WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

Chapter 1

The first time I saw her, we were on one of our expeditions outside the walls. We were being chased by three 7 meter tall Titans into a grove about 15 km from our base. As our unit of about 25 ran through, our path was blocked by a 12 meter Titan.

That was when it happened. A dark shape climbed up the leg of the 12 meter Titan. At first I thought it was Corporal Levi but when I looked behind me he was still there and just as in shock as the rest of us. The shape placed itself at the nape of the Titan's neck and struck. A few of our men took down the three that were behind us and all four fell at the same time. Instead of our usual rowdy exclamations of victory, there was silence as we all looked to see what the strange dark shape was. When the smoke cleared, there was a girl standing atop the Titan with a bloody spear in hand. As we became aware of her, she became aware of us. She slowly turned around and that was when I saw that she was also not dressed save for a loincloth wrapped around her waist. She looked at us and we looked at her with visible amazement on both sides. Suddenly, she dropped her weapon and ran into the trees.

"After her!" Commander Erwin shouted to us. "Don't let her out of your sight. And don't kill her, Corporal."

Corporal Levi who was to my left mumbled a swear under his breath as he passed. This girl was fast. She got up into the trees and down again with a speed that put our 3dmgs to shame.

Jean came up and rode next to me. "How is that thing doing that without gear?"

As we chased her further into the trees, I noticed a change in the air. She was gone. I could feel it. I rode up to the commander and told him. He called everyone together and he gave his orders. "Everyone spread out. Find that girl."

I go back to where I noticed the girl had left and looked around for any sign as to which way she went. I notice fallen branches all around me and I looked up. There she was. Her dark skin blended into the shadows of the canopy making her almost completely invisible. I looked at her and realized that we were never going to get her with the noise and guns. She was too smart. We had to do this on her terms.

I turn back around and look through my things. What would entice a wild animal such as this? Metal? Paper? Food? That was it, food. I dug into my satchel and pulled out some bread. As I put a piece in my mouth, my best friend Eren came out of the bushes near by scaring me and making me drop the bread.

"Eren, you piece of shit!" I said attempting to calm myself.

Eren tossed his head back and laughed. "Haha, you almost pissed yourself."

I give him a glare. "Did not! What the hell do you want?"

He held himself until his laughing subsided. Growing irritated, I kicked him over. "Commander said regroup." He wheezed out. "We're meeting in the clearing."

He walked off obviously pleased with himself. I shook my head and began to look for the bread. I didn't see it on the ground so I looked up to where the creature was. She had vanished. On second thought Eren might have been helpful after all.

When I rejoined the company, Commander Erwin was going over a new objective, finding who or what the thing that killed the Titan was. He also said that we would have to stay at a base about 3 km away.

"Until we find her, we will stay in the area." He explained. "Understood?"

~~~

We reached the base by night fall and we were all assigned to our bunks. I ended up with Jean, Connie, Eren, Reiner, and Bertholt. I hunkered down for a rowdy night and began trying to make sense of an idea in my head.

Though most of the conversations were pointless, Jean said something that caught my attention. "So what do you guys think it was?" He began. "The thing we're after I mean."

"If I didn't know any better," Eren spoke up. "I would say it was a spirit."

I called him out on his bull. "Really Eren? Spirits? Aren't we too old for ghost stories?"

"You only say that cus you don't wanna hear one." He claimed narrowing his eyes. We match blue eye for green one as we stare at each other.

Bertholt was the one who broke our concentration. "I'm with the golden coconut on this one."

I groan in annoyance as the room burst into laughter. "For Christ sake, we're 18. Will you not let that joke die?!"