It wouldn’t be uncommon for the world to build roads on top of its past. Sins long forgotten, pain left behind so brighter futures can be formed. That was the hope, the dream the ignorant loved to cherish. It was human. The human species loved to do everything in its power to squash any scrap of evil. It was their way to cope. How could one understand and accept that they too had the capabilities of such atrocities? To bury the past of evil was to move on from it, but it would only be a matter of time before someone would find it.
Two young boys, both split from their family to play a simple game of explorers in the woods. They chatted and laughed while they tried to hunt for treasures and hidden temples for loot and magical artefacts. A kids’ game that would have unforeseen consequences down the line.
‘Come on! We are near the treasure, my fellow side-kick!’ The oldest kid said as he tucked in his leather cowboy hat that barely fit his small head.
‘Side-kick?’ The other scoffed. ‘I have you know we are partners, there is nothing that makes me a side-kick.’
The oldest kid smirked as he flicked the top of his hat. ‘Nope, I am the lead. I have a cool hat.’
They chased each other, running around the forest with glee and without the care in the world as to settle their dispute on if they were partners or side-kicks. From where they were, they believed they were at the top of the world. A joy that could never end. As they explored a bit more, it didn’t take long till they found an old bunker of sorts. The concrete door with no handle looked ancient to them, its metal hinges rusted away like it was about to fall off at any moment. There was a sign, but it was worn down and illegible. A neglected facility, one that carried a sense of wonder.
‘Wow! Is that a bunker?’ The youngest said.
‘Hell yeah it is!’ The other replied, he rubbed his chin as he examined the door. ‘But how can we get in?’
The youngest raised a brow. ‘We can just push it open.’
‘Yeah, how are we going to do that smarty-pants? It doesn’t have a door handle.’ The eldest boy smirked as he noticed what he thought was the structural fault of the door. He picked up a rock from the ground and took a few steps back. ‘I have an idea. Step away from it.’
‘What are you going to do? Play catch with an inanimate object?’
‘No, see that crack over there? I am going to hit it with this rock and the door should fall off. Letting us in the facility.’ The kid with a wide smile chucked it at the door. Only to watch as the rock bounced off and hit his shoulder.
The youngest, unamused, glared at him. ‘So, when will the door fall off?’
‘Shut up! It was only a theory.’
‘And where did you get that from? YouTube?’
‘At least I had an idea.’
‘That wasn’t an idea. That was just a stupid thought.’
As the two boys argued over how a door should or shouldn’t handle the rock. They were unaware of the changes happening in the door. After decades of micro-erosions, plant growth, and decay. That hit of a rock was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The last push it needed to crack the rusted metal that held the door in place for so long. With a loud snap, the door groaned as it crashed onto the ground in front of the two boys. Dust kicked up while air rushed inside like a harsh whistle as if it was thirsty to take its first breath after so long.
‘It was a stupid thought.’ The oldest mockingly said as he walked into the old bunker. ‘Come along, side-kick. Watch and learn from the master of tomb raiding.’
The two boys pulled out their phones and turned on their flashlights as they explored the old underground facility. It had a thin layer of dust that made it look like the place was suspended in time. On the first floor, they found a sign that read “Containment facility Alpha”. Above it was the logo of its previous owners, MODOC. The two boys laughed at the sign, thinking they had stumbled upon an old super villain facility.
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The facility only had three rooms. The generator room was behind a metal door that was permanently fused to the wall, making it impossible for the two boys to access. After exploring the sign-in room and found nothing of importance besides faded papers with a list of names of people who visited. They wondered what was inside the generator room, thinking there could be some cool treasure or stuff. However, what made their curiosity go into overdrive was the lonesome room at the end of a hundred metre long corridor. The door was painted blue, next to it was a lever with the words “Danger, keep away!” written above it.
The oldest boy chuckled as he looked at the blue steel door. ‘Jackpot!’
‘I dunno. This place is giving me the creeps.’
‘Of course it is, that is because the place is made to be creepy so scaredy-cats don’t take the treasure! Are you a scaredy-cat?’
The youngest shook his head, trying to hide the terror behind his eyes. ‘No…’
‘Then we have nothing to fear, all we need to do is pull the lever and collect our prize.’ The oldest tucked his hat in with pride as he pulled the lever down. He was expecting nothing, instead; the facility cracked back to life. The engines in the generator room roared as power surged through its copper veins. Red lights flashed above the blue door, dust spewed out of speakers as it blared its alarm. One by one, the mechanical arms that sealed the door shut for 75 years hissed and clunked open.
I suppose you wanted to know where it all changed, how this cycle, this iteration of the world, diverted from its course. Well, I presume you needed some context to understand the world you once inhabited. It wasn’t meant to be like this. There weren’t meant to be new horrors or conflicts that scarred this world. Even if great people stood up to the task and answered the call of duty. It didn’t change the fact that it shouldn’t be so. There was a plan, and at that moment through means I could never understand. He lived! And the plan for a future died with his survival.
He should be dead, buried along with his accursed memories. His story, his legacy, should’ve ended in a hidden facility north of Lake Omaha. Yet after 75 years of no food, water, or breathable air. The reptile lived! He waited in his tomb, and now he was free.
The two boys should’ve laid eyes on the corpse of a creature they thought was a strange crocodile left to die. Instead, they saw the old monster of horror rise from the ground. His body covered in scars, his tail swayed as he picked himself up. Scales of inconsistent green reflected off the lights of their phone touches. The lips on his snout curled to reveal his sharp fangs. Each foot had three toes that gripped the ground as he took his first steps. The only thing human to the boys, or at least normal, was his blue eyes.
In terror, the boys ran away screaming. They didn’t stumble upon treasures. What they found was a nightmare of the past. A dead legend that would walk the Earth once more, a creature that desired blood, it needed revenge. But first, he needed to escape. He needed air.
As he stumbled his way out of the facility, his sour body lung against the wall as he tried to balance himself. The light of the sun blinded the reptile as he took their first steps outside. He raised his hand to shield himself while he tried to get used to the brightness. His naked form was bare for the world to see, but he couldn’t care. He took a few breaths, basking before his heart and mind reminded him of his mission. Vengeance!
He knew the world changed, he could feel it even if he was unsure what that change would be. But no one came to welcome the old monster from his isolation and containment. But I will, even if he would never notice my presence. Welcome back, Jackson Abernu.