Slither

"Neena!" A shadow screeched from the dark. Fog, settling as an eerie red, hung in the silent desert. The shade's cry of despair echoed like thunder rumbling across a stormy sky, its voice lowering to a cowardly whimper.

"Neena! Neena!"

"I'm here, Azrul," Another voice called out, its outline just barely visible in the crimson mist. It shifted slightly, as if stuck in position.

"What on earth are you doing in Mist Night?!" Azrul galloped across to Neena, fire sprouting from its back. "You know what them creatures do at this time-"

Neena snarled and shoved their face in Azrul's, which was wrinkled with age. "This thing doesn't exist. It never did. It's just a fairy tale!"

At that optimistic note, a deep rumble in the ground shook. Neena and Azrul froze in place instantly, too scared to move. Holding their breath, Neena forced herself to look away from a cacti that seemed to be turning colors, slowly being enveloped in the eerie red fog. When she looked back at it, it was gone.

"See?!" Azrul growled. "That's what The Mist does! It swallows up things and sweeps them away! You must go!"

"What about you?" Neena looked at the elderly animal right in the eye.

"I've lived for far too long," The eyes of it twinkled in understanding, switching away quickly from its pale wrath. "Six centuries is far too long for an old thing like me."

"Don't say that," Neena pleaded. "There is no such Mist!"

"Then how do you explain that?" Azrul glanced at a bare patch of sand. Neena was confused. Wasn't there a bunch of plants over there?

"Stop it, uncle. You're scaring me," She whipped her head around and glared at Azrul. "Take me home NOW!"

Azrul sighed deeply, stroking Neena's scaley cheeks. "The Mist is intelligent. We've lost this."

"No," Neena felt a sob well up deep in her throat. "Don't say that! We're going to LIVE! It's just mist!"

Another rumble shook the ground, an eerie wail rising in the air. Neena felt darkness momentarily envelop her. At first, she thought she was knocked unconscious. But when the light of the moon returned to her surroundings, there was something very wrong.

Her uncle had disappeared.

"Azrul!" Neena cried. "Azrul! Azrul! Come back!" But her cries were in vain. She was left with no response. It was as if a river was falling out of her face.

Hissing, Neena stood up. "Show yourself, you demon! WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE?"

Suddenly, a roar - too horrible to even describe - rose and broke the quiet silence of the desert. Sand billowed up, as if moving out of the way on its own. The mist turned thick as wet wool, enabling Neena to see only about a few footlengths. She lashed her fiery tail and stepped backwards, but instantly found herself stuck again.

Four TARDIS-blue lights in the shape of lizard eyes glowed deeply. In horror, Neena watched as the blue eyes drew closer.

"WE...ARE...THE...MIST..." It sneered, a voice a thousand times harsher than steel grinding against steel, like a chorus of off-key demons.

Slither snap whoosh.