Escape from Endeavor by Daniel A. Jones
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Faust and Felicity Grayson were on the road heading east out of Discovery city for a weekend of camping when the explosion happened. Angelica, their beautiful two year old daughter sat in the back seat smiling and giggling happy to be going on an adventure. They hadn’t planned on going but Felicity had the erg to be away from the city and Faust had learned not to argue with his pregnant wife. The fact that he loved being out in the wilderness, only made it easier for her to convince him to go.
The explosion was different from normal explosions; there was the deafening crack but no concussion wave. If not for the noise they might have missed the whole event. Faust pulled off the road and stopped. Both he and Felicity got out and looked in the direction of the noise and that was their first view of the Rift. It was like someone had torn a painting of a skyline and revealed the black background behind it. The edges were jagged with what looking like strands of blue sky hanging down into the blackness. They couldn’t see the bottom edge but the top looked to stretch from beyond the base toward the city, ending less than a mile from where they stood staring.
Faust realized that something must have happened at the base and that he might be needed so he started to usher Felicity back to the jeep. Felicity allowed Faust to guide her while she watched the rift in fascination. She was the first to see the horde arrive and start pouring through the opening. Hundreds if not thousands of creatures of all shapes and sizes flew out into the morning sky.
Felicity forced Faust to turn and look at the creatures. Angelica started to cry as she felt the evil coming through the rift. Faust finished getting Felicity into the jeep and raced around to get in himself. Felicity reached around and took Angelica from her seat and hugged her tightly. They could all feel the vile doom wash over them like a wet wind bringing despair and dread. Faust forgot all about going to the base, he had to get his family out of there so he sped off toward the spaceport.
The creatures coming through the rift were attracted to the emotional energy given off by the humans. It made their mouths water in anticipation of the feast to come. Those with wings were the first from the rift to arrive in Discovery city. They didn’t take time to choose a specific person they simple descended on the first person to catch their attention.
Being a military city most of the inhabitants had weapons and all of them knew how to uses them. Some people tried to fight and were even successful in hurting a few of the creatures but it was only a short lived victory. When the creatures’ realized one of their own was injured they turned on it, tearing it apart and consuming its stronger life energy before turning on the humans once again.
Faust was about a mile from the spaceport when he reached the traffic jam. He pulled to the side a little and stopped. He had the presence of mind to grab their packs and the rifles they had been bringing with them camping. Felicity shouldered her pack and rifle then picked up Angelica and ran for the spaceport. The feeling of impending violence and fear was thick in the air now.
Faust took the time to look back from time to time as they rushed down the road. Others had left their vehicles and now the road was packed with people stampeding toward safety. Faust grabbed Felicity and pulled her off the road and away from the crowd. They were passing through a wooded section separating the spaceport from the city. Felicity was about to protest when a flying creature grabbed a women and lifted her into the air. Felicity watched in horror and the demon bit down on the woman’s head. Seconds later the thing dropped the mummified husk of the woman it had snatch up and dove back down for another helpless victim.
Felicity went to shield Angelica’s eyes in an attempt to save her from seeing the horror that was unfolding in front of them. That is when she noticed that Angelica had stopped crying and was watching a ball of light floating down the road. It was not moving quickly but as it came upon a demon feasting on the soul of some poor man a tendril of light arced out from it to touch the creature disintegrating it instantly.
Faust grabbed Felicity and dragged her to a hole in the fence bordering the road and helped her through. Felicity was barely able to think, she was so scare. The only thoughts she had were how to save Angelica. The couple ran deep into the woods pushed on by the constant screams of the dying.