Call of the witch (Tom and Zac fanfic)

Losing control of the beast

*Zac*
I need to rest for a bit. Exhausted I fall to my knees in front of a small brook, splashing the cool water in my face. After having a bit to drink, I sit down, starring downstream, feeling lost. I have been running for hours. How far have I gone ? Where am I to go ? It doesn't seem like a good idea to go home. They will probably just wait for me there.

I hold my breath, listening if they are anywhere near. I remember some old movie, were they bad guy had lost the police dogs by running through the water. So I decide to try. Right now I just need to get far away, then I can find out where to go later.

My body is protesting when I get on my feet and jump into the water. Even with my legs tired from many kilometers of running, the memory of Martin's yellow eyes and the bloody meat in the toilet makes me forget the pain and just run.

The little brook keeps growing, until it is a roaring river. I gasp feeling how cold the water is, but I grind my teeth and keep moving. Soon I have to stop. In front of me is nothing but clear sky. The forest comes to a instant stop and the river disappears into a surging waterfall. Slowly I walk to the edge, I look for a way down, but there isn't any.

I curse desperately, still unsure if I have lost my followers. If I Can just get far enough away, then this nightmare will stop and everything Will go back to normal. I lean over the fall, staring into the lake below. There is 10 meters down and the waterfall make it impossible to see how deep the water is.

There is nothing else to do than jump.

I look down once more, then pulling back my head and closing my eyes.

Shit ! I don't have the guts for this.

It is the truth but such a bad argument when I am trying to pull myself together.

But if I don't dare jump, then they will also Think that I don't dare. So if I am lucky they will Think they lost the scent and give up.

I let out a pained whimper.

Crap ! I need to do this then.

With a resigning sigh I turn, walking back a couple of meters. Then I take three deep breaths, and run as fast as possible to the edge, throwing myself into thin air, trying to get as far from the cliffs as possible. Luckily the water is deep enough where I land, but my tired muscles goes into immediate cramps as I hit the cold water and I am fighting like crazy to resurfice. When the current starts dragging me down the roaring river to the left I panic. Everytime I get up, I only get half a breath of air before breathing water, as I am pulled down again.

I have no more oxygen in my body and I have all but given up, when I spot a tree leaning over the river.

Using my last reserves, I manage to grab a branch and pull myself the last bit of way up, crawling up on the stony shore. I just lay there coughing up water, sobbing from exhausting and powerlessness. I did so not think this through. What the hell does it help to run, just to drown or die from the cold in the middle of nowhere ?

Knowing that I should move to get dry and warm, I just can't bother to get up. I am exhausted, so I roll up on a big stone that has been warmed by the sun, trying to get warm. After drifting this far down river, I am sure they are not gonna find my right now, so I can rest a bit.

I must have dozed up, because when I look up again the forest has gone dark and the setting sun a colouring the sky orange. In a quick jump I get on my feet, looking around in panic. It takes a moment before I remember using my new senses, closing my eyes and not breathing I try to listen. When I don't see or hear any sign of danger, I breathe out feeling relieved. Even if I can't go home, I still want to return to someplace well known. The forest is not a place for me; I probably won't survive one more day. I starts running south, away from the water. At some point I have to find someone who can help me back to England.