Project A.S.H.M.O.R.E
Short Story
This came to me in a dream on the night of November 7, 2025. I chose to schedule its publication today, November 15, 2025. Because I already have other projects planned for release.
It was so vivid, and I wrote this, mirroring exactly how I felt in the scenes depicted through this story. There were other scenes not captured, as it became hazy when I woke up. And yes, I am aware this could be more. But, as you might know… I am currently working on three projects. So this has to be just a short story for now.
© 2025 Annieguile Bentulan/Through Words Be Guiled. All rights reserved.
Project A.S.H.M.O.R.E
BY: ANNIEGUILE BENTULAN
I gained consciousness standing, staring at a patch of grass before me. I tried to make sense of where I was and what I’m doing, but I felt detached from myself.
It was as though I was in a deep slumber before this, only to open my eyes and find myself not in my bed, far from it.
I can feel the breeze that swam through what I believe is where I am, a field. A flat, empty field. My shadow slanted before me, indicating that the sun was setting behind me. But I have no control over my body. I wanted to lift my head and scan my surroundings, but none of my limbs follow my thoughts, as they used to.
We were on an Island, I remember now… memories flash before me. Finally, my gaze averted from the patch of grass where I’m standing. Yet none of these actions were of my own accord.
People are gathering before me, scanning the area, the faces that walk hand in hand, whispering in confusion and curiosity, all mirroring the thoughts I have.
As my eyes continued to scan the whole area, I realized they were gathering before me, watching me with reverence reserved for someone with power and authority.
The sky slowly dimmed, the sun leaving a taint of pink and red on a darkening sky, as evidence of its prior reign. A hissing sound can be heard from my left, an underground elevator was coming up. My body shifted to face it, and I can feel excitement and anticipation coursing through me, yet somehow it is not my own.
As the elevator came to a full stop, two men were on it, carrying what seemed to be a rock shaped like a coffin. There was recognition in the way my body straightened itself, as the two men guided it towards where I stand, in the center of the still-growing gathering.
I tried to scour my mind for any recollection of what this is, and all I have are echoes of my voice ordering men wearing black, much as the men who are guiding the coffin towards me.
“ Escort the entity towards the Omega chamber.” I had said, my voice mixed with fear and excitement as I shouted the orders. “Enforce maximum security.”
A lanky man in a lab coat, his tousled carrot hair indicating a lack of rest, mirrored my own face that reflected off his thick-rimmed glasses, “ Doctor… the mainland is asking for an update,” he’d said. “ What should I tell them?”
My gaze flickered to him before I faced the glass window before me, watching as the security team escorted the same stone coffin to the omega chamber. “ Tell them… we’ve retrieved it.” I sighed deeply. “ Tell them… that project Ashmore has commenced.”
The echoes of memories were interrupted when the two security men asked if they were placing the stone coffin at the right spot I wanted it to be.
“ Right there, is alright. Gentlemen.” I said, yet the voice was distant. I spoke, but somehow I know it isn’t me.
My gaze surveyed the stone coffin once more, and that’s when I realized that it had been floating off the ground. Energy can be felt vibrating off of it, like a soft hum of a refrigerator standing still in the night. Tingling my skin, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, as if I could smell and identify the power of the vibrating energy.
The stone coffin floated five steps before me. I took a quick scan of the gathering herd before me, people wearing white lab coats. Some in grey jumpsuits and men in black uniforms, with wires strapped to their ears, distinguished them as the island’s security team.
I know some of these faces, as revealed by the memory flashing in my mind. People who reported to me, people I’ve shared the cafeteria with, but I cannot for the life of me know why we were gathering.
I can feel none of the confusion etched on my face, but I felt it to be calmed and observant. I can sense the crinkling corners of my eyes, as if I am about to do something delightful. If I could just figure out what.
The black stone coffin has a glass surface, showing the creature it holds inside. It was the size of a one-year-old baby, but it was no creature I’ve known before. But I recognize this to be Project Ashmore. My mind tried to grasp onto echoes, attempting to get clues as to what project Ashmore was, but failing. As my eyes remained glued on the creature, I observed, thinking I might gain some semblance of knowing by looking at the clue before me.
The creature’s body resembles that of an infant elephant, but mirrors none of an elephant’s skin texture. The creature’s skin appeared smooth and slimy. The face of it was far more haunting than what I’m experiencing with my own body, that if I have any semblance of control over myself, I knew the hair on my nape would be standing and beads of sweat would be dripping off my forehead.
Alas, none of that is felt throughout my body. I was calm, yet I felt more afraid of knowing this fact. For the face of the creature is not of any known species that walks this planet. Its head held four onyx eyes, positioned on its face like the logo of Kodak. Below it are too small openings that can only be its nose; the majority of its face, however, is tendrils, four tendrils as thick as the base of the trunk of an infant elephant. I noticed its limbs; it might’ve resembled a small elephant at first glance, but as my eyes continued to look at it, I noticed that it had arms, or what looked to be its arms. There were no memories that came rushing to explain what this creature is, but I recognized it’s not of this world.
Questions then crowded my mind along with that simmering panic that appeared the moment I realized I was detached from any bodily control.
“ Why are we gathering? Is this supposed to be a presentation? If so, where are the board of directors? ASHMORE… ASHMORE? What is ASHMORE?”
