The Rising

[xGrim]

The Rising​

Prologue

Living day by day. Month by month scavenging scraps of food left by the remnants of humanity. Ren found himself running and hiding from creatures every night. Creatures that hunt using the smell of blood. They are hunters that act like sharks but mimic humans to lure them out of hiding. Imagine hearing a voice calling out only to find a mouthful of teeth waiting to devour you.

It was April of 2005 when they rose from the sea and started attacking everything in sight that moved. Once there was blood in the air it turned into a feeding frenzy. Ren was at his mothers when they rose. First seeing it on the tv as the news anchor shakily tried to explain what was happening all over the world. He turned to his mother and asked, "what do we do? "

His mother starts yelling to start boarding up the windows and doors. Ren then asks, "well what if we need food?" His mother Ella, looks at him with tears in her eyes and says "we will have to forage and scavenge. It wont be easy and things are going to get a lot worse. We have to stick together to get through this." With tears in her eyes his mother walks over to the window to continue nailing boards across it. Meanwhile outside you can hear nothing but screaming, explosions and the roaring of creatures. These roars sound like a low guttural bellow that fill the air with terror. Surprisingly the news anchor on the television continues to broadcast on the situation.

Ren and his mother were living in New York when the rising started. Living in such a densely populated area made it easy for these creatures to pick people off. On the television the news Anchor starts talking about a scientist named Dr. Saritoga from Japan who has made some significant discoveries in regards to the Rising. The creatures are coming from a rift that has opened on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Someone, or something is sending these creatures to annihilate humanity. The creatures have been named the Rykeros. Using CCTV camera footage and footage submitted by people surviving on their own. Dr. Saritoga has made some observations about the Rykeros, for example their skin is a dark greyish blue with azure stripes down their back. Their heads are shaped like a sharks head but more humanoid, instead of a snout there's a nose with slits instead of nostrils. Shark eyes but located where a humans eyes would be. A mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth curved backwards and serrated. The worst part about the Rykeros is that they're sentient. With intellect rivaling humanities elites. They know what they are doing when they tear you apart and enjoying it. What is their goal? Why did they rise now?

 

[xGrim]

Chapter One

A month has passed since the creatures known as the Rykeros rose. Somehow the news station that Ren and his mother have been watching is still airing news about the creatures and the current situation. Currently the Rykeros are focusing on thinning the population, taking out the weak and the young first. The carnage has spread across globe as the Rykeros rip and tear their way to the top of the food chain. Ren has gone out on runs for food and water many times since the rising began, but now things are getting worse.. The creatures have been using their mimic ability to confuse adults into thinking kids are in danger. Just to lure them to a gruesome death.

It was time for Ren to do another run as their food was getting low. He started by checking apartments that have been broken into and destroyed by the Rykeros. Ren looked in the cabinets in the kitchen first for canned food and other useful stuff to help survive. Things like toothpaste or toilet paper are like gold now. A hot shower seems like a dream at this point for Ren. Opening the cabinets Ren noticed that there was a few cans of peaches and peas along with a few other types of fruit and vegetables. As he started to pack away the cans of food into his backpack he heard a low bang coming from one of the bedrooms. One of the creatures must have climbed in through the broken window. Ren ducks his head down below the edge of the counter and tries to get control of his shaky breathing. These creatures have amazing hearing and one move and it's over for Ren.

Using it's voice it let's out a cry that sounds exactly like a baby in pain. The Rykeros snarls as it walks around the corner on all fours before stopping and standing upright like a human would. Using it's voice it let's out a cry that sounds exactly like a baby in pain. Their legs bent backwards at the knee with arms that have razor sharp bone-like spikes coming out of their elbows. With four inch claws on each finger, all it would take is one swipe from this creatures powerful clawed hand to tear someone in half. Their ears look almost pointed like an elf but in a sinister curve backwards at the tip of each ear. Using it's unique nose that has 3 slits on each side of the bridge the Rykeros lowered it's head back to the ground and sniffs picking up a scent. Suddenly the creature jumps onto the kitchen counter lifting it's head and letting out a loud roar before looking around the kitchen for it's prey. Ren's heart jumps into his throat as he realizes he needs to run as fast he can and try to lose the creature. Ren's mind races as he thinks to himself "Where do I go and how do I get away without being caught?". As he quickly looks around the room he realizes that the way the Rykeros got into the apartment was through the fire escape. With his adrenaline pumping he slowly starts to make his way to the bedroom before the Rykeros can realize what he's doing.

Halfway to the room Ren looks around just as the Rykeros realizes where he is. Using all of his might and adrenaline Ren runs to the fire escape in the bedroom and hurries out the window and down the ladder. As he makes it to the bottom of the stairs he could hear the Rykeros roaring in anger as it runs out the window and slams into the railing of the stairs. The railing being old and rusty enough to break with enough force gives way as the creature slams into it causing it to fall three stories to the ground landing on a pipe sticking up from the concrete. The creature lands hard and with a sudden cry the creature squirms and tries to move. Ren realizes that the creature was impaled through the skull but somehow still alive. Thinking of it as an act of kindness Ren picks up a large piece of concrete and bashes in the head of the Rykeros. Ren then picks up his bag, his clothes now stained with blood and heads home. Todays run is over.

Walking in the door of the small apartment he shares with his mother, Ren looks around for his mother. Ella, his mother walks towards him from the kitchen noticing all the blood covering her sons clothes she looks at him with worry and sadness in her eyes. All Ella ever wanted for her son was for to have a great future doing what he loves, instead he goes out and risks his life to make sure they both survive. How long before he finds a gun and starts fighting these creatures? Is that what it's going to come to? Ella's eyes start to fill with tears as she thinks about these things. Ren walks towards her and says "Mom, it was close today but I'm alright. I may need a weapon for future runs as these creatures are deadly and cunning." Ella turns to him and nods her head, not knowing what to say. Despite the blood all over her son, Ella walks over and take Ren into her arms embracing him. Ella says to Ren "I love you my boy, I just want you to be careful out there. One wrong move and I don't ever get to embrace you again." Thinking to himself Ren turns to his mother and asks, "What if we leave the city and try to move more inland? It might be safer the farther we are from the water. It will also give us time to find weapons and more food on the way after we decide on a place to go. There has to be somewhere that's safe from these monsters."