I Am Mankind
Oct 31st, 2019

I am not of this world. This is a world of beasts, and I am a man. In fact, I firmly believe that I am the only man in this world. No one woke up beside me in the forest I found myself in that faithful morning, and the inhabitants of this world do not recognize and know what a human is. They screamed, gagged, and stared until I was driven out into hiding. Away from their town, alone in the forest from which I came from. Alone in these woods. There is a certain nostalgia to this at least, the nostalgia of lone ancient humans against the feral wild. But they never existed here, not even an artifact that acted as a reminder. Then the nostalgia must be a calling to sate one of humanity’s most primal hungers: the need to be remembered.
	Long ago, I had debated going back into that town, but a panicked creature brandished a firearm. I learned that they seemed more human than I initially assumed, not just in technology, but in their fear and xenophobia. If I were to make myself known publicly, I would be killed along with any opportunity to bring justice to my people. Peace for me is unattainable, but there is still hope for the humanity on this world. We- I will be known.
	I am making a degree of progress as of now, for I have become a local legend in the town. I overhear stories of the fleshy, emaciated creature that lives in the backwoods during my supply runs. Those stories are entertaining to listen in on, but that cold lonely feeling resurfaces every time. I will never, or not for a long time, be part of those groups that live comfortably together as they tell those stories. An alien, forced to live alone in an abandoned cabin. Yet it does feel empowering to be feared, like how humans are supposed to be back home. But thanks to these legends, my forest has been getting some traffic, especially in the autumn, where the younger locals seek me out. Or pretend to. Finally, a semblance of my people’s ego.
	 One pair of these younger locals did come close to the cabin. Unfortunately for them, a man must defend himself and plans accordingly. I intended the creatures with guns to be caught, not teenagers. This is a messy situation. Literally. A suspended log smashed into the male one, killing him instantly, and left the second female one bloodied and unconscious. Cleaning the male up would be impossible thanks to his persistent gore and wool left scattered and stuck on the trees and earth. His female counterpart, was an easy carry back home. Surprisingly, I felt no guilt or sickness. After all, these were only lowly lambs. And I was a man.