The Adventures of Gally and the Roundtable

Close Encounters of the Unwelcome Kind

My surprise again is short lived as I am wrestled to the ground, a heavy pressure hits the middle of my back and I hit the floor. Winded and sore I bury my face into the cold mud, a burning sensation shoots up my spine to my head. With the air pocket in the mud it creates a suction and my face is stuck in the ground. Screaming into the mud I start to panic, kicking my legs in desperation my arms flailing about next to me. A pressure increases on my back as I am pinned down, my breathing is becoming short and laboured. I can't hear anything from above the surface, just a muffled noise, presumably shouting. I feel the power shift down to my lower back, freeing my upper body a little bit more. It arches my back enough to allow me to pull my head from the mud.

Dragging my face up and to the side, I gasp in large amounts of air. Mixed with water from the puddle I have been buried in, I choke and cough up at the same time. An aching in my rib's pulses and my breath hitches in my throat.

"You're stronger than I thought, you should be dead," Dane says as he sniggers.

"You wish!" I exclaim, but in truth he is right.

I feel a release in the power forcing itself against me, not sure if it is intending or Dane is making a mistake. Knowing I won't be able to lift myself up under him, I flip over onto my back. Instantly catching his eye as my body settles, I see he holds a wide expression and his nostrils flare from a sharp intake of air. A smile creeps onto my mouth and I cock one eyebrow up, a puff of air leaves my nose at the same time. I squirm under him trying to find a weakness or less pressure in one place. Could I slip a leg out, could I somehow get some leverage using my hips to shake him off? My right leg feels a little freer than the left, so I begin to slowly move it.

"Don't try anything, I swear to god," Dane threatens. He can feel me fidget under him.

Without wasting anymore time, I quickly bring my right leg up underneath him. My knee connecting with his groin, send him shooting up off me and into the air.

"AHHH!" He screams rising to his feet. Naturally he brings his hands down to his groin and hunches over.

Seeking the opportunity, I bring my knee up to my chest and thrust it forward, the heel of my heavy leathered boot connects with his knee. Crashing to the floor in front of me he still holds his groin, whimpering with his chin tucked into his chest. A sigh of relief leaves my mouth, the feeling erupting from my lower stomach. A cold shiver carries through my body, allowing the hairs on my body stand on end. Clambering backwards a little I want to put some distance between us, my heart is trying to escape from my chest. I hyper ventilate as the slight distance is now there between us.

"Where are you going, you bitch?" Dane asks in a strained voice.

The nerves prevent me from saying anything to him, also what do I say. He is trying to hurt me; my only concern is stopping him from doing so. At this point I do try to slow down my breathing, my heart rate is becoming far too erratic. My vision is blurring, and the frantic blinking isn't helping. Feeling the beating of my heart up in my cheeks, I can feel them burning from the rising heat.

Dane starts to clamber to his feet, slowly as he still grips his groin in discomfort. His knee shaking under the weight, he raises slowly. Bringing the same knee again up to my chest I thrust my foot forward, this time I connect hard with his chin. A loud distinct cracking hits the air, reverberating against my foot. A dull noise leaves his body, his eyes roll into the back of his head. From the force of my boot his head falls back, blood spurting out to the side.

I roll onto my front and pushing off from my feet, I scramble forward a few feet using my hands to propel me. Turning to look over my shoulder I see Dane collapsed on the floor, head to the side and arms sprawled out beside him. Slowly I stand up, holding my lower back with my hand. The pain still burns deep within my back, I arch backwards to see if cracking it would help...it doesn't. I walk over to where he lays and stand over him looking down upon his unconscious body. A sense of satisfaction feels my heart, with a warmth coursing through my body. Then the reality kicks in like, well...like a kick to the gut. Again, I become lightheaded and I fall to a crouched position. I begin to take in long, slow breaths lowering my head to between my knees. Is it the built-up of emotion of what has happened or am I regretting doing it? Dane will wake eventually and tell the other rangers what happened. It will be the word of a ranger against mine, my account of the situation will fall on deaf ears.