Troubled

Chapter 3: Mystery with the clearing

 Chapter three

I stared into the clearing. My eyes glued to the spot that had shocked me so bad that I can’t move my eyes let alone my whole body. They were everywhere like ant on an anthill. And there sat the queen at the top. Well that is where the metaphor ends, because this queen was sitting upon a horse grinning from ear to ear. He had positioned his men around the whole perimeter of the forest. There were weapons of all magnitude; catapults, machine guns, tanks and crates of dynamite. Wait what, wholey c**p. Declan has dug a tunnel and is packing the explosives into it like it was sand. There were rows and rows of soldiers just like sharks teeth, I wonder if you knock them down if they will regrow. I could see movement on the mountain range, my eyes flicker automatically to the movement I had seen, he has more reinforcements coming. I rack my brain trying and failing to come up with anything that could pass as a plan. So far all I could come up with was.

1.       Be exploded to smithereens. Nahh I will pass on that

2.       Be shot to death by those machine guns, or the tanks.

3.        Be trampled to death by a Horse. Defiantly pass

4.       OR try fighting back and die a hero fighting for something you believe in.

I couldn’t come up with anything else, and to be frank anything I did come up with I wished I hadn’t.  I swing my legs over the edge of the branch, the rough scratchy bark digging into my skin. 1. 2. 3. …. I jump my blond hair lifting up and around my head temporarily, scraping at my face to remove annoying mass. My feet hit the ground with a thump, landing on the balls of my feet, knees bent. Perfect, I straighten up smoothing down my rumpled excuse for clothing. I look up at the sky, hoping for any indication of the time. Let’s see the sun is northwest. So it is about 12:00, there is plenty of light, actually too much of it, its rays penetrating down through the canopy above. I can feel my skin heat up as I stand in a patch of sunlight. I have to shield my eyes, hand on my forehead, I think.

Mhh I have 7 hours of light left, maybe that is enough time to dig a tunnel out, nope. Automatically crossing that idea out of my head. Let’s not think of a plan first, now all I have to worry about is keeping BANG safe. Wait BANG oh my gosh were is he, is he all right I have to go find him. But where do I start. Start at the camp, he all ways returns to where he knows you can find him.  I sprint off into the direction of my makeshift camp. The adrenalin pumping through my veins, I was determined to find him he has to be there. I was concentrating so hard on willing BANG to be at the camp, that I didn’t notice when I ran straight into a tree. I was a big oak it had bluish bark and had thin muddy green leaves. Mhh damn this tree, I take a few cautious steps around the tree expecting it to come alive and start chasing after me. When I was satisfied that it was going to remain motionless, I checked my surroundings for more trees. The coast is clear, just go already you’re supposed to going after BANG. I sprint I see a familiar boulder just around the corner, great I am going in the right direction only a few hundred meters and I will be there. My camp is situated in a cave that is covered with vines that create a door between the inside and the out. I spread the vines, I see BANG sitting up on the end of my bed. He is deep asleep. Typical the one time I can’t figure any way out and he is sleeping right through it. Determined to walkover to him without making any noise so not to wake him. I trip on a root that has grown out of the ground and then back in, my foot slipping right into this little lop nice and cosy, I fall knocking my head on a rock. “Owe mother of f***” I grown to myself, then I remember I was trying to be quiet well to late now. Why is it on the worst day of my life I walk into a tree and smash my head on a rock and the morning has only just begun. I sit up, massaging my bruised and sensitive head. I hear a low growl, coming from BANG at first I think, he is growling at me nad am about to sooth him with useless words when I hear the very distinctive clicking of machine guns. “BANG, GO, NOW, HIDE” he doesn’t move a muscle. “IF YOU DON’T GO NOW I WILL GIVE MYSELF UP AND LET THEM SHOOT ME.” I know it was harsh and it hurts me to say it, he will forgive me one day. BANG hangs his head and strides of in the other direction, letting off huffing sounds as he goes.

“CLARA, come out now, with out hands up” Declan says to me, I can’t see him but his voice sounds close, too close.

“NEVER” I shout back.

“Clara please don’t make me shoot you, I really don’t want to have to do it. Don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be” he says using his sweet voice, trying to convince me to do as he says.

“No, go die in a hole, Declan and take your whole posse with you.” As I finish my little rant I little red light is placed over my heart. Crap, the has found me. 'Sigh' if I am going to go out I am going out with a bang.

“Clara be a good little girl, I know you can see the light. And I know you have probable come up with something stupid to do just before you die. But step out of the cave now.”

“NEVER” I scream the last words as loud as I can. I can feel the echo inside, shaking to walls. Perfect it’s going to collapse. Just as the walls start coming down I sneak out the side.

“Is she dead?” “No, she wouldn’t kill herself” Declan cuts off the other mans whispered question. I see a flicker of light and realised the guns were still trained on me. Damn there goes a really awesome escape. A man steps out of the shadow, Declan his grin has grown even more if that is even possible.

“Well, well, well what do we have here? Come here now or I will kill you” I take two deep breaths. I shift my foot just an inch, I step with the other, one step then two and three it kept increasing until I was arms length away from him. He was short but well built, still taller than me I didn’t come past his chest. But my family has a long line of shortness. I was about to take that one final last step when a roar and a growl held me in place. All eyes when straight to him, then shifted to me for a fraction of a second then back.

BANG

Everything happened so fast ropes and guns shots were fired.

“NOOOOOO”

BANG was down they had him really badly wounded. I was starting into BANG's lilac eyes when everything went dark.

I woke up on the forest floor, feeling so cold. I was surrounded by blood, I could smell it the rich smell of BANG. BANG, no they have BANG.

I leap to my feet and run as fast as I can to the clearing, I years the sounds of a wounded animal. That’s when I realise it was BANG who was wounded. I let out a blood curtailing scream.

MY Dragon, my poor baby, tried to safe my life and now look at him. His beautiful violet skin stained in blood deep cuts and bullet holes covering his body. His wings purple and gold wings stretched out and tied behind him. His luscious long neck tied to the ground. I run up to him, as fast as I can knocking over anything in my path. That is why a man is now lying on the floor unconscious. I feel arms wrap around my waist. His muscular biceps creating an iron hold. So I try the only thing I have left, plead.

“NO, LET GO”

“YOU DON”T UNDERSTAND MY BABY MY POOR, POOR BABY. YOU CAN’T HURT HIM YOU CANT”

“PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE” I sob to myself. I look over at BANG he is thrashing as hard as he can, to get to me, to protect me. He pushes up one more time and he is trough, he pulls his head down as he is charging through people like bowling pins. I feel the man being thrown away from me, BANG’s mouth biting onto the edge of my shirt he lifts me onto his back and then spreads his wings. I feel the cool air around me as BANG’s wings glide us up and around. I could care less at the moment I was completely content that we where both alive, it hadn’t even occurred to me that I was flying with BANG for the first time, I close my eyes and drift off to sleep. Letting to cool calming breezing lull my into a deep sleep like a lullaby. This is going to be the first time I have really slept in ages.