As his eyes locked onto the bushes rustling in the near distance, Tuziku's heart pounded with heavy anticipation.
Rustle…
A deer poked its head from within the foliage.
Thank goodness… it's just a deer…
Exhausted, Tuziku sank against a tree, letting himself relax just enough to catch his breath.
I should try and stop this bleeding…
He tore off his shirt and strapped it tightly around his wounded stomach.
Ahh… my leg got caught in that guy's attack. I doubt I'll be able to walk on it for a while.
Thank goodness that guy isn't after me anymore…
He scanned the unfamiliar surroundings, only to notice something unsettling—the deer had never moved.
It remained in the same spot, staring directly at him.
Is that deer… looking at me?
It's almost as if it's studying me…
An eerie sensation crawled up his spine.
Tuziku tried to chase the deer away.
"Shoo! Shoo!" he shouted.
The deer didn't budge.
Glancing to his left, Tuziku spotted an old stick fallen from a tree.
"Get out of here!" he yelled, throwing the stick at the deer.
Thud…
Still, the deer didn't flinch. Its head tilted at an unnatural angle.
Huh?!
A malicious presence radiated from the creature.
What the hell is going on?!
The deer began twisting its head in a slow, anti-clockwise motion—until it completed a full 180° rotation.
Tuziku's face drained of color as he realized the horrifying truth.
This deer… is not normal…!
Stepping fully into view, the creature revealed its grotesque form: a deer's head atop a deformed, human-like body, dozens of parasitic, worm-like tentacles writhing across its torso.
Tuziku's instincts screamed at him to run.
"Sh–shit!"
I have to get out of here…
As he struggled to stand, his left leg refused to obey him. He fell flat to the ground.
"Ahhhhh!" he screamed.
The tentacles slithered toward him.
Sllshhh!
He rolled aside just in time. The tentacles stabbed into the soil with a chilling impact.
Skrrk! Krsh!
Retracting, the creature readied itself for another attack. Tuziku's mind raced.
What's happening?
Am I going to die…?
Just as the deadly appendages lunged at him, a mysterious man appeared, snatching Tuziku up and pulling him out of harm's way.
Skrrk!
The tentacles struck a tree in their path.
Krrk! Krch! Thud…
The tree toppled with a crash.
"Whew! Close one there, huh, kiddo!" said the stranger, holding Tuziku securely in his arms.
CHAPTER END