The Demon Of Talbot Woods-Pt1

Run!

Run as fast as you can!

Run before it gets you!

That's all that kept racing through her head as she raced through the unexpected forest around her. She can't even remember how it was exactly she had gotten there, let alone why. All she knew for sure was what had happened in the last few minutes, as it came flooding into her brain and kept running for all that her life was worth.

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It had been a regular afternoon for her: walk the five blocks home from school, get changed, and start her homework after she cleared out the toolshed in the backyard like she had promised her Aunt Alexis. She didn't particularly care for her Aunt, but she was the only person she had in the world after her parents had died just the year before. No one else had been willing or able to take her in, but she was determined to ride out the last few months before her 18th birthday with the old bat despite the constant bickering and back-talk that went on between the two. She was ready to live on her own, on her own and away from the pain.

She would find out later on she would be running away for an entirely different reason that day.

With a heavy sigh she threw on her best worn pair of jeans and an old pink T-Shirt she used to help her aging Aunt around the house, holding back her short red hair with a simple black headband. She wasn't usually too hung up in her looks, but she always made sure her bangs were messy while the hair on the back of her head curled upwards in a cute manner. It was one of her few physical vices.

"Nothing like working for your room and board..." she sighed heavily as she walked through the tiny ranch house, passing her napping Aunt in her room along the way. She may have hated it here, but she was also somewhat grateful for what she had. If it weren't for Aunt Alexis, she would have nothing. Nothing but the pain.

As she walked across the small, pitiful back yard she couldn't help but wonder why her Aunt would still have the dilapidated excuse of a shed let alone want it cleaned out. The wood was surely rotten through, the paint was peeling, and it looked like it was ready to collapse on itself at any moment. She was actually afraid to enter the shack, giving herself pause when she thought it over.

With a deep breath however, she strolled up to the creaky door and pulled it open. The knob almost came off in her fist after she had to pull her own shoulder tugging on the damned thing. She didn't even know where to start, old tools and knick-knacks cluttering the shelves all around her.

"Why hadn't I thought to bring a flashlight?" she muttered low to herself as she stepped further into the shed. She only stopped in her tracks when she heard the low and disheartening CREAK that echoed throughout the shed beneath her feet. Rather than do the sane and reasonable thing like slowly back away from the rotten boards, she decided to gaze down at her feet instead. Just as her eyes connected with the shoelaces on her sneakers, the floor gave way to darkness.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed futilely for what seemed like ages. Darkness and shadows were all that she knew as she continued to tumble and fall through the mysterious black world around her. She desperately tried to claw for some purchase, her hand  reaching out to stop herself, only to be disappointed by the unforgiving and merciless air flying past her.

OH MY GOD I'M GOING TO DIE! she screamed to herself. It hadn't even occurred to her to ask why there was such a deep hole underneath a simple shack in the suburbs, she was too focused on repenting for all the sins in her life. For stealing from the cookie jar every time her mother said not to. Pulling on the neighbor's cat when she was 7. Sassing back to the one person who let her stay in her home after the tragedy that was her mother and father's death. Tears had already begun to stream down her face as her lungs and throat burned from all the screaming she was doing. The only relief from her imminent death would be that she might get to see her parents again.

Her mom...

Her dad...

Death would not come for her that day, but not for lack of trying.

Finally, miraculously, she landed on solid ground. For some unknown and strange reason, there was no impact whatsoever. No crashing to the earth. No broken bones, no bouncing across the ground from the force.

She simply...stopped falling.

Slowly opening her eyes, she lifted herself onto her knees. She was alive. Thank God! She was alive! She checked herself for any broken bones or any wounds. There were none whatsoever. She didn't question it for she feared what the true answer would be. She was just thankful to still be breathing and in one piece.

It would not be a lasting feeling.

For once she realized she was alright, she looked at the world around her. There were trees and grass everywhere, replacing the sights of the suburbs she had grown accustomed to these past couple of months. Nature, actual nature, was all around her. Birds were chirping, a squirrel was climbing a tree and there were even flowers growing close to her. Her jaw dropped at the sight.

It was not out of amazement however.

For it was readily apparent that this place was far from normal. Everything, from the flowers to the trees, towered over her. She watched in shock and fear as a bumblebee flew past her, the buzzing its wings made scaring her half to death and nearly making her jump out of her skin. She quickly got to her feet and looked around, searching for some sign of normalcy, any sign. She had no such luck.

"Where the Hell am I?" she whispered to herself.

Her answer came in a series of rumbles across the woods. It sounded like thunder, monstrous thunder coming closer and closer in the distance. The sky was clear she noticed, and it was almost sunset. The blazing oranges and reds did not ease her fears in the least, as over-sized birds flew from the impossibly high branches to escape before...before...before whatever it was could come any closer.

Her wits were not about her as she stood there, staring in fear at the growing shadow coming towards her from the skyscraper-like trees. Her knees shook, sweat beaded down her forehead and she could feel the tears building up once more.

She let them flow freely when she saw what had apporached her, or rather who.

It was a man, a great big monster of a man, that now stood before her. It casually scanned the ground, a grimace set on his face as he searched for...what was he searching for? When his dark, menacing eyes finally locked on hers, she came to her senses.

She was in the presence, and now the sight, of a real life Giant.

An angry Giant.

Giants usually eat people, didn't they?

"DEMON!" it suddenly screamed as it raised a monstrous foot towards her.