"Cougars," he said simply, like I should have known.
Somewhere off to our left I heard two creatures fighting with each other. The sound of snapping jaws reached me and I tried not to visualise the size of the teeth that could make a sound like that.
We stopped any attempt at talking and just ran, fast. A vine whipped my cheek hard enough to draw blood. I was just glad that it missed my eye. The last of the daylight disappeared 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.
Excited squealing and growling broke out around us and I saw 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.
"Don't stop, we're nearly t
here!" Coal shouted above the agitated noises of the creatures surrounding us.
The branches creaked in protest as the animals bounced back and forth amongst 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.
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 on strong back legs. I was left with an impression of a creature built similarly to Kaloo and yet very different at the same time.
A tree root snatched my foot from beneath me and I was flung forwards. I collided with Coal. We were both sent sprawling onto the ground and I tumbled aside as Coal tried to right himself as quickly as possible. 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 firing sounded. The animal was thrown aside by the bullet. 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.
A howl of pure rage went up from the rest of the hunting pack who had filled the trees and empty spaces all around us. The darkness was alive with the sounds of the huge creatures.
Coal was back on his feet and I jumped up too, drawing the shotgun from my back and pumping a round into place. Movement on my right caught my attention and I swung the gun up, pulled the trigger and sent another creature flying back away from us with a bang. I'd forgotten the recoil in my panic and the gun slammed into my stomach, winding me.
I coughed, trying to stop the spasms in my abdomen as I pointed the gun at a rustling bush in front of us. I took a shuddering breath and tensed my muscles, ready for the kick this time as I pulled the trigger again.
A screech confirmed I'd hit my target and the leaves on the front of the bush fell apart like a pile of green confetti. A sharp, bitter smell from the shredded foliage reached my nose.
We were surrounded. Shapes moved fluidly in the shadows, bigger than a man though they moved around on four strong legs. I caught glimpses of huge white teeth highlighted by the light of the moon.
Constant flashes of gold or tan marked out the creatures' glossy coats amongst the darkened woodland. The snarling faces of the animals were dominated by their mouths. They had small, beady eyes that darted back and forth as quickly as they jumped in and out of sight, and round ears that nestled down on top of their heads.
I pumped another round into place, and put my left hand on the hilt of a knife.
"We need to get through there." Coal pointed ahead where the forest was thick with movement.
"How?" Laurie asked, frowning. She had a pistol in each hand now.
He didn't reply but pulled an assault rifle from his back and took a step in the direction he had indicated. The creatures seemed to understand the threat and began to surge forward from every direction all at once.
We moved together, put our backs to each other and opened fire. The creatures jumped, pounced and twisted, trying to get close to us and managing to avoid an annoying amount of our limited ammunition.
Again and again the sound of gunshots rang out. My arms ached from the impact of the recoil. I pumped my final bullet into place. A movement from the corner of my eye made me look up in time to see another beast leap from a bough high above our heads. I pushed backwards as I raised my gun, making the others move aside in the same second that I pulled the trigger.
My bullet hit the target but the body was still falling straight towards me and I didn't have time to get out of the way. I collapsed under the weight and was pressed into the moss-covered ground. I could barley summon enough energy to stop its weight from suffocating me. I was trapped.
A huge set of jaws surged towards my face as I tried to claw my way free. I could do nothing apart from close my eyes and hope it would be quick.
A gunshot sounded off so close to my head that I heard my left ear pop then nothing but a loud ringing. Coal was standing above me, he raised a foot and kicked the heavy creature off of me just far enough that I could escape.