Solacium

Ch 5: Blake

Carefully, I approached. Following the plumes of grey smoke that swirled up from between the trees, disappearing into the dreary sky above.

The sound of my feet trudging through the wet forest was soon overpowered by the sound of the pouring rain. Aside from the usually muted thump of the rain hitting the soft ground, there was a different noise coming from up ahead. The closer I got, the louder it became.

A shower of quick tinks filled my ears. The unnatural sound drowned out the rest of the forest noise, and I focused only on what that sound could entail.

It didn't sound like the rain from the forest around me, where each droplet landed soundlessly on soft soil and grass. No, this rain sounded like a warning. An alarm that contrasted with the soft sounds of the forest around me. The deafeningly loud showers beat against something unwelcome.

Whatever was out there, was a stranger to the forest.

As I neared the source of the smoke, lightning struck, illuminating the area. I squinted when I caught a glimpse of a reflection of light just up ahead. Through the trees and smoke, I could just barely make out the body of something large and metallic.

Something that was definitely not supposed to be there.

I stayed hidden behind trees as I cautiously approached. With each step, my mind conjured a billion possible scenarios that awaited me.

Perhaps there were other survivors in this forest. I thought briefly. People who had decided to take up camp and light a fire before the rain had started. Or perhaps there were survivors who set up this fire knowing the rain would come and smoke would draw in others for easy prey.

Prey like me, my mind chided.

I let my hand brush against my gun strapped firmly to my leg. If the situation was the latter, I would be more than prepared. Even if I wasn't, I had no choice now but to investigate. Whatever threat awaited me out there was inevitable. The fact that they made it this far into our forest was dangerous, too close to home, too close to Jada. I had to make sure that whoever was hiding among the trees ahead, would not get anywhere close to our home.

By now, I was close enough to the fire to see that this was no campsite at all, but a ditch. A huge ditch. Judging by the heavy smell of dirt, a fresh one too.

Walking closer, I stopped at the edge of the site, right before the ground ahead of me dropped off into a blackened divot surrounding what looked to be a huge piece of metal.

What in the hell is that? I wondered, looking at the strange object in confusion and awe.

A satellite perhaps?

At this point, the rain was coming down in loud showers, sending torments of droplets that hit the burning metal and letting out a sharp hiss before evaporating into the sky.

The forest was dark, but the remaining embers of the receding flames surrounding it provided enough light for me to see the foreign object. From what I could see through the smoke, the object began to take shape and I was able to determine that this was not a satellite at all. To my surprise, it looked like a silver fighter jet like the ones that used to drop bombs from the sky during the early years of the War.

Back when there were still enough people alive to operate them. I scoffed, focusing back on the object before me.

All sharp edges; the ship wasn't very big. It was maybe the size of a school bus, but as I got closer, the less the sight in front of me made sense. Something about this jet wasn't right.

As I got closer, its image began to warp, as if fading in and out of some sort of cloaking device or protective shield that must have been severely damaged from the crash.