Genesis

Caution.

     I guess I underestimated the darkness. As soon as I took a few steps away from the embers, everything seemed to fade away. At first, it was just little details, but soon, all I could see ahead of me was a thick black curtain. I clicked the leathery button on the metallic cylinder I was grasping in my hand and found myself standing in front of the tree-line. With a half-breath in, I started to walk into the forest.

     I kept my eyes trained on the ground, trying to follow the path -- if you could even call it that. There was the occasional upwards glance to try to find the squat pits on the left, or was it the right? My head bobbed up and down, side to side, as I realized minutes had passed of just walking. Dorian never specified exactly how far it was, and it was too late to turn back now and ask. I took a deep breath and kept going, hoping for some sign of the 'squat pits'.

     It was such a stupid name. Stupid. I was being so stupid. This entire situation was. I had survived the city, everyone at camp thought I was some badass, and despite all that, here I was. Afraid of the dark. Jumping at every broken twig, scurrying squirrel, and footstep behind me.

     Wait, what?

     I whipped my head around and saw... nothing.

     Come on Quinn, you're spooking yourself out. Just keep going.

     I shook my head and sighed, picking up my pace and darting the flashlight from left to right.

     SNAP!

     I turned around hastily, and just in time to see an arm and a leg dash behind a tree.

     Someone was behind that tree. Someone was following me.

     I must have kept my flashlight on the tree for a second too long, because a flash of sickly green appeared from behind it, and before I had time to react, a figure was sprinting in my direction. I bolted, feet slipping outwards on the wet leaves as I breathed deeper, faster, zipping past tree after tree. It wasn't long before I could smell him - the putrid stench of his sweat and breath. My eyes widened, as the image of the person who was chasing me flashed in my mind. Sickly green hair, a putrescent smell. It was him. 

     My heart started racing as I knew I couldn't be caught. Fail and my whole body would pay the price, run and the damage would be limited. Branches constantly attacked me, twigs crunched under my feet, and logs seemed to appear out of nowhere as if to try and stop me. But I could still smell him. One mistake and it would all be over.

     My breath stopped in my throat as I tried to pull my foot forwards, but it was caught, and I was falling to the floor. Before I knew I had made the decision to scream, my voice was splitting the air and the desperation in it scared me.

     I don't remember when he jumped on top of me, trying to keep me down as I kicked, twisted and turned. And then I was on my feet again, but just as soon as I was free I was being tackled to the ground, my cheek hammering the floor as he pummeled his fists into my head and body. His breaths were unstable, my heart was frantic. I couldn't hear the screaming squeak for help coming out of my own throat when he wrapped his bony fingers tight around my neck, squeezing. I felt the pressure building in my skull, my rapidly thumping heart bellowing at me to do something. Black spots danced across my vision as I realized it was too late. We were too far out. No one could hear me. I wasn't strong enough to fight back. Nothing. This was it.

     There was a ringing in my ears as the last color in my eyes began to empty into blackness.

     Movement.

     The heaviness on my body wasn't there anymore. Air quickly filled my lungs, too quickly. I started to cough and wheeze as the black in my sight washed away. That's when a fist came flying past my face. I shuffled backward on my hands and feet, stopping at the base of a tree trunk, trying to see what was going on.

     My eyes landed on the luminous green hair. The lanky guy was pinned under another guy, but not for long. There was a flurry of fists and kicks, one taking over the other again and again, until the guy pinned him down again, belaboring Grasshead with his fists, each punch producing its own thump or crack.

     With a muffled gurgling sound, Grasshead pulled his trembling hands up in surrender.

     "I'll stop! I'll stop! PLEASE! " he whimpered between gasping breaths. The guy paused for a moment, then slowly retreated his fists beside his torso, standing up and taking a few steps back. I could never have anticipated what happened next.

     Not a fraction of a second later, Grasshead had pushed himself onto his feet and propelled himself towards the guy, who braced himself and countered with a violent shove, sending Grasshead flying. Suddenly, he was stumbling backward, trying desperately to regain his balance, but it was too late. He was falling to the ground. My eyes widened as I noticed where his head was zooming at lightning speed; a large rock jutting out between the fallen leaves.

     CRACK!

     Impact.

     Shivers vibrated my spine as I heard that horrible noise, my eyes being drawn by a seeping red, engulfing the luminous green on his head and seeping into the earth around him.