Instead of the pain of a knife biting into his neck, he was very gently patted by the end of the giant's thumb, accompanied by a deep voice shushing him. To his growing bewilderment, he then was slowly rocked while the voice switched to a soft hum.

The humming stops, and Isaac is pulled closer. He stops thrashing, now realizing that his situation more resembled an embrace than death's grip. His big blue eyes open, glittering with tears while he looked at who was holding him.

Isaac whines, once again filled with fear at the sight of the strange beast looming over him. It sort of looked like a person, but only vaguely.

The mouth started down lower than normal and had fangs poking out from under the lip, spreading from ear to ear if not farther. He couldn't tell since a mane of jet black hair obscured it. The nose was enormous after the mouth, long and taking up most of the face. But still short, the end being smallish and regular while the bridge went on for ages.

It looked like it had four eyes, the upper two open and gazing down at him from beneath the lid of a ballcap, and even then it only had one eye to see with, the other glazed white and blind.

The child was transfixed by the monster's face, fearing that the instant he blinked his life would be crushed into a bloody pulp. He was being tricked, he knew it-Mom used to hold him gently and said that she loved him, only to turn around and torment him more times than he could count. He swallowed the lump in his throat, maybe he could throw a bomb in its face to make him let go?

Isaac didn't trust his kind smile or warm tone and kept silent. The stranger's expression faltered into one of deep concern and averted its gaze, glancing around the room in deep thought before speaking again.

"Everything is going to be fine."

Bull fucking shit, like Isaac was going to believe that in a second. Now, this really was cruel, a monster trying to give him a false sense of security. Who the fuck did he think he was? Isaac felt his blood begin to boil with Sampson's rage, but he kept his mouth shut.

Every second the monster wasted in toying with him was a chance that he had for escape. His head wasn't even hurting at all now, so that must mean that he might have enough health for whatever this, THING was.

Isaac has already come up with a plan now, it'd be risky but it was do or die, he probably had enough health to withstand a bomb at point blank range. At least he hoped.

"I say, lad did I not heal you well enough?"

The Batter held out the child before him and inspected him carefully, though was cautious to keep his grip firm enough so that he wouldn't go tumbling to the ground. It'd be quite a ways, considering that the purifier stood at almost seven feet tall.

Confused, and hateful eyes met his own. The Batter frowned at what horrific condition the boy was in, covered in filth and sores and undoubtedly fleas. Even with his poor eyesight, the purifier could see the ribs poking out from beneath the child's pale skin.

"I can tell that you're feeling testy with me, so in hopes of getting in your good graces, I offer to give you a meal."

Stepping over to somewhere clean, the purifier set Isaac on the ground and sat down next to him. Even without there being poop in the vicinity, The Batter's pure white uniform was stained by the dirt on the ground. But this didn't bother him in the slightest.

The purifier pulled out a large cooler out of seemingly nowhere, and from the cooler, he withdrew sealed deli meat, lettuce, some bread, and sanitary wipes that he cleaned his own hands with before offering them to the child.

"How does ham and cheese sound?" The Batter asks with a smile.

The boy didn't answer, he was more astonished than anything now. The purifier took this to be an improvement and got right to preparing the sandwich. Humming as he worked, he was careful not to put too much mustard on, and he even took off the crust.

It's a good thing he read that book on how to care for human babies otherwise, he'd be absolutely clueless. Well, The Batter figured that this child was human, he certainly looked it. To boot, he smelled like a normal living animal, and not the processed and overly sweet scent of elsen.

Yes, that big schnoz of The Batter's was sniffing away, and he also cringed with every breath. Christ in heaven does this place stink! He was half tempted to cover it with a cloth, but he didn't want to seem rude to his company.

"There we are!"

The Batter turned and offered the sandwich on a paper plate. The boy was skeptical at first, but it seemed that sheer hunger won through and he took the sandwich. The child took one bite, and then many, and in a matter of moments the meal was devoured.

