Star Fall - Prologue

Star Fall

Prologue - "Ghosts" in the Darkness

Cremia stepped out of her dwelling on the ranch grounds. Her bare feet immediately sunk into the thick water and mud mixture. Hands gripped firmly on the door frame the Terminan woman yanked her single foot out of the mud. She could feel the slimy mixture of earth oozing between her toes. The constant rain of the past few days soaked the ground to a nearly flood like state. Curling the digits on her toes Cremia attempted to remove the wet earth as quickly as she could. She soon resorted to a single violent shake of her lower limb, sending the mud splashing back to the soaked ground. Although her vain attempts at cleaning herself removed what grime it could, her foot was tainted brown. Only a good washing with pure water would remove the earthy stain on her skin. Cremia stepped back fully into the doorway, both feet on the wooden floor of her ranch house.

"Did you see it?" A tiny quiet voice peeped from behind the ranch owner.

"I thought I said stay in bed?" Cremia mumbled in reply, sounding rather annoyed. Her teeth clinched as the words passed between them.

"But Cremia...I know...what I saw..." The weak voice whispered again, coming closer to the ranch owner. A shadow crept over the smooth wooden floor as the figure moved toward Cremia from behind. Filling the uneasy silence, the sound of wood shifting under the weight of another Terminan filled the room. Only the sound of firewood burning and crackling in the fireplace across the room created any sort of audible ambience.

Cremia, turning around, looked down upon the frail body of her younger sickly sister. Extremely skinny, to the point of looking nearly emaciated the younger ranch girl showed signs of an obvious illness. "Romani..." Cremia sighed wearily, eyes showing clear displeasure in her younger sister's actions. "...Please, I thought I told you to stay in bed."

"S-S-Sister, I saw it though..." Romani was quickly jolted from her sister's gentle touch as Cremia placed her hands on the girl's body trying to urge her back to bed. "...The red light, I saw it..." Seemingly out of nowhere Romani's voice began to quiver. "...It flashed through the clouds...In the trees, C-C-Cremia, it's in the trees!" A tiny finger pointed out to the thick tree line across the open plain of the ranch grounds. Cloaked in shadow and darkness, the pair could barely make out the trees through the heavy downpour.

Looking between her sister and the vast darkness and rain, Cremia took in a single troubled and yet determined breath. "I...I saw it too, Romani." She uttered, nearly choking on her own words. The two a recent witness of a strange flash of orange fire and light that descended from the sky and pierced through the clouds like a spear. Such an image brought painful memories back to the small family.

Cremia's eyes wandered back out the open door and into the hellish storm that was rolling over the land she called home, Termina. Violent flashes of lightning lit up the black clouds above the ranch. Each flash would illuminate, however briefly, the flooded and water-logged field. A Swirling mixture of brown sediment, small rocks, and grass flowed down the narrow divots in the road where the carriages usually traveled. This was a storm unlike any she had ever seen before. It was like a plague that tormented everything it touched. After each thunderous rumble she could feel the foundation of her house shake as pots and pans rattled in the kitchen only meters away. Only after a bright flash of lightning could Cremia see the through the blanket of rain and lock eyes with the forest that seemed to stare back at her.

"Romani..." The ranch owner mumbled down to her little sister. "...I'm going to forest. If...If I don't back soon, I want you to stay here. Hide under the table, close your eyes, and cover your ears." Cremia released her soft grip on Romani and scooted backward, her fingers swiftly gripping her boots by the laces. "I have to make sure it isn't them."

"But, Cremia!" Romani protested letting out a small huff of air. She stamped one of her feet on the ground in childish anger.

Now sitting on the floor Cremia pulled the worn boots onto her dirty feet. She glanced over to her displeased younger sibling. As she began to tie the laces Cremia spoke again. "I promise, Romani, I'll come back." Pushing herself into a kneeling position the ranch owner motioned for her sister to come closer, opening both arms as if expecting an embrace.

Romani took a number of tired steps forward saying nothing; she now joined her sister in the doorway. The small girl could feel the stray cold raindrop that traveled through the opening.

Cremia was quick to grasp Romani and pull her close. She ran her fingers repeatedly through her sister's hair in a caring sisterly manner. Holding her weak sister in a warm family hug Cremia began to talk again, her words broken. "I promise, I'm coming back, sister...I just have to make sure....I just have to make sure that...'they'...aren't here." Cremia continued to grasp Romani, still uttering words of encouragement to her sibling. "Remember what I said...I'll be back soon. Just wait for me here, ok?"

