Artificial Earth

03

"You can be a king or a street sweeper but everyone dances with the grim reaper."

--Anonymous

Defense outpost 07
Outer District 01
2:00 a.m

"THE RECEPTION'S GETTING WORSE, We're nearly as blind as a bat." Joe said while adjusting the dials on the monitor.
"CCTV'S all scrambled up, all we're having is static. I told the lieutenant that these babies belong to a museum and that we should've gotten the SV-digital surveillance cams." he added.
Private first class Joe Sander's a smart and tough guy. Before joining the army he worked as a bouncer at different strip clubs back on Earth. Nothing scares him. He was good at his job and could easily knock out an opponent with a single punch. "White pride" they called him back then, three hundred and thirty pounds of muscle, and nearly as tall as a Bear.
"Just forget about that, won't matter anyway with a storm like this one. Why don't you just sit right here while I open us a bottle of Vodka." Marty suggested while using his shirt to clean the glasses.
"Hey Tonio! You get your lazy butt in here and get wasted like the two of us!" Marty shouted.
"Okay, Okay! Stop yelling., you sounded just like my mother." Tonio answered.
Marty handed each of them a glass and started the session.
"Cheers!!! " he said, lifting the glass.
"Cheers!!!" Joe and Tonio replied.

"Why not tell us a story Tonio?" Marty suggested, taking another shot of Vodka.
Married and with three children, two girls and one boy...Private first class Marty Finlley's the oldest among the group. Unlike Joe who happens to look like Hercules, he was thin and bespectacled. His father died when he was still young, leaving his mother to fend for them.
"Go on Tonio, tell us a story." Joe encouraged, taking a shot of Vodka.
"What kind of story would you like to hear?" Tonio asked, pouring himself a glass.
"Tell us a...ummm..a scary story." Joe said teasingly.
Tonio took a shot from his glass and thought for a while. When he was ten, his mother took him to his Aunt Criselda to spend the summer there. And every night, before going to bed his Aunt Criselda would tell him stories of far away lands, myths, legends and lore. She also told him stories about ghosts, monsters and those that creep in the dark.
"Have you ever heard of the "Miro?" Tonio asked, staring at his empty glass.
"Miro? What's that? Some sort of Vodoo type thing?" Marty sarcastically asked.
"Maybe it's his girlfriends name." Joe added and they both laughed.
"I'll tell you this story passed from generation to generation...Long Ago when the Earth was still young and unspoiled, A Tribe called "Ilyohae Naghue" settled over the Great Plains and flourished there. There were cattles, fowls of all sorts and water from large cracks in the earth, the land was fertile and good for seeding. Other tribes from different regions would come to trade, and all were thankful and happy..." Tonio said.
"There was this young beautiful Ilyohae named "Ahkyi" meaning "Light." She was as radiant as the moon on a clear night..and all fell prey to her beauty.
A young "Ilyohae deithi" or "Warrior", upon laying eyes on "Ahkyi" fell deeply in love with her.
This young deithi's name was "Lhuelle" meaning "Brave." He was the son of their "Omaihue" or Chieftain. It was tradition that if an "Ilyohae deithi" intended to marry a woman, he must go to the forest for seven days to hunt and offer it as a sacrifice to "Elder Sun" (God).
So Lhuelle set off to the forest promising "Ahkyi" to be back. Ahkyi vowed to wait, for she too was already deeply in love with Lhuelle.
That night a band of "Mhuahs", A tribe known for being ruthless savages ravaged the village...raping women and killing everyone, even children.
Upon Lhuelle's return, He saw everyone slaughtered including Ahkyi who was raped by a hundred men. So great was his pain and hatred he made an offering to the Darkest of gods "Zhaeyef" and surrendered his body and soul for a price. He vowed to take revenge on the "Mhuahs."
One Stormy night, A fog of darkness enveloped the Mhuahs tribe. One by one, the villagers started vanishing, only to be seen again mutilated and lifeless. Other bodies were found beheaded and some drained of blood.
Some of the Mhuahs tried to protect themselves by sticking together. Men armed themselves using their most powerful talismans, razor sharp axes, bows and arrows yet all those were rendered useless against Miro, whose very existence was consumed with hate. There were those who were brave enough or crazy enough to go outside and challenge Miro...and..those inside would hear shrieks of defiance, followed by cries of agony and last came whimpers of the dying. A few Mhuahs were lucky enough to escape. Some hid and others fled, climbing mountains, crossing rivers and valleys just to avoid the same fate as the others. "Miro" comes from the native tongue of the Mhuahs, which means "He who walks in darkness." Ever since then...every stormy night, "Miro" would walk the Earth taking revenge, looking for every last descendant of the Mhuahs." Tonio said, ending his story.
A crash was heard outside caused by the strong wind, the trash can toppling over, startling Joe and Marty.
"Ngyeuh..! What the hell Joe! Get off me man!" Marty shouted.
"Ooops, Sorry." Joe apologized, his cheeks turning red.
Tonio smiled.

A few seconds later the three heard a strange sound , unearthly and blood curdling, coming from the supply room across the outpost outside. The three men stood there in silence for a brief moment..."That was definitely not the wind.." Marty fearfully said. "Miro" Joe whispered back. "Get your guns..." Tonio finally said.