Raging Fear[Open to All]

… Of all the things in this world, why did humans have to end up on top?

And why are we so dreadfully good at killing?

It's become almost like a sport to us. But… to kill for sport. If you said you did this to a human, others would be terrified. But to animals? They have no problem with you going out and slaughtering these other sentient, intelligent beings, just to put them up on your wall, and say you conquered them. When in reality, that animal didn't even stand a chance. Claws against a rifle? Sorry pal, but no amount of evolutionary success is going to save you there.

Then…. What happens when the tables turn? What do we do once we're the ones being hunted? Simple. We change our morals. Humans would no longer be appalled by killing each other for sport. After all, when the enemy looks like you, there is very little you can do about protecting yourself from them. We become savage. Fall back into what times might have been like. The enemy is cruel and unjust, and doesn't value human life. Just like we didn't value the lives of the animals we slaid.

War, chaos, violence, bloodshed, hate, fear, terror. All of these things were present. I knew them all too well. I watched my mother die by the hands of a human. Or at least, what I thought was a human. To our simple minds, these beasts looked like our own. Maybe some of them were. Maybe I've killed innocents in my fear. But these aren't thoughts I try to dwell on. Rather, I try to look on the good side of things. My brain may have been scarred, but at least I'm still alive. And if I have to kill every 'human' left on the planet to stay that way, then so be it.

I have nothing left to lose.

But now… my location is a mystery. I'm not sure how, but I've managed to find an area not totally populated by Parasites. And thus, by no one at all. True, I've seen animals, but none have attempted to attack me. That was, until I found the splayed guts of an animal who's brain had been combusted from the inside out. This was how the parasites killed their prey. Infecting the brain then causing a volatile reaction that caused it to erupt. And that means I'm not safe. Even if I think I've finally left them, they always seem to be lurking on the horizon. And so I left.

Still, I don't know where I'm running, or even if I ever intend on stopping. The world may be in ashes, but at least I have confidence that I'm still here. And as long as I'm here, there is still one pure human on the planet. Though…. I must say, I've felt very…. Odd, recently. When I woke up in this strange land, having appeared here as if by magic, I was initially very surprised. Had the Parasites' warriors kidnapped me? For what reason? But then I had found that not a single parasite was anywhere near me. I had just…. Shown up here. Teleported away from my hideout in the abandoned subway to this forest. Confused, I had continued my journey.

Or, hell, maybe they are around. Maybe they know full well where I am, and just don't care enough to come after me. She's just one human, they might laugh. If nature doesn't kill her, depression, fear, and anxiety will. Loneliness will creep in, and she'll do the deed herself. Or perhaps they are watching her, playing a sick game, throwing her against the forces of nature, waiting for her to lose hope, and when they've finally killed her emotionally, they'll break through the forest and snap her neck.

I shake these thoughts from my head. I would say think more positive, but there is nothing positive about this situation. I'm alone, starving, and half dead already. They might as well come and finish the job. My body ached, and I didn't know how much longer I could go on for. Maybe I'd collapse, and then they'd come feast on my brain, since that what they seemed to crave oh so much. I cringed, as pain would cascade through my leg, snapping up my back, and practically making my ears pop.

The problem with constantly being on the run is that, eventually, you lose track of time. Before the raid, I had been 20, just barely turning on 21. It felt like it had been only a couple of days, seeing how fast everything had gone by. I had completely lost track of my own age. During the first stages of the carnage, I had attempted to keep track of time, but had eventually given up. I knew that I was at somewhere between 22-25. Honestly, time moved too blurred for me to be bothered to care.

I panted. I needed to stop moving, or else I would collapse. Rushing over to a nearby tree, and fell to my side, sliding down the treeside so as to keep my balance, and not smack my head against the ground. Once I had positioned myself, propping myself into a comfortable sitting position, and swinging my rifle around so I had it in my lap. Then, finally, I reached into my jacket. Yes, it was dreadfully hot to wear it, but it was also how I stored most of my supplies.

Pulling out the canteen of water, I drank greedily, swallowing more water than I would have liked. And now I was even lower on supplies than was acceptable. I cringed once more, a grimace drawing itself across my face. As I drank, a small, brown and tan head would poke itself out from my jacket pocket. The only creature that I trusted. Ballista was about the only thing I had left, so that whole business about having no one left was not really true. Sure, I had no living relatives or human relations left, but I had my snake.

I lifted the canteen and offered some drops of water to Ballista. She, too, quickly slurped them up. I knew she was growing hungry. Snakes could last a long time without eating, but she had gone for almost three months, and it was becoming unhealthy for her. She was already very skinny. I reminded myself to catch something small for her to eat later. Though…. How I would do that I hadn't the faintest idea.

Taking a deep breath, I let my muscles relax against the tree. It was a very welcoming support. I had to keep moving, but I simply didn't have any energy left. My abilities were drying up. I was starving. And when you're injured and starving, hunting is even more difficult. I simply laid there for a moment, eyes closed, mouth agape, as I thought about what my next plan of action should be.