Reptilian

Chapter 6: The Beauty of Silence

Hjuirr looked back at the thickening forest, not bothering to think about his route. While his friendship was only held together by a small thread of guilt, he wondered how much he had damaged. Then, after looking back several times, he headed deeper into the forest.

As he trekked the belly of the forest, his mind became more isolated and closed off every detail of what was in front of him. His surroundings disappeared as the small shred of anger drove him to blindness. He never dared to look at where he was going, just as long as he was going somewhere far away.

As Hjuirr's focus on the forest was suddenly gone, the feeling of frustration took place. His yellowish foot mushed slowly into the gross forest floor and spread splatters across his legs. His green scales were now doused in brown liquid.

His forked tongue flickered out angrily at the air, stabbing it with flustered emotions. Maroon eyes stood out upon messy hair and made even the darkest of features seem illuminated with an unknown light source. Even though the only trace of light came from above the tree canopies, it seemed brighter than usual.

Nothing was too alerting, yet nothing too normal. Hjuirr would occasionally observe the trees for signs of Rilak, but apparently these were untouched lands.

Every now and then, a branch would curve down and release a small swarm of insects. The greenish hue that painted the tree trunks gave the area a humid feeling.

Hjuirr slowed down as he came across a wide clearing in the trees. Following the imaginary path, soft, blue grass now brushed the bottom of his feet. On the other side of the clearing was a small stream that gushed silently over a rocky incline. And on the other side of that stood a field of tall grass, which stood high above Hjuirr. As he reached the stream, he dipped a foot into it.

He pulled out fast, realizing that the flowing liquid was not water. "What... What is this?" he mumbled as he drew his face closer to the stream.

Now that he took a closer look, the stream consisted of a slimy, yellow substance. The surface glittered with rainbow chemicals as bubbles danced and frothed around the rocks. This substance was new to Hjuirr, and he wouldn't forget its heavy stench. Where did it come from? It must have come from something nearby. None of nature's works of arts could have produced something so unnatural and icky.

With a twisted feeling now grabbing hold of his gut, he avoided the otherworldly stream and prepared to enter the field.

* * *

"N-n-no, not that long," Alyssa gasped. Her frail hands covered her mouth in shock. What was Earth like? What was to greet her outside of the shuttle? She stumbled back and lay down on the hard rim of her capsule. Tears ran down her cheeks as her flustered mind still struggled to take in all the information.

Earth was different now, and it certainly wasn't expecting any new guests. The stupidity of humans drove thousands of species into extinction, and then came their turn. They turned over so many stones that there were eventually no stones to be turned. But now, one of the ancient creatures stood right in the middle of the wreckage.

She was stuck on Earth, bound to the same planet she was born on; and soon, to die on. "I'm a human on a planet that is a million years beyond humans," Alyssa cried while wiping the sweat off her face. "I don't belong here."

Fighting the depressing thoughts that came to mind, she stood up again. She was going on and on about how her species isn't made for this era- yet she wouldn't truly know unless she saw for herself. The door to the answer stood less than 10 feet away, green and twisted roots sprawling from between the cracks.

In no time, her hand was already wrapped around the handle that would open the door to the new world. For once, she would witness the real outcome of mankind.

* * *

Holding his left arm, Hjuirr parted the tall, beige grass with his shoulder. Once he was fully in, the grass joined behind him and returned to their normal position, closing him in. Silence swallowed him whole.

Nothing could be seen in front of Hjuirr except the pale grass that loomed above him. He made his way through the field, not knowing when he'd reach the other side. The area was so dead that the only thing he could hear was the soft sound of his heart and his panted breaths. Not even the grass decided to make a noise.

A black void of nothingness hung overhead, engulfing Hjuirr in ultimate isolation. The nothingness felt like it was going to drive him mad. He missed the company of his friends beside him, the warm glow of a candle lit inside his house, or perhaps the welcoming touch of his plush bed.

In the middle of the field, he stopped to catch a breath. He was especially freaked out by the fact that even the area even lacked crickets. At this time of night, any area would be full of melodic insects.

But alas, he was all by himself.

* * *

She pushed the door open to reveal a tall wall of hay-like plants. It was like one of the cornfields from her grandmother's old farm. It wasn't exactly what she expected to see, but it was a kind of plant which she'd never seen before. They stood over 12 feet tall, yet were as thick as pencils.

Alyssa put her hand into the wall and felt how easy it was to push them aside. Being so, she hesitantly took a step into the new world.