h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Darkness.

In great waves Darkness swept across the world. He built his dark tower right in the middle of it. For 359 degrees all the way around he reigned supreme to infinity. This great tower was so large, it was covered by it's own shadow.

Darkness had a name, but whenever anybody had ever tried to ask him his name, he just said "Why?" and before they could reply, they were dead.

And in that last degree, that last tiny speck of light, the last people of the world stood, and trembled.

It was to be their last stand. Life's last hopeless helpless motion of defiance to Darkness. For a moment, they, the last representatives of the five races of the world stood fast. Humans. Elves. Dwarves. Giants. Halflings. But it was only a moment.

The earth shook like the Coming of the End.

But it wasn't the end, at least not then. A strange figure in a shining silver hooded cloak appeared in a spectacular display of multi-dimensional pyro-technics. The several small explosions that made up this display seemed to open up a small hole in the ground.

"Hi there." he said, but it was lost in the noise of the Coming of Darkness. Noticing this, he pointed at the hole, and shouted "Hurry up! This way!" and somehow shooed them all into this small hole into which they could not possibly have been thought to have fitted.

Pursued by monsters the entire way, this hole led them through a tunnel that seemed to stretch forever. Hour after hour they plodded, with the hooded man endlessly urging them to continue. Time seemed not to pass. After what seemed like an infinate amount of time, though only in truth a few minutes, they emerged into a small cave of sorts.

It was a small cave because it was an opening in rock that could be used as a shelter.

An opening.
Light!

They rushed out into the light, a strange new dawn of another world! The hooded man watched and laughed, walked backwards, and the tunnel closed forever.

Hundreds of years went by. History became legend. Legend became myth.

But history repeats itself.

Silver Sword: A989698

[This story was originally posted at A1011600. That entry is now being used for different purposes, and this information is stored here so it will not be lost to future readers.]