(original story idea is from a friend and used with permission)

"Ryota Kazuhara, isn't it? Come here."
     I stood in a meadow, tall green grass waving like the ocean around me. I squinted in the brillaint sun... or was the light coming from the girl ahead of me? She was angelic, hovering over the grass in a white toga, gold bangles on her wrists. Her dark hair fluttered around her, her expression calm. She motioned to me. "Please, come to me. I need your help."
     "Who are you?" I called out.
     "My name isn't important. Please hurry! There are others like you... I need you all. Or something terrible will happen."
     "Like what? And what's so special about me?" I called over, fists clenched. This couldn't be real! I was just Ryota Kazuhara, an ordinary Japanese high school grad looking for work. Not even everyday girls seemed that interested in me. So why this one?
     "There's no time!" the girl wailed. Suddenly, blood-red light flared across the scene an I felt a deathly chill. The grass rotted around me, the earth cracking into fiery fissures that hissed and bubbled. "Find the others. He's here... he's returned! I can't stop him alone!"
     "STOP WHO?" I shouted over the din of churning earth and a strong, cold wind. But before the girl could respond --
     I woke with a start. For a second, I sat there confused, still remembering the angelic girl and the hellish meadow. Where am I?
     Then I felt the steady rattle of train wheels under me and I remembered. Here I sat, riding to my new hometown to attend a new school. The sunny countryside flashed by and I heaved a sigh to clear my head. I think I've napped almost the whole way there!
     Around me sat the other passengers, unconcerned about my weird dream or anything else. Just businessmen and families, mostly. I had the window seat, and to my right sat a grouchy-looking businessman in a brown suit, his eyes fixed on a newspaper. He hadn't said a word all day.
     Still, I couldn't get the dream out of my head. It had felt so real! Nothing like any other dream I had had. Even now, I felt like that girl was really out there somewhere, waiting for me...
     I rolled my eyes and glanced at the businessman next to me. He sniffed, but still didn't say anything. Bored, I cleared my throat. "I think we're getting pretty close, right?"
     "I hope so," the man muttered, not looking at me. "I'm behind schedule enough as it is."
     "Business meeting, huh?" I said cheerfully.
     The man looked at me. "Don't worry about it. Look, we're almost to another town. Why don't you see the sights through your window?"
     Miserable old man! I thought. Maybe a little music to cheer things up? I got my music player out of my bag and raised the ear buds to my ears, wondering which artist to start with.
     Suddenly, strangely, the sky outside darkened. Did a cloud pass over the sun? I glanced out my window, craning my neck to see, but the sky darkened even more, like night had come early. I stared, my mouth open, the ear buds forgotten. Stars popped into the sky, along with a rather large full moon.   
     What the...? I looked back to the businessman. "Am I still dreaming, or did it go dark?"
     The businessman frowned. "Did it just get cloudy? The weather's been odd lately..."
     "No. It's night outside! Stars and everything!" As I spoke, the other passengers muttered to each other, confused.
     I shivered. A wind had picked up, a strong one that rattled the windows. Frost spread across the glass, and amazingly, inside the train car. I shrank back from the wall, aghast. What was happening? I've never heard of a cold front doing anything like this. My breath came in puffs, goosebumps on my skin.
     "Attention all passengers: please remain calm. We're just experiencing some odd weather. We will arrive at our destination on time, so please --"
     BAM! Something huge slammed onto the train car, and screams filled the car. Panicking, I seized my seat and held my breath, and my heart rate seemed to double. I stared up at the dark ceiling. No way was that hail; something huge had landed on the train, and I could hear loud scraping sounds, like claws on metal.
    Freezing air swept into the train car as the huge something tore through the roof like it was paper. The lights fizzled out in a shower of sparks, and I barely glimpsed a scaly clawed foot before it withdrew again. The whole train buckled as the giant something started to pounce, and the strength of it threw the train onto its side.
     Oh my God! I heard myself scream with the others, but there wasn't much I could do. Everything was a rush of deafening screaming and tearing metal, and I blacked out when I hit my head on the opposite wall.

