Seconds...

         The records should have never been lost. But through the passage of time, they vanished. Light gave way to darkness. Truth became myth. And now an entire civilization lay at the brink of disaster.

         Professor Alexander Gauss, Chief Historian of Kyros VII, read the newly discovered document before him. Having just learned how to translate the archaic symbols, the process was slow and tedious. And as the meaning became clear to him, a growing dread settled into the pit of his stomach...

**********

30,000 years ago...(New Age Calendar)

         I feel compelled to write this down. I can only hope that these words will help someone in the future. That is, if someone is still around.

         You see, our planet has a dark side. Every time the twin suns of Kyros VII align, this terrible need must be sated, else all life will perish.

         When the suns aligned, my brother Fredrick and I were outside gazing at the miraculous spectacle that scientists said happened every 30,000 years or so. Many others also stood outside, gazing upward in wonder through our specially made goggles. The combined light of the red and yellow sun was dazzling, and a feeling of awe began to rise within me. To be able to see such an awesome display made us feel lucky. Or so we felt at the time...

         Mere seconds after the heavenly alignment, it happened. All birds, insects, and other animal noises ceased. Kyros VII shuddered. The massive quake caused everyone to fall to their knees. And as our knees hit the dirt, we knew something even worse was about to happen. For all around us, the plant life had somehow disappeared. As one, our eyes turned towards the forest, and we had to blink twice to make sure we weren't seeing things. The plants hadn't vanished. Using their roots, they were running into the forest, towards our homes where our wives and children awaited us.

         Horrible screams, millions of them, both human and animal, split the eerie silence, filling our hearts with dread.

         Many people sat in stunned silence as they gazed uncomprehendingly at the forest that was now as alive and mobile as you and I. As for me, I had already grabbed Fredrick by the hand, and was dragging him away from the wretched sight behind us. We could still feel the ground shutter as the trees continued to uproot themselves.

         Like lightning, the survivors of the plant onslaught burst from the forest. The people who had foolishly stayed to watch were trampled. Fredrick and I looked over our shoulders, and saw people dragged to the ground as the grasses of our once-tame planet wrapped around them. A look of horror was in their eyes. But it was gone just as quickly as their screams when the plants covered their eyes, and went down their throats.

         "We have to get to our skycars!"

         Fredrick didn't respond, but I knew he had heard me. Every now and then, we risked a glance back at the quickly advancing plants.

         A brief thought flashed through my mind. "Fred," I managed while gasping for air, "did you install that remote control module for your car?"

         His eyes lit up. Quickly reaching into his pocket, he produced a black box with several different buttons.

         As he pushed them, animals and people ran by us.

         "We can't land it here," said Fred. "There are too many people!"

         Frantically, I looked around. Off to our left was a small hill.

         "There!" I yelled.

         Looking over, Fred's eyes bucked! "Are you crazy! If the car doesn't get there in time, do you know what will happen?"

         "We don't have any choice!" I gulped down air. "We can't keep running like this!"

         Fred nodded in agreement. Together, we turned toward the hill and ran with all our might.

         Minutes later, we sat atop it searching the skyline for Fred's aircar. The plants were getting closer at an alarming rate.

         Time agonizingly passed by. In horror, I watched as the plants reached the base of our hill. There was no longer any place we could run. On all sides, we were surrounded. The plants began to creep up the hillside, stalking us like the prey we had become.

         "I see it!" yelled Fred.

         Briefly, I glanced in the direction he'd indicated. His skycar was quickly approaching. But I didn't think it would reach us in time, because the plants were halfway up the hillside.

         "Fredrick!" I yelled. "We don't have much time!"

         "I know!" Fred sounded scared. "It's nearly here!"

         I didn't know if he was talking about the plants or the skycar, because my eyes were drawn to green tendrils that had just topped the hill. Tendrils that were less than ten feet away.

         I felt a slap across my face. Dazed, I looked into Fred's black pupils.

         "We'll have to jump!" he said. "There's nowhere to land!"

         Looking up, I saw the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Fred's silver skycar. Our only lifeline in a world gone mad!

         As the car hovered a few feet above us, Fred pushed another button that opened the doors.

         Jumping as high as we could, we grabbed on, and pulled ourselves in while the car rocked slightly. As soon as our feet left the ground, green tendrils covered the spot where they had been only a second before.

**********

         "What are we going to do?" Fred asked. "We'll need to land sometime."

         "I don't think it's over Fred."

         "What do you mean?"

         "You remember that tale about Wind Slashers we heard as children?"

         "Yeah. Something about them coming from the trees to eat children who were bad?"

         "Yeah," I said. "Look over there."

         The strange got stranger.

         The forests trees were glowing with an eerie, inner light. As we looked on, a few began to split. A great, green hand shot out! Covering it were tiny black mouths. Mouths with needle-like teeth. And they all looked hungry.

         We stared as about a hundred or so thirty-foot tall apelike creatures emerged from the ruined trees. Huge pieces of bark protruded from their arms, making them look like giant fans.

         "I think those are the Wind Slashers!"

         The Wind Slashers began to rotate their arms at tremendous amounts of speed, creating powerful gales. Buildings began to fall, and the people who had been safe within them scrambled out, only to be caught by the plants and Wind Slashers. Before long, many sported human carcasses from the multiple mouths covering their bodies.

         "I can't believe how fast those things move!" said Fred.

         "We have to get out of here!" I said. "But the sky and ground is no longer safe."

         "Perhaps," said Fred, "we should go to the old ruins."

         I thought about the old ruins, with their strange buildings made of metal, and it seemed to make sense. As children, we had played in the tunnels underneath them. Maybe that would be our safe haven.

         "Let's go!"

         Twenty minutes later, we were there. It seemed as if a lot of people had the same idea that we did, because many skycars were there.

         Fred and I went into a building that was probably an old bomb shelter. Outside, we could hear powerful winds blowing. The Wind Slashers were here!

         "Fred!" I yelled loudly. It sounded like a whisper compared to the noise that was coming from outside. "We have to get into the tunnels!"

         The gale force winds picked up in intensity. Immediately, a section of the wall caved in, separating me from my brother.

         "Fred!" I yelled. "Fred!" But there was no response. Knowing that there was little time, I went into the tunnels. I crawled deeper and deeper, and gradually the noise went away. Soon, alone and scared shitless underneath the ancient ruins, I began to cry.

         I've been trying to find my brother Fred for hours now. I can only hope that he's okay. I still have many places to search for him. Perhaps he'll meet me in one of them.

         In the meantime, I'll keep moving. The alignment of the suns will last for two more days. There has to be more people than me alive. There has to be...

**********

         Professor Gauss turned the ancient document over. The words just trailed off. Panicking, he looked at his watch. In less than twelve hours, the twin suns would realign once more. Perhaps that would be enough time to warn people. Perhaps...