A while back I decided to wrote a short story. Shooting for HP Lovecraft as inspiration. So basically the story is called "Martian Mana" Abandoned by his fellows, the lone Astronaut on Mars slowly descends into madness. Beset by all sorts of problems such as hunger, asphixiation and lonliness. But the Old Gods of Mars, always provide for their faithful. Trying to get better as a writer and since this is the site’s literature department, decided to post here. Enjoy. Potentially NSFW due to implications I guess.
Martian Mana
Long since I have abandoned here, on this dead desolate rock known as Mars A crew of six: four males, including myself, and two females. First of the Homo sapiens species to set foot on another world. Collect samples of Martian dirt and rock. Set up a base of operations and explore. Oh sure, we planted the United Nations flag. Oh yes, a symbol of the unity between men. That we have evolved past our bestial nature. And yet I was left behind. I, the best and brightest of the bunch, was left behind. A storm had destroyed much of our camp as we attempted lift off, ripping apart the few buildings…save for one where we attempted growing plants. My so called colleagues saw it fit to leave me behind. To starve to death? Die of asphyxiation? I don't know.
I was always the most intelligent of my class. Oh yes! Leagues ahead of both my peers and those meddlesome teachers. Always needing to be corrected. I accepted a scholarship to one of the most prestigious of universities back on Earth. I hoped to become a great astronaut. An explorer, helping mankind reach the next stage of evolution. And what did it get me? Eternal exile on this god forsaken rock.
I returned to what was left of our dilapidated camp, the tiny hut. I've long since lost track of the days and weeks since I've been here. I miss greenery and the songs of birds. I've decided to keep a log of my existence as the first Martian (ha!) for all others to see of my plight.
I have been here for over a week now. Surely, someone must be looking for me by now. I pray that they find me.
Sure, I've got plenty to eat. The little plots of cabbage and potatoes have been growing well. And from what little filtration equipment that survived the storm, I was able to procure just enough water. But meat! Oh, how miss the delicious scent of meat. I remember oh so many years back as a boy. How my father would take me hunting for deer. Stalking the wild steed, rifle in hand. Oh yes, I remember that. The excitement of the blast, bringing the animal down, and collecting its meat. But there's none of that here. No deer, no cows, no birds. No anything.
An unusually eventful day today. Perhaps Mars wasn't so dead at one point in its history. In On one of my dozen or so walks on the planet, I seem to have come across a small carving of some sort. It was a strange looking, greenish creature. Yet, vaguely reminiscent of an Egyptian pharaoh, a sort of cruelness and yet a magnificent little thing. I picked up the statue and carried it with me and continued my trek. You can just only imagine my surprise that further in, I came across a temple. Oh yes! A temple. A curious find, one that certainly had me curious. Intrigued.
Upon further investigation of the structure, I'm sure certain it must have been be millions of years old. Mars must have had a sentient race of beings older than man. I was forced to put off my investigation until tomorrow, as the distinctive sound of another storm could be heard on the horizon. But I must admit. I feel something drawing me back to the house. Possibly a sense of scientific curiosity, or perhaps there's something else drawing me back. Beckoning my return.
I couldn't put off an investigation any longer. I decided that I would do my best to retrace my steps through the barren wasteland to find that very temple that has been occupying my mind as of late. Strangely, it didn't take as long to find it again, as it was like I was being guided to exact spot as the previous day.
Collecting my courage, I approached the old temple. Admittedly, I was surprised at the ease of which I approached. Using my flashlight, I was shocked and amazed to see various furnishings. Of statues of odd creatures, pots, and carvings, all of priceless value. The placed was filled with offerings. I decided to further explore, but not disturb any of the contents within. Though my fear, I note much later from the safety of this hut, still has yet to subside.
My curiosity took me through the atrium of the temple, a shrine of some sorts, before a noise like a crash or a broken glass could be heard further beyond The noise startled me such that I fled out of the temple and back to my dwelling. I must be an idiot. I must've knocked something over.
Oh God (and I've never been much of a religious man). I woke up from a most frightening nightmare. Of screams and.. and... the temple was there too.
I braced myself as best as I could, and ventured out again to explore the temple. I repeatedly searched the temple for anything else that could catch my eye. Once again, as I passed the entrance of the temple, I thought I could hear loud thumping. But.. that shouldn't be possible, right? In my limited time that I had, I didn't uncover anything more of note.
I now sit here in my hut with what little battery life I have on my flashlight. I am terrified to an inch of my life. I do not have the strength or means to escape this planet.
As I have done for the past week, I returned to that cursed place, intending on discovering anything more to solve the mystery of its missing inhabitants. I failed to uncover anything that could help the cause, but what I did find seems far more precious and disturbing than I could have ever hoped for. As I was scouring the place one last time, I finally noticed along the north wall paintings and markings. I was certainly put off as to how I missed it in during my searches of the temple during these past couple of days.
Placing my right index finger along the wall, I felt a surge of empowerment rush through me. The distant sound of wind began to sound like whispers, and the room in which I was standing seemed to darken. I wondered what the inhabitants had passed down the ages for me.
Curiously, I followed the markings from along the wall. Much of what was written, in what appeared to be a red ink of some sort, much of its contents what was written make any sense was undecipherable as the majority of it is written in a language that is foreign to me. But strangely there were murals as well. Of strange beasts and lush green fields, as far as the eye could see. The majority of what I could understand seemed strange and odd. Disappointed, I headed back to my dwelling. But things from this point on became rather blurred, and frightening.
Late last night as I lay in my cot, the wind outside stopped pounding against the hut, and my flashlight had winked out of existence, leaving me in the pitch black. I listened closely, and all I could hear over my heartbeat and heavy breathing were was the whispering that I previously shrugged off before. It was coming came from every sort of directions, and yet no direction at all
The whispering slowly got louder until it sounded like screams. Voices of many crying out. They screamed my name. Others shouted obscenities. There were so many of them. So many voices. Oh god, the voices.
It was as though multiple hands pinned me down to the cot, but every time I flailed my body, my arms connected with nothing but air. The harder I fought against the force, the harder pressed I was to the cot. I… I couldn't breathe. I had blacked out. The last thing that I remember were my nightmares from the night before. The temple.
I came to about an hour ago. Pressed to the cot. It is now long after dark, and I dare not brave the sub-zero temperatures of this planet. Sometimes I think that I can still hear whispering, or are they proof of my brush with madness? The deterioration of my mind? I pray that I survive the night.
