I continued to pace forward under the street lamps, their tremendous height mocking me from above. Kiwi curled into my right armpit as we wandered together, the melody of two breaths carrying away the loneliness of the moment.
A strange draft suddenly fumbled over my head. It took a second before the stars above faded into the blackness, sealing away all hope. And the once blazing light of courage inside me drowned in the shadow of a cryptic demon.
I dug my nails into Kiwi's hide as it stumbled forward, a broken shrill cry emancipating from behind me. Its wooden barbs pulsated like a vessel, connecting every step. Pointed black claws severed through the northern breeze, corrupting the space by which it possessed. This beast was neither lithe, graceful, or blessed with sight.
Nearby, puddles of crimson scorched the dying foliage, tender and warm, murky and dark. The essence gurgled as if trying to speak, before slithering into the depths of blackened sewers. Even from afar, I could smell the flesh decaying in the background, a divine charisma of bitterness and death.
My breath faltered as the behemoth paused, two large speakers dangling to and fro, and lowered down, meeting my swollen orbs. I saw nothing that resembled my kind - no eyes, no nose, no mouth - nothing at all. For several minutes it remained motionless, inches away, waiting for me to run - like all its other victims - and join the massacre beneath its feet. I was hesitant to oblige at first. But long before this creature raised its claws to the heavens, I lost my sanity and obeyed.
Tears leaked from my eyes as I sprinted for cover, ducking into the nearest undergrowth. For the briefest of moments, I was at ease.
Then the ground shook.
THUMP.
The siren blared into the night, bursting my eardrums open. I screamed, dropping to my knees, the roar more defined than ever before. And as I laid, weakened and hurt, I watched helplessly as the monster charged with the intent to kill.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP-!
"Stop!" A muffled voice suddenly cried out. "Don't hurt her. Don't take away what I fought so hard for."
The behemoth halted, letting out only but a static rumble.
The new figure fell silent, turning to meet my round eyes. He had that look of anguish, a sentiment only defined by his scarred morality and shattered heart. A face that only I could recognize.
"Jiji?"
Gathering my fallen doll in his arms, Jiji drove his claws deep into her cotton abdomen, and what fumbled out was a Japanese Medal of Honor. He stroked it by the tip of his thumb, enraptured and saddened, then released, its soul submerging into the deepest-known puddle, sinking for eternity. A tear slipped down his cheek before he turned to his nightmare, offering one last smile of appreciation.
"You can go home, now."
The monster gurgled in acceptance, pulling away from the two of us, it's siren now soundless and devoid of meaning. Into the shadows did the beast flee, its steps now an echo of a former life.
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#WelcomeToTheBlumhouse Contest (500 words)
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A LONELY WORLD OF WONDER: An Anthology ✓
FantasyA monster with a past. A boy driven by grief. A dragon lost in time. And a stranger beneath the sea. Stories, Lessons, and Poems aplenty surge together in a massive anthology meant to twist your very reality, or break it.
