I have often read, watched and even imagined many last moments, most of them fictional. Of how time seems to crawl to a stop, giving the forsaken individual a momentary reprieve from the Reaper's scythe. Just enough time to collect themselves and come to terms with their fate, or as highlighted in a more recent trend in the books and films I had watched, to find some way to cheat Death of his prize.

Having survived two near death experiences and facing what probably will be my moments on this alien planet, presumably to be eaten, shit out and become fertiliser for the grass, the only thing that seemed to grow around here, I could say that the entire concept was a load of bullshit.

In my previous experience, before coming to this planet, I had just remembered everything in painstaking detail, so when I recalled it, there was so much to notice that it took longer than the actual event, thus giving the impression of time slowing down.

Well, that was what I thought before I committed to my hair-brained scheme and decided to charge forward like a starving lunatic spotting a chain of fast food restaurants in the distance.

Having trained in various martial arts and forms of unarmed combat, I had long ago learnt that you couldn't afford to plan on the fly. It was a big reason why many of the sword fighting styles had a long stare off period as they circled each other, each combatant running through as many scenarios as possible, acting the moment that they felt confident an entire exchange or flow could be executed with minimal risk. When the decision was made, it was as if they were on autopilot, relying on their trained, subconscious reaction times to save the day if things took an unexpected turn.

The lead up to that was kind of like the end of a chess game where more than a few pieces were left on the board, and you could see checkmate in four turns. You just needed to force your opponent to make the moves you wanted them too without letting them know they were dancing in the palm of your hand and then follow the script.

Like most things I thought were cool, the theory seemed about right but putting it into practice was near impossible.

Of course, this was entirely my own opinion drawn from what I had learnt sparing with mediocre opponents, not teeth filled, dog-hedgehog-like creatures but, like as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it and this hardly felt like the time nor place to be improvising. That shit will get you killed faster than being a turkey a week before Thanksgiving.

I had a plan, even though many would call it insane, I was committed, and though doubt tried to crawl through my mind, like a spider stalking its prey, it was brutally stomped on the moment it reared its ugly head.

Excluding the spider stomping, if anyone was stuck in my head, bar the sobbing child, the adult with a recently discovered drinking problem and the beast that was doing an amazing king-kong impersonation, they might wonder why I was thinking these somewhat profound thoughts as I charged towards my impending doom?

It wasn't that surprising really, as the cause is what triggered my earlier reminiscents on near death experiences and martial arts training.

My body was running on that fabled autopilot mode, so engrossed in the life and death mission I had choreographed in painstaking detail, that my mind had started wandering as it absorbed as much information as it could, almost as if it knew this could be its last chance before the dark abyss.

The cold night air burned my lungs as it was sucked in, my heart doing its best impression of a jackhammer as the wind hissed passed my ears, pushing back my short, brown hair as few tears ran down my face due to the biting wind that was mercilessly slamming into my face.

In my peripheral, I watched as the grass beneath me, bathed in the light of the pale, red moon, flickering past like the rolling waves in a sea of blood, a visual promise of what was to come should I fail.

-"I would say I have way too much time on my hands but what I wouldn't give right now for a few hours more?"

My face warped into a feral smile; my acute senses and the adrenaline pumping through my body coming together to form what I could only describe as a euphoric moment of clarity.

I finally understood and believed a weird saying. That only on the verge of death, could one truly feel alive.

An uncontrollable hunger, building from what felt like the depths of my soul, drove me forward with even more intensity as my gaze locked onto my spiky opponent, pushing my muscles to their absolute limit.

The initial distance was not great, even though I had thrown the creature as far as I could, maybe no more than a couple of metres after it rolled, yet within moments, I had descended upon it like some gruesome specter of death or, more than likely, like a screaming, naked man covered in blood with tears streaming down his face.

Pushing away the thoughts of how stupid I looked, for who was around to see me, I don't know whether it was due to the weird state of mind I was suffering, the fact I could probably reach out and touch the creature, or some other strange phenomenon, but I could see every hair on its scar-ridden face along with the forming shock and fear dancing in its eyes.

