The Little Giant

Escape

Noah's memory was weakened. Carlos's screaming, his body bloodied and torn, and Ben barely breathing. These were his last fractured moments last recalled, moments he hoped were part of a horrid nightmare which he prayed would end. The prayer failed as heavy breathing and a tight grip crushed his ribs. He was being held. Unlike Carlos's, the hand was cold and strict. Not afraid to drop him, afraid to lose him. The summer heat had vanished, replaced by a chilling breeze and powerful raindrops.

"Ugh..." Noah felt nauseous, his stomach twisted and ached. An urge to vomit tempted the young teen. In hopes of studying the situation, he opened his eyes and nearly blacked out again from the sight. The man who attacked them was now a full-blown giant and was as Noah predicted, keeping a tight grip.

Darby? Noah replayed Carlos spitting the name. Growling and hissing danced around them, the monster cats walked behind their master, afraid and weary of the giant's size. 

"Awake?" Darby's thunderous voice ripped through the woods and silence.

Noah's head was empty. Words were useless and fighting back? Forget about it. Instead, he has a worrisome head nod. Darby formed his lips into an unpleased frown.

"What's the matter? Humans can't talk? Hah!" Darby's mouth opened and unleashed a booming chuckle.

Darby was indeed intimidating. When Carlos was a giant size, he bent down and forced himself to appear friendly and gentle. Darby was upright, shoulders stiff, he wanted to be scary. He wanted Noah afraid. Noah was afraid. He feared he wouldn't see home again and—Ben and Carlos? Were they dead?

"Carlos—Ben—are they," his voice wobbled.

"Your brother? Yes, he died from injuries." Darby seemed happy Noah asked and even happier to answer. "You blacked out after I hit you. I wanted to save you the pain of seeing your brother's corpse bleeding out and Carlos weeping over him. Carlos is your only hope, yet I assume he won't be the hero. Too distraught to fight anymore."

"What? No-no." Noah wished Darby would crush him, he wanted to die. Ben—his best friend and brother—is dead. His last true family was taken away. He began to become numb; his head dropped on Darby's large finger. Ben died thinking he hated him. Noah loved Ben. Why was I so selfish?! Ben...I'm sorry. The tears started rolling, and the hiccups erupted. What will happen? Will he become Darby's pet? Tonight's dinner? A new toy? It no longer mattered. There was nothing worth living for. Carlos was far away. He can't count on a rescue. Life isn't a fairy tale. Ben was right. If Noah wasn't blind, he might've been able to avoid getting his brother killed, destroying Carlos's life, and getting himself kidnapped. If he was now a prisoner, he at least deserved to know their destination.

"Where are we going?" Noah whimpered.

"The Winter Manor." Darby pulled out a sword and sliced a few big branches blocking the pathway.

"Your home?"

"My employer. I'm simply the messenger."

"Messenger? What messenger murders?"Noah questioned him.

"A well-paid one." The giant put his sword back and kicked a stone across a muddy puddle. He even stomped a growing flower under a beautiful tree.

"What's going to happen to me?"

"Unsure," he said. "Long as I get fully paid."

"Who hired you?" Noah's questions were pestering the kidnapper. Noah studied the giant's face tensing.

"A powerful witch."

"A witch?" Why was Noah surprised? He has met two giants now, and seen strange cat monsters all within a few days. Witches were probably the least odd thing in the giant realm. "Would her name happen to be Circe?"