A Champion Loses

Sally was unable to move or avert her eyes from the stranger, as if the kaiju at the other side of the road had vanished. In the light of the gas station, the pale man almost had a sickly green glow to his skin. His robe had engravings of snakes. His sandals were bound with rope and he wore emerald earrings and a talisman that left his bare chest and hung only by the neck as he leaned over to speak to Sally: “Where’d you get that thing in your hands?” he smirked.

Sally looked at him as if his words held no meaning, not quite knowing weather any of this was real. She looked past the man to her car, she wanted to just get in and drive away but she couldn’t move. All her muscles were tight, with the only purpose to stand here and wait for the situation to blow over.

The man’s expression turned neutral, he stood up straight and looked around. “Ah!” he exclaimed. He walked past sally to the Gatcha machine. He stretched his hand through the plastic window which broke like paper.

After eying his prize for a second, the man looked up to the head of the serpent, it was now angled to fall over into the mountainside. He put his hands to his mouth to amplify the taunting shout that followed: “HEY” he screamed at the beast in his raspy voice. “I’M GOING TO THROW THIS GIRL.” He put his hand in the side of his robe.

“huh?”

Before she could form a thought click Sally’s hands had been immobilized with crude metal shackles. “I don’t know how well you can swim. You’ll survive, for what it’s worth.” the man stated indifferently.

Lifted by the waist and with immense force, Sally was thrown past the serpent. The sea was her inevitable destination, her hair and clothes flailed around in the wind. It looked like the waves of the sea froze in time while gradually getting closer. She imagined her dad reaching out his hand to save her, where would he be if not here, when she needed help most. Her back hit the water and she sunk like a brick, her tied hands still reaching for the cloudy sky, one of them tightly holding onto the plastic key-chain. Disoriented in the dark water, Sally thrashed to swim back to the surface in vain. Cold salty water had been forced into her lungs.

She feared. She closed her eyes and saw herself back home, safe.

Something else fell in the water besides her seconds after she quit flailing. It swam towards Sally. It was a man with long hair and an angry expression. He broke the chain between her cuffs then grabbed Sally by the wrist and pulled her up. Coughing up water upon leaving the water.

“Put this on.” the man offered a ring to Sally. Though he was well built, he had no reason to keep two people afloat by just kicking his legs. He put the ring on Sally’s middle finger and, while Sally was still coughing, stated: “I’m going to throw you again, don’t let go of the ring.”

“ cough wait… cough ”

He flung the comparably small girl in the air.

Rapidly ascending the cliff-side at and angle never experienced before, Sally braced herself for impact.

She crashed on the asphalt like a child not knowing how to brake downhill on his first bike ride.

She sat up and looked for blood or injuries but could find none, besides some tears in her pants. The impact didn’t hurt at all like it should.

Quickly looking around, it seemed the giant serpent and the fiend with the weird robe had vanished.

Under the light of a streetlamp, she examined her closed fists, covered in gravel. The ring, with gold-like metal with engravings leading to a bright red stone in the middle. In the other hand, the potato remained intact.

On the other side, the long haired man slowly climbed over the roadside barrier and sat down against it. His angry expression had faded, he looked tired, defeated.

Sally looked to her car down the road, wanting to leave this scene. She drained the water from her bag, put the viking potato inside and took out her car key.

The man, with wet hair hanging in front of his face, had red tattoos all over his arms in shapes of flowers. He wore gold cuffs and a gold belt around his wide black trousers.

“I’m sorry…” he whispered to himself. He buried his face in his hands. “I’m so sorry… please forgive me…”

He stayed like that when sally walked over, nervously twiddling the ring, wanting to return it to its owner, who took no heed of her. Sally was unsure how to handle the distressed man. Sally sat down beside him, just out of arm’s reach.

“I’m sorry…” he repeated. He slowly raised his head. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Sally nodded.

“…Good… this must all be very confusing… Sorry for throwing you like that.” He stood up, looked over the sea, then to sally. “Do you have loved ones nearby?” he asked.

Confused, she looked to the town. “I think so.”

He began walking towards the car, Sally followed.

“Go to them.” he stated.

“Why?” she hastily asked.

“Because they are here, and you are here.”

“What will you do?

“…I do not regret saving you. But in doing so, I let someone else down. I will think of a way to make it right when I see them again.”

They arrived at the car.

A distant blaring of an air-raid sound could be heard, before also the air-raid horn from town started to howl.

“Go now.” the man said.

Sally tensed and her fingers trembled at the lock.

The car door opened.

“Ah!” the man interrupted, “Could I get it back?” he gestured for the ring “It’s very dear to me.”

Relieved that she could do something for the man, however small, comforted Sally.

“The name is Locust by the way.” he smiled slightly as they stretched their hands towards each other’s.

As she dropped the ring in his hand, one of her fingers grazed the ring the man was wearing.

“Sally”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””———————————————————

/

/

/

Hello! Something seems to have gone terribly wrong and I am here with you to figure it out. So, you remember exchanging rings with someone and now you’re here. These rings however are not part of your champion abilities or apparel, so that can’t be it.

You have no idea what I’m talking about?

…

I see…

My apologies for the mistake. I’m going to have to relocate you./