*o*o*o*o*

"Ooooooh..."
     When I came to, my head was throbbing horribly. I winced and slowly sat up, the train car coming into view as my vision focused. What I saw horrified me.
     The entire train now sat on its side, thrown off its tracks like a toy. I sat on one wall's windows, and the train roof now sat vertically, a huge hole torn into it. I vividly remembered a giant scaled foot prying open the roof, but what could have done it? I stared, unbelieving, at the ragged edges of metal. Nothing I could conceive of could have done it. And there hadn't been an explosion, so nothing like missiles...
     I shook my head. Pull yourself together, man! What, you think a giant monster did this? Find survivors and get help.
     Finally, I could see. The large crescent moon outside shone its ghostly light, and the light revealed the bloody, mangled bodies of my fellow passengers. My breath caught in my throat at the sight: so many men and women either crushed in their seats, or impaled on torn pieces of metal. Blood was everywhere, already darkening as it dried. The stink of torn flesh clogged my nose, toxic and dreadful. I coughed. Was I the only survivor?
     "A... anyone else okay?" I croaked. I cleared my throat and shouted the message, praying to hear a human voice.
     "I'm here!" someone called, a muffled man's voice. A few bodies were heaved aside and a rather athletic man climbed out of the wreckage. He seemed to be in his mid-thirties and well-muscled, and wore a simple shirt and pants. He tore off his tattered shirt, revealing a simple A-shirt underneath. He ran his shaking hands through his short black hair. "Are you okay, kid?"
     I nodded, fists clenched. "Help me find other survivors. There's got to be more." Just the sight of another survivor encouraged me, but I wasn't out of this yet. "What's your name, by the way?"
     "Ken," the man answered. He sighed and started combing the moonlit wreckage. "Can't believe this. I was just on my way to my bicycle club further north, and now this? Did you see what hit us?"
     "Well..." I knew what I thought had hit us: the foot of some hellish monster. Countless monster movies came to mind. None of them seemed remotely entertaining now. "Not really. Let's just keep looking."
     For a few tense minutes, Ken and I searched the twisted wreckage. I found my way back to my own seat, and wondered if the grouchy businessman had survived. I hadn't heard or felt anything from him when I had escaped, but I had to check anyway. With a grunt, I heaved a piece of roof away and ran my hands along the wreckage. "Hey! Can anyone hear me? What about you, business guy? You there?"
     My heart leaped in my throat when I heard a groan. A bloody hand crawled from the ruins, followed by an arm in a brown suit. Despite my revulsion, I took the hand. "I'm here! Can you move?"
     "N... no," the businessman coughed. "Move... the wreckage."
     "Hey!" I called over. "Ken! Help me with this guy!"
     Ken jogged over, and together, we carefully pried the businessman loose and lay him down. My stomach turned at the sight; sharp metal had cut him all over, including a bad gash on his right thigh. The man's pale skin and shallow, rapid breaths alarmed me. He clearly didn't have long.
     "I know a bit of first aid," Ken offered. He gently pushed me aside, then tore off a corpse's shirt and ripped it into strips. With the makeshift bandages, he tied up the businessman's leg, then addressed a few other wounds. "Look, I'll search for other survivors," Ken told me once the businessman was settled. "Try and find some help. You got a cell phone?"
     I nodded and wandered a few paces off, taking out my phone. I punched in the emergency number and pressed the receiver to my ear, but all I got was a busy signal. Damn it! I scrolled through my contacts and dialed my father's number. But all I got was the answering machine. Same for my other close contacts. What was going on? Was something bad happening elsewhere, maybe across the whole country?
     "Why?" I shouted, stomping a foot in rage. My breath puffed white in the air and I shivered despite my anxiety and anger. I scanned the starry sky as though expecting to see a rescue helicopter's floodlights, but nothing. It was just me, and a few ragged survivors.
