Escape

Chapter 10: Prey

We hesitated not knowing whether to follow the scream or run away from it. Other screams joined in. The screams grew louder to a crescendo that I couldn't ignore. I had to find out what we were up against.

Rachel and Eden looked at each other while Damien stared at me silently asking if we should go ahead. I nodded and ran towards the noise.

The closer I got the faster the noise died down and I could hear the growls. The sight before me was gruesome. I hid behind a bush.

Blood was everywhere. It coated the ground in a thick glossy sheen. The red stood out against the green palette of the forest floor.

Something caught my eye. Pale and bruised with splashes of red....Is that....No...

Anything I had eaten and my body hadn't digested by now flew out from my mouth and went straight to the ground.

I looked up at the lone torn hand on the floor and vomited again.

Shit. s**t. s**t.

Crying and holding myself would have to wait because the growl came again. I turned towards the sound.

What I saw was horrifying. It could chill anyone to the bones.

A cheetah but different. It was almost transparent and was also pale blue but had it's spots.

Its tails were longer than than any other animal I had seen. That's right. Tails. This hybrid or whatever it is had three tails.

I don't know how that's possible but judging by the fear on every other persons face I knew I wasn't hallucinating.

Was this a hybrid of a cheetah and a jellyfish.

Movement caught it's eye I guess as it raised it's head from the carcass it was eaten. It honed on a girl crying at the sight, growled and went straight for her. She ran but wasn't fast enough. The tails of the beast touched her in quick succession. The girl fell down and convulsed. Foam came out from her mouth while she cried. She died shortly and the hybrid tore her apart piece by piece.

It was poisonous. This was unfair. We were at a disadvantage. We would die out here. Tears ran down my face. I didn't even know I was crying because of the shock.

A crunch behind me covered the sound of that thing feasting in my ears. Was another one behind me ?. I turned back slowly just in case only to see Brian shaking. His back foot on a now broken twig. The sound came from him.

I hoped the hybrid didn't hear it. I was wrong. Once I turned my eyes were met with its own. Empty and dangerous. It looked at us and tilted it's head. The malice in its eyes said it all. It wanted us dead.

Could this get any worse. We didn't shake. There was no need for us to antagonize the thing. The creature looked straight at me and growled. It lunged towards me.

Me and my big mouth. I ran. It ignored people and came for me. What the hell.

It was faster. I was sure I was dead until someone shouted.

"Climb the trees !"

I didn't know who but I didn't care. The nearest tree became my mountain and I scaled it quickly. My shoe fell from just one of my foot.

The hybrid smelled it and looked up. It just sat down there waiting and watching. About an hour later it was still there. Damn this things were persistent.

Thank God I was out of the woods now. No pun intended.

Looking around I see everyone in trees. Some crying. Some just staring at nothing. They were scared just like I was now.

It was evening now and if this thing wasn't letting up it was goin to be a long night.