to die here, in this horrible place. He wasn't going to let his fear kill him.
He made himself look down at his terrifying hand, at the hole in his shirt where the dark tendrils had been. Then he laughed. After all these years of being called a monster, now he truly was one.
There was a loud crashing sound, followed by what sounded like an elephant bellowing. He looked up. Things were pouring out of the forest, toppling trees, rushing toward the lake, which had begun to bubble and smoke menacingly.
A wave washed up, seeming to reach for him. Then another fitted itself around his ankle and tugged. He went down.
The wave was dragging him into the lake. Remembering his last encounter in its depths, he struggled as hard as he could, digging himself into the mud, buying time. Still he was pulled inexorably into the waiting darkness.
"I told you to follow me!"
The little man was suddenly there, floating above the lake. His eyes were round with fear and his face had turned bright red.
"You have to phase. Quickly! You can't escape her with physical force."
"What?" He shouted through gritted teeth as he fought.
"Stop thinking of yourself as human!" The little man yelled impatiently, "Your body can move though more than the three physical dimensions. Just let go of the idea that your leg is trapped and realize that it is free."
Eric stared up at the apparition angrily. What kind of nonsense advice was that? If his leg was free he would not have to move it in the first place!
The mud around him pulled free of the ground, and he lurched forward. In another moment he'd be in the lake, and then it was all over.
He closed his eyes. Know I'm free. I'm free. I'm not trapped. My leg is not inside of the wave. In fact, I'm not here. I'm hundred of feet away from here, running, like I should have done in the first place if I wasn't an idiot.
There was a loud pop. The world disappeared, leaving only dark emptiness. For a second he felt as if his head had been pulled out of his stomach.
Then with a lurch the world appeared again. He fell onto the ground, vomited, then vomited again.
"Good. That was very good. A full teleport. Amazing progress in so little time."
He answered with more vomiting, then finally managed to glare angrily at the little man again. Annoyingly the little man just smiled.
He made himself look down at his terrifying hand, at the hole in his shirt where the dark tendrils had been. Then he laughed. After all these years of being called a monster, now he truly was one.
There was a loud crashing sound, followed by what sounded like an elephant bellowing. He looked up. Things were pouring out of the forest, toppling trees, rushing toward the lake, which had begun to bubble and smoke menacingly.
A wave washed up, seeming to reach for him. Then another fitted itself around his ankle and tugged. He went down.
The wave was dragging him into the lake. Remembering his last encounter in its depths, he struggled as hard as he could, digging himself into the mud, buying time. Still he was pulled inexorably into the waiting darkness.
"I told you to follow me!"
The little man was suddenly there, floating above the lake. His eyes were round with fear and his face had turned bright red.
"You have to phase. Quickly! You can't escape her with physical force."
"What?" He shouted through gritted teeth as he fought.
"Stop thinking of yourself as human!" The little man yelled impatiently, "Your body can move though more than the three physical dimensions. Just let go of the idea that your leg is trapped and realize that it is free."
Eric stared up at the apparition angrily. What kind of nonsense advice was that? If his leg was free he would not have to move it in the first place!
The mud around him pulled free of the ground, and he lurched forward. In another moment he'd be in the lake, and then it was all over.
He closed his eyes. Know I'm free. I'm free. I'm not trapped. My leg is not inside of the wave. In fact, I'm not here. I'm hundred of feet away from here, running, like I should have done in the first place if I wasn't an idiot.
There was a loud pop. The world disappeared, leaving only dark emptiness. For a second he felt as if his head had been pulled out of his stomach.
Then with a lurch the world appeared again. He fell onto the ground, vomited, then vomited again.
"Good. That was very good. A full teleport. Amazing progress in so little time."
He answered with more vomiting, then finally managed to glare angrily at the little man again. Annoyingly the little man just smiled.
