Two Sided: The Aching Past (TS Book 3)

Chapter 6

-TW: Heavy and descriptive gore ahead in the seventh+eighth paragraphs! Be cautious-

I stood there, my fluffy tail slowly curling around my legs, and my ears pinning themselves against my head out of fear and stress. I stared at Mango, making sure nothing could harm her. She was all I had left. I didn't have Cozmo, Blaze, Louis, or anyone else to fall back on. I just wanted the comfort and safety of someone I trusted and cared about.

I stared into the darkness of the forest until I smelled the pungent odor of human clothing. I focused back on Mango, and her younger brother pulled a blade out from under the leaf on his head. In an instant, Mango had fallen onto her knees, bleeding out from the chest. I got nauseous from the sight. The scent of oranges, my allergy, flooded my nostrils which made my stomach churn.

I swallowed my horror, immediately turning around and running as fast as I possibly could. My mind raced, much faster than my feet ran. The scent of humans depleted, only for it to be quickly replaced by the smell of blood and gore. It wasn't the smell of Mango's blood, but the slightest hint of sea salt. The ground beneath my paws became denser and denser as I got deeper and deeper into the forest.

After about a minute more of sprinting through bushes, ferns, and wild grasses, I reached another semi-clear area. I stopped to breathe, though it felt like I was swallowing blood because of the intensity of the smell. I took another whiff, and smelled human clothing once again. I simply didn't have the strength to run. I sat down, pulled my knees into my chest, and held my face in my hands. I felt tears roll down my face once again as I whimpered to myself,

"Please, let this all be a dream- a really- really bad drea-"

My silent cry for mercy was cut short by a feminine voice shouting,

"I heeeeaaar you, little hybrid.."

My head shot up, my eyes looking around for a source of the sound. It sounded only about twenty feet away. I quickly jumped to my feet and ran once again. The only thing that powered me was my hopeless wish to live and the adrenaline rushing through my veins. I was doing well until I suddenly stumbled on a stone, tripping and catching myself with my hands. My right hand was fine but the left felt weird.

I only stared at the ground, waiting to feel some kind of pain rip through my abdomen. I moved my left hand around, only to feel something cold and squishy. It obviously protected my paw from scratches, but what was it-? It seemed to be a kind of liquid as well. I had had my claws unsheathed ever since I started running, and they cut right through the object.

I slowly looked to my left and I froze. I looked at my paw. I slowly removed my paw. I stared at it. I stared at the disembodied corpse. I stared at the ripped intestines that were pulled and ripped out of a gaping hole in the center of his torso.

"N-no- not.. not him- please-"

Cozmo's corpse laid beside me, and my paw had just dove palm-first into his right lung. I started sobbing, so hard I didn't pay attention to anything else. I placed my paw on his webbed, scaley hand, grasping it for the slightest morsel of comfort.

"This- this can't be real- no-"

His stomach and liver were missing, from what I could tell. I wasn't some kind of doctor. His left arm seemed to be broken, maybe his shoulder was dislocated too. I looked to his face through the blurring tears, and his eyes were dull. His pupils always shone a bright, white light, but now they were as dull a yellow as his sclera. He had a slash across his face, which seemed to be from a spear, similar to the one the human behind me held.

She stared down at the two of us, a bent smile hiding behind the blue bandana around her nose and mouth. From her light purple robe, blue belt, and boots, she must've been a higher up in the human government. She had long brown hair that fell to her lower back, which seemed to be tied back as well. As my gaze met her face, I saw what looked like a hybrid skull hanging on her right shoulder.

"Don't be afraid.."

I was very much afraid. I just laid there, in silence. After a few seconds, she chuckled,

"No much of a talker, eh? I guess you found my little friend on the ground there.. me and my buddies killed him last night."

I still stared, back now with a sudden burst of rage running through my veins. I breathed,

"Y-you heartless b-beast."

Letting out a witch-like cackle, she quickly stabbed her spear into Cozmo's chest once again. My eyes followed the spade, and moved my left hand out of the way as I fell on my right side. She had stabbed his heart. The human sickly joked,

"I'm not the only one who's heartless.."

I stared at the woman, who pulled the spear out of his chest and held it above mine. In a dark voice, she spat,

"Now follow me, otherwise you'll end up like your little boyfriend here."

"I'D RATHER DIE WITH HIM THEN DO ANYTHING YOU SAY, YOU PSYCHOPATH!"

She narrowed her eyes, glaring in hatred of my defiance, not to mention my appearance. My fur was ruffled, and my paw was dripping in blood. Putting her spear on her back, she suddenly grabbed my arm with her left hand, and pulled me to my feet. The grass beneath me shuttered as wind flew past my face. I shrieked and screamed, kicked and waved my hands around. Anything to get out of her grip. I was quickly shut up by her wrapping her arm around my neck, whispering,

"Give me any trouble and your death will be prolonged for as long as possible, despite how much I'd rather kill you right now."

I whimpered, and gave up. I sobbed and sobbed, weakly reaching out for Cozmo's corpse. I wept,

"Please- please no- this- this can't be the end-"

I watched as my life was slowly dragged away from me. My family. My friends. My entire reason for living had been stripped away like a child who'd become an orphan. I was vulnerable and I wasn't ready to face the consequences. My life was over. I'm probably the last living hybrid at this point.

Goodbye- I'll see you in the afterlife I guess.

_________
Alright this chapter was a bit short, I admit. Sorry about that! ;v;
DryFox_reads_stuff Is Kiwi and Farbauti's creator!