Beast

Chapter 5 - The Missing

"Lindsey!" I cry. Lindsey's gone.

"She wasn't taken, there aren't any drag-marks on the ground, besides where she was laying before. But there are some tracks here, where she probably left," Cam said in a flash, bending over to tracks left in the direction that Lindsey must of left. The first few strides were short and almost touching each other, but the rest were far apart after a little ways.

"Why did she go?" I ask. Well, maybe she was going to go look for us or go to the bathroom. But my mind kept dragging itself to worse things.

"Well, I guess the best thing to do is to go and find o-"

"HEELLLLPPP!!!" A ragged scream broke out and both Cam and I met eyes before bursting in the direction of the scream. The faster I ran the more paranoid I became. Yet I didn't regret it. I immediately matched the scream to Lindsey without a second thought. Cam glanced in my direction but looked forwards again as he watched me pass him. I had only passed him one other time. Lindsey had come to my house where Cam had been back when we were only nine and ten, telling us that they were selling muffins for free in the market (we later found out that they were terrible, but running faster than Cam was worth it). I definitely passed him then. Lindsey had laughed as we both bolted out the front door - abandoning the ancient jigsaw of a cartoon-ish dragon creature with fire blowing onto a little man in metal clothing that I read somewhere was called armor and trampled each other. The thought brought the slightest amount of hope.

The atmosphere became silent. The air all around me became muggy and thick. It was hard to breathe and it made me long to run further.

Up ahead of us maybe fifty feet was a small patch of clearing being occupied by the most terrifying creatures I'd ever seen. Actually, they weren't. The beast that took my sense of home and safety away was the most terrifying creature I'd ever seen. These were second down the list... for now. There were two. Coats of fur blacker than midnight that was matted with a dark red substance. They had snarled long noses that sat just above huge blood-thirsty mouths that were lined with three-inch teeth. I caught sight of one of the creatures eyes only to see nothing. They were either pitch black also, or weren't there at all.

The only thing that caught me off guard, was that they were fighting each other, but I didn't know why. Cam poked my shoulder roughly and pointed his hand to a branch high up a tree nearby them.

Lindsey.

I couldn't help but let out a small sigh when I saw her intact and breathing. The Nightbeasts must of heard my breath unlike Lindsey screaming, and one laid off the other to bring its attention to me. Every cell in my body reacted and my heart beat ten times faster. It snarled. Could it sense fear? If so, I was lighting up like a Christmas tree.

Cam grabbed my arm and pulled me against him. His heartbeat pounded through his chest. Now I could hear two uneven heartbeats playing at once. It made me panic further. I felt like I could throw up.

Now the other Nightbeast has drawn its attention to us. They snap at each other for dominance. Cam finds this the perfect time to whisper something into my ear. I'm not sure if I heard properly, but it sounded a lot like "run".

Yet I didn't run. Instead I bolted towards the nearest tree. Cam followed behind me as close as possible. Once my hands touched the tree's rough surface, I found immediate recognition and I was able to grapple to the tree trunk. Cam tried to follow up below me, but he was much slower. Once I perched myself on a branch I bent down to reach for his hand. The nightbeasts growled and bounded towards us. I let out a scream that made my own ears ring as clawed for Cam's arms as he gradually got closer. He struggled and I noticed him slipping. He wasn't quite as good as Lindsey and I at climbing.