A City in Denial

The TV blared two tones.

Deeee-doo. Deeee-doo.

“This is an Emergency Shelter In Place Order for Stromponous—“

“Hey Chip. CHIP!” Pixel smacked him on the back of the head. The squirrel turned with whiskers flat against his cheeks. “What?“

“Look.” She pointed at the TV, but was quickly dismissed. “It’s just a test Pixel.” She looked at her phone. No messages? Is that good right now?
“Something is really going on out there and I’m kinda scared Chip.”

”Huh, no way. Something is going on? You sure because that never happens.” Chip’s ears twitched. “Don’t smack me over bullshit.“ He turned to continue working but stopped as Rebarcca walked in.

“Jerk,“ Pixel mumbled under her breath as she grabbed her phone.

”I just locked the store. My friend texted me asking if I was alive still? Still? This was after eight missed calls. What the hell, girl. She said some giant monster is rampaging. Haha, bullshit… but she insisted.” Rebarcca brushed a wrinkle from her jacket before she turned up the TV. She didn’t notice her hand found more wrinkles. “What the… It’s true?“

Pixel smacked Chip several more times before pointing. “See, see, see, see, see.“

The three watched Azura wander up the street, her head bobbing around like a tourist taking in the sights. Azura never flinched as she trampled cars into pancakes and pressed lives six feet under.
The anchor continued. ”If you live in Stromponous, shelter in place.”

Rebarcca whimpered. “People are in those cars…“

“This can’t be real. It can’t be right? Giants can’t exist.” Pixel struggled to breathe.

“Nothing that big can live. Not possible.“ Chip added.

“My eyes argue differently.“ Rebarcca retorted.

”It’s just marketing. Right. Of course. It’s a weird viral video?” Pixel replies.

Chip felt relieved. “It’s AI. Has to be.“

“Really Chip? You of all people know it can’t do that yet. Those screams are too real. You can’t fake how that car flung off her foot.” Rebarcca changed the channel. “—Tsukinawa of LLN reporting.“ Click. Another channel and more news. She cycled through them all until she landed back on Orin.

⁂

“The Silvanus Tufter Bridge was ripped down before our eyes, like it was made of straw; vehicles with their occupants trapped inside are plummeting into the river and sinking. The beast has—” Orin paused and pushed his earpiece tighter. “Sorry to interrupt you Reiko.” Two seconds of dead air passed. “We have Soraya Duchién live. Are you there?”

A young poodle stood, hair perfect, and watched Azura. “The blue beast is bending her knees… is she jumping?” Soraya’s stomach convulsed. “Run!“

The TV never blinked—like the viewers at home.

Panic; heavy breathing filled the airwaves, the camera jostled as the two sprinted. Water roared before it smashed the city. A cacophony of noises reverberated as buildings collapsed and entire floors washed out; waves tossed offices and bedrooms indiscriminately, washing everything together into the streets like garbage. Screams echoed before drowning out. The TV screen dipped underwater several times as the water swept the two down the road like a giant slip and slide. Five seconds later the two came to rest.
After a quick look over his equipment, Dushan proclaimed, “I think the camera still works.“

Soraya rubbed her saturated leg, ignoring the patch of missing fur. She checked her hair and shuddered. “My hair is matted. I just had it done. This cost a fortune.“

Dushan grabbed her arm and yanked her up. “Soraya, not the time to linger.“ He pointed at Azura, occupied by the destruction she had caused. “Those feet will crush us without mercy! Let’s go.“

Soraya tried to move, but the voice of ambition yanked her in place.
You’ll be famous when you get this. Shove this in Jack’s arrogant face. ‘Local reporter at best.‘ Dink.
Her hand gestured toward Azura—and mouthed, “camera?” Dushan grimaced as the red light turned on—Azura came back into focus.

“Orin, are you still with me? Is everything working after that?“

“Yes Soraya. We saw your harrowing escape. What was that exactly?“ Orin’s replied, professional tone.

”The beast had jumped into the river. Waves still roll through our bodies. Does she have the mind of a child? Since then, she has been observing the results of her actions with great interest.” Soraya continued. “We’ve been cautious, moving closer. Trying to catch even a glimpse of what exactly she is doing. Around us, the chaos is indistinguishable from the bloodiest war zones. Screams of agony, the wail of sirens from emergency crew already responding.” The camera stopped and panned to Azura’s right hand. “She’s holding a handful of people! There must be dozens of writhing bodies.” Soraya’s voice rose an octave. “Oh, no! Somebody is falling.“ Dushan zoomed in, catching their terrified face as they disappeared behind a building. Soraya whispered, but none of it escaped the mic. “Those are people. Please don’t do it…“

Dushan’s camera caught her snout as it wrinkled, inhaling the fear from their faces and ripping fabric. Azura’s eyes widened, her pupils went black, and her body shuddered. She displayed her tongue, the trapped people thrashed about before she licked her hand clean; her jaws moved. A bulge in her cheek shifted sides before falling down her throat. A wicked smile appeared, with a trickle of blood running from the corner of her mouth.

