Chapter 7: 7 – Bump in the Night

Tess looked at the box and frowned. “You couldn’t give me any other information? West is a lot of ground to cover.”

Well now you’re just trying to needle me for more info. You and I both know you’re a survival expert. If I say there’s civilization to the West, we both know you can get there.

 

“Fair enough I guess,” Tess said. “I’m assuming the sun rises in the East still?”

Okay, fine. A bit more information. The sun here rises in the West.

“Good to know.”

Now, go get ‘em champ!

Tess looked down at her shadow and pulled out a stick. She stabbed it near her foot and grabbed a small rock, marking the stick’s shadow. Then, the woman stood and waited. After some time, Tess marked the stick’s shadow again.

“West is the same direction as the river flow,” Tess said. “Lucky me.”

The woman packed up her food, put out the fire, and started her journey downriver.

The next few days were monotonous. Tess walked along the riverside, making sure to stay on the largest stream if the river split. She foraged for food, ate some crawfish jerky if she had to, and made sure to keep hydrated. She stayed out of animals’ way fairly easily with her improved hearing.

For anything large, Tess just backed off and went around.

At some point, Tess started to hum to herself as she walked. Mostly to pass the time, but it did help keep her mind off things.

The direct need to survive kept most of Tess’s thoughts straight, but every once in a while, when the woman least expected it, Tess found herself thinking of Earth.

Humming stopped that and let her stay focused.

She could break down when things were safe. And things right now were not safe.

After about a week of travel, Tess heard the soft patter of stalking footsteps.

The creature had started a couple of days back, but it was only now that Tess realized the soft footfalls were coming from the same animal.

It always stayed just out of Tess’s vision, leaving her nerves standing on end. At least it hadn’t attacked yet, meaning that Tess might have a chance to leave its territory before it decided she was a threat.

That was unfortunately not the case. Once Tess noticed it, the animal started prowling. When Tess tucked in for the night, the animal would creep forward, and only Tess’s super hearing would alert her. Each time, she would grasp her makeshift spear and her knife, brandishing them at the darkness.

The animal backed off, but only for a short while.

The next few days melded into a blur as Tess went on autopilot. Everything nonessential to her survival was shunted to the side for her to pick through later. Boxes appeared during this time, but Tess ignored them. She slept on pins, waking at the slightest sounds and reacting to any movement. The creature never attacked, content to let Tess exhaust herself until she couldn’t act.

Tess knew it as well, but had no way to hunt the thing. She tried the first day she noticed, but the animal was better at camouflage.

On the fourth day, Tess decided to gamble. She hadn’t wanted to. Any injury could give her some new disease or parasite, making her journey that much harder.

Tess wished the animal wasn’t so persistent. She was perfectly content to let wildlife be. However, this creature would not be dissuaded. For some reason, it wanted Tess.

With no choice, Tess went to sleep that night with a heavy heart. The insects’ buzzing felt louder than usual that night as the woman set up camp, as if the world could foretell a fight. Tess brushed it off as nerves, but kept a spear in hand as she went to sleep.

She awoke to the soft footfalls of the stalking predator. This time, Tess stayed on the ground, fighting against her instinct to stand and yell. The creature crept closer, the animal’s footsteps louder than Tess’s thundering heart.

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It was a slow wait, the animal content to move inches at a time. Tess kept her breathing steady and her hand on a spear, waiting until it came close enough. Finally, when the creature had crept close enough, she moved. Tess rolled in place and swung out with her spear, scattering her makeshift shelter.

She felt the wooden weapon smack the animal’s hide, but it didn’t pierce. Tess jumped up, her weapons in hand as she finally got a good look at the creature.

A dark cat stood in front of Tess, the twin moonlight above shining atop the anima’s glossy black fur. A twist of black tails whipped around the animal, at least three by Tess’s count.

The creature gave a low growl.

Tess growled back, unintimidated. She’d fought worse animals before.

The two squared off, each opponent observing the other. Tess could see the animal looked well fed under the moonlight, which made her question why it would attack.

The three tails moved through the air with an audible whoosh, signaling Tess that the tails could pack a punch.

The animal in turn looked at the small woman in front of it. Its eyes took in her spear, her tough clothes, her short hair, and her determined but tired expression. It also spotted the knife strapped to her belt.

That made the animal’s growl worse.

Suddenly, the animal dashed forward, claws extended and jaws wide. It made for Tess’s left side. The woman brandished her spear, stabbing toward the creature as it came.

And just as suddenly, the animal was gone from Tess’s vision.

Something struck Tess from the right. She grunted in pain, turning to see the creature now on her right. Blood trickled off her arm, the animal’s claws having dug deep. The creature slashed again, but Tess was quick enough to duck under the blow. She stabbed out again, only to find the animal had once more vanished.

This time, Tess dove to the ground, somersaulting away to minimize her surface area. The wound on her arm stinged and spasmed as she stood.

“Fuck!” Tess cursed. Her arm unclenched from the spear, leaving her with only one hand to hold the spear.

The dark creature snarled and leaped. Tess grunted and turned, swiping with her spear.

When the animal vanished once more, Tess stepped back and thought of her equipped skill.

Stoneskin

Tess felt something flow from inside her, draining from a core somewhere near her brain and into her skin. The panther-like animal reappeared, claws at the ready. Tess prayed and brought her injured arm up.

There was the sound of nails on a chalkboard and an uncomfortable scraping, but Tess had successfully blocked the strike. She retaliated with a stab from her spear, nicking the animal as it jumped back.

Tess took a breath. She had a minute of this.

The animal stared, confused.

Tess took the opening, throwing her spear and pulling her knife free from her belt. The wooden weapon wobbled in the air from the throw, but it was enough to make the animal blink away. Tess kept running, turning once she saw the creature reappear.

She reached the animal just as it turned to face her. Tess slashed, her knife carving through the animal’s eye. Blood, dark as wine in the night, sprayed from the creature as it howled in pain.

It blinked back again, giving Tess enough space for her to retreat to her camp. The woman grabbed more of her makeshift spears, holding them with her wounded side.

She stowed her knife and brandished the spears.

“Come on!” she shouted.

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