The Visitor
The late afternoon sky burned with streaks of orange and purple as Elmore stood at the edge of his property, watching the sun dip behind the mountains. The cool breeze carried the sharp scent of pine and damp earth, and for a brief moment, he allowed himself to believe that things might just be okay. The crops were thriving, Edward was growing strong and happy, and Ash’s calm presence was a steady anchor in this turbulent world. Yet beneath the serene hues of dusk, an undercurrent of unease vibrated in the air—a tension that hinted at the darkness lurking beyond their small haven.
It had been a rough year. While distant chaos—looters, roaming gangs, and even whispers of military crackdowns along major highways—had upended much of the world, here in rural Appalachia, they’d managed to skirt the worst. Still, the abandoned houses lining the nearby streets and the constant vigil in the dead of night reminded Elmore that safety was as fragile as the twilight.
His thoughts drifted back to his Nexus upgrade. The boost in intelligence had been transformative, a floodgate of insight that let him see patterns even in nature’s minutiae. Yet even with his mind now razor-sharp, he couldn’t shake the nagging premonition that something was about to shatter this fragile peace—just as the broadcasts had warned. Those images of panicked experts and brutal governmental responses still haunted him, a reminder that the world was fracturing faster than anyone could contain.
A deliberate crack of sound from the woods snapped him from his reverie. He froze, ears straining. This was no stray branch snapping—this was deliberate. Gunfire.
His heart pounded as he reached for the shotgun strapped to his back. The echo wasn’t right in volume to be close, but close enough to set off every alarm in his head. Quickly, he scanned the tree line. There was no immediate movement—only the haunting stillness of a forest that had seen too much—but he knew better than to dismiss it. Whoever had fired that shot was out there, and they weren’t hunting deer at this hour.
Turning sharply, Elmore jogged back to the house, his boots stirring up dust on the dirt path. The weight of the shotgun offered grim comfort as his mind raced through possibilities: Were these looters? A rogue gang? Or even a military patrol? Worse still, could someone be hunting people with Nexus powers?
Inside, Ash hummed softly while preparing dinner and Edward played obliviously with his blocks—the carved block now etched with ever more intricate, cryptic patterns. Elmore burst through the door, his voice taut with urgency.
"Elmore? What’s wrong?" Ash asked, setting aside the knife she’d been using.
“We need to lock down the house,” he replied, his tone steady despite the rapid thud of his heart. “I heard gunshots coming from the woods.”
“How far?” she queried, eyes wide.
“Far enough—but not far enough. We can’t take any chances,” he said, kneeling beside Edward to ruffle his hair. “Hey, buddy, why don’t you help Mommy pack a few things? We might be going on a little adventure.”
Edward giggled, clutching his block, and said “ok” as Ash quickly gathered a small bag of essentials. Meanwhile, Elmore moved swiftly through the house: securing windows, checking the ammo he had stashed in the pantry, and mentally mapping out escape routes. The distant shot was just the first signal; if more followed, they’d be in real danger—especially if the hunters were Nexus-powered like those terrifying figures on the news.
After a flurry of preparation, Ash asked, “If we need to run, where do we go?”
“Up the road, toward Dad’s place,” Elmore replied. “But we stay here unless absolutely forced out.” The decision was a calculated risk—a temporary stand against the expected encroaching chaos.
As evening deepened, the air outside grew heavy with a silent, expectant dread. Elmore set his shotgun by the front window, his eyes fixed on the darkening treeline. Shadows lengthened and merged with the fog that crept in, turning the world outside into an eerie, shifting landscape. Then, the unmistakable sound of deliberate footsteps—branches snapping under cautious weight—broke the uneasy silence.
“Ash,” he whispered, barely glancing back as he gripped the shotgun tighter. “Take Edward and stay low. Don’t come out unless I say so.”
Obediently, Ash scooped up their son and retreated behind the couch ready to run, leaving Elmore alone to watch the treeline. Through the thickening twilight, a figure emerged—a hulking silhouette that moved with unnatural, twisted gait. Elmore’s stomach dropped as he peered through the window.
Crouching low, he saw a man stagger from the brush. The stranger was dressed in tattered clothing and bore small, puncture-like wounds that were healing at an unnaturally rapid pace—a clear sign of a Nexus ability. Despite the scars, the man’s eyes were wide with fear, and he raised his hands slowly in surrender as he saw Elmore leveled the shotgun at him.
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“What’s your business here?” Elmore called out, voice firm but measured. “And what about that gunfire?”
The stranger glanced nervously over his shoulder. “I…I’m running, man,” he stammered, desperation lacing his tone. “Some freaks—they’re after me. I got into a bar fight and… I used my powers when I shouldn’t have. Now they want me dead.”
Elmore’s grip tightened on the weapon. The man’s rapid healing confirmed what Elmore had suspected: he was a Nexus user, and even if he appeared harmless now, his powers made him a magnet for trouble.
“Look,” the stranger pleaded, taking a tentative step forward, “I’m not a mutant freak like they portray on TV. I didn’t kill anyone—I just hurt someone in a fight. I’m just trying to survive.”