It must not have expected a creature it had wounded so easily to turn so ferocious, charging it with reckless abandon and, at least in my imagination, oozing enough bloodlust to make a psychopath turn tail and cry for his mommy.

I was moments from colliding with the creature as I threw myself backwards, falling into a mid-air slide, now fully committed to the plan. There was no turning back.

-'He who dares, wins... or becomes fertiliser.'

I internally chuckled as the night sky came into view as my world tilted.

-"The SAS should have totally added that last bit."

Quickly muttering a silent prayer, to who, even I had no idea, I straightened my legs and hoped that I had got the angle right.

Too high, and I would only stagger the creature as I lost all momentum, too low, and I would bring it crashing down on me too fast. Probably overshooting me by a large margin, landing on its legs and ready to rip my throat out while I rolled around on my back like a turtle.

As anyone would have been able to tell by now, my plan was incredibly risky, bordering suicidal but with the lack of armour, weapons, clothes or even so much as a god damned toothbrush, it wasn't like I was swimming with options. That and letting it chow down while hoping it would get full before I expired wasn't my idea of a fun time.

If I was going to go out, it was going to be in an epic way. Even if it was an epic fail.

Even if it was an epic fail.

The only tools I had were my body, mind and the wealth of knowledge gained by wasting too much time growing up in the digital era.

The creature seemed to walk on four legs, although it could stand and leap from two, bending its knees and leaning forward as it pushed off which highlighted a flaw that most two-legged creatures, at least with forward pointing kneecaps, had and weaknesses were made to be capitalised on.

After what felt like an age, but could have only been a couple of microseconds, my prayers were answered as man and beast finally collided.

Well, fifty percent of the prayer had been. A loud snapping noise, accompanied by a hiss of pain, reverberated up my left leg as my right foot pushed the creature's other leg back.

I had been aiming to break both kneecaps, just like I had seen on a video clip when a stunt had gone horribly wrong but honestly, I was just happy it somewhat worked. There were so many variables involved that, even with just one break, I had probably used up a years supply of luck and good fortune.

-"I really hope luck isn't quantifiable or else I am up shit creek after this."

Spike, still bellowing in pain, tumbled forward as my momentum carried on, his footing lost as he fell like a lumbered tree.

Soon my beautiful view of the night sky was ruined by Spike's ugly, screaming head and my hands shot out, even the one connected to what remained of my mangled arm, and grasped his hoof-like front feet.

My face ached with how wide I was smiling as my hands clamped down. What I considered the first stage had been completed almost flawlessly. The damage to the kneecaps had been a bonus, a backup in case something went wrong with the next stage even though I probably wouldn't live long enough to use it.

The true goal was to manoeuvre Spike into this position, seconds from hitting the ground with a foot about to land on either side of me. I just needed to guide his legs into the right position by providing a helping nudge.

-"Even if I die now, more than likely I have dealt a fatal blow."

Mentally shaking my head, I focused.

-"Never settle for second place. A broken leg might kill it, but so what. I will already dead. There is no victory in death, only defeat."

This is where the biggest gamble, excluding that Spike could have sidestepped me before turning me into a pincushion, was to take place.

'Well, punk, do you feel lucky?' Clint Eastwood's voice echoed in my head, causing my smile to grow.

I couldn't help but mentally yell out a response, a war cry to myself, for myself. -"Hell yes. After this, people will want to cut me feet off and wear them around their necks."

My smile stagnated, and it wasn't because of the awful joke.

It was that my entire plan depended on a single bone, well a configuration of bones if I wanted to be pedantic. If the creatures anatomy was vastly different from a standard dog on Earth, I was dead.

Another hiss, though this time in fear instead of anger, snapped me from my inner thoughts as a chill snaked down my spine, accompanied by a slight stinging sensation in my stomach.

-"That's a bit... ouchie."

