Fear Death Or Live In Despair

A/N: This is a chapter has been redone. It is not a repost though it's plot is the same. Hope you guys enjoy! Also if you see any mistakes feel free to point them out.

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I awoke with a start, sucking in a breath as I grasped my aching head. It felt as though someone had been banging it like a drum.

The air smelled kind of odd. Kind of... fresh?

I sat up slowly, my eyes opening to a blinding light. As my vision adjusted I was met with a shocking sight. I was in a forest. One with massive trees of monolithic scale, their trunks thicker than silo's. They stretched high into the sky, scraping at the bright blue firmament as they creaked and groaned. Shadows curled and swam around me as their ancient branches swayed in the light breeze.

Their prehistoric iron grey bark and the massive shadows cast by their titanic trunks created what was almost a greyscale landscape. Looking around, I found that I was in a small grassy clearing. A single bright point in what seemed to be a deep sea of trees.

Looking to the side, I noticed my motorcycle helmet beside me. As I reached out and grabbed it a sharp pain suddenly stabbed into the back of my head.

Memories.

Flashing lights.

A scream.

The wild screech of tires.

A truck grill.

"AGH!"

I felt as though my brain was placed into a hydraulic press!

I fell on my back, gripping and squeezing my head in a vain attempt to rid myself of the pain. I eventually curled up into a ball, crying in fear and confusion.

As the physical pain faded, rash and terror driven thoughts filled my mind.

Maria and I were hit by a truck. I remember now. We had died together because of some bastard on his phone.

So why am I in this foreign place?

Why wasn't I with Maria in the afterlife?

Where the hell am I?

What is going on!?!

"Someone tell me please…"

Tears streamed down my face as I held myself tighter, trying to hide within this small island of light.

…

It took me three hours to gather enough willpower to put strength into my legs, and stand up. I had run out of tears a long time ago.

Yet the disbelief of all that had happened held me on the ground. I had given up. I wanted to curl up into a ball and have my consciousness disappear.

Yet it never happened.

Looking around I wiped grime from my eyes that had gathered after I cried for so long.

I put my hand over my heart.

I didn't feel my own heartbeat.

And yet…

I sucked in a breath, and then exhaled.

I still needed to breathe.

I was likely dead. In some way or form.

It was depressing, but I had to accept it.

Looking around I picked up the helmet. My sight swam a little, but the pain and visions from last time didn't assault my mind.

'Now what'

That's what I asked myself.

I had nowhere to go. In this massive forest this was the only bright place that I could see. I didn't have my phone in my pocket anymore so I didn't have a flashlight to search anywhere.

This all seems hopeless.

I sat back down, looking around as I wondered what I should do.

There was zero point to anything I could do.

It was all worthless.

So instead, I stayed in my little circle of light.

…

Another hour passed before I began to explore the possibility of moving again.

I simply got up, aimlessly wandering the small little space I was in.

There wasn't anything but dirt and grass.

Further out of the little circle, probably much farther into the forest, there might be something I could find. Maybe something useful.

Yet every time I thought to leave, despite my heart no longer beating within my chest, fear shackled me to this little clearing.

I couldn't leave. This haven of light, had become a prison.

Realizing how weak I was, I sat down and curled up again.

…

In a matter of moments, I had lost everything.

I never had a chance to confess my feelings to Maria. I would never get to joke with Johnny, grill a burger, or even ride my motorcycle again.

The tendrils of despair touched all corners of my mind.

What should I do now?

*CAW!*

I looked up.

A large bird, the size of a vulture called out overhead. Was it here for my broken body?

"Heh, I guess it can have it. I have no other purpose anyways. I have nothing left."

Then, suddenly, it happened.

A cracking overhead drew my attention. The branches shook as something long and thin fell from an impossible height.

"What?"

Gradually, I realized something.

"Isn't that thing coming towards me?"

Despite moments ago giving up, immediate avoidable danger caused my self preservation to kick in.

'I need to move!'

*THUNK!!!*

I rolled out of the way as the speeding object stabbed into the ground, kicking up a spray of dust as it landed.

I coughed a little as I waved away the dust in the air.

A moment later, the dust settled, and a large stick was driven into the dirt where the object fell. I chuckled a little at how anticlimactic the whole situation had been.

"It was just a stick huh. I'm not even sure what I was expecting."

Anything that fell from that height could become a deadly missile.

...

The bright silver moon shone down upon me, casting a pale ghostly glow across my skin.

I had a lot of time to think.

I was alone with my thoughts after all.

The bird had left as the sun set, leaving me to rot in peace.

Now that I think about it, it was probably the bird who dropped the stick in the first place. I wonder if it has ever managed to kill anything with such an attack.

