The Railgun : Scary Stories – Short Horror Story

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The creature that flew over the Pacific was the exact kind of threat we built the gun for. It was mammoth in proportion, wider than San Francisco with a length impossible to estimate. Its long body slithered across the sky, looming in the distance like a living storm. Widespread panic began upon the sight of it, and officials frantically pleaded for assistance. From the government. From the world. Even from God.

Nuking so close to American soil was out of the question, and its size too grand to be affected by aerial strikes. It was the exact opportunity we needed to demonstrate its power, and show the world what we had produced in secret. To make them fall in line.

Immediate evacuation, minimum ten miles from the coast.

Enough to dampen the casualties of the inevitable tsunami that would follow the creatures collapse once we felled it. It was a small price to pay compared to the risk of radiation, or the devastation the large creature would inflict if it was allowed to touch land.

The evacuation was slow, people panicking as they scrambled to get away from what looked to be floating death. Panicking so much they failed to see the mountains part in death valley. As the artificial summits shifted, camouflage doors gave way to a black pit, and from the darkness a rapidly ascending machine.

It towered into the sky like a reaching hand, standing tall for the world to see. Once high enough it started changing shape, billions of black-budget dollars coming to fruition as its perfect design took shape. Under its large shadow, the world watched as The Railgun took form, something so magnificent even the cameras turned from the leviathan to marvel at its configuration.

Evacuation complete. Estimated time to charge: 60 seconds.

Estimated cost: temporary rolling blackouts for the state of California, 48 hours maximum.

The gun began to charge, a gathering of brilliance that made the lights flicker state wide. The country watched it in the setting sun, panic and dread lost under the hope of the technology wiping the giant creature from existence.

Charge complete. Fire when ready.

As state of the art calibration zeroed in on the floating threat, sirens wailed through the sky. The beam of light erupted from the hollow barrel and raced toward the creature, nearly cutting it in half with what could only be described as pure light.

As it went down, the creature seemed to frown, even as it descended towards the water.

The ground quaked, and the gun powered down. Immediately followed by the state of California, and every other state in America.

Blackout. Nationwide.

As the sun set, everyone watched in confusion as the lights didn’t come back on.

Watched as the creature didn’t make a splash, but merely dissolved soundlessly into the Pacific.

Watched in darkness as the ocean began to churn violently.

Then listened hopelessly, as they heard the tsunami rumbling toward them.

Made not of water, but skittering legs.

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