The Ancestor

Norman turned around and was suddenly face-to-face with the gaping jaws of the space-worm. It dove left and flew past him, knocking him to the ground. His eraser-gun flew out of his hands and into a snow-drift. Norman looked over in time to see the worm knock the eraser-weapons out of Jessie and Dr. Pea’s hands and wrap its tail around each of them. It lurched towards Jessie, its jaws wide open. Jessie screamed.
“NOOOO!” yelled Norman.
“Wait!” said Mandible.
And the worm stopped, its jaws inches from eating Jessie whole.
“I suppose now I’ll explain myself,” said Mandible, bending down and picking up an eraser-blade hidden beneath the snow. “It was I who sent the worm back to 1991, using the time-tracer to determine the exact moment at which to send the worm through the portal you provided, Dr. Pea.” He turned to Norman and threw him the sword, then bent down into the snow again, “I am a Worm-master, Norman. Having grown up in the same environment as the worms, I was eventually able to tap into their brains. I can control them.” He pulled out another eraser-sword from the snow, and then a third. “That is where my third eye came from. You see, Norman, entering the mind of worms is a mutual endeavor. The worms entered my mind as well. They transformed me into this. And ever since then, I have loathed my existence even more than ever.” He pulled out a fourth and then a fifth eraser-blade from beneath the ice. “And that is why I sent the worm back into the past.”
“I don’t understand,” Norman said coldly, rising with the eraser-blade in his hand.
Mandible lunged at Norman with the eraser-blades. Norman quickly blocked as Mandible swung around from the left. Two other blades came from the right, and Norman turned to parry those. The fourth blade came down towards Norman’s head. He turned his sword upward and defended the attack, but wasn’t fast enough to counter the first blade. It nicked him in the side, and he fell to the snow.
“I hate myself, Norman! I hate that I’m alone! I’m the last man on this planet! The LAST! You have no idea what it’s like to wake up morning after morning and have no one but these vicious creatures to talk to,” he motioned to the worm, still inches away from swallowing Jessie. “I hate being alone. And I hate you and Jessie.”
“What?! Why?” said Norman, holding his side, “You barely know us! How can you hate us?”
Mandible stood over Norman, his blades pointed right at his neck. “Because of everything you have! The bond you share is despicable. It’s the exact opposite of everything I’ve known—it’s everything I’ll never have. So I figured what better way to end things than to send a worm back to the past and destroy your chances of meeting. Obviously, though, the worm wasn’t enough. I hadn’t counted on you two coming yourself to 2939. So, when distrust didn’t tear you apart, I decided I might as well come to 2009 with you where I was certain I could find a worm to work my plan. Oh yes. Once you both are gone, then my pain will be over!”
“Killing us won’t end your pain, Mandible!”
“You still don’t understand, do you, Norman?” said Mandible, bending closer, “I’ll try and make it clear. It’s a lot like the worm. If you kill the worm, you negate the existence of all its offspring. Well, it’s the same with you. If you end, so do all those who come after you. Including me.”
“It can’t be…” said Norman. Mandible smiled.
“I never told you my full name, did I Norman? It’s Mandible Vicyous Bufort.”
Norman’s eyes widened.
“Yes, Norman. Yesssss. You and Jessie are my ancestors. In a sense, Norman, you are my father. And I’m going to kill you now.”