The Explosion
"With each passing moment, the light became brighter, suddenly I heard an explosion as I was blinded by a bright flash of light. I felt the sting and the burning sensation as the shrapnel pierced my skin..."
Dust and pain. A deafening ringing in my ears. My vision blurred, I struggled to just lift myself to my hands and knees. The sickly sweet smell of fresh ground coffee was overwhelming. I could only guess at the severity of my injuries as I tried to regain my senses.
All of my body parts were still attached. My fingers were numb and tingling, but all still attached. I could feel a burning and stinging in my left shoulder. The same in my left leg. I feared I would be seen, but I needed to use my light to see how badly I was injured, to stop any bleeding. But would this be a suicidal move? To give away my location? I had to see my injuries, shielding the bright light the best I could, I saw what appeared to be some shards of metal about the size of a pencil stuck in both my shoulder and leg. Not much bleeding. So I decided to leave them until I could figure out my situation and I quickly turned off the light.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, Several small fires that were burning from the explosion, gave me just enough light to see movement. As I looked down from the grain silo that I had taken shelter in, a silo that was now a twisted metal building with gaping holes torn throughout. I could see it was a Java Monster. The alien looking beast was severely injured but still struggling to move. It was making a low gurgling noise. That sounded like a pot of coffee brewing.
The Farmer
Suddenly out of the darkness I heard another explosion and a flash of light. It was a shotgun blast. There was a loud scream that sounded like what I had witnessed the day before during the dismembering, human brewing ritual as the Java Monsters celebrated and performed a slithering snake like dance around the large coffee cup shaped pot that they had just liquified my fellow runner in. The same scream but much louder. Then there was silence. Only the crackling of several debris fires and the flaming scattered remains of... "The Java Monsters."
Just as I was moving to try to get a better view of where that shotgun blast had come from, a booming voice out of the darkness rang out.
"Runner, Oy mate is that You!?"
There was no mistaking the Australian accent. I yelled back my voice cracking...
"Yes... yes it is!"
He must have heard in my voice that I was having trouble speaking. And called out...
"Are You hurt mate? Can You walk?"
I replied back that I could and climbed down what was left of the twisted ladder of the grain silo. I could see the man standing next to the remains of the burning Java Monster that he had just ended with the blast. As I approached he turned and I immediately recognized him from some photographs at the farmhouse. He was "The Farmer."
I introduced myself and told him my name was 
" G-Dog he said, But my friends call me Galen."
He explained to me as He patched up my shrapnel wounds, that he had set a trip wire explosives trap for the Javas. He apologized for using me as the bait. He had been watching me since the farmhouse. And also knew that the alien creatures were following me. They probably were waiting to attack when I met up with the next runner at this checkpoint. Just as I was asking him if he had seen the other runner or runners. A figure stepped forward out of the darkness and said in a quiet but strong voice with a well traveled British accent...
"Cheers Krazzy, They call me,
Scubahead Or Cam, that is Cameron to my mates. I thought you were going to sack off on us. Glad you survived the fireworks."
Runners and Farmers
Galen and Cam went on to explain, both taking turns in telling me what they had seen and learned about the creatures that had so many similarities to the very popular drink we know as Java.
The Farmer had seen one of the creatures reaction to coming in contact with some powdered milk mix for his young calves. How it reacted as if in pain and fear of the non dairy creamer like substance. He used this to survive the attack on his farm. Making the shotgun shells, and using the creamer as a deterrent.
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Cameron joked about how the non dairy creamer and sugar destroys a good cup of black gold java. And how it seems to do the same to these Alien Java Monsters. He also told us a story of survival he had recently in escaping the Javas by using his diving skills as the monsters would not come near the water. We all agreed that this information must reach the military stronghold in the mountain caves. The final destination of...
"Runners."
𝕋𝕠 𝔹𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕦𝕖𝕕...
Stay Tuned to the Cinnamon Cup to find out...
Wɪʟʟ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ sᴛɪᴄᴋ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀs ʀᴜɴɴᴇʀs ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪʟɪᴛᴀʀʏ sᴛʀᴏɴɢʜᴏʟᴅ?
Aʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sʜᴏᴛɢᴜɴ sʜᴇʟʟs ᴀ ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ᴜsᴇᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʟɪᴇɴs?
Aɴᴅ ɪs ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴀ ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴ?
Aʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ Aᴜᴛʜᴏʀ:
I ᴀᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ, ɴᴏᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴄʟᴏsᴇ. I ᴀᴍ ᴀ sɪᴍᴘʟᴇ ᴍᴀɴ, ᴀ ᴛʀᴜᴄᴋ ᴅʀɪᴠᴇʀ/ᴏᴡɴᴇʀ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴇɴᴛᴇʀɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴍʏ 30ᴛʜ ʏᴇᴀʀ.
I ʟᴏᴠᴇ sᴄɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, Jᴀᴠᴀ Mᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ Eɴᴇʀɢʏ ᴅʀɪɴᴋs ᴀɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ Cᴀᴛs.!!
