Return of the Titans

PART ONE: DREAMS

The elk was beautiful.

And that was no bias because the only antlered creatures I've ever seen were in magazines and on television. And even then, they weren't really much to behold. Hell, they seemed almost dumb. I wouldn't be surprised if they had walnut-sized brains just like some dinosaurs.

And if you ask me, some humans.

But this elk was definitely different. There was just something about it -- an aura to it that I just knew that something was off.

The first thing about it was that it didn't move when I, quite literally, stumbled upon its meadow. In my haste, I had taken a wrong turn down by the brook, and instead of correcting myself, went on with this new-found path. I had hoped that the sudden turn from the town, and off toward the forest, would lead the hounds away. My very own fox trail, cleverly shrouded by ferns.

The second was that I was correct. The jeers of the boys were swallowed by the mist that rolled throughout this section of forest, and although the light from their flashlights still bobbed from behind, everything was silent. The only things I could hear were my own gasps and my hiking boots slapping against the soggy ground.

When I was sure that my cover was safe, I stopped. I dug in my heels until my speed decreased from its full-on gallop. I leaned against the trunk of a nearby aspen to catch my breath and gathered a loose curl to stuff it back underneath my cap. I remembered remarking on how it was surprisingly humid for late August, but then again, that was California for you.

I heard a twig snap, and my heart lurched deep within my chest. For a moment, I thought that my pursuers had returned, and I balled a fist. I might not have done much fighting in the street, but I did remember some basic moves. Duck, bob, weave, and punch. Make sure your fists were clenched yet also slack, but in case of emergency, running away was much better than a broken bone.

But it wasn't the boys or any kind of human.

The thing that stood out the most were its antlers. They were beyond huge. They reached above its head like branches on a tree, and loose moss hung from its rungs. They were decorated with the dew of the early morning.

The elk itself studied me with a cool collection. It didn't look at me like an intruder. In fact, it seemed more at ease in the swamp-like meadow than I did. A tongue that was specked with grass gave its slick nose a brisk lick, completely indifferent to my presence.

I might not have been so relaxed, but it came to me that at least it wasn't a moose. I had heard that they would maul someone just for smiling in their direction. If this guy wanted to harm me, it would have, but it didn't.

And the most important question: what was an elk doing in a swamp in the middle of California? Lompoc wasn't exactly fit for swamps. If you stood on the borderline and looked down, there was a desert. Look up, and there were mountains and the hills of Santa Barbara county. Any swamp would be dried up by the sweltering sun, or frozen from the high altitude.

"H-Hey, there," I stammered. Upon second-guessing myself, I slackened my fist and raised my hands with my palms facing the elk.

It blinked, but gave nothing else away to indicate aggression.

I took that as a good sign. I slowly pushed myself away from by the tree's roots. The mud that had collected around my boots squelched as I lifted them, and I rounded my edge of the clearing with silent caution.

The elk watched me with an unwavering dark gaze. It neither blinked nor even twitched a tendon. I was sure for a moment that it wasn't even breathing until I saw its sides heave and a cloud escaped its wide nostrils.

I stopped when I was sure that I was back on solid ground again. There were no trees behind me, but instead an expanse of thistle bushes. The fog leaked out of their thorns to slide effortlessly into the swamp. They swirled around my legs, soaking through my thick boots and somehow freezing my toes underneath. I definitely wasn't going through there.

But then, I got to thinking. Where did this elk come from? He was big -- bigger than anything I had ever seen. My head reached to the middle of its neck, and its torso was a whole other metric system explanation. I barely got in, and as I looked around, I was doubting on whether I would be able to get out. I had lost my entry point. So how was it here, and why?

The elk detected my unease. It flared its nostrils and waved both pointed ears, one by one. It seemed almost goofy as if to say that there was no ill will between us.

In return, I lowered my hand and backed up further. I thought that, as long as I made it seem that I was leaving, perhaps it would leave me alone.

I was wrong. The elk raised a hoof, moved it ways forward, and placed it where my foot used to be. Its head bent half an inch and its eyes were filled with interest. The print it made engulfed my own, and suddenly, I regretted thinking of it as a dumb animal.

It leaned in, and I leaned out until thistles nipped my hands and stung my fingers. I sucked in air at the sharp pain and knew that now was the time to go. I could patch myself up later, but it was incredibly hard to place bandages on a broken femur.

I braced myself when the elk was now quite literally in my personal space. I could both feel and hear it breathe, and coughed because its breath was absolutely dreadful. If this was going to be it, and this was how I was going to die, I hated how it was going to go down with a bad case of gingivitis.

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, telling my mother (whichever Hell she was in) that she was going to see me soon. I was finally getting my ultimate wish.

What I got instead was something that instantly made my blood freeze.

The elk spoke.

"The storm cometh."

*************

Thank you for reading Part One of Return! There will be two more of these: one marking the middle of the book, and the other marking its end. In each, there will be sequences that are crucial to the plot, so don't forget to read them!

If you liked this chapter, please don't forget to vote (hitting the star below), or comment on what you liked. Thanks again, and read on!