Heart Pangs

Chapter 62 - Understanding

Benji had been sure he was going to die.

At first, he thought he would die by Felix's stomach acids. But now, as he's compressed from all sides and angles, he thinks it will be by suffocation. His ribs are so crushed by Felix's throat muscles, there's no room for his lungs to expand. Even if there had been, Benji's face is smothered with no hope of taking a breath any time soon.

For a moment, he thinks he sees light. His second of relief is cut short as he realizes it's not light that he sees, his vision is just going white. He's about to lose consciousness. He has no idea what's happening, and as his eyes roll back in his head, it seems he'll never find out.

But then, he really does see light now. Really and truly. And then he's hit with a bitter, dizzying cold that burns his skin just as badly as the sweltering heat and acid of Felix's stomach. And then he falls to the ground.

Benji is cold and wet and dirty and he can barely breath. But he's free. He's free from Felix.

Benji takes a glorious gasp of air. And then another. It feels like he'll never be able to fully fill his lungs again. He splutters in the dirt. Shivers wrack his body, but he has no strength left to do anything about it. All he can do is try to breathe.

Someone grabs his shoulder and wrenches him to his feet. For one terrible moment, Benji thinks it's Felix about to shove him back down his throat. Benji wobbles dangerously on his feet, but the hand on his shoulder stays strong. It none-too-gently pulls him away until he's standing behind a towering figure.

Benji looks up. His eyes still burn with acid, but he sees the silhouette of a pred woman. And then the shape of Felix, rising from the forest floor, fully ready to attack. Benji tenses. The pred woman raises a single hand and sends Felix tripping back into the dirt. She watches Felix for a moment before turning to face Benji.

Benji's mouth goes dry. It's Lenora.

"Come on," she mutters to him. "You need to get away from him."

Benji doesn't argue. Lenora's grasp on his arm is the only thing keeping him on his feet as she leads him back to the road. There's a second car there now, parked just behind Felix's, which Benji assumes to be Lenora's. She takes Benji to the back door, opens it, then offers him her free hand. He gratefully accepts it, and she helps him climb into the back seat.

She looks him in the eyes. "Hang tight."

Benji nods.

As Lenora rounds the back and opens up the trunk of the car, Benji curls into the tightest ball he can manage. It's the only protection he has against the cold air streaming into the vehicle. A moment later, Lenora appears in the doorway again and tosses three large blankets at him.

"Here," she says. "Wrap up."

"Th- thank you," Benji stutters then winces. He hadn't expected it to hurt so much to speak.

Lenora watches him with an impassive expression. "Hold on, I have more for you."

She disappears again. As Benji starts wrapping himself in the three layers of blankets, he thinks he has quite enough of them already. But when Lenora returns, it's not blankets she's holding, but a box of wet wipes and a bottle of water.

"Use these to clean yourself off the best you can," Lenora tells him, setting the wet wipes on the seat. "It's not much but you can shower off when we get back."

"Get back?" Benji echoes.

Lenora nods. "I'm taking you both back to my place. It should be safe there for awhile." She doesn't give Benji the chance to respond before passing him the water bottle. "And drink this. Most prey are dehydrated when they first come out."