White fog loomed along the mountaintops, from the depths of the valley, swirling around through the tops of pine trees. Its essence bubbled atop the leafy greenery. Dew formed around the heart of the human soul, of animals, and bugs. Across the valley where the fog resides, inhuman meaty creatures are born. Their misshapen forms crawled across villages, for they are its former residents. Across the toxic swamp where cancerous meaty tumour spread upon one whiff of its scent, the Refuse the rejected creatures of heaven walked. Nearly human are their forms, yet something is missing, such is the fates of those rejected by gods. 

“These inhuman beings are once creatures of high wit and rational thought. Once, their souls are filled with longings of high dreams. Yet now nothing but mud crawling, shit eating, fly loving chunks of meat. What happened here?”

The figure who had just talked to herself is Karla, from the proud family of Karenin she had a habit of speaking to herself. This journey she’s on and the long solitude that came with it produces these episodes of rumination. 

Karla stood atop of a dilapidated tower, beside her is a lone fireplace. The amber glow illuminated her surroundings of ashen grey rubble, she stood in front of a hole in the wall, it was once used for the guardian of this fort to watch over long distances in fear of bandits and enemy soldiers, yet now even that sounded like a futile attempt of maintaining humanity. Her bag sat near.

She looked up to the sky, the stars twinkling through the fog. “What happened here? What happened to these creatures?” 

Though there was no one to answer her thought, she knew the answer all too well. The gods and the heavens disowned them, exiled them, and left them to rot in this frozen wasteland.

Karla took a deep breath and decided it is time to continue her journey. She knew her destination was close. The answer to her questions will be answered soon. Karla gathered her belongings and readied herself for the journey ahead. She strapped her bag tightly to her back, and tucked her journal and quill behind her belt. She filled her pockets with stones and pebbles, for protection and solace, should she ever face danger.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Taking a deep breath, Karla began the climb down the dilapidated tower. Every step was taken with caution, for she had to be wary of any lurking creatures. She moved stealthily, her gaze never straying from her path. As she reached the bottom, she was met with an eerie silence. Although she was frightened, she steeled her heart and continued on.

The fog had grown thicker, and the darkness seemed to swallow her up. But Karla was determined. She trudged on, her feet crunching against the frozen ground. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Karla arrived at the edge of the frozen fortress. 

She was awestruck by the beauty of the land. It was desolate and eerie, shrouded in a thick white fog. The air was cold and oppressive, and the land was barren and lifeless. Ancient ruins loomed in the distance, their decrepit structures crumbling in disarray. 

The fog blanketed the area, obscuring visibility and making it difficult to find one's way. The fog was so thick that one could barely make out the surrounding landscape, and the only sound was the occasional rustle of leaves or the chirping of birds in the distance. 

The ruins of the old civilization were scattered throughout the wasteland. Rusted weapons, crumbling walls, and broken pottery littered the ground, hinting at the once vibrant culture that had once thrived here. The ruins of the old city were a stark reminder of the destruction that the fog had brought to the land. 

Despite the bleakness of the landscape, there was still a sense of beauty to it. The fog created a mysterious and enchanting atmosphere, with a hint of magic and mystery. The ruins of the old civilization had a certain charm that could not be replicated elsewhere.

These vistas lit her determination anew. To uncover the cultures that once blanketed these lands in place of fog. The people within it, the cries of newborn children, and the loves of humanity that once brimmed. To the dead and misshapen, she took her step. Onward, to the depth of the fog.