Chapter Text
[One Year Previously]
“Just three hours previously there was an unnatural earthquake, and as many callers have reported, it was big. Seismologists were baffled by the lack of pre-seismic signals—meaning that this earthquake was unpredicted and not of nature! They are still trying to find a definitive cause. We’re here on the scene at Mt. Ebott, where the tremors began.”
You blinked blearily at the TV. A glance at the digital clock on the wall taunted you with a solid 4:00 am. You sighed, it just figured that you’d be up late the day before some important exams. You were only up in the first place to finish annotating a piece of anglo-saxon literature for your class. You shuffled slightly on the bed, the cheap mattress creaking with the little movements.
You were just in your early twenties, still attending University, literature major (and major nerd), and living it up in a cramped dorm on campus. Most Seniors and Juniors lived off-campus by now, but you didn’t have the money for an apartment, and your financial aid took care of on-campus living expenses. It might not be ideal, but it was better than paying the exorbitant prices for housing off the school’s grounds.
Your attention was drawn back to the little TV as the screen changed from one curly haired, seemingly frazzled reporter, to a scene from the sky. Some helicopter was circling the mountain, a shaky camera focused at the ground.
“However, the tremors are not the only baffling thing.”
You yawned, reaching your hands towards the ceiling for what felt like a luxurious stretch. The TV played on with you only half listening. The ground looked like it was moving, actually, it looked like something was pouring forth from a large cave on the mountain.
You knew Mt. Ebott. It was a small wild-life park, not very touristy, though the local schools loved to use it for fieldtrips. You remembered the stories of the mountain that the kids would tell to each other in hushed whispers—always sure not to catch the attention of the teacher, for surely they’d be angry at the outlandish claims.
Mt. Ebott was cursed, some said. People disappeared, they claimed.
The flood of movement from the cave entrance was indiscernible to your sleep deprived eyes. All you knew was it looked like a bunch of animals of different kinds, all crammed together, funnelling down the mountain. However, as the helicopter dipped lower, you were able to see them a little more clearly.
Suddenly, you felt much more awake. You tapped the volume button up four times, feeling trapped in an alternate universe. The words that came from the screen only increased your disconnection from reality. It was so surreal to watch countless beings leave the mouth of the cave: skeletons, bipedal animal-like creatures, small planes, mannequins, miniature volcanoes, and so many more. It seemed unending.
“They’re claiming to be a very old sentient species, calling themselves Monsters. We’re on scene here, however we cannot get very close to the base of the mountain as the military has already moved in. The Government must be going wild at this discovery! An entire new people! Just appearing from the earth, it’s quite incredible to be here on this day.
“History is being made today as more and more of these monsters leave their mountainous prison. We’ve received word from the military that these monsters claim to be a peaceful people, they only wish to reclaim their kingdom and live free.”
A commercial began to play, cutting off whatever story you were getting. With a huff of frustration, you flicked through channels—only to realise every channel’s regular programming had been changed to various news reports about the creatures coming to light.
“There have been many talks between military officials and who seem to be the monarchs of the monsters. Arrangements for a town at the base of Mt. Ebott is being discussed currently. It seems as though the President has arrived with another grouping of soldiers, as well as other various officials. As soon as we hear word of what is happening, we will let the public know. Our promise is to present news from the source! We’ll get back to you after the break—”
The screen flashed black, then an irritatingly vibrant blue, with words scrolling across the screen. An alarm squawked from the screen, and you quickly pushed the volume down. Your eyes trailed across the screen, as comprehension washed over you.
The Government must have stopped other broadcasts in order to send this alert. You skimmed the sliding words, though no new information was presented. The alert ended, with a promise to show again in exactly an hour.
The screen flicked back to the reporter, but you turned it off. The room was swept with darkness, and you sat in the silence for a moment, just trying to process.
Monsters were something of fairy tales. Big, tall, scary creatures that liked to snatch little girls like you when they misbehaved—at least, that’s what you’d always been warned as a child. You’d giggle manically, then continue to make whatever mess you’d been caught creating. If your papa had found you, he’d laugh, then help you clean up, chatting with you the whole time. If your mother had been the one to find you… her anger was explosive.
She was an explosive person up until the very end. She struck fear into the hearts of those around her. Her ferocity was unmatched. She was a warrior queen in her own right, having gone through hell and back during her own childhood. You had loved her just as much as you had despised her. She was mean, harsh, and cold, but you knew she cared underneath that.
At least, you’d thought she had, until she left. Her whereabouts had been unknown for ten, nearly eleven years, and she presumed dead. You weren’t sure if you preferred the thought that she left unwillingly, rather than just walking out on you and papa.
Abruptly, you slid to the edge of the bed, and hopped off. Waving your arms around, and twisting, you stretched your sore muscles. It’d been a long day, full of classes, and carrying three literature text books about the size of you. You were getting closer and closer to the end of your schooling. You glanced at your desk, seeing the scattered papers and scraps of notes littering the surface. Your TV sat perched on the right corner of the desk, facing your bed.
Just looking at it made your head spin. Monsters? You couldn’t believe it. You couldn’t believe something so wild and out there and… and… fantastical. It just didn’t make sense. How long had they been in that cave? Just how many were there? How were they going to join society? Would they even want to?
Your mind was swimming with more questions than you could count—your curiosity was insatiable. You just wanted to know. Who are they? Who imprisoned them, and why? How did they escape?
A lithe and soft form twined itself around your ankles, startling you from your thoughts. You managed not to squeak in fear, though, realising it was just your asshole cat: Lampshade. He blinked up at your with glowing amber eyes, and butted his head against your shin.
“Alright Shade, it’s been too much today. Let’s… call it a night.”
You scooped up the small black cat, tossed him onto the bed, and jumped onto it yourself. There was too much to think about, too much to consider, too much new information to process. You weren’t even sure you’d manage to find sleep tonight. Every time you closed your eyes, the scene of those monsters flooding down the mountain in thousands replayed. It was new. It was cool. It was scary.
You sighed, you had class to attend, work to do, and exams to take. Your life felt so mundane now, so small, so nothing compared to the monumental event of a reappearance of an entire species. The reported was right, history really was being made.
Mt. Ebott, always considered a curse, had now produced a hidden and entrapped people. Could this be the start of a new era? Your mind wandered with the possibilities.
Briefly, before sleep claimed your exhausted mind, you wondered: would you meet a monster?