Out of boredom, I had pulled the stick out of the dirt and lazily swung it around for a bit, thinking on all that had happened.

Did Maria survive the crash?

Was I the only one that got transported?

"Or maybe she was transported somewhere else?"

Did I arrive before her, and perhaps she already left?

Should I go after her?

Not that I would even know where she went.

And what the hell is that sound?

It was quiet at first but now it was getting louder.

"Maybe something's finally coming to kill me."

I looked up to where the sound was coming from yet saw nothing.

Then it stopped.

It had sounded kinda like flap-

*KRAKOOOOOMMM!!!*

A deafening boom roared overhead as a massive black shadow blotted out the moon for a second, before passing over swiftly.

I instantly scrambled into the shadows of the forest, huddling under the canopy as I gripped the stick with sweaty hands, hyperventilating as I hid behind a tree.

I slowly peeked out as the entire forest went silent.

My heart should have been pounding in my chest yet the emptiness and silence besides my hyperventilation doubled the fear taking root in me.

Then I heard a new noise.

It was like the whistle of an arrow, growing louder with each moment.

And with it so grew anxiety in my mind.

My hands trembled as I held my sole weapon, the large stick. I placed on my bikers helmet and peeked around the trunk. Seeing nothing my throat began to contract as a wave of cold sweat washed over me.

The whistling only grew louder, and louder.

Before becoming a full blown roar.

I wanted to cover my ears, but my hands refused to leave the stick.

Suddenly a dark shadow slammed into the clearing! It kicked up a whirling storm of dust as I struggled to stay standing. Gripping hard onto the stick, I dropped down behind the tree and waited for the dust storm to subside. Small stones were whipped up and hit the visor of my helmet, scratching the glass. The powerful cold wind tugged at me as it pierced my sweater.

I was terrified.

But…

Remembering the speed it showed before…

"Like hell I can run from that thing."

I had fooled myself into believing I wanted to die.

And even if I did, I didn't want to go by being shredded by some monster.

Finally the echoing roar of the impact subsided and howling winds died down. Prying one hand from the stick, I wiped my visor, getting off most of the dust blinding me and slowly but surely peered around the trunk once again.

A massive dust cloud covered the clearing, my haven now gone. From within the dust and dirt, a massive shadow unfurled towards the sky, before letting out a horrid scream.

This was not a display of power.

Or a challenge to the high heavens.

It was a scream of pain and horror.

I wanted to run, I wanted to disappear.

Maybe suicide was better than facing this abomination.

'Why me?'

This simple question nearly made the strength leave my knees. My hairs then stood on edge as my eyes widened.

The creature began to rise, its body reaching the height of a house before stopping.

*KATHOOOMM!!!*

A mighty thunderclap sounded out as the creature blew away the dust.

I steeled my mind and gathered the remaining tattered pieces of my pride as I realized I was likely going to die again.

'So lets do it like a man.'

Stepping out from behind the tree I put on my bravest face behind the helmet.

However I was an utter fool.

No man wanted to die by what I was facing.

A massive pair of black bat-like wings spread out, overshadowing me completely.

These massive black wing's were riddled with holes and tears, through which moonlight filtered down like ugly stars in a warped night's sky, illuminating the scarred slimy arms they were attached too.

The creature's body was slick with mucus, and wider than a bus. Its neck was thick and long, while tentacle-like appendages tipped with three fingered hands hung from its throat. Its face had no eyes, only a massive horse like maw with bony plate-like teeth. On its head, like the hair of medusa, branching tendrils squirmed and wriggled like ugly worms.

This thing was not a monster.

It was not an animal.

And it was most certainly not human.

It was an abomination pulled straight from the depths of hell. For the second time that day, tears ran down my face. I tried to turn and run but my feet wouldn't move.

The creature looked towards me, its bottom jaw hanging slack as it slowly stumbled towards me.

I felt as though I was shrinking as it came closer and closer.

Yet my feet would not move. They were rooted in place. I looked down to see what was wrong and my despair only grew. Shadows had swallowed my legs up to my knees.

I couldn't move even if I wanted to.

*BLAM!!!*

*CRAK!!!*

I looked up just in time to receive a massive clawed hand to the chest, knocking me over and shattering my ribs as the wind was knocked out of me so I couldn't even scream.

A putrid acidic scent assaulted my nose as my vision wavered.

Yellowed drool dribbled down onto the helmet's visor as all my mind began to fade away.

My last thoughts barely coherent as the pain and terror seized my soul.

"I wish I had been able to laugh with them…

One last time…

I wish I could've been less pathetic…

And searched for you Maria…"