Free & Flightless (Trench)

Chapter 28-Tyler

Tyler

Tyler looked between Josh and Jenna. Debby was leaning on the tent flap pole, a concerned expression passing her face. Tyler chewed on his lip, thoughtful.
"A lion's den?" Tyler repeated. Josh's mocha colored eyes momentarily glassed over, and Debby's eyes met Tyler's. Was that sympathy in her eyes? Tyler wondered to himself. As soon as it was there, though, it was gone. Tyler blinked away the thought and looked at Josh, who seemed deep in thought.
"Grenades." Josh suddenly exclaimed. Jenna, who had been looking intently at Tyler, whipped her blonde hair around to stare at Josh, obviously bewildered.
"Grenades? Are you out of your mind?" Jenna threw her arms up in the air. Tyler thought for just a moment.
"Sometimes to stay alive, you gotta kill your mind." Tyler said thoughtfully. Silence ran out through the tent in understanding.
—
Tyler stared at Josh's back. The "military fighting carrier vest" (or that is what Josh called it anyway) was loose on Tyler's thin figure, while Josh's fit him perfectly.
"Hey...what exactly are we doing again?" Tyler whispered. The four of them—Debby, Jenna, Josh, and Tyler—had decided a rather uncertain plan, that was half and half split on the prediction of whether it would work or not. Josh and Jenna thought it would work; but Debby and Tyler were more skeptical. Tyler was skeptical because he didn't understand the terms being used: another con of being stuck in Dema for such a long extended period of time. Grenade? Gory?  They were terms often whispered in joking ways during the Assemblage sessions in Dema, but Tyler had never known what it actually meant.
Josh held some strange item in his hand cautiously, hiding behind a formation of rocks inside the cave. Jenna and Debby were opposite Tyler and Josh, also holding the devices. In front of where the four were hiding, were lions.
Their manes were lush and thick, and their teeth dripped red from a few unfortunate Bandito victims that were too unaware too soon. Josh was waiting for something, but Tyler didn't comprehend what until the lion locked eyes with Josh. Tyler watched Josh nice precisely, his eyes narrowed into practically slits as his tongue stuck out from in between his teeth in concentration. Tyler didn't know that lions could be in these parts of Trench. He didn't even know they'd be even close to the area at all. It left him wondering if it was an act of a greater power, or something more subtle but possibly just as terrifying like the Bishops.
Debby had gotten the rest of the Banditos to sneak out what they could and make a break for it. Josh had insisted Debby, Jenna, and Tyler leave too, but they said otherwise. There they were, Josh having a stare down of dominance with the lion before him. Tyler was still weak from being stabbed, and even Josh was still recovering too. Everybody was screwed up and stressed out in their own way.
Just like that, everything happened all at once.
Josh moved an inch to smack Tyler's arm in attempt to get his attention, and the lion saw. It must have assumed Josh was making a move on it, because it leapt over the rocks, getting rid of the only protection Tyler and Josh had. Jenna and Debby screamed, the sound echoing and alerting the other two lions, who started heading towards Jenna and Debby, who blindly pulled their grenade pins and chucked them, screaming more and taking cover. Josh lurched over to Debby and Jenna and covered them from the blast, scrambling them both away from the two lions, which had retreated into the deep depths of the cave in fear of the sounds of the grenades that had exploded. Meanwhile, Tyler scrambled backwards as the lion lurked closer and closer, growling a low sound from its throat as Bandito blood dripped from its mouth and onto Tyler's face as it hovered over Tyler. Tyler glanced at Josh from the corner of his eye. He was still holding the sobbing Jenna and shaking Debby, looking at Tyler with wide eyes. He murmured something to Debby and Jenna and they tripped, hurrying out of the cave as they glanced at the two boys, anxiety brewing everybody's moves. Tyler closed his eyes as the lion roared. Accepting his fate, and the end that he was sure was completely inevitable.
Until it wasn't.
Josh, in a flurry of movement, chucked his final grenade, and it beeped twice before making a loud explosion sound in the cave.
—
A whine. A scramble, along with something wet splattering Tyler's face. A metallic taste filling Tyler's mouth as he coughed, unaware and blindly reaching for nothing but darkness. Firm and hot hands grabbing him, hoisting him upwards. The feeling of dirt and gravel dragging against his legs in an effort. The sounds of faint crying, and a collective coughing. The smell of dust and blood and the looming sense of dread that Tyler didn't need to see to be aware of. Fingers running through his hair, sticky substances being wiped off his face. A few sniffles, and the feeling of tears dripping over Tyler's closed eyes. The sound of crying, and a familiar voice saying he wished he could have done more. Done better. Light protests drowned out by the angelic protector holding Tyler sobbing. I want to wake up so badly.
So.
Badly.
But his eyes stayed closed.

A/n: uh oh.
Is this the end?
This may have seemed confusing. You know my blood? "If you find yourself in a Lion's den I'll jump right in and pull my pin and go with you"
That's that I guess.
Happy Christmas Eve eve my lovelies (if you celebrate ofc)