Devourer of Worlds

by Henry Vandermark and John Bradford

A flurry of arms and legs flies through the dark alleyway. The legless victim tries to escape, but a shadowy predator extends two elastic arms and envelops its prey.

Suddenly, lights turn on. A masculine voice says, “Did you hear that?” Another set of lights turns on...

“Who's there?”

“It's that thing again!”

“That's the thing that killed the mayor.”

“Get him!”

Two men step out of their homes, armed, firing green beams of fluctuating light at the “thing.” With flailing arms, the creature runs.

The community gathers to discuss the recent sighting of the creature, thing, suspected in the rash of recent murders. Witnesses have reported a strange figure with many arms and legs. The crowd produces a plasma ballgun and shoots the retreating figure, capturing it.

The following day, headlines read:

“Murderous Monster Captured, Yet Murders Continue!”

Weeks later, the headlines read:

“Legless, Smoky Apparitions Seen Wandering Town At Night... Murders Continue.”

In the jail cell, a long, scaly arm pushes away a tray of food. “I'll never get out of here,” the creature whispers.

20 years later...

The green plasma bars on the jail cell flicker and go out. The prisoner tentatively exists.

What he sees outside is a green, robed figure, surrounded by legless, wispy, wandering souls.

“Brother! Devourer of humans! How could you do this to me! They blamed me for everything you've done!”

“Don't worry, brother, devourer of souls, I've summoned father – devourer of worlds!”

And everything went dark.