Onwards

The air was cold. It helped with the **** effort it took to keep running. I knew I needed to find some semblance of shelter though. Eventually anyway. The sun was setting soon. Though the Burrowers didn’t normally travel at night. I felt unsure given todays events. I didn’t know what to expect anymore. Though I couldn’t exactly see far when the sun would set. Weighing it out i decided it may be best to find shelter. Use my cloak to keep me hidden. I was becoming exhausted. Using the last bit of sunlight given I found some fallen branches and made a makeshift hole. Easily hidden in the dark. You’d have to actually approach it to spot it. I climbed in and covered myself. Curling into a little ball.

The cloak kept me warm though I never thought I’d find myself missing my bed. Hearing my father snoring, or the TV blaring. I realized that I would never hear that again. My father was dead. That house was overrun. Not worth the effort it would take to take it back. What about the barrier? Was that even something I could do? I knew I had abilities but I didn’t know to what extent. I attempted to close my eyes. Trying not to think about how dark the forest had become. I imagined myself in my room. Maybe curled up with an Alpha beside me. His arm wrapped tightly around my body keeping me safe and warm. What he smelled like. What his arm hair would feel like. Or Sketching. What would I draw? Trees? Flowers? The house? Thinking of the house sent a small pang into my chest. Okay think of an Alpha that was a distraction that was working. A hot one. Visions of the Royal Alphas popped in my mind. Maybe what I imagined my Alphas could look like. I didn’t want much. Maybe just them being strong enough to keep me safe. I’ve never felt safe really before. It would be a nice change. Maybe nice abs? Not a absolute necessity but it could be fun. Hairy chest? That’s be hot. Again not necessarily required but I could like that. With or without. More south? maybe a nice veiny thick…….

I wasn’t sure when I drifted off to sleep. Just that I awoke to the sun rising.

“Okay Dean you made it through the night congrats.” I said quietly. I opened my bag. drinking water and eating a slice of bread. It was a good thing I was used to eating less food and being okay. Standing up my legs were incredibly sore. That was too bad for me though. I didn’t have the time or excuse to stay put. Quickly getting all my stuff together. I looked towards the mountain, still quite far. Quickly I set out.

Sprinting through the trees I Continued forward. The day was uneventful. Unless you count stopping for water or another piece of bread. I never realized how far we lived….I lived from the mountain. Keeping my footing I came upon a river. I settled down filling my water supplies. Slowly and carefully I crossed the river. Didn’t Take too long. Life felt uneasy right now. I didn’t quite know where I was going. Anxiety kept creeping into my chest. Causing me to hyperventilate every so often. I tried to distract myself with happy thoughts. A possible safe place. I knew I had to go to the mountain yet wished I could go to the town were packs would often meet and trade. Many groups would form towns and cities together. It was safer in numbers with the looming threat of burrowers.

That night a storm blew in. The water dripped down the leaves and branches I had set up. The cloak did its best to keep me warm. I curled up tightly in a ball. Getting my feet tucked into the cloak the best I could. I loved the sound of the rain as it cascaded down the trees. Though to say I was fond of it falling on me as I slept would be a lie.

I watched from afar. My father screaming into the sky. His sword and shield at the ready. He looked at me his eyes filled with malice. Serval dead burrowers lay around him. I darted through the tree as my jaws clamped down on his neck. I could taste the sweet metal flood my mouth. He screams became gurgle’s before I tore from his neck and with a lurch removed his head. Several other came and grabbed at his limbs throwing them about. I sprinted back into the house. Hungry in search of the other. There’s two. There’s supposed to be two! I want him, I want that meat. I entered my room looking around. Tearing my bed. Thrashing the room. I turned and looked into the mirror. I saw blood dripping down my mouth. My blue eyes faded black orbs.

My eyes fluttered open. Tears silently went down my cheeks. My anxiety twisted like knots in my chest. Strangling the air from my lungs. I sat and cried for awhile. I wanted to be brave. I had to be. I truly think I may be selfish though. Here I am with all this power that’s been given to me. Yet all I want is to have someone else take charge. I knew this wasn’t a fairytale. I was weak.

I thought about my father. He died so I can escape. A pang shot through my chest. He was dead because of me. I hated him but that never meant I wanted him to die. Warm tears flowed freely down my cheeks. As I curled myself into a ball. I felt guilty.

