Rusky's muzzle roared in defiance as shell after shell pumped out of it at my large, unmoving target. However, the target appeared impervious to the shells. It was more interested in Rusky itself, not that I could see his face as he wore a big helmet. In turn, I was curious, miffed, and afraid that Rusky's shells were being stopped by what looked like a personal kinetic energy field generated by the giant space suit. Although I'm not an engineer, the fact that light in the chest area of the suit glowed brighter after each shot and nothing happened to the wearer after the shells hit told me my suspicions were more or less correct.

After firing the fourth and final shot, I needed to act quickly to change the situation. I grabbed some "barricade" shells from my belt and reloaded my weapon, Rusky. My assailant was interested in my actions, and even the other mammoth paused from setting up the avocado seed-shaped transceiver to pay attention. They looked at each other and started moving in place as if laughing, communicating through an internal communication system in their suits and clearly making fun of me. It was common knowledge not to make fun of another man's gun, except in a cheesy movie. Those motherfuckers!

I finished reloading Rusky with the question marks that were the "barricade" rounds; I held the shotgun close to my hip, unsure what to expect from the recoil without the shoulder guard. Despite the uncertainty, I aimed as best as possible, knowing all eyes were on me. Just then, I heard the sound of a twin-cylinder engine in the distance - Raulin had arrived on his speedy Kawasaki motorcycle, which was a welcome surprise. I could use his help, especially with Papa Olaf's heavy sporter .458 Lott elephant gun, which was overkill for anything in America until tonight.

Upon hearing the sound of the motorcycle engine in the distance, I decided to turn on my radio and leave the transmitter on. I pressed it with my belt strap to prevent any accidental responses and only transmit. I hoped that Raulin would be wise enough to come loaded for bear.

As I pulled the trigger, the force of the recoil hit my hip with tremendous force. The target's chest, glowing with a strange light, exploded in sparks and smoke. Although the bullet didn't reach the target, I knew that the protective barrier had been destroyed. When I fired the second shot, I felt a sharp pain in my hip or leg, but I didn't pay it any mind. The bullet hit the target, sending it flying backward and causing a softball-sized hole to appear in its chest as it crashed into a nearby tree.

Without a second thought, I shifted Rusky into a solid shoulder-supported stance. I rereleased him, aiming for his gun shoulder to eliminate potential surprises. The recoil from the shot caused my shoulder to erupt in pain, rendering my right arm useless for close combat. But I refused to let go of Rusky, using every ounce of strength to keep him in place as I turned towards the other goliath charging at me with a deadly weapon. It was no ordinary shovel/axe - this one glowed at the edges, signaling its power and danger.

The creature moved with a speed that defied all logic, a blur of motion that left me breathless and disoriented. It charged towards me like one of the fabled rhinoceros cavalry charges from ancient times, swift and deadly. I could feel my heart racing as I realized I was outmatched, my injured hip and shoulder rendering me helpless against this formidable opponent. With every passing second, I knew my chances of survival dwindled.

My heart thudded in my chest as I weighed my options, knowing I had to act quickly if I wanted any chance of survival. With a fierce determination, I waited until he was only five meters from me. Without hesitation, I aimed for one of his legs with all the strength and precision I could muster. My finger tightened on the trigger, unleashing a shot that echoed through the air and pierced through flesh and bone.

The power cell on his chest, yes, I am calling it a power cell now, all those Star Trek nights with Zoey, Matt, and Joe were starting to pay off tonight, exploded in a blinding shower of sparks and smoke, sending shards of metal and fiery embers flying in all directions. His thigh jerked backward at an unnatural angle. With each limping step, blood trailing behind him, he fights to hold onto the intimidating light-axe until it slips from his grasp and clatters to the ground with a thud.

I shot the last shell in Rusky's barrel, only for the hulking rhino to roll to the side with surprising agility, avoiding the double tap that would have ended the whole thing. Panic surged through me as I desperately reloaded my shotgun, one round, two rounds...but before I could pump it, a monstrous hand clamped down on my already injured right leg; with brute force, he jerked me off balance and hurled me violently to the unforgiving ground below.

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With a sickening crunch, my body slams onto the unforgiving ground. A monstrous arm yanks my best friend Rusky away from me, flinging him into the distance. As if that wasn't enough, the rhino-like creature crushes my right leg in its grip, bones snapping and muscles tearing with each excruciating second. In a flash, it crawls on top of me like a primal gorilla, pinning me down with its massive weight. I try to defend myself, but my arms are useless against this behemoth's strength. Every breath feels like drowning under its suffocating presence.

Only moments later, my body felt like a broken mess, ribs shattered, and sharp pain radiating through my chest. My left arm was nearly torn from its socket, blood gushing out in a crimson river that soaked into the ground below. The loss of blood alone was enough to make me realize that I was done for. In agony, I reached up to touch my face and realized with horror that my once-bright eye was now missing, likely ripped out by a vicious punch. And as if things couldn't get any worse, the ringing in my right ear gave way to complete deafness, and the eardrum ruptured beyond repair. Struggling to keep consciousness, I looked up in terror as the thing raised its hands above its head, ready to deliver a final fatal blow to my skull.

In those final moments, I thought of my family and how much they meant to me. Zoey's words echoed in my mind, and I cursed myself for not listening to her warning. Guilt washed over me as I imagined how devastated Dad and Grandpa would be when they found out what happened to me. And then there was Joe, my best friend, who would never forgive me for getting myself killed.

But just as I accepted my fate and closed my eyes, ready to meet whatever came next, a deafening gunshot rang out. For a brief moment, the pain disappeared as I heard the sound of salvation. Someone had come to save me. With renewed hope, I fought against the darkness creeping around the edges of my vision, determined to stay alive just a bit longer.

My heart pounded in my chest as I lay pinned under the creature's dead weight. Its head was a mess of blood and brain matter, and its body crushed me beneath it. Through the haze of pain and fear, I heard footsteps approaching and felt strong hands pull the creature off of me. My brother's voice broke through my daze as he whispered my name, wrapping his arms around me tightly. Tears streamed down his face as he comforted me, relieved that I was alive.

"William, please talk to me! You can't do this to me now, not ever; please talk to me." Raulin's voice was shaking as tears streamed down his face.

With shaking hands, he frantically tried to apply a tourniquet to my half-severed arm. His fingers fumbled as he struggled to tie the fabric tightly around my limb, but his efforts were in vain. Still, he persisted, driven by desperation and the need to save me. Blood gushed from the wound, painting the ground a deep crimson hue. The pain was excruciating, shooting through my body like lightning bolts. But the determination in his eyes gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, I could survive this horrific incident.

"Think of Dad and Grandpa; think of Joe!" The words tore out of him, desperate and pleading. His hands shook as he grabbed my shoulders, eyes blazing with fear and sorrow. "Don't leave us behind, man. Don't do this to us." His voice cracked and broke on the last word, a primal cry from the depths of his soul.

He took the 2-way radio from my belt, which was miraculously still attached and broadcasting for some strange reason. He turned it off, then on again, and right before he pressed the button to transmit, I opened my eye and grasped his arm. In what could be my last moment of playful foolishness in this existence, I spoke to him:

"Oh, do not look at me so. A smile better suits a hero..."

With a flick of the switch, the receiver came to life. I was immediately bombarded with a chaotic symphony of screams, wails, and crying. However, my Dad's voice frantically called for me among the chaos.

The last thing I heard was Raulin starting to speak over the radio:

"Dad, Joe, I have terrible, terrible news," he said, and I could faintly hear Joe's desperate cries in the background as I felt the last breath of life escape my chest.

Darkness followed.