The water's edge: prequel zine 7

one of the most incredible features of the island was the shoreline. it was vast as it was breathtaking - not that it mattered much to the invaders. to the inhabitants of the island, it was a never-ending source of adventure, awe & wonder. They never took it for granted. there was an awareness that there was more available to them than they could ever want or need there, yet a discipline & desire to maintain balance. they were the caretakers of this beautiful place. even captured and imprisoned, the damage to the land felt like the death of a family member to each of them. weeks passed as a routine began to develop. the work was grueling. while their captors were not unnecessarily cruel, the physical labor was intense and the days were long. a few in the group didn't make it. those who were weak or ill never really stood a chance. instead of a burial or funeral, the dead were simply loaded on to a cart and brought to the large facility in the camp. it was still a mystery. no one knew what it was for & most were too afraid to ask.

one afternoon as they were working along the shoreline, they noticed something in the water. it was a particularly sunny day & the glare off the water made it difficult to see the object floating on the surface. it soon attracted the attention of the invaders who they now simply referred to as 'the others'. they gathered together at the edge.

there was a loud explosion. whatever was bobbing in the ocean detonated & a huge cloud of greenish colored smoke rose into the air and traveled toward the shore. as it crossed over the beach they watched the others start to writhe in obvious pain. after a few moments, they stopped moving at all. what happened? were they free?

at the same time they could see a disturbance in the water moving toward land. a school of some sort. as they broke the surface, curiosity turned to terror. they looked like giant squid. with weapons. without speaking, they all reacted in unison. they bolted toward the trees to escape.