Week 15 Story: He

Author's Note: I wrote this story after watching all the Crash Course Mythology videos that had to do with creation and a few more videos about AI development. The act of creating a thinking being is something we see a lot in myths and folktales and I wanted to deliver my own take on it. Also I reused a line or two from one of my other stories, but it's fine 🤣.

                                                               

                                                                  "He"

He woke to the protesting howls of the wind. Raising his hands to eye-level, he stared curiously at familiar integument, playfully rolling his fingers, before rising from bed to shut the window beside the bookshelf, leaving the sheets crumpled. As his hand touched the sill, he changed his mind and opened the window further while fumbling for a cigarette atop the dresser to his left. Restless nights watching embers disperse in the breeze were common for him. It was a pastime that had etched sickly yellow into the buds of his fingers and cemented the contemplative creases on his forehead. He tossed the cigarette butt out the window and fell back into bed, hoping to be permitted to a dreamless hour or two of sleep before the morning could steal the spotlight.

He woke to the sound of sirens and howling wind. Raising his hands to shield his eyes from the glaring sun, he was shocked to see blood dripping down his arms. Alarmed, he looked around in horror, surrounded by mutilated bodies and organs strewn across the ground. Blood mixed with the morning dew on the grass, and the heavy aroma of copper saturated the air.

“Freeze! Hands in the ai- Oh my God!”

As the officer vomited at the grotesque display, the man, still in shock, began to run. He stumbled and fell to the ground, meeting his eyes to the lifeless gaze of a man whose ribcage lay beside him. Quickly, he scrambled up and around the corner of a building, into an alleyway. Almost immediately, he was seized by the throat and slammed to the ground. He could feel himself losing consciousness as the assailant squeezed tighter, beginning to break the bones and shatter his windpipe. He had no time to savor last thoughts.

He woke to the protesting howls of the wind. Frantically, he ran his fingers along his face and through his hair, astounded by his apparent well-being. He got up and shut the window, annoyed with the cold bite of the air. It was just a dream, he told himself. He turned back towards the bed and barely stifled a scream as a surreptitious figure darted out towards him and shoved him backwards with an inhuman might. The man flew through the window and had only enough time to register the sharp pain of the glass embedded in his skin before the impact shattered his bones.

He woke to a wicked snarl amidst the protesting howls of the wind. Hot drool dropped onto his cheek, as the gray wolf bared its teeth and growled. His scream was cut off by the teeth slicing through his jugular vein.

He woke to the protesting howls of the wind. Miles away, behind glass walls and metal doors, a group of scientists looked at their computer screens with frustrated expressions. “If this damned thing can’t learn to defend itself, all of this was a waste of time!” One of them exclaimed, slamming the table. He shook his head and took a drink of coffee. “Start the process again, John. Bedroom scenario, like usual. Liz, calibrate the danger setting to ‘Moderate.’ And for the love of God, will someone please toggle that window closed?”

 Tree of Life by Eli Content.