Johnny's eyes grew even wider until the white sclera dominated his grayish-blue irises as he gazed up at the monster looming above him. He had to swallow hard and clench his teeth to avoid getting sick with fear and revulsion. The creature was huge and appeared to be mostly tentacles radiating outwards from a central mass of flesh. Eight beady eyes stared at them, and a long, jutting, serrated beak snapped a couple of times as it stared at its prey. Then, to Johnny's amazement, it began speaking, clicking its jaws with every syllable.
"I thank you, slave, for your years of loyal servitude," it hissed, addressing Johnny. "Unfortunately, you have been derelict in your duties lately. In fact, it would seem you have decided that you would be better off without me, that you have more important things to do. Such as fight for your worthless concept of freedom."
"Damn straight," snarled Johnny defensively, reaching for the knife he always kept on him. "Freedom is a foreign concept to me, but if you're the one impeding it, you'll find that we think it's a concept worth fighting for." The creature manipulated what it had for face into something that approximated a grin.
"Fool," it said. "You are the slave, and I am your master. I would have you do nothing else but serve my purpose. You have been disobedient, and it is time to face the consequences." With this the monster ceased speaking, and it whipped out a lightning-quick tendril towards Johnny. Johnny had anticipated this, and bringing his knife in a fast arc, lobbed off the tentacle. The creature roared in pain, withdrawing the stub. It followed it with ten more, and although Johnny was fast, he couldn't guard against them all. They snaked around his arm and leg and lifted him clean off his feet. It whipped him back and forth and let go, tossing him against a far wall. He hit and, with a sickening thud, crumpled in a heap on the ground.
"Johnny!" screamed Devi. She started to run to him, but a grasping feeler wrapped around her ankle. It tripped her, and dragged her back towards its main body. She clawed at the floor in vain, and she remembered Todd. She turned to him, fighting for breath to speak.
"Todd! Help Johnny!" She screamed, but Todd's eyes just glazed over and turned away. It was going accordingly to his plan. After all, they weren't more important to him than Shmee, were they? He didn't want it to happen, they were so nice to him, but if it had to be like this... Johnny regained consciousness, picked himself up, and stumbled towards Devi. He pulled out a knife and flailed at the tentacle with it, severing it. Devi unwrapped it from her ankle.
"Are you ok?" he asked, helping her up. Devi nodded, and smiled at him. He's holding me... Johnny glanced over Devi's shoulder and, without missing a beat, grabbed them tightly. He spun her around, facing his back to the monster, and Devi could see many tentacles streaming towards them. They were curled up like fists, but moving faster than a punch could be thrown. Shielding Devi with his body, Johnny absorbed the blow. Gritting his teeth, Johnny crumpled under the impact, but Devi held on tight. Johnny had expected to fall, but didn't.
"Devi..." Johnny gasped. The two stared at each other for a while, but Johnny spoke again. "Get out Sickness!" Johnny commanded, feeling tentacles constricting his feet, arms, waist and neck. Fighting to hold on, Devi tried to keep the creature from tearing Johnny away from her, but it was no use. It shook her free, then raised Johnny high into the air. It wasn't going to throw him this time, but instead it was going to rip him in half. However, it never got to. Screaming in pain, the creature dropped Johnny, who spun around to land on his feet. He turned to face Devi, who was holding Sickness out in front of her like a weapon. Devi was glaring angrily at the monster, who was screaming and shedding limbs that turned to dust.
"Eat this, bastard!" she yelled triumphantly. The creature had barely enough time to shake itself off before it fell down, howling, again. Johnny, holding Nail-bunny in the same manner, was channeling its energy away too, and it lost even more limbs and strength. It was losing now. Johnny lifted up a plank and strode towards the prone creature. He raised the plank up, aiming for one of the larger eyes. He judged the distance as he talked through clenched teeth.
"So you are the master? Yet you needed me to supply you with blood to grow. You couldn't do it yourself. And still you're too weak to kill us. Tell me, who is the master now?" He raised the plank even higher, aiming for the place that he knew was the most painful, but he was knocked off balance by a sideswipe from a board and fell off to the side. Johnny turned around, reaching for a knife to strike at whatever had hit him, but he never expected to see...