⁂

Rebarcca’s eyes stared at the TV. “She’s… nooo.”
Pixel exclaimed, “She’s eating people!“ Rebarcca snapped out of her stupor.

They watched as Soraya’s body convulsed live before she broke into tears. Three seconds later, she composed herself. “The beast is now eating us, handfuls at a time, which appears to have sent her into some sort of frenzy. Did you catch those dilating eyes, Dushan? …Her foot merely shifted and an entire garbage truck was flattened; we can’t even see it under her foot. Her weight must be immense, with nothing being able to withstand it.“

Chip shifted in his seat. “Heh. Dragons eat people. Godzilla’s real. And~ she’s cute.” He swallowed. “What else do movies predict?” The two exchanged a glance—a mixture of what‘s wrong with him and why admit that?

“Isn’t she like twenty minutes away?“ Breaking the awkward silence, Pixel asked.

“For a car she is.” His mouth dropped. “She just crushed my favourite store… I wonder if she is that cute in person.“ Chip laughed.

“Seriously—issues man. You have a lot of them, Chip. People are dead.“ Pixel chastised. “Seek help.“ His head hung low, but his eyes never left the TV.

“I just hope I never encounter her. There is no way this can end well.“ Rebarcca spoke. “Wait. Quiet up. They just said Azerythia?“

“She is not God“ Pixel quickly shut her down.

“What is she doing?“ Chip pointed at the TV.

Azura now had a cement truck in her hand, tossing it up and catching it before nodding at the gawkers brave enough to stand in front of their windows. Her arm pulled back.

CRACK.

The sonic boom turned glass into shrapnel blowing inward, and like glitter—there is no escape; it gets everywhere. The camera lens cracked as it followed the truck until it broke into thousands of pieces, raining back down on the city below. Rebarcca yelped, Chip squeaked, and Pixel screeched as the glass fractured when the boom passed through, followed by pieces glowing, dull cherry red bits of metal.

“Holy hell. Was that the truck she just threw?“ Pixel was still wide eyed as she looked at the cracked glass.

“AI didn’t do that.“ Chip voice carried defeat. “Is that smouldering outside?“

⁂

Everybody heard Azura’s voice carry for miles. “I wonder if they regret attacking me yet? I waved.”
Soraya watched as Azura’s arm flailed to the left, whooshing through the air. It collided with a building; every pane of glass exploded in a prismatic rain before the building screamed, warning the city that it was next. Concrete followed her arm, puffed in a vast cloud, breaking it in half. “It wasn’t like this either.“ Gravity grabbed the top half and pulled; steel girders groaned as buckling floors collapsed upon themselves, as lives ended to a roar of raucous laughter mocking them. The cloud settled, covering the ground thicker than any fog could. “What a pathetic structure. Toys are stronger than this junk.“ Her foot lifted as dust settled.

“She is stomping the cloud… The survivors won’t even see her feet coming. Gone. “ Soraya turned towards Dushan—and the camera. Her eyes were as large as saucers. She didn’t blink once. Two rapid breaths, a long exhale with no time in-between. She saw her future as her eyes locked on to a dirty red sole as it popped above the cloud. “I don’t want to die. Genocidal soldiers have more discretion.“

Azura spun in circles with her arms stretched out, like a tornado; the syncopated crashing of buildings forged into the memory of every survivor. Growing dizzy, she turned to watch the demolition, still walking backwards, each step staggered.

Defeated, Soraya whimpered. ”Noooooo.”

Her feet were almost on them when she stopped. A trail of crushed cars and lost lives lined the road. Dozens of buildings collapsed one after another, with acrid smoke filling the streets, obscuring the view. When the noise settled, Azura’s breathing was heavier. She moaned, then sat, before lying down spread-eagle.

Soraya and Dushan sprinted for their lives, finally leaving the camera behind on the ground, it kept the two in the center of the frame. Four claws dug into the pavement, tearing through it like fingers in sand. The two were oblivious; viewers never forgot—a claw tore through them both, leaving something behind that resembled hamburger.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

A helicopter hovers high above Stromponous. Fires rage throughout the city, following a trail of savage destruction; at the center is a bleak scene of death and debauchery.

”The city is still in denial. I can taste blood with every breath. A boisterous city—violated—by a being that shouldn’t be able to exist. Dust still floats, trying to hide what happened here. But nothing will erase the memory of what happened.”

“Tell that to those who died. Those left behind to deal with the destruction and loved ones that are gone. All for a fleeting moment of pleasure for a being that didn’t understand we exist. A bus was used as a perverse toy. People, with family and lives, consumed in an act of indulgence.”

“I don’t need to give you specific details. The death count is staggering. And nothing makes sense. She tore down buildings. She ripped open the ground. She didn’t discriminate and nowhere was sacred.”

”Emergency crews are working without a break, working themselves to death trying to prevent that very thing. How did this happen? Why? Some things we may never understand. We can only survive. Persevere.”

“This is Senior News Anchor Evelyn Cass, Reporting Live on Location for CHTV news.”