My legs popped as I moved them closer to my chest. Looking down with blurry vision I saw that my legs were covered in bruises and dry blood from cuts I’d received. The skin was torn in a couple spots exposing a thin layer of meat. The already worn boots were falling apart. I couldn’t feel it. I was numb.

I cried. I couldn’t stop crying. Visions of my father kept playing in my mind. Him slapping me as hard as he could. Watching his head be torn from his neck. The enforcer as he called it saying my name. Laughing and taunting me, the barrier falling. My home destroyed. My room thrashed. I began to hyperventilate. My voice came out in whines. I was gonna die. It was only a matter of time. I cried into the cloak. It was too much. All my life this had simply been too much. My dads are dead. I’m all alone. I felt no responses from my imaginary other halves. No emotional feeling no reassurance. Nothing.

After awhile. I finally calmed down. If that was something I could call my state. I was a mess. So I did what I could. I ate some bread. Drank some water. I kept moving.

“Cmon dean. Day 3”

My legs dragged me up. My calves shook a bit but there were only two options right now. Move or lay down and wait to die. I was frightened, guilty, and weak but not ready to go yet.

One, two. I counted my steps urging myself forward. One, two, right, left. I began moving at a slow pace and soon my legs were running again. I knew I’d reach the mountain tomorrow at this pace. I sprinted through the trees. I could tell a twisted branch was smacking into my legs every so often. Already hurting my slightly damaged state. I didn’t care. I wanted live so I could see the chance to thrive again. The slight hiccup of my mental state this morning was something I was trying to push to the back of my mind.

“Happy thoughts Dean happy thoughts.” I mumbled quietly. I listened to the birds chirping as I passed. The occasional frog croak. When the sky would turn dim the crickets. Once again I lay beneath some branches. Thinking was what kept me sane, so I hoped anyway. I desperately pushed away the visions of bad things that had happened. My nightmares. My dad. I focused on things that made me happy. Strangely I wanted toast. The uncooked bread just wasn’t a substitute. Sometimes if I knew I could hide it when my dad was given food with lots of butter I’d take some and smear it onto the bread. Making it just so much better. one time he pulled out some blueberry jam from the stockpile that he wanted with his breakfast and he actually gave me permission to use it. Only half a spoon but it was the sweetest thing I’d ever remembered eating. It was silly to think about how blueberry and butter were something that were keeping my mind from going into a dark place but whatever worked at this point. Before I knew it I was in a deep dark sleep.

When I awoke today I was ready to keep moving. I was slightly annoyed with myself for my freak out yesterday. No options no choices. I reminded myself. One, two. By midday I began the incline of the mountain. I’d made it finally. I stopped and pulled out my map. It was clear that the map told me in simplest form.

Go up to the peak.

From what I could tell there was a building that I had to make it too. What was there I couldn’t even guess at this point. Putting it into the pocket of the cloak and buttoning it closed. I kept it moving. My legs burned with the incline. One, two.

“One, two…one, two.” I said to myself

“…one, two…one.”

“Two…..” a voice said somewhere behind me.

My body froze. Before I knew it the sword had summoned itself into my hand. A cold sweat radiated from head to toe as my sweaty hand gripped the sword so tight I knew my knuckles were white.

“One…..Two…..” the voice was a viscous mockery of my own. My head turned slightly and just out of the corner of my eye I saw it. All the air escaped my lungs.

An enforcer. It was sitting in the tree. Its tight black skin pulled tight. Its gaping maw of a mouth dripped drool as it stared. Its claws burrowed into the tree holding it in a suspended state. I turned around and stared. Before I knew it. It lept down.

“Voda da mon. Prey…..is……loud……” it said staring me down. It’s black eyes expressing amusement.

I didn’t think I was loud. The one thing Burrowers were known to be was shit at hearing. Enforcers though. That didn’t seem to be the case.

