David stepped out from the shadows of his makeshift base, the cool air greeting him like an old friend. He rolled his massive shoulders back with a series of loud pops, relishing the sensation of movement after what felt like an eternity of stillness.

  There was a newfound lightness to him, as if yesterday's burdens had been peeled away during the night. Sleep had remained just out of reach, but the brief reprieve had revitalized his spirit. Though the night had held its dangers, he was more alert than anxious, attuned to the whispers of the dark.

  He consciously avoided the central plaza, his instincts guiding him to a hidden gem: a weathered concrete block that had somehow withstood the chaos. The door was splintered, a testament to his enhanced strength, yet inside lay a sanctuary—a cellar fortified by iron doors, perfect for hiding away.

  David etched the location into his memory, resolute in his plan to return if he could not track down other survivors. With a quick crack of his neck, he worked out the remaining stiffness from his bones, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

  The loud growl of his stomach alerted him to his immediate goal; ravenous hunger threatened his mind. Not to be outdone by the thick and fuzzy feeling in his mouth, he felt parched as if he had spent a day in the desert. His head swiveled overhead, seeking the sun.

  " Early morning, about 7 am. " David thought. He knew he needed calories and water. This time, nothing would come between him and his goal. Silently, he went through his options. Food and water produced from human hands would be the better choice. But hunting for food and water seemed risky at first.

  Rooted in place, he scanned his surroundings. His eyes hovered from left to right, and he weighed his options within the confines of his mind. But his shoulders slumped as if an awareness within him was being suppressed.

  David wasn't ashamed because of yesterday's flight; at least, that's what he had convinced himself of. But foraging for supplies in houses or stores around here held a dangerous edge.

  " It is best if I avoid looting for now with those dagger-eared folks around. " David considered.

  With a driven purpose, his footsteps began echoing off walls. He strode south in the opposite direction of the camp. Soon, something appeared in the distance.

  In an instant, David's muscles coiled with tension, and his eyes widened in disbelief. What he had anticipated crumbled away, revealing a reality that was vastly different from his expectations.

  Eerie fog filled the once-proud outskirts of Ravensboro, and a bubbling tinkle of water assaulted his ears. As David walked further into the unsettling white mist, the earth became soft, and his boots sank into the ground. Wet squelching noises accompanied every step.

  It should have been early morning, but with the rolling bank of fog, David could see nothing but the gray haze—as if the day had been swallowed by the dense fog. His body turned cold, and drops of moisture formed on his arms.

  Every curious step that carried him further thickened the gray veil; the light was swallowed, and his point of view narrowed. As if claws were reaching from the mist, dark hanging shapes surrounded him from the front and sides. Horrible croaks and sharp hisses rang throughout.

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  David had hoped to see the edge of town and the road leading out of Ravensboro. He knew there was a small convenience store close to the edge, which he had been aiming for. But now, whatever this was stood in his path.

  The transition was nothing short of extraordinary. One instant, David was enveloped in a dense, swirling fog that cloaked everything in an eerie silence; the next, he stepped into a radiant expanse of light. It was a startling brightness, almost overwhelming, as he squinted against the blinding glow of the sun, struggling to adjust his eyes to the dazzling brilliance that surrounded him.

  Reflexively, his hand covered his eyes, and as confusion seeped into him, he wondered at the marvel his world had become. There was something so primal about exploring places that no one had ever stepped foot in. The smell of adventure tickled his senses and brought him joy.

  As the white spots faded, David saw a truly breathtaking sight: tall, deep green trees with hanging ferns cascading down their branches, purple flowers lining the path of a lazy stream, and water so clear he could catch glimpses of deep blue fish swimming about.

  David was overwhelmed by a ravenous thirst that clawed at his senses, pushing him to the edge of sanity. As he leaned closer to the shimmering water's surface, he surrendered to the urge. Each deep gulp was a revelation, a rush of fresh liquid that danced on his tongue, carrying with it a subtle hint of sweetness that tantalized his taste.

  Unconditioned, his eyes and nose crinkled in delight, and his tight frame uncoiled. His arm rose as he wiped the last remaining water from his mouth. David wanted more of the sweet water, but he wrestled the impulse back with pure self-control and instead searched his surroundings.

  With a lazy plop, a giant toad the size of a great dane jumped into the water. This startled the fish, which were 6 feet in length. All this was overseen by a white bird perched in the water. It was tall—massively so, as it would easily reach David's height—but also stick thin. The width of a steering wheel, adorned with white feathers and a red crest upon its head, the closest thing David could compare it to was a crane.

  David felt conflicted as he reached for his sword, not drawing it just yet, but he was prepared for any sudden movement the crane might make. Principled silence, only interrupted by the teeming wildlife around the pair, enveloped David's mind.

  With a quick thrust of its beak, the crane drove into the water, catching a fish that had come too close. Pride entered the beast's eyes at the fish's feeble attempts to escape from its mouth. But the hiss that came next startled the pair.

  David, hearing this warning call, drew his sword. His body tensed as the soothing melody of the blade filled his mind. Where did the noise come from, what was it, and how do I kill it? These thoughts entered David's mind.

  The pair's ears were assaulted next by the splintering wood and the wet squelches of the swamp. With a start, the crane dropped its meal, and its massive wings unfurled. The beast honked as it took flight and perched itself on a nearby tree.

  David took in the sight and analyzed what he could do. Whatever the beast was, its painful noises told of a fight nearby. Should he risk a peek to acquire food or retreat? David told himself there was no shame in retreating, but his curiosity won.

  He parted the feathery ferns and low-hanging branches, each step deliberate as he drew closer to the unsettling sound. Suddenly, he burst into a clearing where an enormous, scaled beast was locked in a fierce struggle with a grotesque, bulbous plant. The air crackled with tension as the two titans clashed, the ground trembling beneath their duel.

  " A plant? " David was startled. He knew the world would change, and his new appearance was a testament to that, but now plants had become monsters that joined the fight for survival?

  A Komodo dragon-like lizard, the size of a horse, protected by its natural scales and sharp fangs, battled a plant the size of a car. But not just any plant. It was a pulpous, meaty thing with the color of fresh ground beef. It was stemless and leafless, and its roots whipped about, trying to bury themselves in the lizard.

  If David tried to make a comparison, he could only think of a rafflesia—a parasitic plant meant to lure its prey with the smell of rotting flesh. But this one was clearly not the same.

  Every time the little tendrils entered flesh, a deep gray was left behind, as if the flower had sucked all vitality away. But to the lizard's dismay, tendrils either bitten off or snapped by movement, splashed about a liquid. The juice seemed to sap the life out of its victims even more as the lizard became sluggish soon after.

  Soon, the battle ended with the pulpous thing slaying the beast. Tendrils dragged the corpse closer to its flesh, and the flower wiggled about. As if a dance was being performed, the fleshy bits waved around, covering the lizard's remains in a thick coat of pollen.

  To David's surprise, this pollen soon turned into another tiny rafflesia perched on the lizard's head. But true horror soon assaulted him. With the shaking of the tendrils, David almost missed it. The slight shake of the corpse wiggling around.

  The beast soon stood straight, eyes the color of the grave lifeless and gray, and began its lumbering steps into the unknown, away from the place of its birth.

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