Misery Field
Feelings of rot and decay wash over my mind as I look out into the open field…
Misery field has gotten its reputation from the diverse locals and the cultures they share.
You’d think there’d be many explanations from each cultural perspective, but…
Misery field is all the same.
The little remote town of Harmony Bluffs has taken a turn; something plagues its forrest...
Nobody in this town believes it is a disease, a madman, or something explainable…
Whatever it is, it’s dangerous. They say it reaches out from the forest and snatches people,
never to be seen again…
People have a tough decision that keeps them locked in this town;
they are so remote that they’ve grown to rely on each other,
and the cost of living is small because they live in a closed loop.
They do not have enough men, resources, or will to fight this beast.
Some say the monster haunts them because of their closed-minded nature…
I stand in front of Misery Field as the fall wind gently sways the grass, a chilling afternoon made colder by the lack of humanity.
They’ve all moved away from the field, wanting to escape the dangers that lurk beyond.
However, I think it’s much bigger than we’ve anticipated…
Misery field is only the beginning…
Gradually wrapping its insidious grasp around the small town, already guarding the exit and becoming more violent.
A report yesterday said a family van packed with all the essentials rolled over, attempting to leave on the only escape.
When our little police force showed up, they mentioned that “the right side was severely dented and the window was shattered”
like something bashed it off the road… They never found the bodies.
So I stand here, in the glooming fall weather… Still, it has not taken me…
Misery field has many deaths on its hands, even before this beast stalked us.
From the rough beginnings of this town, it was always a hotspot.
Executions, murders, lynching, civil war – hell, even our little town serial killer, this field has it all – now the worst has come…
Some locals call me insane, and others call me the bravest of men; either way, I’m reckless…
Not afraid of dying, yet unwilling to go down without a fight…
They call me the “Misery Bomber” because I’ve strapped myself with enough dynamite to blow
this shitshow sky-high; my family lineage is mining, and dynamite is our forte.
I take one last drag of my cigarette and relinquish it to the field; it’s time to move in…
If it doesn’t want to take me, I’ll force-feed it; some dynamite every day is healthy for you –
at least that is what my grandpa said. I march through the forest hell-bent and unyielding to
the whims of death… I don’t have a wife or any kids…
I’m a loner with nothing to fight for; the least I can do is use myself for the greater good.
The forest is still, quiet, and dead… It feels as if I’m the only living thing in here…
I don’t know where this beast lies, but it would be a fool not to take me. I’m out in the open, ready for the taking…
Like a fisherman waiting for a fish to bite, hook in the water,
I am the bait…
At the edge of my eye, for just a split second, I see something vile and dark green
slither away, deeper into the forest, sending a chill up my spine.
I redirect my course toward the thing and continue marching through the woods, gripping my lighter with a new purpose…
I’d think there would be more action by now. I’ve seen it take a child in broad daylight. It was like firing off a net; it grabbed the kid’s face and yanked her back in…
That was the day that it became more than a widespread myth.
The whole town was losing their minds.
Poor kid probably got eaten unless this is even more fucked up, and it’s doing something else to the people it takes…
I guess that’s why I’m here – to avenge the lost people
or some shit like that… I’m no hero, just some sad sop with balls of steel –
they’re going to be the death of me…
I take a deep sigh and lean up against a tree. I – I thought this would be easier,
I’d hoped it would snatch me up – I’d light the fuse and kablooey in its mouth…
I take a deep breath in and hold it for a second. Home is a long away now…
I tilt my head back, trying to peep for any signs of life, yet nothing remains this far.
My whole body jumps back as I see this green tentacle worm up the tree and
try to touch me; I pull out my knife with my left hand and attempt to slash it.
However, it moves back swiftly, and I only nick the top.
I – I-I don’t if this is a part of the creature or – some sort of offspring?
We might be beyond saving if its children can survive on their own…
Man, I – the fuck am I doing? And where the fuck am I Going?
So much for the creepy forest beast… Just a bunch of weird grimmy dark green bullshit!
WHY WON’T IT JUST FUCKING TAKE ME?
Mother fucker, you’ve really done it now…
“YOU’RE SEWAGE-PASTE-LOOKING ASS BETTER COME OUT HERE AND MAN UP!”
“YOU LIMP SAUSUAGE! SHOW YOURSELF COWARD!”
“Mister, why are you screaming?”
my whole body shakes and forces me around – it’s the same girl who sent the town into chaos;
she is dirty and rugged, and her baby blue dress has tears and holes sporadically dotting around what was once a beautifully hand-crafted dress for a sweet young girl.
Her blue eyes leak this same putrid dark green…
“Mister, do you want to meet my mother?” She puzzled, clasping her hands together.
“Uh – y-yeah! Sure!” I stammered, giving her a half-cocked smile. I don’t want to go with the creepy child who definitely won’t murder me, but it is better than running around like a chicken with my head cut off; I’ll begrudgingly follow her lead.
She skips through the woods gleefully as I tread behind her grumpily. Hopefully,
she’ll take me to the source of this madness;
I want this over with…
Her constant humming gradually goes from sweet to blood-boiling; the walk doesn’t help either. The sky is turning
a dark blue, and soon it’ll be pitch black. I said I wasn’t coming back, and I meant it.
“This is my home! We’ll find Mommy inside!” she pipes up, guiding me into the cave.
“Is daddy home?” I pondered, following her down the winding cave.
“He is now,” she shared with a slight titter, casually foreshadowing whatever
hell I’m about to face; thankfully, I’ve come prepared…
We walk into a massive room with enough space to fit a football field in it…
Yet in the middle, rising upon many mounds of organic mass, is a woman too high to make detail.
This sickly dark green flesh holds her up, engulfing her torso and making her presence known.
“Thank you, darling, please go to your room, the adults need to talk.”
This voice sends my mind over the deep end as she lowers herself to me…
“I knew we’d meet again, my darling, it was just a matter of time,” she grinned…
“Y-You’ve been dead f-for six years! – H-How…”
“Honey, I’ve only been dead for two days. This unearthly green mass has given me life!”
“That ain’t right, y-you’ve been murdering all those innocent towns folks!”
“Hey now, calm yourself. I did this for you… I did this so we could be together again.”
“Why did it take you six years? Why did you have to kill all those people?!?
And where did my Mary go?! She wouldn’t dare to harm a soul, not even a fly!”
“That – hurt… I… T-Time changes people, especially when you are mourning because you can’t see the person you love dearly, I did what I had to survive…”
“Was taking the child necessary? She’s not eaten! Just hanging around, robbed of her life!”
“Well sorry! I didn’t want to be so alone, you know I’ve always wanted a child!”
“And this is what I’m getting at, your morals are corrupt! Your humanity died with you!”
“Fine! Be that way! I’m having you one way or another!” Mary cries out, sprouting these spikey dark green tendrils from her back. I grip my lighter with an iron will,
setting it alight in my pocket, where the fuse ends from the dynamite strapped to my chest.
Mary’s sad expression grows into a devious and wicked smile as these vines latch onto me.
“Finally! You’re back to me! My love! I don’t care what it takes! YOUR MINE!”
These tendrils stab into my sides as Mary kisses me for the last time. The pain shoots up my spine. but the kiss… I-It’s an old feeling, nostalgic perhaps… Time slows in this moment;
I’ll finally get my goodbye… I manage to break up our lock to speak with my final breath.
“M-Mary – I – I-I love you, always will… B-But what’s dead s-should stay that way –
I-I’m so sorry, dear…”
Her eyes light up as they grow in size. She rips open my button-up shirt, revealing the payload…
