The waves gently lapped in and out of the shoreline. Zia relaxed happily on the beach,  feeling the warm sand beneath her body, the umbrella's shade protecting her from the sun, and the gentle sea breeze cooling her off. Her earbuds muffled the various chatter around her, letting her drift in a blank, comfortable void of relaxation. The sound of her friends bickering about something or other faded into the background, and she watched the waves go in, and out, in, and out… Always consistent… Always the same… Or, they were supposed to be… But as she watched them, she noticed they seemed off. They were coming faster than they should, reaching much further onto the shore than they should. As she sat up to look closer, she heard the sounds of talking outside her earbuds growing louder… Like they were scared. The waves grew more and more intense despite the clear blue sky, and Zia stood up to see what was happening. Out in the horizon, a massive shape loomed, waves cresting out from its every movement.

The screaming was completely penetrating Zia's earbuds now, and people began running away in a panic. She looked around for her friends and saw Dora cowering near the concessions stand. Dora looked up at her, her eyes. “Wh-what is that thing?!” Zia looked at the massive, indistinct shape approaching the beach. “I don't know! Why would I know?!” “I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST PANICKING OKAY?!” Zia looked around, trying and failing to keep herself calm. “Wait! WHERE'S MARTHA?!” The girls looked around for their friend amidst the swarming crowd of panicking beachgoers. “There she is!” They ran towards her, yelling her name, but she didn't react. At first Zia assumed she must just not have heard them over the commotion, but as they neared their friend, something seemed very, very off about her.

Martha, in contrast to the panic around her, was standing still and relaxed, her hat and sundress billowing tranquilly in the breeze. She had a blissful, calm smile on her face, and seemed the perfect picture of serenity. Dora grabbed her shoulders. “Martha, what are you doing?! We need to run, NOW!” Martha turned her head and gazed at Dora with sleepy, glazed-over eyes. “We don't need to run…” Dora shook her. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! YES WE NEED TO RUN, THIS IS THE ONE TIME IN YOUR LIFE YOU SHOULD TAKE THINGS SERIOUSLY!” Martha just smiled sweetly and spoke in a soft, dreamy tone. “She doesn't mean to hurt us… We are not in danger…” As Dora tried to snap their friend out of the strange trance she was under, Zia looked towards the approaching monster in horror. It looked like a giant, mutated turtle the size of a skyscraper, massive spires jutting off of its shell emitted a strange, sickly blue mist. Its head was probably larger than Zia's entire neighborhood, and its eyes… Its eyes glowed so bright. Even from here, Zia could see the powerful, swirling lights, shining all over her… They made her mind feel… Slow… Warm… Serene…

Zia's body went limp as she felt Her psionic presence wash over her. It was like a tremendous wave, a tsunami, towering hundreds of feet over her frail, powerless human form. She felt it crash down all around her, a force that could crush her a thousand times over… And yet it did not. It embraced her like a warm hug, a promise to every sense she had of comfort, of safety, of serenity… She was engulfed in pure psychic comfort and relaxation, and all her senses were pleasantly dulled by the all-encompassing warmth filling her being. There was nothing more certain in the world to her than the knowledge that there was no need to worry. She meant them no harm…

Feeling like she was in a dream, Zia walked over to her friends. Dora was still trying to snap Martha out of it. She was still afraid. “...please, what's going on?! We're in danger! Did that thing do something to you?!” Martha softly reassured her that “She only made me realize that she means no harm… We are not in danger…” Zia gently put her hands on Dora's shoulder. “AAH! OH it's just you, Zia please! Something is up with Martha, she's not listening to me! We need to get her away from here!” Zia calmly smiled at her friend. “There's nothing wrong with her… We are not in danger…” Dora's eyes widened. “N-No, not you too! What's going on?! Why are you both acting like this?!” Zia gently turned Dora towards the ocean. “She means us no harm… Let Her tell you Her promise…” Dora pointlessly struggled for a second. “N-NO! LET GO OF ME! I… I… i…” She relaxed into Zia's arms, her eyes glazing over. “...I am not in danger…” Zia and Martha smiled happily, standing together with their friend as they watched Her come towards the shore. She was almost unthinkably massive, but the friends felt no need to move away. She would not hurt them. They were not in danger.

Many in the city had wondered about what a monster attack would be like. Even before the impact, they had feared mass hysteria in the streets, destruction, looting, rioting, men and women turning on one another for the few scraps of what would be left after their world ended. And when the monster would arrive, they planned to fight tooth and nail to save what they still had, or hide away in safety and hope they could wait out the annihilation of all they knew. 

But that did not come to pass when She arrived. Out from the waters She came, and She was welcomed with comfortable serenity. Not a scream was sounded, not of fear, not of pain, nor of anguish. The city streets were calm and silent under Her watch. And nobody feared Her. Why would they? She meant them no harm. They were not in danger.