Her fury grew and manifested into a slimy, worthless thing that soon engulfed everything in bright red. Even through the haze of hate, she recognized the anguished cries, the loud screams, the howls of terror that ripped through the chilly night air as she blindly rampaged through.

            Blood ran in rivulets past her outstretched toes. The sandy earth turned to maroon slush as the thuds of falling bodies meshed into a terrifying soundtrack. She kept pushing on, ignoring the tiny bit of guilt blooming in her gut.

            Her tentacles swept mercilessly through the crowd. Spurts of blood shot into the air as bodies were incapacitated. The heads rolled to the ground, splashing gore across the slain people and across her sharp talons.

            “No! Stop!”

            A lone, plaintive cry rose above the cacophony. The words were not unique; they had been uttered in vain countless times as she had slain them all. However, the voice projecting these desperate words held special significance.

            Abruptly, the tentacles were lowered, the talons sheathed safely into the sand, and the fangs retracted. The monster froze in place, her head slowly, grotesquely turning to see the small, fragile boy standing defiantly on a pile of bodies.

            “Stop it!” he shouted. His bravery suddenly subsided and fear flooded his wide eyes. The next words were delivered in a choked whisper. “Please…just stop.”

            The anger was bubbling inside of her again. The monster could feel it. She was close to going straight over the edge. One little whip of her tentacle and this irritating boy’s head would be sliced clean off. However, the tones in his voice, his posture, the ragtag mop of inky black hair…it all seemed familiar, but she couldn’t organize her chaotic, destructive thoughts.

            She hesitated, silently debating whether or not to kill him. He was wasting precious time. There were still survivors to deal with. There were villages to destroy and vengeance to be served. Did she have time for this strangely familiar boy?

            “I know why you’re angry. I can help you. Please, just stop the killing,” the boy said calmly. His very demeanor had changed; he was suddenly cool and collected. He stretched out a small, giving hand. “Trust me.”

            The monster looked at him carefully. Innocence radiated from him, she could tell. He was very pure. She felt inclined to follow him as the guilt continued to spread through her body. She felt the unwelcome feeling pushing against her ribs, nudging at her swollen bones, straining against her scaly flesh. To rid herself of this, she had some redemption to complete.

            The boy gazed at her imploringly. “Will you trust me?”

            However, his voice cracked on the very last word. The monster bristled. Lies were sprouting from this boy. He was a liar, just like every other villager here. The guilt was soon drenched with fury and disgust.

            “No!” she screeched, lashing out wildly.

            There was a sickeningly wet slice.

            The body slowly slumped forward. It slid down the slick, bloody slope of gore. The head, however, had failed to make an appearance.

            The monster ripped away from the scene, fleeing carelessly as her panicked screeches grew louder. Her large, damaged heart was thrumming erratically in her chest as her tentacles curled into a tight coil.

            Suddenly, there was a deafening pop as the beast’s heart finally burst. She stiffened, eyes opening in wonder and regret, as boiling black liquid seeped from her orifices. As the giant crumpled to the ground, her tentacles loosened.

            Rolling to a stop was the boy’s head, a serene smile planted on his lips and his eyes half-closed in a dreamy gaze.