Complicated

Chapter 50: Vines and Minds

I managed to get free from the vine just as the Griever jumped, because apparently it could jump up the walls too, because why not?

I swung out of the way just in time. I would have been impaled had I waited. Instead the wall was stabbed a solid foot into the stone. Thankfully it also missed Alby; he was hidden enough that the Griever didn't notice him. The Griever had decided to pick me as its target, lucky me. It lunged at me again, screaming, trying to impale me to the wall. With a terrified yell, I slipped. Not having any vibes to help support me, I fell.

Flailing my arms, I managed to catch hold of a vine. I held tight trying to slow down the fall. In the process I ripped a layer or two of skin off my hands. However the fall made me slide down between the monsters and the wall, I was now lower than the monster. If I could do that again, I could get to the ground, or close enough to drop and land without hurting myself.

I chanced a quick glance at Thomas. He was climbing and swinging getting lower each time. The Griever didn't like losing sight of its prey. It screamed again. I gulped and pushed off the wall with my feet and let go slightly of the vine. I slid down the vine, like a fireman's pole. I cried out as the skin ripped some more. But I managed to drop a few more feet.

The Griever couldn't see me at all now, it screamed in frustration and jumped off the wall and landed on the ground. Its sharp pointed legs caused huge craters in the stone floor where it landed with a thud. It was now right underneath me.

Shuck!

Charlie, hold on!

Thomas had somehow managed to find a loose piece of stone from the wall.

Don't do something stupid!

Too late!

He chucked it at the Griever, getting its attention. The monster turned its beady eyes on Thomas instead. It clawed its way over to him and started up the wall.

Go Charlie! Get to the ground! I'll keep it busy.

I scrambled as fast as I could, sliding down the vine and reaching for the next one. Thomas kept its attention, kicking off the wall, and swinging sideways to grab the next vine; yet somehow going lower and lower. I was about ten feet from the ground and let go. I dropped. My sore and exhausted legs gave out and I landed in a heap, just as the biomechanical monster screamed again. I looked up and watched in fascinated horror.

Thomas had just swung to another vine, the Griever stabbed its leg where he had been only a second ago. The tail came around and slammed into the wall, making Thomas duck and slip down the vine a few feet. The tail came back, the claw open now. The Griever screamed and swung its tail like a whip. Thomas swung to the next vine. The tail slammed into the wall, cutting the vine in two. With a scream, Thomas fell. There was nothing I could do but watch, my mouth open in a silent scream, reaching my hand out like I could try and catch him.

Thomas landed in a heap, some of the moss and vines broke his fall. He scrambled to his feet and backed up. The Griever leapt off the wall. It's legs getting tangled in the vine, it stumbled and fell, slamming into the wall hanging upside down. It screamed wildly, thrashing around in the vines, desperately trying to free it's self.

Thomas sprinted towards me, pulling me to my feet. I glanced up at Alby, he was just barly visible. I hoped, prayed, he would survive the night and the Grief serum would work...if we made it.

"Good bye Alby." I whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Thomas grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the Griever and away from Alby. Away from another friend...another brother.