Zeroth

• Rachel Chapman, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2014

I have lived on this planet all my life, nothing but the sound of the planet being vapourised keeps me company. Nothing lives on this planet, nothing can. Except the Vapourin, they’re a race that vapourises everything in their path, the only things that can keep them alive is a box full of black smoke that spreads around the planet, and everything that they vapourise. So basically, they can’t be destroyed.

My arm is slowly getting longer, and turning into a long, wavy, black, misty arm. Just like the Vapourins. My species are the only species that can be turned into Vapourin, that’s the disadvantage of being an Outsider.

That’s what I am, an Outsider. We are like humans, but we’re a bit different, we live off the happiness of others. We don't take they happiness away, we just cant live without it. There is no happiness left here, so I am slowly being tortured and turning into a Vapourin. Fun times.

Outside, the sound of the Vapourin was filling the airless planet. That’s right, airless. No more oxygen. I don't know how anything could survive, the Vapourin feed off what they vapourise, and so they feed of everything. They vapourised the oxygen; they don't need it. So what's the point of it?

Oh, my name’s James. I'm around twenty-seven, but who’s counting. I might even be in my forties, but I can guess by my body that I'm younger. Us Outsiders age every four years, so I could really be any age. I gave up on keeping track years ago, I have up on everything years ago.

The black box, filled with black smoke, is the only way I can stop the Vapourin, and make them disappear. Once they devour everything, the box will be all that’s left for them to live off. If that’s gone, they will start to vapourise each other, and they will disappear. There will probably be one left, but he will probably die. There won’t be anything for him to vapourise; he will starve.

My only wish is that I don't turn into a full Vapourin. I can’t stand the thought of vapourising everything I love, but what's left to love?

Sometimes I think that death is the best way out, but that’s only one of many choices. Choices. That’s the main problem. As an Outsider, I have two choices, fight the Vapourin and live in peace, or become a Vapourin myself and destroy everything. But, as a Vapourin, I can’t make choices. I have no choice but to destroy everything in my path. What would you do?

Vapourins don't have memories, everything that you ever loved twill be erased for your memory, you will never remember the pain, or happiness. You will never feel pain or ever experience happiness, ever again. At least you wont feel pain everyone second of your life. But sometimes when your vapourising everything, somewhere inside the hollow body of your Vapourin body, you will remember everything that you had, and realised what you’ve done, But only for a split second, and it hurts. It really does.

I need that box, thats all I can think of, nothing else matter. I always look down and realise why I want it so much. I'm a Vapourin, my worst nightmare. I need the box to live, because I'm a creature who vapourises everything I love. I have been fully transformed into the worst creature on Zeroth. Nothing matters anymore. I need to destroy everything and get that box. So I can live forever.