Don't Get Eaten

Chapter Seventy Four

I couldn't shake out the words that no name had told me.

Like one of us.

There was a monster that looked like a human out there, parading in the daylight. We didn't say another word after that since I could tell whatever he was remembering was pretty bad. There was a point in his life being here that he encountered this creature and something horrible had happened. I could see it in his eyes.

Eyes that suddenly reminded me of Jinsen's.

Every time Jinsen woke up from his nightmares, they were the same type of eyes that no name just showed me right now. Vulnerable and frightened beyond all reason. And I was getting pretty tired of referring him as no name too.

But that would have to come later.

We both walked carefully through the trees, trying hard to keep our feet from making noise with all the twigs, dead leaves, and little rocks that were all over the ground. But neither of us were really stealthy like that. I wrapped the strap of the rifle over my shoulder for now and took the machete from him instead of the shovel.

He seemed to be awkward with it, so I figure it was best if I took it.

I carefully look around as the sunlight shined through parts of the trees above, giving the place an earthy glow about it. It looked peaceful, but the kind of peace you knew was about to turn for the worst. Now knowing there was a creature out here that could travel in the day it made the place more foreboding than it should have.

I felt like we were being watched. And I hated that feeling.

I wanted to hurry though. I was worried about Kyle. Not with just Miles but with this new discovery of the creature lurking in these woods. Kyle didn't know about it and if he was caught...I didn't even want to think about that at all.

One thing was for sure. I couldn't keep thinking about the creature and need to focus more on the kid. His life was the top priority. It's something Jinsen would have wholeheartedly focused on and the only thing he would care about.

Thinking of him brought a sense of nostalgia and heartache. I missed him like crazy and knew if he was here standing next to me he would definitely say,

"What the hell are we waiting for, Zared? Fuck that goddamn monster, we have to get to Kyle before something bad happens to him. So, get out of your head and let's go!"

Yep. Totally something he would say to me if he was here.

And I couldn't help the damn smile that spread across my face just thinking about it too. This situation didn't even resort for smiling but thinking about Jinsen always brought the happiness out of me that was for sure.

And with that little made up mantra, I wipe the smile from my face as I no longer hesitate and start moving forward doing exactly what the love of my life would have done. With determination, I start moving faster, not caring about the noise anymore. There was still drag marks that we were able to follow and nothing else, which was a very good sign.

I was glad that no name didn't voice out the sudden change of my demeanor. In fact, he seemed glad for it. Some part of me thinks he was waiting for me to get the move on. For me to finally get out of my head and do something.

We walked through the forest for a good ten minutes when he suddenly pulls me back.

"Do you hear that?" He whispers lowly as we crouched down to the ground.

I listen carefully. And then I hear it. It was faint, but the forest was quiet enough for sound to carry. There was some scuffling and what sounded like panting. It was a little to our right. Frowning, I check further in that area zooming and focusing in my eyesight as best as I could through the trees.

Then I see something catch the sunlight followed by, "Argh, get the fuck off me you sick bastard!"

"Kyle." My voice slips out.

I don't wait a second more. Running as fast as I could to him, focusing on the movements that I was beginning to clearly see now, I don't notice it at first. It wasn't until no name says, "Shit." That I look over to see what he was going on about.

My side was burning, like the skin and muscles were tearing apart from how fast I was running. I didn't care at this point that I might be ripping open my wound all over again or the fact this could set me back for weeks. I had to get to Kyle.

Especially before that thing caught up to all of us.

It was at least far away, maybe a dozen yards from us. But it was moving way too fast for my liking. And judging by the distance it was kind of hard to fully make out, especially with how fast I was running myself. But I couldn't focus on that when Kyle was in serious trouble. Jinsen would kill me if I didn't do something.

We make it just as Miles shoves Kyle's face into the ground with the kid's pants and underwear pushed down to his thighs. Miles was fumbling with his own pants, and I saw nothing but red at that point. Everything erases from my mind in that moment.

My wound being torn open.

My thoughts of what Jinsen would do in this situation.

That fucking creature that was hellbent on running straight at us right now.

All disappearing within a milo second.

All I thought about right then was to raise my machete and cut clean through the air right at his head, not even thinking twice or the repercussions on what I was about to do. Because to me...

Miles was a dead man anyways.