It was a horrendous, disfiguring sight only the cruelest could fathom, and yet it was only for our people; our kind. In the cellular hills ahead, there were high-rises taller than the mind could even try to comprehend. And at the top of those towers were the severed limbs of my tribe, feeding the blind dragons of this forsaken land.
Months ago, far away in deserted plains of dirt was the sparse countryside where I was born. Here, the members of my bacterial tribe struggled for survival every single day. Without the sustenance of a host, every generation of my lineage descending from me would be doomed to starve in the desolate poverty that was the outside world. Out in these fields, we could fight for scraps and cling for our lives to to skin of quality game. It was not terribly difficult to find good game, but it was difficult to find a consistent, long-term food source for my people. There was no thriving for us in these realms. There was no prosperity in our future. As the leader of my clan, I, Staphylococcus Aureus, had urged the elders of the tribe to pick another future for our people and our longevity: a life inside a human body. This drastic choice scared all of us, and it marked the beginning of a potentially long and undoubtedly arduous journey. But, after suffering through entire life cycles of famine, we all knew it was the only way to our people’s salvation.
Thus began the long journey on foot to the integument mountain ranges, where the only way to cross would have been if the mountains dividing the regions were split before our very eyes. We had waited for days to find the mountain range, and our waiting came with a reward. It was a one-in-a million chance of happening, yet after trudging along for days we found and attached to the base of the famous mountains. Here, we camped at the base of the integument range with nowhere else to go. It was cold, harsh, damp, and scant food was available. But, it was our hope and determination that kept us alive during those brutal days. After two weeks, a true miracle happened: an abrasion blew through the integument cliff face, out of which arose a gushing waterfall of liquid running down from an immense blister. Completely drenched, cold, and reinvigorated, my people stormed through the newly blown path in the mountains. It was the promised land we all dreamt of. But, we could not relax since it would be moments before the native humoral response of the mountains sealed our tribe off permanently. After immediately rushing in through the wound, my people soon bathed in crimson rivers full of nutrients and life, where we were then swept miles up and down the river. We had found our new home.
My people prospered during the following times. We ate, we spread, and we reproduced. Generation after generation, we ate more than those before us and we dispersed throughout the plains. It was a heaven on earth for our kind… or so we thought.
One night, I was asleep in my tent when all I could hear was screaming and shouting from all sides. I darted upwards, unable to see the chaos around me. After running out of my tent, I saw the source of commotion. Seemingly out of nowhere, I saw for the first time the blind dragons. There were at least four of these mythical beasts floating perfectly in the air, but strangely none were coming for my tribe. Still, it was the legend of these beasts that forced such fear out of my kin. These dragons were truly ugly, and had no eyes, no ears, and no mouth. They simply had amorphous arms and a blobby, misshapen torso. According to legend, they have been known for being indiscriminate killers; attacking entire villages of bacterium and wiping out entire strains of bacteria. In the moment, my people and I could only view these atrocities for what they seemed to be: floating, shapeless creatures that ruledthe sky. We had all assumed that these beasts would try to hunt down every member of my tribe due to their fabled hostility. However, these dragons were not hunting us down when they came that day: they were learning the scent of my tribe.
We should have known better. We all came out of our tents and gazed at the sight above us. After the initial panic had waned, we had all assumed after many minutes that the dragons were not interested in us. We assumed wrong, and the dragons began to take the bodies of all of my fallen brethren; lifting them up to the sky in their tentacled-claws. Beginning on the fringes on the settlement, they began their phagocytosis and, on that fateful day, I saw dozens of our oldest elders disappearing into the dragon’s clutches. Monsters still seemed to be blind, and did not appear to be hunting us actively. Instead, they initially seemed to be bobbing down from the sky randomly, catching only the unluckiest of my people.
I had no idea what to do. I could not reach these beasts, and I could not run from them nor from my people. I was no deserter. After an entire family had been randomly eaten next to me, I began giving orders. Running up and down the settlement, I called for people to run for their lives and head to the hills. I felt responsible for their lives, and thus I was responsible for their safety in this crisis. After having rounded up the majority of the village, I witnessed true demonic sadism: I saw the family that was eaten in the tent next to me reappear.
The family reappeared in such an unexpected way that I immediately vomited. The dragons had special scales, called Major Histocompatibility Complex II. The dragon that originally consumed the family soon presented their body parts in these scaly protrusions from its skin. I could see gory hands, eyes, faces, tongues, and entrails. It was gut wrenching. It was horrendous. It was terrifying. It was something that I thought could only exist in hell itself. My people were being murdered, and their body parts paraded around on the skin of these dragons. This dragon feast had to be ended as soon as possible.
Then, that’s when I saw riding in from the distance the Dragon Rider, mounted on yet another blind dragon. This rider seemed to be a likely descendant of the mythical CD4 T-cell lineage from the host body of these lands. This single Dragon Rider T-cell had not-only tamed these dragons, but knew how to command them. I could see him riding towards the pack of blind dragons in the sky, and I immediately gave chase after him. I was not sure how the Dragon Rider came to command such beings, but I had to try and negotiate a peace treaty or kill him myself. My only hope was that by killing the leader, the rest of the dragons would become docile and uncertain. Sprinting with all of my might across the burned and inflamed fields where my people were being gradually slaughtered, I shouted at the top of my lungs at this Dragon Rider, and he stopped dead in his tracks. I thought he took a quick look at me, but he too was blind. He then ignored me, and beckoned multiple dragons to him. He held their gory Major Histocompatibility Complexes in his hands, and simply felt their gut-wrenching contents. He did this rapidly for a plethora of these Complexes, after which he gained what he needed. Now, could now see the members of the Staphylococcus Aureus clan.
Then, in one decisive motion, he sent hundreds upon hundreds of sticky molecules from his mouth. These magical particles whizzed through the air and made contact with all of the remaining villagers, almost akin to a frenzied bee swarm. Immediately, the dragons roared and began their frenzied final assault. They rapidly flew after the remaining members of my tribes and consumed us indiscriminately. We had no chance.
Within minutes, my entire clan had been decimated, eaten alive, and had their body parts paraded around on the skins of the atrocious blind dragon macrophages. I was spared, however, after numerous and lucky dodges from their deadly attacks. Once I realized that everyone had been killed in the genocide, I could no longer be a deserter: I was simply a sole survivor. So then I ran, and I was able to jump into a crimson bloodstream river nearby before the dragons could catch scent of me. So long as one member of the Staphylococcus Aureus clan still exists, we can still achieve our greatness as a people. While that day was sadly not today, the war must still be waged. I will take refuge somewhere the dragons will never find me, until I can recuperate enough men for an entire army. This war has just begun.
