Beyond The Horizon

15 years later

"Shit!"
The bullets just went through them like it was nothing. The Kyaasktic's are stronger than I thought.
14 years ago. Everything went to Hell. After we captured one Kyaasktic, more and more started showing up. Raiding houses, tearing down doors without effort. It was a damn madhouse.
They broke into our neighbors house's, our friends house's. At midnight they broke into ours. I remember hearing a crash as our door was ripped of its hinges and thrown to the floor. That's what woke Sarah and I up. I ran to get the gun I kept in the closet. Sarah ran out of the room. I reached for the gun, but I was too late. I heard her scream, I heard the Kyaasktic's claws scrape across the floor, ripping up carpet and tile as they dragged her away, into the chaotic wasteland of a world.
Things changed after she was taken. I searched endless days and nights for her. It was no use. She was gone. Torn off the face of the Earth, just like how my carpet was torn off my floor when they dragged her away. I used to be this easy going man, okay with almost anything. Now, I'm a monster, a machine almost, with one target. Getting her back.
"Fuck!"
I was brought back to what was happening around me when a Kyaasktic fell from the ceiling onto me. Quickly I withdrew my knife from its sheath and stabbed the creature in the head. It's bright green blood splattered over my dull, torn clothes.
It shrieked in pain, muttering something in its own language. I pushed it off me and slammed the stock of my rifle into its skull, spraying its blood everywhere. It fell to the ground, convulsing in its slow ascension to death. The others seemed to have ran off.
"Come here Xeno"
I called to my dog. He's only 5 months old. I found him in an abandoned animal shelter, papers filled out and everything. They said that he is a husky. He looks wolf if I do say so myself.
Walking. That's all I do anymore. Walk, I walk everywhere. After Kyaask attacked, they destroyed all electronics and machines. I myself seem to be becoming more of a mechanical heathen every day.
"I'm still human, and you're still dog. Right Xeno? Huh, look at me, talking to a dog."
Damn. Nothing changes, not war, love, life, it's all just an endless fucking cycle that always leads to misery. For me atleast. I don't think it could get worse than this. Streets are flooded, and every building is basically collapsed or collapsing. Aliens and their machines roam the streets searching for any survivors. If they find any, there as good as dead, if they don't take you in for examination of course.
Wandering down the street some more, Xeno starts barking wildly. I can't tell what he's barking at, really I can't see anything, just the collapsing wasteland. He runs ahead, I follow more slowly. A figure comes into shape, it looks feminine. Hopefully they can help me through this hellhole.
"What is it Xeno? Is that a person?"
The dog burst out barking as I approach the 'person'. Now that I get a closer look, looks like some kind of weird mutant creature that the Kyaasktics created. It could still be friendly though, guess I'll have to go check it out because I'm currently the only person living, that I know of.
Walking closer, it is female. A kind of horned, winged, fanged, clawed, female demon creature.
"Holy shit. You're one fucked up son of a bi- sorry ma'am....Uh.... This is totally not awkward one bit!"
"Oh, so you're a survivor? Of the aliens?"
"The Kyaasktic, but yeah my name's Mike, Mike Edwards. And you are?"
"Tasha Krayne, I used to be a normal human, untill the... Kyaasktics or whatever you call them... Caught me and experimented on my body. As you can probably tell one experiment went wrong and they threw me out like a Subway sandwich that expired."
"Oh I'm... I'm uh...sorry to hear that."
"Don't worry about it. It could be worse. I could be dead right now, but I'm not. So I'm glad."
"Soooooo....Anyway, I was hoping you'd be able to help me.... Recover something that was lost."
I said that, chocking on my thoughts about Sarah being dragged away screaming for help, screaming and begging me to help her as they dragged her away. And I just stood there. Watching, watching them drag her away.
"What did you loose?"
The most innocent question someone can ask, turned so sinister.
"My wife, Sarah. The uh..... Kyaasktics took her away. And now I'm on this endless search to find her....Sorry it's a little... How do I put it... Disturbing."
"Oh... I see, that is sad... I couldn't imagine the emotional pain you must be bearing. Yes I will help you find her. It'll be...Faster... Because I've been there before."
