Go to the park

'The park' is really just a little clearing in a forest near Sam's house that the two friends found when they were kids. The actual parks on the island were hidden away in gated communities or just full of rich kids that didn't share their toys. So Sam and Tripp had found a little spot all their own and made it their own park long ago.

Tripp finds Samantha sitting against the little shrine there. It was the only man-made thing they had ever found in the forest, and they still didn't know what it was for or who put it there. It was like a stone bird house, and if you looked inside, you could just make out the shape of a little bird statue at the very back.

"Took you long enough!" Sam says, standing up. She's wearing grubby ripped jeans and an oversized white rock band T-shirt that used to be Tripp's. "What were you up to, hmm?"

Tripp's face flushes as she leans in a little too close. "Uh n-nothing! Just, you know... decompressing!" He waves his hands defensively.

"Mhm, I'm sure! Well, we're all signed up for classes now. Are you sure you're ready for Seaside Academy? Rich-kid schools are a whole different breed, you know. Seaside Academy is like the unholy spawn of a dumpster fire and a fancy museum. It's one part snobby book club, one part cage fight. It's like-"

"Gee, you make it sound so nice!" Tripp interrupts. "I'll be fine. I mean, you'll be there, right? We are taking the same classes and everything, aren't we?"

Sam smirks. "Yeah. Why? You want big tough Sammy to protect you? Huh, wittle Twipp?" She pokes playfully at his chest.

Tripp rolls his eyes and blushes. The teasing gene had not been lost on Sam. He bats her hand away and says. "I just think it will be nice knowing someone on the inside. You know, until I get my feet wet."

"Mhm," Sam starts, but at just that moment, thunder booms overhead like a cannon shot.

Tripp hadn't noticed on the way over, but the sky had become very gray and overcast. He's about to say something about it when the ground starts shaking violently and both he and Sam drop to their knees.

"Wh- hey! What's going on?" Sam shouts.

"I don't know! Earthquake?" Tripp calls out. It's hard to be heard over the rumbling. "I've never experienced anything like this before!"

The next few minutes are the strangest Sam and Tripp ever experienced in their lives up to that point.

Some ways off into the forest, the ground explodes, erupting like a volcano. Something huge and fiery red spews out of the ground like molten lava. Only, it remains in the air and solidifies into what can only be described as a monster. It's glowing red, especially near the top, but it's very clearly a... Minotaur. From the neck down, it's humanoid, albeit with furry legs and hooves. But it's head is most definitely that of a bull, with huge curved horns and a snout. It even has one of those nose rings bulls always have in cartoons. It's also about 50 feet tall.

"Holy shit..." whispers Sam, staring up at the gargantuan. Tripp says something along the same lines and the two watch the giant lumber towards the city, shaking the earth with every step.

Finally, Sam looks at Tripp and says, "What are we going to do? That thing is heading straight for downtown."

"Do?!?" Tripp exclaims. "What can we do? That thing is huge! I mean, we can call the police, but I think the play here is 'run like hell'!"

"Tripp!" Sam says, furrowing her brow. "We can't just let it go on a rampage! We might be the only ones that can help right now. Figure something out!"

Tripp is about to protest, when he notices the shrine in the clearing. It's glowing, and no longer made of stone. It's made out of something crystalline, like diamonds. The most beautiful bird he's ever seen is perched on top, holding something in its beak.

It draws him in. calling to him. Urging him forwards...