the Oddball

Chapter 7 Creature Part 2

Ray.

I tossed and turned in my sleep, the interruptance annoying me whilst I laid there.

Ray, you have to wake up. I think something is going to attack you - maybe more than one.

Ugh.. go away.. just.. want sleep...

Ray, listen. Wake up, now. You have to run.

Listening to Twilight's voice, I turned over and got my torch out of my pocket, scanning the ground with my light. Crap.

Ray, run.

Yep!

I leaped out of the tree, a screeching behind me.

Swish-swish-swish. Thunk-thunk-thunk.

It had fired something at me. The projectiles had hit a tree next to me.

Twilight, it's firing something at me! What is it?!

They're called Crocoaci. Keep running. It fires needles out of its skin, three at a time. One hits you, you go crazy. Don't let it touch you in any way.

Lovely.

I kept running. And running. I could still hear it behind me. Every ten seconds or so, it would fire another three needles that would hit somewhere close to me. I had to come up with a way to kill it before I ran out of energy. As I ran, I formed an idea.

Swish-swish-swish!

I turned.

Thunk-thunk-thunk!

I ran. I raised my spear, preparing. The small creature backed away, but it couldn't run backwards as fast as I could forwards. Just before I was within hitting range, I realised something. It stopped.

Swish-swish-swish!

I slid. I saw two wide sharp spikes fly over my face. Only two?

Thunk.

I jumped up and over the creature and brought the end of the spear down on top of it. Turquoise goop sprayed to every side from the wound.

Ugh.

Is it dead? Are you sure nothing hit you?

I looked down, checking myself. A spike protruded from my impromptu jacket. I pulled it out, not knowing if it had hit me or not. I'd not felt any pain.. A hole lay through it. Checking the shirt underneath, there was a small prick in that, too.

Ray?

Twilight.

A long pause.

How deep does it have to go?

Oh, my. Ray, you need to get something over the wound. Quickly. Get a leaf or something. It has to go a fair way to have mental effects, but it'll hurt a lot. Put water and a cover over it. Make sure it doesn't get infected.

Frick, frick frick. Do they.. do they travel in packs? Do they travel in packs? If there's more..

Wait, wait, wait. I need to look through the book.

I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOU TO LOOK THROUGH A DARN BOOK! THIS IS A MATTER OF BLOODY LIFE OR DEATH!

Ray, stop worrying. They don't. Calm down, it'll only get worse. You need to get to sleep before the pain hits, or it'll be almost impossible for you to sleep.

I walked, stumbling, to my tree. The pain was starting. A dull pang in my chest, strengthening with every heartbeat. I winced. Lay down.

Twilight?