1.2 Dark and Cold: Dicing with death

Sitting underneath a tree with my right arm wrapped around my knee, I stared out at the distant city lights as I was still sitting in the dark. The rain hadn’t let up and my sticks and leaves are wet, meaning I had to return to the forest once more to gather materials all over again.

It’s cold, I looked at the darkening clouds blocking the setting sun, dark and cold.

When the rain was finally over, I headed back into the forest.

“Dry leaves… dry leaves…” I whispered to myself as I was searching for them on dry spots beneath bigger trees.

“Grrrrrh.”

I heard a growling noise as soon as I crouched down to pick the leaves up. My hearing is perfectly fine, but catching the direction sounds come from is not particularly my strongest trait.

Very carefully, to not make any sound, I looked over my right shoulder; nothing there. With teensy steps, I continued rotating, looking behind me, but still not seeing anything. Which could only mean—

—“GRAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

A monster from the wolf family was baring its teeth, towering high over my head as it jumped at me before I had any time to react. With my heartbeat pulsating all the way up in my throat, I felt time slowing down, as if my life’s final seconds had begun ticking away.

I tried to retreat, but panicked, slipped on the wet surface and fell on my back. As a last resort to protect myself, I crossed my arms in front of my face. I felt a heavy weight being lifted off my back as I saw two purple flashes fly past my face.

I saw it clearly. Translucent purple blades, somehow aerially mimicking my crossed arms, protecting me from the monster’s biting attempt.

I got up and ran off, the two blades floating on either side of my arms.

I shot a glance over my shoulder. The monster, closing the distance, let out another growl. I turned around, the blades spiralled around as well, facing the monster.

I swung my right arm in front of my face, the blade flew along as a safe guard. With my left hand, I churned the blade up, delivering an upper-cut blow with the flat side to its chin.

It worked!

After a single hit, the monster retreated.

Or so I thought, until I heard it howl. I turned left, right and behind me as well. With a single howl, a pack of its kind surrounded me.

If I run, they’ll surely catch up to me in no time. I could try to fight them one on one, but this isn’t a theatre play; the others won’t be idling until it’s their turn to act.

What do I do… what do I do…

As all were growling, the one from before took the initiative to run up to me.

Am I dicing with death, or is this my most clever plan yet…?

I took off towards the charging monster, screaming at the top of my lungs. Jumping– or rather hopping, a tiny bit above the ground and simultaneously throwing my right arm high into the air. The first step.

With my eyes closed, praying for the best, I stretched my left arm out, then tightly clenched my palm as I pulled my arm back in. The second step. I jumped up again, right in front of the monster, I ducked as I landed with a big slam of my right hand.

Upon hearing my blade slice through the dirt, I peeked with one eye. The monster’s paw successfully pierced into the ground. As a loud creaking of a tree silenced the entire pack, my left blade returned to me, right as the large tree trunk smashed open the monster’s skull: the final step.

One down…

I turned around, all its treacherous friends had fled the scene, giving me the opportunity to continue gathering everything.

I headed out of the forest after taking one last glance at the corpse from afar. With the stones I had gathered, I formed a circle. Somewhere along the process of making a fire, I started humming. “Hm-hm-hmm na-na-na na, everyone gather real close… tun-ta-ta-ta-tunn-tun dum…”
How did that song go again?