[Lightning splintered the darkness of the sky, its clashing thunder reflecting the mood of the being that stalked from the jungle. Trees and plants moved from in front of him; no living thing dared block his path in his domain. Dark gray fur matted with rain fringed his long, sleek body in jagged spikes, all but the writhing mane tangling itself ( Read more... )

[Mysteriously, though all power is out, every television screen flares to life with white noise. Likewise do speakers squeal from ominous silence to foreboding static and every PDA device matches, syncing to the same channel. The screens and sound clear slowly, and the familiar face they show is illuminated only by faint blue light, as that cast by ( Read more... )

[ Standing on the white sand at the southern end of the jungle path, a little girl stares out over the choppy waves. Darkness blankets the island, but this young girl holds an old oil lamp, its light a dim orange beacon. The cold sea breeze ruffles short blond hair as the child of about ten years looks impassively at the ocean, then the sky ( Read more... )