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-Jeffery held one hand over his eyes as he groaned with discomfort. His head was still throbbing and despite all his power he found himself helpless to stop it. With every beat of his heart the pressure in his skull pulsed. He briefly considered cutting his own heart out but that seemed a little extreme even for him, he would bare the pain.

-He was lying on a comfortable bed in some fancy hotel that Jade had found for him while he was unconscious. Jade, Hellen and Kikki all kneeled before him; they had not left his side since the episode. Jeffery knew that it was too much to expect Siren to come in from the ocean and Scylla was probably searching for the cause of his ailment.

-No sooner had he determined that then Scylla walked into the room and took her place next to her sisters. The look on her face wasn't very encouraging. "Did you find the cause?" Jeffery asked calmly. Scylla lowered her head even more revealing the answer before she spoke.

-"No master, I have failed you," Scylla said, her voice almost shaking. Jeffery wasn't sure if she was afraid of reprisal from him or if she was simply upset with herself for failing her master. It was probably the later since he had never once punished any of them. Still he felt the need to reassure her that he was not angry.

-"it's alright," he said as he reached out a hand and placed it on her head, "I know that if you couldn't find a solution no one could." Jeffery sighed as he took his hand back and closed his eyes again. The pain was unpleasant to say the least but hardly unbearable. Still, there was no reason for this little setback to delay his conquest.

-"I want you four to split the army up evenly amongst yourselves and continue pushing our offensive." He said, the fatigue showing in his voice, "Don't stop until we control this entire continent." The generals bowed and they all stood up to leave. The other three walked out but Jade stayed behind a moment and approached her master.

-"Master, I found this while searching for humans some time ago," she said as she held out a leather bound book, "it may help pass the time." Jeffery took the book and smiled at her as he nodded a thank you. Jade smiled and left her master to carry out his orders and continue the war.

-Jeffery looked over the book and realized it was an old fashioned journal. He opened it up and skimmed through some pages. It had been written by a seventeen year old boy named Mathew who lived with his parents and two sisters. Most of it was rather boring; the kid had some imaginary crush on a girl at school, he talked about an ant farm. Jeffery was about to put it down when one entry caught his eye.

-April 10th 2000
My Lasius Niger colony is still going strong, I fed them a live caterpillar today and they swarmed over it. Some of the ants held it down while the others tore it apart, cool. At dinner mom and dad were talking about some news report they saw, apparently something happened at some school in America, probably another school shooting. What is it with Americans and this columbine stuff? We don't have those problems over here, oh well. Apparently there was something really weird about it but there wasn't much information, maybe later.

-April 11th 2000
Everyone at school was talking about the thing over in America today. There are rumors of all the kids rioting and starting there own little army wearing Halloween masks. Are American kids really that undisciplined? It's like children of the corn over there with the kids attacking people in their homes and everything. Nothing like that would ever happen over here.

-April 12th 2000
I saw a news report today about that American incident and boy is it weird. A helicopter showed some video of this black, volcanic looking stuff covering everything. The camera caught a glimpse of one of the psycho kids but that sure didn't look like a costume to me, what is going on? The news crew was zooming in on some kind of tower when something attacked them. The camera didn't get a shot of it but the reporter said it was a demon! Then the picture went out and the station said the copter went down. This is freaky.

-April 15th 2000
There hasn't been much else on the news about that American thing. No reporters want to go near it after what happened to the helicopter. Apparently the yanks sent in their national guard to get things under control, about time if you ask me. There haven't been any reports on how things are going but I hope they put a stop to this nonsense soon.

-April 20th 2000
This is unreal; the American National Guard was wiped out! There were no survivors and that black stuff that the yanks are calling "dark territory" is expanding, it's like the stuff is alive! There is no way this is just being done by some American kids with emotional problems, are the rumors of demons true? Mom and dad keep saying not to worry about it, that it's an American problem and that it will never touch us here, but still, what if something like that does happen here? Tomorrow we are going to visit Aunt Stacy so it may be awhile before I can write in this again.

-May 2nd 2000
I can't believe it, the Americans sent in their whole army! There have been lots of reports of monsters and demons from hell attacking people but I never thought they would have to send in their own army to take care of this mess. While we were at aunt Stacy's everyone was talking about the situation in America. Stacy actually thinks the whole thing is a hoax, seems a bit much for a hoax to me. Apparently the area around the dark territory is being evacuated, the stuff is spreading more slowly now so people can actually out walk it but those demon things go out and eat people at night. The marines are moving the people out while the army and air force have launched an all out attack; they are calling it operation new dawn, what is it with Americans and these funny names? There have been reports of intense fighting but it sounds like the army is pushing the creatures back, about time

-May 15th 2000
The army lost! The American army, the so called greatest super power in the world, got its butt kicked! And it looks like the source of the creatures is that weird tower the news copter got a glimpse of a month ago. They are calling it "the spire" as if the situation wasn't creepy enough already. The Americans seem to think that the whole thing is being carried out by just one guy, some kind of evil demon king guy, this is straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon. The yank president was talking about desperate measures; I can't wait to see what that idiot is planning.