     Ken and I combed the wreckage from end to end, and we only found one more survivor, a high school girl named Aiko. She was about sixteen and had on sweatpants and a matching hoodie. She sure looked warmer than me in my plain T-shirt, but she looked just as scared as I felt. Ken, Aiko, and I sat with the wounded businessman, who introduced himself as Mr. Taika. Ken looked to me after we all introduced ourselves.
     "So... what now, you think?" Ken asked with a forced smile. He rubbed his hands together for warmth.
     I blinked. "You're asking me?"
     "You seem like a good kid," Ken said, "and you got Mr. Taika out of the wreckage. Unless you'd rather me take charge?"
     I sighed. "All this makes me think of is all those survival/horror video games I used to play. They're pretty lifelike, but this really is life."
     "Video games?" Aiko frowned. "Ryota, wasn't it? I think I'd rather have Ken in charge." She looked to him.
     Ken gestured with a hand. "Hey, we should take anything we can get. Ryota, if your games are so lifelike... what did they tell you about this sort of thing?"
     "Stay together, for one thing," I said, "and do everything in shifts, even sleep. And each person has a job to do." Somehow, explaining all this made me feel a bit better. I used to be teased as being a loser, but now it gave me an edge. I think. "Then find shelter, and weapons."
     "Weapons against what?" Mr. Taika gasped. Some of the color had come back to his face, but his leg looked pretty bad. "Do you think we're under attack, Ryota?"
     I reddened; I had blurted out that last part, being used to fighting digital hordes of zombies and other creatures. "It's just a precaution, that's all. And we'll need food and water, obviously, and an escape route for wherever we go. We can't let ourselves get stuck or cornered, or dependent on one place."
     "That town up ahead should work for all that, then," Ken said brightly, pointing down the tracks. "First-aid kits at the hospital, food and water, and shelter. Besides, any rescue teams would look in urban areas first."
     There was no arguing that, so we all got up and prepared for the hike. Ken and I helped Mr. Taika to his feet, holding him up by the arms as he shuffled painfully along, Aiko taking up the rear. It was slow going, but it felt wrong to leave Mr. Taika behind. What if my leg had been injured, after all? I was lucky to be relatively unscathed like this.
     "Nearly... there," Ken puffed two hours later, as the town's welcome sight loomed. "Man, I need to lie down."
     "Me too," Aiko put in.
     "Thank you fellas for helping me," Mr. Taika croaked. "Ryota, I'm sorry if I was short to you on the train. I've got a lot going in in my life..."
     I nodded wearily. "Don't worry about it. Let's just get to shelter."
     Still. survival was hard work, no matter how you cut it. Now I wish I had gone on more camping trips and hikes as a kid to build myself up for this sort of thing. Those rescue helicopters couldn't come soon enough! Fueled by the thought, I helped Mr. Taika along with renewed vigor. So close to rest and shelter...
     An unearthly howl split the night.
     We all froze. The hairs on my arms and neck stood up and I gripped Mr. Taika's arm much harder than I meant to. I strained to hear the howl again, to see if its source was approaching. That didn't sound like any animal I ever heard.
     "There's more of them!" Ken hissed when the howl was joined by several more.
     "More what?" Aiko asked tightly. She clenched her fists, staring at the dark horizon. Only clumps of trees and waving grass were there, taunting us. "Guys, we've gotta hurry!"
     No arguing there. We picked up the pace, praying that the unseen creatures wouldn't find us. It was a race against time and unknown monsters in an unnatural night, with no promise of help. The howls seemed a bit closer now.
     What a day this turned out to be...

"Nearly... there!" I huffed, as Ken and I half-carried, half-walked Mr. Taika into the town's outskirts with Aiko taking up the rear. I tried not to imagine what kind of creatures were howling out there, tried not to picture sharp fangs, claws, or glowing eyes. All that mattered now was getting to safety. The gentle cold wind seemed to get stronger, the freezing air biting my face. The stars glittered far overhead, uncaring.
     "Fellas... if those things get too close, just leave me," Mr. Taika groaned. He was getting pale again, his head lolling on his shoulders.
