Page 73 of How Does It Feel?

The ghost of distant murmurs mumbled frantically around me.

The beast on foot was faster than I had thought and slammed its large wing into my side, knocking me to the ground in a muddy heap, and I nearly impaled myself on the stick I apparently still held.

I saw a flash of white teeth surrounded by black feathers.

I steeled myself quickly and moved under the beast’s giant wing. My hands shook with what I was about to do.

I gripped the bottom of his wing where it connected to his back and shoved it aside, stabbing my pointed branch in as far and as hard as I could.

Gasps echoed from the crowd.

The monster shrieked an agonizing scream, and I couldn’t help but feel horrible about what I’d just done. Unlike the bog, I didn’t think he was cruel, he was just doing what he knew.

The screams soon drew the attention of the second monster. I pulled the stick free from the tender spot where I’d stabbed the creature with a slick sound. I couldn’t risk not being able to find another stick that was strong enough.

I quickly ran to a nearby tree, but my body was quickly slowing with the loss of blood. I climbed the thick tree biting down on the bloodied stick. Thankfully I had climbed many trees at the park in an effort to see something better, and this tree had an exceptional supply of branches. Otherwise, I would have been too drained for the climb.

The second beast landed with a low rumble.

Fuck! He was much, much larger than the other.

He crouched down to look at his friend and let out a pained roar that shook the marrow in my bones.

What the hell was I doing? He was so big!

I couldn’t climb any higher to jump on his back like I had hoped.

If I was going to do it, I needed to do it now while he was crouched over, and I could still move.

I jumped from the tree but missed his back.

I fell to the ground with a groan.

I moved to get up as fast as I could, but my adrenaline was waning. I had lost so much blood.

I was too slow.

The monster stood in front of me. A large snarling roar erupted from its toothy mouth as bits of spittle flew out.

He was angry.

It slammed a wing into my head and knocked me to the ground.

I ruined my last chance, and I wouldn’t do it again.

I rolled under his widespread wings and clamored up the feathered body. Lifting the wing slightly, I found the same smooth patch under the other monster’s wing. I rammed my stick into its body with everything I had left.

The beast roared and twisted, sending me sliding against the ground at its side.

It grabbed me.

Its large claws dug painfully into my side as it hunched over, muscles slowly relaxing, and I rolled from its grip.

It gave one last squeeze and shriek before succumbing to the apparent deathblow and melted to the ground in a heap of lifeless feathers and horns.

I quickly pushed myself away from its grasp. The cool dirt below me collected under my nails as I pushed myself as far away as I could.

The ground shifted, bottoming out from below where I had sprawled. I fell backward as I struggled to keep consciousness.