Terra Natus

III

She awoke to it snarling and snapping its teeth in her face, instincts and adrenaline sending her back pedaling before she was even fully aware of what was going on.

It disappeared for a second, sliding backward and out; a second she spent blinking and trying to orient herself, still feeling unsure. Then the Aberrant was back again, this time coming full at her.

The space was small for it, but it shoved in, managing to take a swipe at her, but losing its balance as it did so. The swipe got her down the leg, slicing her deep and making her cry out; she shoving back even farther.

But the Aberrant was shoving as well, using its back legs, which were still outside the cave, and pushing in. It was trying another attack with its mouth, but was also continuing to swipe with one claw or the other as it could.

She stumbled against the back of the cave, then panicked a moment, trapped, before remembering and jumping up desperately for the ledge. The Aberrant caught her mid-jump with another swipe, taking her down hard on top of itself.

She screamed and scrambled as it snapped and clawed, but the tightness of the space saved her, it being unable to position itself to attack her properly. Again she stood and lept, this time catching the ledge and quickly pulling with all her might, her feet scraping against the wall, trying to find purchase; trying to stay out of the creature's reach.

She was weak, and for a moment she was afraid she wouldn't be able to make it up all the way, wouldn't be able to pull her body as she needed to.

The Aberrant, having shoved its way to the back of the cave, was now looking up, snarling and twisting, trying to get to her at her new angle.

Crying out with the effort, she strained with everything she had and managed to pull her upper body up. Then, hoisting herself there on her elbows, pulled the rest of herself up as well. She turned around immediately to find the Aberrant scooting its way up towards her, snapping its jaws and reaching with one claw then the other in an attempt to get to her.

And it would eventually get to her.

Breathing heavily, she looked around, but of course saw nothing. So instead, she reached out, noticing that up here, the tunnel was small enough that she could reach from side to side. Quickly, she braced her hands, one on either end, then used them to put her feet up as well, each pushing against an opposite wall from the other. Once her feet were set, she moved her arms up, then her legs again, slowly inching her way up.

The Aberrant made much better time, reaching the ledge just as she left it, and swiping at her legs as she went; forcing her to balance on only three limbs at a time in an effort to move one of her legs out of the way when needed.

With the Aberrant blocking the tunnel now, it was even more dark, to the extent that she couldn't even see, except the occasional gleam as its body moved. She could hear it though, scratching and growling, so very close to her, and she could smell it; musky and rank.

The cave began to widen back out again above her, and she soon found that she couldn't move any farther, her muscles straining to hold her as it was. The Aberrant scuffled and snarled its way closer and closer, the tighter area slowing it for the moment. But she couldn't last much longer, her muscles beginning to shake.

She was going to fall right on top of it!

She cried out in desperation, then grit her teeth, her heart pleading in the form of a prayer, though no other words were said but, "Please, please, please...!"

Suddenly, the Aberrant made a noise it hadn't made before. It screamed. Then began scrambling with more desperation.

Again it screamed out, this time sounding angry, and she noticed its scramblings were taking it further and further away from her, instead of closer.