Monsters

The wind rustled around her, whipping her long hair in all directions. A dark vortex of a cloud had swept her entire life away. Everything she once possessed had vanished without a trace, leaving no evidence of her house behind. Her past and future were now untraceable, leaving only memories imprisoned deep within her mind.

She stood alone in the midst of the barren clearing where her home once stood. The struggle to breathe was palpable, punctuated by a series of hiccups, each tear streaming down her face as a testament to her grief. The sole photograph of her late mother, the one she had gazed upon nearly every day to keep her memory alive, was lost in the void. Now, she had nothing left to remind her.

Her mind resembled a whirlwind of chaos, swiftly discarding memories, reminders, and even the faces of those she held dear. In the weeks and months to come, as she lay down to sleep at night, she would wrestle with thoughts that refused to be silenced. Deep within her consciousness, she would seek her mother's face, only to find a blurred and faceless figure, the product of her mind's betrayal.

That tornado had left her bereft of identity, stripping away every trace of who she once was. Everything she had ever known had been devoured by the violent, ground-touching cyclone that usually accompanied a thunderstorm. She sniffled and wiped her tear-streaked face, slowly coming to terms with this unexpected and profound change.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, signaling an incoming call. With a slow and emotionless movement, she retrieved her phone and answered it. "I'm sorry to do this on such a day, but due to recent events, I'm afraid I have to let you go," her boss's voice came through the phone. It felt like her whole world had been sucked into the vortex of that storm.

"Please don't do this to me right now," she pleaded with him, desperation lacing her words. All he replied with was a simple, "I'm sorry," before the line went dead.

Tears threatened to surface, but her eyes remained dry. Laughter seemed equally elusive. Instead, she gathered all the emotions inside her and released them in a gut-wrenching scream. Collapsing onto the ground, she gazed up at the dark clouds retreating to reveal a bright baby blue sky. "Can today get any worse?" she murmured, addressing no one in particular.

Earth-shaking footsteps caught her attention. She turned toward the source of the sound and found herself paralyzed by fear. Before her loomed an immense, grotesque monster, its gray, bloated form dominating the scene. But it wasn't alone. She soon realized that a multitude of monsters surrounded her, each unique in shape, size, and color. They ranged from towering giants to diminutive creatures, and their hues spanned the spectrum from gray and purple to blue, green, and pink. Yet, they all shared one chilling feature—blood-red eyes.

One of these monstrous beings began to approach her, and panic surged within her. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted toward the nearest cellar. As she fled, she glimpsed a family rushing into the same refuge and sealing the door behind them. Desperation drove her to try and pry the cellar door open, but the family had secured it tightly. "Let me in!" she cried out, pounding frantically on the door. However, her pleas were met with silence, as the family prioritized their own safety, leaving her to confront the monsters alone.

She straightened up and fled from the cellar. All around her, the air was filled with frantic screams from families unable to escape the clutches of the monsters in time. "I can't keep running; I have to do something," she thought to herself as she hid behind a bush, granting herself a moment to brainstorm while she observed the unfolding chaos.

Amidst the mayhem, two monsters were locked in a gruesome struggle over a woman. One gripped her arms tightly, while the other clung to her legs. The woman's agonized screams reverberated throughout the town as these grotesque beings tore her body apart. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the horrifying sight. It was a macabre spectacle as the blood that had once coursed through the woman's veins now pooled on the ground, staining both monsters crimson. Yet, this grisly scene failed to satiate their savage hunger. Each of them sought to claim the woman entirely, not settling for just half. The monster holding her arms wielded a crude club reminiscent of the caveman era, using it as a weapon in their violent dispute.

The two monsters engaged in the brutal conflict were notably smaller than the first one she had spotted earlier. Eventually, it was the monster holding the woman's legs that emerged victorious, tearing the other creature limb from limb in a gruesome display of dominance.

A sudden shiver coursed through her as she felt the presence of something nearby. The hot, putrid breath of rotten meat brushed against her ear, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. A sickening glob of drool plopped onto her head, and she realized the source. Slowly, she turned around, her gaze rising to meet a terrifying sight.

Standing before her was a tall, black creature with piercing red eyes. It loomed menacingly, baring its razor-sharp teeth in a sinister semblance of a smile, though she knew it held nothing but malevolence within. Its powerful build and thick neck sent a wave of dread through her, as she faced this monstrous entity.

The monstrous being's face drew closer to hers, and a gust of its breath forcefully blew her hair back. Her eyes widened in terror, her trembling hands betraying the fear coursing through her, while her heart raced erratically within her chest. Desperate thoughts urged her to run, to move her feet and escape, but they remained stubbornly rooted to the earth.

The creature's massive hand menacingly approached her, and finally, her paralyzed limbs sprung into action. She swiftly turned and sprinted away from the towering monster. Glancing back, she realized that the monster was gaining ground on her. Panic welled up within her, causing her to lose her footing. She stumbled and fell onto something that sent a horrific jolt through her. Looking down, she let out a blood-curdling scream that resonated through her new, nightmarish reality. She found herself sprawled on top of a dismembered body, drenched from head to toe in its blood.

The ground quaked with thunderous vibrations, and before she could even react, she was hoisted into the air by an enormous, midnight-hued hand. Face to face with the monstrous shadow, she desperately clawed at his inky flesh, seeking a way to break free, but her attempts were futile. The monstrous grip tightened around her fragile form, bones crunching beneath the pressure. Her breath hitched, and all she could manage was a painful groan.

In an instant, her existence faded away, leaving behind a mere spectral presence adrift in an endless void of darkness within the boundless expanse of space. No radiant light beckoned her to heaven, and no abyss opened to embrace her into hell's depths.

She jolted awake in her bed, panic surging through her as she swiftly checked her body for any injuries. Her trembling hand pressed against her chest, confirming the reassuring rhythm of her heartbeat, a sign of her continued existence. With a mixture of relief and disbelief, she fell back onto her bed, laughing in exhilaration.

However, her moment of elation was abruptly interrupted by the deafening sound of rain pounding on her house's roof and the ominous roar of thunder outside. Peering out of her bedroom window, her heart sank as she witnessed a massive, gray tornado heading directly for her home. Without hesitation, she leaped out of bed, dashed out of the house, and dialed her boss's number. "I quit," she declared into her phone before abruptly ending the call.

Rushing to her car, she sped away, leaving her past life behind, destined to vanish without a trace, never to be seen or heard from again.