After The Flood Receded
Motionless wrinkled bodies lay atop buildings, in structures, on the streets, as they basically, littered the earth's surface, humans and animals alike.
The flood had receded but thick fog still lingered in the sky, fog that was once part of the flood.
People who had sought safety in bunkers employed various methods to determine when the water had receded, and thus they emerged into the world after the flood.
Upon contact with the fog, they too fell unconscious, joining the countless motionless bodies that covered the Earth's surface.
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" I guess it's time, to do your thing, Sophia," the golden figure said as he peered through the void observing the events of the planet in trial.
About 99 percent of the earth's population had been afflicted by the miasma rendering them paralyzed and unconscious. With the rest too afraid to get out of their bunkers or just trapped.
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[ Metamorphosis Commence ]
The monotone voice sounded in the ears of the 99 percentile of the human population but they could not react as they were still unconscious.
The motionless bodies started to twitch as the so-called metamorphosis began.
The DNA, the very makeup of a living being altered as its strands were broken and rearranged with a mix of strange elements.
Skin cells, blood cells, muscle cells, and countless other cells within the body began to explode and reassemble, causing blood to seep from their orifices. The bodies of those undergoing metamorphosis contorted as their bones were crushed and reassembled.
Despite the brain's best efforts to block out the pain, the unconscious bodies convulsed in agony, thrashing around, unable to bear this excruciating torment.
From the tiniest bacteria to the largest sperm whale, their bodies underwent an excruciating yet significant transformation as their very genetic makeup was altered.
Minutes became hours as hours became days. Three days passed after which all movements had seized, the metamorphosis complete.
Some unfortunate souls fell from high grounds due to the vigorous thrashing of their bodies killing them once again but this time their last.
Soft, rhythmic breathing mixed with growls filled the atmosphere, creating a gentle symphony as the once-lifeless bodies gained life.
Animals that once were, were no more, as new species evolved from them. Strange beasts awakened from their slumber and, like being abruptly roused from a sweet dream, they embraced violence. Some rushed to hide as they sensed danger from their once-friendly neighbors, while the less fortunate were pounced upon by those they once believed to be their kin.
The jungle, which was already known for its viciousness and brutality, redefined those terms as viciousness and brutality themselves became mild. Savagery and horror could hardly describe the jungle now, as strange beasts pounced on one another, and carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap ensnared creatures as large as deer's, as the metamorphosis made them into beasts themselves.
The seas were far from peaceful, even though most of the aquatic beasts had managed to survive the initial onslaught of the torrential flood, they found no escape from the metamorphic evolution. Tiny sea creatures began to swarm, forming grotesque amalgamations, while even behemoths as large as sperm whales transformed into leviathan horrors. Turtles sought refuge from the ocean's brutality within their now impenetrable shells, watching as the depths around them churned with eerie transformations.
Among the chaos, colossal tentacled monstrosities emerged, dwarfing entire schools of fish. These nightmarish cephalopods could crush a ship with a single squeeze, their eyes glowing with malevolence. Schools of fish mutated into voracious predators with teeth like jagged coral, swiftly devouring anything in their path.
The coral reefs, once a vibrant underwater city, became overrun with bizarre, sentient corals that ensnared unwary swimmers with mesmerizing, colorful displays before tightening their grip, pulling victims into their deadly embrace.
The once tranquil seafloor teemed with grotesque crustaceans and anomalous creatures with bio-luminescent appendages that lured prey toward their gaping maws. Meanwhile, serpentine eels slithered through the water like living lightning, striking with deadly precision.
The skies, once dominated by serene birds and occasional aircraft, now hosted a frightening spectacle. Majestic creatures resembling wyverns soared through the heavens. Their wingspans eclipsed passenger planes, and their scales shimmered with colors that defied the imagination.
Amidst the chaos, swarms of massive, predatory raptors circled in ominous formations. These feathered behemoths had evolved with razor-sharp talons and beaks, capable of tearing through metal and machinery with ease. Their screeches filled the skies, echoing with a haunting, discordant symphony.
The skies had become a realm of relentless turbulence. Aerial creatures preying on their fellow creatures, trying to satisfy the hunger that came after their long sleep.
The once-clear skies now hosted a symphony of terror, where the metamorphic evolution had unleashed a multitude of grotesque and deadly creations, forever changing the celestial landscape.
Humans who were unfortunate to cross paths with these beasts died a gruesome death, their deaths swifter than lightning.
As chaos engulfed the animal kingdoms, transforming them into savage territories, the slumbering human civilization gradually roused from its stupor.
Covered in blood, people stood in confusion, uncertain whether they had awoken in a nightmarish version of hell or a poor imitation of heaven. Vines, mosses, and spirogyra blanketed the streets, vehicles, and buildings, creating lush greenery that would have been a sight of natural beauty if not for the wretched state of the structures. Most buildings lay in ruins, with shattered glass and exposed iron rods. The overgrown greenery contributed grotesquely to the seemingly ruined civilization.
" I lived..how"
" Where am I "
" I should be in heaven where the heck is this place"
"..."
"..."
The inhabitants of the now-ruined civilizations muttered to themselves as a look of confusion and trepidation became ashen on their faces.
The waves had dislocated most of the people, sending them to places they were unfamiliar with.
" Mom... Wake up... mom!!" In the streets that were once known as New York, a lone girl cried out as she noticed that her mother was still motionless seemingly in a deep sleep.
Her voice echoed, muffled by the noises of the now-awoken people. Those who were close by noticed the unconscious mother, bringing their attention to the people who still lay on the ground, unmoving. Some were noticeably dead, with brain matter spilling from their skulls, but most of them appeared fine, yet still failed to wake up.
People started moving around looking for their loved ones among the dead, the living, and the unconscious.
The young girl shook her mother in an attempt to wake her as it always worked.
The mother's eyes fluttered after a few seconds of vigorous shaking, her eyes void of light and emotion.
The girl who was too happy to see her mother was unable to notice the emotionless gaze as she hugged her.
She felt a hand around her neck, an action she believed to be a show of affection, but that was not the case. The mother held her in place as she dug her teeth into the little girl's neck.
Ear-piercing screams reverberated throughout the streets as passersby stopped in their tracks, trying to figure out the source.
In the middle of the road lay a middle-aged woman with a young girl about the age of eight atop her. From a distance, they seemed to be embracing each other but upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the woman had her teeth in the little girl's neck.
People rushed to her aid as they separated the girl from her mother, the lifeless body of the girl lay in the hands of a teenage boy, his hands shaking as he looked at the crazed and beastly eyes of the mother. Like a predator whose prey had been stolen, the mother jumped up biting into the neck of the closest person.
The boy dropped the little girl as his gaze met the mother, a gaze that said you are next.
Panic blossomed as people ran in fear.
The mother opened her mouth, producing a heart-wrenching scream that shattered nearby glasses. It was like a wake-up call; bodies that lay seemingly in a deep sleep jolted awake as they grabbed anyone near them, feasting on their flesh and blood.
The rest of the world also found itself in a similar predicament, as zombie-like creatures rampaged, destroying everything in their path.
Chaos reigned everywhere, in the skies, the seas, the forests, and on the very planet they stood upon. An apocalyptic scene had come to life.
*********
"Hell, I figured... for a sinful man like myself, this is where I belong," Charles said to himself as he looked at his surroundings, his now golden eyes darting around, searching for the devil and his minions.