The realisation

I have been walking down the road for almost a hour now, but still I cannot find any clue of the living here”, says Orion. Orion is now walking down the road witnessing the ruins of the civilization. The buildings are ruined and the streets are covered in weird vegetation. The prosperous civilization that inhabitant the cities is long gone. “The sun is almost at the horizon, I must find a place to stay at night”.

While moving a bit further he stumbles upon a garage. “I see some garages up there. Maybe I should search there”, he mutters to himself. Orion cautiously enters the dimly lit garage, its rusty door screeching as he pushed it open. His eyes scanned the cluttered space, and he spotted a pile of wood in one corner, a can of gasoline on a dusty shelf and some rags scattered nearby. “This might come in handy”, he mutters to himself.

He quickly gathered the wood, oil and rags, tucking them under his arms he made his way out of the garage. The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting an orange glow across the desolate landscape.

Orion decided to check the house next door for food before darkness fully descended. As he entered, the fading light revealed a can of sardines on a dusty shelf and an old axe leaning against the wall.

As Orion was inside the house, night came unexpectedly quickly plunging the house into darkness. “I won’t be able to find anything in this darkness. I need to make a torch”. Orion takes out the rags and dipped them into gasoline, fashioning a makeshift torch. “That’s better. It’s not so dark and scary with a torch. Now I can keep looking.”

Just then, he heard a scuffling sound. He turned his torch to the direction of the sound. From the shadows emerged mutants rats, their eyes glinting in torchlight. Moreover, that was not the only point, they were no ordinary rats. The rats due unknown reason were as big as a bulldog with razor sharp incisors.

“Rats! Ginormous rats! They were probably attracted by my noise. I have to fight them off!” Orion thinks in his mind. One of the rats lunges at Orion with a snarl, Orion quickly doges the rat and strikes him down with the torch. The blow left the rat with a half burned face and wincing in pain. Seeing the opportunity Orion picks up the axe and strikes it down with a single blow.

Blood splattered all over the room, but he didn’t have any time to rest. Another rat attacks him and he blocks the rat’s jaws with the handle but is now knocked to the ground. “Hmph”, Orion grunts, with only the handle between the vicious creature and him, he rolls on the ground and with a push with the handle tosses the rat to the ground. Finally, with another swing of the axe he decapitates the creature.

Seeing the condition of his companions, the third one vanishes into the darkness. Orion is gasping with being covered in blood and sweat, but fortunately unharmed. “Filthy creatures! It’s too dangerous to stay here. I have to grab things and leave”, he says while wiping of the blood from his forehead.

After gathering his spoils- canned sardine, an axe and the torch, he exits the house. Feeling the weight of the encroaching night, he decided to make a camp in the nearby forest. “I have to leave this city. I think I can chop some wood and build some fire in the forest”, he thinks.

Orion, after the weary journey through the forest, finds a suitable clearing to make camp. He gathered some dry twigs and leaves, skillfully using the nearby flint ignite a comforting fire. The flames danced and crackled casting a warm glow in the midst of the night.

“Hah…looks like the survival shows I watched all summer weren’t a waste after all”, he thinks. As the fire flickered, Orion settled down, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. The sounds of the forest at night surrounding him, creating a soothing melody. Soon, sleep claimed him, and he drifted into a dreamscape..

In his dream, Orion found himself standing in a mesmerizing bioluminescent forest. Soft hues of green and blue emanated from the foliage, casting an ethereal glow. A bioluminescent butterfly fluttered before him, guiding him through the mystical grove.

Orion followed the ethereal creature until he reached a serene clearing, where a figure bathed in radiant light awaited. The luminous being was whispering something, her voice a delicate melody that seemed to resonate with the very essence of the forest. Orion, captivated by her surreal beauty, couldn’t help but ask. “Who…Who are you?”

Captivated by Orion’s question she turns to look at him. “Who I am? … Who I am not important the question is who are you”, she replies with a soothing tone.

“Oh that my name is Orion”, he replies in a confident tone.

“I am not asking about your name, Orion. I am asking about who you are”, she replies.

“Oh, well about that…”, as Orion was about to answer, the dream abruptly shifted. The serene bioluminescent forest transformed into a nightmarish landscape. The sky turned ashen, and molten rivers flowed through a desolate land. Darkened clouds loomed overhead, and fiery meteors fell like apocalyptic rain.

“Oh it looks like our time here has ended”, she says in a contempt tone. Orion looks and sees the destruction. “Listen Orion, before asking about the mysteries of the world, you must seek answers about yourself.”, she replies to Orion. “But wait I don’t understand…”, he quickly looks back, but finds that the spirit has long left leaving only a shadow

Orion felt a surge of anxiety as the dream unfolded, the tranquility shattered by the apocalyptic scene. He tried to think, to call her and ask about the meaning behind the transformation, but the dream offered no control.

Abruptly, Orion woke up, his heart pounding. The remnants of the dream clung to his thoughts, and as he stared into the fading embers of the campfire, he couldn't shake the feeling that Spirit’s whispers held a message, a warning perhaps, about the mysteries that lay ahead in the waking world.

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