The Lonely Giant

11/08/22

Short Story by

Aaron J. R.

A young man had just been in an argument with his mother and decided to walk far away from his home. He went to a mysterious forest feeling distraught about his current situation. He became hungry and decided to eat whatever he could find. He noticed an unusual glowing mushroom in the distance. The mushroom was unlike anything the young man had ever seen in his life. It was shaped like a mushroom but it had features almost resembling a reptile’s skin. He ate it slowly and didn’t care if it had any adverse effects on him, he just wanted to satisfy his hunger. A few minutes went by and the mushroom started to take effect on him. His feet started to feel heavy and he felt as if his brain was popping out of his skull. Immediately regretting that he ever found the wild mushroom the young man tried to call for help but his voice was deepened and before he could take out his cellphone, he grew to the size of a 15 story building and almost lost his breath from the pressure. He stood there in the middle of the forest and tried to calm himself down. Noticing a random passerby, he tried to wave him down but the stranger got scared of him and ran away. His appearance had been altered completely, his skin hard like concrete. The man slowly started walking towards the town he grew up in. He tried to be careful not to step on anyone or anything but the impact of his feet could be felt for miles. He slowly walked over to the street but a bunch of cars in stood in his way. He doesn’t want to break the cars so he tries his best to shove them out of his way causing a panic around the neighborhood. He tried walking along the side of the highway hoping to not cause any more harm or damage to anyone. Eventually he remembered the house of an old friend and thought to visit this friend, a girl he had gone to school with. His footsteps were more silent as he carefully crawled around the small town. He decided to lower his finger and knock on the ground to see if she was home. Unfortunately someone called the authorities seeing as he was causing collateral damage earlier. The man eventually spotted his friend and extended his whole hand to the ground so she could climb on. The woman was scared and shouted at him. 

“Please don’t hurt me!”

“No it’s me! You know me!” His voiced echoed.

He decided to show her his hand which had a birthmark on it.

“What are you doing? How is this even possible?”

“I don’t know, but I needed to see you. Please come with me”

She decided to go with him for the sake of everyone around her not getting hurt.

“Why are you doing this?” She said as she cried.

“It’s not me it’s something I ate, I just don’t know what to do anymore.” 

“Wait stop, your voice is too loud for anyone to even understand.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything, I just wish I could go home but I can’t.” He whispered as silent as he could.

Just then some men in uniforms arrived along with several trucks with the word S.W.A.T painted on them. He heard them faintly as they said:

“Put the woman down and show us your hands”

He complied and let his friend go.

“I am not a threat, please help me I’m scared.”

“He’s scared!” the woman shouted.

Unable to fully make out what the giant was saying they began to question if he was trying to intimidate them. The team decided to surround the man and hold him at gun point. 

“Wait! I said he’s-“ just then she was cut off. 

“Please don’t shoot! I’m HUMAN!” 

Shouted the man in a loud voice that pierced the sky.

But the mans shouts were so loud it created a violent wind which shook the trees, made the waves crash and scared the men. They all began opening fire on the giant. 

The giant stood up and ran away, he ran so fast that he started an earthquake beneath his feet. Almost all of the men died there. His friend was severely injured. And everyone in his path were crushed to a bloody pulp. The man stopped at the ocean and decided to wash his face. He decided then he was going to swim and find a cave out somewhere where he would be free of people and live off of fish or whatever he could find. He laid his friend down on the beach.

“I’m sorry…” he whispered. Her injuries were great, but she was still breathing.

The man was lonely. He had no where else to go. No more family, no more friends, all he had was himself. The man disappeared into the ocean and was never seen or heard from again.