Descriptions on the Spot: "ESOTERIC"

I know it's a bit too late, but I've been very busy last week. I just wanted to go through some of the words in the list to show the potential of DotS to the community. Sorry @arcaneinfo if the story feels rushed and uninspired. Since this is my first shot at this, this somewhat serves as a warm up. I haven't written anything fiction-related in quite a while. I hope I do your word justice.

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Dust rolled down across the town. The hush that fell upon it many years ago decided to take up residence. Besides the unnerving hum the abandoned houses whistled, there was only an eerie silence that, from time to time, the sound of rustling grass cut through. The air was thick, and the clouds above were perpetually gray.

In the center of the town stood a monolith that seemed to protrude from the ground. No one ever came close enough to attest how it smelled like or how it felt to the touch. From a distance, it looked as if its color was black-in-black, like it sucks the life from anything that comes near it. Not a single soul could remember when it first arrived or if it was always there and the town was just built around it.

Warm air began to rise from the ground, as droplets of water began to pour from the sky. All of a sudden, the slight drizzle turned into a heavy downpour. It's as if the heavens wept because of the abomination that stood at the center of the town. Lightning cracked among clouds, followed by a grumbling thunder, muted only by the sound of the deluge.

As the town was unceremoniously drenched, the monolith and the immediate area that surrounded it remained dry. It's as if a barrier of air prevented the rain from even coming close to it. Not a single droplet stood a chance.

The ground trembled and the deserted domiciles swayed, while the monolith stood still, as if it was in a world of its own.

A strong bolt of lightning hammered down on a tree just beyond the horizon, splitting it right in the middle. Embers and burnt wood scattered along its side. From the ashes, a naked man knelt were the tree used to stand. The rain carried with it the excess electricity from the lightning, but the man seemed as if he felt no pain.

His features were unremarkable; tousled black hair dampened by the raging storm, eyes of ashen gray. He had scars that trace throughout his body, like how it would look on trees that were struck by lightning.

It was dark, and the rain made it particularly hard to see anything. Lightning struck again, but didn't make any contact with the ground. Thunder rolled immediately after, teasing the earth of its impending fury.

The man stood and made a beeline towards the monolith. He trudged through the rain even though he seemingly had no means of determining where the town could be located. His face was emotionless, but his eyes looked dauntless.

The monolith glowed and emitted a soft din, which became louder with every step the man took. Bright red glyphs displayed on its surface. It had a sort of unearthly nature that wasn't easily comprehensible. The barrier around it expanded slowly, pushing against anything that stood in its path. The houses gave way, and threw themselves all over the ground.

There was a connection between the strange monolith and the even stranger man. It's as if they were once part of a whole, but now opposed each other for some reason only they are privy to.

The man picked up his pace and began to ran through the muddy terrain. He flailed his arms around, scrunched up his nose and gritted his teeth. The barrier pushed against him as he made his way toward the town, but he penetrated the resistance. He held his breath as he propelled himself against the invisible barricade. His eyes swelled up with tears as he tore through the town.

The monolith's glyphs glowed more blindingly, as its din became deafening. It launched a series of bursts that slowly seared the man's flesh. The man's knees buckled, but he quickly recuperated and launched himself from the ground. His body was peppered with cuts from the wood and rubble that were tossed around.

There was something to be said about an unstoppable force going up against an immovable object. Even though he remained undaunted, the man was far from unstoppable, and even though the monolith seemed immovable, it didn't even seem like it was really there.

Inching closer to the monolith, the man crouched down then lunged towards it. The monolith consumed him whole, then folded into itself. The darkness swallowed everything around it. The ground, the sky, nothing escaped the creeping shade.

In a blink of an eye, the whole town became bustling and filled with people. Cheerful noises echoed throughout the lively township. Rain clouds gathered up above, but the impending shower didn't seem to bother anyone. Just beyond the horizon stood a boy who had wondered far from the town. He climbed up a scrawny tree to get a better view of the town, but he was too far away to see anything of note.

It startled to drizzle, and he was careful not to slip. The leaves of the tree provided him cover. He sat down on the sturdiest branch he could find and took out a lump of coal from his pocket. The boy wiped the sweat off his forehead and began to draw on the trunk.

All of a sudden, lightning struck.