~•~
Warning: Sensitive topics will be referenced. Reader's discretion is advised to those under 14 and who may find it triggering.
Cally has not seen Atlas in many
hours. After retrieving her breakfast he had taken his leave and she has not seen him since. Of course, his whereabouts shouldn't be of any consequence to her, yet she can't help feeling exposed without his presence.
Ever since she awoke this morning she had felt the tightening grip of foreboding weighing on her chest. Even now the feeling grows ever stronger. Part of her wants to ignore the feeling, knowing it is probably a fluke in her senses from spending so much time alone in a frightening landscape. Yet, she has also only felt this way once before. That day just so happened to be the day she was taken by Atlas. Having such a record of sixth-sense foreshadowing, she finds it difficult to push the oppressive feelings away. Although, perhaps that difficulty is for good reason.
This is exactly why she wishes to find Atlas. Despite him being the main reason for her troubles, he has also proven on multiple accounts that he would protect her. Only, protect her from what she is not sure. Cally's brain wracks itself for an answer to that question. If she knew what danger would be happening, then it would be easier to prepare herself. Unfortunately, her senses offer no such clarity.
She also wonders to what extent Atlas' protective nature would go. So far, he has provided her with sustenance, saved her from drowning, and given his word that he would let no harm befall her by his hand. But what about at the hand of another? Would he save her then? With the respect he has for his kind, she doubts he would betray his blood for her sake.
Cally rests her makeshift bucket of water back in the sand after taking a refreshing sip. With little determination--driven mostly by fear for her safety--Cally begins to search for Atlas. There is the high likelihood that he is in the ocean somewhere. This is a place she cannot venture, so she will stick to searching the island first.
It is small, so it will only take her about an hour to hike the entire perimeter. That would leave only the inland circle left to search afterwards. Cally begins her trek, thankful for the hat and longsleave shirt she discovered in the suitcase. Her fair skin has suffered greatly in the past weeks and she is more thankful than ever for the fully covering items.
Soon enough, sweat begins to gather on the back of her neck and along the rim of her hat despite the ocean breeze. Taking a break from her hike, she treads a few paces into the surf to cool herself before trudging back up to the drier sand. She remains close to the water, though; the powdery sand being much too hot to walk on in bare feet. Cally also unbuttons the top few buttons of her white shirt, the breeze blowing into and around her torso nicely.
As she searches, occasionally calling his name, she begins to wonder if maybe seeking his protection was selfish. Would being near him put him in danger as well? No, he owes her this much at least. Yet, Cally can't help feeling bad about the possibility of him getting hurt on her account. Then again, all of this is his fault anyways. If only Cally weren't so forgiving, maybe she could not feel so responsible for him, but alas, her heart is too kind.
Large rocks and boulders rise occasionally from the sand, the sight beautiful despite being her prison. For what seems like the hundredth time, Cally wishes she had a camera to capture the scene. No doubt her mother would love to see it, and Ethan would have the grandest time climbing and playing on the natural jungle-gym.
Those happy thoughts soon turn into a dull ache in her chest. She tends to avoid thinking of them, yet sometimes she still finds herself unable to block her loved ones from her thoughts. She wonders how they must be doing. It has been weeks since her disappearance, have they lost hope in finding her yet? She wants them to have not given up, that they are still ardently searching for her, but at the same time she wishes they would move on. As much as she wants to be rescued, she also does not want them to suffer her loss any longer than they need to.
Lost so deeply in her thoughts, Cally should have been paying more attention to her surroundings.
Perhaps then she would have realized she was no longer alone on the island.
Footsteps disguised by the sound of breaking waves, the creature followed after her. Cally never noticed their arrival, and had no inclination of the follower she had picked up until they were only a few paces behind her.
A cloud passes overhead, casting the island in shadow. Hairs pricked on the back of Cally's neck, goosebumps rising along her arms despite the heat. Her sweat turned cold as her footsteps came to a grinding halt, heartbeat now audible to her own ears and that of another.
Cally remains frozen in her place, too afraid to run and lacking the courage to turn around. Lips apart, eyes wide with trembling knees as all other sounds die away. She breathes softly, listening closely. In. Out. In. Out. One footstep. Two footsteps. Three. The wind goes silent.
"Did no one ever tell you how dangerous these water were?" A voice, low and seductive... Unfamiliar. "Or were you brave enough to venture here alone?" He tsks. Cally feels him come closer, held captive by her fear. "What a grave mistake you have made, little human," he whispers to her softly.
Cally rotates on legs filled with led. Her gaze inches up, up, up to the face of the man--creature before her. She recognizes what he is instantly. Skin ghostly white, teeth too sharp to be human, and stark naked. His smile is wicked--vicious--she can already see her blood dripping from his lips in her mind's eyes. No doubt he can too.
Cally runs the hardest she ever has before, legs moving faster than she thought herself capable of doing. The sand grasps at her feet, betraying her as it prohibits her flight. She hears him laughing behind her, the sound echoing in her ears. The terrain grows more difficult as rocks, fallen palms, and driftwood mar the sandy beach. She finds herself jumpimg over rocks and boulders, their sun-baked surface stinging her skin.
