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January 2nd, 2017

Pre-Life
As far back as we can remember, we have been hunted. Our assailant is not human, and we do not know what it is. It looks like a ball of gas and light. Maybe a meter in size.

"Eve, get down. It's coming."

We crouch down next to a wall and try to breathe as silently as possible. It stops just on the other side of us. We hear the faint hissing and popping that it constantly makes. It moves on.

We wait until we can't hear it. Then we wait longer to be sure it's gone. We've got about two hours before it will be back.

We both walk back to the trap we've been working on.

"Eve? Do you remember anything of our life before this?" She shakes her head, but doesn't answer.

"I remember the animals. There used to be so many insects. And the singing of the birds." Eve nods. One by one, the orb of light has tracked each one down, completely obliterating them. We are the last two things alive.

Eve and I have spent months moving a small mountain of rocks. If everything works out, they'll all collapse on top of the orb, crushing our predator. And today is the day.

We spend about an hour getting a few more rocks on the pile, then get ready. We set up a tripwire. Then stand a safe distance away, directly in its path. We each hold a crudely fashioned weapon, just in case it survives the rockfall. Then we wait.

I take a deep breath. "Eve..." Then we both see the faint glow of the orb approaching. It's still far enough away that it's silent. But it's speeding up.

The next moments played out quickly. I saw the orb tug on the trip wire. The first rock fell in slow motion and hit the orb. Then most of the pile followed, completely crushing it.

We both wanted to scream in excitement, but instead stared at the pile of rocks.

"Eve, I think we're..." Wait. Is that a glow between the rocks? "Eve? Do you think it's dead?"

She didn't have to answer. Thousands of tiny glowing orbs squeezed out from between the rocks, and coalesced back into their former shape. It jiggled, then started moving towards us again.

I yelled to Eve to run away, and she did. I did not. I stood my ground, with my makeshift club in hand. I took a long swing and my club went right through the orb. My arm went in the orb, and I felt a tingling sensation. All I could see was a bright light. I faintly heard Eve screaming, "Adam, run away."

As my eyes adjusted, I looked around to see a world filled with grass, trees and rivers. I could see animals that used to be part of my world. But Eve was not there. Yet.