Chapter 5 The fear inside

The glowing orb in Jackson's hands pulsed softly, casting eerie shadows as he emerged from the tunnel. The world above felt different now-brighter, louder, and sharper as if every detail had been turned up to its maximum. The birds chirped, but their songs seemed chaotic, almost deafening. The wind rustled the trees, but it sounded like whispers-too close, too intense.

Max trotted beside him, oblivious to the unease brewing in Jackson. His tail wagged as he barked at squirrels, completely unaware of the strange thing Jackson held or the fear clawing at his chest.

"What have I done?" Jackson muttered to himself, clutching the orb tighter.

The curious crowd that had gathered earlier was gone. The park was empty now, save for Jackson and Max. But it didn't feel empty. Jackson's skin prickled with the sensation of being watched, though there was no one around.

He placed the orb on the picnic table near the snack stand, stepping back as if afraid it might explode. The swirling colors on its surface seemed alive, shifting and pulsing in a rhythm that didn't make sense.

"Okay, think," Jackson said aloud, trying to calm himself. "It's just... a rock. A weird, glowing rock. Nothing to panic about."

But his voice trembled, betraying the fear bubbling inside him. The images he'd seen when he first touched the orb replayed in his mind-flashes of towering mountains that seemed to float, creatures with glowing eyes, and endless, alien skies. They felt too real to be dreams.

As Jackson stared at the orb, a strange noise cut through the silence. It was faint at first-a soft humming, like the sound of distant machinery. He turned his head, trying to locate its source, but it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"Max," Jackson called, his voice shaky. "Do you hear that?"

Max barked in response, his ears perking up. Then he growled softly, staring at the orb as if it were something alive.

Jackson's chest tightened. He reached out to touch the orb again, but his hand froze midway. A part of him didn't want to know what would happen if he touched it again.

"Is this thing... doing something to me?" he whispered.

His heartbeat quickened as his mind spiraled. What if the orb was dangerous? What if it was cursed, or worse-alive? His hands felt clammy, his breath coming in short gasps.

The humming grew louder, and with it came a sharp, sudden pain in Jackson's head. He doubled over, clutching his temples as his vision blurred.

"No, no, no," he groaned, stumbling back.

The pain wasn't just in his head-it was in his chest, his arms, his legs. His entire body felt like it was on fire. He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air as the world around him shifted and warped.

The trees bent at impossible angles, their leaves glowing faintly. The dirt beneath him seemed to ripple like water. And the sky-oh, the sky. It was no longer blue but an endless expanse of swirling black and purple, dotted with stars that shimmered too brightly.

"What... is happening?" Jackson choked out.

The orb pulsed again, brighter this time, and Jackson felt something-someone-in his mind. It wasn't a voice exactly, but a presence. A cold, overwhelming presence that felt ancient and alien.

"You have awakened us."

Jackson's eyes widened. "Who's there?" he shouted, his voice cracking.

The presence didn't answer in words but in feelings-waves of emotion that crashed over Jackson like a storm. Curiosity. Anger. Hunger.

"No," he whispered, shaking his head. "This isn't real. This can't be real."

The orb pulsed again, and the images in his mind became clearer. He saw figures cloaked in shadow, their eyes glowing like the orb in his hands. He saw worlds unlike anything he'd ever imagined-vast and endless, but cold and unwelcoming.

And he saw himself.

In the visions, Jackson wasn't Jackson anymore. He was... different. Taller, stronger, with eyes that glowed like stars and veins that pulsed with the same light as the orb. He wasn't human. He wasn't anything he recognized.

"No!" Jackson screamed, scrambling away from the picnic table. "I'm not-this isn't-"

Max barked frantically, circling him and nudging his leg as if trying to pull him back to reality.

Jackson clutched his head, tears streaming down his face. "I didn't ask for this!" he shouted. "I just wanted a normal life!"

The humming reached a deafening pitch, and Jackson felt his body convulse. He tried to stand, but his legs gave out beneath him. He felt like he was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time.

And then, just as suddenly as it started, everything stopped.

The humming ceased. The pain faded. The world around him returned to normal. The sky was blue again, the trees were still, and the dirt beneath him felt solid.

Jackson opened his eyes, his chest heaving. For a moment, he thought it was over.

But then he saw his hands.

They glowed faintly, the veins beneath his skin pulsing with light. He gasped, holding them up to his face. The glow wasn't strong, but it was there-undeniable and terrifying.

"No," he whispered, shaking his hands as if he could shake the light away. "This isn't happening."

Max whimpered, pressing against his side. Jackson looked at him, his eyes wide with fear.

"What do I do, Max?" he asked, his voice breaking.

The orb on the picnic table pulsed again, softer this time, but Jackson didn't dare go near it. He scrambled to his feet, his glowing hands trembling as he wiped tears from his face.

"I need help," he muttered. "I need to fix this."

He stumbled toward his car, Pickles trotting nervously behind him. He didn't know where he was going or who could help him, but he couldn't stay here.

As he drove away from the park, his hands still faintly glowing on the steering wheel, Jackson felt a gnawing sense of dread. Whatever he'd unleashed, whatever the orb had done to him, it wasn't over.

And deep down, he knew-this was only the beginning.