IX.
The beast raised his limb, where his feet should be, and kicked Rigel in the side. Rigel’s body rolled and in an instant, he went limp. I threw the stupid communicator on the dashboard and it bounced to the backseat. Without thinking, I opened the car door and ran towards Rigel. Screw being safe, I’m saving my best friend--- if I can.
The beast was stomping his way towards Rigel, not letting anyone get in his way. It was preparing to crush the remaining life out of him and I sprinted as fast as my tiny legs will allow me. I reached Rigel’s side and the beast was nearer. I mentally scolded myself for not knowing what to do. The beast was near--- so near, I could smell the rotten scent of meat. My eyes scanned the area, looking for something--- anything, that could be a weapon. Then I saw the lamppost Rigel has broken and ran for it. I was planning to smack the life out of the beast with it but to my disappointment, I couldn’t even lift it. I was expectedly slow and weak, still. I wasn’t fast and strong as Rigel was. Maybe Rigel was mistaken about me. Maybe I am just human.
I won’t let it stop me. I won’t let being human and weak stop me from doing the best I can to save Rigel. I had an idea, it was a stupid idea but it was better than nothing. I ran toward a spot behind the creature where the medium-sized but light debris of rubble. I grabbed detached side mirrors and threw it at the beast. “Hey, ugly! Get your smelly, rotten ass back where you came from before I hurl you there!” I yelled and the beast turned to me and started approaching me, its seven eyes black and glowing like charcoal on the grill during the 4th of July. Maybe it was a big mistake to direct its attention to me and maybe this will get me killed, but I’m not afraid anymore.
I kept throwing things at the beast and it kept moving forward, but I can see it is weakening. I am not sure why, but the tiny objects I throw affects him. When I ran out of debris to hurl, I ran as fast as I could away from Rigel. I knew I couldn’t outrun it, but at least I bought Rigel time. If what he said about the communicator was true, then someone will have to come and rescue him any minute now. The beast started chasing me. I heard its footsteps, strong and hard on the ground but I didn’t feel fear. I just kept running until my lungs felt like cloth being manually drained of water and until I tripped on a body of a dead man wearing a blood-stained, formal long-sleeve polo shirt with a tie, black slacks and black shoes. I fell to the ground face-first and held my hands out to catch my fall. My hands collided with the ground, catching my weight and I felt an instant sharp pain. I groaned in agony but I was still forcing myself up to no avail.
This is it, I thought. If it’s any consolation, at least I died in bravery. Just like how I always wanted my death to be. I died trying to save my best friend who I hope is being rescued by the ‘people’ he said would come. The beast is now looming above me. It raised its limb that’s supposed to be his foot and leg preparing to kick me to my death. I breathed in deep, savoring my possibly last breath and almost chocked on the beast’s foul meaty smell. I looked at the beast straight in the eye and said, “If you were ever a burger, nobody would dare eat you,” It wasn’t much of a last word. In fact, if that were to be recorded on people’s last words and to be studied by people in the future, I’d be a laughing stock.
The beast kicked me, hard. Pain shot through me in one swiping motion, every part of me was painful. It grunted, sounding inhuman and kicked me again. I screamed in pain and I swear I could feel tears on my cheeks but I wasn’t afraid. I rolled in the impact and my broken hand caught my weight. I screamed again. When the beast came near me, I swear I was going to die. There’s no way I could take another blow like that but. I closed my eyes and waited for the blow that was going to kill me but it never came. I only heard sounds of fighting--- series of kicking and punching and groaning. I opened my eyes and looked up.
There was a tall and muscular boy fending off the beast, and he didn’t even break a sweat--- in fact, he was laughing. He kicked, punched and flipped without difficulty, doing more damage to the beast as he goes. The beast roared and pounded its fist on its chest again and charged for the boy. He leaped out of the way in what I thought was an act of dodging, but no. He leaped for one of the lampposts that were undamaged and kicked it, using it as a booster. A moment later, he was on top of the beast, riding it like a rodeo bull. More people poured in the scene carrying bizarre contraptions. These must be the people Rigel was talking about. The boy jumped off of the beast, unharmed and as soon as the boy was off, the others pointed a gun-like thing at it and fired strips of red light out of it. The beast staggered and groaned but it was surrounded. It gave one last roar before being disintegrated into dust, vanishing into thin air.
It was over and I finally let myself faint or die in agony.
