[ WP ] You 're suddenly dropped back in time over 1,000 years ago . You have no idea how it happened . You 're nude but somehow are holding a modern pistol ... with 5 bullets .

Blank. That's the only memory that came to mind when he tried to think back. He could n't remember how he got here, or where here was even for that matter. 
 
 The noises of the outside world were masked by a deafening whir in his head. Fragrance of burning hair filled his nostrils, it did n't take long to find the source: he was completely bald. Head to toe his hair had been singed clean off, yet his skin had no abrasions or burns. To add to the sensory overload, four of his teeth tasted of metal. 
 
 That's when the chill hit him. His final sense came to and completed the surrounding picture about him. The landscape was blanketed with the covering of fresh snow. Trees stood frozen in time in an artful pose, the falling snow dampened any noise the forest would have been making. 
 
 All but the immediate area around him was a pure white. There was a carved -- no, burned -- perfectly shaped circle about him. The circle seemed to suffer the same fate as his singed hair. 
 
 That's when he felt it, the coolness in his hand. Though the air was cold, he felt something freeze his fingers. He lifted up his dominant arm and studied the object. 
 
 He dropped it immediately, as his senses started becoming more acute, the frigid, oddly shaped rock was making him colder. He shivered and held himself, while he look for sign of help. 
 
 The silence of the forest was broken by the thundering of something... He was n't sure what, but it was either big, or there was a lot of *it. * 
 
 It was getting louder and louder and closer. 
 
 Fearing for his life he instinctively grabbed his rock hid behind the closest tree. The thundering was deafening now, he was sure the noise had reached the apex of its intensity, but it continued to grow louder and louder. Finally it stopped, the steady beat of that loud drum had finished. The noise, however, was replaced with incoherent blabbing of something. 
 
 The Naked Man turned his head from around the tree and saw them, the creatures. He could n't remember how to count, but to him, it seemed there were more of them than there were fingers or toes on his body. 
 
 They were horrible in appearance. Four long leg protruded from their horizontal torso. A head? Seemed to be sticking out of their stomach. It turned and made noises, a some of the beasts seemed to be eating the grass below the snow. 
 
 Their upper half was clad in some sort of protective shell. The upper half's mid section was covered and arms sprang out from the sides. His eyes moved upwards, studying the beasts. A final piece of shell covered the top of the upper section. This part was another head, it seemed, its eyes were intelligent, smart, and scheming. 
 
 That must be the real head, he felt, the other was a decoy. He discovered that the shells were used to cover important pieces. 
 
 One of the creatures turned its real head and spotted him, it called out to its companions and lifted up its arm, erecting a finger in his direction. 
 
 `` Yees Durr!'' it cried, `` Yenen da *tree. *'' The last word stuck out in his mind. Like a post it note of a lost reminder, he suddenly remembered that word. 
 
 *Tree, * he thought, looking at the the thing that had previously concealed him. 
 
 In his sudden grasp of what he would eventually remember as `` language,'' he failed to notice the circle of beasts around him. The creatures had put themselves on all sides, preventing his escape. 
 
 The tallest creature came forward, it must have been strongest for it clad the most protective skin. 
 
 `` Yoo dar *you? *'' it said inquisitively. 
 
 `` Yan *you* yerndestn nee?'' it continued. The Naked Man could not remember out the words. 
 
 `` *who are you*'' it said again. Yes, he understood this now. The words were coming back to him, he could comprehend but he could not find the power to speak. 
 
 He had no idea how these creatures spoke, or how he understood their queer tongue. In response, all he could do was utter out a grunt and shiver. 
 
 The creature looked back to a lesser one and yelled for something. 
 
 The one it called back to became two. The Naked Man could not comprehend it. At first it seemed as though the beast had been sliced in half; he waited for both halves to fall over dead, but it never happened. The top half, the half that he thought contained the real head walked behind it's first half. 
 
 From a pouch it took out the hide of something, someone? The thought of wearing something else's skin disgusted him, so naturally he flinched backwards when the halfbeast came at him. He had no where to run so eventually he accepted the skin. 
 
