I galloped forward with my arms outstretched, landing an inch from Cheesy's behind.
The metal clamp was two breaths away from Cheesy's head; In one swift grab I clenched the bulky width of his tail, pressing the weight down on my legs and pulling back with everything I had.
"Ahhhhooww!!" I screamed out as I strained to tug Cheesy's heavyset body away from the trap, the veins in my head striking out as his body was pulled back, bringing him out with one forceful draw.
Abruptly, the metal ring snapped down on the board, almost crushing the tips of his ears just seconds before I pulled him off.
The squared board sprung up into the air, empty, angry at the fact that it had been stolen from. It toppled over on itself and crashed into the wall. Cheesy held on to the block of Cheese with a death grip, still clutching it in his paws for dear life.
Feeling the tendons in my arms being ripped from the strain, Immediately I released his tail from my grip and tripped over, tumbling over and over until I slammed against the wall of the couch that was nearby.
I pounded into the hard, wooden surface, gasping as the wind got knocked out of my lungs. The back of my head ricocheted off of the wall, my whole body bouncing off of it. Suddenly I was descending, my face greeting the carpet.
Everything went black.
.................................
There was a cool Icey breeze coming from the east.
It blasted me in my face, whipping my whiskers from one side to the next, ruffling my freshly groomed fur.
"Heeyyy..I just combed myself..." I complained, desperately wetting my paws and streaking them behind my ears. I ended up in front of the Giant's house, seated on a sturdy branch. There was a huge apple I had my eyes on, looming three limbs above me.
Licking my lips, I began advancing up the tree.
Sinking my claws into the tree trunk I ascended up its spine, in no time I was right by the apple, juice running down my mouth as I bit chunks out of it.
"Mmmmmmmm...sooo good. So so worth it" The juice from the Apple was sweeter than nectar, surely it was far sweeter than any drippings of syrup found in the Giant's garbage. There was something odd about the taste of the actual meat of the apple though. The flesh of the apple, though it was sweet tasted...beefy. It was chewy and gummy, like pork.
Eyebrows elevated in suspicion, I began poking at the apple, examining it. All the time I spent peering through the clearing eye at this tree, I never imagined that the fruit produced off of trees would taste so much like meat. I thought fruits were fruits, and meat was meat.
"Hmmm" I sprung one claw out of my middle finger, penetrating it through the soft, gushy substance of the apple. A thin line sliced through its crimson skin, the white, crispy inside of the Apple peeked out.
"It certainly doesn't look like meat. This is an apple after all" I reasoned, pulling my claw out and smacking it with my other hand. The surface of it was semi hard, like an Apple usually is. Opening my mouth wide I took another bite into it, the porky, gummy taste still reminiscent on my tongue.
"This is so strange..." I muttered under crunches, bending my head to look around the apple. Moving from the side I jumped down to the other branch, stepping back and taking the appearance of the apple in directly.
At least it looked how it was supposed to look. Spherically shaped with rounded edges, (well it would have been if it weren't for the gashes from the bites I took). A black stem that was still attached to the branch above it, coming down to its bottom there where narrowed channels that enveloped into itself. The color of it was red, as it should be. So how did it taste like a deliciously, slow roasted meat that just came out of the oven?
My eyes were plastered on it, baffled by this contradiction. I folded my arms facing it directly, perusing it from top to bottom. It stood there with multiple gnashes in it, still and unmoving. A strong steady breeze blew, the apple shifting slightly to the side. There was something that started coming from one of the gnashes of its side, so tiny and minute I had to step closer to it to inspect it.
There was a single drop of something red on one of the parts I had bitten out. A tiny droplet of something that settled on top. I figured it was juice and licked it off, but I discovered by the taste of it that it wasn't.
The droplet tasted metallic and rusty. Like...
"Blood" I spat it out instantly, taking my paws and scrubbing off my tongue.
More of it started to seep out of the apple, so much so that it started to ooze down the branch. It was dripping down its side now, the metallic, stank scent even worse.
Out of nowhere, I heard a sound. It was low. A hissing sound. I swerved my head looking to see where it was coming from and then suddenly, a blatant change manifested itself before me.
Two sets of eerie eyes pierced out of the apple, both glancing intently at me.
"Oh- drats!!" my heart jumped out of my chest, I stumbled back, nearly tripping and falling off of the limb, falling on my ass instead.
The eyes were pinned on me. Two black, serpentine slits dilated in a sea of yellow green, staring straight at me; I swallowed hard and clutched the tree, crawling back to get as far away from that damned apple as I could. As if that wasn't weird enough, something stranger progressed.
Thin, white pointy strings grew out on each side of the eyes, a pink tubby nose floating up between it. A pair of pink downturned lips came out, with two fangs of sharp, curved teeth projecting out of it. The apple's once red, crimson skin turned into pikes of orange fur, two ears jutting out from the top of it.
