The Colony

Part 1

Photo by Clément Falize on Unsplash

I found myself sitting by a small fire in the mountains. We were high up and far from the road. The dark lingered around our circle of light, pawing the cool dirt impatiently as orange tongues darted forth to placate the beast, licking away its velvety blue-black fur to reveal the bellies of the low, gnarled brush nearby and the faces of the loose group around me. One was a man sitting to my right. To my left, across the fire, a young…