Nathaniel held fast to the small row boat as he watched the creature rise from the depths of the ocean into the sky as high as he could see. His hands trembled as he beheld what appeared before him, but he stood on the rocks and waited. This was the only way, he realized, even though it brought sadness to his soul and and ache to his heart.
Three days ago.
Nathaniel sat at his desk reading the materials for his latest assignment. He was proud of his recent promotion to field reporter and he planned to make the most of it. The Pulitzer Prize had his name on it...well it would as soon as he wrote the piece on the Visitors. Being chosen to interview one of the aliens had been a surprise, but he was up to the task. He scanned the files, not really reading them fully, and left for his appointment with the Visitor as they were begin called. Political Correctness at its very finest, but he had agreed to keep the title to obtain the exclusive. Unfortunately the interview did not go as planned. He had arrived a few moments early and had witnessed the Visitors rounding up a group of humans, who appeared to him to be homeless people if their clothes were any indication, like cowboys would have rounded up cattle or wild mustangs. The group disappeared into their ship and he had the whole thing on his phone.
He skipped the interview and went home to watch the recording. When he zoomed in he saw that one of the Visitors was stabbing long spears into the people and hanging them up like meat in a butcher's locker. He threw up right there all over his desk. He needed to tell someone. he called his boss who didn't even let him finish but just said he was fired for missing the interview of a lifetime. He called the police, but they didn't believe him. he was getting desperate. How long before they moved on from the homeless of the city? He attempted to contact the military but that went nowhere fast.
He decided that desperate times called for desperate measures so he waited until he saw a live feed on network TV at an event and jumped in front of the camera and declared what he'd seen, and told everyone to beware. He was of course arrested and charges were pressed by both the city and the news station.
He woke up the next morning to the sound of keys in the lock to his cell. He was escorted out and frowning in utter confusion was placed into a small car and whisked away. The was an odd scent in the car and soon he was unconscious, not awakening until he was in a dark room alone. He tried to move but his arms and legs were fastened tightly to something. A flicker of light began to move toward him and he immediately tensed and tried to move but could not. The flicker of light grew brighter as an old man approached with a brass candleholder in his hand that the old man lifted to look at his face. "Huh," was all the old man said before moving across the room and grabbing a knife off a table. The old man lifted the knife and his deep set eyes peered into the younger man's and he swiftly moved the knife releasing his arms and then another quick movement freed his legs.
"Who are you?" Nathaniel asked, "Where am I?"
"I am Jor," The man said holding to a crooked walking stick with one hand and the candle holder with the other. "You are in my home."
"Why?" Nathaniel asked, "How did I get out of jail?"
"No time for all that," Jor said, "You need to do something...I haven't got much time to teach you...we must begin."
Nathaniel watched the man start to move away, and take the tiny bit of light with him, so he followed. "Listen old man," he said as he took a few quick strides to catch up to Jor, "I have to tell people about the aliens...they are killing people..."
"Yes I know," Jor said, "Who will you tell?" he asked suddenly stopping and looking up at the taller man, "No one believes. They wish to believe the lies. Corruption goes very high in this. You cannot trust anyone. Our only hope for survival is to summon the Gurntound. I cannot make the journey...you must do it."
Nathaniel blinked, "What are you talking about?" he was practically screaming in frustration. "Summon what? A Gunnahousen?"
"A Gurntound," Jor corrected. "It arrived with me twenty years ago. I am old now but if you do as I say .... he will come to you and defend your world."
Nathaniel furrowed his brows, "Wait.....wait just a pea pickin minute...are you saying YOU are an alien as well?"
Jor nodded, "But I came alone to warn of this invasion." His eyes were hard and there was a huff of air that left his frail body, "Your leaders did not believe me. They tried to imprison me but I escaped with the help of the Gurntound." He started to move forward once more and stopped at a large shelf and pulled a book from it. "This is where you must go," he said pointing to a map that was crudely drawn on the book's inside binding. "The rest will take time...we must begin."
Nathaniel sent the rest of the day learning to summon and control the Gurntound even though he had no idea why he was doing it. Jor was convincing though and he didn't see any other way to save life as he knew it. He spent the next day traveling to the place indicated on the map. He acquired a small row boat as he'd been instructed and rowed out to the large rocks that were jutting out into the ocean and then climbed atop them. He held the row boat in one hand and in his other hand he held the crystal Jor had given him. He called out in a loud voice, "Ot Yawag Penja!" and then waited. He was about to give up the whole things as a weird hoax when he saw mist begin to arise out in the distance.
Nathaniel held fast to the small row boat as he watched the creature rise from the depths of the ocean into the sky as high as he could see. His hands trembled as he beheld what appeared before him, but he stood on the rocks and waited. This was the only way, he realized, even though it brought sadness to his soul and and ache to his heart. The creature would be able to kill the aliens as intended, but it would also kill many humans as well. It was horrible to watch this unfold slowly before him as if in a bad dream or trance, but he saw the many eyes of the creature look upon his and he lifted the crystal and spoke again, "Hu Kedba Pagdo!" And then fell to his knees and begged forgiveness for what he's unleashed upon the earth.
