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GreatMaw held many dark secrets, gore and slime streaked on the almost too green grass, an aura radiating the island, with it's teeth shaped rocks surrounding the shore. The darkness of night time was what made the features of GreatMaw ever so frightening, leaving Howard to die alone and afraid. But it would be a slow and painful death, and not a physical one.
The death of Howard's remaining sanity followed on the fated night he came to GreatMaw, guiding his way with his trusty lantern, his slingshot also held upright, ready for anything in his presence. The only thing unaccounted for was oil. The very oil that fueled his light source, the one little beacon of light keeping him from completely losing his mind. Poor Howard treaded too far, and eventually his lantern went out.
Howard, the small man in the brown hat, was trapped in the approaching darkness, playing with his vision. Was that an arm he saw? No, just a tree branch. Dear heavens! An eye? Oh good, its but a trick of the moon's glint on water. Howard's fear gripped his heart, thumping in his chest like a drum. Panic setting in, he clutched his chest, and stopped in his tracks. Howard's mind seemed to spiral, feeling his grip on reality slipping away. Suddenly he felt a horrible, painful, mournful, GREAT need to escape this terrible darkness. He whipped his head around him, his brain scratching and pleading for any light. But no such thing came. An almost primal instinct came over him. Howard sat himself on the ground. His arms crossed over him in a tight hug, his fingernails digging into his skin, causing him to bleed. The pain was instant, gushing his senses. He expected tears, but what came out was a cruel laughter. What started as a chuckle grew into hysteric laughter, until Howard was clutching his head, blood seeping into his sleeves, ripping at his hair. It then dawned upon him in that moment. There was only one thing left to do. He raised his hands to his eyes, his fingers trembling oh so terribly as he did so. Howard then clawed at his eyes, gutting a scream out of Howard, an awful scream that surely could be heard by the whole island. Once the deed was done, he heaved a sigh of relief, hoping to find solace in no longer staring into darkness. But none came. Howard then began to cry. Tears and blood streamed down his face, leaving him a mess. He felt the gore dripping from arms and eyes, and he settled himself back down on the ground. Howard knew he was going to die. He didn't want to fight it. He only wished he could've gotten to Phillip before this happened. Wait, who's Phillip? Did we know him? Why are we here? It doesn't matter anymore. Howard lifted his head to the sky, letting his life slip out of his fingers. He closed his eyelids over his eyeless sockets, a smile on his face.
Huh? He wasn't dead? Howard's eyelids fluttered open. *SNAP* Howard let out a tear-filled gasp. He looked down at his arm. Oh dear. That wouldn't do. Howard's arm was elongated, twisted, and broken. *CRUNCH* There went his leg. Panic shot through his veins, prickling in his brain. Howard's cries were heard by the creatures of the night, pity swallowing them whole. Once the horrid process was over, "Howard" had lost his hat, coat, and sanity. Blood splotched his pink dress shirt, a shattered smile on his face. "Howard" groped around in the darkness, and when he found nothing, he let out an enraged screech. His rage was short-lasted, as he heard shuffling behind him, leaves and brush disturbed by an unknown presence. "Howard" whipped around. A small man with a lantern stood in his view, which told "Howard" that his vision wasn't completely lost. Just very blurry. The man had VERY shaggy and tangled black hair, a grey coat and black pants, his expression too faint to identify. "Howard" felt his brain slow down, along with his body. "Howard" closed his eyelids over his eye sockets, and embraced darkness for the first time.