[Goose]

G O O S E

HONK

Humans danced like marionettes with strings pulled by their own erratic whims. Why else would they collectively decide to pay homage to mountainous terrains on a set day? Goose knew nothing of such trivial concepts. It was ruled by primal urges, not silly made up holidays.

Survival. Hunger. Rage.

They burned within the beast in equal measure. That measure, however, was muted. At least for the time being. Despite the idiom, the wicked did indeed rest. Goose slumbered, hidden away in the underbrush of a forest that lined a mountain trail led to its location by an earlier pursuit of a meal rather than a celebration. Though there had been one in the wake of its victory against the creature now digesting in its depths after being torn apart by the many heads of the hydra all of which were now divided equally tucked beneath snowy wings preened clean of crimson evidence before repose.

If one didn’t know better, the beast blended into the picturesque scene. The summer sun hung from its midday apex over a mountainscape populated by flourishing greenery broken apart only by hiking trails and the cliche babbling brook. Winds cooled by the altitude swept through the foliage and feathers. The sounds of the city faded away only to be replaced by…

Nothing.

Normally the sounds of creatures big and small filled in the silence when humanity’s din dulled. There was an exception to that rule though. Nature kept silent in the presence of a predator.

Notes & Tags: Elijah | Summer Event - Prompt 6

[Elijah]

Mountain Day. A day to pay one's blessings to the mountains by hiking on one of them. Elijah and his father would take it one step further and snowboard down once they reached the resort near the top. Because of course they're open to make bank off a national holiday. Not that he was one to judge. You do what you gotta do to get your pay.

Speaking of getting one's pay...

"Seriously, it's fine."

"No it isn't! I'm supposed to be there with you! But instead I'm here! Working! On a holiday!"

Elijah heaved a sigh, long and deep. "There are people who get triple their wage if they work on Christmas."

"You know that doesn't make me feel better when I'm not paid extra for this."

Another sigh. That was the difference this year. Mountain Day fell in the middle of the week, and his father's current job didn't allow for time off. And he didn't want to use his vacation days in case they needed it for a bigger trip in the future and- well, Elijah spaced out at one point so he didn't pay attention to the rest.

"Break time, kid."

He paused in his step. Didn't realize his strained breathing from the workout until then. "Oh."

"Yep. Go on, find a rock and sit. You brought food with you right?"

Elijah rolled his eyes. "Yes, I did. You know we do this every year."

"But not this year!!!"

Oop, and there he went again. As his father lamented in his ear about being unable to spend time with his son, Elijah made his way to a rock and sat down. He placed his phone between his shoulder and neck to pull out a granola bar from his bag and open it. Which only made his father's voice even louder. His face strained at the volume.

With the voice being as constant a present as it was, the boy didn't realize just how eerie the silence around him truly was.

Goose

[Goose]

G O O S E

HONK

Change accompanied the passage of time hand-in-hand, yet some aspects of existence were immune to their union. Such as the perpetual disdain for people on their phones in public spaces. Violators of proper protocols, each and every one of them. As such, the interloper only had himself to blame for the events that followed his shattering of the fragile silence cast over the mountainside.

In the wake of wrapper undone came a bestial roar. If one considered a honk a roar. And if Goose could consider anything beyond its primal urges, it would agree.

“HONK. HONK. HONK. HONK. HONK. HONK.”

Six cries blended into a singular symphony of impending chaos. Birds kept hushed in their fear fled the trees in droves. Their evacuation cast a shadow as they momentarily blotted out the sun over a small area. From the departure of their temporary eclipse came another dark shape. Goose had launched itself into the sky amid the panic and now it was swooping directly toward the source of the disturbance, bills opened wide to consume whatever remained in its path.

Notes & Tags: Elijah

[Elijah]

Elijah couldn't even bring the bar to his face.

Honks in the air, followed by the flaps of several wings as the wildlife in the area escaped while the predator was focused on its target. That being the boy who tensed at the cry, looking up to confirm that, yes, it was just as he thought.

His father seemed to have heard it too. "What the hell was that?"

