Author: Anonymous

I prowl in the dark shadows. I inch into one’s thoughts and destroy all that is good, leaving man with nothing but me. It is inevitable for man to descend, and it is happening now. I keep mankind in the dark; I am what man fears most: fear itself.

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Tyrone

The dictator was worried. I lurk in his shadow, never leaving him alone for who knows what could heal him. The doctors feared he had a mental disorder that was causing hallucinations, bipolar thoughts/actions, and PTSD of Earth and his past decisions. I am only clasping harder on his soul. Tyrone stopped pacing and began to record a message to all of Mars, telling them to be purified and continue the fight in becoming superior compared to Earth.

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Adonia & Liam

Traveling to Athens together had been a treacherous journey. They were now in the capital city of Athens, which was full of danger for them both. Liam was briskly guiding Adonia through the paved streets while trying to keep her invisible to danger. He hadn’t been this close to her in a while. He had forgotten how cloudy-blue her eyes were, they brought a new sense of beauty. He wanted to stay on Mars if it meant being with her. Soldiers passed by. Liam stood in front of her so her eyes, those beautiful eyes, could not be seen. “Urian, finding a purifying building should be easy. I want to be able to see you.” Adonia said while counting the drains they were passing.

“Not this way, not by getting purified,” he said, refocusing.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because I love–”
“Love what?”
“Nothing,” Liam said as he lead her towards where the ship was that would take them to Earth.
“We’re not going to a purifying building, are we?”
“We are.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I’m trying to save you Adonia! Can you not see that?” Liam yelled.

I was lurking in the alleyway and slithered between them.

Adonia stumbled, then forced Liam to let go of her. “No!” Liam shouted. It was too late, for Adonia had already drawn attention to herself and was taken by soldiers to a purifying building. Liam followed behind, rushing after them. Cries of mothers, fathers, and children could be heard as Adonia entered the building. She squirmed in the soldiers’ grip. She realized the situation far too late. The soldiers placed her with the other crippled and disabled citizens, all of who had no part in the dictator’s plan. Adonia felt a shiver go up her spine as she heard a metal-framed door shut behind her. “Urian?” she started to yell, “Uri–”

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Liam
Liam can picture the final scenes on Mars as if it had happened just seconds ago: The cries of families being torn apart, the screams coming from inside the purifying chambers, and the panic seen inside Adonia when she realized what would happen, but then the doors to her death had separated them. All he had wanted was to live a life with her, and tell her who he really was: Liam from Earth not Urian from Mars. “She would not come. It’s all my fault,” he whispered to himself repetitively as he traveled back to Earth empty-handed. I finally have won, for I have his soul.

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Tyrone

In a prisoner ship heading back towards earth, I forced Tyrone to shutter at his past decisions: such as when he left his family when they arrived on Mars, forcing everyone to be purified, declaring war, and when he did not shut down the machine as he recognized his blind daughter in the clustered crowd of disabled in the last purification group before the invasion.

These thoughts crowd his mind as I morph his body into something less than a man, a monster of what I am: fear.

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