~The Rotten Branch~

Chapter 05: The Creature

~Naoko~

  "What was that?" Amaya whispered, her voice trembling.

  Before anyone could respond, the creature let out a low growl, its eyes narrowing as it crept closer.

  Without hesitation, Kyanite stepped forward, brandishing her knife with a steady hand.

  "Stay back," she warned, her voice firm with determination.

  The creature hesitated, sensing the threat in Kyanite's stance. For a moment, it seemed to weigh its options before retreating back into the darkness.

  We stood there in silence, the tension thick in the air as we processed what had just happened.

  "I...I think we should st..st..start he..heading back now" Jacan mumbled with fear in his voice.

  "Yeah, I agree what if there's something else that comes? It's better to head back," I said.

  "Yeah, but let's call Gloria and Cam too." Amaya said.

  I know I don't generally like them, but I was very scared about their safety. What if some animal came up to them? They don't have a knife with them like Kyanite does.

  Amaya started running again. She does cross country and track and field, and she is practically Usain Bolt. But how does she expect us to be too? There is nothing I hate more in this world than running. I'm last in the line to catch up.

  The light of outside comes to us. My lungs ache; my legs ache; everything aches. I truly am more of an intelligence type, than an athlete. I stumble down to the ground, from the sheer weariness that had begun to consume me.

  "Naoko!" Amaya cries out first. She catches me, and the others turn around, and ask a few "are you okay"s.

  I grin sheepishly, and nod. "Maybe we should go back to camp."

  "No kidding!" Jacan exclaims; his eyes are wide from terror at the... creature we had all seen.

  We quickly begin to exit. That had not been a good idea. I desperately wanted to get back to my tent, and just sleep. I am pretty sure everyone else here feels the same way.

  Our footsteps pad off. Amaya helps me walk, as I am still weary from our run. That creature, what was it? How does something survive down there?

  When water remains unmoving), bacteria flourishes in it. That could mean possible brain-eating parasites, just living in the seemingly harmless water we had seen. If that animal had drank it, well, that would explain a lot.

  "Wait!" Kyanite says, which makes us all stop our hurry away from the cave.

  That sight of the animal's hollow eyes remain in my mind. As I glance at Kyanite, I see her as it for a moment. A dangerous being, hidden as one of our friends. One that could easily hunt us down, as its prey.

  'Don't be ridiculous, Naoko,' I take a deep breath, and think to myself.

  "What?" Ri'me basically snaps, which is out of her playful atmosphere.

  Kyanite is shocked, as is the rest of us, at her sudden change in demeanor. After a few moments, she speaks up, "We can't leave Cam and Gloria..."

  A cry rings through the forest. We all grow tense. Amaya shoots me a small sorry, and quickly dashes off. The rest of us do, which forces me to hobble on after them.

  My heart races, not only from running, but from what may have happened and worries for my friends. "Gloria? Cameron?—"

  We all stop. A coyote, with the same hollow eyes from the creature in the cave, lays dead outside the mouth of the cave. Its killer stands above it. Cameron. Behind him, a terrified Gloria clutches onto a stick.

  Blood pools out of its rotten head. The murder weapon, a broken-off stalactite, is stabbed right in the thing's temple. The coyote's mouth is opened in its last cry; foam pouring over its mouth.

  "What happened?" I gasp; my breath catches in my throat.

  Gloria lifts her scared eyes to me, "It... attacked us."

  Cameron shrugs it off. "I killed it. No need to worry."

  No one says a word, and just accepts what had happened. Again, we begin to move back to camp. All is eerily quiet. I don't like this.

  Everyone keeps glancing back at one another. We all check one another silently to see if one another is okay. I cling onto Amaya's hand, as if she alone will save me from any horrible fate.

What a fun camping trip.

  "Cam," Gloria's now-light and airy voice washes over the silent forest, "Is this a bite?"

  He shakes his head. "No. I got scratched."

  I turn, as does everyone else, to Cameron. A small scratch lingers on his arm, along with blood from the coyote. I see my fears rising up to me, but I push it down. Cam would never lie over a bite. He is not able to put anyone in danger, and that includes himself.

  Also, Cam just cannot lie. He isn't built to do so. In his steady nature, he was never programmed to utter a single lie. Yet, as we go silent again, this towering forest watches us through its enraged eyes.