Doomsday

Missing image
December 25th, 2019. We have nothing to celebrate. For the past five years, Earth has been under the constant attack of an extra-terrestrial being. It possesses both superior strength and speed with no apparent weakness or sense of morality. 1

It feeds on the blood of the innocent, draining their bodily fluids and tearing viciously at their organs, listening to the sound of human screams choking off to a mere gurgle. The monster enjoys it. Just thinking about the wicked gleam on its pointed, malicious teeth, was enough to raise the bile back into my throat. The beast was responsible for my parents death, the fall of humanity and countless broken dreams. Rest assured, it was going to pay.2

Peering warily through the sewer lid, I observed my surroundings for the seventh time in the past hour. You never could be too careful these days. One second the creature would be nowhere in sight and then BAM, it was chewing on your lower intestine. It didn't help that the wretched beast was immortal either; the United States Military Forces had found that out the hard way. There were now probably only a sparse few hundred of us left, and I meant that as in covering the entire globe. We had no form of communication, limited ammunition along with dwindling food and water supplies. Humanity wouldn't survive another decade.3

Staring around my once luxurious and welcoming neighborhood, made me want to break down and cry. Everything was in ruins. Broken cements shards, burnt and lifeless trees and the skeletal corpses of his latest victims. My subordinates had nicknamed the alien 'Doomsday,' to illustrate the devastation a singular entity could cause. It was a fitting title. Nothing on this planet seemed to be able to penetrate that thick, bony hide of his, which of course, was exactly what I was counting on.4

Waiting for this monster was beginning to test my patience. Was the bait somehow inefficient? We had discovered months ago that by recording his voice and playing it back on the speaker phone, the monster would appear before us, almost like he had been listening. Perhaps he had other gifts we were unaware of.5

There was nothing for it. Despite the desperate pleas of the young orphans within my care, I lifted the lid and poked my weapon into the daylight, mentally prepared for the worst. It was quiet. Heaving myself up out of the sewer, I begged for the eight children to be silent. They obeyed my orders without question. Such good kids, I thought to myself in pleasant admiration. It was heart breaking that Doomsday had quite literally ripped them from their family's arms. No child deserved that kind of pain. And no other teenager deserved my unpleasant life.6

Come on big guy, I thought in hostile anticipation. Just hurry up and show me that big ugly mug of yours so we can go.7

A spine-tingling, hair-raising, heart-stopping thunder of a growl rose from the North West. So he was hiding in the marshes was he? How utterly charming.8

“Resistance is futile you galactic scum,” I crowed, feeling a strange sense of euphoria at the impeccable cliché of my words. Now that the end was here, I felt high and giddy with power. Only one of us was making our way out of this sticky situation and I'd make sure, for the kids' sake, that I'd be that last figure standing.9

Doomsday pushed his way through the deadened bracken to face me on all fours; just like the vile and despicable beast he was. His eyes were reptilian slits of a golden brown and his bloodied teeth were at least three inches long. Doomsday was either the size of a small elephant or a heavily set alpha rhino. His skin was pitch-black and a disgusting, muddy brown that only seemed to emphasize the sheer mass of his bones. 10

Doomsday had precisely eighteen gigantic bones sticking out of his back and only one of two horns producing from his crocodile shaped head. How did I know this? I stole one from him at our last encounter, three years ago by the riverbeds. 11

True nothing from this world had the power to vanquish my proverbial dragon, but this female knight was slier than most. If human weapons couldn't kill him, then maybe his own defense systems could. Pulling the meter long horn shakily from my backpack, I loaded it into my rustic bazooka.12

“Show time.”13

The beast lunged at me so quickly I didn't even have time to prepare. I screamed into the night, his claws leaving unsealable trenches into my stomach. Blood poured out of my wounds, painting my hands and tracksuit in a vibrant crimson river. The smell of fresh meat seemed to drive him mad and he moved in closer for the kill.14

My eyes popped and my shoulders sagged as the blood continued to spill. It was over. I had lost. And then....something I hadn't been counting on, the orphans. The little ones' cries could still be heard above the sewer, and now, the beast had turned on them. No, I thought, my body falling limply to the ground. Not the children, please, please not the children.15

Vision blurring and left hand slowly being enveloped into the mess that was my internal organs, I slowly reached for the gun. My world now black and crimson, I honestly couldn't see if I had hit my target or not. But I could hear. 16