 Still clutching his rock, he felt the warmth of his body contained. The cold no longer bit at his naked flesh. The hide he wore kept him warm. 
 
 The largest creature said something again and three more of the beasts halved themselves. 
 
 They came towards him with what he perceived as sinister intent. One held a long vine while another another pouch, large enough for his real head to fit in he supposed. 
 
 `` Dun *run* nio, ya neeer?'' one said at him. 
 
 He knew not what they had planned, partly conflicted by the generous gesture of the skin and by their now evil eyes. 
 
 `` Fight or flight.'' he'd later recall when telling his story, `` That's what I had to do, fight or flight. They ousted option two with their surrounding circle, so I did n't have a whole lot of choices.'' 
 
 Instinctively, he raised his rock towards a man. That seemed to make them stop. He felt a tentative easiness, hoping they'd back off. 
 
 The creatures looked at one another then let out an inperceivable cry. It rose and fell in volume and intensity. One of the three men clutched his torso and fell. 
 
 The naked man looked his rock, captivated by it's mystical powers. It seemed to stop the evil beasts and now there was one on the ground, perhaps poisoned or borken. With renewed effort he took a step forward and pointed his rock at another man. 
 
 They howled again, the previously silent forest was now filled with their cries. 
 
 The man on the ground was still moving, his teeth were gnashing as he slowly got to his feet. He wiped water from his eyes. 
 
 `` Wert *you* seenk *that's* nunna *do? *'' it asked inquisitively. 
 
 It was all a ruse. The men were back on their feet this time, only now they spread their red lips over yellowed teeth. He felt helpless now, surrounded by halfbeasts, and continued to clutch his rock. 
 
 He gripped it tight, not wanting to lose it. Gripping it tight in anger and in frustration. He squeezed his fingers around it and closed his eyes. He cried out in another feeble attempt to frighten his captors and felt the cold rock bite at his fingers, then his hands, then his arm. His felt his dominant arm shake violently. 
 
 Another cry joined his own, louder and more sudden, with more intensity and an air of demanded respect. Then it was over, in the instant it started, it had finished. 
 
 Birds chirped a single solitary note in the forest. It was weird to hear them now, and not before, he wondered. He looked around -- among the fear and clamoring and yelling -- he looked for the birds but saw nothing. 
 
 Then he realized the birds were in his own head. The chirping was his own ears, he stuck fingers in the holes on the side of his head to confirm his finding. 
 
 He looked up now, realizing things were still happening around him. The three men that previously advanced towards him were down to two. The two remaining were anxiously backing away. Their eyes wide with fear of a larger predator. 
 
 The third man was lying down. His arms and legs splayed out. A hole marked the center of his forehead as red fluid flowed out behind him. The puddle of red grew increasingly large as it tainted the once perfect snowfall. 
 
 The would be captors were frightened now. Several turned tail and ran, the two that had attempted to take him had now joined back with their bottom half. 
 
 The Alpha was shouting back at this creatures. It seemed to instill the courage back in the ones that remained. 
 
 It eyed The Naked Man and spoke. 
 
 `` *Die. *'' 
 
 Itslid his talon from its hiding place and began to run towards The Naked Man. 
 
 He did his trick again, he pointed his rock at the beast's head, the real head, and squeezed. 
 
 The roar rang through the forest again, this time with his eyes open he saw flames erupt from the rock. Blinding light illuminated the trees in false colors as the rock barked at the charging creature. 
 
 By some mystical force, he creature was struck with jarring intensity. His top half slunk backwards and fell separate from the bottom half, which did not stop running into the forest. 
 
 The Naked Man looked back at the riders now, what was left at them, and cried out his own roar of dominance. Advancing towards them and pointing his rock he cried, `` DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE!'' 
 
 The men lost their courage and ran, leaving The Naked Man alone. 
 
 Alone except for his rock. He eyed it with gleeful wonder. 
 
 The Naked Man took his rock and began his journey.