     Anger sparked in my brain, defiant against this hellish situation. "No! We're all getting through this. Look, there's a shopping mall up ahead. See?"
     I nodded toward a looming shopping center, named Sunrise SuperMall in big red and yellow characters. The parking lot was nearly empty, but even in the starlight, I could see a bunch of skid marks, as though a bunch of cars had raced out of here at top speed. Now that I thought about it, I didn't see any sign of human life, not even any bodies. Had none of those creatures out there come into the town yet?
     "Yeah. See that, Mr. Taika?" Ken urged the man. "Safety's right up ahead. I'll find a first-aid kit, and Ryota can find weapons and other supplies."
     "I can get stuff, too," Aiko offered breathlessly. "Like food and water. There's got to be a food court in there."
     "Good. Now let's hurry!" I demanded as the howls echoed across the landscape again. My legs and shoulders burned and ached, but I didn't dare stop, not yet. I pushed myself harder, leading Mr. Taika across the parking lot and to the front doors. I let Ken hang on to Mr. Taika, an I tried the doors.
     Yes! The doors mercifully swung right open, leading into the half-lit mall. We all crowded into the front lobby and shut the doors behind us, blocking out the howling.
     "Let's find a good place to set up camp," I declared as we wandered deeper into the mall's twilight. "We need a place with at least one exit, and room for us all to sleep. Preferably, a store that's close to all the supplies we need."
     "Maybe that one?" Ken said, pointing. A few stores down, I saw a bed and furniture shop with big glass windows.
     I weighed the pros and cons, my video game expertise running through my mind. "Well... big windows give us away. But we can try to pin up blankets to block them off. Just as long as those creatures can't smell us."
     "Are they dogs?" Aiko asked.
     "Could be. Some sort of canine, at least," I said. Normally, I liked dogs, and had had an Akita as a kid. But this? "But still, the place has beds for us to rest on, and we can take one apart and use its pieces as clubs and spears."
     The others nodded.
     "So," I said with forced cheer, "let's assign jobs. Ken, get Mr. Taika situated in there. You can give him more bandages from torn bedsheets and lay him down. Aiko and I will find food, water, and a first aid kit after we fashion a few weapons."
     "You think one of those dogs will get in here?" Ken asked tightly.
     I swallowed. "Maybe. We don't have keys to the front doors, so we should use a rod to secure the handles. Then, we carry out our work in here."
     It was as good a plan as any, so we got to it. Ken set Mr. Taika on a queen-sized bed and dressed his wounds, then broke off the legs on some chairs and stools. I jogged to the front doors and slid a chair leg through the front doors' handles and tested it. The doors refused to open, so that was good enough for now. Later, we could find a more solid barricade, maybe drag over a bed or something.
     I joined the others at the furniture store, where Ken gave Aiko and I two legs from a tall stool. "You ready?" I asked Aiko, teeth chattering. Now that I wans't running for my life or carrying Mr. Taika, I felt the cold more acutely. There had to be a clothing store in here somewhere...
     "Yeah." Aiko led the way down the mall, looking for a map or kiosk.
     I was quiet for a moment, then cleared my throat. "I'm glad there's four of us here. Survival always works better in groups."
     Aiko nodded quietly, not looking at me.
     "You know, I've seen a few movies like this, too," I offered. "In them, the characters create 'help' messages on the roof for helicopters to see. We should try that."
     Nod.
     "If the sun comes up, that is," I said, suddenly realizing it. I checked my cell phone's clock. "2:46 P.M., but it looks like midnight. And this chill..."
     "I know Ryota," Aiko snapped. "I don't like it either, you know."
     "Hey," I said, bristling. "Just trying to figure this out."
     "What good is that?" Aiko told me. "How can we get out of this? We can survive in the short term, but..."
     I put a hand on Aiko's shoulder. "Work with me here!" I snapped back. "Do you just want to give up?" I sighed, letting go her. "Sorry."
     Aiko pursed her lips, glancing at her feet. "No, I'm sorry. I was on my way to my big sister's graduation up north at Hokkaido University. She was studying animal medicine and wants to be a vet. But now I don't know if I'll see her again."
