Eric didn't like it. He didn't like anything that was going on around him. It was so noisy with all of these people around, talking and laughing-- maybe about how out of place he was, but then again he doubted they'd waste their breaths on him-- and the stench of alcohol made it even harder to breathe than it already was. It took all of his effort just to keep upright, let alone pay attention to the conversation that his dad was having.

"So come on, tell me!" Derek laughed, slapping the man on the back whom he'd met barely ten minutes ago, "Give me some juicy gossip! Anything good around here?"

"Well, since you're new to town, I guess you wouldn't know about the... Monster, then?" Eric's breath hitched in his throat, and his hands wrung his handkerchief more tightly.

"Monster?" Derek huffed, "Is that the beer kicking in, or are you serious?"

"Oh, I'm serious all right." The man leaned forward with a grave look twinkling behind his sunglasses. "See, the story around here pal says that a man-eatin' beast haunts the forest next to town at night. I dunno who done started the rumor, but some guy-- Jim, Jerry, something like that-- apparently swore that he saw it: supposedly it came at him with hungry green eyes, and huge chompers with saliva coming off the fangs, and it took a swipe at him with these huge black claws. Still don't know which local is was, but everybody 'round here claims that he escaped with a gash on him the size of... Well, the size of an arm, I guess. Ran from deltoid to across the chest." Eric let out a peep of horror and swooned, wringing the yellow cloth between his fingers so tightly the circulation was cutting off. He quivered under the glare that Derek shot over his shoulder, ineffectively shutting him up.

"And this beast," Derek asked, turning back to the fellow tourist, "What type of man-eating beast is it?" The man laughed nervously.

"Who the hell knows? It made press news with all those conspiratorial reporters in the area, but hell if I know what's really going on. Probably just a rabid coyote." He nodded to the perspiring young Eric. "Best keep your boy away from those trees, all the same." Derek scowled.

"I know what's best for my son." He took his shot glass and downed the serving, slamming it back down onto the counter. Eric flinched, clutching his plain foulard as Derek fished his pocket for a thin and worn wallet. He tossed a bill on the counter, said his noisy goodbyes to his drinking buddy, and then he jerked his head at Eric for him to follow. Eric flashed the tourist a nervous smile-- receiving a tip of the ten-gallon hat in acknowledgement-- before hurrying after his father, who struggled to open the door for a few seconds before he finally managed to stagger out of the building. Eric hovered a few feet behind, close but not too close in case Derek tripped or did something else.

"D-D-Da-dad?" Eric asked timidly as they came out into the dark parking lot. "I-is-is-is it-do-do you think that-th-that- well, uh, m-maybe--?"

"Spit it out, boy," Derek snapped. "What?" Eric recoiled at his harsh tone and struggled to form a sentence.

"U-u-um, I-I-I uh, I-I meant, u-um, d-do you-do you think tha-that there's m-m-monsters in th-the-the-the w-woods?" He stuttered out, patting his forehead with the cloth before clutching it to his chest. Derek turned around, stopping the poor boy dead in his tracks.

"I hope so," he sneered as his words slurred, "If we catch this thing on camera, then it'll be the opportunity of a lifetime! We'll be famous, get job offers, and then we'll be out of that stupid trailer in no time! And maybe it'll scare you back to your senses... As if you had any to begin with." With those last growled words, the man spun around in a lopsided circle and continued on his way, still not walking completely straight as he headed toward an old run down trailer.

Eric bit his quivering lip. "O-oh...!" He hurried after the drunken man, getting the door for him when he was barked at to do so, and Derek hauled his buzzed ass up the metal stairs without so much as a word of gratitude. Eric glanced nervously back at the bright and loud bar, looking over at the setting sun as he pat his shimmering forehead once more, and then he pulled himself up into the dark trailer and quietly closed the door behind him.

It was small, dirty and untidy. Derek collapsed on the only bed and started snoring within seconds, leaving Eric to fumble with his handkerchief for a helpless moment. He glanced about the dark interior before going to the couch, which was small and groaned a lot under his light weight. He curled up with no blanket, only his piece of cloth as a comfort object and a cold little window to stare out at. The bleeding sun was already gone behind the trees and distant buildings, making him shudder as he recalled the drinking man's scary words. Was there really a monster out there? What if it came out of the forest? What if it attacked their trailer? A cold chill ran down his spine, and Eric hid his face in the couch's scratchy armrest. He lay there for a few minutes before reaching down and unbuckling his prosthetic feet, setting them down beside the couch for easy access as he tucked his sore knees back.

He missed home. He missed the warehouse, before that hurricane came and swept everything all up. He missed his family- not that he didn't want his dad, no no no, Derek was great, but he just missed his brothers... And his dog... And his girlfriend... And his mom...

Eric's frown creased deeper as he closed his eyes, tucking his knees a little more tightly against his chest. "I know," He mumbled, "I-I know, I'm a-I'm a failure. A-a disappointment. I just wish dad could be h-happy again..." He lapsed into a silence, tears leaking from his eyes. His lips curled back as he twitched with a stifled sob, and the sunset left him to drown in the darkness of his past.