The freshman couldn't respond in the moment. Not when his life was in danger. Instead he dove to the side, dodging the mass of beaks that was sure to devour him if he sat on that rock for a second longer. Which, by the way, he had a hard time coping with the fact the thing had multiple heads.

He knew one thing though. Once he was safely out of the way, he steadied the phone on his ear as he uttered the word his dad was surely dreading to hear. "Goose."

A groan of someone who dealt with one before entered his ear. "Ah, fuck. You know what to do."

Elijah nodded, then remembered he was still on the phone and his father couldn't see him. "Mm." He hung up. Sliding the phone in his pocket, he kept his attention on the bird, waiting for its next move as he remembered the rules of dealing with aggressive waterfowl.

Rule 1. Never turn away from a goose.

Goose

[Goose]

G O O S E

HONK

Rule 1. Never turn away from a goose.

Was it a fallacy or fact? Even if the latter held true, did laws governing encounters with the mundane operate the same in the face of an abomination? Elijah was but one of many destined to discover the answer in a very hand(s) on manner. While its prey was determined not to turn, Goose was beholden to no such decree.

It began to rotate mid-swoop until it was a spiral of gnashing [MAWS] aimed directly at its nemesis by nationality. Sea monsters from the deep had nothing on this fiendish fowl with the vicious intent behind the dive bomb. Not to mention the resulting attempts at biting should collision or contact of any kind occur.

Notes & Tags: Elijah

[Elijah]

There were other rules to follow when one was facing an aggressive goose. Like remain calm. Slowly back away from its turf. Grab it by the neck and leg it once you toss it away. But as Elijah watched the fowl adjust its flight path for a second assault, he wondered if these rules still applied when the bird was doing a spin attack of all things.

Probably not. But he had nothing else in mind with how to deal with this situation, so rules continued to be adhered to.

The freshman dove to the side again before he stood, eyes still on the goose as he remained calm and took several steps backwards. His focus was now split, with one part of it watching the bird while the other attempted to ensure he didn't step on something that would make the problem even worse. One of his hands still held the granola bar. He should throw it.

But he wasn't one to litter or feed the wildlife.

Goose

[Goose]

G O O S E

HONK

Course correction would have been the intelligent decision upon noticing one’s prey was no longer where they had once been. Alas, six heads sometimes weren’t better than one. Especially when it involved thinking. One wanted to pull out of the spiral. Another wanted to stay put. Others still formed their own plans.

With no concrete decision between its heads, Goose careened into the truck of a nearby tree. Two heads were entangled and engulfed in the darkness of a hollow in the trunk. “HONK. HONK,” came the muffled cries. “HONK. HONK. HONK. HONK,” the other four cackled until one spotted the quarry edging away.

“HONK. HONK. HONK. HONK. HONK. HONK.”

The hydra was unified in purpose once more. A relentless pursuit of snacking attacking. It just had to get free first. It began to flap and flail with renewed vigor.

Notes & Tags: Elijah

[Elijah]

The goose actually got itself stuck in a tree.

Elijah took a moment to really acknowledge that; to look at the bird and confirm that, indeed, some of its heads were lodged in the trunk while the rest honked at him. He lowered his arms with furrowed brows, unsure of what to do with this turn of events.

He could leave, first off. The threat was subdued if temporarily. It meant he had a chance to escape; really put some distance between himself and the strange creature.

But it also meant the bird was vulnerable. Menacing as it was, even geese had its predators, and surely they would see a trapped fowl as an opportunity for an easy meal. Not to mention the fact it may never be able to free itself, meaning it could starve to death. And while Elijah understood the circle of life, he also knew that humans should not tamper with that cycle.

The student sighed. He should get it out.

Pocketing his granola bar, Elijah pointed his prosthetic at a tree branch away from the bird before launching a grappling hook at it, zipping himself towards the tree to get some distance from the fowl. He needed it for what he was about to do next.

Once he was situated on the branch, he pointed his arm at the goose next, firing his hook again so it grasped one of the bird's many necks. Only then would he maneuver himself so the wire wrapped around the trunk for additional leverage before he tried to pull it out with a quick yank.

Here's hoping he won't die because he unleashed the beast.

Goose