Unfamiliar Territory [Book One]

Chapter Seventeen | Tooth and Nail

With the beanie securely tucked into a pocket, Kat proceeded to carry me on her back. A position I was grateful for, as the bridal style thing Stallion and Mutt seemed to favor had gotten pretty old.

However, I was very aware of the hands on my backside that were keeping me from sliding off as I feebly clung to her neck. With every jerk or sudden turn I would feel them clench. Despite the dire situation, I was looking forward to the moment when I could be put down again.

"Are you sure Mutt went this way?" Kat asked after we had been running for about a minute through the woods.

"Well, yeah, in this general direction," I said, trying to peer through the fog. The Sorrow was still going strong, more than once Kat had to perform some mighty feats of agility to dodge the trees that would suddenly appear in front of us.

"You know, that was uncharacteristically smart of him to try and mask your scent. Those things see just as well as the rest of you in this fog. They rely on their sense of smell to navigate through it."

"I'll remember to thank him when we find him," I said, hoping beyond hope that we would find him. "How are you sure that's the case, though?"

"It's the only reason I'm still alive."

"Oh..."

I fell silent as terrible, terrible thoughts came to mind. Of Em, or the others, finding Kat or Mutt and tearing them apart with their fangs and claws. I tried my best not to think of poor Stallion.

I was at a loss of what to say until something struck me - reminded me. "Wait, Kat, I think those things are the students that went missing," I said as Kat continued to wind through the trees.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah! Yes. What happened to them? Do you know?"

"I'm not really sure, or rather, I only have guesses at the moment."

"Well, do you mind sharing?"

"This really isn't the time to start getting into it," she said, suddenly stopping against a tree. "Now be quiet."

I bit my cheek. I was getting real sick of all the mystery. "Kat, I'm really-"

"I said shut it!" she hissed with enough force to actually make me close my mouth. Kat pressed her shoulder against the tree as she peered around it.

I held my tongue until the tension became too much. "Kat," I whispered, "what is-"

Something razor sharp dug into my back. I screamed as it tore me from Kat and flung me backwards. I only got a brief instant of her horrified face before it was swallowed by The Sorrow.

I hit the ground hard, sending a shockwave up and down my body. I gasped for air as I lay in the dirt and the rocks. It hurt to even breathe.

A growl, low and sinister, reached my ears. I opened my eyes and saw one of them--one of the missing students--crawling towards me on his hands and knees. As I took in the features barely hidden by mud, I recalled his name to have been Adam. A big guy, someone from the football team. I remembered his friends and family helped to organize a pretty large search for him but, like everyone else who went missing, he was never found.

There were deep gashes down his face and arms; one had even cut through one of his eyes, but he didn't seem to mind it much. The one good eye was trained on me as he inched closer.

I forced myself to squirm backwards from the beast with my only good arm. He took his time approaching me, enjoying my screams for help, relishing in my pleas for life.