Needing the Impossible (A Clato Fanfic)

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The rain continues to fall in the steady downpour its maintained since it began. All around me, grass sways back and forth violently, unable to resist the power of wind and water. Overhead, thunder claps and dark clouds roll menacingly across the sky.

I don't notice any of this.

My mind is completely focused on one single goal, and its driving me into a rage. I can feel the aggression and the passion boiling up inside my chest to create a deadly concoction that will erupt at any second. I just need to find Thresh.

I entered the field less than an hour ago, but I would have expected to have located him by now. He's nowhere to be seen. I straighten up and scan the horizon again. Nothing.

Nothing except one of his human snares, that is. I can see the feint signs of the trap that I watched him set up just yesterday. And suddenly, a plan begins to form in my mind. I'm not sure just how elaborately Thresh's snares are rigged, but perhaps if I could set one of them off, it would act as a kind of signal.

Without further planning or forethought, I jog over to the trap. Examining it briefly, it appears to be rigged with a simple trip wire. Launching a large rock, or even a good throw with a spear, should set it off. Unfortunately, I only brought one spear with me, and I don't want to risk losing it to some endeavor that may not even be successful, and so I search the nearby area for rocks. It takes several minutes, but I finally find one that should serve my purpose.

Standing back a good fifteen feet – just to make sure I don't get caught in the trap myself – I hurl the rock towards the trip wire. The trap collapses in on itself. Large nets and wooden posts crash around the middle, searching for their unsuspecting victim. It's crudely made, but I can't help but wonder...where did Thresh get all this stuff? I wasn't aware he had this many sponsors. Not that it did him much good. I think even Lover Boy could make a more impressive snare.

As soon as the snare finishes its convulsing, a puff of smoke rises from it – like a signal flare. Crude, but effective – except for the fact that the entire sky is grey. I begin to doubt the validity of this plan, knowing that there's almost no way Thresh is going to notice that “something” is trapped in his snare.

I draw my sword and begin to mindlessly hack at the nearby grass, incredibly frustrated with my own desperation and stupidity. Where the hell is he? Forgetting all pretenses of quiet or surprise, I slash my way through the waist-high grass. Adrenaline courses through me as I grow more and more eager to rip Thresh's throat out.

And then I see movement. Out of the corner of my eye. I drop to the ground and try to steady my breathing – then remember that he can't hear anything over the rain and the thunder. Immediately, I peak back over the top of the billowing grass and see Thresh – sickle in hand – making his way towards the snare I just set off. He looks apprehensive, as if he's not quite sure of what he'll find, or if he even wants to find it.

The smallest bit of satisfaction wells up in my chest, and I begin to work my way over to Thresh, trying to get him between me and the snare. By the time I'm within ambush distance, Thresh has found the empty snare. He examines it quickly, looking for any signs of human activity.

I take this time to begin my attack. Positioning my spear in my right hand, I aim for Thresh's right thigh. I won't kill him just yet. He needs to be tortured first.

Just as I'm about to release though, Thresh sees the large rock and goes on high alert, sensing a trap. He turns back in my direction and his eyes lock on me. I see them widen with surprise and fear as I release my spear.

Another loud clap of thunder accompanies his cry of pain as the weapon sinks into his right thigh – just as I intended it to. I don't even have time to draw my sword though, before he's coming at me, brandishing his giant sickle.