Until Forever (1st draft)

Part the Twenty-First

Jaw clenched, she clambered out and began climbing down the massive tree with a fearless determination she had never experienced before. At first she was distracted by the suspense of whether Steekbunk would suddenly appear climbing down after her, but rather quickly she became completely focused on the physical challenge ahead of her. It seemed to take forever, but eventually she dropped down to the ground safely. Her arms and legs trembled from the effort, so she leaned back against the trunk to rest. She tipped her head back and gazed up the length of the tree as it disappeared into the foliage above. No sign of her obsessive stalker yet.

It took all of her willpower, but instead of sitting down she pushed herself away from the trunk and began walking away. Immediately she was met with a dilemma. A cluster of trails originated from the base of the tree and she couldn't remember which one they had taken last time. She had been so spellbound by all of the mind-numbing impossibilities that had greeted her during her arrival in Daysheen that she had just followed Steekbunk without paying attention to such trivial matters as direction.

She tried to reconstruct the scene of the first time she came down from Steekbunk's home with the assistance of the Fairie. Where had they landed and which path was closest to that spot? She couldn't remember. She stared down each path hoping to recognize something, a particular plant or tree knot or bend in the trail that would register as a familiar landmark, but no such luck. Eventually she realized that she was running out of time to get a good lead on Steekbunk so she randomly went to the one furthest left.

Geneva alternated between jogging and walking for hours, still not recognizing anything familiar about the path she had chosen. Random noises kept her continually uncomfortable, and those that were especially frightening would prompt her to begin jogging again no matter how exhausted she was. Her newfound bravery and determination had already worn thin; she hated being out here in the woods alone. She longed for a traveling companion to make her feel less vulnerable, maybe even Steekbunk. At least his stupid sap juice would bring much needed refreshment right now. She chuckled, suddenly a bit lightheaded, so she sat down on a rock to rest her aching legs and wipe away the sweat that was stinging her eyes.

And then her heart nearly stopped as a loud shriek echoed through the canopy of trees. Reflexively she jumped to her feet and her heart let her know that it hadn't actually stopped by trying to burst out of her chest. Should she run? Hide?

Another shriek, closer this time, and again her heart froze for a few seconds. The trees shook wildly above her and she looked up to catch a glimpse of something moving quickly across her field of vision. Geneva stumbled back off the trail, tripping over the rock that she had been sitting on and landing hard on her backside. Her hands scrambled around to keep her from falling further back and one of them scraped against the rough bark of a fallen limb.

Another shriek, somehow even closer, and then a Monkey Hawk skidded to a stop right before her. Its menacing beak snapped open and it shrieked again, sending spittle and sour breath into her face. The surprise attack triggered her own scream and without thinking she grabbed hold of the tree limb near her hand and slammed it into the side of the creature's head. It stumbled away squawking in protest.

Geneva rushed to her feet, stumbled, then sprinted down the winding path. Within seconds the shrieking was heard again and Geneva looked back to see the Monkey Hawk flying down the trail straight towards her at head level. Its beak was snapping like a power tool. Adrenaline fueled a speed she wouldn't have thought possible, but Geneva knew she couldn't outrun it. The Monkey Hawk closed in on her and she veered off into the woods, purposely darting around trees to make a more difficult path of pursuit. It shrieked, closer than she had realized, which caused her to reflexively scream again. She made a sharp turn to the left, somehow evading the creature just before its deadly talons raked a deep chunk of bark from a tree.

She swerved around trees, jumped over a bush, and sprinted briefly before resuming her zig-zag course. Sheer terror kept her weary muscles functioning, but her lungs burned from exertion. Another shriek far too close prompted her to abruptly cut to the right. Gasping for air she lowered her head to clear a tree limb and hopped through another bush, but her stomach lurched when her feet didn't find ground. She was falling, but only briefly, and then she landed in something soft and elastic. Her body undulated on a mattress of bouncy string. Fearful that the Monkey Hawk was right behind her, she tried to get up and found that she was stuck. The stringy mass clung to her wherever she had come into contact with it. Her arms, legs, and body were adhered to it and no amount of effort could pull her free.

She heard the Monkey Hawk shrieking again, but it was different this time. It was higher pitched, almost desperate sounding, and it repeated incessantly. She craned her head to the side and saw that her pursuer was also stuck to the fibrous mass. And then she felt something brush by her cheek.

She looked over to see a fuzzy black branch. No, it wasn't a branch. It was bending and moving, and one side of it was lined with hair. It lifted and moved forward, taking a step. It was a leg! Another leg stepped by, and then another. Finally a gigantic spider came into view, moving toward the flailing Monkey Hawk. Geneva's eyes bulged, her mouth gaped, and a strange squeak came out of her. She had never been so terrified in her life.

The huge spider moved in on its trapped prey, grabbed it with two of its front legs, and plunged dripping fangs into it. The Monkey Hawk's wings fluttered wildly for just a moment, then it relaxed and went limp.

Geneva let out a guttural scream that stole away all of her breath, which was fine because she had passed out anyway.