Josh provided the Skinless Giant with no further movements after his vision settled on the beast.
Screech!
Behind him was the cry of the Night Hawk, a name Josh had given him, lacking better inspiration due to the seriousness of his hazardous predicament.
*Shit...if I move... he'll probably kill me. At this point there's no way I'm able to stop either, so...what should I do?
Faced with one of the worst possible scenarios he could've imagined, Josh wracked his mind for a possible solution to his dead lock.
Taking into account the fact that the Night Hawk was barreling toward him, as well the fact that the Skinless Giant hadn't noticed him, he could only think of one feasible course of action.
*I have to stand absolutely still until the Night Hawk comes.*
For lack of better ideas, this was the likeliest chance of survival.
Screech!
Once again, the shriek of the supernatural bird ripped through the night.
The boy recited a quick prayer to all the gods he could think of, and began to apologize to his parents.
*I'm sorry Mom...and Dad. I should've been a better son to you two. I was just a hindrance to you, and the only outcome for the both of you will be unjustified sorrow that'll be gained from my demise. Both of you should just forget about me quickly after I die, so I can spare you from at least one of the problems I'll never be able to repay.*
Interestingly enough, he didn't see anyone else being majorly affected by his likely end. It was not the time for self-deprecation, but the thoughts were there.
"...fuck, shut up!"
The tired boy whispered quietly to himself as his eyes began to tear up. The thought of this being where he met his end was ridiculous. Two eldritch monsters that would eat him alive was a fate he just couldn't accept.
*Even if I would've never gotten a wife or had kids... dying alone or committing suicide in my near future would still be a better fate than this! Nobody around me, a painful death!? No, I refuse to die like this!*
If he could just survive this encounter, he swore to himself he would book it out of there, that he wouldn't look back. If he could just grasp a handful of life, a few more years, he would be satisfied. Dying right now, the chance to stop existing, that terrified him.
Looking up at the Skinless Giant, Josh observed that the freak show of a beast was still bleeding out of the stump where an arm used to be.
*Strange, it doesn't seem to be concerned about it at all. Even if it isn't an intelligent species, shouldn't it still be worried about that? After all, all animals need to respond to an injury...unless, it isn't bothered? Will that increase the length of the fight between the Night Hawk and it?*
Grasping at straws...well, what else could he do?
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of standing still, the Night Hawk showed its face.
Screech!
Its wings were unfurled, and its beak gleamed in the moonlight. Its beady green eyes narrowed on Josh, and he wiped away his tears as he focused on both the Skinless Giant and the Night Hawk.
During the time Josh had spent standing, the Skinless Giant had also stood stock still. He didn't know why, but he had been thankful for it.
When the Night Hawk let out its screech, howeve, Josh was able to figure out that the Giant had been sleeping. How sick, to eat an intelligent being alive and then nap like nothing had happened?
*Damn it! While he was asleep, I could've bolted! No, stop it, there's no point in dwelling on what you can't fix.*
The Skinless Giant turned around and found both Josh and the Night Hawk. It seemed to have at least some sort of intelligence, as it immediately deduced the real threat.
The giant and hawk eyed each other with a sense of wariness. The Night Hawk flapped his wings and got off the ground, while the Skinless Giant remained standing.
Josh took the opportunity to slowly shuffle his way to the side of the monsters. He cautiously made step after step, avoiding anything that could produce even the smallest of sounds.
As soon as he saw the Night Hawk streak toward the Giant, Josh sprinted for the nearest building.
*Shit! They're all burning!*
Feeling the adrenaline rush through him, Josh sprinted to building after building looking for one that could be entered. Finally, he found a stone building, one that wasn't burning. Interestingly enough, there even seemed to be plush toys and supplies.
Josh found a bag and stuffed it full of food, a knife, and a first aid kit before heading to the second floor of the building.
