A Golden Hour   

{pictures} 

I watched as the clouds parted from the belly of the ship… I watched as the people down below cheered for us… I saw the smiling faces of happy free children in pure jealousy! For as I could hear their childish laughter, I felt it in my heart, the pain of an aging bleeding heart… For as those horrid chains rang in my ear… I looked upon dry tears… From the young among us… for they were taken and forced to fight… to die away from the oceans we once called home! To be forced to walk in chains and to be used as less than human! 

Was it fair… No! No, it wasn't! But what could I do… for as an old man that I am now… I can only hatefully scrub these floorboards… day in and day out… from year to year… Forced to watch generation after generation pass me by… to look at their hateful glares… or worse…. The broken! And here again, I find myself between crossroads! For I missed my chance before! But this time… this time… I have nothing else to lose! For what worth is there in an old man, other than to be the foundation for the future? 

Though my old bones may be crushed under their foot, I will gladly lay them down as a path! While my blood will cleanse their feet! And my thunderous lighting will light the road! And while they walk…. my spirit will cheer them on, in the sounds that envelop the thunder! That way… maybe, just maybe… I can forgive just a little bit of myself! For as a former chieftain, this is all I can do now… for a century of failure! So… USE MY BODY! USE IT! CREATURES FROM THE STARS! 

→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→Excerpt from a dying man 

Day 4 

As the resting snow reflected the golden green rays, it gave the illusion of spring grass across a rusty town! While its light warmth turned the falling snow into delightful flying birds! While the ship engine bellowed its sound as hopeful music to those under its covering. While rainbows appeared in the air circling about in happy cheer! The aliens left their hallowed holes, to bask it in radiance! 

Confused they looked towards their leaders for guidance, only to bow their heads as Blacky and others stood tall watching the snow fall in falsehoods of animals! While the surviving people glared from their crevices for the briefest of moments… To enjoy the peacefulness of stillness. 

But, as a snow fleck fell in the palm of Blacky hand, under the disguise of a bird. Blacky didn't hesitant to destroy it! To Feel its glassy shards between his fingers, Blacky looked up to a view of a poisoned sky! With a feeling of uneasiness, Blacky stared at the symbol of the eye! Until it became just a distant memory! But as that light faded, the illusion it brought… Blurred out of existence! Leaving the world… leaving the town… to return to a gloomy, cold, and lonely place. 

Were cold bodies now rest in the street, and painful screams could be heard at all hours of the night! And in those lonely moments, Blacky turned around to see the faces of his siblings… faces that just screamed anger! Anger for what? Blacky knew… he understood how they felt! For such a scene was but a mockery of who they were! And Blacky couldn't have that! He couldn't stand such a thought! 

With deep breaths and a puffing chest, Blacky made the loudest screech he had ever done since the day of his birth! Hearing their brother roar, the others gave their own! As one roar became many, it turned into one voice! A beautiful chorus of a ballad whose melody and rhythm shook the townspeople's cheers! 

Silent fear was all that was left! A silent fear that gripped the hearts of man! Who, for a second thought, they were now saved! 

Hearing the alien's excess 'barking' at their appearance, the leader on board the ship said over an open mic: 

[umm… Barking monsters are the most annoying type…] 

[Arman! Show these annoying insects who the true masters of the world are!] 

[Understood master Rashad!] replied Arman 

[men fire the canons!] order Armen 

Hedding their orders, the men gladly rushed to their canons! Canons painted to mimic pure gold, with emerald embroidered etching, that symbolized their crest. As their gears turned, they sparked to life as they used their slaves as living fuel! Salves they kept in their glass prisons with all sorts of mechanical tubing etched into their body! 

As the old man watched through numb eyes, that concealed his deep wisdom, his ears could not deafen the sounds of crying screams! And while he continued to mop up the floors silently, he could not help but look at the once-healthy member of his tribe, become nothing more than a hollowed-out husk! For each shot would drain them of everything but their life! For it was cheaper to keep them alive than to keep replacing the monster cores needed per round. 

It was nothing more than torture! To be robbed of everything! Even the right to die… and the lucky ones to die… had their cores removed while their bodies were tossed into the furnace or worse… Used in some cooking pot for the human's enjoyment of exotic food! 

As the old man stared at those hated canons, they began to shoot out their molten rock, and hardened steel that fell onto the northern district like meteors! Meteors that left behind traces of blue shocks on their tail ends. That looked concerningly similar to that of hands reaching out… like souls trying to escape the impossible! But as they continued to fall 'discreetly' onto every building or house in their wake! 

Feeling their crushing quakes and hearing their roaring sounds. The people of the town could only watch as those terrible asteroids, dressed in ghostly hands, flattened their once lovely homes! 