Soon enough I realized that I was no longer looking at an Apple. What I was seeing now was the face of a venomous, vicious cat. The foul creature squinted its gaze and hissed viperously at me; its eyes filled with murder.
I wanted to scream. Everything in me wanted to bawl out, but I couldn't. I'd open my mouth and try to, but nothing came out. My throat was as dry as a brick wall. No matter what, I couldn't do a thing. The head of the cat rocked from side to side on the branch, continuing to make threatening noises.
I had to get out of here. Off of this branch, away from this frightening- apple cat shaping whatever it was. Not understanding what was going on I sprung up on all fours, turning to run away from this nightmare, sprinting up the passage of the tree's limb.
Then, I bumped into something.
I didn't know what it was. After seeing that cat turn into what it did, I didn't want to know. All i knew was that there was something in front of me, and that it was dangerous.
Guttural Instinct strangled me, shouting at me to move. I couldn't. Every spec of material in my body knew that if I moved, this thing would blow me away, erasing my life from existence. Yet, still,
I found my neck gradually going up to see what it was. I wished that I hadn't.
A shadowy, gargantuan creature towered over me.
It was vast and massive. A frothingly darkened shroud of deep blackness. Nothing but pure night with a pair of sinister, red, glowing eyes.
The mysterious thing let out a high, blood curdling screech into the air. The fur on my skin prickled up like thorns.. All the air left my body as I stared up at it, my mouth opened in utter shock.
It was a strange, unsightly thing, a phantom..a demon. Unlike anything that I had ever seen before. Were these the creatures that Mother talked about?
Run!! Run!!! Get away from it, Run!
Commanding my body to move wasn't working, my feet stayed planked on this limb. I was frozen in fear, my body cruelly sentencing me to die.
The monster swerved its head in my direction, its menacing eyes singling me out with its focus,
"Noo please!!!" begging for my life the words finally came out like vomit, the creature cackled a demonic taunt under its breath and descended straight towards me. Shaking hands rose up for me to vainly shield myself, I shuddered as I witnessed its evil eyes drawing closer and closer to me.
"Burrow!!! Brother Burrow!!!"
A thin, screeching noise rang in my ears. There was an echo. A faint sound of something calling..
"Burrow!!Brother can ya hear me??Oh god what have I done..Brother!! Burrow please for the love of God wake up!!!!" I heard it again. Except It wasn't echoing this time. Somebody was saying something. It still all sounded like noise...
Inhaling, I blinked slowly, my eyes taking their time to open.
All I could see was a blurry image of a wooden pattern. It looked like horizontal lines of something brown, going up into one concentrated area. I didn't understand what I was looking at, so I continued to blink repeatedly.
"Burrow!! You're waking up!! oh thank goodness.." I was wondering who or what kept calling my name, my vision coming back slowly.
I was laying flat on my back, staring into the ceiling. I felt a cold thing pressing against my face, realizing it Cheesy's hand across my cheek. The back of my head was palpitating and swore. I tried moving my arms, but they ached terribly as I pivoted them. I couldn't quite feel my legs either.
Dammit. In gaining consciousness my body was becoming painfully aware.
"Burrow!!! Burrow answers me!! Can you speak??Oh my brother I thought you were dead." Cheesy and his double chin loomed over me, blocking my vision.
"Yes..yes I can speak. Just..hush for a minute" I rose my hand up to my eyes, tuning out the bright light. Rising up I got off my back, pushing myself up and falling back.
"Hey hey take it easy bro. Here, I'll help you" Cheesy held on to my back as I attempted to make my way up, leaning against him I sat up, my head still spinning.
Where was I now??Where had the dismembered cat head gone??Or that big black thing??? Maybe it was all just a terrible nightmare..that felt so real..
Looking around the room I tried to gather my thoughts, busting my brain to remember what happened.
"What- what happened Cheesy?" the words came out slowly. Cheesy gently stroke my back.
"Oh uhhh...my buddy. You slipped and fell a hard fall on your head. I er- tried to catch you but I didn't reach in time."
"Wha- what was I doing?" I wondered out loud.
" Ummm..you were in between the couch sides searching for chips!! Yeah. Yeah..you took a wrong step and fell off the couch, straight on your head. It was a good fall Burrow. I was worried about you. But you're a tough one you are Burrow! You certainly are..." Cheesy laughed nervously, amicably shaking my arm as I sat up.
Going in a couch??For chips??..... The couch??Me???...I sighed deeply, rubbing the back of my swollen head and trying to remember what had happened.
The couch? I don't remember going up there. Mother always told me to go up there and search in between the wedges, but I never did. It was too cumbersome. Plus, I hated chips. I wouldn't waste my energy toiling through narrow couch space for chips.
Something wasn't' making sense..