Fear Not

It started like any night from what I could remember. John was going to get another drink from the car as we sat at our favorite fishing hole down by the creek and James was talking about the latest chick he managed to “catch”. Always annoyed me, how he talks about them like fish, maybe it’s the little girl I have but it just don’t seem right. Our poles were more like sticks that we stuck into the ground ages ago that hadn’t moved an inch. The lines were dead, but that was only half the reason we went out. The main reason was that this was the only thing the three of us could do together anymore, me with the kids and John being busy helping our ailing mother. We three brothers could only do so much together, but we just tried to stick to something. It’s all you can do sometimes.

“Oi, get up here!” John’s voice was panicked and that was enough to send the two of us running to him.

High in the sky above us was a thing. It was huge, bigger than the statue of liberty I’d reckon. It was round, but with many arms and hands. So many hands. The thing that stood out to me though, is the multitude of eyes upon it. Anywhere there was an arm, there was an eye above or below it. It was not flesh colored either, more like some sort of pale gray thing. Below it was a shimmering curtain of what looked to be some fabric that touched down the long distance to the ground. That’s about as best I can describe it, I could only take in so much at the time.

“WHAT IS THAT!?” James screamed as I just stood in terror, feeling warm liquid trickle down my leg.

“Fear not…” A voice, a woman’s, whispered gently to me.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” I heard James shout as he ran back toward the creek. At least, he tried to before I saw a hand reach out and put it’s arm on his shoulder, causing him to pass out.

“Fear not...I bring good tidings…” She spoke again as all the eyes seemed to focus on us, “Your world is going to be visited soon by us.”

“What...what do you mean us?” John looked at it with apprehension.

“The ones you have sent your prayers to,” She was gentle in tone but her words still terrified me.

“Sent our...I don’t pray.” John was unafraid, he had given up on God years ago when father died, “You must mean someone else.”

“I meant your world, the prayers sent from here...we will answer them,” The voice was gentle, “Let me show you.”

My vision turned dark as I felt myself sink to my knees. The world spun as visions engulfed my thoughts. I saw cities destroyed, ruins upon ruins, the world on fire, and my eyes were filling with tears.

“Who would…?”

“You all did, you prayed for it all to happen,” Her voice was fading as the world lay in ashes before me.

“BUT I DON’T PRAY!”

“You did, everyone does, prayers, wishes, all of it...we come to answer.”

With that, the figure was gone, and after we sat in stunned silence, we rushed to James but he was still out cold. I looked at John and then we hugged, crying in sheer terror of what we just witnessed, knowing they wouldn’t believe us until it was too late.