Unable to answer her older sister with words Romani simply gave a nod, barely holding back the emotion that was running rampant through her body. She stepped away, breaking the embrace with Cremia. Two shadowy silhouettes, wreathed in a shivering orange light now filled the fire lit doorway.

Turning her head into the darkness Cremia took in a single prolonged breath. She stepped out feet first into the hellish storm...

%

Caked with wet dirt Cremia pulled herself to her feet again. Her clothing, which was now smothered in mud and soaked through with water, weighed her down. Stumbling over, the ranch owner had trouble righting herself. Recovering from a recent fall Cremia desperately attempted to reach the tree line and have at least minor protection from the storm. She could see the blowing mass of wood and leaves before her. Another gust of wind and flash of lightning brought light and detail to her surroundings. The massive wall of wind threw her to her knees again. "I'm so stupid...This was a horrible idea...I should've stayed with Romani!" Cremia told herself as she pulled herself out of the mud again. Only a few meters ahead of her she could see the relative shelter of the forest, the same forest where the strange orange light fell.

Crawling on all fours, the Terminan women pulled herself through the mud, closing the distance between her and her goal. Pushing her body upward Cremia stood, using what strength she had the young woman stumbled into the tree line. Instantly her fingers grasped tightly onto the nearest tree. Her grip turned her knuckles white as the soaked skin on her fingers pressed itself in on the moist bark. Cremia's chest heaved fiercely as she attempted to catch her breath. Holding her body again the soaked tree the woman rested.

Tilting her head around she looked deep into the forest. It seemed to have a life of its own as the wind twisted and shook every branch and twig. Cremia didn't stay motionless for long. Although weary from the trek across the ranch she had a sister to return to. She needed to find out what that orange light was and if worse came to worse, whether or not to flee the ranch. Cremia could still feel the strong wind as it moved between the trees. Venturing onward and deeper into the thick forest Cremia tried keeping her bearings, the light from her house no longer visible.

"It should've landed..." Cremia turned her head once to the right and once to the left, looking for the strange light source. "...somewhere in here." Within the confines of her mind Cremia continued to play through the worst case scenario. She knew that if 'they' returned it was quite possible that her livelihood was over. The ranch wouldn't be able to sustain itself anymore after last year's assault. It seemed that each passing year 'they' returned with more, even after nearly draining the ranch dry.

Cremia pushed deeper into the forest. Using her mud-caked hand she pulled some of her wet red hair away from her face. "It should be here...It-It-It should be here." Cremia uttered, stumbling over her words in clear frustration. Usually the strange orange light produced by "Them" always remained during an attack. Her head swiveled crazily from side to side, trying to find a single sliver of orange light shining through the trees. But there was nothing, the only light came from the occasional flash of lightning from the storm. There was another gust of wind the buffeted Cremia's frame.

Coldness began to set it. Cremia was soaked through to the bone. Each blast of wind chilled her skin a little more. Wrapping her arms around her body, she traveled deeper into the woods. Still scanning the darkness, she could find nothing. "W-W-W-What's going on?" Cremia muttered, teeth chattering. She started to feel the increasing weight of the thick layer of mud on her boots and clothing. Her pace began to slow. Thought started to run through her mind of Romani back at the ranch house. She told her sisters to hide if she didn't return. Cremia, seeing nothing in the forest, now regretted putting her sister through such an unnecessary ordeal. Although she still believed something had fallen from the sky. "I saw it!" She continued on, still murmuring to herself out of pure paranoia. Still there was nothing, not even a sliver of orange light anywhere.

The sound of shuffling brush caught Cremia's ear...

She twirled around yet saw nothing, only darkness. Harsh shadows blocked any sort of sight. Cremia was unable to discern the source of the noise. Curiosity drove her forward. Beginning with a single step, the female rancher closed the distance between her and where the noise came from. Cremia moved slowly, unknown of whom or what was in the forest with her. Through the rain and the wind Cremia desperately tried to make sense of the situation. She went out to find the orange light, which vanished as soon as it hit the ground in the woods. Still soaking wet the woman continued onward.

The sound came again, this time behind her...and closer...