[STOP! STOP IT! What are you doing?] yelled the crowd in one voice 

[Why? Why should we stop the bombardment?] replied Rashad over an open mic for all to hear 

[we thought you came to save us! Not to kill us! The monsters don't need any help in that!] replied the crowd 

[Save? Save you? What are you talking about?] replied Rashad 

[you only paid us to kill the monsters for you! Not to save people! That will cost you extra!] replied Rashad with open arms over a devilish smile 

Hearing such condescending words coming from their so-called 'savors', only incentivized the crowd further! But incentivized them to do what exactly? What could they do… they needed them, and expressing their anger did little to move their hearts, for they didn't care… So where else could the crowd divert their displeasure to? 

The mayor, fearing the worst, wasn't stupid… He knew exactly where the crowd would send their anger… they would send it right to him! Thinking quickly, the mayor channeled all the remaining charisma he had left into two words: 

[Everyone! Silence!] 

The crowd, hearing the sudden shift in tone from the mayor, looked to him in silence. 

Mayor continues his speech: 

[Look, I won't mix words with you… nor will I give false pleasantries… I know this isn't want we wanted, but in the end. It doesn't change the fact that we need their help! I understand the fact that they are already bleeding us dry! And that many of you are at your wit's end… I know… I know… TRUST ME I KNOW! but there is no other option! Like I told you all before… Nothing has changed… It's either we take and give what we can now or leave this city to the monster and never return!] 

[So, either take up your families and try your luck out there in the cold wastelands or rekindle some of that fighting spirit you had before and divert it to the monster threatening what remains of your family! I know I have asked you this before, but I will ask you again! REMEMBER WHAT ARE DREAM IS! WHAT IT MEANT! OR DID IT MEAN SO LITTLE TO YOU! DID OUR SACRIFICE AMOUNT TO NOTHING IN YOUR EYES!] 

{dramatic pause} 

[If we turn back their help now. Then I fear not only have you all forgotten our Dream. But worse, you have surrendered to your emotions and thrown away any rational thought. The cold truth is this… monsters are at our gates… No! That's wrong… excuse me… They have long since passed our gates! They're already in our homes! We need these people's help now more than ever!] 

[Look, I understand you can't trust them after what they have just done… I get it... I do… I'm not asking you to forgive them or to become their friends. I'm simply asking you to work with them! And if you can't possibly trust them… Then leave all your trust in me! Or has all my years of being mayor counted for not?] 

As the mayor finished his speech, he looked into the eyes of the crowd and waited. After all, what else could he do? He hadn't the words to calm the people further! Nor did any exist! With both charisma and trust at the very edge of a cliff, he could only hope they would agree. 

While the crowd was sorting out their feelings, the Radiant Actor made its graceful landing, right at the heart of the northern district! As the men step out in their arrogance to enjoy the cold winter winds. Winds that still carried the dust of the destruction left behind. The slaves were freed from their bonds, as they hit the floor! Forced to watch, as the shivered-up tribesmen were carried away, the 'freer' slaves whispered among themselves… but as their whispers soon turned to mad murmurs! Murmurs that couldn't be ignored… causing their handlers to take action: 

[Shut your crying voice! You disgusting fish! Or do you want to end up at the captain's dinner table before the time?] said a random handler as he beats up a random slave 

[Hey man! That's not much of a threat!] replied another handler 

[you know your right… but then again, what else can we do?] replied the first handler 

[you know… If I remember right… It should be about that time of year…] replied the second handler with a wink 

[aw! That right! The time they produce eggs! Man! They go great with toast!] replied the first handler with an atrocious smile. 

Hearing their handler's terrifying banter, the slaves quickly bowed their heads and said nothing more! Not even daring to look up or to question! 

[Good! That is how a slave is supposed to act! Oh! Wait! Did I say slave… sorry I meant cattle!] said the first handler with drool running down his mouth 

[You know… maybe we should ask the captain about this later] replied the second handler boldly without a filter as they walked away. 

When the handlers were out of earshot, one of the slaves said to an old fish: 

[Aw! I hate these humans! Damnit! Why did the ancestors ever help them against the old one… We should have just let them go extinct!] 

[Hush! Don't talk about the old one!] replied the old man 

[why? Isn't he imprisoned?] replied the young slave 

[You're young and know nothing of the old one… you never lived to see him, like I did! In his prime… To experience what he did to us…] replied the old man 

[Ok! Then tell me… what did he do? Because I doubt it could be worse than what these humans are doing to us now!] replied the young slave 

[sigh… even I don't truly understand his might… all I can tell you is that our species originated from him! And that a fate worse than death awaits us should he ever get out!] replied the old man 

[what could be worse than being a slave or dead?] replied the young slave 

The old fish took a second to look deep into the young man's eyes and said in a deeply concerning voice: 

[fear him who could destroy both the body and the spirit!] 

[what does that even…] But before the young slave could say anything more, he was interrupted by a strange sound… A sound that oddly sounded like hissing!