tearing a portion off. Since there was no way she could outrun the span of a giant’s arm, she needed something to defend herself with. Daio plucked the segment of fencing out of her grip and chucked it aside, which was what she hoped he’d do. She ran to one of the bare iron poles that’d held the fence up and tore it out of the ground. A cylindrical block of cement came up with it, sending a cloud of dirt through the air. Roxie gripped the bare end of the pole and swung the cement end at Daio’s incoming hand. As she bashed the second knuckle joint, his middle finger jabbed her in the gut, which sent her sprawling onto her back. Daio let out a yelp, then reached out to grab her. Roxie pulled the cement end to her and pointed the other end to the sky and held on tight. The raised end stabbed the giant hand, sending it recoiling once again.
“Okay, time to take away your new toy, kid.”
Daio made a horizontal swipe for the pole and Roxie held on, not wanting to give up her protection. The giant lifted both her and the pole in the air, then started jiggling it. The jiggling felt more like going through tumble dry in a clothes dryer. She lost her grip and fell on her back with a wet thud in a bed of mud and weeds. A second later everything went dark and Roxie’s entire body went afire with pain. The light returned to show Daio’s hand hovering over her, a film of water and mud dripping off it.
Each breath hurt. Tears filled Roxie’s eyes. She gasped for breath as her brain absorbed the initial wave of pain. She wanted to just lie there and give into the agony and cry, however she didn’t want to die. She peeled one arm, then the other out of the mud, every movement just as painful as her breathing. Her legs stayed stuck in the mud so she pushed herself into a sitting position, the effort almost getting her arms re-stuck after she freed her head.
“Kid, I’m amazed at how much of a beating you can take and still get up,” Daio said. “You really are something. But still not enough.” He got to his feet and loomed over her like a skyscraper.
Roxie twisted her torso, pulling one leg out of the mud at the hip, followed by the other. On her hands and knees yet again, she tensed her whole body as weight bore down on both patella. She dropped into the fetal position with a squelch and hugged her knees. Getting squashed like a bug must have torn every tendon in her knees.
“Uh oh, looks like someone’s down for good this time,” Daio taunted. “What a shame.”
Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of beating her, Roxie gritted her teeth and forced herself to her hands and knees, and then to her feet. Her ankles felt no better than her knees. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she brushed them away, but couldn’t seem to clear her vision.
“Shoulda stayed down, girlie. Now I can hit you again without feeling bad.” Daio snapped his gaze to his right. Aerigo was running right at the giant. He reached for Daio’s near leg with both hands then grew to the height of Daio’s knee. Daio yanked his knee out of reach just in time. Aerigo lunged for him again and shot up to the height of Daio’s waist as he missed. Daio kneed Aerigo in the jaw, sending him backpedaling until he regained balance. The ground quaked under his footfalls.
“Looks like I’ve worn out my welcome,” Daio said. The ground vibrated as he jogged to Roxie. Smiling, he raised a booted foot behind him.
Roxie tried to run but the sticky mud and the pain in her limbs allowed her only two steps before something huge and solid kicked her in the back and sent her flying out over Lake Erie. The lake and the sky took several turns in being below her until she hit the water
“Okay, time to take away your new toy, kid.”
Daio made a horizontal swipe for the pole and Roxie held on, not wanting to give up her protection. The giant lifted both her and the pole in the air, then started jiggling it. The jiggling felt more like going through tumble dry in a clothes dryer. She lost her grip and fell on her back with a wet thud in a bed of mud and weeds. A second later everything went dark and Roxie’s entire body went afire with pain. The light returned to show Daio’s hand hovering over her, a film of water and mud dripping off it.
Each breath hurt. Tears filled Roxie’s eyes. She gasped for breath as her brain absorbed the initial wave of pain. She wanted to just lie there and give into the agony and cry, however she didn’t want to die. She peeled one arm, then the other out of the mud, every movement just as painful as her breathing. Her legs stayed stuck in the mud so she pushed herself into a sitting position, the effort almost getting her arms re-stuck after she freed her head.
“Kid, I’m amazed at how much of a beating you can take and still get up,” Daio said. “You really are something. But still not enough.” He got to his feet and loomed over her like a skyscraper.
Roxie twisted her torso, pulling one leg out of the mud at the hip, followed by the other. On her hands and knees yet again, she tensed her whole body as weight bore down on both patella. She dropped into the fetal position with a squelch and hugged her knees. Getting squashed like a bug must have torn every tendon in her knees.
“Uh oh, looks like someone’s down for good this time,” Daio taunted. “What a shame.”
Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of beating her, Roxie gritted her teeth and forced herself to her hands and knees, and then to her feet. Her ankles felt no better than her knees. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she brushed them away, but couldn’t seem to clear her vision.
“Shoulda stayed down, girlie. Now I can hit you again without feeling bad.” Daio snapped his gaze to his right. Aerigo was running right at the giant. He reached for Daio’s near leg with both hands then grew to the height of Daio’s knee. Daio yanked his knee out of reach just in time. Aerigo lunged for him again and shot up to the height of Daio’s waist as he missed. Daio kneed Aerigo in the jaw, sending him backpedaling until he regained balance. The ground quaked under his footfalls.
“Looks like I’ve worn out my welcome,” Daio said. The ground vibrated as he jogged to Roxie. Smiling, he raised a booted foot behind him.
Roxie tried to run but the sticky mud and the pain in her limbs allowed her only two steps before something huge and solid kicked her in the back and sent her flying out over Lake Erie. The lake and the sky took several turns in being below her until she hit the water
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