The sunlight was blinding despite it only creeping in through the leaves of the trees, illuminating them with a majestic green glow. All around Mortuus, he could hear the forest abuzz with life. He squinted his eyes and held his hand over them, shielding them from the sun. Whatever that strange orb in the sky was, it burned his eyes to look at it. 35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxE5w9O7iI4
The happy sounds of birds tweeting were so foreign to him, so new. It was nothing like the dull, lifeless environment of the lab Mortuus had grown so accustomed to. He hardly even recognized the sounds as being birds, and if it weren't for simulations, he never would have known what it was.
The smell of fresh rain invaded his nostrils, or at least where his nostrils once were. How could something smell like that and be so gorgeous? How could something be so clean yet smell so strange? It was unnervingly gross smelling to him.
Mortuus was snapped out of his daze by the creature smashing more things inside. It was more angry and seemed to be looking for something, but none of its actions suggested that it had any amount of order or plan. It seemed only to desire death and destruction and craved chaos.
RUN!! The only thought in his head, yet he couldn't make himself act upon it. No matter how much the voice in his head screamed, he couldn't move. It was like he was paralyzed with fear.
It seemed so long, trapped there in his skin. He wanted to run but could not, as the voice in his head screamed to move. At last, Mortuus managed to dash away.
Branches scrapped his face, tugging at the bandages as he ran through the overgrowth. He didn't care; all he cared about was getting away, away from that thing. That thing, whatever it was, seemed so familiar, almost like he'd met it long ago...
The creature's face suddenly flashed through his head; its face became paler and paler, eventually morphing into headlights. Mortuus rolled over the top of a car's hood. The car sped off, leaving Mortuus lying on the road in pain.
"Let me guess- Monday." Mortuus groaned, twisting his arm back into place and pushing his leg into its socket with sickening ease. The joint quickly clicked into place like some sort of toy.
"Follow the road." a graveled voice commanded with a strange sincerity. Something was near him and telling him what to do. Mortuus didn't know what, but he knew he could trust it. Whatever the voice was, it seemed to be the only thing that made sense.
Down the lonely road, he walked the occasional car passing by and beeping angrily at him.
"GET OUT OF THE ROAD, FREAK!!" They'd shout, Mortuus just ignoring them and continuing to walk along. His bandaged face scared all those he looked at. The blood soaking it seemed to make him look like some kind of demon or ghoul of the nighttime.
He was met with cold stares and hateful glances when he finally arrived at a town in the morning. Kids whispered in awe at his appearance while mothers rushed them along. Who could blame them for staring at bloody mummy man?
Mortuus looked around, noticing a wooden sign with cracked paint. "Crater Hollow?" he read with fascination. A faded picture of a bridge over a flowing river was on the sign. It seemed like a charming little town.
Though the town of Crater Hollow was beautiful and pleasant, it was apparent to anyone who chose to stay that this was a town of mystery and tragedy. Its history was as beautiful as itself, now clearly stained with the blood of victims, young and old.
Crater Hollow was a quaint little town situated in a large valley carved out by massive icebergs thousands of years ago.
Posters warned of an awful beast, The Stitcher. The same creature Mortuus had encountered in the destroyed bunker.
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