The Half-Blood Giant

Chapter 8: Marooned

Hunter didn't know in specific detail what happened to Jackie, or why she was all smelly and wet, but he could certainly guess. He did his best to clean her up and make her comfortable. She was in a daze. She had overexerted herself and needed time to recover. He handled her carefully, guilt weighing heavily on his heart. He hadn't intended to put her in harm's way. As much as he resented being human and resented his parents, he knew how fragile she was. His father would never let him forget that fact whenever he touched her.

Jackie was supposed to manifest a portal to bring Chester back after his meeting, but she couldn't muster up a single spark. She feared she wouldn't be able to conjure a portal until the next day. She figured Chester would be fine for a night, but she worried about him. She hated the lack of communication. She couldn't even signal to him that she was safe, and that he just needed to be patient. They had discussed the possibility that such a thing could happen, so at least Chester had prepared for the situation in advance. Jackie was too tired to stay awake with worry, so she passed out for the night to help recover her magic.

The Maneaters Anonymous meeting had been a productive one for Chester. He had reconnected with an old friend from past meetings, Milton, and met a new acquaintance, Bianca. Chester was comforted, knowing there were other giants like him that suffered the same affliction. He didn't feel quite so alone. Back in his homeland, giants were eager to snatch up humans and devour them. Back there, Chester was an anomaly. Here, Chester was at least somewhat normal, albeit more voracious than the average giant.

He perceived through observation that the giants who lived here were physiologically different than him. They didn't have his extraordinary sense of smell, for example. Chester noticed that some Maneaters Anon members secretly brought their human companions with them, hiding them in their pockets or purses. Chester never outed them, but he realized after talking to Milton that the other giants couldn't smell the humans like he could. Additionally, they were generally shorter here: Chester was considered a bit short in his world, but he was among the tallest here. Chester was certain there were other, more subtle physical differences, but he didn't know all the details. He did know, from some of the stories he heard, that his insides were dissimilar. He could get a human out of his stomach without vomiting the other contents, for example.

Even so, he felt comfortable and welcome around the other group members. He left in high spirits. He traveled over to the rendezvous point, within a secluded alleyway, and waited for Jackie to spawn the portal. He waited for a while. He had eaten some donuts at the meeting, but he was starting to get peckish again. He knew there were some pork chops waiting for him in the fridge that he couldn't wait to fry up. His mouth watered at the thought. Maybe he could even eat Jackie if Hunter wasn't watching. His guts grumbled pleasantly, eager for meat.

Chester started to get concerned. He waited longer. The sun dipped low on the horizon, yet no portals materialized. Chester realized something must've gone wrong on the other side. By now, even if Jackie couldn't manifest a portal large enough to transport Chester, she would've at least made a small portal so she could communicate with him. He was stranded—likely until the next day. Chester stepped out of the alleyway and looked around. He was hungry, very hungry, but he didn't have any cash to buy food.

He wasn't sure what to do, so he went for a walk. A tempting aroma hit his nose and without thinking he followed it. He padded forward with quiet steps, staying in the shadows, moving with predatory instinct. Conditions were ideal for hunting: a light breeze, plenty of cover, and naïve prey. He spotted his quarry: a tiny businessman. He was walking through the human pathway in the sidewalk toward the railway station. He was wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. Considering the late hour, he must've been working overtime. He was tired and unfocused, not paying any attention to his surroundings—not expecting a predator to strike.