The Newborn Sun:
A new fire rises.
Dad sat on the couch, his mouth drooping and eyes golden, staring into nothing. We both already tried to call out to him. Pounded on the door even. We had been met with the rumbling of music. Classical, as per usual. It appeared he was there and well, but after more silence, I finally just gave away his secret key spot that he vehemently kept from Mum. We opened the door and there he sat, unmoving, unblinking, eyes golden.
“Mum – he – he looks like –”
“He looks drugged up. Stay here.”
I looked behind me and towards the desolate street we were tucked into. Not even the wind danced along the green leaves and trees. “Derrick.” Mum snapped her fingers. She repeated herself again, sharper, “Derrick. Your son is here.” She snapped three times. His golden pupils were dull, devoid of moisture. They made no intention of swaying.
“Mum?” My heart beat rapidly, I felt like running, moving, escaping.
“Hold on, Morris, just – wait.” She began poking him. The impressions of her long nails made wells into his white skin. He was flaccid, until he wasn’t. Mum got her final word out, “Derrick?”
His left hand shot up and yanked her down to his level by the wrist, quick. He jammed two fingers into her eye sockets and her scream tore itself through my skull. Dad’s face remained lifeless while being puppeteered into sudden violence, eyes still golden.
I ran out, leaving the door open so Mum’s screams flooded into the street. My hands trembled, fumbling the three digits to call emergency services. I raised the phone up to my ear and saw it.
Twinkling and sucking the rest of the sun away as it changed to night, basking in the middle of the street. The turtle, unmoving, like Dad had been. Those black pupils that followed every movement were directed at me, I knew it. It followed us. Festering from my Dad like a cancer.
Something changed when he woke up from his ‘sunstroke.’ His eyes – his eyes were already tinged yellow and some of the things he said were odd; ‘you don’t see that? the newborn sun?’ We both looked at him like he was crazy. It was crazy. I knew it had to have been the turtle, with its dead-glowing-sickening-godly-eyes.
As the sun finally submerged itself below the horizon, its arisen began stumbling from their front doors as if they were actively pushing against every movement. More pale skinned, golden eyed slaves fell onto the pavement.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as burning hair wafted into my nose. They all rot when the air hit them, twirling through their bodies as they fell face first into the pavement. Between the blur, Mum and Dad fall into the street too, kneeling towards their new god.
The tone on the other end of the call was static, like it burned away. Burnt along with the minds of the entire block. The phone fell and cascaded across the driveway, sweat slicked and forcefully, I slammed down onto my knees. Their eyes glowed like fireflies in the settling dark. Mouths agape, eyes widened, golden, and every single one on all fours like animals.
The turtle remained still. Lifeless like we had first seen it. My heart beat slower and slower as I restrained against the energy that willed me into submission. My fingers jammed themselves into the asphalt, stiffened by myself – they snapped like sticks. My throat plugged itself with my tongue, I blinked, and the turtle was facing me. I choked and gagged, spit flying onto my chin. As my tongue slowly melted into my esophagus, Dad crawled towards me, an unwavering mimicry of the turtle's gaping face contained over his own. I closed my eyes, and the heat submerged me into itself.
It was there, brighter than anything one can ever imagine. Burning, flesh splitting, hairs singing, and my eyes bore from the skull like olives in a tin can, replaced with canary marbles of pure radiance. Renewed, risen, in awe, euphoria retaken, and into the black again.
Forward is nowhere. Walk with the fire.
(Big thank you for reading and a HUGE thank you to Saint-Lazare for the dope inspiration and creepy image to base this off of. Please go check out their page AND the post that you can still participate in right below. THANKS.)
Yo. Your guys keep making this even bigger than I had imagined it. I'm baffled, superb work.
Whoa. Loved the cosmic horror feel