Page 5 of Hated By the Gargoyle

And certainly no monster.

I wasn’t sure if its absence was entirely a good thing or a bad thing. On one end, it felt like a relief to wake up and not be startled by the thing that had taken me. On the other, the unknown was always far more frightening.

Taking in a sharp breath brought pain to my ribs. Though I loathed to look, I lifted my torn, wrinkled button-up shirt and tank top to inspect the skin underneath. Mottled bruises were already beginning to show, ugly red and purple marks that spanned across my abdomen and ribs. Twisting, I saw a brief flash of the same blotchy areas along my back and let out a small curse.

That had surely been from the impact, but it was probably all bruising. At least, nothing felt broken. Just very, very sore. I lowered my shirt once more, unable to look at myself any longer.

I took in steadying breaths, but my hands shook as they went to the camera hanging around my neck. It was probably silly of me to worry about it right then, but it was one of my most prized possessions, and surveying it eased my anxiety a fraction. It wasn’t broken, thank god for that. I wasn’t sure how it survived getting rammed by what had felt like solid rock, but I wasn’t going to question my small bit of luck in the face of a shitty situation.

I raised the camera at eye level, looking through the lens at the world surrounding me. Objectively, the place made for an amazing set-up for inspiration. I clicked away, taking several pictures, hoping that tapping into my art would distract me from my current situation. I looked around for any sign of that creature, but was greeted with harsh sunlight, dust, and rocks. Still, I snapped a few more pictures, zooming in and out until I caught sight of something in the distance.

“What the–?” I squinted. There was a black figure in the distance, coming closer at a rapid pace.

Was that the thing that brought me here?

I held my breath as it came closer and closer still…

Lowering my camera, I screamed as I realized it had closed the distance between us within seconds and was now close enough that I could make out the distorted shape that was its body.

It was a demon. There was no other word I could’ve used to describe it. Shaped like a salamander, its skin was dark blue, dry, and lizard-like with fat legs and curved claws at the ends. The thing had thick spikes sticking out of its body like a pincushion, and the tip of each spike dripped a gooey, acid green color.

That shit would either give me super demon salamander powers and turn me into Lizard Girl with acid vision, or fuck me all the fucking way up.

I didn’t want to find out which.

It lunged and I screamed, rolling on the flat top of the rock I’d been laying on and landing on the ground. My entire body screamed in pain, but I scrambled to a stand and dodged just as the beast made another attempt to grab me. I ran, circling the giant rock I’d woken up on and the creature scuttled after me. My eyes darted madly around, desperately searching for something, anything I could use to defend myself with.

There!

A giant rock.

It wasn’t ideal, but…

It lunged and I ducked, barely missing a swipe of its claws. I rolled on the ground, reaching for a rock with both hands and hopped to a stand.

The demon hissed, spitting acid on the ground. It popped and sizzled, burning the earth black.

Fuck.

It came for me once again, but this time I was prepared. The rock bit into my fingers as I swung with all my might, hitting the demon and sending it careening to the side. It squealed its rage and rose up on its hind legs, opening its mouth to show off sharp teeth–

There was a roar that shook the earth. Terrifying and strangely familiar.

I cried out as a figure dropped from the sky, shaking the earth beneath our feet. I nearly lost my battle with balance, jerking side to side.

The demon turned to face the creature that had appeared, hissing in warning.

It was the monster who’d stolen me.

And it was even more terrifying now than he had been before.

In the light, I could make out every detail I’d missed before.

It was as gray as a statue, body littered with cracks and grain and scars. It stood at six feet, maybe a little less, with a stocky, wide body that was made of pure muscle. Horns protruded from its forehead, short, though one of them had been cracked in half. Shaggy black hair curled around his cheeks and stocky neck. One eye was white, a scar slashed down the center of that side of his face, and the other an inky black.

There was a reddish hue beneath that graying skin. Wings flared wide at his back, though they boasted scars and holes like a well-worn blanket. A tail whipped violently back and forth behind him, and there was a leathery loincloth wrapped around his waist, though it was short and fraying and showed everything.

He was monstrous. Big, hulking, scary, and so, so angry.