The Nuclear Frontier

Chapter 14

        Then I dreamed. 

       For a few seconds, I simply floated in emptiness. No color. No sound. No sensations of any kind save self awareness.  After a quick moment of panic, I was oddly comforted by the void like feeling.  The silence which caressed me and the lack of pain were probably what caused this unusual feeling welling deep within my very soul. I felt like I could not bare the thought of leaving the odd comforting behind but then everything changed.

        A dull grey light slowly rose over what seemed to be a horizon.  At first, I thought it was the sun but a glimpse of long flowing hair quickly dismissed that thought. The light was emanating from a feminine figure robed in a green silk gown seemingly floating towards a collection of shadows that I could only assume was the ground the nearer she came to touching the floor in front of me, the more details I could make out.  I knew who it was instantly.  It was Crystal. 

      I attempted to approach her but something that felt like hardened cement held around my arms and legs.  Crystal gently floated down to the ground where she lay down, seemingly exhausted.  All the while I did not quit struggling against the mysterious bonds that held me.  The sky slowly started to brighten, and I could make out figures standing all around the clearing that Crystal was laying in. The light was bright enough then so that I could make out the faces of the monsters that surrounded her.  The bodies of the abuominations were worse than any of the mutations i had ever seen with their pale red skin and black veins.

        As one of the monsters entered the clearing, Crystal looked in my direction and weakly said in a terrified voice "Help me. Please, please help me." Then my heart broke.  And with it came a rage that I had never known i possessed.  A big bubble of raw anger exploded somewhere inside of me and liquid fire rushed through my veins. 

        "Stop where you are," I warned in an even voice that was more terrifying than any war cry had ever been "or you wong get to see tomorrow."

        At this, one of the creatures looked in his direction and laughed.  "what are you gonna do? You cant even move." and the beast reached out a hand as if to caress Crystal's face.

        He never even got close.

        With a roar and strength exponential to what I thought possible, I ripped my arms and legs out of the restrains that now seemed to be made of glass for how easy they broke.  I ran to the monster and grabbed his hand. 

        In a flat and even voice I made my threat into a reality.  "I said to back away. I gave you a chance." and with a monsterous heave, i separated the man from the arm that had sought to touch tis precious angel laying before me.  My angel.  The man started screaming and with a shap punch from my right hand, he stopped for good.  Another roar escaped my throat even louder than the previous one before I turned and walked toward Crystal.  As i neared her, the anger seemed to melt away, replaced by a different emotion, something i couldn't name.

        One of the monsters raced towards Crystal his hand outstretched as if to grab her and run. The anger returned like a flash of lightening, white hot and deadly. when he got within three feet of Crystal he got a similar treatment to the one before him.  With a powerful strike to the elbow, his arm bent backwards and he screamed. With a brutal kick to the head, his screams stopped. The rest of the crowd seemed to be more apprehensive about attacking me and Crystal. Without hesitating, I scooped Crystal up and carried her princess style towards the horizon.

        When I reached the edge of the clearing, I awoke.