Night Terrors -(TordTom)

Stabbed

Pau's POV
I tried to shake off the adrenaline from what just happened. My neck hurt like hell.

Someone had grabbed me out in the woods. Pat had lifted his gun to take the shot at an unsuspecting doe.

I heard movement behind me. Shaking off the feeling of danger, I focused on the doe, waiting for Pat to take the shot and trail after it.

I was completely unaware of the movement becoming closer.

A hand covered my mouth as a sharp pain enveloped in the back of my neck. Warmth flooded over me as I was let go. I turned around to accuse the perpetrator, but they were gone. All that remained was the obvious bootprints in the mud.

"You good, Pau?" Pat looked worried. "You're bleeding!" He tried to rip off a piece of his scarf, but to no avail.

"I'll be fine, Pat. Just scratched it off of a branch."

We had gotten back to the campsite with the deer in tow.

I felt the back of my neck. It had stopped bleeding a while ago, but now I was getting worried.

Was there always a small bulge there?

Nah, I thought, Probably just swelling.

To get the feeling of uneasiness out of my system, I walked up to the cave where everyone was huddled around a small fire.

"Could somebody help us skin this deer?" I asked them.

Little Elaine squirmed, silently pleading for permission from her older brother.

The horned male nodded and she jumped up, excited to be of use.

She ran out past me, slowing as she looked at the carcass.

I started walking behind her, smiling at her cute reaction.

Then my body seized up.

And I blacked out.

Pat's POV

"I'll help!" Elaine's little voice echoed outside of the cave, followed by her running outside and bouncing in excitement.

"Okay, come here and we'll show you how its done."

She walked over, staring at the dead deer. I wasn't surprised, considering she'd been chained to a basement her whole life and had never seen a creature like this.

Pau followed out behind her, pulling out his pocket knife.

Something wasn't right. He had this dark look in his eyes.

"Pau, are you okay?" He ignored me and continued to stalk the child. "What are you doing?"

"What needs to be done." His voice was low and gravelly, unlike his usual soft and deep one.

I jumped to my feet and quickly walked over to him. I tried to restrain him with all of my strength. He pushed me off with double the force as I pushed him.

As I landed on my butt I knew.

This isn't Paul.

Elaine screamed as he started lunging toward her.

Save my little girl, a voice echoed in my head.

I weighed my options.

I was too small and weak to stop him. The others were too far away to get to her in time. I was the only one close enough to do something. I only had one choice. And it was going to hurt.