​He missed. Paul’s body smashed into the ground cracking the dried mud floor. He could hear his teeth ringing. After a moment he rolled on his side and tried to prop up his torso. He was struck with a stench of mud and sweat and he was awoken to the reality of his situation. He shivered and turned his head slowly towards the ground and then to his rear. It was standing there. It was standing tall. It held It’s hands above it’s head admiring something reflective. I reached for my belt. Missing, was my 4 inch Swiss army knife that had just slashed It’s leg. The leg that It was having no trouble standing on. It fiddled with the concealed knife and looked in it’s cracks and crevices. It softly cooed during the inspection. Paul's breath wouldn’t flow down to his lungs. In spite of that, he still managed to swallow deeply as he heard the noise that made him whimper. Click.And then It looked at Paul with calm eyes as it slowly lowered down from It’s upright position. It sank down to a crouch for what felt like an hour without ever breaking eye contact. The sound that I feared second most followed as leaves and twigs snapped underneath the approaching footsteps of the calculating beast. I turned away and steeled myself, using the last drop of strength in my upper body to pull myself away from the creature. My nails stinging from the rocks I was clawing in hopes of finding something to defend myself with. But the sound of leaves and Twigs continued and I felt the grip of a father lifting his newborns wrist. The ground reversed in front of me as It dragged my leg into the air until we were eye to eye upside down. It reached up with it’s other hand and my greatest fear became fact, It gripped my Swiss army knife and pointing it towards my ankle it cooed softly at me. Tears welled in my eyes but I couldn’t tell if it was pain or terror. And then It stabbed me. Stinging like lightning tore away the skin. Then burning like acid ate my blood. Finally, the pounding of a hammer and nail struck my ankle bone. The only murmur I could make was a soft choking followed my a heavy gasp. I started to see less and less as my vision narrowed in on It’s eyes. Blackness surrounded me as I began to feint. And then it stabbed me again. And Again. And Again. And Aga…

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Updated Jan 24, 2023.