research group has been looking into.
In a large part, it was much in line with my thinking.

In the middle of our conversation, a rumble was taking over from the birds singing in the trees.
The sound resolved itself as the Gorth came rushing into the clearing where we sat.
In seconds, all eight Gorth had formed a ring around us facing outward.
Each of them scanning the area ahead, and in particular the woods to the north.
The cause for their concern became clear in a few moments.
From the woods to the north came thunderous footsteps.
Foot steps that sounded a lot like a giant piledriver pounding pilings into the ground.
The entire ground reverberated in step with the footfalls of whatever was headed this way.
With each step the trees nearby shook in unison, the leaves began falling as the trees shook.
The three of us leapt to our feet as we began waiting for whatever was headed our way.

From the direction of the banquet tent came shouts, along with the sound of people running in our direction.
Before anyone managed to reach us from the house, the trees to our north were bent over to allow whatever was coming passage.
I could see a path of destruction behind the edge of the forest where whatever it was made made its way forward, yet there was nothing there to see.
Whatever it was, there was nothing there to see.
Yet the damage to the forest was as real as could be.

The Gorth had arrayed themselves into a defensive phalanx that stood between the three of us and whatever was advancing towards us.
Combined, the Gorth began growling in unison, a sound that any sane person would know without thinking that this is a sound you only need to hear once in your lifetime.
Just knowing to the depths of your being that you would be far better off than to be in the near vicinity of the Gorth at that moment in time.
It also appeared that each of the Gorth had grown to double their original size.
Whatever it was now stood at the edge of the clearing; however, there was nothing to see other than giant footprints where the earth was trampled flat.

From the nothingness where it should have stood, a voice boomed from near the top of the trees.
How big was this thing? I wondered.
Asahi, Martin, and I stood our ground, thinking if we ran, whatever it was could chase us down with ease.

All the Gorth present backed up to tighten the ring of protection around us.
While only ten or fifteen seconds elapsed between when it came into the clearing, and it speaking, the time felt like hours had passed.
When at last it chose to speak, it's voice shook the ground beneath our feet.

"Hello Luke, it's a real pleasure to meet you at last.
I've been watching you for the longest time, and I felt the time was right to finally meet.
I would have joined the party that Lucretia threw, however, I don't think I would have had a warm welcome."

By this time, half the partygoers had arrived at the clearing, arranging themselves in a semicircle on the outskirts of the clearing.
All of them stood back, with the exception of Lucretia, who strode forward to stand alongside me.
Stepping forward Lucretia lifted her voice.