     I thought of my parents and felt my gut clench. "I know. You know, I was kind of relieved to leave my hometown and see the country. Like some big life adventure. And now look, I'm scraping together weapons and food in a mall in the middle of hell."
     Aiko puffed another frosty breath. "You call this hell?"
     "Hey, it's not always fire," I said. "Hell can also be a state of mind."
     "Wow, thanks for making me feel better."
     "That's part of survival: the mentality. Accept what is, and find a way to cope. One cannot give up hope so easily."
     "Now you sound like a Boy Scout."
     "Whatever," I grinned.
     Finally, we found a wall-mounted map, and followed its directions downstairs to a half-lit food court. Aiko and I slowed down, advancing more warily now, makeshift spears held at the ready. There was no telling what could happen; maybe there were other survivors here, and they'd attack us to protect the limited supplies here? But all was peaceful, maybe too much so. There weren't even any dead bodies here, but I did find streaks of dried blood. My heart started to race.
     "What happened here?" Aiko muttered, eyes locked on the blood. She held her stood leg like a baseball club, knuckles white.
     "Dunno. Let's just hurry and get this done," I said tensely. I led Aiko into the back rooms, where I found all kinds of frozen meats and packaged goods. I found some plastic grocery bags, then held them open as Aiko dumped packaged sandwiches, rice balls, and bottled water in them. That should definitely hold us for now.
     The cold, dim food court was definitely creeping me out now, especially with those blood streaks. The furniture store sounded almost like paradise, with Ken and Mr. Taika in there for company. Aiko and I slowly made our way back to the staircase, clubs still held at the ready.
     The click of clawed paws on the tiled floor stopped us.
     I didn't dare say a word. I whirled around, extending my stool leg like a spear. I couldn't help but think of a caveman defending himself from a hungry sabertooth cat. Stop it, Ryota. Focus!
     Around a corner at the food court's other end emerged a lion-sized creature. I could barely make it out in the gloom, but its glowing blue eyes made themselves clear enough. The beast appeared hairless, and as it stepped under a working light, its features came into view. It looked canine, indeed like the giant dogs that I had imagined. Its skin was scaly and dark green, with long black claws on its paws and two small horns on its forehead. Its lips were curled back in a hungry growl.
     "RUN!" I shouted.
     Aiko and I broke from our terrified paralysis and sprinted up the stairs, feet pounding on the steps with wild abandon. I was halfway up before I heard the dog bounding across the food court, huffing for breath. It would definitely catch up at this rate!
     Just as Aiko and I reached the staircase's top, we whirled around to see the giant dog scurrying up the steps, blue eyes locked onto us. We backed up a few steps and Aiko tossed aside the food bag to hold her spear with both hands. Although our stool legs had sharp and splintered ends, I suddenly doubted the weapons' use against this thing. Would we even pierce its scaly hide? What I wouldn't give for a decent shotgun, like in American action movies. Heck, I'd rather have an action star like Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwarzenegger here with me, and have them use the shotgun!
     The dog pounced, and I knew that I only had a split second to save my life. I was never much of an athlete, but adrenaline was thundering through my body, and my ears were ringing. I knew that I could dodge, that I had to. I bunched up my leg muscles and sprang to the side.
     With a bark, the dog leaped through the air and landed heavily where I had just stood. I stood in a crouch, gripping my stool leg so tightly it hurt. With a yell, I swung it right at the dog's face with a smack!
     The scaly dog yelped and shied away for a second, then blinked and crept toward me, its eyes even brighter up close. What kind of demonic magic could spawn such a being, anyway? At least I now knew where those bloodstains had come from. This beast must have wiped out everyone who didn't escape the mall in time when night fell.
     Now I jabbed my wooden spear at the dog, but it knocked it aside with a paw and growled, crouching to pounce again. I barely hung onto the stool leg, realizing just how useless it was. What could I do?
