Page 7 of Marc
The monster had clamped onto my left leg. I kicked my leg wildly, and felt those claws tearing at my shin and ripping through my flight suit.
“Fuck you.” I kicked it off, and it flew through the air before it rolled across the ground.
I scrambled up, and grabbed a rock.
The monster came at me again. I flung the rock.
It squawked.
Then I spotted my blaster.Thank God. Diving, I grabbed the weapon and turned.
I opened fire.
With one last screech, the monster hit the ground.
It flopped once, then stopped moving.
I kept firing until my blaster clicked and the laser fire stopped.Oh, no. It was out of charge.
I slumped back, heaving in air.
“You picked the wrong woman to mess with, asshole.”
I wanted to cry, but instead, I sat up. Carefully, I probed my calf and winced at the terrible scratches. It throbbed, but there wasn’t much I could do except stop the bleeding.
I tore the bottom part of my pant leg off, then tied the fabric around my calf as tightly as I could. I whimpered.
It hurt like crazy.
“Okay, Colbie. You need a plan.” I dragged in a breath. “Not be lost in the Blue Mountains would be a good plan.” I shook my head. “Shelter, steer clear of monsters, wait for daylight.” In the morning, I’d climb a tree and signal for help.
Pushing to my feet, I left my now-useless blaster behind. I shivered and my stomach growled. I wish I’d eaten at Marc’s barbecue. The party at Marc’s felt like it was a lifetime ago, not a few hours ago. I’d been called out for an emergency flight to drop some medicine to a local community.
I hope they’d gotten some backup medicine to the town. I limped along, my leg burning. The temperature was dropping.
“You’ve got this, Colbie.”
I’d see my mom and dad again. I’d see my friends again. I’d fly again.
I’d see Marc again.
Hell, maybe if I did survive, I’d kiss him. It could be my reward.
My thoughts turned to my Talon, and grief hit me like a wave. I truly loved my quadcopter. I knew every patch job on the fuselage, every quirk of its flight, every little tick of the engine.
It was gone. Just broken pieces on the ground.
But you’ll fly again, Colbie.
At that moment, an answer to my prayers came into view.
A cave.
Well, it was sort of a cave. It wasn’t very deep, but it was enough to give me shelter.
Crouching, I climbed in on my hands and knees, praying there were no spiders or snakes already in residence.
I sat and pulled my knees to my chest, trying to keep warm. The cuts on my leg were now a burning throb.
