The Blood Forest

Hide n seek

Chapter 11. C.W.O
My clothes are frozen to my skin.
My hair is frozen to the rocks which I lay on.
I bet my whole body would be in agony if I could feel anything below my brain. I would think about moving if I could feel my brain.
Laying here, staring at the blinking stars I let myself sink into that state where you are awake but only partially. Where your mind has traveled somewhere far off so you can't possibly be fully awake.

"Mommy watch me! watch me!"
Toby puffs out his chubby round cheeks and blows with all his might trying to make bubbles come through his bubble maker.
"mommy help pease"
I smile and sit up from basking in the sun on the perfectly manicured lawn.
Toby waddles over and hands me the bubble blower. He squeals in delight as my efforts result in glistening spheres of soapy water.
The bubbles pop against his golden hair and drift away in the breeze.
"Let's go play hide and seek"
I say standing and taking his tiny hand which wraps around only two of my fingers.  We chase eachother around the rose bushes, Toby making sure he doesn't touch the thorns just like I told him. 
Toby runs off in amongst the lilac bushes.
"Hides and teek mommy!"
I grin. My little guy is awful at hide and seek because he's always giving away where he is by squealing.
I start looking around the bush before stopping because I hear gruff voices.
I move back towards the roses making sure to keep out of sight.
"Just get rid of my wife, make sure the boy doesn't see..."
Bile rises in my throat and I rush back to the lilac bushes.
"Toby! come out Toby!!"
I whisper, my voice is on the verge of hysteria.
"peek a boo-boo!"  Toby yells jumping out from behind the bushes.
"Rawrrrrr!"  He makes tiger like claws with his hands. The boy loves tiger everything.
"There's my fierce boy! let's go inside. We need to leave now."
Toby shoves his tiny fist into my waiting hand.
He looks triumphant.
"I'm Tiger and I'm going to scare off daddy cause he hurted you mommy."

The sun tries to force itself into my dark mind. But I scrunch my face trying to ward off the sunlight and the pounding headache that won't stop pulsing. 
I vaguely recollect being tossed into the river and inhaling water, I also vaguely remember arms pulling me to the surface and lips delivering air into my lungs. 
I roll over which makes me pant for breath. I force myself to get up, I have to move. My little boys waiting.

I don't see George or White Hood anywhere. They think I'm dead, they left.
Despair washes over me, I have no idea where to go or what to avoid out here without George.
Then it hits me.

The stranger who pulled me from the river.
He has to know where to go. I must find him.
I bid goodbye to the river that almost claimed it's icy claws on my life and head into the forest.
"Let's play hide and seek"

I pull the blade from my back pocket and after dipping it in the flames of my fire I drag it across my palm. 
A line of blood followed the blade like a Creek of red across my skin.
I can't feel the pain though, all I can feel is my knawing insides begging for food.
I sprinkle my blood in the middle of the crisscrossed vines. A trap I built that will catch something the size of a small fox hopefully. Or a scavenger bird.  I grin to think of a crow struggling in my grasp. 
Stamping out my fire I reach up the tree to the lowest branch and heave my body up. 
"Good thing I have plenty of padding on my butt or else this tree would be mighty uncomfortable." I whisper to myself.
I hold the vine connected to my trap with fierce intensity. I won't look away until I have an animal on my dinner plate.

The shadows slowly shift among the branches with the setting sun.  My trap lays empty and so do my hopes of eating.
Suddenly the vines in my hands tugs roughly almost toppling me. 
I look down and my breath catches.
Not an animal in my trap, a human.
Or soemthing that resembles a human.
It's covered in purple tinted skin, black patches of hair covering it's head. A low guttural call echoes from its mouth as its body shakes, it seems to be frustrated at finding nothing in the trap to eat.
Suddenly it turns to me and roars, I loose the vine letting it drop from shock.
Definitely human. This must be what George meant when he said the sickness humans creatures would find me.
With dark teeth and pure white eyes it runs at my tree trying to grab me.
My heart slams against my ribs painfully as I struggle to get a higher perch out of the creatures reach.
It wails mournfully as I find purchase for my foot and get higher away from it.
"STOPPPPP"
I scream down at the being with all the strength I have left.
It's eyes blink slowly.
A peaceful quiet seems to settle between us.
Then it turns and leaves as if somehow my screaming snapped it back into being a real person.
I slump against the tree in defeat. All the adrenaline has left my body leaving only a numbness in my limbs.
I climb down and start to walk. Following what seems to be a deer trail it takes me down the river into a valley with a cave. I crawl inside of the cave letting my body collapse.
The smell of charred meat wafts over to me from the back of the cave making my mouth water.
There at the back of the cave sits half a cooked rabbit on a spit.
I have to rub my eyes vigourisly before believing that it's real.

I lick my fingers letting the last traces of wild meat linger on my tongue.
I must look as wild as a wolf sitting in a dark cave looking out at the moonlit forest.
Remembering my blade I pull it out.
Maybe if I can lure in one human to my trap then possibly I can do it again with a larger net and larger bait.
I start to cut jagged lines into the dirt floor of the cave.
My design has to be flawless.
It's been years since I drew any kind of design but my hands find the work like they are embracing an old friend.
If I'm going to trap my guy I'll need to be the perfect bait.
Time to stop hiding and start seeking.