So she packed up her things and we set off again. To find Sarah, to find my love, that was torn away from me. I'm going to find her, I don't care how long it takes, I don't care the pain I endure, I don't care what happens to everyone else, I don't care about fuck all everything. I only care about getting her back.
The sun has finally made the horizon it's grave. The moon making its upward ascent into the sky above. The rest of the blazing red, gold, pink, orange, and purple sunset fading behind the edge of the broken houses and crooked trees that rest upon the horizon. We sat down on a half broken old park bench and Tasha made some quick food, just some old Chinese food boxes. I'm still kind of sad that the government, when it existed banned trading of soy sauce because it contained ingredients poisonous to humans.
The moon rose higher, and we set up to sleep. The constant chirp of the crickets rang it. I am sort of surprised they survived this hole apocalyptic uprising of aliens. Along with the birds that chirped in the now leafless trees. As I dozed off the previous world before all the chaos of the Kyaasktics happened. The beautiful full, green leafy trees, the dandelions and wildflowers springing up in gardens and along cracks in pavement. People filling the street with their everyday activities. I wouldn't say it was necessarily peaceful. But it was better than this. Now the once blue skies filled with puffy white marshmallow clouds now grey and filled with brown hazy clouds that drifted hazily across the sky. Sparse plant-life and no people anymore.
I awoke to someone screaming. It wasn't Tasha, the voice was too manly. I jumped up from the place I was sleeping to see a full grown man being chased by two or three ten feet tall armed, Kyaasktics. The Kyaasktics chirped and made a screeching sound as they persued the man. Suddenly a huge Kyaasktic pounced out of a collapsing building onto the man. This Kyaasktic was different, it had four arms and an arching tail that ended in a barb almost like a scorpions. It's claws were shorter and hooked with serrated edges. It growled like a wolf instead of chirping like the others. It seemed more keen to hunting and capturing unlike the others which seem more keen to battle. And the different one sprinted on its six limbs like a dog runs instead of sprinting on its two legs like a human.
The strange Kyaasktic pinned the man down and crawled over his body. The man was pinned down stomach exposed. The creature drew it's barb over his stomach threatening to break the skin. It dug it's claws into the man's arms and legs as it dragged itself up to be eye to eye with the man. It made a strange hissing sound like acid burning through wood, and opened its mouth revealing 4 rows of sharp teeth aligned extremely straight like lines drawn on paper with a ruler. It's tongue slithered out of its mouth. The tongues spine was laced with razor sharp blades. The Kyaasktic leaned down next to the man's ear and hissed, dragging it's tongue from the lobe of the man's ear up to his eye creating an centimeter deep gash in his face, the creatures silva drooled over the cut spilling in. The silva was like acid and burned the man's skin away making the gash wider and more profound. It repeated the process on the other side. The man screamed in agony, pain, and pure terror all at once, but the sound of agony echoed from his throat louder than the others. The creature dug it's claws farther into the man when he screamed, causing him to scream more. Blood oozed lazily up around the claws and poured over the side of his arm slowly. The creatures tail was now positioned above the man's throat with a green acidic poison liquid slowly squeezed out.
The man struggled endlessly. He twisted his head and looked at Tasha and I who stood there shocked, unable to move.
"Help me!! I'm going to die help me!"
His cries rang out endlessly bouncing off the broken collapsing building walls. I edged forward but Tasha held me back.
"If you try to help him, they'll come after you. Hunter's sense movement and body heat, but if you stay still they can't track you."
"How did y-nevermind, I'm just glad it's not us being torn apart by that monster."
"Yeah, that's one of the stronger ones, besides the king and queen of the hive."
"How rare is it to see a hunter? If you know of course."
"Hunter's are not as rare as they seem, they just stalk 'prey' untill the warriors or knights chase one down. The warriors themselves are not made for chasing, but more for hand-to-hand combat. While hunters are made for chasing and pouncing."
