Witness Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Waking Up

When I woke up I had no idea where I was nor how I got there. Now don't get me wrong. I knew I was on a beach. I could see the blue sand underneath me and the purple sky overhead with the light blue sun shining high in the sky. The ocean gleamed with brilliant shades of green and red in a way I never thought possible. Seeing this didn't help me in the least. All I knew was I was obviously not on Earth. Knowing this, however, I didn't even know if I was still alive or if I died in my sleep.

Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to think on this for too long as a tiger with the body and arms of a man kept from the jungle's treeline onto the Sandy beach and charged me primed for attack. He easily ran 50 yards in 15 seconds, though I had no idea how, so I knew running wasn't an option. Not being left any choice I dug my hands into the sand to find anything that might qualify as a weapon....I found a sand dollar a foot in diameter. At this point he was already on top of me. I tried to get up to fight him off with my trusty "sand dollar shield of courage" when the beast man yelled at me.

"GET DOWN!" He shouted as he tackled me to the ground. As he did so a beam of fire laced through his left shoulder from behind me where I had been standing just a moment before.

We hit the sand as he grunted in pain. I cranes my head to look behind me, albeit upside down. About 300 yards away I saw a creature crouching in the sand. It looked so alien. Like a man with an exoskeleton. I couldn't discern much else about that thing from that distance, but I could see that it had a long, thick tail pointed at us. I could see that it used its tail to fire that beam at us because it was taking a second shot.

As it readied it's next shot, I guess charging its laser, the tiger man slammed his Left hand down on the sand and shouted in a language I had never heard before and I couldn't understand. Even now I can't repeat what he said because, to me, it wasn't anything at all.

It's hard to describe what it's like to hear something without hearing anything. It will all start to make sense later, I promise.

Anyway, as he shouted a spike of sand erupted from the ground and struck it in the jaw. Apparently it was ready for this and was already leaping into the air when it was struck, so the spike only glanced it. While in the air six monstrous insect wings opened up from its back and it made an angry and loud buzzing sound as it flew back into a large field of rocks and boulders on the beach.

Once the creature was out of sight the tiger man quickly got up and slung me over his shoulder. Everything happened so fast I just let him as I stared back at the rocks the insectoid disappeared within wondering if there were more out there.

We made it back to the trees in no time at all and he immediately threw me down against a tree and put his palm/paw on my throat, burying his fully extended inch long claws into the bark and the pulp of the tree.

"Who are you and where are you from?" He asked glaring at me through piercing green eyes with feral, slited pupils. Now that I was up close I could see that he easily stood around at least 8 feet tall, more than 2 feet taller than me. The pressure from his hand was crushing my windpipe. I knew I just had to tell him and he might let go but I began to seize up from shock at my circumstances, fear at nearly being killed AND having my life being threatened, and overall confusion at my circumstances as a whole. I...I was brain-broke.

Fortunately someone else spoke up. Once again, I couldn't understand them but when the tiger man looked back sharply, and clearly angry, I could see past him and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a woman. She was white as snow and dressed in a dress just as white that seemed to jingle as she moved as though she was covered in numerous tiny bells. However, I was beginning to notice a recurring theme on this world for she too hand an animalistic appearance. Her head was like a horse with a horn in the middle of her forehead and a shorter, more human snout. It's hard to explain in words. While she had an animalistic face she had human teeth and could make clearly defined facial expressions. What was more amazing than all of that, however, was that her entire being was glowing and a brilliant, white light shown through her eyes. I couldn't even see her pupils.

As the man I came to simply call Tiger made a verbal snap at her, her gaze intensified and four wings unfurled from behind her. Like her they were a brilliant white, covered in soft feathers. My only thought when I saw her do this was that she must be an angel.

She calmly shouted one thing at him, if such a thing can be done, then turned her gaze on me.

"Where are you from?" She asked me, a kind, soothing tone in her voice, like a mother speaking to a lost child.

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. And answered like a child probably would have. "Houston area in Texas....um on Earth."

It was now becoming apparent that I was in some sort of encampment as there were now about twelve more of these beings around us listening in each one different from the last. Some were like animals while others were more like mythical beasts and still some others looked like humans of various colors and with many subtle differences, but all of them were humanoid, male and female. When I said where I was from, many were confused, but the ones who were glowing stared in seeming disbelief, eyes widening and mouths going agape. They began muttering amongst themselves while the unicorn woman closed her eyes as though praying.

When she opened them she raised a hand and the others fell silent. "Do you know the name Elohim?"

"Um, yeah. It's a name for God. It means Father," I answered, not yet fully cognizant of the implications of her using that name.

She sighed. "So, you really are from that Earth then."

"Wait," I said. "What do you mean THAT Earth?"

"I'm sorry, but this isn't the time nor the place for explanations. We're in the middle of a battle against a guerrilla faction of the traitorous ones. Just know that I am a servant of the one you call God and I presume also follow?" At this she coke an eyebrow at me.

"Um, (gulp) if you're asking if I'm a Christian then yeah, I am. You are too? Does this mean there are alien Christians too?"

This just made her sigh and rub her temples between her thumb and middle finger. "I don't have time for this foolishness. Look, human, just know that you are in over your head and that my company has been tasked with protecting you til then end of this battle. Then we can deal with your situation-" Just then another being in the trees yelled something out in that strange language and everyone sprang into action. Tiger let me go as well. "Stay put and don't die," He curtly said to me then he too was gone.

I got up and peered around my cover behind the tree. Out on the beach dozens of those insect like creatures had swarmed and there numbers were being swelled by creatures that seemed ti be rising up from under the sand, but as I saw the sand remained clinging to their entire bodies in their twisting forms I realized that the creatures were actually MADE of sand.

As I watched I suddenly felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I had the feeling that someone was behind me. Although when I glanced over my shoulder I didn't see anything. That was when it grabbed me and hefted me into the air. I cried out startled and in pain as it squeezed tightly. Its grip was strong and it began squeezing the air from my lungs.

I stared at the nothingness that held me trying to perceive some shape or form. The air before me began to shimmer and something began to reveal itself. It was a large humanoid the size of a small house. I couldn't believe it. I was face to eye with a giant, unable to even move.

"YOU ARE HUMAN!" It growled at me with its booming voice. "NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR! " It bellowed angrily as it stood up straight. "YOU THINKING YOU'RE SO GREAT. YOU'RE NOTHING! YOU DIE NOW!" It raised me up in one hand 30 feet from the ground and I knew he was going to smash me to the ground. In an instant I saw the battlefield and saw that the others who said they were protecting me were pinned down, unable to reach me in time. The giant began to swing me down to the ground at full force and I prayed. God. Please. Help me.

I already have.

My eyes opened and I felt a burning rage and a white hot power explode from within me and I let it run loose. A blinding light erupted from me and everything fell silent. The next thing I knew I was standing on the beach, the bodies of the so named "traitorous ones" scattered about me, lifeless and my protectors standing at the fringes of the battlefield in a stunned silence. I saw the unicorn lady and started to take a step toward her asking what happened but all I could say was, "Wha- ARGH!" before all went black and I was out cold.