he dove for his gun. He pulled it out of the pile and aimed it toward the hand. He got to his feet and took a step toward the hand. The raft heaved up out of the water. As Fritz fell back he imagined the strength it would have to take to lift the solid wood six feet out of the water. The lake was at least thirteen feet, probably more. There was no leverage for the freak to use.
His head connected with the raft first. Pain sounded inside his skull. His body rolled over his head, causing sharp pain to tear through the muscles of his neck. H e rolled back toward the water as his mind fogged over with agony.
Then the raft splashed back down into the water. Fritz’s body stopped rolling inches from the edge. He fought to keep his consciousness as the pain screeched through every inch of his body. He moved so that he could look to where the hand had appeared and terror gripped his throat like a vice grip.
Emerging from the lake was a massive creature. The top of its face was covered with a human skull. The width of its body was twice that of Fritz’s. The monster, or man, or whatever the fuck it was, was not wearing a shirt. Its chest, arms and stomach bulged with muscles. An enormous bowie knife was sticking from its waistband. The knife’s handle was made of bone and even though Fritz was no anatomy expert he was fairly sure the bone was human.
As the beast climbed the rest of the way onto the raft Fritz spotted the dog collar around the thick neck. The word was all too fitting for the enormity of the freak.
With all of the courage he could muster Fritz raised his pistol and aimed it at the big bastard. He did not give any verbal warning before pulling the trigger. The shot went wild, missing its target by better than a foot. Fritz used his other hand to steady the wrist behind the gun and fired another round. A chunk of flesh was taken out of Brute’s side, but the big man did not seem to notice.
Fritz weighed out his options. He didn’t know how severely he had been injured by his fall, but he figured that diving into the lake was the only chance that he had to get away from the weirdo. He lifted himself up a bit, preparing to launch into the freezing water again.
Brute moved with speed that seemed impossible for a man his size. He rushed across the raft and grabbed Fritz around back of the neck with a single hand. Fritz was lifted up into the air as if he weighed nothing at all. He raised his gun and aimed it at one of the eerie black eyes staring him down. Brute reached out with his free hand and grabbed Fritz around the forearm. Pain more intense than he could have imagined raced up his arm as the bones crushed in the giant’s grasp.
The gun fell uselessly to the boards at Brute’s feet. The big man growled and carried Fritz a few feet so that he was suspended over the lake. Fritz kicked his legs and gargled a scream as he was lowered down into the icy water. He held his breath just before his head was plunged into the freezing abyss.
He swung all four of his appendages, trying to wiggle free of the monster’s grasp. A minute and a half passed before he could no longer hold his breath. He opened his mouth and felt a rush of water enter his lungs. Pain knotted in his chest. He was convinced he was going to be drowned. He had done a lot of bad things in his life, but the cruelty of being drowned seemed like an unjustified punishment.
The darkness of unconsciousness swam into his mind. His arms and legs stopped thrashing. His limbs felt leaden. His dying body no longer had enough strength to move them.
Then he was being yanked from the water. He was tossed onto the raft roughly. The impact was hard enough to make him cough up most of the water. When a huge fist landed between his shoulder blades another flood spilled out from between his lips.
Brute rolled him over so that he was looking up at the inky black sky. He gasped for air. The knot in his chest grew intensely painful as oxygen refilled his lungs.
His head connected with the raft first. Pain sounded inside his skull. His body rolled over his head, causing sharp pain to tear through the muscles of his neck. H e rolled back toward the water as his mind fogged over with agony.
Then the raft splashed back down into the water. Fritz’s body stopped rolling inches from the edge. He fought to keep his consciousness as the pain screeched through every inch of his body. He moved so that he could look to where the hand had appeared and terror gripped his throat like a vice grip.
Emerging from the lake was a massive creature. The top of its face was covered with a human skull. The width of its body was twice that of Fritz’s. The monster, or man, or whatever the fuck it was, was not wearing a shirt. Its chest, arms and stomach bulged with muscles. An enormous bowie knife was sticking from its waistband. The knife’s handle was made of bone and even though Fritz was no anatomy expert he was fairly sure the bone was human.
As the beast climbed the rest of the way onto the raft Fritz spotted the dog collar around the thick neck. The word was all too fitting for the enormity of the freak.
With all of the courage he could muster Fritz raised his pistol and aimed it at the big bastard. He did not give any verbal warning before pulling the trigger. The shot went wild, missing its target by better than a foot. Fritz used his other hand to steady the wrist behind the gun and fired another round. A chunk of flesh was taken out of Brute’s side, but the big man did not seem to notice.
Fritz weighed out his options. He didn’t know how severely he had been injured by his fall, but he figured that diving into the lake was the only chance that he had to get away from the weirdo. He lifted himself up a bit, preparing to launch into the freezing water again.
Brute moved with speed that seemed impossible for a man his size. He rushed across the raft and grabbed Fritz around back of the neck with a single hand. Fritz was lifted up into the air as if he weighed nothing at all. He raised his gun and aimed it at one of the eerie black eyes staring him down. Brute reached out with his free hand and grabbed Fritz around the forearm. Pain more intense than he could have imagined raced up his arm as the bones crushed in the giant’s grasp.
The gun fell uselessly to the boards at Brute’s feet. The big man growled and carried Fritz a few feet so that he was suspended over the lake. Fritz kicked his legs and gargled a scream as he was lowered down into the icy water. He held his breath just before his head was plunged into the freezing abyss.
He swung all four of his appendages, trying to wiggle free of the monster’s grasp. A minute and a half passed before he could no longer hold his breath. He opened his mouth and felt a rush of water enter his lungs. Pain knotted in his chest. He was convinced he was going to be drowned. He had done a lot of bad things in his life, but the cruelty of being drowned seemed like an unjustified punishment.
The darkness of unconsciousness swam into his mind. His arms and legs stopped thrashing. His limbs felt leaden. His dying body no longer had enough strength to move them.
Then he was being yanked from the water. He was tossed onto the raft roughly. The impact was hard enough to make him cough up most of the water. When a huge fist landed between his shoulder blades another flood spilled out from between his lips.
Brute rolled him over so that he was looking up at the inky black sky. He gasped for air. The knot in his chest grew intensely painful as oxygen refilled his lungs.
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