Dark Earth (Male Reader)

3: Smash

The dirt beneath your feet flies up as you sprint through the areas between the mountains of bone. Your heart races and everything is a blur of white and brown. Behind you, the thin monster crawls behind you at an amazing pace. Small teeth fall from its body. You can hear the creatures bones scraping against each other in its thin body as it chases you. It lets out a hollow roar, like a fish gasping for life.

"Crap! Got to lose it!"

You take a sudden turn to the right, shaking the monster just long enough to escape from its sight. You dart into a smaller pile of bones, taking cover inside the dusty mound. The beast crawls around, sniffing in the air for you. However, it can't seem to get your scent. It wanders off in a random direction, hoping to relocate its meal.

Taking advantage of its poor eyesight, you slip out from you hiding spot and move quickly back, trying not to make any noise. You manage to round another pile of bones and gain a small chance to rest. It's short lived though when you hear something else. It's like a small creature digging around in the bone mountain. Moving like a cat, you silently creep towards the noise. It doesn't sound like one of the long beasts. It's much to quiet for their janky movements.

Peeking around a rib cage full of spines, you see the cause of the noise. A small figure is hunched over next to the mound, shrouded in a large grey cloak. Small feet stick out from behind it. Human feet. A thin hand carefully picks through the bones, selecting small shards pieces and placing them in a little wooden basket. You catch sight of a thin strand of white hair hanging low from the things head.

As you watch, your hand slips and sends a finger bone tumbling down. It bumps off the other white bones, making a clicking noise before landing in the dirt. The figure suddenly looks in your direction. Two pale blue eyes stare you down. Thin lips quiver in fear. You stare back in awe. The young woman looks at you, confused and frightened. The two of you share a silent moment. Her dirt covered face is thin, but you're still able to see beauty beneath the rough outer coating.

She, however, must not be able to say the same about you. Reaching down and grabbing her basket, she turns and starts to run away from you. Her cloak flies up in the wind for a moment. Her left arm is nowhere to be seen. She runs with a small limp but is still putting quite a bit of distance between you.

"Hey wait!"

The instant the words leave your mouth, you realize how dumb that was. In front of the girl, the long beast suddenly charges around the pile of bones. The girl gasped and falls back, unable to recollect herself. The monster stares at the both of you, growing hungrier. It staggers it's way towards her, panting heavily as it reaches out. She screams and recoils, unable to escape the oncoming gruesome fate.

You can feel your body heat up. The fire from before returns. Every part of your being is screaming in agony. Slowly your fingers clamp up into a fist. Fire pushes though you, burning you up. You blink for one moment, and you're suddenly in front of the long beast. It looks startled. You hadn't been there seconds ago. You just appeared between it and the girl. Although, to the beast, it doesn't matter. Food is food, and it is starving.

It lunges forward with its gaping mouth, letting out a hellish yowl as it prepares to sink its withered teeth into your body. Just as it comes close enough, your hand shoots up and grabs the monsters tongue, holding it tight. It looks confused at you. You stare up at its empty eyes, feeling the fire burn once again.

Your arm pulses. The pulse travels up your fingertips and into the long beast. It shakes as it's entire body starts to shake. The strange power flowing into it shakes it to its core. It's body starts to turn inside out, splitting in half and dissolving into a pile of white ooze. You remain unfazed as the monster melts and contorts, breaking down on a molecular level till it's nothing more than a gross puddle in the dirt.

The fire inside you is extinguished. You pant as the energy once in you vanishes. You look back at the girl still on the ground. She stares at the slime then back up to you. The fear is still there in her gaze, but it's coupled with wonder. She rises to her feet slowly, moving her mouth.

"... save..."

"I... saved you," you respond. "Are you okay?"

She nods slowly, she shaken up pretty badly. She takes her basket in her one hand and starts to walk, motioning for you to follow. Not wanting to see if there were any more long monsters around, you quickly move up beside her. Glancing down at your left arm, you see that two more black tattoos circle your wrist.

You can't wait to find out what it all means.