The Wolfy Games

Chapter Seven

A/N
Sorry for long wait on this one, I've been really sick. Thanks for your patience!

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My heart beat is accelerating as I quickly scan the area for an appropriate hiding space.

I dive into a little cave created by the roots of a large tree.

"You can't go in there! Maybe you've got your scent completely hidden, but when they find you, you'll be cornered in that cave with no where to go." I climb out. I don't really want to die in a cave anyway.

"Well, what do you propose we do?" I struggle to get any sound through my throat. I have to be more strict on when I should and shouldn't talk if I want to keep my voice.

"Up." We lookup into the canopy of the trees. Lilly takes off her denim jacket and ties it around her waist. She forms a pouch and places the drone in it.

"Good idea." We both walk on the large roots of the tree, any tracks left in the mud could be fatal. I accidentally slip and immediately curse myself. I try to smudge it so it won't be spotted but Lilly whispers to hurry up. She digs her fingers into the cracks of the thickly skinned tree and pulls her self up. I follow suit and thank my lucky stars that Lilly's wearing shorts under her summer skirt.

I'm not as good as Lilly when it comes to climbing a tree like a cat, but I have other ideas. I use the vines that have carved and tangled themselves around one side of the tree. They're as tough as any wood, and provide great footholds.

Someone screams in the distance. They've really started. We're being hunted. The thought that I'm being hunted ripples through my body. It spark wires that push me forward,  send shivers down my spine. You feel like someone's watching your every move. I have to turn my head every few seconds to make sure no ones behind me. Being hunted, it makes you question if this way is the right way, or that way is the right way. My mind whirls like a machine, processing hundreds of thoughts. I feel like a child scared of the dark, scared that something will jump out and snatch me away. Lilly whimpers when another scream is heard. This time, the crowd is only just audible.

The ribbon around my finger snags and rips off. Great. That's going to make climbing a hole lot more difficult.  Lilly pauses to secure the dead drone, and encourages me to continue.
Lilly is not the sort of person I thought she was. She seemed to . . . to positive I guess. I never thought she would be any good at doing something like this.

When I look up at Lilly in admiration, I notice another drone. Those things are just as good as flys.  It watches from the clustered leaves, recording every movement. It darts around, scared to get to close. I can't see the big screen through the dense forest so I don't know if our attempts at climbing are being viewed. If they are, then it won't be long for someone to find us.

I try not to look at the drone. I can't have it distracting me.
When were half way up, the first branches are starting to spread out from the trunk. A girl starts yelling, but is immediately cut off. I freeze where I am and wait. That didn't sound to far off. Their getting closer.

A boy sprints past frantically while trying to dodge every tree and root possible. His face demonstrates terror.   I can hear snarling voices and growls. Twigs snap in the distance, reminding us not to break. We can do this.

Lilly holds a finger to her lips,indicating to be as silent as possible. She doesn't need to tell me twice. Like squirrels, we climb onto branches and find a conjunction of some.  They form a cave like the entrance of a foxes den. I climb down into the dark. My foot touches the muddy base of our hiding spot.

"Don't stand on it!" Lilly whispers. "We don't know how deep it is. It could swallow you whole if you unlucky." We both find a place where we can comfortably cling to the sides. The muttering of others soon becomes clear.

"Leave him for later guys! Next time we find him he'll be so scared. That way we'll really get a show." All the guys laugh. I lean against the branches and smile tensely at Lilly. I wait to hear their loud feet disappear, but they don't. My smile abandons ship. If only I could jump to the drowning waters as well. My gut churns.

"I can smell her." A male declares.

"So can I. She's a weak one, only worth 2 points." I cover my mouth. Vomiting isn't an option. I can't believe peoples lives are used like a common board game.

"We cant split those across three wolves and two vampires!" Someone yells enraged. "We should split up!"he calls.

"No! We're more efficient as a group."

"We can't win if we share all the points! We have to . . ."

"Shhh! Shush shush shush! All of you. Look." I can't hear anything. I hold my breath while my ears ring, trying to pick up something, but only receiving silence.  Have they found us? I want to look up over the walls of our hiding spot but I don't want to give us away.

"There's three sets of footprints.  One from the boy, and two others."

"It's probably the same person walking in circles. You know how easily humans get scared and forget what their doing."  His voice is venomous and greasy - ready to strike.  It's confident and snake like, weaving different pitches so delicately into each word. It's a thing of a nightmare. I almost kick my self. It is a nightmare. If I give myself away, maybe I'll wake up - just like falling off a cliff. Accept with that fall, if it's a reality . . . You don't wake up.

"No you blood sucking leach, there's two more. Ones wearing shoes, and the second has bare feet." I look down at my mud smeared toes and at Lily's caked shoes. Oh crud, why i didn't cover all our tracks I'll never know.

"Look at this, it's glass from a drone." The guy sounds impressed.

"There's a feisty one here!" Someone else affirms.

"I can't wait to get my hands on that one, my wife has been out and I've been missing a bit of . . . fun." The guy with the nerve racking voice scares me further. If anyone's going to find me, it better not be him. I mentally slap my forehead. For the sake that I seem to jinx everything, he'll probably find me if we don't escape.

"We have to find them. I can't pick up any scent from the second prints. The bare foot one must have a strong spirit." I'm sick of hearing what I have. And how do they pick up scents? Either they have a dog, or they are what I've been told. A shiver plays along my spine . . . Werewolf's.

They make my spirit sound as if it's valuable.  Everyone one who knows me knows I've never been superficial, and things of high value usually fall into that category.My body releases it's tense position and slumps into the branch. I shake my head in self pity. Everyone who knows me. . . doesn't anymore.

"Eighty points for one human! What a rare occurrence that there's a spirit strong enough." The man ponders for a moment before continuing.
" Its hard to find a human to  take on the power of a full masking potion without it negatively effecting them. How powerful would he or she would be if turned into a vampire?"

"Your the nerdiest werewolf I've ever met." Someone says sounding bored. "We all know what a full masking potion means."

"I would love to enslave it, a nice feisty treat every Friday night!" The one with the scarring voice says. This conversation is beginning to make me worry about my mental health. It might be a good idea to see a counsellor after this, it's the most weirdest dream I've ever had. How I've managed to develop such disturbing characters in a dream, this I'll never know.

"Excuse me . . . YOU get it? We're going to share! These are major points!"

People start yelling at each other about who gets the person with the strong spirit - who gets me. Lilly rolls her eyes.

"Boys." She whispers. Her voice is hidden from the see of arguments below.

"Quiet!" Someone calls. "We need to find them if we want to win!"

"Look! There's a foot print directed to the trunk if the tree!" A younger man calls out excitedly.Curse my inability to balance.

"No crap. I think our bigger clue would be that ribbon just up there." The oily voice points out. I deeply swallow and look at my dried fingers. Oh man, I've doomed us.