When one gate opens the other one closes. Like that they keep creeping their way forward. Everyone that stays inside is made their companion and what people would refer to as their „soul“ ends up washed away in those big pots full of boiling water.
So they reproduce and when the space becomes to crowded the next shutter opens. As they are nearing the pots, triggered by the old breeze of the last generation the new generation starts to crawl out of the pots. They are just the idea of a human shape but move weirdly with nothing else in mind than reproduction and no empathy of fear or pain. Even in reproduction they are not very ambitious, humans near them belong in the boiling water to be stripped of their worries, memories and burdens, but also of everything that makes them them. The personality, the soul, all is cooked thoroughly away and disinfected. They are faceless and featureless beings. Like a clumsy statue out of mud or clay.
Do they live or are they dead? They don‘t seem to have a beating heart, but they have muscles and no real skin. They move as if there is no rhythm inside of them, they never really heard rhythm, maybe they don‘t know this concept and there is even doubt that they can hear. Attracted by personality they move in that direction neither slowly nor fast.
First I didn‘t know if I should fear them. I saw whome they hold on to is lost. If you stay out of their hands you are fine. There is nothing you can do but run. I concluded that and I came to fear. I took her hand and ran. „Run as fast as you can. The gate is closing. Run! Run“ She was a clumsy little sister. Always slow and really fast to cry. When she cried it was like the whole world had to cry with her. It was heartbreaking. We were both little and lost in this cave. It seemed never-ending and she was so frightened to starve and the midst of nowhere just because of our curiosity to explore like Indiana Jones.
We sisters stumbled in a cave that was full of these big pots with boiling water and it was so hot. The entrance was not to be reached anymore. No turning back. A gate slowly opened before us and further away another gate slowly closed. We heard weird splashing noises of walking and then we saw them. As if triggered by our anxiousness steaming bodies rose from the pots. They were struggling a little to get out and clumsily fell instead of using the ladders. By that they produced this creepy sound of wet flesh falling on the ground. I began to fear them. I also began to guess a reason for the ladders. I would be proven right.
We were running she was so slow. I dragged her with me, but she cried: „I don‘t want it to be my fault. Run alone.“ I ran dragging her. Then her slipped hand mine because of the sweat and I continued running to the closing shutter screaming „you have have to run just bit further. than we can take a long break. Don‘t give up“. And I ran screaming trying to ignore a small voice from her because I didn‘t want her to give up. Just after I barely made it behind the closed shutter, in safety I heard it.
It was to late she cried „I can‘t anymore. I‘m not as fast as you. I am a crybaby anyway and I can‘t.“ I watched her through the ironbars. She sat on the ground and has given up, waiting for what was to happen with a frightened expression but loudly crying. It matters not anymore that I sometimes thought she was annoying. I felt guilty for thinking that about her. And I started crying behind the safe bars infected by her. I left her alone. I am a bad older sister. The worst. Just teasing her all the time. It was my fault. Not dragging her further. With her, that I knew, I had the time to get away from these beings but without reaching the shutter in time. I was so troubled. They grabbed the now de-energized her and dragged her to one of the pots. Now my reason for the ladder was confirmed. While steaming bodies creeped out of the pot, one creature was climbing the ladder and she was thrown into the boiling water. And then I knew. This shutter will open soon and the next will close. They have all the same height, no distinguishing features. My sister is no more. Run to the next gate and try to get shelter. I don‘t know how much further this will keep going.
Coloring in Photoshop