Chapter 7

She found the map in her jacket pocket. It was soaked but intact. With no other option, she was forced to use the light from her celltab. With trembling hands, she attempted to funnel the light onto the paper’s surface. She viewed the map frantically, searching for any geographic landmark. The hill she climbed was to her right. She needed to head to her left.

As she closed her celltab another array of shrieks exploded from the darkness. Closer this time. Much closer. A stinging chill ran though her. Tears began to press behind her eyes, but she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves. What kind of creatures could make such a horrible sound? she asked herself. Her mind raced with the worst possibilities. Why didn’t I even bring a knife?

At that thought, she realized she still had one more of the survey posts. She withdrew it from its quiver and clutched it with both hands like a spear. She mustered as much courage as she could and searched for the trail.

Every so often she used her celltab light to find her footing, and at long last she found the trail. She followed it as fast as she could, twisting around hills and trees as her vision acclimated to the darkness. She could eventually discern textures upon the ground, helping her keep her footing without her celltab.

Something moved quickly ahead of her, darting across the path. She stopped, ducking behind the nearest tree, and peered into the darkness. Branches rustled together high overhead in the endless drone of wind. She strained to see ahead of her, but saw nothing. The forest remained still, waiting for her to make the first move. Cautiously, she pressed on.

She searched the ground for any sort of footprint to identify what had leapt across her path. Nothing. She continued, trying to keep her steps quiet. A long moment went by without howls or anything else out of the ordinary. The treetops thinned, and Exodar cast its light onto the path in ghastly sheets of green. She could navigate rather easily now, and figured she had maybe another ten minutes before she was back safely to Shel.

Lena rounded a curve in the trail and stopped dead in her tracks. She could barely see the ghostly outline of two legs in the darkness standing directly on the path. Its height remained obscured by shadow. She thought she was yet too far in for it to be Shel.

She spoke, trying to keep her voice to a whisper.

“Shel? Is that you?”

Nothing.

Her heartbeat quickened.

“Shel!” she whispered loudly, her voice breaking in fear.

Finally, it moved, creeping towards her.

A fear-stricken paralysis took hold of her. She stared wide-eyed in horror. A soft beam of light caught the figure. Her heart jolted at the sight.

Two eyes gleamed a fierce yellow, lower than she expected. A hulking wolf, dark as stone, emerged from the veil of shadow. It growled, low and threatening. With a trembling hand, she wiped a damp clump of wiry hair from her face , and gritted her teeth against the tears swelling in the corners of her eyes. She readied her weapon.

The creature came closer. It growled, baring its teeth. Lena stepped back, keeping her stance low, trying not to blink. The spear was cold, clutched within white knuckles. It was pointed directly at the advancing beast.

A wave of defensive instinct guided her movements as the culmination of thousands of years of primal knowledge swept over her. From crude wooden spears held by ancestral hominids spanning to this very point in time, she amassed it all to the very apex of her weapon.

The wolf lunged. Lena ducked sideways, evading its attack. She took her chance and thrust the spike towards the wolf. It ducked her attack and closed its jaws upon the weapon’s shaft, shaking it vigorously. She pulled with all her strength, but the wolf’s grip was relentless. She swung her foot in a rounding kick directly to the beast’s head. It let out a yelp, and she reclaimed the post.

The wolf snarled at her as it circled for another attack. It was too quick for a jab. Instead, she swung the post like a club. The wolf hesitated as the post sliced through the air. Killing the animal wasn’t her priority, but she would do what was necessary to defend her life. She swung again, closer to the wolf’s head. It recoiled as she stepped forward to close the gap between them.

The wolf lunged at her again. She had gotten too close to spear the animal and the wolf took the advantage. The wolf pounced on her, knocking her to the ground. She scrambled for any escape. She held the post in both hands, pushing the head of the wolf away from her throat as its jaws snapped ferociously, inches from her face.

As quick as the wolf had tackled her to the ground, it released her. She opened her eyes. A boot kicked the post from her hands, and then came to rest on her chest. It was a robed figure, a hood obscuring its face. A second figure appeared. The two turned her over onto her stomach forcefully. She was face-down in the dirt, and a heavy weight came down onto her back. She attempted to cry out a plea as the wind was knocked out of her. A strong hand reached to cover her mouth. She gasped for air and her chest filled with a noxious fire as her world went black.