Swamp Monster

“Damn you Carl! Why am I knee deep in mud and muck? For once I wish you would find a monster that lived in a five star hotel for me to kill. Is that too much to ask? Next time you google search a monster make sure to add the key words Hilton, resort, and fucking spring break.” Tank paused and listened to Carl’s response. “What the… Fuck off Carl!”

Tank threw the phone and smiled when it hit the water. The thought of Carl buying another phone for him felt like a small victory. The mosquito biting his neck did not feel like winning. Tank swatted his neck and stabbed himself with his hook.

“Damn you Carl!”

Tank lowered his prosthetic hook and rubbed his neck with his hand. A quick look and he found a small spot of blood on his palm. He might as well have posted a sign on his neck that read, “Mosquitos Welcome.” He had the prosthetic for six months and had not yet gotten used to it.

The sound of wood breaking and a loud splash brought Tanks focus back on to the reason he was there in that miserable swamp. He patted the AK-47 that hung under his right arm by a sling. The warm metal helped to assuage his growing fear. He wrapped his hand around the pistol grip and marched forward.

Carl didn’t know what Tank would find in this stretch of swamp but he was sure Tank would know it when he saw it.

A scream broke through the trees to his left. Tank took off at a sprint. The mud and brackish water slowed his progress. The splashing of his legs tearing through the swamp made stealth impossible. He settled for shock and awe. Tank raised the barrel of the rifle and fired off two shots in the direction the scream originated from. He figured the screamer would be dead by the time he reached him or her so he didn’t worry too much about hitting the wrong target.

A load cracked followed by a tree falling stopped Tank dead. The tree splashed down right in his path. His gaze traveled the length of the tree to its jagged stump. A huge man shaped creature stood there glaring at him defiantly. It was covered in thick brown fur. Its hands were oversized and its fingers ended in long black claws.
Tank charged firing his rifle as he went. The beast rocked back with each impact but remained standing. Tank closed the distance quickly. He reached the creature and slashed at it with the bayonet attached to the weapon.

The creature leaned back and the blade passed by harmlessly. It swiped at Tank with its clawed hand. Tank used the momentum from the rifle swing and dove to the side. The claws missed. Tanks rolled in the water and sprang up. He fired two shots into its chest while diving at it.

The bayonet bit into its chest.  The blade went all the way in sopped by the hilt hitting bone. Tank squeezed the trigger and held it. The rifle fired round after round until the weapon clicked on an empty magazine.

The beast fell onto its back and Tank rode it down. He reloaded and emptied the second magazine into the thing. He moved the gun from side to side as much as the bayonet would allow maximizing the damage done. When the gun clicked once again the thing let out its last breath.

Tank slumped against it and relaxed. He breathed slowly allowing the tension to drain away. All around him huge fur covered creatures stood out of the water. He was surrounded and out of ammo.

“Ah fuck…”