     This time, Aiko made a move. She brought down her stool leg with all her might, and it crashed right onto the dog's head. The beast yelped again and whirled around, its tail swishing through the air. Aiko stumbled back, terrified. It looked like she couldn't finish it off, either. There was just one way...
     "Raaaaah!" There was no use running, so I attacked. I imitated the dog and pounced, landing right on its bony back. I hung on for dear life and jabbed my spear at its eye, hoping to stun it with a painful blow.
     Too late. The dog shook hard and threw me right off. I landed heavily on the tiled floor and rolled away, desperately hanging onto my weapon. The dog towered over me, lowering its head to tear out my throat --
     With a deafening howl, the dog jerked back, Aiko's stool leg wedged into its right eye. Dark red blood seeped onto the floor, aggravating it further. I quickly got to my feet, amazed. This was my chance!
     Slap! The dog whipped its long tail through the air and caught Aiko right in her midriff. She cried out and was flung right through the air, and didn't stop until she hit a wall and slumped to the floor, dazed. The dog now advanced on her, looking for payback for its eye.
     "No!" I scampered over and smacked the dog's head again with my stool leg, stunning it. Then, before it could react, I speared its exposed throat, grinding the stool leg deep in its flesh.
     The dog buckled and groaned, then went slack as I withdrew my stool leg. it sprawled on its side, utterly still, its jaws still open. The blue light faded from its eyes.
     I set down my bloodstained weapon and helped Aiko to her feet. "Are you okay?"
     Aiko winced and raised her jacket and shirt a bit, revealing a nasty bruise on her belly. "I'll live. But I'd rather not do that again, if possible. You know?"
     "Yeah," I said, almost laughing with relief. "We got lucky there. Let's hope that the ones outside don't break in."
     Aiko shivered, and not from the persistent chill. "Don't even talk about it." She scooped up the food bag and strode down the hall with a slight limp. "Come on. Ken and Mr. Taika are waiting for us."
     "Right behind you."
     As I went down the hall with Aiko, though, I thought back on the train wreck that had put us all here. I had dreamed about an angelic girl calling for me, to help prevent something terrible. It had been just a dream, right? But now, it seemed more real than ever. A giant being, this sudden night, the demon dog, the girl... what did it all mean? I watched Aiko's back and wondered how she'd react if I mentioned all this. Probably not.
     We had enough to worry about already.

*o*o*o*o*

Far away from Sunrise SuperMall, on top of a hill, a whirling vortex of red and white energy descended from the unnatural night sky. The very air twisted and screamed in protest, scaring off flocks of birds and other wildlife. The anomaly didn't stop until a silhouetted being appeared within it and stepped out.
     As the energy died down, the being raised its head to check its surroundings. Its dry, leathery skin clung to its bones, its eye sockets glowing electric blue. It raised a hand to eye level and flexed its clawed fingers, testing them. Good. Everything was functioning, even after that stressful trip.
     The cold, desolate wind didn't bother the being at all. Rather, it took a few steps forward and gathered its senses. Yes, this was the year 2014, just the right time. And its master had already arrived, somewhere far from here. That was the problem with the time-manipulation vortex; the time was usually right, but the spatial placement energies were unpredictable. The being had a long hike ahead of it.
     But first, a decent disguise. No survivng human would trust a walking mummy, so it gathered more energy and released it. Smooth, lifelike skin spread across its bony frame, complete with hair, teeth, eyes, everything. In seconds, a nude but rather attractive human Japanese male stood alone, appearing around thirty years of age. He calmly ran his hands through his stylish black hair and ran his tongue over his fleshy mouth. "Perfect," he said, testing his voice. Being lifelike, the being could now call itself a he. "But first, some clothes."
     With another snap of energy, the being conjured a full set of clothes: undergarments, black slacks with shoes, and a white button-up polo. The being fastened the last button and smoothed out his pants, then set off on his journey. He'd have to find his weakened master...and hunt down and destroy his enemies. It would take a while, but the being had all the time needed. He'd never tire, or get hungry or lose hope.
     There was only the mission.