“Okay," Laurie and I replied together.
With that, he took off, forcing his way through the resisting vegetation as he dove into the forest at speed.
Roots and fallen branches littered the forest floor. While they’d been a nuisance when we were walking, when running they were just plain dangerous and my boots kept catching in them, threatening to trip me. Vines and leaves slapped my face and tugged my hair as we pushed on and I didn't have the energy to keep knocking them aside.
The dim light didn't help either and within moments my fear had turned into aggravation. I concentrated on Coal in front of me and Laurie's deep breaths behind.
Ten minutes passed and all I could feel were my lungs and legs burning in protest. My feet were so numb that I only noticed the ground when I started falling towards it. I stumbled again and again but somehow didn't actually hit the dirt.
The same snarling that I'd heard from the night before cut the air somewhere behind us.
“Is that what we're running from?" I gasped between breaths, pressing a hand to my side to try and sooth a stitch that was screaming at me to stop.
“Yes," Coal replied, throwing a concerned look up into the trees.
"It didn't sound too close," I managed.
"Let's just hope they're all together then," Coal growled. I noticed that he didn't say whether or not that was very likely but he pushed forward harder, increasing his speed again.
“How - many?" Laurie panted.
“Twenty. If we're lucky," he said.
“What are they?" I gasped.
Another screech cut the air, much closer this time. My heart leapt and adrenaline slid through my veins to urge me on.
“Cougars," he said simply, like I should have known.
Somewhere off to our left two creatures started fighting with each other. The sound of snapping jaws and aggressive snarls reached me and I tried not to visualise the size of the teeth that could make a sound like that.
We gave up any attempt at talking and just ran, fast. A vine whipped my cheek hard enough to draw blood and I scrubbed a hand across the wound, just glad that it missed my eye.
The last of the daylight slid from the world as we raced on and we were shrouded in darkness. Moonlight hung in silvery patches between the trees wherever it could find a big enough gap in the canopy and I used it to navigate my way over the unfamiliar terrain.
A shriek went up that sounded like it was directly above us and I couldn't help but look to see what it was. A huge, hulking shape was moving swiftly through the treetops. I caught a glimpse of golden fur as it jumped from branch to branch and I had to fight against the scream which lodged in my throat.
Excited shrieks and growls broke out around us in a chorus as the pack closed in and I spotted more shadows moving in the branches, easily outstripping our pace.
The sounds were like many voices of a single being and I had no doubt that they were all in eager anticipation of an easy meal. One portion of Maya ass to go with a side of leg. No fucking thank you. I did not want to end up as a snack for some monster.
“Don't stop, we're nearly there!" Coal shouted above the excited noises of the creatures which hunted us.
The branches creaked in protest as the animals bounced back and forth amongs
t them. The sounds of claws ripping into the wood as they took off again put my teeth on edge.
We pushed even harder. Sweat beaded my forehead and my legs felt like jelly beneath me. Adrenalin was the only thing that was forcing my limbs to move but I refused to stop. Coal had to have somewhere in mind. Somewhere safe. We could make it. I had to believe we could make it.
Coal was pulling away from us with his longer legs and knowledge of the forest to help him. I huffed air into my screaming lungs, trying desperately to match his pace. He looked left and right again and again as though he expected an attack at any moment. I couldn't help but follow suit, searching the deep darkness that surrounded us for a sign of the monsters who were hunting us.
A large patch of moonlight gave me a glimpse of more golden fur and a powerful body that sprang in and out of sight in a flash of deadly movement. I was left with an impression of a creature built similarly to Kaloo and yet very different at the same time. It was a big fucker, big enough to take me out and eat me up in a few bites.
A tree root snatched my foot from beneath me and I fell with a cry of alarm, colliding with Coal and taking him out too. We tumbled across the ground and I scrambled aside as Coal leapt up. Laurie kept her feet and unholstered a pistol in one smooth motion as a creature leapt from a branch above us and launched itself straight at Coal.
Its huge front legs reached forwards, massive paws lined with razor sharp claws that were rounded like fish hooks aimed for Coal's chest. Its face was contorted in a snarl, revealing huge canines and a massive mouth, big enough to rip a man's head off in one bite.
The deafening boom of Laurie's pistol sounded, echoing through the forest. The animal was thrown aside by the bullet as blood flew. A thin line of smoke trailed from the gun barrel as Laurie aimed the weapon again, ready to take out any others that made a charge at us.