Cremia twisted her head quickly to the source. Frozen mid stride Cremia narrowed her eyes, peering into the black shadows. Something was moving, creeping around, trying not to be seen. But yet the sound seemed to keep its distance. Cremia continued to follow the source of the soft rustling sounds with her ears, shifting her eyes as she did. There was another dazzling flash of lightning. It lit up the forest floor around her. But as the flash of light hit the earth the noises stopped immediately. After the lightning dissipated Cremia could no longer hear any movement. Whatever as around her was taking its sweet time.

Freezing where she stood Cremia waited. She admitted in her mind that she was more curious than afraid. The rancher knew now that this thing wasn't what she had originally thought when she had seen the orange light, even though the thought of "Them" lingered in the back of her brain. Taking in a deep breath through her nose, Cremia could feel the thick moisture in the air as it entered her nose and lungs. Heavy with water vapor the air seemed to linger motionless in the forest, moved only by the winds passing through the trees. Even so, Cremia barely noticed the dying down of the storm. The heavy rain slowed down to a constant drizzle while the winds themselves seemed to be out of breath. Cremia's eyes darted from each scarcely visible tree, bramble, and bush, waiting for the sound to come again.

After a long pause there was another bright flash of lightning far off in the distance. Cremia's blood froze as the flash of illumination washed over the forest. On the surface of the tree directly facing her lay the shadowed outline of a humanoid figure. It seemed only to vanish as swiftly as the light turned back to darkness. But something about the shadow was off, inhuman in nature, it was a figure covered in harsh angles. Whirling around Cremia was only greeted with the same familiar darkness of the forest as before. A strange silence settled on the forest for a brief number of moments. Whatever was behind her moments ago seemed to evaporate into the night like a ghost.  

The sound of a breaking branch shot a shiver and chill up Cremia's spine...

Cremia turned to the sound, her body twisting sharply at the waist as her head moved faster than her legs and waist. A bright beam of white light flashed on and greeted her when she turned. The light was just above face-level, seemingly floating in the darkness as it brought a lasting white glow to the forest around her. Startled and stunned, the Terminan rancher fell backward into the thick mud. Her body sunk into the drenched ground. Propping herself up with her arms and still in shock by the appearance of the white light, Cremia tilted her head upward and stared at the light beam that now hovered above her. Her mouth hung open in bewilderment. The white light stayed motionless in the air as the beam titled downward, shining down and lighting up the woman that was caked in mud on the forest floor.

With a flicker the white light vanished and the sound of footsteps drew closer. Cremia scooted backward, pushing herself through the mud and up against the nearest tree. Once her back hit the moist bark, the rancher paused and listened. The footsteps drew closer and then stopped, once again just before where she was sitting in the mud. Moments went by, only the sound of the rain impacting the green leaves echoed about the forest. Whatever was watching her on the ground stood motionless.

A burst of red-orange light and a sharp hissing sound filled Cremia's senses. She closed her eyes and shielded her face with her dirty hands, unable to so quickly take in the new light source. Lowering her fingers away from her face and slowly opening her tightly shut eyes Cremia then saw was stood before her.

Immediately her attention was drawn to the light. It seemed like a burning torch that gave away a slight hiss. Yet it clearly wasn't made of wood. Smoke rolled through the air and above the trees, away from the shimmering red-orange light. The light was held by a human hand, a hand covered by black gloves without fingertips. Cremia's heart raced faster as she noticed the hand was human. Her eyes followed the hand to the arm. She saw no skin, just a strange black, seemingly thick, fabric covered in some sort of metal armor. Each bit of armor only increased in thickness and angularity as Cremia's eyes moved to the shoulders. The colors blended into the shadows, each piece of metal and fabric was black or grey. Red-orange light washed over the matte black and greyish painted metals. It was clear now that the figure didn't care to hide itself any longer.

The figure dropped the glimmering torch-like device onto the mud. It didn't move, it continued to eye Cremia just as she did it.

Cremia's eyes now looked at what seemed to be a face, a face made up of blue shining glass, a helmet. Tilting sideways, the helmet moved as if looking down at Cremia with curiosity. Seemingly painted with a skull-like design on the metal surface what the girl saw was frightful. She could feel that she was making eye-contact with whatever, or whomever, was underneath. Cremia didn't like the feeling and shifted her eyes downward. The details of this figure were burning into her head. The woman had never seen such armor before. As her eyes traveled downward they were met with a symbol. Cremia's thoughts drank up the symbol like water in the desert. Upon the chest of the armored being was a painted white skull surrounded in red flames.