Menno
Damn it all! Just as I extinguished the flames by covering it with dirt, some kind of monster has been drawn to the fire. And almost immediately after this guy found me! I was afraid something like this might happen.
‘’Come on!’’ The guy-whose-name-I-do-not-yet-know says. I quickly look around for a nearby tree and deftly climb into it to observe this… thing… Is this a giant mutated scorpion or something..? I look at the other guy, who also climbed into a tree a few meters distanced from me. The guy is holding a crossbow in his hands as he fires arrows at the creature. Huh. He must be used to fighting things like this one, to be carrying around a weapon like that.
My thoughts are interrupted when I hear the guy yell at someone: ‘’Hey! Take cover!’’
I look up and see a girl in the distance crawling around the bushes. And It seems that creature has seen her as well.
I didn’t think. I acted. In seconds I leap down the tree and dash to the girl. I had no concern for what she was even doing there, or looking for. Being almost 6 feet tall I pick her up with ease with one arm around her waist, as I grab a nearby branch with my other one, and lift us up to safety.
Now that we’re up the tree, I am overcome by a feeling of awkwardness… to be holding a girl I do not know… then climbing into a tree like I’m a gorilla or something… I quickly let go of her as soon as she takes hold of a branch or the trunk, and proceed to jump down the tree again without a word. Mostly to avoid eye contact.
I then run past the creature and avoid its pincers as they attempted to strike me. I head to the other guy and climb into the tree he’s in.
‘’Looks like we’re in trouble. I wouldn’t fire your remaining arrows yet if I were you. I have a plan…
As I ran past.. 'that'’’ I nod at the creature down below, meandering around the tree we’re in. ‘’…I believe I saw a weak spot. The back of its head, in its neck. It might be hard to hit due to its relative shortness, but it’s the best spot to try and shoot at. …All we need is for that thing to turn its back to us before you can hit it.’’
I scratch the back of my head and think.
‘’Leave that to me.’’
Before waiting for him to agree, I jump down a tree for the third time in the past 2-3 minutes and confront the creature. I pick up a pine cone – my oldest trick here – and throw it at that creature’s forehead. The creature swiftly dodges it with a movement with its head and then charges towards me. I run away into the forest and begin running in large circles. Each time the beast pauses and decides to walk back to the other 2 people, I throw another pine cone at it to draw its attention to me. Good thing that this creature is much slower than the canine. This run and hit process continues for what seems like 2 minutes, all the while the guy in the tree is attempting to hit the spot. The first time misses and the arrow hits a trunk. The second time the arrow deflects from the creature’s tail. The guy in the tree is careful with the last arrow, as he can’t afford to waste it. Therefore, it seems like he hesitates for ages to shoot it. After running and throwing pine cone upon pine cone, I am getting impatient and so is that guy in the tree, I must assume. I shout at him. ‘’What are you waiting for!? Shoot! Shoot! Shooooot!!!’’ And before the creature can turn around, the arrow flies from the crossbow’s string and…
*TWOK*
The arrow hits its mark!
The creature shrieks and rolls over, briefly curling up. Then it flees headlong off back into the forests. It couldn't kill it, but at least the arrow drove the thing away.
I breathe heavily as I lean forward with the hands on my knees. Without looking up at either the guy or the girl, I raise my left hand and give them a thumb up signal.