Improvisus (probably not updating again)

Chapter 10

Bawk bawk BAWK!  I jumped back in fear and saw it approaching. It was within ten feet of me.

BAWKOG! The-the chicken screamed as it ran towards me.

“AHH!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. The chicken was almost upon me. “Disperdere” Destroy, I screamed.  I didn’t know how I knew that language, whatever language it was, but I didn’t even care. The chicken flew backwards as my spell hit it and I ran. I ran as fast as I could and hoped I would never see the dreadful thing again. Unfortunately I heard footsteps coming behind me, and I could only guess what they belonged to. I ran faster and harder than I ever had in my entire life.

I decided to look back to make sure it was the chicken coming after me, but it wasn’t just a chicken. It was the granddaddy of all chickens. I had to stifle a scream as I saw it. It was probably twenty feet tall and it was that one thing I was afraid of. I wasn’t afraid of death or being attacked. I wasn’t scared of little insects or the insides of animals. I was scared of chickens. I was scared of twenty foot chickens chasing after me. It was my biggest nightmare.

“Aunt Bev, can we go see the chickens now?” I had asked when I was three years old.

“Of course sweet heart, just one minute. I have to get on my boots.” I was jumping up and down in excitement. There were baby chicks and I couldn’t wait to hold one.

“Aunt Bev, hurry up!”

Aunt Bev laughed. “I’m coming, Candace. You sure are like your mother. No patience at all.” We ran out to the barn. I ran over to the baby chicks, and didn’t notice the big mean rooster that was near them. “Be careful, sweetheart. Be careful and watch out for the rooster.” I barely heard her as I picked up the first little chick. It was so fuzzy and yellow. I slowly made my way closer to the big rooster without realizing it.

“AUNT BEV!” I yelled. I saw Aunt Bev come over. “Can I bring one home? Mommy and Daddy need to see one of these, and Luke and Brent. I bet they’ve never seen one!” I was so excited. I could show my baby brothers my little chick. “And Nat needs to see on too! Can I bring her next time?” I really wanted my very best friend to come and see my new little pets.

“We’ll talk to your mom about it okay? I’ll be right back. I have to go check on the other batch of chicks. Stay right there, I’ll be back in a few.” I was prancing around. I couldn’t believe I’d get one for myself. I was walking around holding a baby chick, when the big rooster approached me. I didn’t think anything of him and kept walking. I decided to turn around to pick up another baby chick when I stepped on the roosters foot. It cawed in anger and then pecked at my legs. “OW!” I screamed. He kept pecking my legs and I fell, but I made sure I cushioned the baby chick. I wouldn’t let the rooster hurt it. "OWWW!” I wailed and cried for a long time. I cried harder and harder. The rooster kept pecking my legs, arm, stomach, and eventually my face. I saw Aunt Bev and heard her scream. I saw her come running at me and then the rooster was gone. No tears came out of my eyes and I saw black. I didn’t know why I couldn’t see anymore. Before I knew it the whole world was black and my mind stopped working.

I didn’t even care that I had remembered that day, because that was the worst day of my life, besides this one. I remembered hearing the doctors tell my parents that I had lost a lot of blood from the many skin punctures. I remember seeing my Aunt Bev, covered in my blood, crying as she held my hand in the hospital.

I continued to run, but the chicken’s one step was about twenty of mine. It was very quickly gaining on me. I didn’t stand a chance. The chicken stuck out its foot as it tried to hit me with its claw. I dived out of the way just in time to avoid being impaled, but unfortunately it grazed my shoulder. There shouldn’t have been much blood, but when I quickly glanced at my shoulder there was. It was covered in blood already and I realized a layer of my skin was gone. My shoulder burned, but I couldn’t stop.

“Horreat.” Shrink, I figured if the chicken could be smaller, I’d have a better chance of beating it. It only shrunk about three feet, but to me that was three feet smaller than before. It continued to swipe at me.

“Scutum,” Shield, I had to try to block the swipes. I could feel my sticky shirt sticking to my shoulder as the blood continued to flow. I used the spell just in time. The chicken’s foot struck my shield, which would’ve been my head if I had been any later. My shield went out and I ran away just to buy time. “Sana,” Heal, I pointed my wand at my shoulder and the bleeding stopped, but the pain didn’t go away. Unfortunately I wasn’t paying attention so the chicken decided to strike. The claw struck me in the right thigh. “Ah!” I screamed out in pain as the chicken’s claw tore through my thigh. The chicken tried to get its claw back, but it got stuck in my thigh and finally the skin ripped. I fell to the ground and screamed in pain again. I had never been in so much pain. I felt like crying, but the chicken was still there, and unless I wanted to die, I would have to kill it before I cried.

“Duratus,” Freeze, I mumbled. The chicken momentarily froze, but I was too weak to keep it frozen. I quickly looked down at my thigh and gasped. I had a very long, very deep cut in my legs. I looked down and saw a puddle of blood underneath me and it covered my hospital gown. I could feel my shoulder burning and my head was pounding, but I couldn’t get my mind off my thigh.

“Vis.” Zap, I put the rest of my energy into the spell. I knew I wouldn’t last much longer and I needed to kill the chicken. The chicken fell over and didn’t get back up. “Finis.” End, the chicken’s life finally ended and I lay down in my blood. I slowly drifted off, and I hoped I would wake up again.

To my surprise I woke up in my bed, but I was covered in blood. I thought I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I felt something or someone approaching. I suddenly felt very weak. I felt weaker than I had before. I felt like I couldn’t lift a finger, and I knew it wasn’t because I had lost so much blood. It was something else.

“Help.” I cried weakly. Whatever was with me, I had to get rid of it. It wanted to kill me, and I wanted to live. “HELP!” I yelled. Natalie, who was sleeping in the uncomfortable chair again, woke awake with a start. She looked at me and her eyes widened. Her mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out. I felt slightly stronger again, but then Natalie ran out of the room. How I wish she hadn’t. She hadn’t turned the light on, and I could feel something dark approaching once again. The strength I had felt was long gone. I wanted to defend myself, but I couldn’t move. I was way too weak, and the thing that was trying to kill me was going to make its move.

I couldn’t believe Natalie had abandoned me. Sure I didn’t remember her, but she had said I was her best friend and she was mine. What kind of best friend abandoned their dying friend?

Suddenly a new thought formed in my mind. The event with the chicken had been a dream. My dream had come to life. I assumed it was the chicken lurking in the shadows making me feel weaker and weaker. I didn’t understand how it had those powers when it wasn’t even touching me. The pain suddenly intensified as I felt something grasp my leg right where part of my cut was. I screamed in pain again. I felt my life going away and I suddenly had a hard time breathing. Luckily for me, the thing must’ve heard something coming because it was suddenly gone.

I wanted to cry again. My leg hurt so badly. I could feel the stickiness of my blood on my stomach and down my legs. I was alone, and I would die not remembering who I was or who my best friend was. I would die knowing my fears, but not the good things I had done. I wouldn’t remember all the good times that I probably had with Natalie. I wouldn’t remember my brother, or my half-friend Brooke. I would die in a hospital, the place that should’ve been safest for me.

I heard the door open again and the light turned on.  I didn’t have the strength to open my eyes, let alone listen to anyone. I heard a whole lot of commotion and I felt something poke my arm. My mind slowly began to sleep. Then I was gone.