Lost Soul

Chapter Thirty-Seven: And Then There Were Three

Even with me having to limp/drag my foot behind me, the only squirrel fast enough to keep up with me is the big one with the gem. It's dashing through the underbrush, leaping off trees, doing parkour to keep up with me.

It reminds me of the mouse from Narnia.

Now is not the time for an obscure reference, Raven.

I keep running, even though it's gaining on me.

I have to believe my friends can take care of themselves. I have to hope that the rest of the squirrels are following me. Which is not a thing I ever thought I would hope for.

My foot catches on a tree root just as something slams into me from behind. I go spilling onto the forest floor.

I roll through the snow and slam into a tree. A groan rolls out of me like thunder.

I wish Izzy were here, not for the first time.

Or any of them, really. I would even take a sharp comment from Alex about how bad I am at fighting right now.

I lift my head and lock eyes with the evil creature bearing down on me.

It hisses.

My eyes snap down to the gem around its throat. I know what Ava said, alright? I know this is possibly the worst idea I've ever had. But either this thing got the gem because it's different than the others, or it's different than the others because of the gem.

Either way, the gem seems to be important to the evil, rabid squirrels that want to rip my face off.

My hand darts out and wraps around the gemstone.

It barely fits in my hand. It's uncut, and some of the sharp edges slice my hands. It's heavy. I'm not sure how the squirrel ran so easily with it.

For a moment, a pain ripples through me like I'm being held underwater. As if all the air is sucked out of me. As if I am becoming air and becoming nothing, all at the same time. It's like I never existed in the first place, or exist in every place all at once.

The squirrel hisses as it slices its claws at my hand, trying to grab the gem.

I throw the gem and an unnatural noise erupts from the squirrel. As if I've hit it with a car.

It wails and dashes after the gemstone.

The gem rolls through the snow and comes to a precarious stop at the top of a hill.

More squirrels arrive, hissing and snarling in a rhythm, as if they're speaking.

The large squirrel hesitates as it nears the gem. It turns on me and its eyes hold too much understanding.

It knows me too well.

I can see the gears turn as it weighs the result of losing the gem vs losing me.

And it decides I'm worth more than the gem.

It dashes back to me and slams into my chest, pinning me into the tree behind me.

My breath wheezes out of me.

The other squirrels follow their leader, crawling up my body and ripping at my clothes.

It's like they're trying to tear me open. As if they think they'll get some prize if they can remove all my skin.

I scream and thrash, but the big squirrel keeps me pinned.

It's all I can do to throw the squirrels away for a tiny reprieve before they come dashing back.

"HEY!"