Mermaids are Menacing (Book 2) Complete

3.) Following the Water

Red eyes but not familiar. The dense forest was dark even in the late afternoon sun. I squinted and tilted my head to better see what I was looking at. The eyes in the shaded area did the same. What I had thought were wide branches, were antlers. The antlers protruded from the top of its head and splayed out like open hands, A buck?

I bent down very slowly, I put down the cup of water and replaced it with a rock. I knew It was a good idea to go along the river, this would be an easy catch if the deer came to me. Out here in the wildrerness it must not have seen a human before, it must not see me as a threat to come this close. It made slow silent steps creeping towards me and I squeezed the large pebble in my fist.

That's it, that's it, keep coming this way I thought. Silently urging the deer forward but then it stopped. I pulled my arm back and carefully stood up from my crouch. I've eaten venison but having many brothers to hunt for me, I never had to hunt a deer myself. Wasn't this too easy? Something isn't right.

The dark brown deer watched intently as I stood up, it knocked its head to the side as if questioning my action. With an eerie motion it stood up on its thick hind legs. In my head I knew that the deer's legs weren't right. The hair on my arms tingled and raised. A deer doesn't have legs like that. I realized when the deer stood up that it had claws where its hooves should be on it's front legs and hooves on the back.

I panicked and let the pebble fly. The pebble smacked against the beasts face with a crack and reverberated away. The creature opened its maw to reveal sharp canine like teeth and bellowed a loud roar. I turned on my heel and sprinted to the bank. The loud growl behind me sent shivers down my back. Black hair whipped my face as I turned while running to see if the monster gave chase. It was running after me on two legs like a person. It's long legs were closing the gap steadily.

I grabbed the canoe and flung it far away from the bank into the water before diving in myself. I thrashed violently trying to swim to the canoe that was being pulled away by the rushing water. My gasping breathing was loud in my ears as I sputtered an coughed up some of the water I breathed in.

I grabbed on to the side of the canoe while kicking. I looked behind again but the creature wasn't following anymore. I could still make out its figure hiding in the shade of the tree line.

Abyss that was close!

I held onto the side of the canoe I was in such a state of shock that I couldn't control my muscles to pull myself up into the boat. It was all I could do to hold on and let myself be pulled away by the flow of the water.

Hot tears ran out of my eyes. The relief I felt from escaping death poured out with them. Most of my meal supplies had been left behind in my escape but I had had already lost my appetite. I'm sure that thing won't have a use for the cup I left on the ground but If I have any luck that beast will eat the ham and forget to follow me down the river. It might be impossible to sleep tonight. Either that thing was afraid of the sun or couldn't swim but if I had to pick one  I hoped it was the latter.

I could stay on the river for a long time but the sunlight was something I had no control over. Hitting it with river rocks was only sure to piss it off not drive it away or kill it. At some point I'll have to go to shore and there could be more of those things waiting to ambush me. Next time I stop I'll go to the other side of the river and never past the tree line, I decided. I'll pick some stalks of grass from the shores edge to make a net and try to catch fish instead of hunt in the forest. Right now it was to risky to try hunting in that dark place.

The water was cold and my clothes clung to my skin. After floating in the river for sometime I managed to climb back up into the little wooden boat again. Hauling myself over the edge i soaked the bedding in the floor. Every thing was strung out from being thrown. I quickly checked my pocket and pulled out the lock of black hair tied tight with a string. Knowing it was safe I relaxed a little.
I stayed awake all night. It wasn't difficult because of my anxiety.