I raised my sword. My hands shook and trembled. It stood and stared. I weighed my options out and before I knew it. I threw it. My sword whizzed through the air at lightning speed. All thoughts on killing the creature and before I knew it. It wizzed past its head off by an inch. I’d missed. It charged and lunged. Its claws came close to my face and by pure luck not skill. The sword at already appeared back into my hand. I held it in front of me. Its claws met the metal. Chipping them. Its hand tried to grip the sword cutting it in the process. It took a swipe at me. It’s other claw slashed at my chest. Cutting a large gash into my shirt and pecs. The skin stung. I kicked it in the stomach pushing my arms into its finger where the blade was. Slicing them off. It let out a howl in pain. Pushing back with its back legs making distance.

My free hand held my chest. Blood dripped down my wound. The adrenaline kicked in I didn’t feel the injuries fully just yet. Without thinking I turned heel and charged up the mountain. My legs ran faster than I ever thought possible even before. I heard galloping behind me. I knew it was hot on my trail. The scent of my blood a beacon for it. Hiding wasn’t an option but I was at full disadvantage here. I continued to charge. I heard tree limbs snapping I knew it was in the trees somewhere now. Suddenly I felt myself being pulled down. A ripping noise loudly rung in my ear. It had missed my body. It had latched onto my bag and ripped it as it had made its lunge for me. I was flung onto my side. I saw my supplies were thrown about. I saw it over out of the corner of my eye. It’s missing fingers were making its landings sloppy as I saw it pick itself off the ground. It began to charge me again. I raised my sword ready to defend myself. It let out a viscous hiss. It jumped on top of me.

My sword made contact with it. Slicing through its shoulder into what I think is its collarbone. Black blood spilled onto my face. One of its hands gripped the blade attempting to pull it out. Its attack was sloppy and it impaled itself. Again I’d gotten lucky. It began slashing at me. Trying to make contact. It cut at my face. My neck. I didn’t release either one of my hands instead I focused on dragging the blade down. Like butter it cut through its thin bone and cut down its chest. I continued down into its stomach. Warm black liquid spilled over my pale skin. Its movement’s became slower and soon it fell limp. I pushed sideways and its dead body slumped down onto its side. Its organs spilled out from where I’d cut. I continued to hack and slice. I cried. I wanted to scream but my brain begged for silence. Being loud had caused it to find me after all. It was now dead. I collapsed. The adrenaline was now running out. I checked my injuries. My bag was ruined. The only thing left inside was my sketchbook. I saw that the water bottle had been slashed draining it dry. My bread bag as well. Individual slices were all over the ground. A few cans of food were okay. I was glad I had grabbed them. I felt a sharp pain in my leg. Looking down I saw a large cut from the base of the back of my knee down my calf on my left side. Guess it had gotten me in that lunge from my bag. I noticed a sharp pain in my foot. My boot had been ruined. I noticed a sharp piece of wood was lodged into my heel. My foot exposed on that side. My body was hurt, Bleeding, Dirty. Picking myself up. The pain was excruciating. I walked over to my water bottle. A small amount still inside. I quickly drank what’s left and discarded it. The few slices of bread I ate as well that were on the ground. I began to look for shelter. Far away from the now dead corpse of the enforcer. I limped slowly unable to run. My legs shook and wobbled. I continued where I found a large rock. I sat down with a thud that radiated pain up my side. Removing my boots. Carefully where the wood was lodged into my foot. My tank top was ruined. I realized the clothes were gone now too. Not even realizing that I’d lost them until too late. There was no way I was going back. I removed my tank top. Now drenched in mine and it’s blood. Casting it aside. There was no point it would be worse to wear it or wrap it around my injury’s. Who knows what’s in its blood.

I studied my injuries. There was a cut on my cheek I couldn’t see. Though it didn’t feel too deep. A deeper cut at the base of my neck that didn’t seem to cut any major arteries. A much deeper cut on my chest. It bled a lot. I pressed my hand firmly against it trying to stop the bleeding. A long gash ran down my calf from back of the knee at an angle down. Plus the large piece of wood that was sticking out of my foot. Sighing. I was in too much pain to think of anything else. Once the bleeding stopped on my chest I grabbed my foot and pulled it up to rest on my thigh. Wincing as the pain radiated. I grabbed the wood and as hard as I could and pulled it out. It was excruciating yet needed to be done. I threw the wood aside and held my foot. I was in no position to move anymore. If I didn’t die today I could continue on hopefully tomorrow. I didn’t have the strength right now. My vision went dizzy. My brain tingled. I closed my eyes for but a moment. The world faded into black.