TO BANISH THE DARK
Compendium 2020 Story 23
By Andrew Hawnt
Universe sighed.
Its sigh lasted generations and was felt across myriad galaxies. Storms raged for centuries as the sigh passed, and many worlds were wrought asunder by its godlike sweep.
Universe was tired of watching. Tired of being an observer instead of a participant. Since time began it had watched the evolution of the energies that swirled within it. It had watched dust become planets and the most simple lifeforms eventually become galaxy-conquering tribes of every description.
The decision had been made. All things would end eventually, and so Universe decided to bring that time forward. It pulled at its own edges, shaping itself as it contracted across eons, shrinking across ages that no consciousness could comprehend.
Galaxies were crushed into atoms. Time warped and bent around trillions of worlds. Universe fashioned itself into the rough shape of a humanoid, those creatures that had spread so far throughout its expanse and had conquered countless systems. They were ruthless and headstrong, determined and stubborn.
Universe sought that stubbornness. Universe wanted to walk and laugh and eventually experience the moment of death that severed those souls from its realm.
Universe moved reality around and created its new body, its mass so dense that nothing else could exist, but that was okay. If Universe decided, it could expand again and let the story begin anew.
It became. It lived.
Universe laughed into the nothing that was left around it. It pushed its form downwards, or at least what it perceived as down in the void.
Universe looked around the void, and screamed.
The void was breaking. With nothing left to fill it, other universes could cross through.
Universe wept, the dust of galaxies falling from incomprehensible eyes as nightmares from across creation tore the void apart, hurtling towards Universe's first body, ready to feed on what it was and had been.
After so much had been created and so much had been lost within it, Universe saw the error of its ways. Universe sighed again, and opened its arms wide.
As the nightmares converged on it, Universe expanded. Its death would bring life, and those other places would never take its place.
The void would be filled with the new.
====
About Compendium 2020:
Compendium 2020 is a project from author Andrew Hawnt that consists of 52 original short stories, flash fiction stories and vignettes given away for FREE in 2020. Featuring science fiction, fantasy, horror and more, this began as a personal quest and due to the weirdness of 2020 has become an ambition to provide free distractions for anyone who needs them.
About Andrew Hawnt:
Andrew is based in Nottingham, England. Known for his music journalism career, comics writing and film critique work, Andrew is a prolific writer and is the author of a growing stack of books, including the cult hit VHS Ate My Brain. He made the movies The Demon And I and The Demon And I: Birthrite completely in lockdown with cast members filming their scenes remotely, and new films are coming. Andrew is also the creator and presenter of the YouTube shows Planet Hex and Turn One Shock as well as the video versions of the Compendium stories.
Find Andrew on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.
Comments