Death and Stars

Chapter Two

A light rain had started now, so I began to trek back to see if Chris had awaken from his slumber. He stretched as I reached the clearing into our small camping ground.

“Mornin’, Rory.” Chris greeted me, his eyes still weary with sleep. His voice was rough, his Scottish accent thinned from many years living in America

 “How are you feeling?” I chuckled

“Not hung over.” He was triumphant, however from the events of last night he should have been. Once Chris has you dancing around the fire you know he has had more than enough alcohol. I kissed his cheek and his arm snaked around me.

“What’s the plan Missus?” his warm breath tickled my neck.

“Plan?” I laughed with a slight bitterness “there is no plan.”

“Hey, now. Don’t be like that. You and me, we can outrun them.” He squeezed me tight and rested his head on mine.

“For how long?” I sighed, and Chris looked into the trees before saying “As long as it takes.”

A sharp pain shot through my head sending me forward onto the floor. I writhed in pain, crying out.

“Rory!” Chris shouted, but I could barely hear him. The pain radiated to my eyes and the light ripped through into my vision until all I could see was brightness.

A man I had not met yet, but I knew his name to be Sam, walked into the brightness. The white vision blurred into trees and rainy sky. Sam walked with a strong stance, duffle bag and sawed off shot gun. As he stepped through the fauna landscape his eyes scrutinized every movement and suspicious noise. What he searched for was close; I could feel it running towards him. I could hear the beat of its hind legs throwing it forwards as if it were coming straight for me. Pain scorched through my spine and rose in to my throat as the beast of pure power ripped into the tall man. The vision evaporated. I opened my eyes and breathed sweet air into my lungs.

“We must hurry.” I cried, hauling myself away from Chris’ arms and starting for the trees. I ran due east from our camp leaving everything behind me. I heard Chris load his gun and follow, calling me to slow down. I could feel, a light ache in my forehead, us getting closer to Sam, who was unaware of his pending doom. My breathing escalated and my legs burned but I was too close to stop now. 

I came to an abrupt halt as Chris gripped my arm and pulled me close. I took a sharp breath but Chris covered my mouth with his hands. They tasted like earth and the inside of leather pockets. His lips on my ear he said “Be quiet, something is coming.”

In the distance I saw Sam, only he looked like a dark figure in the greenery. He was walking looking down; blissfully unaware he would soon meet his match. From the direction we were crouching I predicted that the beast, thing, animal I had seen would thunder past us like a storm in a calm sea. Chris had become stone behind me and slowly reached for his gun.

“What did you see, Rory?” He whispered his eyes focused on our surroundings, his hands readying the gun.

“I…I don’t know. But you see that guy, over there in the trees? Whatever it was, it is going to kill him unless we stop It.”

“You stay here. Do not make a sound do you understand me?” Chris’ face was centimetres from mine and his eyes held sincerity. I nodded. I never argued with Chris whilst we were in a dangerous situation, because he was the hunter’s son, and a hunter himself. Chris was something I was not; he was a hunter by blood. I was a hunter by choice. I chose to fight to survive. Chris had to fight and he did so with pure dexterity and power, I did so with reluctant grace.

I crouched now, hidden behind a giant oak, watching, waiting for something to happen. But I grew weary when I could no longer see Sam or Chris. I slowly stood to peer at endless amounts of trunks when I saw it. The beast stood on its hind legs a few metres away. Its skin was a dull white but looked blue where it struggled to stretch over bone and joints. It had a wolf like quality with claws like razors and muscles quivering with stamina. I was frozen in mind, but my body fell to the floor, keeping hidden from what I had seen. The beast let out a threatening roar that shredded the peace of the forest and sent flocks of crows cawing for safety. I held my breath and slid my knife of pure iron from its sheath.

I only heard the sound of air rushing from the beast’s nostrils and its feet scraping along dead leaves. As I became aware of how loud the noise sounded I clawed to the tree and bent to look without being seen. I peered slightly, only seeing just enough of bald skin to know that there was only a tree trunk away from me and this terrifying creature. I felt a wash of fear over me like a sudden bitter wind on a warm day. The beast snapped and snarled at my scent, its dripping tongue lapping at air. I took one last daring peek. I held my breath and stumbled back as its eyes stared at mine. I was silent, and it stood without acknowledging me, but waving its head around as if it were deranged. Then I realized, the eyes were pale blue and clouded over like a marble that has had one to many scuffs on rough ground. I held any breath that hadn’t already escaped my shaking lips and trod gingerly backwards. Every crunch of a leaf sounded louder and it seemed my bones creaked, wailing to give off my position. I felt my heart beat in my fingertips and a swirl of excitement at the pit of my stomach. My lungs ached for oxygen, and so, a betraying breath tumbled out and the beasts head snapped up.

Everything slowed down as I watched the beast bend its back and kick its hind legs. The jagged mouth lined with enamel daggers grew wide but I heard no sound. Then with one quick movement of anger it pounced towards me legs stretched to kill. I held up my knife and ran towards the beast. My legs folded to the ground and I slid beneath the body of the beast, forcing in the iron between two protruding ribs. The beast howled a blood curdling whine and rolled away from me. I heard shots in the distance and I ran towards them, feeling heavy footing behind me. My heart pounded in my ears and left a squelching sound like that of when I closed my eyes tightly. My feet continued to hit the ground until Chris was in sight. He looked at me and nodded twice. I let my feet go and fell into roots and leaves. There was the fire of Chris’ gun then nothing. I turned to look and see the beast, still amazing, though it was better appreciated when it could not destroy me. Chris was at my side pulling me up. I felt a laugh rising in my throat.

“What was that…?” I chuckled as though I had just woken from a strange dream.

“Are you alright?” Chris ask smoothing stray hairs from my face.

“Yeah, are you?”

“There were another two, but we got ‘em. Sam is fine, just confused is all.”

“Huh. Come here” I pulled Chris and kissed him. His lips smiled under mine and with one quick tug he pulled me around onto his back. We walked to a disgruntled Sam who was both grateful and embarrassed we had saved him.

“How did you know?” Sam asked suspicious and watching me. I looked at Chris and he shrugged.

“I saw it.” It sounded more like a question than an explanation.

“Saw it?”

“Yes. Now Sam, we were never here, we did not save you and you have never seen us in your life. ” I pushed. Sam nodded cautiously, he knew the cost of this life and how hard it was to keep it.

 Taking Chris’ hand and steering him away, we left Sam recovering and sceptical on a mossy log. The sun was at its highest point now and trickled down in streams producing a green aura upon us.

“I think I’ve had enough fresh air.” Chris was telling me, commenting on how the hard floor was ‘playing havoc’ on his back. “Let’s rent a motel room tonight.”

“Fair enough. But no themed Motels” I hated the ghastly things, I had had a particularly bad experience waking up in a tiki themed hotel in the middle of the night and scaring myself half to death with a totem pole. Chris laughed and agreed.

“Just a normal motel…” he walked behind me with his arms over my shoulders, his voice becoming soothing. “With a warm bath…and a cosy bed.”

“Oooh, sounds like perfection.” I kissed Chris, but longer this time. Our lips interlocked with passion and an undercurrent of triumph.

1 person is supposed to die every second. But Sam didn’t. Not today.