This was IMPOSSIBLE! The more tunnels I saw, the more it hit me.

These ‘alieNS’ were obviously building up their armies to take over whole towns all at once. They would be able to strike suddenly and swiftly without warning, causing total DESTRUCTION before returning to the safety of their underground fortress. There, they would be able to continue to move about in complete secrecy from the people above ground. This would leave their victims trying to rebuild . . . meanwhile, the next town, or city, would already be under attack.

I had no way of knowing what their plan was for sure. But one thing was very clear . . . soon, there would be more of them than us. And when that time comes, I don’t know if we’ll be able to stop them.

There were just so many of them.

It didn’t matter which way I went. There was room after room, tunnel after tunnel. I found more nurseries filled to the roof with eggs and carpeted with live creatures.

I felt as if I had stumbled into a network of roads, highways and freeways, and each one was just as busy.

Every creature seemed to have a purpose that they carried out with speed, enthusiasm, and absolute dedication.

Just up ahead, I could see another room opening, but this one was different somehow. The opening was smaller than the others, and even though it was off the main tunnel, there seemed to be no activity around it.

I peered into the room and nearly chucked. There, stretching out in front of me, was row after row of BODIES piled on top of each other. They weren’t wrapped or covered in any way; it was so gross.

I knew this was my opportunity to really study them. And to go back with the proof that they really existed!

There was no way I was going to touch one of these things though, especially a dead one!

I took my javelin and poked around the bodies; eewww, one rolled off the top of the pile and landed right by the door opening. It was shrivelled and yellowy-looking.

This was harder than I thought it would be.

I lined up the javelin with what appeared to be its ‘gut’, then with squinted eyes, I pushed . . . yuk! The body seemed to crack; and then I heard the squelch of body fluids as it started to ooze its way down the javelin towards my fingers.

The creature was lighter than I thought, but still, I laid it to the side to collect later.

Returning to the main tunnel, I continued on for quite a way, until up ahead, I saw something very interesting.

There had to be at least a dozen tunnels joining into this one at the same spot. And each and every one of them had an absolutely continuous line of creatures coming and going from it. Just beyond them was another room. Every single creature entered that room in a great hurry.

I got into a good position and watched carefully. They didn’t seem to know I was here, or, they were so intent on carrying out orders, that they ignored me.

I didn’t care either way. As long as those MASSIVE mouths kept well away from me, I was happy.

As I studied them, a pattern became obvious; the ones entering the room were empty-handed, but when they emerged they were carrying something . . . an egg!!

Cautiously I began to bring the beam of light into that room;, my jaw dropped in amazement.

I had expected to see a thousand female creatures handing over their young to awaiting males, but no . . .

There, in the centre of the room was an incredible ‘BeiNg’ . It was the most massive creature of all. It wasn’t just in the centre of the room, it was most of the room. I couldn’t believe the size of this thing . . . it was like a whale surrounded by goldfish. But the head seemed even smaller than the other creatures, and even more noticeable was that it only had a tiny little mouth, not the massive TUSK-LIKE JAWS of the others.

It was so huge that it seemed to do nothing but breathe; it certainly wasn’t able to wander off down the tunnels. But it was doing something, . . . something far more important it seems than any other creature there. Its massive body was rhythmically swaying, no . . . more like pumping. A wave was slowly passing down the length of its body . . . and then . . . an egg was produced. Then, very gently and carefully, it was taken by the awaiting creature, away to one of the nurseries.

I watched in total amazement for a while. Fifteen eggs were being produced every minute.

We were in serious trouble, ARMIES were being produced overnight; and then they could . . .

Mel!!

What’s she doing in here? How did Smelly Melly even get into the shed?

Why does she have to follow me everywhere?

She doesn’t realise the danger . . . oh, oh!

There are some creatures heading her way.

I have to stop them!

“Stop poking the walls Mel . . . ” I yelled. “Stand still!!”

They know she’s there, they’re heading straight for her.

How can I make her understand? If she just stood still, they wouldn’t attack. Oh no!! Bits of earth were starting to fall away from the roof of the tunnel. Her stomping about had caused them to start collapsing. I had to get her out of there.

“Go Mel, get out of here . . . now!!” I screamed.

She wouldn’t listen to me. Damn, the whole lot’s going to cave in.

One of the walls somewhere had obviously given way, water was rushing into the tunnels . . . there was no way I could stop it now.

In minutes, the whole system would be flooded!

I threw my backpack across my shoulder to get it up out of the water.

For a split second, I even felt sorry for these creatures. They were in total panic. Their orderly, disciplined lives were literally being washed away around them.

Desperately they were trying to push and shove the reproductive ‘BeiNg’ to safety. But it was no use. There was no way they could get her out of there in time.

They could be so destructive. Yet being blind and in a panic, they could not save themselves. It was as if the head brain had already died.

They weren’t even interested in attacking us any more. It seemed that they were trying to save as many of their young as possible. But it was hopeless, they obviously couldn’t swim.

Mel was still just standing there, frozen to the spot; I yelled at her again . . .

“Get out!”, but she still wouldn’t move.

The walls were falling away in HUGE chunks now, as they soaked up the water and became too heavy to support themselves any longer.

Water continued to flow and rise throughout the labyrinth of tunnels. Bodies quietly floated by. Everywhere I looked, more and more BODIES.

As the roof of the tunnels began to collapse, I knew that there wasn’t long to go now. Within minutes, maybe seconds, total destruction would be complete.

For something so evolved, so determined to invade our homes . . . to be destroyed so easily.

I only hoped that Mum had stayed in the house and hadn’t followed Mel as well. I didn’t want her to see this.

I got Mel to jump on my back as the water continued to rise faster and faster.

If only I could have got My Melly out . . .

If only I could have stopped her from coming here in the first place . . .

Why did she always have to follow me?