Rain's Writing Archive

a man, a monster (but which one's which?)

Originally posted to Ao3 on 11/7/2022.

A/N: i wrote this for an english assignment lmao (i got 100% on it)

Grendel awoke in their den, a void in its stomach and food on the mind. It had no food left in the den, meaning they would have to go hunt.

That was okay. Grendel liked to hunt.

Standing on two clawed feet, it climbed out of its den and ventured toward its favorite feeding place; the mead-hall.

The mead-hall was grand, and though there hadn't been many meals (mother called them "humans") wandering around as of late, Grendel kept checking anyways. And besides, there was a delicious smell there today.

In the dark of the night, Grendel runs through forest and plain before arriving at the mead-hall, the delectable smell more pungent than ever. Grendel easily tore down a wooden door with their talons and slipped inside.

The smell was everywhere, making its instincts go crazy. Lacking a clear direction to the food, they pick a hallway and follow their nose to the closest meal.

A few more doors block the path, but they are no match for Grendel and their claws. It soon finds its next meal, lying prone and still, just waiting for them to dig in.

It doesn't hesitate, it tears into its meal with claws and teeth, ripping apart flesh and bone and organs with ease. Warm blood spills from their maw, dripping onto the cold stone floor. The head is the best part, Grendel thinks as they take said appendage off in a single bite.

When Grendel is done with its meal, there's only spilled blood, chunks of flesh, and discarded bones left. They leave the leftovers on the ground.

They smell something far tastier just downstairs…

Grendel follows the smell until he reaches his next meal, though this one looks like it's ready to put up a fight.

That's good. Grendel likes a good hunt .

They lunge for their soon-to-be meal, all talons and fangs bared. It meets Grendel head on, grabbing its arms and seeming to pull with all its might. Which, Grendel admits, is a pretty substantial amount of might for a meal.

Then it tugs harder, and harder, and somehow even harder . One of Grendel's arms pops out of its socket. It hurts .

Grendel realizes, somewhat belatedly, that this might have been a bad idea.

They're scared .

Desperately, it tries to flee, but its meal - this puny human - doesn't allow it. The grip on their arms is too great. Grendel screams and growls and pulls pulls pulls . The human pulls back with equal vigor.

With a great pull and the tearing of flesh and sinew, Grendel's arm, already dislocated, tears away from its torso. Grendel screams as the white-hot pain lights its nerve endings ablaze. The human lets go of Grendel's other - still attached - arm, and holds the disembodied one, dripping with Grendel's blood, high in the air in victory.

Grendel holds a clawed hand to the stump where their arm used to be, futilely trying to stop the pain and control the bleeding. Despite the pressure they're applying, their blood flows freely down their side and pours onto the floor.

This wound is fatal, they realize. The human, the monster , that did this knows it, too.

Grendel flees.

It runs through the mead-hall, through the plain and the forest, and past its own den and to its mother's. If they're going to die, they want to see their mother one last time.

Grendel dives into its mother's den, and she spots him immediately. She pulls them into a desperate hug and takes him into their childhood nest. The blood still leaking from the stump soaks into the nest, staining it a sickening red.

Grendel can't find it in themself to care.

Their mother hugs him to her chest. She is crying. Grendel thinks he's crying, too.

There's darkness swarming the edge of his vision, Grendel can barely move their remaining arm. His mother is sobbing over him, hugging him tight.

He hears his mother scream as Grendel closes his eyes for the last time.

A/N: tell me what you thought! i eat comments and kudos for breakfast. and if you want updates make sure to subscribe to/bookmark the series! the newest part will be a separate work!!
im on tumblr at @dead-man-in-a-ditch!