We were drawn away from our conversation by the Kyaasktic hunter hissing loudly and the man screaming again as the barb of the Kyaasktics tail pierced his throat. The man's cried were drowned out by a rough gurgling that came from his neck as the acid from the tail and the man's blood and silva collided. The man convulsed in pain still alive as the acid invaded his body eating away at his intestines. The creature then viciously tore at the man's stomach tearing the flesh off and tossing it aside. It pulled the rotting intestines out and cleaned the cavity of the man's vital organs. He convulsed once more and shuddered down to a bloody death. The Kyaasktic covered in the blood of the man placed an odd looking orb inside the stomach cavity and then closed it sealing it shut with acid.
The creature stood up and grabbed the now dead man by the head and dragged him away into the dark abyss of an alley in the broken city. The other three remaining Kyaasktics scanned the area then followed the hunter, chirping to eachother.
I shook myself out of shock and nudged Tasha back to consciousness from staring at the pool of blood here the dead man used to be.
"That was.... Gruesome... Terribly gruesome, yet I couldn't look away..."
She was still somewhat in shock and Xeno was just waking up oblivious to the terror that just occurred before our eyes.
"Holy.... Mother... Of.... Shit...."
I barely panted those words out as I took grasp of reality. Of what just happened. I know more fucked up shit is going to happen, but that one is always going to rattle me.
"Oh god! What if they did that to Sarah? What if the Kyaask turned her into that?! What of she's dead!? What if I never get to see her again!? Oh god, oh no, no, no, she has to be okay, she has to be, she can't be dead, oh god. She's dead isn't she?! She dead! I know it she's dead! The Kyaasktics killed her! Oh I'll never see her beautiful hazel eyes, her long flowing brunette hair, her sparkling smile! All gone!"
I broke down, lost track of consciousness. I could hear blurred murmuring of Tasha trying to calm me. My vision blurred and my ears started ringing. Xeno barked wildly as I fell to the ground and balled up. Shaking with tears dripping from my eyes. I'll never see my Sarah again. I'll never see her. She's dead. And now I'm all alone in this hellhole of a world. God help me please. This can't be happening!
I awoke sometime in the afternoon. Xeno was laying on my chest with half asleep. I can't recall what happened except the terrifying tragic incident with the man, really who couldn't forget that. I tried to stand up by my legs gave way under my weight. I fell back down.
"You're awake! I was so afraid that you lost it."
I regained my memory of flipping out because I was sure Sarah was dead. I doubt she is though. I just think the whole Kyaasktic Hunter incident rattled me a lot.
"Oh I... I uh think the thing with the Kyaasktics just got to me. I'm fine now though."
"That good. Okay. So no more flipping out yelling complete nonsense right?"
"No more flipping out yelling complete nonsense anymore."
I reassured myself of that aswell. Things could always be worse. I could be dead, I could be the Kyaasktics prisoner, I could be that man. But I'm not, I'm alive, I'm here, and everything will be okay. Once I get her back. Once she's in my arms, once I can feel her warmth and taste her breath. Everything will be fine. Everything.
Tasha and I continued our trek to liberty. It's sixteen miles away.
"Damn, it'll be a long trek. I'd be nice if we could have any motorized vehicle. But we don't...So that leaves us here."
I glanced over at Tasha, I think she is still traumatized by the incident earlier. She hasn't said a word nor do I think she's realized I just talked. Atleast Xeno barked in reply, he's such a happy dog in this horrible thing of a world we live in.
We walked into this torn down town. Blood was spattered over the walls, lacing the town in a rancid sent, a scent of rotting flesh and sun boiled blood. Tasha still hasn't responded.
The grotesque smell grew stronger as we ventured farther into the, what seems abandoned town. There were more streaks of blood and pools of it than towards the beginning.
"I bet this is the entrance to the hive."
"You just may be right Tasha, I'd bet this town is so fucked up because they don't want anyone near their hive."
"That seems reasonable... Enough."
We trekked onwards, reaching unfathomable depths within the broken town. We came across an old subway station near the center of the ground. The smell that irradiated from the subway station was not of this world.
"It's the only way in, should we give it a try?"
"I guess, I mean if it's our only way in... Then fuck it, let's go. I'll take the lead, Tasha guard my back."
We entered the subway station and there was a saliva-esk plaster covering the walls, it pulsed and danced oozing a green foul liquid down the walls. I don't know why, but I have the feeling we were being watched, stalked almost by the shadows that cascaded off the walls and danced in the faint sunlight. The 'earth' felt like it was moving and it let out a groaning sound as we walked on it. This place isn't normal, it's far from humane. Every substance in here is otherworldly.