Eric! Wake up boy!" Eric jolted awake with adrenaline in his veins. He was gasping for breath from the latest nightmare he had just experienced, when his cheek was again slapped rather roughly. "Come on boy, we don't got all night!" Eric staggered up into a sit and rubbed his eyes.

"Wh-what- what is it, dad?" He asked fearfully. He could see the pitch black night sky outside: Derek's eyes were bright but still fuzzy from the alcohol, although he looked determined about something.

"We're going monster hunting!" Derek replied in a matter-of-fact tone. Eric's eyes bulged as he sharply inhaled.

"M-m-m-m-monster h-h-monster hunting!?" He squeaked. Derek rolled his eyes.

"Of course! The woods aren't that far off from the bar, so why not tonight? The sooner we give it the old college try, the sooner I can land us a job and get out of this dump." Poor Eric was shaking like a leaf.

"B-b-bu-but--!"

"Oh come on now! Relax!" Derek loomed closer with a forced grin. "I bet your brother Merik wouldn't be passing up an opportunity like this!" Eric dryly swallowed.

"I-I-I'm not," he pleaded, "I-I just- wh-what if it comes after us? It-it could hurt you!" Derek leaned back with a smirk as he turned on the flashlight in his hands.

"I can handle it. Whatever it is, it ain't gonna be having me for breakfast! Now come on. And bring the camera, make sure it still works." With shaking hands, Eric grabbed his prosthetics and reconnected them, and then he grabbed the old camera under the couch. It was high-quality but old, and when Eric managed to get it on he saw that only two bars of battery remained. He gulped and lifted the camera up.

"I-I got it," he said with a weak smile.

"Good, now come on." Following his dad out of the trailer, Eric was directed to turn on the night vision mode and press the record button.

"Th-this isn't live, r-right?" He asked nervously, "I-I mean, you can- you'll be able to edit it, r-right dad?"

"Yes, I can take out all of your stupid mistakes you'll make."

"Oh. O-okay, good, h-heh." They walked on along a path that led toward the natural reserve. Eric could barely hold the camera straight, so nervous that he could already feel a familiar gagging sensation coming, but he tried to stifle it as his father rambled on.

"Now, it's a big forest, lots of ground to cover, but we'll start by going right across it. Ed said it comes out at night, so with luck we'll catch this beast on camera and have ourselves a solid offer in marketing, finally."

"H-he-he also said--"

"Don't interrupt me while I'm talking."

"S-s-sorry, sorry dad."

"Now, as I was saying..." The pavement of the road faded to a dirt trail. Eric spied a wooden post with a sign that announced their entrance into the borders of the piece of wild land. He blanched and favored lowering the camera to dab nervously at the sweat that was already drenching his brow. "Keep that camera up! I don't keep you around for nothing!" Once Eric had corrected himself, Derek continued. "And yes, he did mention that it might be man-hungry, but the bloodthirstier the better! This will make great news and get everybody's attention, all we gotta do is just look around until we find whatever this legendary beast is, and then we'll totally score a job!"

Eric whimpered. "Dad... I-I... I'm really scared. I-I mean, m-more than usual. I-I-I totally don't wanna die, I-I..." Derek looked back at his son with surprising softness.

"It's gonna be okay," he murmured, "We're gonna succeed, okay? I just gotta get a job, and then we can move out of the trailer, into a real home. Maybe even live happily again."

"R-really?" Eric asked hopefully. His spirits lifted at the idea of living somewhere, with his dad finally not so angry all the time and working, and maybe himself finally not being so useless... And maybe living on a farm...!

"Of course, you gotta hold that camera right, okay?" Derek encouraged. "If you don't catch it on footage, then we'll never get to live in a real house again." Eric brightened up with a timid smile.

"I-I won't let you down!" He gripped the camera more tightly, wishing that he would for at least once in his life stop shaking so much. His dad was counting on him to get the scoop they needed. Derek would take care of the rest, all he needed to do was to--

"Wait." Derek suddenly put his arm out. Eric halted, looking around through the camera while his dad frowned at the trees around them. They loomed menacingly with twisted branches and warped roots, making Eric flinch as a soft wind rustled the leaves. It was so quiet.

"Do you hear that?" Derek muttered. Eric glanced nervously at the yawning darkness.

"No," he breathed. "N-no, I-I don't, I-I'm sorr--" Derek suddenly slapped his hand over Eric's mouth with a harsh shush. Eric froze and tried to listen. It was dead quiet for all he could tell, but as he listened he realized he could feel something: a vibration, or soft rumbling. A string of them, rhythmics quakes faintly stirring the ground.