"Todd!" gasped Johnny, looking at the trembling boy holding a large, long board.
"I thank you, slave, for your years of loyal servitude," it hissed, addressing Johnny. "Unfortunately, you have been derelict in your duties lately. In fact, it would seem you have decided that you would be better off without me, that you have more important things to do. Such as fight for your worthless concept of freedom."
"Damn straight," snarled Johnny defensively, reaching for the knife he always kept on him. "Freedom is a foreign concept to me, but if you're the one impeding it, you'll find that we think it's a concept worth fighting for." The creature manipulated what it had for face into something that approximated a grin.
"Fool," it said. "You are the slave, and I am your master. I would have you do nothing else but serve my purpose. You have been disobedient, and it is time to face the consequences." With this the monster ceased speaking, and it whipped out a lightning-quick tendril towards Johnny. Johnny had anticipated this, and bringing his knife in a fast arc, lobbed off the tentacle. The creature roared in pain, withdrawing the stub. It followed it with ten more, and although Johnny was fast, he couldn't guard against them all. They snaked around his arm and leg and lifted him clean off his feet. It whipped him back and forth and let go, tossing him against a far wall. He hit and, with a sickening thud, crumpled in a heap on the ground.
"Johnny!" screamed Devi. She started to run to him, but a grasping feeler wrapped around her ankle. It tripped her, and dragged her back towards its main body. She clawed at the floor in vain, and she remembered Todd. She turned to him, fighting for breath to speak.
"Todd! Help Johnny!" She screamed, but Todd's eyes just glazed over and turned away. It was going accordingly to his plan. After all, they weren't more important to him than Shmee, were they? He didn't want it to happen, they were so nice to him, but if it had to be like this... Johnny regained consciousness, picked himself up, and stumbled towards Devi. He pulled out a knife and flailed at the tentacle with it, severing it. Devi unwrapped it from her ankle.
"Are you ok?" he asked, helping her up. Devi nodded, and smiled at him. He's holding me... Johnny glanced over Devi's shoulder and, without missing a beat, grabbed them tightly. He spun her around, facing his back to the monster, and Devi could see many tentacles streaming towards them. They were curled up like fists, but moving faster than a punch could be thrown. Shielding Devi with his body, Johnny absorbed the blow. Gritting his teeth, Johnny crumpled under the impact, but Devi held on tight. Johnny had expected to fall, but didn't.
"Devi..." Johnny gasped. The two stared at each other for a while, but Johnny spoke again. "Get out Sickness!" Johnny commanded, feeling tentacles constricting his feet, arms, waist and neck. Fighting to hold on, Devi tried to keep the creature from tearing Johnny away from her, but it was no use. It shook her free, then raised Johnny high into the air. It wasn't going to throw him this time, but instead it was going to rip him in half. However, it never got to. Screaming in pain, the creature dropped Johnny, who spun around to land on his feet. He turned to face Devi, who was holding Sickness out in front of her like a weapon. Devi was glaring angrily at the monster, who was screaming and shedding limbs that turned to dust.
"Eat this, bastard!" she yelled triumphantly. The creature had barely enough time to shake itself off before it fell down, howling, again. Johnny, holding Nail-bunny in the same manner, was channeling its energy away too, and it lost even more limbs and strength. It was losing now. Johnny lifted up a plank and strode towards the prone creature. He raised the plank up, aiming for one of the larger eyes. He judged the distance as he talked through clenched teeth.
"So you are the master? Yet you needed me to supply you with blood to grow. You couldn't do it yourself. And still you're too weak to kill us. Tell me, who is the master now?" He raised the plank even higher, aiming for the place that he knew was the most painful, but he was knocked off balance by a sideswipe from a board and fell off to the side. Johnny turned around, reaching for a knife to strike at whatever had hit him, but he never expected to see...
"Todd!" gasped Johnny, looking at the trembling boy holding a large, long board.