Sheldon's heart pounded excitedly as he raced along the dirt path, the cool night air rushing past his face. The distant boom had awoken him from his slumber and his insatiable curiosity demanded that he investigate. He knew leaving the camp at night was wrong, especially when he left without the permission of the counselors. As he left the well-trodden path, the grasses tickled his bare legs, swaying gently in the moonlight. Moonlight bathed the swaying grasses, tickling his bare legs as he ventured off the familiar path his camp trekked yesterday.
The dark skies were lit with an ominous plume of smoke glowing under the faint moonlight. Sheldon hopped faster toward the impact site while his mind raced with possibilities. Could it be a falling tree? That cannot be. It was louder than falling lumber. The plume of smoke does not seem to be coming from a fire. No, something about this felt different, more… otherworldly. He looked to the stars above and saw countless twinkling lights. Could it be?
The source of the smoke drew near and Sheldon's eyes widened in disbelief. In the middle of the cleaning was a massive crater, its edges still smoking and lightly glowing from the heat. Clumps of dirt scattered by and any sign of animal life had fled some time ago. Haphazard steps brought him closer to the center, where he saw a large, irregularly shaped rock. It shone silver under the moonlight, but its pristine look was marred by its pitted and scarred surface.
Sheldon couldn't contain his excitement. A meteorite! Right here, next to camp. This summer camp that he used to hate so much had its worth, after all. Sharing showers and smelling his stinky friends all the time meant so little now when he had a cool meteorite to see. He had to get closer, had to touch it, and had to feel the weight of something that had traveled through the vastness of space. Gah! He only saw these rocks in books, and now it's so frigging close!
Sheldon dropped into the crater, his small feet sinking into the soft, ash-like soil. He stumbled forward and nearly lost his balance as he made his way towards the rock. It was even more impressive up close. It shone like platinum, and color fractured into a million arrays as light bounced on the surface. It doesn't look like any meteorite in the books. Still, Sheldon was giggling from the excitement at seeing something so cool.
Sheldon reached out a trembling hand and let his fingers brush against the metallic exterior. Suddenly, the rock moved. He stumbled back in shock and fear, even more so as the meteorite continued shaking. Something was inside the rock. He sought caution by stepping back, but Sheldon stepped on a loose piece of rock that sent him crashing to the ground. After regaining his vision, he saw something ooze out of the craters on the meteorite. It was some kind of creature, its slimy, translucent body pulsating with an eerie light independent of the night sky's shine.
The creature lunged forward, its long, tendril-like appendages aimed toward Sheldon. He turned to run but was too late. Screaming didn't help either. If the meteorite impact didn't wake his friends, what more could his high-pitched scream do? The creature reached him and wrapped itself around his leg. It snaked toward his screaming mouth, but he could also feel the tendrils ebb toward the rest of his holes. It… It was invading his body and mind. The experience shocked him to his core and sent him thrashing and convulsing on the ground. It was burrowing deeper, writhing and pulsating, its alien presence overwhelming his senses. The pain was unlike anything Sheldon had ever experienced. All of his nerves were on fire, and agony was all his body could ever feel. He could feel it pierce his bones, his organs, the very marrow of his being.
Darkness gripped Sheldon. The fight was over, but there was only one victor.
Who won?