The Hunted

Wren

"Don't move a muscle," Tarrion said.

How ironic. Tarrion not commiting suicide actually might save us from this thing.

It stalked forward, isn't beastly eyes staring us down. I tried not to whimper and failed miserably. "Are you sure?"

"Listen to him," Domi said. "It might just save our lives."

Unfortunately, the next thing the beast did was get ready to charge. "We'll have to fight," Gemma whispered.

I nodded, my teeth clenched.

Does anyone have anything planned for this part, or would it be OK if my character came in and helped kill the monster?

That would be a great idea!! You go right ahead!!

GEMMA

"We'll have to fight." I said through clenched teeth.

Domi looked terrified, "But how? It's not like we have weapons or anything."

"I have no idea." said Tarrion.

We were all going to die weren't we?

>Thanks!<

~Annie May~

I heard a familiar sound. It was the beast attacking again. But it didn't bother me too much because I thought I was the only one out here, or at least I was now. My friend was killed by the beast. Then I heard the thing shreik, and it didn't shreik if there wasn't someone to attack.

I rolled out of the tree I was napping in, grabbed the weapons I had, and ran in the direction I heard the shreik. I had been here for maybe two months, alone. It was a week in when my friend had been eaten. My clothes were torn and dirty, but that didn't bother me.

As I came upon the beast, I saw a rather large group of people. I slowed and squated, moving low behind the bushes. I knew myself alone couldn't take the beast, but if I distracted it, someone else could get it. I looked around me, looking for something to help me. I looked up at the nearly limbless tree next to me. I grabbed the trunk, and slid up highed, climbing on one of the limbs that was there. I noticed that some of them saw me, but I ignored their eyes, jumping down on the beast. I jabbed my knife under one of the bright purple scales. It shreiked again, flinging me off of it. I held onto my knife fermly.

I heard a growl coming from my lips, but who wouldn't growl after living a month with wild animals? I must've seemed like one of those animals to them. That didn't seem to matter. While the beast was distracted by me, one of the others snuck around it, jumping after it.

The thing squeeled, trying to throw them off, but he held on. I ran and jumped on as well, jabbing my knife into it again. This time, it took a coule throws to shake me off. I landed on my back with a gasp then a groan. I felt my wrist pop as I landed on it sideways. I felt the pain, but I didn't react. I simply continued to run after it.

TARRION

I don't think I had ever been happier to see a complete stranger in my whole life. I shrieked as high-pitched as I could manage, trying to grab the thing's attention. It twirled around, staring at me with those insane red eyes. Gemma tossed me a large branch that fell to the ground infront of me. I scooped it up quickly and smashed the side of the beast's head.

The girl plunged her daggar through its other eye. The girls were already at my side, clubbing the thing on the head with all they had. Finally it stopped lashing at us and fell to the ground. We jumped out of the way, sweating like hogs.

I stared at the girl for a moment before finding anything to say. "Thank you," was all I could manage.

Wren was eager to pipe up. "We've got a place for you to stay if you want!" she announced, though her voice was still trembling.

~Annie May~

They all seemed too happy to see me. But all too eager to give me a place to sleep. I shook my head. I had been doing just fine. The beast hadn't been out of its cave in a while, then strangers come, and he wakes up! And I thought I should be happy to see other humans like me. But they seemed to be the start of the trouble here.

I simply shook my head, turning to walk away. I started for the trees. I was better off alone. I could protect myself. At least that's what I thought.

TARRION

She darted for the trees. "She just saved our life, we owe it to her. I'll be right back," I muttered. "Stay here. Just incase." They nodded and I started after the girl.

"HEY!" I hollered. She didn't stop. I ran faster, hardly managing to catch up to her. It took all my self control to ignore my limp. Finally I got close enough to grab her shoulder. "You saved our lives back there, I can't just let you go off alone. Stay just one night at least and we can have a bit of a celebration. We've got food and a fire and music." Music...that reminded me of Saph. She was probably lurking about the house somewhere. "Please?" I gave her my best puppy-dog look. The one that seemed to be able to win over nearly everybody I came into contact to.

GEMMA

The beast had fallen, thank to the help of a stranger. We offered her a place to say and anything she could want, the only way we knew to repay her, if it was even possible. She refused and darted off back into the trees without so much as teling us her name.

