The Forest

The Forest - Part 3

Part 3 – Fighting Back

The Chiropters bit and scratched Cain with ease many times before he reached the heavily dense parts of the forest. Blood dripped down from his arms, shoulders and back. His clothes were full of rips and tears, soaking with his own blood. Even though sweat surfaced upon his face, it was pale and cold. The wind bit into his face and his open wounds as he ran as fast as he could. It was harder for the Chiropters to get to him here, but they were still behind him, and not far behind.

Cain’s foot suddenly got caught under a root in the ground, buried under dead leaves and dirt. He fell, bruising his knees and elbows, and placing scratches on his face. His body hesitated for a second, but persisted and rose from the ground. He staggered forward quickly, trying to get away before the Chiropters caught up, but he was too slow, they were already there.

They attacked him brutally, and he had no shield, just the clothes covering him. He did not want to let it end there; he could not let it end there. His hand reached toward the pocket that held the small bag Theresa had handed him, but he decided against it. He could still fight these bats. He could definitely do it. A plan was already forming in his mind. He dived into the nearest bushes for cover and searched for two strong, thick branches that had been broken off, rather than fallen off, and also as many twigs he could gather up. Then, he pulled out a box of matches and lit the branches. He emerged from the bushes, pushing the twigs out with his feet, but raising the branches like torches towards the attacking bats.

Blood poured over one of his eyes from a cut eyelid, but he forced that eye open anyway. A smirk filled with a small amount of malice found its way onto Cain’s face. He threw one of the torches towards the most concentrated part of the colony, trying to burn as many as he could. It was then that he started his counterattack.

Cain had discovered the best element to use against the Chiropters, fire, and he would use it to its full potential. He quickly picked up the sticks one by one, and threw them alight at the colony while they were stunned. The sticks were running out, but the Chiropters got the idea; they had lost this round, and would retreat and strategise, though Cain would also think up of new ways of defeating them, and would never lose to them again.

The Chiropters flew away leaving Cain alone again, but he did not stop throwing until they were completely out of his sight and he had run out of sticks to throw. When the last stick flew out of his hand and just thudded to the ground one foot away, his breathing was fast and shallow. His arm was slow to drop back to his side, and the moment it did, Cain’s body dropped to the floor like a broken rag doll.

Cain lay uncomfortably on the ground. His head was turned to the side, and he heard his breathing almost as the earth’s breathing. It was heavy, and blood pumped in his ears. He could also feel the blood still pouring out of his cut eye lid, but it was flowing in a different direction now. The blood was stinging his eyes, so his lids slowly closed.