Fragile | Tsu'tey

eleven

Rachel crouched down, her muscles tensed. She hissed lowly, her mind whirling from a million different ways for Jake to survive this. Titanotheres were extremely aggressive, but wouldn't charge unless Jake provoked them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jake prep his gun, ready to shoot.

"Do. Not. Move." Rachel said slowly. Jake gave her a scorning look.

"Whaddya want me to do? Dance with it?" He demanded, putting a new bullet in. Grace snatched the gun from him and set it down.

"Their skin is rock hard. If you hold your ground and look big, they'll run." Grace explained. Norm nodded, and Jake raised his arms and yelled. Rachel rolled her eyes, wondering how much joy her adopted brother took in yelling at the creature.

The Titanothere roared, stomping its foot before it turned and ran. Several others followed him, and Rachel allowed a small, brief smile. "Yeah, that's right! Run away you big pussy!" Jake shouted.

Another higher-pitched roar came from the tree above them and a palulukan - a thanator - leaped down, snarling as saliva dripped down its muzzle. Its black-purple skin glistened in the sunlight as it stared at them with hostile green eyes.

"What do I do? Run, don't run?" Jake called to Grace, his eyes never leaving the deadly, yet beautiful creature. 

"Run! Definitely run!" Grace and Norm turned and sprinted away, leaving Rachel and Jake in the dust. Rachel reached down, grabbed the gun, and tossed it at Jake. Turning around, she leaped over a fallen log and ran from the clearing.

Hearing heavy footsteps behind her, she pushed herself to go faster, the trees around her becoming a blur. She slid through a tree with a hole at the bottom, just as something slammed into the tree. 

Taking a quick glance behind her, she saw Jake running behind her, his tail flailing wildly. "Move your ass!" She hollered at him, her words being lost in the wind, and Jake didn't seem to hear her. He's an ex-marine. He'll be fine. She assured herself, nearly tripping on a stray root. 

She suddenly skidded to a stop, saving herself from falling off the cliff's edge. Below, water rushed in a fierce river, and on the other side of the forest stood even thicker trees. All at once, she felt something shove her over the edge of the cliff and into the water below.

The last thing she saw as she plunged into the water was Jake desperately grasping for the cliffs above.