I steeled myself, telling and making myself believe that I could tackle any obstacle just like I had all my life up to this point. Perhaps the events I was put through in the train of the damned and the few near-death experiences I've avoided thus far in this cursed forest fortified my thoughts, making me respond to these scenarios with a clearer mind.
Due to my current predicament, all my focus instictitavelt poured on whatever it was that lurked in the darkness. I hadn't noticed it at the moment, but my senses shut off the world around me. The blowing of the wind, and the rustle of leaves. All of it faded away, leaving only a heightened awareness focused on whatever it was that crept closer.
Then, I felt it, a presence pressing down on my mind. The feeling wasn't just a vague sense of unease nor a speculation of there being something beyond my sight. The presence was distinct and practically palpable against my senses. I couldn't see it due to it hiding in the darkness but I knew it was there.
Someway, somehow, I could feel the litteral presence of this creature as it slowly and stealthily moved around, circling me in the darkness. I remained still, my muscles stiff due to the tension clouding my head. I couldn't seem to think of anything else. Focus on anything else. What I was experiencing was a first for me.
Thus, I was immersed deeper into the feeling, and in the next moment, the faintest sound of breathing reached my ears, causing them to twitch slightly in response. A slow, measured exhale that felt like it was breathed out right beside me, deliberate and controlled as if the creature was trying to remain as hidden as possible. The sound was almost too quiet to be real, yet it was unmistakable, a subtle reminder that whatever creature was nearby was too close for comfort.
With that thought in mind, I was snapped out of my daze and brought back to the present, the creature's presence still lingering clearly in my mind. Panic shot through me and I instinctively took a step back before making a run for it in the opposite direction.
Whatever this creature was it couldn't have been a nice one if it was sneaking around so stealthily while making its way closer. The forest blurred around me as I ran, each step driven by an urge to escape and not be caught.
I didn't dare to look back, nor did I need to,
I could feel the creature's presence following strictly after me. So much so that, I could almost sense the creature's hungry gaze upon me, pushing me to run faster.
I looked around, making turn after turn in an attempt to lose the creature within the trees but to no avail. This was a wild beast, it could hear my footsteps, smell my scent, and track me every step of the way. It would catch up to me in no time. It was a miracle it had
Amidst my desperate flee, my foot got caught on an unseen protruding root. Caught by surprise, I went down hard, the ground, rough and unforgiving, slammed into me, and before I could regain my footing, my senses spiked. I quickly spun around and raised a hand to shield my face.
The four-legged beast lunged forward, its teeth clamping around my forearm. I didn't even have time to make out the details of my attacker, my mind immediately grew fogged by a sharp, searing pain. The bite wasn't as excruciating as I had imagined it would be. The pain was there, but it was somewhat lessened, almost as if my body was momentarily numbed by shock but no this was different. The pain was real, a piercing agony that sent waves of discomfort through me, yet not all the way there.
I didn't spare the matter more than a quick thought as, from the maw of a horrid fiend, my gaze took in the grotesque sight before me. A creature with a bloated and misshapen figure bit down on my arm with ravenous ferocity, its bloodshot eyes glaring at me with an unrelenting hunger.
The creature's body was covered in oozing sores and tangled fur, and its snout comprised of jagged, sharp teeth, dripped with saliva. The sight of it, combined with the sudden pain, made my blood run cold.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to push through the pain as I struggled to snap its jaws open. My focus shifted and I quickly jabbed a finger through the creature's eye, feeling a warm slimy feeling as a result. Almost instantly, it let out a pained squeal, finally setting me free.
I couldn't think anything through calmly or thoroughly, all my movements arose due to desperation and quick responses in response to danger, as if my brain was looking for the easy way out for me.
The creature took a few steps back, disoriented and dazed by pain as I scrambled to get to my feet. I didn't spend another second standing idly by and continued running.
Shortly after, I felt a sting on the back of my neck. I raised my hand and grazed the spot with my fingertips. I quickly realized that the malformed, oversized dog set its eye on me again.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance, feeling the ache in my head growing more intense.
I glanced down at my arm, I couldn't tell how bad the damage was beneath my sweater but I could feel warm liquid trickling down my arm, and even see blood trails staining my hand. I could curl my fingers and rotate my wrist, which was a good sign, one that proved I didn't suffer significant damage.
I continued to run, but I quickly found no reason behind it. I'm not an athletic person, not even close. The thought of me outpacing this demonic-looking wild beast wasn't a serious possibility in my head. I would eventually tire and begin to slow down before the creature itself did. If that point came, I would be too weak to put up a fight.
