Friend of Monsters

Part 5

H- It had probably been a bad idea to go out with three friends on a camping trip so soon after all that - especially when they knew Daki lurked in these woods now... But they had, collectively, made it a hard offer to turn down.

They insisted they could stay near the edge of the woods, with their shared vehicle and plenty of things to keep them safe from bears and whatever else may be lurking. Sam had never told them about giants, but they found their concern of anything dangerous in the woods absurd regardless. They didn't need to. THey said theyre'd be games, and campfire stories, smores and marshmallows, coco and laughs. they taunted and teased Sam for never doing anything, calling them a shut in, and insisting they come. A friendly offer to get out of the house with other people for a change

They did not do any of the safety things they spoke of, unfortunately. They set up camp deep in the woods loud and proud with plenty of lights and and a BBQ pit at the center. Fortunately, as the hours passed and midnight came without incident, Sam found a sort of peace. They played games, made smores, and had been having a general good time - until their friends pulled out the beer...

Now, they were yelling, three drunks and Sam. People that had been their work friends, quickly became enemies, shouting out reasons they hated Sam ; how they were weird and sometimes talked to much, that they made no sense at times, or were acting mysterious for attention...whatever that meant. All their flaws were laid bare - they left nothing untouched, gouging into Sam like thorns.

One in particular, hated Sam for getting the promotion they had wanted - no, that they *deserved* - and it was this one, that was the key instigator.

Sam tried to talk them down, and then had tried to simply leave, and, after a quick tussle, they were now cornered, bloody and bruised up against their coworkers truck.

They held their knife close, though hesitated to do much more than take warning swings. They felt stupid for it, but they also felt very trapped by human responsibility and liability...They didn't want to injure anyone if they didn't have to, but in the case they did, it was certain it would fall onto them and get them into legal trouble - and with the other two in the picture, it would be all too easy to become a one -sided case with no proof on their end as defense. They hated it. They hated how stupid human etiquiette was, and how stupid humans were in general. They hated being here, and they hated that they had accepted this offer in the first place.

*Stupid. You're so fucking stupid* they think bitterly to themselves, and they mean it. Name one time they did anything good and smart. Go ahead. I'll wait. It will be a decade before anything pops up.

They wished they could vanish on the spot. They wished they could wake up and know this never happened. Most of all, they just want to go home.

C- The strong assorted smells of the campsite could be sensed from miles away. The loud voices of the drunk humans. Ohhh they were drunk. This was perfect. This was too easy.

Then he noticed Sam's smell. And the smell of blood.

A slight tinge of concern bubbled at the back of his mind. He reminded himself that Sam was a human, and whatever it was, he shouldn't care.

Regardless, he found himself creeping around the perimeter of the camp site, watching from a distance before taking any moves.

He stretched out one hand near the clearing, scooping up dirt into the flames of the campfire to choke it. In a blink of an eye, they were swallowed in darkness, save the dying glow of the embers that glinted within in the giant's reflective eyes.

He crushed a branch between his fingers to alert the humans, though remained crouched and hidden within the underbrush.

H- The drunks stammer and spin in confusion, bumping into each other as they cuss into the night.