VICIOUS (II) : peter pan ouat

A continued combat

    Part of it was the crushing weight of a tiger on me for only a second, part of it was the panic at being mauled to death, and part of it was the actual pain. None of it would have incapacitated me. Which is why I imagine I can stand up with only a slight numbness to my body. It doesn't feel as horrific as I thought it might.

    I pull myself up off the ground, and Peter places a hand on my arm, holding it as if to confirm I'm alive, before disappearing.

    Alex lies on the ground, moving his head up and down. It's shock. I've never seen it before, but I've felt the pain run through my body. I don't bend over to help him, and he continues to stare up. I can hear him grunting, but I doubt he can hear anything. Drool escapes his lips, running down his chin. Jared runs in from the side, and picks him up, dragging him off the battlefield.

    Boys are around us, and so is blood. Like a splash pad kids play in, spraying all over, covering people. My clothing is already heavy and drenched. I shed my cloak, instead placing the dagger in my belt next to the canteen. The shirt has three thin lines running up it, but is at least a little dry. The pants are another matter entirely but I'm not removing them.

    The boys are fighting. Our twenty or so against their ten. We may be larger in numbers, but they are larger in size. They are probably more experienced too, since we've only been here for about ten years. Or at least, the majority of us.

    I scan the ground, and feel someone's arms wrap around my neck. My dagger flashes, as I raise it above my head, stabbing it straight down. The hands immediately loosen, as the body drops behind me. I didn't even have time to look.

    I spin around quickly. I stabbed a man straight through the skull, and he bleeds out his head. Before he tumbles to the ground, he stumbles forward, blood squirting out of the top. I run my hands through my hair, which is also drenched in the red liquid.

    As the body falls, I rip my dagger out of its head. It's lodge in tightly, and as it comes out, it's covered in white liquid. An ocean of blood pours out of the gaping hole, and the Native man's body hits the ground.

    I spin around. Not everyone is as lucky as I was. It's a full on assault. Arrows are being fired in every which direction, into and out of boys.

    Johnny is taking on a man twice his size, if that's even possible, and he's losing. So are Robert and Harry from opposite sides of the fight. The Native before Robert has knocked him to his knees, and Robert has his head tipped forward. Harry's opponent has a blade held back in her arm, the tip aimed for Harry's chest.

    I run straight for Harry, quickly leaping on to the back of the Native woman that holds him. She lets Harry go as she tumbles to the ground with me on top. She spins around beneath me, before flipping herself on top of me. I struggle beneath her grip, as she tries to hold me in place. Without wasting time, she grabs hold of my hands in her one and raises her blade at my throat.

She collapses on top of me, and I notice Alex, a bloody rock in his hand.

I roll my eyes. I could've taken her on myself, I don't need him interfering with me.

    My eyes scan the crowd for Robert, but he's gone. I get up, shoving past Alex, who stands like a deer caught in headlights before Harry. His eyes are wide, and his mouth open, but I don't give myself the second to look at Harry's face.

Between the crowds, I can see the man who was fighting Robert move his arms down swiftly, slicing cleanly through Robert's neck.

    I hear the scream before I realise it came from my own throat. It's sharp and violent, but I can't tear my own eyes away.