Number Eight: Apocalypse (Umbrella Academy)

4

2002

Heather, still crouched with her back against cold, hard, and wide tree stump, sat quietly, waiting for the predator to appear.  The sun had officially set, and now the forest was just an array of shades of black dancing across the forest plain in the rising moonlight.  She slowed her breathing, which in turn slowed her heart rate, as she calmly focused on the sounds and aura of the area around her.  The forest was full of mystery, and she could hear the prowling creature as it circled her from a distance.  She estimated from the sound of the leaves that the predator was only about 100 to 150 meters away from her, which she knew was to small of distance for her to make a run for it.  It was sly, and focused, and since only the mid and lower sections of the bushed seemed to move, the creature was about mid size in height, and most likely hunched over.  This meant that what ever was stalking her was not a bear, which was a little reassuring, but this also meant with the quietness of the footsteps, the stalking for long distances, and the smaller height stature that the predator was either a wolf, or from the wolf family, which was not reassuring at all.  She didn't hear any other disruptions in nature other then the one predator, which suggested that it was hunting alone, like a lone wolf or a wild dog. 

Heather listened closely and studied the creatures movements; every step was precisely placed.  The twigs no longer cracked under the paws of the creature, the silent forest somehow got quieter as the predator slowly decreased the distance between itself and Heather's location with every completed circle.  Judging by the predators time between steps, and how long it took to complete a single loop, Heather estimated the predator will be close enough to quickly strike her with an instant and fatal blow in about five minutes.  So she only had four minutes to set up what she needed for her escape plan, which would be easy except that if she made any quick or sudden moves, the animal might give up the circling and charge in for a messy and brutal kill, which would be the last thing Heather would want.  Heather's enhanced intelligence also reminded her that most charged attacks don't kill the victim, just badly injure it, and if Heather managed to kill the predator after being badly injured, she would be moving slower, and most likely attract more hungry and desperate predators, or ones who just like a little extra in their belly. 

As the sands of time counted down the to the moment at which Heather would be the next meal for the silent predator, Heather had started to slowly reach in the wagon and into her first suitcase.  Thankfully, the zipper on the suitcase was broke from it's previous owner, so it could not be zipped up, which meant that Heather's hand slid quietly right into the suitcase as she slowly rearranged her belongings in search for her target, hairspray.  After she got a hold of it, she slowly started to pull it out.  She only had about three minutes left to enact her escape now, and she still had two more objects to grab.  As she began to pull out the hairspray, she heard a faulter in the predators step, but she didn't turn to the sound of the imperfection, she just kept pulling out the hairspray.  She knew this trick, a predator will appear to trip, and prey will think the predator is off balance, so they will run for their lives, but the action of running is exactly what the predator wanted, everyone likes a good chase.  The hairspray was almost out of the bad when her fingers slid over the second object she needed.  Instead of attempting to grab them both, Heather ignored it and focused on one take at a time.  By the time the hairspray was out, she only has two minutes left.  Slowly again, she reached into the same bag and grabbed the second object, a lighter, and began to pull it out.  She felt the predator's excitement radiate around her, she knew it was close, and it knew she was close also.  There was one minute left.  She reached her hand in the bag again, gentling looking for her last object, a dollar store airhorn.  Heather now felt the vibrations of the animal's steps as is closed in on her position.  With only thirty seconds left, she clutched the airhorn.  She felt her heart rate jump up as her breathing quickened.  The animal seemed pleased at Heather's sudden fear, so pleased that it did not notice Heather's hand quickened in pace with the airhorn clutched in her fist.  Time was out, and now the predator was close enough that Heather could see it as clear as day, it was a wolf.