Gulliver travel, inspired one-shots

Brobdingnag on our Shores

Theo's feet pounded against the pavement as he raced towards the shoreline. His heart hammered in his chest, adrenaline and anticipation coursing through his veins. A giant! A real-life giant here on their coastline. He had to see it for himself.

Rounding the corner, Theo skidded to a halt, mouth agape. The slumbering behemoth was on the beach, rising from the sand like a small mountain. A crowd of people clambered over the giant's body, tiny ants against the vast expanse of its skin. They posed for selfies atop its mountainous belly or simply gaped in disbelief.

"My god," Theo murmured. He had studied legends of giants his whole career, but to see one in the flesh... defied comprehension. Cautiously, he approached, craning his neck to take in the entire colossal form. The giant's chest rose and fell with rumbling breaths. Remnants of a life vest clung to its torso, while swim trunks adorned its waist. Theo crept closer to gaze up at the mountain of a man.

The crowd around him started to panic as the giant started to stir. The people on top of the man scrambled to get down as the giant awoke. Theo stood frozen as he watched the creature from a fairy tale wake.

Theo watched as the giant woke. The giant man looks around in confusion and bewilderment. He watched as the giant carefully rolled to his side, glancing at the tiny human running away from him. Theo was still frozen in awe and fear. He was very close to the giant.

With an abruptness that sent a shockwave through the air, the giant's gaze locked onto the tiny figure of Theo. A giant hand, each finger thick as tree trunks, swept across the distance between them. Theo gasped, his lungs seizing, as he found himself ensnared within the giant's fist. The grip was firm, undeniable—a cage of flesh and bone encasing him. Panic fluttered within Theo like a caged bird.

Theo felt relief at the sound of sirens. Military vehicles raced along the coastal road, and soldiers spilled out to form a barricade around the beach perimeter.

Still imprisoned within the titan's grasp, Theo felt the world lurch as the giant rose. The rush of movement blurred the edges of his vision, turning soldiers and scientists into streaks of color.

"Control the beast!" someone shouted, the command slicing through the charged atmosphere.

In an instant, the giant's fingers curled protectively, enclosing Theo within the giant hand. The shift was swift, the darkness absolute. A tight cocoon formed by flesh and bone replaced the world.

The heat of the colossal hand was like an oppressive blanket around his body. His stomach lurched in protest, bile rising up his throat as vertigo seized him with unrelenting force.

General Armstrong's voice cut through the din, sharp and commanding. "Fire upon the giant!"

The air tensed as soldiers leveled their weapons, the metallic clicks of safety catches releasing a chilling prelude to potential carnage. But before the order could manifest into action, Dr. Hartley, a consultant working with the military on this case, raised her arms in a plea for restraint.

"Stop! You have a man in that creature's grasp. We risk killing our own!" She shouted.

The general's eyes narrowed, but he held up his hand, signaling the men to hold their fire. It never looked good to kill a civilian in the crossfire. The general watched, trying to gauge if they would have to sacrifice one life to save everyone else.

Meanwhile, sensing the tension around him, the giant turned his massive form toward the beach's edge and headed towards the outcrop of cave systems. Each step was a deliberate act of mercy, his feet planting softly on the earth, avoiding the scurrying figures below.