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Ascream lodged inmy throat. Terror and fear tumbled together inside me. Adrenaline pumped to every part me, making me illogical and unable to think clearly. My only thought came from my primitive instinct to run, but I knew that would be a mistake.
There was no way I could get back in the saddle quick enough to avoid its pace by pace advance on us. Even if I did, could Cody even outrun it? He was tired, and we were lost. Would we just end up in even more of a mess?
Through the leather reins, I could feel Cody’s trembles. He snorted again and ran back a few steps, the whites of his eyes showing his wild ancestral roots. Skidding through the dust as Cody dragged me back with him, I decided I had no choice. I would have to let him go without me.
I looked back, seeing the lion had covered quite a few feet whilst I’d been distracted with Cody. With its head lowered to the ground, taking each step with a definitive precision, I knew precious seconds were ticking by. More adrenaline poured through me at a mind spinning rate. Was this really how I was going to die?
I whimpered, tears pricking at my eyes. Cody was the only way out of here for me, but that would be risking the both of us. At least if I was here and he ran, he had a chance. He’d find his way back to the ranch and then he’d be my alarm—providing he went back to the ranch of course. There was every chance he’d end up even more lost, wandering through the desert on his own. But at least he’d be alive. If I caused Cody’s death, I don’t know what Brady would do. Tears fell as I refused to even contemplate that as an option.
Sheer desperation caused me to almost double over with hopelessness. What was I supposed to do? I had no way of contacting anyone. I was out here all alone.
A loud grunt broke my thoughts as Cody threw his entire weight into wrenching me backwards. I lost my balance and fell, still hanging on to his reins for all I was worth. I scrambled to my feet and took his bridle off without a second’s delay. The metal bit clunked against his teeth as he couldn’t even wait for me to take it off before he high tailed out of there, his galloping hooves echoing all around the silent setting.
I turned around to see the stealthy cat, the bringer of my certain death, was barely ten feet from me. I knew it was going to pounce any second. Raising my arms, I shouted at it, jumping up and down on the spot. It took a couple of steps back but kept its beady, hungry eyes on me.
As the sound of thundering hooves finally disappeared into the shadowed desert, I began to think I should be with them. What on earth had possessed me to do this? I reminded myself I had no other option. Cody wouldn’t have outrun it in the near dark. Blind fear never leads to anything good when you have a night time predator stalking you.
I started stepping to my right to circle back around the growling beast. Out the corner of my left eye, I spotted a tall tree a hundred yards or so away. If I could get up the tree, I could control its attacks better. It watched me, its eyes gleaming and following my every move.
I started walking backwards, step by step, very slow and precise. My hands squeezed Cody’s bridle, reassurance at something being a weapon of some sort. With every step I took back, it now took one forwards. Its animalistic snarl continued to unnerve me. After several steps, I made the mistake of turning to look for the tree. It couldn’t have been much more than thirty feet away.
I looked back to my Grim Reaper, but it was too late. The lion was leaping towards me, a beastly shriek coming from it as it launched itself through the air. I swung at it with the bridle. A definitive clunk sounded through the air as the bit connected with its hard skull. The lucky hit swerved its outstretched claws away from me. It sprawled out on the dust a few feet away, landing on its side with a thud. I ran towards the tree, making use of my few precious seconds. I looked up at the lowest branch, working out the best way to get to its ten-foot height.
A spine-chilling snarl snapped my attention back.
But it was too late. The creature had its target spot on.
Razor sharp claws dug into my arms, shredding my thin shirt and flesh. I hit the hard ground, my breath literally knocked from my body as sixty kilos of pure power and muscle pinned me down. I wriggled beneath it and just escaped its snapping jaws hitting its kill spot of my neck.
Ignoring the shattering agony from my arms, I reached up to its head. Whilst this served to only dig its claws further into me, I drove my fingers into one of its eyes. My other hand slapped at its head with frantic moves. Using me as a springboard, it jumped off me, retreating a few feet. Blood spilled out of my thighs from its back claws. Pools of my blood spread through the sand under my arms. I clambered to my feet and stumbled towards the tree.
With all the effort I could muster, I jumped up the rough bark, shimmying myself up it like a snake. I cried in pain every time the coarse wood scratched into my skin, drawing more blood from me.
I made a grab at the lowest branch and hauled myself onto it. Without a second to spare, I reached up for the next bough. Dangling between the two, my legs kicked out into the air in a furious wave as I tried to inch myself further up the big tree. Before I could curl myself up onto it, the lion sprang up with an impressive display of strength, reaching for my legs.
It sank its claws into my left calf muscle. A blood curdling scream left me as it hung there, snarling. Scrabbling with its back legs for the firmness of the tree trunk, stars began dancing across my eyes as it used my leg to support its body weight. I grabbed onto the branch with both hands, mustered all my remaining strength, and kicked it in the face with my free leg.
My heavy boot connected with the end of its snout. It loosened its grip and slid down my leg, shredding through my flesh like scissors through paper.
Streaks of lightning flashed through my vision. The agony was indescribable. Everything started spinning around me and I struggled not to pass out from the pain. I concentrated on my breathing, hoping it would help keep me conscious.
A deafening thud resounded through the peaceful desert as the beast fell to the floor. Without a seconds delay, I looked above me for the next branch. Blocking out the pain as much as I could, I climbed up to the next branch, putting another few feet between me and the damned animal. Despite me being on its dinner menu, I couldn’t help but feel some empathy for it. It was hungry and only acting on its animal instincts. A fleeting thought of cavemen and sabre tooth tigers sprang from somewhere. Before I knew it, I was laughing hysterically as I compared this situation to that.
Darkness had now covered everything completely like a black velvet glove. Aside from the bright gleaming whiteness from the moon, I had nothing. I glanced up at the full moon high in the sky. Werewolves popped into my mind and I stifled another giggle as I realised I was fighting the equivalent of a werewolf. I definitely wouldn’t be venturing out on a full moon again.
The streaming moonlight enabled me to see down the trunk. The lion was pacing around at the bottom, its tail twitching as it continued to growl and snarl at me. I clutched at Cody’s bridle once more, ready to swing at it if it attempted another leap up the tree. I noticed a dark puddle settling beneath its dinner plate sized paws. It was then I realised it was my blood streaming down my leg, dropping onto the sandy ground in thick rivulets.
I tried to calm my breathing. My chest was heaving, my breaths short and shallow. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it was going to jump from my chest. I ached, I hurt, I had nothing left to give. If it came back for more, I wasn’t sure how much longer I could fight with it.
I rested back against the solidity of the tree trunk. How long had I been fighting with this damn thing? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? A wave of tiredness hit me, tempting me to close my eyes but I didn’t dare. I glanced down to see it still there, striding back and forth, debating its options. Would it get bored and give up or would it continue to climb the tree until I gave myself up willingly?
We stared each other out for what seemed like an age. It stood up a few times, reaching its claws up the tree but it didn’t attempt to climb anymore. I hoped it had a sore nose and had learned its lesson. It wandered off after a while, swishing its tail. I breathed a sigh of relief but didn’t relax too much. I had no doubt it was still lingering around somewhere.
Part of me wanted to check my leg out but part of me wanted to ignore it. I knew it would be a mess. My arms hurt more than enough as well. I smirked. What a good holiday this had turned out to be.
My eyes began to close at one point, luring me into a promise of a pain free world. I attempted to fight off the tiredness, well aware if I gave in, it would be me done for. The more I thought about not sleeping, the more I wanted to. My eyelids kept drooping, and after a while, the droops turned into long blinks.