I wasn't given time to think about the weird sensations spreading from my gut as Spike's feet skidded past my shoulders, helped by my hands as they pushed outwards.

The creature panicked, somehow knowing that even if it had no clue what was going on, it did not want me to finish what I was doing.

I repressed a chuckle. -"If only he knew how bad his day was about to get. Game, set, match."

Using every ounce of energy, even attempting to will more out of some unknown container, just in case any of those stories of miraculous strength increases had any basis, I pushed my arms outwards as hard and fast as I could.

I already knew, with my damaged shoulder and what remained of my left arm, that I wouldn't have the strength to push the legs far enough apart but, that was what my good friend, when he wasn't pulling me from orbit, gravity was for.

All I needed to do was get them far enough apart and then a combination of momentum, my arms and the creatures own weight should do the work.

The air was forced from my lungs as my back slammed heavily into the floor, only moments before the creature's feet and an agonised wail, accompanied by a deafening crack, filled the air.

The full weight of Spike, which wasn't as heavy as I was anticipated slammed into my chest as I pushed my arms out with all the strength I could muster with my spasming lungs. By the sound, as well as the copious amounts of blood spraying into the air as Spike screamed, the creature's sternum and ribs had been snapped apart, piercing internal organs and, hopefully, inflicting mortal wounds.

Though, as any person who has faced an injured, terrified animal, even one on the cusp of death, would know, it wasn't enough. If anything this was the most dangerous time, and I needed to finish the fight as soon as possible.

I had, earlier in the fight, already proven that a seemingly defenceless, wounded animal was capable of unimaginable brutality against all odds and wasn't prepared to repeat my foes mistake.

Small popping cracks, always followed by an increase in the animals agonising wail continued until, while thrashing frantically, Spike's head slammed into my own, dazing me long enough for it to flail of to the side and slide the small distance left to the bottom of the valley.

Rolling to the opposite side and further down the micro valley, I managed to pull myself into a kneeling position as I gasped for breath and fought the urge to faint.

I knew I needed to finish this, but I was spent. The tank was empty, the town deserted and the well had dried up. I felt like a meandering fly could knock me over without difficulty as I finally managed to refill my burning lungs.

The creature's screams, turned into more of a whimper as its thrashing slowed, focused my thoughts as I lifted my head off my chest and stared at my opponent.

With each beat of my heart, I felt my blood flow out of the many wounds I had suffered, and a light headed weakness slowly taking over.

I shook it off as best I could as I continued to watch Spikes last moments.

In my head, if my attack had been successful, it would have been a quick clean death but, like everything in my cursed life, reality liked to point out how naive I was.

Any elation from the victory that had not been lost due to my dire state and the pain was crushed as I looked into Spike's panic filled, intelligent eyes.

Beautiful silver eyes, with almost, barely noticeable, reptilian-like pupils. Even if his body were monstrous, his eyes would have earnt him many admirers back on Earth. All the anger I had vented on the poor creature evaporated. It wasn't his fault just as much as it wasn't mine. It was just life... and the bastards who put us here.

As I watched Spike struggle, dealing with the confusing emotions raging inside, I saw acceptance creep across his eyes and knew it wouldn't be long.

He knew what was coming and could do nothing but suffer. Unfortunately for me and my growing guilt, not in silence.

Minutes passed, along with the last remnants of adrenaline keeping some of the the pain at bay as I watched Spikes last moments, too weak to even give the creature a merciful death.

I wasn't sure if it was my injuries, or that I was watching an animal suffer, even if it did want to turn me into a midnight snack, but I felt sick.

I knew I probably should have been more worried about my own fate, especially with my wounds, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the horrifying scene.

Disgust, an emotion I had not felt in a long time, seeped into my flesh, even as a cold numbness flowed outwards from my stomach.

I knew that all was fair in the game of life. Spike and I had played the highest of stakes, that of survival of the fittest and deep down, I knew that if I were faced with a similar situation, I would do the same without hesitation.