The building looked like a courthouse, it had stone pillars and steps out in the front, and a strange aura seemed to be emanating from it. The interior was rather fancy, and Josh took a moment to glance around and appreciate the designs and mix of patterns presented to him.
On his way to the stairs, he noticed a trail of water leading to a room by the staircase.
*Water? I'll definitely need that if the next town is farther away, but I really need to skim through this place quickly. After all, those two things won't be fighting forever.*
Josh took his knife out of the bag before approaching the room. It would honestly be rather idiotic not to, considering his luck up to this point. He rubbed the stone in his pocket as a stress tactic.
*Is it just me, or is it getting kind of warm? Maybe it's just because of the fires and my body heat.*
Brushing off the strange incident, Josh made his way into the room. It was a rather cozy room, with bookshelves lining the walls; a wooden ceiling untouched by fire; blue, marble square tiles for the floor and some wooden desks.
Following the water trail led him to a section of the room where a bunch of bags had been gathered. As he checked them, he realized each bag contained a multitude of other supplies, including water.
*Jackpot! But why the hell are there so many supply bags just lying around? Wouldn't the people have taken them? Wait...why wouldn't they? Unless something happe—!? Huh?!*
As he was forming a conclusion, a chittering noise came from the ceiling above him.
There was a brown bug, blending in with the ceiling, but not just any old bug. This was the size of a mountain lion.
*Motherfucker! Can I please catch a break?! Shit!!!*
As soon as his thought came through, the bug lurched. The best way to describe the bug would be an ant. And it was absolutely disgusting. With no chance at having reaction time that fast, Josh was slammed to the ground and his head was jarred. The wind was knocked out of him, but his hands moved instinctively.
Immediately he began to stab the insect in its side. A weird sticky substance oozed onto Josh, but he continued his assault. His other hand shoved away what appeared to be a set of pincers. Thankfully, the beast wasn't that strong, so it wasn't exactly like an ant. Josh has heard somewhere that ants were really strong for their size.
He stabbed and stabbed until the thing passed out.
Josh shoved the thing aside and instantly checked his body for wounds. Nothing except slimy bug juice. He looked around the room and grabbed his bag, he grabbed another as well and decided that he couldn't waste anymore time, as the fight between the Giant and Hawk may already be over. But right when he started towards the door, he felt a crushing sensation on both of his ribs.
*Wha—?*
A look down showed his shirt darkened with a different liquidy substance.
"My... My blood! This is MY blood!"
It hurt. No, it was more than that, he had never felt such a sensation before. His vision dulled and he turned around, the gargantuan bug was still alive, no...there were multiple.
He reached into his pocket and felt the stone, it was still there. Maybe he could use it as a secondary weapon. He felt his blood trickle from his hand onto the stone, and an unbearable pain shot through his arm. The stone was steaming hot, and Josh threw it at the ant creatures.
In retaliation the ant lunged at him and grabbed his jaw with its pincers. A muffled scream of disgust and pain emitted from the injured youth. Already covering the pincers was the blood from his ribs.
During the happening, a green glow burst forth from the stone Josh had thrown. It shot towards the ant and burst through its heart, slamming into Josh's wrist and melding with him. Josh let loose a strangled noise but it was cut loose when he felt his jaw get torn off.
His jaw torn off.
Unable to scream properly, the boy fell to the floor, writhing in an indescribable fit of agony.
*All of this work to survive?! There's no way I die now!!! No!!! I did nothing with my life! I don't get to apologize to anyone?! I wasted my entire life, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. Oh God, it really hurts. I think I'm gonna die! I think I'm gonna die!*
*If...there was one thing I could change outside of that... I think I'd want to save that girl from before.*
Eventually, the boy stopped moving. His fits of agony ceased and his twitching stopped. Left in a puddle of his own blood, Joshua Grayson lost his life.
The last thing that caught his eye was the green glow emitting from his wrist. An hourglass, twisting upside down.
Then Josh woke up on warm dirt for the second time that day.