#dystopean

(In which Tiger's being a terrifying jerk. He gets better, I promise! But this is how he gets in the earlier part of the story.)

In that moment, Seymour forgot he ever had a hoverboard. Obeying instead his first instinct, he turned and ran for his life. A shudder coursed down his spine as he heard the heavy footsteps begin pursuit. He could even feel the vibrations they made!

“Get back here! We're gonna finish this!!” he heard Tiger bellow. His voice had changed; it had grown a bit deeper, and reverberated harshly across the walls. Hearing a voice like that was more than enough to push Seymour into a terrified frenzy.

What the heck was this kid? True, Seymour had thought Tiger was strange—especially with the biting thing. But on earth could he have known that a guy like him could turn into a giant?!

Lee and Napoleon's screams for help came to Seymour's ears, and he glanced back to see both boys struggling in Tiger's clutches. Seymour wasn't quite as worried about them as he was worried about himself however. He was really the one the giant wanted. Besides, how was he supposed to save them? Seymour ducked under a piece of machinery and bolted around another in an attempt to shake his pursuer. Then he made a break for the entrance. If he knew this would have happened, he would never have sent that challenge! It was too late for regrets now. He was being hunted.

His only comfort was that he was only a few yards away from the entrance. Once he was out, he had a good chance of losing Tiger in the woods. Hope bloomed in his chest, only to be crushed as an enormous shoe crashed down right in front of him. With a scream, he screeched to a stop before he could slam into Tiger's leg and changed direction. No plan was in his mind now, only terror.

A deep growl reverberated behind him. A moment later, Lee's and Napoleon's bodies simultaneously slammed into him. His feet left the floor, and all three crashed into the nearest wall and slid down in a tangle of arms and legs.

Seymour found Napoleon draped over him, groaning softly. Lee lay unmoving nearby. Either he was out cold...or dead. The last possibility snapped Seymour out of his dazed state, and he struggled to escape from underneath Napoleon. The sound of those heavy footsteps made Seymour's heart clench. He twisted round to look over Napoleon's back. His green eyes met Tiger’s golden orange ones. They appeared to glow in the dim light, making his enraged face ever more terrifying.

Seeing that gave Seymour all the motivation he needed to wiggle out. Then he leaped into a sprint. As soon as he put weight on his left leg, a pain shot up into his spine. He tumbled to the floor with a yelp, then hissed as the impact created another jolt of pain.

A foot slammed down just behind him, the tremor rattling through him. Whipping around, he realized Tiger was standing right behind him. “Keep away from me!” Seymour choked. He attempted to scramble backwards, but winced again at the pain. What was Tiger going to do now?

His question was soon answered when the giant lifted one foot and brought it down on top of him effectively bringing him to a halt. The pressure was light at first, but slowly Seymour could feel the immense weight beginning to bear down on him. Terror welled up in his throat. He was about to be crushed like a bug!

“NO WAIT! Don't kill me—AUGH!” The forcing of air from his lungs halted Seymour’s plea. This was it! He was going to die! And this was one of the worst possible ways to go! He shut his eyes, waiting for the end.

It never came. The pressure didn't increase to the fatal level. In fact, the pressure eased enough for him to breathe again. Seymour gasped for and opened his eyes. He looked up at Tiger, simultaneously relieved and confused. Had he changed his mind?

Tiger's expression had changed. Some of the rage had ebbed away. And he appeared to be looking down, but not at Seymour. He was looking past him, suggesting he was lost in thought.

Seymour didn't care to know what was going through the giant's head. This was a chance for him to escape, and he was going to take it. Carefully he began to he began to shift his position, intending to wiggle out. But as soon as he tried to pull himself from under the massive shoe, another jab of pain went up his leg. A cry burst his lips before he could stop it.

The golden orange eyes above refocused on him. Seymour released another cry, this time of despair as the pressure came down again, forcing the air in his lungs back out. Ok, now he was going to die! His heart hammered in his chest, increasing his need for air. If he wasn't going to get crushed in the next few moments, he had no doubt he would suffocate instead.

Above him, Tiger seemed to be reconsidering. The next moment the pressure left Seymour completely as the enormous shoe released him. Seymour sat up, unable to do anything else but gasp and cough for the sweet air around him. The next time he looked up, Seymour's relief returned to terror as he saw a massive hand had come down, and was closing in around him. Oh, please no! Being underfoot had been bad enough, but the thought of being in Tiger's clutches was far more terrifying!

Seymour awkwardly lunged forward, trying to jump out of the hand. The movement came to an abrupt and painful halt as his hurt leg was taken hold of. He could hardly contain a screech of pain, falling face first on the gritty floor. He heard an irritated growl above him, which spurred him to start struggling. Tears sprang in his eyes each time he pulled on his injured leg, but he was willing to endure the pain if it meant he could escape. All the while, in the in the back of his mind, he knew it was probably useless. And it was proved right as the other hand came down, wrapping in a tight hold around his waist before his leg was finally released.