"In the bushes." Derek whirled around and pushed Eric toward the nearest brush. Eric stumbled into the sharp brambles with no choice, wincing as they tugged on his clothes and scratched his skin. He hunkered down and saw his dad hurry behind a tight clutch of trees, but then he gestured at Eric urgently. Eric nodded and hesitantly turned the camera around, looking for the source of the rumbles. They were getting louder, now shaking the earth with repeating booms. Trees creaked, and silent birds suddenly squawked and took flight. Eric flinched with each thunder, the camera clacking moreso from his own shaking limbs than whatever big monster was coming.

It felt like forever before the trees up ahead suddenly shuddered and creaked as they were pushed aside to make way for some huge bipedal silhouette that blended with the night. There was heavy breathing as the cold air was huffed, and with each step the world shook. Eric's eyes were super wide behind his glasses, and he shook even harder as the monster turned its head. Piercing green eyes glittered in the darkness, studying the surrounding woods before it tilted its head back and tasted the air with a flick of a horridly purple forked tongue.

Eric heard Derek take a breath, and he looked to see his father waving the flashlight around. He felt his heart race even faster, but he was too afraid to call out to his dad. He heard the monster growl and looked to see that its floating eyes had locked on to the beam of light that was wildly flashing against the void. It rumbled and stepped closer, and Eric squinted when the light settled on him.

"D-d-dad--?" He started to ask, but before he could get another word out, the monster suddenly let out a deafening roar and hurtled forward. Eric let out a strained scream and ducked down, bracing himself, but instead he heard Derek yell. He looked up as the light dropped, and the huge figure passed by with a woosh, knocking him over on his butt. "Dad!?" He cried out. He could hear the man screaming, but it was getting faint. The monster must have spotted him! "Dad!" He yelled desperately. But the stomps faded too, and he was left alone in the darkness. He stayed there for a few seconds, too paralyzed with fear. His dad was gone. Had he been left behind? ... Abandoned?

No! He scolded himself. No, he didn't leave you, he'll- he'll come back for you. He just- he must have had to run because the monster spotted him. He didn't want it to hurt me, that's it!

So he waited. And waited. And waited.

He waited for what felt like a long time, ignoring the cold that was seeping into his skin and forming goosebumps, or the ache of his artificial feet as he remained awkwardly crouched in the scratchy bush. It was a lot scratchier than the couch. And colder than the trailer.

He was starting to worry again, wondering what happened to Derek. He'll be okay. I'm sure he's okay. Dad's gonna be back soon. Any minute now. But after a little more waiting, Eric started to feel more frantic. What if it caught him? Oh no, what if- what if it hurt him? What if he's...? Eric whimpered. His vision was going funny again, all watery like it did everytime he cried. No, I can't cry, I can't cry! He set the camera on his thigh and slapped himself. "Come on, come on, you can do this!" He muttered desperately, "You can do this, you can make it, he's fine, he must be! He's a Derekson, he can- he-he'll- he'll come back, he always does...!" His breath came in fast little breaths, and he moaned fearfully as he clutched his yellow cloth in tight fists against his clavicle. He rocked on the balls of his artificial feet, trying to calm himself down-- and failing.

"You-you have a lot to-to live up for, r-remember what dad always said, r-remember-remember, he-he always s-said to-he-he always said t-to 'Stop f-fucking whining and-and just do it,' s-so, so- I-I can do this, I-I can do this, I-I can just wait, it-it's not that hard, h-he'll-- oww!" The camera had slid off his knee, and in a desperate effort to catch it Eric had shoved his hand straight into the brambles. "Owww, owwie! Owh...!" The tears let loose as he sobbed and cradled his hand, crying into the dark ominous woods. "Oh that hurt, that-that hurt," he whimpered, "That really hurt...!" Then he tried to grab for the camera. "Wh-where'd it go? Ohh, dad'll kill me if I lose it...! Can't even hold a camera, let alone get in front of one. I'm so useless...!" He tried to avoid the spikes vainly before his hand finally closed on metal, and he gasped with relief and picked it up to see the little bright screen. There was a crack in it now, but he'd found it! He let out a shaky sigh, holding it caringly as he hugged it with all his might, continuing to mutter to himself between shaky breaths.

"It's okay, it-it's-it's gonna be okay...!" He slowly stopped crying, and within a few minutes he suddenly looked up. What if dad's waiting for me at the edge of the forest? Maybe we're suppose to meet up back at the trailer! His breath hitched with a relieved sigh. Maybe he's okay! I just gotta find my way back! With newfound strength, Eric got up and used the camera to look through the hazy darkness. It put chills down his spine, but he tried to put on a brave face as he used the one hand to hold the camera, and the other to hold his handkerchief to himself as he climbed clumsily out of the bushes. He muttered a few "ow, ow"s before he finally came free, and the first thing he saw was one of the dents in the forest floor in front of him: a massive, human footprint. His bravery immediately wavered, but he started following the impressions despite every atom in his body screaming to bury himself in a hole to hide in until his dad got him.

No, I need to do this. I have to do this. If I can't do this one thing for dad, then I'm completely useless. He took a shaky breath, his grip on that cloth becoming a little tighter. "I-I can-I can do this!" He told the forest.