I need to figure out a way to either lose the thing, find a way to hold it and make an escape, or kill it completely. However, the more time I spend running the more strength I lose by the second. I need to make a move quickly.
Judging by the way that creature looks, I'd say it just escaped an entirely different battle. Patches of rough, bloodied skin were visible on different parts of its body almost as if it were decaying. The force it used to bite down on my arm wasn't enough to cause a serious injury. The beast is weak and now that I managed to take out one of its eyes, it is more at a disadvantage.
I don't have any sharp weapons or tools to attack and at the moment, I couldn't come up with any clever strategies. Based on our last clash, I am confident I can overpower it.
A head-on attack it is.
In front of me, in the distance, there was a small elevation in the land causing a wall of dirt and rock to block my path. In the middle of it, however, lay a large, dark opening to what looked like a cave.
I came to a stop right at the entrance, deciding it was now or never. I turned around and stood my ground. The vile presence of the beast tugged against my senses, nearing faster than I'd anticipated.
In the next moment, the beast came out of the many trees and bushes, not slowing down in the face of my resistance. If anything it accepted my challenge and sprinted forward with more ferocity. I didn't falter either and prepared myself mentally for what was about to come.
My eyes settled on the figure of the beast as it charged at me with murderous intent. For a second there I could have sworn that the world had slowed down, as if to witness this insignificant showdown. As insignificant as it might seem, it nonetheless was a battle that would sway the scales between life and death.
The beast's single eye shone with murderous thirst as it leaped off the ground, going up several feet in its ascent, and barreled straight at me. Its muzzle was wide open, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
I took a step back and thrust my hand up, changing the trajectory of where its jaw was going to snap on my face. The creature's, heavy body still landed on me, causing me to fall to the ground. My thin clothing proved to offer no protection as its sharp claws scrapped against my shoulders, tearing through my clothing like paper.
Pain flared up but before I could register it fully, my body moved on its own, driven by pure instinct. In a split second, my hands moved, one pushing back against the rough mane of the beast, the other pressing against its head, holding the hound back before its teeth could sink into my skin.
Wow…
I glanced at my hands warily, surprising myself when I came to realize that their movement wasn't a conscious decision I chose to make. My body simply knew what to do, acting faster than my mind could form a thought.
I felt the pressure of its snarl against my palms, the weight of its animalistic body pressing down on me, but somehow, my reflexes had bought me a moment to hold the creature at bay.
I used that moment to my advantage, tucked in my knee, and pushed out. The creature's body fell to the side as a result. I wasted no time and positioned myself atop its form, using all my strength mixed with weight to push down onto its neck with my forearms. My teeth gritted as I fought to keep its snapping jaws at bay.
Now, our roles had reversed.
Die, you demented dog.
The beast struggled against me and uselessly tried to bite at my arm but its head couldn't tilt at a sharp angle due to the inconvenient position it was in.
At that moment, I was so focused on bringing the beast to its death that unbeknownst to me one of its front legs escaped my hold and came crashing into my forehead. Its sharp claws dug themselves deep into my head. Unfortunately, the events that unfolded were out of my control so I too ended up in an inconvenient position, too low for comfort.
I let out a stifled groan but managed to keep my arms firmly pressed upon its neck.
What I didn't expect was that the beast's claws became stuck to me. With one jerk of its lanky leg, my head moved, guided by the pain, and almost landed straight into its jaws. Before that happened, I let go of the beast and pulled myself back, aiming to get away from its menacing teeth.
With an animalistic instinct, the beast thrust its head forward and closed its maw right at the base of my neck. It twisted its head from side to side, aiming to bite off a chunk of me but wasn't able to.
Instead, I was rocked to one side and slammed on the floor, overpowered by the creature who quickly took advantage of the situation and put itself atop me again. One of its claws was still dug into my forehead, and the other was now starting to pierce my shoulder, while its teeth had a firm hold around my neck.
Still, I didn't linger. Before its teeth could sink any deeper into my body, I stabbed my thumb into its single remaining eye, making sure to twirl my thumb around to cause it more pain. The beast convulsed, letting out a shriek of agony, and lessened its hold. I used that opportunity to push the beast to the side, tossing it onto the ground beside me and regaining my position at the top.
Up until that moment, I hadn't noticed how close we had gotten to the entrance of the cave that lay within the looming wall. It was the least of my worries, after all, but no longer. The beast's fur slid easily against the curved edge of the soil that led down onto the cave. I felt my body tilting, losing balance, as I fell into the downward tunnel with the beast in tow.