The Man in the Woods

My name's Shane Sumner.

I walk through the woods after packing all my things, it's some kind of Rite of Passage to leave home on your nineteenth birthday. I've never been so far from home before.

I panic slightly when I hear the sounds of a fight, it's normal for demons to prey on unprepared travellers. I look to see two people trying to fend the demons off. One of them has been cut in the stomach while the other is missing an arm. Seeing them like this, I realise that their future is rather bleak.

For some unspeakable reason, I pull out my knife and stab one of the demons in the jaw when it starts to lunge towards one of the people. As I do I notice that the other person is being brutally shredded by an ambush of demons.

Deciding that a knife isn't enough, I pull out my crossbow and shoot as many as I can, only it's too late. That man is dead.

The demons growl as they flee, deciding that this meal isn't worth being shot, their survival instincts are almost respectable.

As soon as I'm sure they've all gone I go to check on the other man, seeing that he's bleeding a lot.

"Sir, are you okay?" I ask, he appears to be murmuring something. He stops and suddenly grabs my arm.

"The full moon - I can see it - there's going to be an attack on the village. Drew's going to get attacked. You must save him!" He tells me desperately.

"Please, don't speak, you're making your injuries worse. I'll carry you back to your village." I tell him.

"South." He directs me as I pick him up. "Promise me you'll protect Drew." He adds.

"You can do it yourself, you'll be fine." I try to reassure him, trying not to look at the blood continuing to soak into his clothes.

He looks at me sadly. "It's a day's walk from here, I've already lost too much blood. I know I'm not gonna make it." He says wisely. "Promise me you'll take care of him."

I start to feel tears prick at my eyes. I don't want this man to die.

"Wear my goggles." He tells me. "I've used my magic to make sure you'll look like me. Go back to the village and tell Drew what happened to his father."

"His father?" I check.

"The man I was with." He answers.

I sniff loudly and wipe my eyes with the back of my sleeve.

"Promise me..."

I stare at the man's eyes as they flicker out.

"No! Wake up!" I shout, he doesn't.

I put him to rest against a large boulder, crying for him until I physically can't bring up more tears.

I start to feel a huge amount of guilt.

I never reassured him, he doesn't know if his dying wish is going to be fulfilled.

I quickly start digging a hole which I can use as a grave for him before changing into his clothes, suddenly feeling the magic he was talking about in the goggles, lucky enough we're the same size so I dress him in my smartest clothes as I lie him down in the grave.

After burying him I take out a knife and engrave the words "I promise" into the nearest tree. Without knowing his name I feel like that's all I can do about the gravestone.

I decide that I've done enough of a ceremony for him and remember my promise to him, collecting his things and continuing south.

I stop after a few miles at a spring to get something to drink and washing the other man's blood off my hands and face. I freeze up when I see my reflection. Instead of seeing my face in the water I see the man who died in my arms. I hastily wash my face hoping I can clean my conscience of not reassuring his dying wish.