by Ginger Marin

(a continuation of BrainTrackers; The Middle)

You can imagine this densely populated New York City, as I've described it, can't you?  Now imagine every city throughout the world, each with its unique setting and hiding places and secret gardens and towers, rocky outcroppings, caves and tunnels, where things cannot be readily seen; where creatures lurk waiting and watching for just the right moment.

China, India ... so many people, so much prey.  What a glorious day, because it will only take one day.   And one night.

A deafening screech shattered the noises of everyday life. All of civilization was under siege.  From above, from below and all around, the creatures came.  They arrived in droves ... swooping, running, sliding and spinning toward whatever moved. 

Arched wings and slick slathered bodies took them where they wanted to go.  Long claws swiftly sheared off head tops and as brains became exposed, a single lick of a elongated tongue scooped them out to satisfy their hunger.  And then on to the next victim.  Millions?  Billions?  How many of them were they?  

There was no time to act against them; no time to forge an armed defense.  That's how effective the BrainTrackers had been in planning their assault.  The other species of planet earth were mere appetizers.  Humans were the main course.  Killers of worlds, that's how you could describe them.  They would not stop until every last man, woman and child's brains were ingested then quickly digested. 

And when the humans were finally all gone, they'd direct their focus on the other animals of earth.

When the land became dormant, they'd move on, go back to the skies and travel far and far away where once again they were willing to wait, until eons passed and out of the muck new animals crawled and man evolved and started the process leading to another hunt, and another and another. 

That is our purpose.  That is our fate.