#Such Beauty

Thomas could no longer hear the screams of the people he just recently called family. They still spilled into the air in agony but his mind was elsewhere. He had broken his enclave's number one rule, never go outside. It wasn't the first time, he was an adventurous young man. How could one enclave ever be enough? This time was different however.

He had discovered the creatures and their home on his third excursion, they were terrifying, yet beautiful. Even from faraway he could tell how they towered over him. Their skin was semi-translucent, shiny, and seemed to move unnaturally on its own. They were clearly intelligent, like they always seemed to know exactly where he was. Exactly who he was. Even in the dead of night and from impossible distance. He felt chills of dread and excitement from it. He felt alive when he watched them.

On his last excursion he had found a beautiful ancient figurine set on a pedestal on the edge of town. It seemed to be sculpted out of bone with intricate golden layers embedded into it, highlighting their worship for what must have been some tentacled god. He couldn't resist taking it. It seemed almost a gift. It felt right grabbing it. In fact, since he laid his hands on it his grip could only seen to tighten and his heart pound with ecstasy. Calling it beautiful would have been an insult. It was divine.

He wanted to share this treasure with his enclave. He could hear pairs of thick wet footsteps behind him as he wondered back in a daze. He felt love when his benefactors showed themselves after he reached his enclave. He smiled as the first of his people were slaughtered. He knew they would all make such beautiful figurines.

[WC: 299/300]