A shuffling of people can be heard behind me, disrupting my thoughts, and I hear someone’s voice, calling my attention. And I only turned my head to the left, acknowledging the noise, but my body remained as it was, facing the floating stone coffin. My eyes darted in the direction from which the sound came, head slightly inclined. I may have no control over the schooling of the features of my face, but I can detect a slight annoyance forming there.
The voice that called out sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. The person looked as if he’d run through the crowd to get to me. His chest heaving, breathless. His eyes shifted from me then towards the stone coffin. “ Sienna…” he called in between breaths, shaking his head, “Don’t do this.”
I felt my right eyebrow raise; I felt annoyance in how he’d address me. And he looked taken aback, as if he was not used to me, reacting this way to him.
I wanted to ask questions, but they sat at the tip of my tongue, and none were spoken. Instead, my face relaxed, smirked, then turned into a full smile.
I shifted my attention back to the stone coffin, the glass surface, which showed a reading of the creature’s life stability. It appeared asleep at the moment.
But in my mind, I agree with the man behind me, whatever is supposed to happen in the next moments, whatever it is that my body is planning to do, it shouldn’t happen. But I remained helpless, forced to watch everything around me unfold. And I heard myself say, “It’s too late, what is to be, must be.”
What does that mean? I ask myself…but no questions came; no memory came flashing to provide insights as to what is to unfold tonight. My feet walked towards the coffin until I was hovering over it. And I saw my own face reflected in it. I am looking at this thing lovingly, my eyes filled with yearning.
Smile still plastered on my face, I then faced the crowd that had gathered before me. And spoke, “ Friends, I thank you for joining me…” and as I did, the whispers from the crowd halted, attention focused on me, eager to know, to understand what the gathering was for. “ For years, we’ve been searching for meaning and power. Turning every stone for answers.” I continued. “ And now… the time has come for us to finally reap the gifts of what we’ve sown. To reclaim what is rightfully ours.” I paused and slightly faced the coffin beside me, caressing it as if I were caressing a lover. The smile on my face lips, never faltered. Forefinger hovered over the biometric mark that held the lock of the coffin; it unlocked, and the glass surface hissed as it opened, the creature slowly floating midair. The crowd gasping, my eyes that watched the creature float from inside the coffin to the air, slightly above me, face them, and I heard myself say, “ My friends… Death is only the beginning.”
Before a roar was heard from the tendrils of the floating creature. Everyone was frozen in place, including my own body, yet the smile remains. The creature spread itself from the curled position it had taken prior, and slowly it grew into a massive beast and launched itself at the crowd.
Screaming and shooting were emitted almost immediately, but I was unfazed. Still standing where I was. The voice that caught my attention from earlier shouted, “ What have you done!?” I looked at him briefly. He’s on his knees, face contorted with disbelief and fear. Emotions that mirrored my thoughts but not my face. I remained simply smiling.
As the chaos ensued around me, I could feel my body shaking with fear, but none of it registered on my face. And I heard myself say to no one in particular, “It’s alright… what’s to be, must be.”
And I found myself repeating that phrase over and over as I placed myself inside the coffin where the creature had been. Staring into the sky, hearing the death and chaos around me.
“ It’s alright…What’s to be, must be.”I chanted in the calmest voice I heard myself use. But in my mind, I am screaming. Yet the smile never left my face.
Not when the shooting of guns gradually sounded fewer and distant. Not when the screams slowly dwindled. Not when the sky finally turned grey for morning, as if mourning the chaos that ensued during the night. No rays of gold were splattered in the vast open sky.
With the same relaxed smile on my face, I still kept saying “ It’s alright…What’s to be, must be.”
Until a blood-curdling scream of a man is heard near where the coffin remained, I didn’t stop smiling or chanting. Not even when blood splashed onto the surface. Not even when thundering footsteps are heard nearing me.
Not even when the creature hovered over me before letting out another heavy roar.
I still chanted “ It’s alright…What’s to be, must be.” until there was only darkness.
The hum of rotor blades cut through the silence as the rescue chopper hovered in the sky, surveying the island.
“Jesus! Look at all the blood that spilled here!” one of the men holding an M16 exclaimed. His voice crackles through the headset.
“ It seems like it wanted to add color here other than green,” the co-pilot commented.
“ Eyes focus, boys! Look out for signs of life.” The captain of the team ordered. His face seemed to be stuck in a constant frown. The captain reached for his radio and reported back to base, “ Project Ashmore has fallen. No, survivors in sight.”
“ Well, at least Georgie’s enjoying this.” The co-pilot commented, looking over his left.
Georgie, who’s piloting the helicopter, seemed to be stuck in an eerie amusement.
Then, suddenly, the helicopter nose dipping, heading downwards at full speed.
The team did not have time to react, and the pilot only said, “ It’s alright…What’s to be, must be.” as the helicopter headed to a crash.
© 2025 Annieguile Bentulan/Through Words Be Guiled. All rights reserved.
Author’s Note: I rarely capture the stories in my dreams. But the scenes in this story followed even in waking moments. The creature here haunted me. I may not be able to write down the following scenes after this, but I remember how I felt in that dream. I was being hunted. I was nauseous when recalling and describing the creature I saw in my dream. Writing him down feels like his real. Which is funny, right? After all… it was JUST a dream.
Fascinating piece, its dreamlike quality really gets under the skin, invite the reader inside.