I'm going down the cave, but something's off. Vastly off. I can't tell what, but... something's not right. Actually, my intuition tells me I haven't noticed several things. Is my body fine? I feel myself up and down, and only now do I realize I'm stark naked. Not that anyone could see me in the darkness, or that theres anyone nearby. Rather, a bit of protection from the cold as well as from my surroundings. I'm wondering how I'll even introduce myself to civilization, but realize that's the least of my worries. I don't even know for sure this is the earth. The system said I was connected to the earth, but I knew better than to blindly trust it. Well, I'm SOMEWHERE, so I might as well assume this is my planet. That works. I'm nodding to myself and start humming to drive away the oppressive silence, when I stop. Do I... hear something? Stop walking and listen. Nothing. Just my heartb - dimwit. I smile. I grin. I burst out in laughter. The kind I couldn't indulge in before, due to my "condition".
"HAHAHA!!!"
I yell triumphantly. My heart races - at 17 bpm! Sure, that translates into 170 bpm, which is STILL under the average when exercising, but that's the kind of pressure that would cause my hand to blow right off again! Speaking of which...
THUMP
I realize that my right hand is back. I didn't even think of checking, because the "In-Between" had mirrored my consciousness, displaying me entirely, hand and all. I realize this probably means that I hadn't come to terms with the truth yet, resulting in my mental image of myself being very much 2 handed. But if it means I get my hand back - I'll take it! Still giggling to myself, I continue down. And then I pause again. Now I DEFINETLY heard something. But... what? Straining my ears, I nearly piss myself at the sound of my heartbeat. I try to ignore my absurdly high heart beat rate, and try to focus on the area around me. The walls have begun moving wider and wider away from each other, and now I was in, for all intents and purposes, a room. And then, I hear... MOVEMENT!
SCREEEECH and an Unidentifiable Screeching Object misses me narrowly. I breathe heavily, my heart going dangerously fast. Just because my heart rate is higher and I'm fine, doesn't mean I should overstep my boundaries. The creature launches itself at me, but it's noisy enough for me to predict. I try to keep track of it's location, but this game of cat and mouse is tiring me out. I can only evade for so long. So, I decide to prepare a counterattack. First I need to know the timing. The creature pounces again, screeching wildly, and I sidestep again, using the audio cues it so generously prepared for me to dodge.
THUD
It lands, and this time, I count.
1 second
2 seconds
3 seconds
4 secon -
SCREEEEECH!!!!
It pounces, and I can estimate the average time it takes to prepare another attack. It's making use of it's superior senses, but it's bound to be exposed right after attacking. I decide to try and get the average time it needs to prepare the next assault, but stop after the 4 try, seeing as it is also learning and has successfuly grazed my arm. I can now confidently say it requires about 4 seconds of prep, before being able to launch a new attack. I can even make use of it grazing me. I can tell it has warm, smooth fur, and is rather heavy. Considering the screeching and ambush attack too, it's likely a mid-size ambush ca -1 second-rnivore. Who would've thought. Combine it with the sandstone, cave habitat, and I get... -2 seconds, 3.5 seconds - an otter? That -4 seconds- I dodge again, having kept track of the time was massively useful. Back on track: -1 second- An otter, near a sandstone cave? -2 seconds, 3 seconds- Possible, seeing as sandstone caves only form through outside intervention. Maybe a nearby river formed these caves? -4 seconds- I dodge again, but the fiend has now successfuly bitten firmly into my arm. I yell out in pain, grunting
"FUCK!"
I was bloody careless! Dimwit, I reprimand myself. Now isn't the time for "What animal is fucking me up? The Quiz!"! But then i have an epiphany. The answer is so simple. Instead of dislodging the feral asshole from my arm, I charge into what I assume to be the area where the wall is, stretching out the area where I'm being bitten, so that it's in front of me. The creatures teeth are still in me, and I'm sure that I will have a nasty infection to show, but I can't afford to dislodge it. I run, picking up momentum. The creature is wildly kicking, attempting to dig its fangs even deeper into me, but that just benefits my idea. I'm horribly out of shape, due to not having been able to exercise previously, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins is more than enough for me. Finally, I feel impact.
CRUNCH
but I pay the nasty sounds no heed, instead slamming my arm into the wall again and again. The teeth that are sunk into my arm also move around, but I do my best to ignore the pain.
Now, I carefuly dislodge the creature from my arm. It doesn't react, and either way, nothing could survive that bashing in the first place. With the threat out of the way, I continue going deeper. Of course, I bring the corpse with me. Food is important, and when I'm out in the open i can estimate my location based on the creature. It's a rather uneventful walk up, but after what I estimate to be 3 hours, I see a crack, with light pouring in through it. I run towards it, mindful not to slip. I'm overjoyed, and probably look akin to an overjoyed pup seeing it's owner, but the dark is getting to me. Arriving at it, I see it's smaller than expected. The location could also be better. How am I even supposed to get to the ceiling? I look around myself. The area I'm in is scarcely lit, but it is still leagues better than the previous absolute darkness. There are a few rocks lying around, so I drag them together to form a mound.
Now that I have something that halfway comes close to nearly looking like an approximation of what resembles a stepping stool, I reach the crack. And for the first time in what feels like forever, but is actually a day, I step out with the lifeless corpse of what i can now identify as an otter.
I breathe in the fresh air, and decide to scream.