Her arms and legs ache with the effort of climbing and running. Her fear produces as much adrenaline as possible, but she can feel her body slowing anyways. Heart thudding in her chest, carbon dioxide escapes her lungs in ragged gasps. No doubt her hands and feet are bleeding by now, but she ignores it.
Climbing over another large stone, her body goes crashing to its surface as a hand clamps around her ankle, yanking her backwards and dragging her down the slope. Cally cries out as the jagged stone rakes across her skin and catches on her clothes. She feels her body being pulled backwards and thrown into the unforgiving sand.
Before she can even think about standing back up, a heavy weight settles over her body. Cally kicks her legs and thrashes as hands grasp her flailing arms, pinning them down. She screams as fear and claustrophobia settle in her bones. She feels it before she hears it, blinding pain exploding over the right side of her face. An echoing slap sounds afterwards as stars dance across her vision.
She goes limp as her body fails to gather enough energy to fight back. She blinks her eyes to see the creature looming over her. He smirks maliciously as a look of eminent death fills his gaze. His eyes rake over her body and Cally wishes she hadn't unbuttoned her shirt.
"Give up so easily?" He asks. His face grows closer to her exposed neck. "But I was having so much fun chasing you!"
Cally whimpers as his tongue runs lazily up the side of her neck. "Atlas! Atlas please!" Is the only thing she can think to scream. "Help me!" Her voice screeches hoarsely.
Hands wander her body to places she had never been touched before. Tears sting her eyes as she wiggles and kicks uselessly beneath the creature above her. She screams in agony as teeth latch around her collar bone and bite harshly into her skin.
Cally calls for the only safety she knows, yet she loses hope by the second. She kicks at him again only to earn another blow to her face, knocking her head back into the sand.
~•~
Atlas' feet pound into the sand as he races down the beach.
He easily clears rocks and debris as his legs carry him forwards ever faster. His kind's biological advantage has never been more useful as he pushes his body to its limits.
He returned from the sea only to find shed scales and blood only a day old, and it wasn't his. They were no longer alone on the island. When he reached the hut to warn Cally, she was no where to be found, dread instantly settling in his chest.
Atlas wasted no time in running after her, and that's when he heard her screams. He has been running after her for too long now, her screams having gone silent. Faster, he urges himself. Faster or she will be dead.
He leaps over a final fallen tree before he sees her pinned to the sand. His entire body shakes as a livid rage takes over him. A male holds her to the ground as he licks the blood from her exposed chest, her white linen shirt discarded to the side. Her face is red and wet with tears, eyes screwed shut as barely audible whimpers slip past bloody lips.
Just when Cally thought it would get worse than she could recover from, his weight is suddenly lifted from her body completely. Her eyes fly open to see the creature ripped away from her by a man--a man in brown khaki shorts with familiar black hair. Cally scrambles for her shirt as she crawls away from a scene she would never forget.
The creature is quick to hop back on his feet as Atlas advances towards him. The two males circle each other, gazes the complete opposite of each other. The creature smirks mockingly as Atlas wears a look of predatory rage like no other. He continues to pace, fists clenching at his sides as he eyes his opponent.
"I didn't know the human was claimed," the other male chuckles, blue eyes watching Atlas for a reaction. Atlas does not respond. The creature casts his gaze to the girl cowering only a few meters away.
"Don't look at her," Atlas' voice is deep, commanding, and completely unlike anything Cally has ever heard from him. It thoroughly chills her to the bone as she continues to watch the two males with renewing fear.
"Or what?" The other replies. "I'm willing to share, if that's what you want," he bargains.
Atlas snarles like a dog gone feral. "She is mine!"
The creature's gaze turns cold. "Then so be it."
The two fly at each other like the apex predators they are. Claws reaching for a throat are dodged at the last second, catching a shoulder instead. Atlas throws his shoulder into the other male as they go crashing to the ground. He loses control as the other ends up on top of him, throwing one, two, three punches before Atlas catches his hand and slashes his chest.
Blood sprays across his face as the creature screeches in pain. They roll a few times, each landing various strikes to the other as they both fight for dominance. Atlas is able to slash at the male's neck, sending the creature recoiling. He uses the opportunity to pull himself out from beneath him and wrap his legs around the male's neck. He reaches for an arm and pulls it up tight against his chest as he holds the creature down. The other male uses his free hand to reach around and claws at Atlas' back, raking all the way from neck to hip. He cries out in pain as he loses his grip on his opponent's hand.
Atlas lays still in the sand as blood drips from his wounds. The male untangles himself and Atlas' stomach explodes in white-hot pain as a foot drives itself below his ribs. He sees the other male walking threateningly towards Cally. Atlas grits his teeth.
He forces himself to stand, the wounds on his back stinging as they stretch. Without wasting another moment on his own pain he launches himself at the other male. They go tumbling to the sand once more and Atlas wraps his body around the creature as tightly as possible. The male claws and kicks but Atlas holds fast, reaching his arms around his neck.
With a sharp jerk of his arms and a twist, the creature's neck snaps.
His body goes limp and Atlas releases him slowly. He stands on weak legs, right arm wrapping around his bruised stomach. He sneers at the dead body below him before stepping over it.
He stumbles to Cally where she cowers in the shade of a boulder. His voice is hoarse and deep when he speaks.
"Calliope?"
Sorry if its cringe. I think this is my first time writing a real fight scene like this.