For the first time on his journey the man was overwhelmed by the events that had taken place. His head spun and he sat down hard in the sand. Holding his head in his hands, the man took a few deep breaths while the gila looked on in bewilderment. "I'm lost," he said, "I'm lost and I've nowhere else to go." The gila had nothing to say. The man had never shown such vulnerability in the months they had been in the desert. Nor had he veered from his straight path or paused to gather his bearings before. If he was lost now, it was either his original intention on losing himself or he had been lost the entire time. Perhaps it didn't matter which was the case.
The man took one last breath, stood up, dusted his jacket, and picked up his briefcase. With a swift crack of the neck, he took a bold step forward. The gila simply fell in step.
The skies were again clear, but it was no longer day. The full moon cast brilliant shadows against the white sands. The man's pace was unmatched. He moved with a purpose. The gila could hardly keep up, besides, he had just eaten more than his share. After all, he had no idea when the next time he would eat would be. But now he realized his mistake as the exquisite speed was beginning to churn his stomach. The monster tried to put it out of his mind and, lowering his head, pushed forward to keep up with the man's lengthy stride. The man was nearly running. The gila was. No strange event, no apparition, no weather would stop the man from fulfilling his journey, lost or not. Eventually the man slowed, cooling his head from the anger he had had just moments before. The gila looked into his eyes, and knew the end was near. The man, perhaps, did not. He did, however, know the gila was looking at him and turned to face the creature.
No sooner did the man lay eyes on the reptile than a great flash of sand and feathers impede his view. Choked by the dust, the man rubbed his eyes and knelt to the ground only to find the gila was missing. He looked to the sky and saw his companion, gripped tightly in the talons of a large black eagle. It wasn't an eagle at all. It was a crow. But one of unseen size. Nevertheless, there was a bird. And it had captured the gila monster. The crow carried its prey high into the sky, leaving behind nothing but the distinct sound of a loud 'kaww'. Or was it more of a 'screech'. All that was certain was that it had stolen the man's loyal follower from his side. The man watched helplessly as the bird circled high overhead and landed in the distance on the dead limb of a leafless tree. It was quite far, but the man was clearly able to see the crow lower its head to its claws, grasp the gila by the head, and jerk its beak quickly up to the sky. Its actions were followed by another loud call, one of victory and fury, as well as sorrow and defeat. The man looked on in astonishment and after an irreverent moment of silence, gave a simple eulogy, "So I guess its just me then..."
With that, he continued on his way.
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