Amazing. Five years ago, I was the little rich girl who refused to get her hands dirty. Surely there was some irony in that. My name was Madeline, I had blond hair, blue eyes and attitude that could not be surpassed. Now, I was a nobody. Just another corpse on the ground. Would humanity ever survive this? I wouldn't live to tell the tale.17

Author notes

My inspiration for this particular piece came from the cartoon classic of Superman: the episode where he finally dies facing off against a monster hellbent on destroying the planet. Which of course, got me thinking. What if there really had been a creature, but no superhero for him to fall to? Anyway, I hope you like it because I sure as hell enjoyed writing this one.

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Comments

1 - 13 of 13

  • emperess27
    August 18

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    Hey, this was interesting. I think that you should make a sort of novel out of this. I did like it, the characterisation was good. Well done. Thanks for entering my contest.


  • So Strange Greeters member
    July 9

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    I thought that you had a great story with this. I enjoyed the way you wrote it and the character was pretty strong for someone who used to be an average nobody. It sucks that she died, but then again, pretty much everyone was dying, on count of the monster's strengths. I would have liked this a little more if the main character hadn't died, but it was still a great read. She was strong and tried her best and that shows that she has a good heart, which is something that a good character pretty much always has.

    Again, brilliant job and I hope to read more of your stuff. I just hope that the good guy or girl doesn't die in the next one.

    Good luck in the contest.


  • toolenduso
    July 2

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    Man, that's sad. It's rare to see a post-apocalyptic scenario where there's literally only one beast doing all the damage, and that makes this unique. However, I think this story would have benefitted from being stretched a bit more, it would have been interesting to see what could have happened. But then, this is a nice challenge to our want of a resolution.

    So thanks for entering, and good luck in the contest!

    Style: 7/10
    Flow: 8/10
    Uniqueness: 3/5
    Readability: 6/7
    Effect: 7/10
    Lack of Errors: 3/3
    Personal Score: 2/5
    Total: 36/50


  • Marisalyn13
    July 2
    Edit | Reply
    Very spectacular job.

  • Ocaria
    June 24
    Edit | Reply
    Well Done
    You truly are one heck of a good author


  • Crys Moro
    June 24

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    Great story. I really enjoyed reading this, very imaginative, and rich in descriptions. Very well done for a short story.


  • Arbiter94
    June 17

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    This is a very good story, well done. Imagery, mystery, first person and suspense helped make this a fantastic story. Molto Bene, ciao!


  • Dark Legend
    June 6

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    I do wonder ... how did she get that horn in the first place?

    But else quite a nice a tale you have here. Done with customary Violette style. Imaginative and unpredictable.

    Hmmm ... suddenly I´m wondering how a match between the heroes of dracosapiens and Doomsday would fare ...


    • Violette silver member
      June 6
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      I mention briefly that she had gotten it from their first encounter but the rest is up to the reader's imagination. Lol thankyee muchly - again. Ha ha that would be most interesting.


  • Diary-chan
    June 2

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    Ahh... your imagery. YOUR IMAGERY! So delicious. The similes, the metaphors... I sincerely wish more people would use that kind of sensory language.

    Which option did you use? Horror, I assume? If so, as with most of the other horror entries, I leave a bit disappointed - I could still read the ending and didn't piss myself and probably won't have nightmares. But your imagery is beyond awesome.

    I love the description of the beast and the apocalyptic setting - I should add that as an option. *strokes chin* Actually, I think I will. In any case, I also really liked the closing paragraph where Madeline finally, for the first and last time, introduces her. Hidden irony

    Good luck in the contest.

    ~Kitty


  • WritersEffigy gold member
    May 30
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    Yum.

    Thanks for entering the worst contest ever!


  • Melissa Loves Jeffy
    May 27

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    I really liked this and it got my imagination running. I wish it was longer though. I think the ending was rushed a bit but I still liked it. Good job! Thanks for entering.


  • CallMeWhenUrRich
    May 22

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    Wow.
    This is an AMAZING piece.
    I'm stunned, honest.
    It was catching, interesting, realistic, and I could probably go on and on with adjectives that wouldn't do this piece justice.
    Wonderful job.

    beginning: 5, plot: 4, ending: 5.

1 - 13 of 13