Quickly trying to help Eunhyuk up, Donghae nearly fell over himself as they both slid on what appeared to be chicken bones. “The heartless giant?” Donghae mumbled as he regained his balance. Scrambling to his feet Eunhyuk muttered “Whatever it is it can only be better than that thing we just saw.”

Both swiftly walking into the tent and being met by a huge fire, they both stopped rather surprised that it was so well contained inside a fabric tent. “Oh, not often people make it this far…” looking for what said that, they weren’t expecting to see the 20ft man sitting before them. Trying not to stare the man gestured its massive hand to the other side of the fire “Please stay as long as you like, it won’t come in here it’s scared of the fire.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, they walked round till they were at the bench across from him. As the fire crackled warming them up after so long in the cold night air, Eunhyuk couldn’t help asking “What was that thing in the previous tent?

Looking up as he tossed another bone out the tent, the giant mumbled “It’s called a wendigo, we found him in that tent after a stop in North America.” Now noticing the full picture, Donghae saw the giant was sitting in mouldy trousers tucked into hiking boots but had no shirt on. Finding himself rather disgusted by the blood matted hair taking over the things chest, a large scar around its left pectoral muscle caught his attention.

“Did it do that to you?” Donghae asked trying to stop staring at it. As the bone in its hand snapped, it was clear that was not something that should have been asked “You want to know, eh?” he said leaning on his knees casting a rather unsettling shadow on its face “Okay then, I’ll tell you.”

Now hanging over the fire, the giant began telling his story “When the carnival started out it was very different from how it is now. The tents were a deep rich red and silky gold and the paths were lined with lights. We were a tight knit family who travelled the world making a living the only way we could. In one of our stops in Europe there was a beautiful young lady who visited me every day and sat with me for hours talking and laughing like I was just a normal man. When we were due to move onto a new town she came with us and stayed by my side for two years as we travelled. One day when the carnival closed early we hiked a nearby hill to watch the sunset, and I asked her to marry me. I felt like the luckiest freak alive when she said yes, I guess I was too close to see the bigger picture. Three weeks later she was gone without word or warning and it broke my heart, the following month the wendigo appeared.”

Both Donghae and Eunhyuk shivered as the beasts name came up, clearly not wanting to revisit the image. After several seconds of silence the giant continued “When he first arrived, we were wary of him. The invisible girl would sit with me… I would protect her, but one day it got brave and tried to eat her even with the fire… it can see her somehow. She was so scared, she begged for my help so I made a deal with it. I told him if he never laid a finger on her I would give him a meal of equal proportion to which he agreed, so I cut out my heart and offered it to him. He ate it almost instantly and decided to turn the sweet innocent girl into the torture loving monster you’ve undoubtedly met already.”

Both nodding remembering how she treated the bear and the impressive force she could put into a hit it was hard to believe she once was a normal little girl. After several seconds Eunhyuk found himself asking “How did she become invisible?” clearly not the follow up question he was expecting the giant seemed to find it a refreshing change “Her father… He didn’t have any time for her. He bought her toys and a TV, and if she ever tried to get his attention he’d throw a small amount of money muttering ‘quit bothering me’. After 28 months no-one could see her anymore…”

Beginning to feel sorry for her Eunhyuk couldn’t begin to understand how someone so sweet and innocent could end up best pals with a wendigo and take joy in tormenting others. Not wanting to hear any more he stood up and mumbled “We should go, the further away from that thing we get the better.”

Grabbing Donghae’s wrist and tried to leave the tent but before he could pull the fabric back Donghae asked “How come you can live without a heart?” with a dead look in his eyes the giant replied “It stopped beating long before it was cut out, it was no use to me so why not use it to save a young girls life. No matter how she turned out my conscience is clean.”

Pulling Donghae along trying not upset the giant further, Eunhyuk wondered how Donghae could share a dorm with so many people for so long and still be totally incapable of reading people.