Monster

An Ending

Dry, blackened leaves crumpled and fell from rapidly wilting branches above, turning to ash that drifted down and settled upon the man's wild, tangled locks of dark-brown hair and on his torn, stained cyan shirt.

Nearly a minute passed before the man's locked breath released and he started to pull in shallow, weak gasps. White eyes opened in a dazed sliver, still tinged with fear and pain, which faded as coherent thought returned. Again, the man glanced at the small villages scattered below. Faint worry flashed across the man's expression, but almost immediately gave way to an angry, annoyed scowl.

Pushing himself away from the dying trunk of the now nearly leafless tree, he vanished, leaving behind same melting, purple particles as the mob did. 

Reappearing elsewhere, on another small lawn somewhere deep in the woods, the man's knees folded and he helplessly collapsed to the ground. White eyes tightly shut in another bout of intense pain wracking across his body. A moan he could not keep back escaped past twisted lips.

W-Wuzzt.

The mob reappeared a few steps away. 

Still faintly shaking, the man made an effort to lift his head and searched the being's gaunt form, finding its hands empty.

"You... did as I said?" This time the feeling that emanated from the man was more of hopeful question than a command. The voice echoed, not in spoken words, but within the mob's changing perception.

The mob made an uncertain, but affirmative noise, sending back images of forests, villages, woods, and human looking figures glaring at it in astonishment.

The white eyed being sighed and closed its eyes once more in exhaustion. Rasping breaths came with effort.

Another minute passed before white eyes opened again and found the mob still standing there, its posture betraying uncertainty. A faint smile ghosted its way to the man's face, then.

"You are... free to go." The unspoken words lacked their previous ire.

The mob shifted from foot to foot but did not leave. 

"As you wish..." White eyes closed again. 

A moment later, the man's figure folded tighter as yet another bout of unbearable pain tore a groan from him. He allowed it, no longer caring that the mob remained to witness this display of weakness. It was far too weak and young to cause him further harm at this point, even if it suddenly wished to do so. But it did not, instead appearing to experience something close to concern – unusual for a mob.

The pain increased, chasing off all thought. He clenched his teeth, pressing his shaking hands to his stomach, where dark fire churned and tore what remained of his being to shreds.

How much longer before it was over?

The wish for it all to finally end beat around in his skull until the agony once again retreated. The end was not yet. 

The thought carried both despair and disappointment, until another thought suddenly appeared.

Startled, white eyes opened wide. He jerked his hand up and with an effort of will brought up something small and dark in his palm, immediately clenching his fingers around it.  

Yes, good thing that he remembered about it. 

Closing his eyes once more, the being concentrated, pouring the last of his remaining strength into this one action. Brows furrowed in effort and beads of sweat slipped down his forehead, his breathing speeding up. Would he be able to do this before the pain returned and robbed him of further thought?