Previous | Next
It was bitterly cold. An old man carefully walked along the empty road, hugging his coat close to him, and warming his hands with his steamy breath. His eyes darted back and forth watching out for something, a thing that clearly wasn't there. The sky was gray, and the old city was deserted. Nobody had lived here for years, and every decaying structure was proof of it. Still, he felt like something was horribly wrong in this place. Something unprecedented was about to happen. He was terrified like something was about to change the course of history forever. He kept assuring himself it couldn't be true. It was completely absurd. Sure, it was common for the crazy inventor to disappear for months at a time, but this time was different. He had always burst in through the front doors of his house at the most unexpected times, bringing in the strangest contraptions that anyone had ever seen and babbling nonstop about things he had never heard of before. It was both annoying and amusing at the same time. His prolonged absence now felt inexplicable. He had never kept anything from him, no matter how odd. Many frightening thoughts arose in the old man's mind. Has something bad happened to him? Is he working on something secret? Is he going on strike? It was me, after all, who invested in all of this. What has he done now? These thoughts brought feelings of dread to his heart, and he would never be cured until he figured out what was happening. It was supposed to be a bright and sunny day all around the world, but clearly, it was not here. The foggy gray skies reminded him of how quickly the past had faded away. He began to remember memories from the time everyone left this place after the revolution. Things were different then. Things were nicer. Walking in these streets again, he felt as if the countless years that passed had merely been days. His steps seemed to echo off every wall as he briskly walked in the direction of the laboratory. He wasn't even sure if the ancient structure was still standing, but he followed his feelings and instincts, knowing that it would take him to his answer. Each building and object he passed seemed more and more foreboding. It was as if he was being watched by thousands of invisible eyes. He wondered why he felt so awful when there was no reason to worry. He repeatedly reminded himself, he would see exactly what was happening once he got there. He approached the large, dark warehouse that seemed like the least damaged building in the entire city. It stood above everything else in the vicinity and stretched wider than any other he had seen. If the inventor was working on anything here in this city, it would be in this building. The old man stood in front of the great doors, thinking about whether he should go inside. He had come so far it would be pointless to go home now. The double doors were slightly rusty and looked like they hadn't been opened in ages. There was a large symbol engraved between them that he had not remembered seeing before. It looked like a circle with six wide sections going outward from it in different directions with a large hole in the middle. It was a gear. The old man heard a voice in his head that told him to flee. "Don't be ridiculous," he said to himself. "I'm sure all will be explained soon." He raised the heavy doorknocker with a terribly loud squeak and let it fall with a bang. There was a loud, hollow boom that echoed from within, but nothing moved. He thought he heard the inventor's voice, but it might have been his imagination. It was peculiar. He clanked the knocker again but still, nobody answered. Everything inside seemed to be completely silent. Still, he knew he had to go in if he wanted to see what was happening. He dragged the great rusted door open with another awful creak. It was completely dark in there. He had never seen anything gloomier or darker than that darkness. It was clear the inventor wasn't there, but he went inside anyway. "Gyro!" he cried out. His voice echoed off the opposite wall far away and eventually ricocheted back into his ears. He readjusted his glasses and let go of the door. It slammed shut behind him. His heart thumped loudly in his chest when he realized he could be trapped here. The door couldn't open from this side. Though it was completely dark, he felt the presence of a massive figure looming close ahead. "This really is not funny at all!" he muttered halfheartedly. Still, everything but his echo was silent. He hesitantly walked forward expecting to find something. He passed by tables of peculiar smelling test tubes that glowed faintly. He was getting closer to the large figure now. Soon, he walked straight into it and cringed in pain. It was cold, metal, and astonishingly large. A lot of thoughts went through his mind. This couldn't be my investment. Why is it sitting here doing nothing? It must be a mistake. This thing needs to make some money! He felt around for a switch or lever. It must have been some kind of machine, he concluded. Then he found what he was looking for. It was a tangled bunch of wires. There must have been some sort of eerie light source emitting from somewhere because he saw the wires very clearly. There was a blue one and a red one disconnected from each other. "Well," he thought aloud, "I could get a lot of money out of this thing, whatever it is. I hope it starts getting to work immediately." And with that, he twisted the two wires together. Just then, several things happened simultaneously. There was a wave of sparks from the wires, and a panel sealed itself closed over them. A blinding red light came from hundreds of feet up, and a thundering voice made the floor tremble. "I am ready." The thing that the old man was standing next to turned out to be a foot. It rose up, and the giant monstrosity marched over to one of the building's walls. It started pushing some buttons on a giant control panel. Moments later clouds of fog erupted from another machine. Something emerged from that machine that was too horrible to describe. The giant monster then turned around glaring down with malice at the petrified, old duck. It roared with hideous mirth, and Scrooge McDuck screamed. He didn't remember any more.
Previous | Next