Before Elmore could weigh his options, the sound of additional footsteps—multiple sets crunching deliberately through the underbrush—drew near. The stranger’s eyes widened in terror. “Please,” he begged, voice cracking, “I’ve got nowhere else to go. If they catch me, they’ll kill me.”
Elmore glanced in the direction of the approaching sounds and then back at the stranger. Trust was scarce in these times, but the desperate plea resonated with him. “There’s a shed,” he instructed abruptly, nodding toward a cluster of trees. “About fifty yards off in the brush. It’s old, built with metal walls and a sturdy door. Use the combination lock—code 3461. Hide there.”
Hope flickered in the stranger’s eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered, then bolted toward the trees and vanished into the fog just as the approaching footsteps grew louder.
Moments later, five armed men emerged from the dark. They carried rifles but kept their weapons low, their expressions tense as they scanned the area. A tall, broad-shouldered man with a grizzled beard stepped forward. “You see a guy come through here?” he asked in a gravelly tone. “He’s dangerous. Got powers. Bar fight gone wrong—we’ve been tracking him.”
Elmore’s face remained impassive as he rested the shotgun against his shoulder. “Haven’t seen anyone,” he lied calmly. “Just me out here.”
The bearded leader exchanged skeptical glances with his men, then leaned forward, eyes narrowing as if trying to sense the truth. “If you see him, you let us know. Men like him don’t belong out here. They’re a danger to everyone.”
Elmore gave a slow nod. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied evenly. The group lingered a moment longer before disappearing back into the fog, their presence a grim reminder of the world’s new order.
After the strangers left, Elmore waited until every sound had faded. When he finally exhaled, he turned back toward the shed where the runaway had taken refuge. Approaching the metal door, he listened carefully before unlocking it with the code. As the door creaked open, he found the man lying unconscious on the floor.
The stranger stirred immediately—leaping to his feet in a burst of panic. In an instant, his features contorted: his fingers elongated into claws, coarse hair sprouted rapidly, and his canines sharpened into fangs. For a heart-stopping moment, he resembled a wolf-man straight out of a nightmare. But as Elmore’s steady gaze held him, the transformation slowly receded; his posture softened, and the wild animalistic edge faded into human vulnerability.
Elmore arched an eyebrow and smirked. “So… you a wolfman or something?”
The stranger blinked, then managed a shaky laugh. “Yeah, something like that. I always loved dogs, raised ‘em my whole life... I guess my Nexus decided I needed a werewolf edge. Never asked for it, though.”
“Better than some of the things I’ve seen,” Elmore replied, his tone half-amused and half-resigned. “Where you from?”
“Boone County,” the man answered with a weary shake of his head. “They’ve been tracking me since that bar fight. Folks there know I’m one of those HomoNexus—can’t trust anyone now.”
Elmore frowned. “Boone County’s an hour and a half away by car. Surprised they followed you this far.”
The stranger sighed, leaning back against the cold metal of the shed’s wall. “Once they see what I can do, word spreads fast. There’s no going back.”
Silence fell between them for a moment, heavy with unspoken truths about a world that no longer offered sanctuary. Finally, the stranger asked, “So… what now?”
Elmore glanced out the door, his mind racing with images of his family’s faces and the precarious safety they’d built. “We adapt,” he said quietly. “I’m not in the habit of trusting easily, but I’m not about to turn you away if you can keep out of trouble. For now, you stay hidden until those men come back. Then we decide.”
The man nodded slowly, his expression resigned yet hopeful. Elmore stepped back outside, returning to the watchful vigil by the window as night deepened. He spent the long hours until dawn scanning the dark brush, every sound amplified by his relentless awareness.
When the first pale light of morning broke through, Elmore found Ash in the kitchen pouring coffee. Without a word, she knew his decision. “Everything okay?” she asked softly.
“Yeah,” he replied, though his voice held the weight of the night’s decisions. “I think it’s best if you and Edward head up to Dad’s place for a while. It might be safer there.”
Ash’s eyes met his, silent understanding passing between them. “I’ll get our things,” she said with determined calm.
Walking together down the old country road, shotgun at his side, Elmore kept his gaze fixed on the trees until his family reached his father’s junkyard. “Be careful,” Ash whispered as she stepped through the gate with Edward.
“I will. I’ll check on you soon,” Elmore promised, then turned back toward the shed where uncertainty and danger still lurked.
In a world where the broadcasts horrors of now felt all too real, Elmore knew that survival meant making hard choices—and trusting no one, not even the visitors who appeared with desperate pleas. As he rejoined the fading night, his resolve hardened. For his family’s sake and his own, he would weather the storm, one vigilant moment at a time. But if the lord has anything to say about it he plans to do what's right.
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Elmore
Level: 2
Strength: 10/20
Endurance:5/20
Dexterity: 5/20
Agility: 5/20
Intelligence:20/20
Resistance: 8/20
Vitality: 10/20
Aither: ???
Skills: [Aither Memory], [Progenitor]
Ability points: 0
