Prompt me not, for these are my prompts - 1. Beast

Since the great collapse things haven’t been so easy. The cities were nearly torn apart, but out here in the suburbs and farming land, things weren’t as bad. Granted, it wasn’t as safe as it once was, but then again what is?

I’d gotten out late from work, and I moved quickly to reach Tanner’s Grocery before they closed for the evening. It seems that since the collapse, people were forced to go back to the old ways, before so much technology made life easy. Not everything has stopped working but after the crash a lot of things just don’t work the same. It all had to do with the massive meteors that had crashed into the Pacific Ocean barely a mile off the coast of Hawaii. The teenagers and kids seemed suddenly lost without their cell phones and Ipads. However, landlines work just fine and that has kept the world from a total fracture I think.

“Managed to get everything on your list for you, Mr. Anders.”

“Thank you, Billy. What do I owe?”

Billy nodded and moved quickly to grab the big book off the back counter.

“Actually, Mr. Anders, it comes down to an hour of work for Mrs. Winters.”

I smiled. Mrs. Winters was the town librarian. You’ve never seen anyone so happy to bring back a card catalogue and see people filing back into the library to find out information. Considering I worked as a teacher, helping her shelve books and answer questions wasn’t a major problem for me. The barter system did have some perks in my opinion, because not everywhere accepted cash anymore. The government was quick to set up a system that set how much of a service was paid for the goods bought. There was not a single case of gouging for a better price because people everywhere knew how much it was.

“Thanks Billy.”

I headed out with my small bag of groceries. Most of it was fresh vegetables and I’d splurged on a bag of coffee which is what really cost me. Coffee was getting to be rare so I’d had to cut my daily intake from a five to one, and then once a week, until it became once a month. I knew soon it would be gone but now it was my special treat.

The local town was slowly working on getting the power systems to run without the computers doing most of the work, which actually helped a load of unemployed people find work. There was still a ways to go so all the street lights would work again.

“Looky, looky. The big man has a bag of groceries. Must be nice to get such a big bag of stuff.” The man before me was huge. He towered over me, muscles thick and hands the size of my head.

I froze. Before me stood one of the new gangs. They weren’t interested in cash or barter, they just took what they wanted in most parts of the country, but so far they hadn’t really been out this far. Seems I was learning not to trust the gossip.

“And look at the fine cut of his clothes. Bet they would cost you a lot in the old world.” I moved slightly and caught sight of the new speaker. Smaller, but vicious in so many ways. There was scar down the side of his face which he drew attention to by holding up his knife alongside of it.

“Just gut him and take what we need.” There was another of the gang; this one had to be the leader. Big but when he spoke the other two moved.

The one with the knife smiled widely as he cut me off from the way I’d come. The bruiser simply grabbed a piece of wood that lay on the ground, effectively cutting me off from the left side. The gang leader moved in from front. That left only a pitch dark alley behind me.

I slowly backed up till I felt the wall on the right side of me. The smile on the one with the knife just grew larger as his partners herded me together. It was then that I heard the growl behind me.

“Fuck, how many of them are there?” Even I could hear the fear in my voice. I should have left earlier, but too late for those regrets now.

I didn’t even get to turn around as the leader smoothly pulled from his pocket and shot his taser into me. I jerked, dropping my grocery bag and hit the floor. The last thing I remember is seeing a flash of black from the alley behind me. Morpheus seemed to just sweep me into his world at that moment.

I was out for a minute, maybe less. I heard a funny sort of grunt and then silence. Slowly I sat up and could feel the bump already rising from where I hit my head falling to the ground. I reached down and pulled the darts out of my shirt and skin. My whole body tingled. It took a moment for me to realize that the gang wasn’t a threat any longer.

My vision was a bit off as I watched the large creature move toward me. I knew from looking at his claws I should be afraid, but I also slowly recognized him.

“You’re late again, Mark!”

His voice was deep and strong, which rumbled through my body easing my sudden tension.

“I got stuck at work. I told you, children have problems and need help occasionally. They aren’t like yours; they aren't left in a brood with one being to take care of the many till they can live on their own.”

Damian stepped into the light and set me on my feet, then went about gathering up the odd vegetable that had slipped out of the bag when I dropped it. His strong body moving with total confidence. I couldn’t help but wince as he speared the head of lettuce with his tail instead of simply picking it up.

“Let’s get you home.”

I shook my head. The world wasn’t the same after the collapse that was sure. It seems every day there are new discoveries of plants, animals, and insects. I wonder what they would say if they found out that Gargoyles were set free as well.

“You just want me to cook for you.”

“Among other things.”

“Beast!”

“No, Gargoyle. How many times must I explain that to you?”

“Damian, you honestly have to keep up with the changes in language.”

“Mark, you have to keep up on your creatures.”

As Damian’s claw gently helped me to stand, I took in the carnage around me. The metallic smell of blood and garbage filled the air. This gang wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone again, that much I knew from Damian's calm demeanor. I began to shiver as I seen the destruction wrecked on them, though they had no pity from me.

“It is no worse than what they planned for you.”

I shook my head knowing he was right, even if it didn’t settle me down. He spread his massive midnight wings and lifted into the sky. I knew he would hover above, watching over me as he had done, since I had found the rookery where his clan’s eggs were and kept them safe. In the old world every cell phone, corner camera, and amateur photographer would have captured his image and he would probably have been in some government lab. Instead the secret existence of the gargoyles was mine to keep and had been for a while. The last of the eggs would soon hatch and we would see what became of these creatures of myth that had stepped out into a strange new world.