The creatures were so hard to distinguish in the pitch-black night. It looked like a nightmare, since when did creatures hunt in groups?
I ran down the shack seeing the group ready for the invasion, putting on clothes fit for combat and readying up for fighting.
"Are you really going to fight the creatures?" I exclaimed, there's no way anyone can beat so many of them.
Klein walked up to me, squatting down and put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"We're going to be fine, you worry about yourself kid." And without saying anything else, they walked outside.
I stepped outside with them holding my dagger with my only arm, the creatures already so close now. The group took a battle formation and charged into the creatures.
What followed was just pure bloodshed. Each of the members had unnatural strength, it was like they were monsters themselves. They bathed the ground with the creature's blood, having most creatures fall into their pre-made traps like pits with sharpened wooden stakes sticking from the ground.
The sight was gruesome, but something didn't add up. There was an unsettling feeling in me that the fight wasn't over yet.
It seems that none of the other members have noticed anything strange. Maybe I was wrong... but my instincts screamed that something wasn't right.
I looked around in desperation, what was it? Why did I feel like this? I don't understand, this just doesn't make sense. Why were the creatures so weak? And why were there so many of them... I feel like I'm running around in circles.
A sudden hand was placed on my shoulder from behind me, making me jump. And in a quiet voice, he said, "You feel it too, don't you?"
I looked back and it was Ryan, the guy who hadn't spoken a word to me before. What was this sweet smell... wait what was he talking about? What was I thinking about... did I forget something important?
Maybe it doesn't matter, we beat the creatures, right? There's nothing to worry about.
A strange man with green hair put a cloth over my nose, pinning me down to the ground. Is he trying to kill me? Who is he even, I've never seen him before.
I started to thrash on the ground, trying to get him off of me, but in a calm voice, he spoke, "Don't resist, just breathe."
I stopped fighting him slowly, breathing in through the cloth, my mind felt foggy... I recognized the green-haired guy again.
"Breathe through the cloth, it almost got you. You've got some good mental resistance to be able to resist the spores for so long." He spoke, it seemed he knew something.
"What do you mean... what's happening?" I replied slowly getting up from the ground.
"I'll explain everything later, but first, we need to get out of here, keep the cloth over your nose. We need to find a river fast."
He started leading me away. Looking back, there was an uncomfortable emptiness between the trees, it was like there was something big in between them that my eyes weren't able to see. The other runaways are weirdly oblivious to us, like they have forgotten us. It seems like they aren't even able to perceive us.
...
We got to a river, loud rushing water kept hitting against the river rocks and branches. The sun slowly rose up, a light mist enveloping the area.
Ryan started to take his clothes off looking at me. He opened his mouth "Take off your clothes too."
I looked at him weirded out. "I uh... I'm not taking my clothes off."
He sighed, speaking again " I don't mean it in that way, it's important. The spores are still on your clothes. We have to wash them off."
I grimaced as the chilling wind touched my skin, pulling off my cloak and shirt, undressing myself. We both washed our clothes in the river water, later stepping in slowly into the water myself.
The water was cold, making me hesitant to swim in the water but I submerged myself, my mind suddenly feeling clear. It felt like I was myself again.
I got out of the cold water as Ryan was making a campfire. As the fire started I sat down. The sun was already high in the sky, telling me it was morning. I feel so drowsy... I haven't had a good night's rest in a bit.
I laid down on the grass feeling the campfire warm me up. Our clothes are on wooden sticks, drying our wet clothes above the fire.
I turned my head to Ryan, he looked like he was lost in thought. I spoke, breaking the silence "Can you explain what happened? What were the spores you talked about?"
Ryan, breaking out of his thoughts, looked over at me. "It's a creature that uses spores to control other living beings. You could say that it influences the persons brain. We both got lucky that we got away"
"How do you know this?"
"I used to learn about posions and medicine. You'd be surprised by how many creatures use poison to kill their prey." He answered proud of his knowledge.
"Are you guys from Anothesa? I've heard the city is very advanced. It's one of the safest places, too, because of its military."
He hesitated to answer. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke "We are, yeah... but it's not really as good of a place as it seems."
"Why did you guys run away from Anothesa?" I asked.
"It's complicated... maybe I'll tell you some other time." He answered getting up from the ground without exchanging any words. He went into the woods, and after a bit of time he came back with some sticks and junk.
I looked over to him curiously "What are you doing?"
"You'll see..." He answered with a mischievous grin.
After a while, he made something resembling a fishing rod. It looks...weak, but it's our only way of getting food. He seemed weirdly happy about it.