Badblood (Badbloods, #1) [Completed, Unedited]

5. Lonely soul

Serra flinched as she saw the Reaper below. It's tail wiggled on its back, its bone-like fingers extends to razor sharp claws, and the shadows that comes out of it's body sent shivers to Serra's spine, making her tremble.

The monster was right below her, on the tree where she was. It was hissing, moving her head sideways as if like searching for a prey to devour.

She silently reached for the match on her pocket and reached on her back for her torch but it's not there. She then remembered putting it on the flat part of the branch but it's not there too. She looked down and saw it lying dead cold near the Reaper's tail.

She gasped and put her hand on her mouth. Her heart racing, fluttering inside her chest. She held her breath, afraid to make a sound. Her head blew up with thoughts.
Does the Reapers know how to climb? Probably yes, they look like snake and snakes are really good climber. She swallowed on the thought and carefully helped herself up to her feet, her hands in the branches and her back on the trunk. She was standing on the large branch and hoped that it concealed her from below.

She put back the match on her pocket since it was useless for now. She slowed her breathing, a small grasp of air. She leaned at the trunk, head up and stilled herself. Her chest falling and rising. She can still hear the Reaper hissing below, it's growling and hissing sound makes the hair at the back of Serra's neck stand.

Serra tilted her body a little, enough so that she can see a glimpse of the monster below. When the monster started to look up, she leaned back quickly on the trunk, her chest pumping loudly. She was shaking, her grip on the tree tighten.
Go away, please go away. She tought.

She heard the leaves rustling below and the sound of the dirt like a whisper. She took a little view of the Reaper and saw it moving away. It's tail sending leaves and dirt propelled sideways. A moment later, the Reaper was gone, disappeared into the shadows.

Serra's heart fluttered in relief. She took a deep breath and sat back limply on the branch, as if like her energy was sucked out by the monster. She felt filthy and wet then realized she was sweating. She untied her messy hair and tied it back again, bringing all the hair strand on the back of her head like a bun, clearing her face. The cold humid air hits her, the cold sensation was like heaven to her skin, drying up the sweat.

Her breathing was now back to it's normal phase but still her stomach was growling like a monster. She calmed herself first.
I need something to eat. I need to go to that tree, she said to herself.
The tree was quite far from where she is and she need to go there quickly before the Reapers come and kill her. She waited for a moment to ensure the Reaper doesn't come back then started her way down.

Going down was not as easy as going up. Serra took a tight grip on the branch while her feet reached for another branch. She was breathing hard, concentrating on what her doing. She knows if she slipped, she will be dead for sure or in a near-dead state if not.

Her feet landed on a thin solid branch and balanced herself on it while hugging the trunk. After several minutes, she made it low enough and jumped. She landed on the ground like a cat, quiet and light as a feather. She quickly picked up the torch and scanned her surroundings for any danger. When she found none she ran quickly towards the other tree.

From the distance, the fruits of that tree isn't much visible as it was concealed by lots of branches and leaves but as she got closer, she can clearly see it now. She dashed towards it without looking behind or sideways. She passed through bushes and green grasses, leaping over them. And then after running of what felt like forever, she reached the tree. She halted and looked up, examining the tree for a second, thinking of a way to climb it.