-May 29th 2000
Washington is gone! The president's bright idea was to nuke the spire. The dark territory covers an entire state but still, that was a little extreme. And it back fired. Somehow the dark lord sent the nukes away and blew up Washington DC! The president, the Whitehouse, all of it is gone. There hasn't been much information coming out of the US since it happened. It looks like America's days are over.

-Jun 10th 2000
There has been a world wide blockade on America. Russia, Japan, Canada and even our own navy have all cut off all traffic to and from the United States. The American government has collapsed and there is no news coming out any more. There are all kinds of financial predictions due to the collapse of the American industries. I never realized they were so important. On a lighter note my ants are doing well, I fed them a beetle and some honey. Mom wants me to get rid of them but they are the easiest pets in the world to take care of.

-Jeffery skimmed the next few pages, every now and then there would be an off hand remark about America. There were updates on the ant farm and his failed attempt at courting the girl from school. Finally he found what he was looking for.

-Nov 8th 2001
It's been over a year since America was destroyed but it seems that the monsters aren't satisfied with just one continent. There are reports that a massive naval force has been launched from the American east coast and is headed towards Europe. What I don't get is why they aren't attacking Canada or South America, why cross an entire ocean just to get us? Then again, maybe they are going to do that too, splitting up their forces to take over the world faster.

-Nov 13th 2001
Our blockade is gone! Somehow the monsters managed to completely destroy the combined naval forces of the greatest powers left on this earth in less than an hour. There were some media images showing giant sharks and squids and all kinds of horrible things eating the sailors. The naval docks have been building lots of ships to strengthen the last attempt at stopping them from setting foot on our soil. I hope they succeed; we live pretty close to the coast.

-Nov 27th 2001
The monsters are getting closer; we are going to live with Uncle William for awhile until this is over. He lives farther inland so we will be safer. Before we left I snuck a look at the navy, there are more ships than I can count. The soldiers are putting up all kinds of ditches and barb wire traps, it looks like they should be able to handle it...I hope.

-Dec 6th 2001
The monsters have landed and it doesn't look good. We've been going through our things but I think I left my ants back at our house. I know mom won't let me go so I'll sneak out tonight. Our house isn't that close to the beach and the soldiers should be able to hold them off at least that long.

-Jeffery closed the book seeing there were no more entries. His curiosity getting the better of him he placed his hand on the cover and closed his eyes. He saw the young boy, scrawny with shaggy hair and glasses. The boy snuck out of the house at night and made his way towards the encroaching darkness, and his little pets.

-Jeffery was impressed that the boy managed to make it all the way to his former home. The side of the house was overgrown with dark territory, no doubt planted by the terraformers. Unaware of the danger the boy entered the house and headed for his room, stopping dead in his tracks at the site of the black growth enveloping his room.

-He slowly walked up to the broken aquarium that had once housed his little pets. The sandy soil had spilled to the ground and the dark territory had invaded the enclosed environment. Mathew looked through the sand but found no trace of his ants, that's when he heard the noise.

-A strangle rustling noise from the next room. It was enough of a scare to jolt some sense into the boy who quickly left the room only to be stopped by its new inhabitant. Mathew looked up at the large creature looking down at him. It was an ant.

-It was the size of a hoarse, warped and twisted but Mathew knew an ant when he saw one. The thing looked down at him, its antennae waving back and forth in the air. For a brief moment Mathew seemed to be happy to see his little pet. That expression didn't last long however as the creature opened up its fearsome jaws and took a more aggressive stance.

-The boy took a step backwards and the moment he did the ant rushed forward and clamped down in his left shoulder. Mathew let out a scream of pain as the giant insect's mandibles crushed his bones with little effort. The helpless boy desperately pounded on the monster with his able hand as it lifted him into the air.

-Another ant came from the room Mathew had heard the noise. It clamped down on his flailing right arm and effortlessly ripped it off. Mathew let out another blood curdling scream as the ant that still had a hold of him poised its stinger and plunged it into his stomach. Mathew foamed at the mouth as the acid dissolved him from the inside out.

-Jeffery opened his eyes and took his hand off of the book. It had been an interesting look through the eyes of a victim but he knew the child had died months ago. For now, he would return to his troops. He stretched his limbs and popped his neck side to side. His headache had finally left him and he was feeling better then ever.