"Jolly good, did you like it?"

Still the boy was silent, but eventually, he did give his response, in tears.

"Oh no! Did you bite your tongue? Poor thing, here let me get something cold for you to drink, that should help."

Going back into the cooler, the purifier quickly takes out a water bottle and puts it in the child's hands. It was so cold that condensation already covered the outside of it.

'...it. It was good.' The boy said softly, then took a drink.

This thing was certainly going through a lot of effort to make him lower his guard. Isaac still couldn't get why. The monster-well more of a monster man, was buff beyond comparison. His hands were the size of Mom's even though he wasn't even close to being half as tall, and his arms were as thick as an ancient oak tree.

He could snap me in two without even breaking a sweat. Isaac thought.

Or he could bite my head off, or just swallow me whole. The thing's face seemed human enough, but behind his hair, Isaac caught glimpses of a maw that stretched past from ear to ear. And the way he kept flicking his tongue around, definitely not human.

The way he spoke was the weirdest thing of all. He spoke like a person, a really smart person too. Like in those tv shows Isaac's dad used to show him, the ones about science. Man, mom hated that show, Isaac didn't doubt that they'd have a fight about it.

Isaac was so lost in thought that he'd hardly even noticed when he got put down, and let out a gasp when his feet were back on the ground. He didn't dare take his eyes off of the man, and had already started to back away when he smelled something good.

That salty, rich scent MEAT. Isaac's mouth drooled just at the thought of it. No, no! This was his chance to escape! But. His stomach rumbled. When was the last time he ate something? It's hard to tell time when you can't see the sun. But it's been a couple days at least.

Seeing the food made it all the worse. That was untainted meat, not even discolored in the corners! And there was bread, fresh bread! And some green stuff and cheese, but more importantly bread.

Isaac edged closer, looking over the giant's shoulder impatiently to be fed. It felt like forever before he had the sandwich in his hands, but finally, he was able to view it in all its glory.

Even if he hadn't been living off of curdled milk and dog food for the past few years, the pain in his stomach would have made anything seem like a slice of heaven on earth. But just as Isaac was about to take a bite, a chilling thought stopped him.

What if this is how he plans to kill me.

Isaac knew that this man was too smart to be a monster, but what if he was something worse? A demon, maybe one he'd even met before that decided to have some sadistic fun. They'd just tease him with kindness and joy right before smacking him with reality's cruelty.

He wanted to run, but he was so hungry. His frail body had nothing else to eat than himself, and his muscles ached from where they were being consumed in order to keep himself alive. It was a pain he could usually ignore, but not now when he's so close to getting some relief.

'Poison wouldn't be too painful.' Isaac thought. He was ready to laugh at himself, willing to gamble away his life over a sandwich. It was so pathetic, but Isaac knew that he was pathetic. Besides, it wasn't any worse than draining yourself of blood just to play a slot machine.

Isaac's eyes widen as his tongue touches the bread. The bread, it was fresh, freshly baked that week. The lettuce was refreshing and perfectly crisp, and the meat. He thought it was salami, but it was actually roast beef. Thinly sliced and juicy. Then he tasted the faint hint of something acrid, but also a little sweet. His first thought was that its poison, but then he recognized it as mustard. Not anything he'd ask for, but no way that he's complaining.

The best part of the experience was feeling full. Isaac may have eaten a little too fast, but it was just so great not to be hungry anymore. And that was a good sandwich, made by someone with love and care. Just like mom used to.

He didn't want to believe it, he of all people was receiving genuine kindness from a stranger after Isaac had planned to throw a bomb in his face. Yikes, now he was feeling pretty guilty. The very familiar sensation of having hot tears course down his face was a symptom of this shame.

"...it. It was good." He said lamely. Really, he couldn't think of anything better to say? Isaac mentally face palmed at his own awkwardness. Better that he drink some water so that he doesn't say anything else stupid.

[sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I'm going to try to do more regular posts for now on. Also, who else is hungry?]