I record this with my dying breaths. If found, please send this log to the Twelfth Council of the Magog Empire. My name is Fyodor Ivanov of the Koschei Special Ops, Blackbird Third Division.
The tropical lighting storm pounded my skin with warm raindrops the size of ice cubes. My body was splayed across the forest floor, unable to move, with enhanced malarial strains tearing through my intestines, a stream of blood leaking from my mouth and anus.
I tried to scream “Help! Help me!” but all that came out was a moan, barely recognizable as words.
The jungle extended for hundreds of miles. Oversized trees covering the mountains, and reaching towards the artificial domed sky overhead.
I stared at the world around me, pleading, but the trees did not care, nor did any of the beasts hiding in their trees, glaring out at the dying two-legged invader of their forest. There was no mercy, and no pity that this unnatural forest had to offer.
Something off to the right caught my eye. My heart jumped, and I twisted my neck to see what was there.
Like a nightmare, where you turn on the light, and the monster is still standing there, clear as day, I saw it. One of the Martian apes stood there, on all fours, silently staring out from the trees, it’s black eyes regarding me without emotion. It was many times larger than it’s ancestors that had been brought from Earth, large enough to bite a man in half, and strong enough to tear out the massive trees by the root with no effort.
I tried to grab for my weapon, but it was gone! Where was my weapon?
I tried not to make eye contact, tried not to be perceived as a threat, but without a firearm, no man could stand against these beasts. Our bodies were like those of wet paper dolls, and just as easily torn to pieces.
Something crawled onto my leg. I looked down at the sight of the Martian ant, six inches long, with a red body covered in random tufts of hair. Barely screaming, I kicked it away, but it was soon followed by another. Big red ants gathered around on the forest floor. I kept fighting, but they just kept coming, touching and sniffing at my body with their antenna.
Blades cut into my inner thigh, and I saw an ant proudly crawl off into the jungle, carrying a bloody chunk of meat. Blades cut all over my body, ripping and tearing at my flesh, as the ants crawled in and out from the trees all around me.
I screamed, and looked back, making eye contact with the martian ape, still staring at the scene before it, without pity.
Thank you for reading this sample of my short story The Caves of Mars. The full story is finally available on Amazon!
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