she hesitated because she didn’t want to hit him. At this point he’d take his chances with the gun.
“Shoot!” he screamed.
She startled and lowered the weapon. “I can’t. I’ll hit you.”
“Do it, kid! This thing is going to kill me!”
As if the beast could understand their words, it paused and glanced over its shoulder at Leucothea. Hades could have sworn it grinned then, as if it were taunting her to shoot. Turning its attentions back to Hades, it opened its jaw wide and moved in for the killing blow. Pinned to the ground, Hades raised his arms for protection, but he knew it would be useless. The beast would bite right through his limbs and rip out his throat. It seemed to have at last finished playing with him.
The loud blast echoed around him, but it took several minutes before Hades registered the sound as outside his head.
As the creature’s head neared, thick, dark blood erupted from its open mouth. Its eyes rolled up in agony, and a noise almost like a baby’s cry sounded from it as it collapsed onto Hades.
Air expelled from Hades’ lungs in a sigh of relief while he felt the creature’s last twitches and convulsions as death finally took it. Pushing the beast off, Hades rolled away and glanced at Leucothea. She still stood staring with wide-eyed shock at the animal, the gun still smoking in her trembling hands. He looked down at the animal. It had a hole in its gut the size of a melon. A few inches lower and the shot would have pierced Hades’ leg.
Slowly gaining his feet, Hades stumbled to where she stood and pried the weapon from her clenched fingers. “It’s all right, kid. You’ve done well.”
She glanced up at him, tears welling in her eyes. “I didn’t hit you?”
He smiled and rubbed a hand over the stubble on her head. “No, kid, you didn’t hit me.”
She nodded and then bent at the waist and vomited. Hades patted her back as she retched violently, little groans escaping her each time her stomach roiled.
When she was done, Hades stumbled over to the tent and their packs and collapsed on his ass. He was very close to passing out from the agony that ripped through him. Maybe the beast hadn’t ripped his throat out and killed him, but he suspected that the creature had done enough damage to him that death was imminent regardless. It would just take a little bit more time.
Rummaging in the pack, he came away with the ointments Mary had made and packed for him.
Before he could take off his tattered shirt and remove the old bandages, Leucothea was there aiding him. She took the salve from him, set it on the pack, and helped him remove his ruined shirt. Using small scissors, she cut away the old bandages. When they were removed, she looked up at him. He could see all the morose answers on her face. He was definitely in bad shape.
“It’ll get easier,” he stated as she started to apply the healing cream onto his bruised and battered side.
“What will?”
“Shooting, killing.”
Nodding, she applied half the cream Mary had made and then started to wrap new bandages around him. “What if I don’t want it to?”
“Then you never have to worry about turning into someone like me.”
She chuckled as she finished pinning the last of the bandage. “Ah, you’re not so bad.” She sat back on her haunches and smiled. But he could see the sorrow in her face. She knew as well as he did that his injuries were serious. That no amount of joking was going to make them go away.
He patted her leg, grabbed the pack, and lay down with it under his head. “Get some sleep, kid.
We’ll get an early start.” He closed his eyes. “Kat’s probably wondering where in the hell we are already.”
A few moments later, he felt her move away and heard the rustle of the tent as she slid in.
Opening his eyes, he stared at the night sky. Millions of stars twinkled down at him, and he felt very small and insignificant.
Was Kat waiting for him? He couldn’t be sure. To her, he was
“Shoot!” he screamed.
She startled and lowered the weapon. “I can’t. I’ll hit you.”
“Do it, kid! This thing is going to kill me!”
As if the beast could understand their words, it paused and glanced over its shoulder at Leucothea. Hades could have sworn it grinned then, as if it were taunting her to shoot. Turning its attentions back to Hades, it opened its jaw wide and moved in for the killing blow. Pinned to the ground, Hades raised his arms for protection, but he knew it would be useless. The beast would bite right through his limbs and rip out his throat. It seemed to have at last finished playing with him.
The loud blast echoed around him, but it took several minutes before Hades registered the sound as outside his head.
As the creature’s head neared, thick, dark blood erupted from its open mouth. Its eyes rolled up in agony, and a noise almost like a baby’s cry sounded from it as it collapsed onto Hades.
Air expelled from Hades’ lungs in a sigh of relief while he felt the creature’s last twitches and convulsions as death finally took it. Pushing the beast off, Hades rolled away and glanced at Leucothea. She still stood staring with wide-eyed shock at the animal, the gun still smoking in her trembling hands. He looked down at the animal. It had a hole in its gut the size of a melon. A few inches lower and the shot would have pierced Hades’ leg.
Slowly gaining his feet, Hades stumbled to where she stood and pried the weapon from her clenched fingers. “It’s all right, kid. You’ve done well.”
She glanced up at him, tears welling in her eyes. “I didn’t hit you?”
He smiled and rubbed a hand over the stubble on her head. “No, kid, you didn’t hit me.”
She nodded and then bent at the waist and vomited. Hades patted her back as she retched violently, little groans escaping her each time her stomach roiled.
When she was done, Hades stumbled over to the tent and their packs and collapsed on his ass. He was very close to passing out from the agony that ripped through him. Maybe the beast hadn’t ripped his throat out and killed him, but he suspected that the creature had done enough damage to him that death was imminent regardless. It would just take a little bit more time.
Rummaging in the pack, he came away with the ointments Mary had made and packed for him.
Before he could take off his tattered shirt and remove the old bandages, Leucothea was there aiding him. She took the salve from him, set it on the pack, and helped him remove his ruined shirt. Using small scissors, she cut away the old bandages. When they were removed, she looked up at him. He could see all the morose answers on her face. He was definitely in bad shape.
“It’ll get easier,” he stated as she started to apply the healing cream onto his bruised and battered side.
“What will?”
“Shooting, killing.”
Nodding, she applied half the cream Mary had made and then started to wrap new bandages around him. “What if I don’t want it to?”
“Then you never have to worry about turning into someone like me.”
She chuckled as she finished pinning the last of the bandage. “Ah, you’re not so bad.” She sat back on her haunches and smiled. But he could see the sorrow in her face. She knew as well as he did that his injuries were serious. That no amount of joking was going to make them go away.
He patted her leg, grabbed the pack, and lay down with it under his head. “Get some sleep, kid.
We’ll get an early start.” He closed his eyes. “Kat’s probably wondering where in the hell we are already.”
A few moments later, he felt her move away and heard the rustle of the tent as she slid in.
Opening his eyes, he stared at the night sky. Millions of stars twinkled down at him, and he felt very small and insignificant.
Was Kat waiting for him? He couldn’t be sure. To her, he was
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