Angst and Death.

Too tall.

Joel sat in his class, keeping his head down while other kids stared at him, some giggling and others pointing.

He was much too tall for any regular fourteen year old, the boy already 7'0 tall and still growing, doctors couldn't explain it and Joel almost didn't want them too.

"Joel?"

The teen looked up at his teacher who seemed sympathetic towards the tall boy, "your mothers waiting in the office for you, you're being signed out".

Joel nodded and got up, almost tripping on a desk which made other kids start to giggle and laugh making Joels heart beat faster and he ran out of the room.

He got his things and he went down to the office, his normal sized mother there waiting for him, her eyes seemed tired, she was biting on her nail.

"Hi mom" Joel said softly, "Doctor again?"

His mother shook his head and brought her son outside and started to walk with him.

They had walked a lot when Joel was younger, normal sized, she had been less tired then, less worried.

Joel just continued to follow his mom until she stopped at a bench and sat down, Joel sitting beside her on the ground, her leaning her head on his.

"Joel?"

"Mhm?"

"Do you know who your father is?"

"No mom, you never told me"

"He was a giant Joel....He was a giant, very kind mind you...I didn't want to tell the doctors should they hurt you or think me as a madwoman"

Joel just stared down at his hands, hiding them in the custom hoodie sleeves made for his size.

"I had hoped you wouldn't get his height Joel...a little taller than usual sure but....this is..."

"Too tall"

"You could say that...you know I love you? I love you Joel"

Joel kept quiet, he just closed his eyes and listened to his mother humming a song to him almost tearfully.

When Joel opened his eyes again the forest was dark, he stood up and looked around frantically for his mother before it set in.

His mom had left him, bags of his things where beside the bench and he could see the tire tracks of what must have been a truck.

Joel teared up and he started to sob.

He was too tall for school, too tall for friends, too tall for going outside and now it seemed he was too tall to love.

With a roar that didn't sound like himself, Joel grabbed the bench and yanked it up out of the ground, tossing it against a tree before collapsing to the ground.

He couldn't hurt anything, anyone, he wouldn't.

He'd hide in these woods until he died, that would keep people safe.