Turning left in the tunnel we entered what seemed like a storage room. I walked in followed by Xeno and, Tasha guarded the entrance. I was looking through a pile of unearthly substances for anything that could be of use. Suddenly I hear Xeno whine in pain and I swivel my body to look for him and I see him being dragged off down a tunnel on the opposite side of the room, one leg dragging behind leaving a trail of blood in its wake.
"Xeno!!! Tasha! They took Xeno! We have to go after it!"
"Mike you're kidding right? That's a Kyaasktic!"
"THAT dog is the only reminder of Sarah I have left. If you're not coming with me then I'm going alone!"
"Mike...I... Fine! Let's go get your stupid ass dog."
I bolted towards the hallway the Kyaasktic dragged Xeno down following the trail of fresh blood that twisted and turned down the path. He can't be dead. Xeno cannot be dead. He! Can't! Be! Dead! The trail of blood started to thin out as I continued to run after my dog.
Eventually I find a room with goo-like pillars stretching like elastic from the floor to the ceiling. I can hear Xeno crying in pain. There's a strong smell of blood in the air as I walk into the room. I see him there. Xeno. Lying with mangled legs, and a twisted body. I know he can't survive the wounds that laced his once beautiful black and white fur, now stained red with his blood.
I can't hold by my tears as I sit next to Xeno and hold him in my arms. Nearly silently I lull him to sleep.
"Shhh, babe. It's okay, the pain will be over soon"
Before I realize it, Xeno's eyes are shut and his breath has shallowed to the faintest of breaths. He was dying, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I sat there as tears streamed down my face. Xeno took one last deep breath and drifted into eternal sleep. My face was now stained with tears as I held my now dead dog in my arms. I don't know if I can take much more. Jonathan died, Sarah got taken, and now the only loved thing I have left lies dead in my arms. Tasha walks into the room.
"Mike..I...I'm sorry....I'm so sorry... If I... I could have... Please forg-"
"It's not your fault he died Tasha, even if we killed the Kyaasktic he'd still be laced with wounds and have a mangled body... May his poor soul rest in peace...And may God guide us all."
I laid down Xeno's limp, lifeless body and stood up. When I look up I find Tasha's arms around me and I feel the warm embrace of her.
"I never got to experience love, but I can tell by the way you speak of Sarah, that it is an amazing feeling. I'm sorry this happened to you. You don't deserve this, you're a wonderful man Mike, and God gave you your life as a blessing to others. You are a harbinger of a new world."
"Thank you Tasha... I'm glad I still have you, otherwise I'd be helpless and I'd probably end up sitting here to wait for Death's cold embrace."
Tasha let go of me and I petted Xeno's pelt one last time. Sighing I leave the room and head towards the center of the Hive.
The tunnel seemed to go on forever and the rancid sent grows stronger by the second. As we walk onwards the tunnel splits off into seven different directions, all as seemingly deadly as the last.
"Well... We're fucked... Which way do we go... Everywhere seems to go no Where."
"This is literally the first time you don't have an idea about something Tasha."
"Just shut up Mike and come up with a plan."
"Sorry I was trying to brighten the mood Ms. Grumpy-pants-McGee! I'm sooo sorry that you got a twist in your panties and now you're so sad."
"Fuck off Mike."
"Fine! Fine! Don't get an attitude with me because I'm trying to make the mood better."
Tasha stormed off deeper into the hive. The rancid sent seemed to die off or we just adjusted to us and it doesn't smell so bad now. I ran after her and when I caught up to her I crashed into her knocking both of us down.
I now lay on top of Tasha and she pushes me off and continues to lay down.
I hear a hiss and look up. A Kyaasktic has its hand on her head and it's leaning over her. It's straight teeth are inches Infront of her face, I can see it's breath on her skin. It hisses again and moves its hand off of Tasha's head, who lifts her head up and gasps for breath.
The Kyaasktic wraped its tail around my neck and reached its hand out for Tasha. It picked her up and knocked our heads together. I blacked out with faint vision of the Kyaasktic start to drag us off deeper into the hive.