Having said that, it didn't mean I had to enjoy the suffering of others. Pain was the one currency all creatures could understand, and it was one I was not willing to give unnecessarily.

I needed to be stronger. Not just strong enough to survive, but strong enough to do the correct thing, even if it wasn't right. Strong enough to give those that threatened my existence a quick, merciful death and, even though it didn't feel as important as it should right now, protect myself without getting badly hurt.

I knew that, for one who was the first to scream about natural selection and their dislike for human society and rules, the thought of mercy was incredibly human, but I never claimed that my ideas or morals made sense. It felt right to me, and that was good enough.

I listed slightly to my left and heaved, vomiting a large amount of dark, almost black blood onto the grass.

-"I'm gonna ignore that for a moment."

Taking a deep breath, eliciting more coughing, vomiting and flaring pain, I finally managed to force myself to stand, just as Spike takes his last, shuddering breath.

With his death, and lack of agonised screams, relief washes over me, and I could finally accept the fact that I had survived without survivors guilt.

Yes, I could be bleeding out, poisoned and/or be attacked by Spike's family at any moment, if he had one, but I was happy to ignore those, similar to the question of why the blood coming from my mouth seemed to be black. Even if I knew, I doubt I would be able to do anything about it at the moment.

You got to take the wins when you can get them, especially if they might be your last.

Alone on an alien planet, naked and without weapons, I had come face to face with a predator and, whether it be down to skill, intelligence or just pure stupid luck, I was the last man standing.

No, that was wrong. I was no longer a man.

Something slithered under my skin and behind my eyes as my body trembled. Not just from exhaustion, but anticipation. I knew, on a fundamental level, that I would never be the same again.

It wasn't just the strange abilities I was picking up but something much deeper. I just couldn't tell you what that something was.

Sucking in a deep breath, eliciting agony from every fibre of my body, even some I had never felt before, I raised my head and glared at the red moon.

A low rumbling, the sensation pleasant even if it hurt, started in my chest before flooding into my throat and out into the night sky.

This was just the beginning. I would not fall into my old habits. Earlier on I had decided that I would thrive in this world, but at the time, I really didn't know what it meant.

After my fight with Spike, I knew who, or I guess more importantly, what, I wanted to become.

They had taken everything from me bar my mind and body, reinforcing the fact that without them, humans are weak and pitiful creatures, and so, those would become my true weapons.

I would not be that weakling that let other peoples desires, morals and whims dictate his course. This was a new start, cemented in blood.

Memories flickered through my mind, analysing and evaluating every creature call I had known without actually knowing what I was doing or why.

A crooked smile came to my lips as I sucked in as much air as I could.

A lions roar held primordial fear and could be terrifying, but it was a taunt of power, challenging all that would stand against it to come forth.

That was not me. Even though this fight indicated otherwise, I was not a bruiser. It cost to much too meet an opponent on even ground and most importantly, I didn't like pain.

Then it hit me, the first sound of life that I had observed on this world, sounding like it had come from a creature back on Earth, one I associated with my beliefs and morals, well most of them.

Pain seared my throat and my lungs, but it couldn't wipe the smile from my face. I needed this. More than anything right now.

A long, wolf-like howl erupted into the air as my body shuddered with the strain as I poured all the emotions and power I could into it.

But this wasn't just a howl, at least not for me. This was a declaration. A promise, warning and threat all rolled into one.

The hunt had started, and nothing was safe. I may have been dropped into this world with little hope of survival, but the gloves were off, and if I were a betting man, I would put my money on the underdog.

My howl petered out, and I staggered, dropping to my knees and crawling towards my reward, what I could only describe as my instincts kicking in as the thoughts in my mind turned to jelly.

My inner child and adult huddled together, shaking in fear as they anticipated the approaching gruesome spectacle but said nothing, scared to draw the wrath of the beast onto themselves.

As I slowly moved forward, my vision continued to fade in and out but after what felt like an eternity, I reached the corpse of Spike, faint howls in the distance ignored by all but my subconscious.

I would make it. I would survive. I had to.