August, from being completely still and looking at the void that was the sky, broke out into a sprint, damn near rolling across the ground barreling towards Brody. The burly man stepped back, and as he spread his arms wide his shirt began to rip, but he wasn’t the psychopath’s target.

He’d dip to the side with eyes as wide as the ocean, focused on Kim. The woman as she looked into those crimson eyes, her heart ceased to beat, but her plan would hold true still. The man vanished before her eyes, and moments later, all she saw was his hand take hold of her head and blood gush from her throat.

Her vision would fade as she fell into the abyss, that would be her last death, her name, whatever it was, would never be known ever again, nor would it be remembered. As she sunk into the darkness, losing herself, and whatever she was, she’d hear the last words of her existence, a whisper to the ears of her stolen body.

“You’re a coward! A coward!” Those were August’s words as he held the dismembered head of Kim. “You are as pathetic as you ever were!” She didn’t hear that part.

As for Augusts’ anger, the body on the ground, the dagger it held, it was covered in blood, and he hadn’t hurt her, he hadn’t even put as much as a scratch on her. Yet, she bled, and she died.

It’d be all the worse as the hanging mouth split down the middle and to the throat to reveal a valley of teeth, the remnant’s influence over the body. The man held the head for a few seconds, and if he was still human in mind, he would have been shaking.

He’d stoop, placing the head on the ground, closing its eyes, even though it looked like that. As he stood though, he only had one thing on his mind, suffering. The thing that was controlling Brody was still alive, and as such, he’d put it through enough to make up for both monsters.

As he turned around, he’d see the true form of the body snatcher, it wasn’t going to hide anymore. August, even as he was then, still stumbled back and away, almost vomiting at the sight of his mutilated friend. He’d almost cry, but all that came from his eyes was more blood.

He’d recreate his first feat, barreling towards the remnant, the only difference was that he wasn’t going to dodge that time. As he ran though, his increased perception would get the better of him, and he’d be forced to look at the thing in great detail.

The second mouth, the unnatural one, started where the first did, but it split at the lips and went all the way down to the naval. As such, the man was spread open like a filleted fish, a bloody gash being reveled, filled with finger sized teeth.

The thing had also ejected its claws, destroying the fingers to bend bone into weapons. August saw all of it, and the sight was unbearable, but he didn’t look away, not for a second, not for a second time.

The only thing he did in those infinite moments before he reached the remnant, was remind himself that it was no longer his friend. It was no longer the gentle giant he knew; it was no longer Brody.

He’d force the resolve, because, even as he looked at the destroyed face of a friend, he knew more, he knew that he was still in there, and he knew that he’d feel every hit.

August would take advantage of his own powers and drown himself in rage, blind himself with it. Thus, the man that stood before him, he was no longer his friend, in fact, it didn’t matter that it was his friend, nothing mattered.

His human hands would warp, turning gold, growing barbs and spikes all over. They’d meet moments later, August screaming like a wild animal, frothing at the mouth. The remnant was fast, and the moment August entered its space, its claws were already inches away from his face.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

There was only one problem though, August was faster, and he was mad. For that first second, August’s right hand seemed to disappear as he dipped to the left, and it was over after that. A crackle and bang let out as the thing was lift up and off the ground by August’s first punch, and he wasn’t done.

The monster went blow for blow, keeping the remnant in the air with every hit, pushing it towards the tree at the bank, blood flesh and bone everywhere. Then, just as he reached below it, he paused, looking at the bloody hole he put through the thing. He saw its intestines dangling, and he remembered the promise he made, even in his rage.

Time was all but nonexistent for the psychopath at that point, and no one had the luxury to see what he had done. So, by the time they caught up, the remnant’s intestines were looped around its neck and August was stood in the tree with the other end.

He’d jump over a branch, leveraging the other side, hanging the remnant with its own entrails. The thing kicked, flailed and wailed, but August didn’t fold. Then it spoke with what little air it got.

“Thank—… you…” That, those words, Brody, he was sure of it.

His rage washed away like morning dew in midday’s sun, and he found himself face down in the grass, screaming at himself. What had he done, what had he forced himself to do. There were no tears, but there was blood, and it flowed, like tears.

He, even in his altered, barely human body, had no strength to stand up, had no strength, to stop himself weeping. Especially after he heard that lifeless body drop. He rocked in the dirt, back and forth, biting into his own fingers, trying to convince himself that it wasn’t Brody, trying to convince himself, that he was right.

May had been in a long dream, floating away in darkness, and then, she had been let go by familiar hands into a river of light that rejuvenated her body. It seemed to change her, all the way to her core, she was no longer the same, the only part of her that remained was the intangible.

The girl didn’t even have her implants anymore, or rather, how they existed then, they had truly become a part of her, blood, flesh and all. As such, as a new person, she had awoken from her slumber and what she saw convinced her that she was still asleep.

A caricature of Brody dead on the ground surrounded and wrapped in his own entrails, a beheaded Kim and her brother, crying, weeping to be more specific. She rubbed her eyes, pinched herself, a little too hard even, she even slapped herself in the face, and at the end of it all, she realized, that it was truly real.

She had no idea what was happening, and what had happened. Her breath quickened to dangerous degrees as she formulated an excuse in her head. Her brother had failed to save them, and whatever had killed them was the same thing that had ravaged the surrounding area.

It got so bad that May’s vision began to blur and she was beginning to lose herself, she was even forgetting how to breath, while simultaneously wanting to puke. August’s abilities would return and he realized his sister was back.

He stood up, and by the time his back was straight, all the blood was gone and he was almost smiling. May would fall over as she lost her balance and there was a hand to catch her. It was almost like it took all her burdens away as the moment they made contact she was fine.

She’d blink a few times, and reaching out, she hesitated before she touched his face, it was her brother. She crumpled a fist and punched him in the nose, but all she hit was a stone wall. She winced in pain, but even that passed in a moment’s notice, not even a bruise left behind.

“Well that was stupid…” Her brother spoke, it was him.

“You’re stupid…! What the hell is— wha—…?!” May put her head on swivel as she spoke, she wanted to point attention to the other side of the river, but there was nothing there.

There was light golden mist washing over the landscape, it looked like dust, and the ground that was uprooted into mounds before, was back to being beds of flowers. There was nothing over there, and that’s when she realized the absurdity of where she was, a still river and an empty sky, but none of that mattered.

As she looked around, she’d realize that Bob was there too, he looked better than before, as if he was only sleeping. The fact that Kim and Brody were gone did puzzle her though, especially after what she had seen.

“What happened…!?” The girl took hold of her brother’s face, and it seemed to soften to human degrees.

“A lot…” August took a deep breath, looking away from his sister.

“I’m sorry…” May immediately recollected herself.