The Return

The Earth shivered.

Long had this day been foretold by the prophets. And long had the people made fun of them, saying, "Mock us not with your children's stories. This shall never come to pass."

The shivering slowly grew to a rumbling.

Spake the prophets: "They roamed the Earth long before our time and yea! They shall come again!"

The rumbling became a steady, full-throated roar.

"But times have changed", countered the people. "And their time is long gone. Let the dead past bury its dead."

A glint of silver appeared on the horizon. A few moments later, it was joined by another, then a third. Soon they would be here. Children hugged their mothers' skirts, whimpering with fear.

Glistening in the dawn light, the giant, sightless beasts came snaking across the plains, unerringly following the scent of humans into the city.

Gathering their strength, they leapt together across the fire trench and pounced upon the citizens like cats upon mice, ripping flesh from bones in a blood-soaked frenzy of long-abated hunger.

The trams were back.