"She just saved our life, we owe it to her. I'll be right back. Stay here, just incase." said Tarrion running after the girl.

I turned to Wren and Domi, "I don't know about you two but that didn't feel real. I mean it did feel real but it also felt so unreal." Oh boy, I was tired, my useless rantings were proof.

Wren laughed, "I can't believe it but I understood that. I felt it to. It was like a dream, but it was so real. I could see and feel everything but it just seems like something to unreal for it to have been true."

"Listen to us, we sound like lunatics. I think what we all need now is sleep, food maybe." said Domi.

Wren and I nodded and we set off to find Tarrion and the girl and get back to camp.

~Annie May~

I continued walking, even though someone hollered after me. They touched my shoulder and I turned to them. I didn't have the patients to deal with this right now.

"You saved our lives back there, I can't just let you go off alone. Stay just one night at least and we can have a bit of a celebration. We've got food and a fire and music." I relized I was being rude to them.I heard the approach of the others, then looked over his shoulder at them. I sighed, not wanting to say it.

"Fine." That was the least they could do for me saving their asses.

DOMINIQUE

We quickly caught up to tarrion and the stranger.
"OK, let's go." Tarrion beamed as he turned and started walking back to camp. We all followed right behind.
"Gees tarrion we just get over to you two and you take off." Gemma wren giggled. I wished she would tell him, maybe he felt that way about her. I hoped so, cause i definitely didn't feel that way about him, or any guy for that matter. I made up my mind, i would be as nice as i possibly could to tarrion, and Dimitri. But i couldn't help it if i was still to scared to get close to them.

I was very glad tarrion came down. I couldn't live knowing that it was my fault someone died. I wouldn't let Dimitri and tarrion be together for long periods of time, i could tell the other girls felt the same way. Dimitri might be 'Mr. wonderful', but he was also Mr. freaking terrifying! Sure he had done most of the had work, but that's because he hasn't had a chance to be mauled by wolves yet! My leg was killing me! When would it heal already? I looked over at tarrion. he was limping to. I felt so mean, i had been so caught up in my own self pity that i didn't even bother to notice when others got hurt.

I coulden't take it much longer. I was hated by everyone here. I tried to help, I tried to make things better for everyone. But I guess when you try to be perfect, just the opposite happens. I ran for hours, trying to clear my head. I was trying to make my self feel better. I..I was a terrible person. May be my father was right. May be I was ment to be just a beaten farm boy. I circled back into camp. No one was really around. I carved a note on the benches:

I guess that im not perfect, so I am sorry for trying to be. I won't be much of a problem anymore, I am going to the ocean and swiming until I drown. Signed Dimitri (Thunder) Svednsen

GEMMA

"So, uh, what's your name?" I asked the sranger girl.

"Annie May." she replied.

I smiled, "I'm Gemma, that's Dominique but you can call her Domi, that's Wren, and of course he is Tarrion."

"Ok, how far is camp?" She said. She really wasn't making it easy to be friendly was she?

"Um, it's just through those trees." I said pointing.

She grinned, "Do you know how long it has been since I have sat down to a dinner with other people, like humans?"

I laughed, "Oh god, I'm betting it has been quite a while."

"That would be a good bet," she said, "I actually think it's time for me to socialize a bit, it's the healthy thing to do. But just this once."

"Okay, we will make it worth your while." I promised.

~Annie May~

I smiled wryly. Did they really believe that I wanted to socialize with them? Or any human for that matter. But I kept my thoughts to myself. We finally entered the clearing again. I hadn't been here sense my friend was killed and I'd avoided it at all costs. I had enough with small talk. Maybe I could teach them some things about how to stay out of trouble so I didn't have to come in and save them again!

I sat down after they did, but it didn't feel comfortable. I sighed and laid my head back on the tree I was under. They all watched me, eyes on my face. I felt like a monkey in a laboratory. Finally, they dropped their gazes, and all began to do something. Much better.

Saphire
I was one mass of pain but I was alive. And that was good enough for me. I stared curiously at Annie May and guessed that she didn't like us very much and didn't want to socialize. She thought it was well hidden but I was reading her like an open book. She had lost one of her friends but to what I couldn't guess. I looked away ever so slightly embarrased I should stop before I got to in depth.