Humanity-Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Chase

After a few minutes I collapsed and though I heard no trace of pursuit behind me I began to weep in fear. Reality caught up to me and confused more than ever I shook my head. Being hunted on horseback, shot at by arrows, it made my head spin wildly and I lay down on the ground.

The sunlight filtering through the trees began to dim and I reluctantly closed my eyes. I felt like I couldn’t move for shock so I didn’t. Then I heard hooves across the ground advancing towards me and I closed my eyes tighter, willing myself to wake up from this nightmare.

“Steady.” The command confused me. The voice was gentle and soothing. I did not expect the man to be gentle with his stubborn horse, especially since the horse had defied him to save me. Then I heard footsteps coming closer and my eyes shot open.

I gathered my arms to my sides and put them over my face. I couldn’t face death. I thought it was better to not see it. Maybe I wouldn’t even believe it was happening and I’d feel no pain.

“Easy prey is not as exciting.” I heard a sigh accompanying this statement and I sat up in anger. I glared at his boots as I folded my legs under me, trying to ignore my heart thundering in my chest. Then my eyes focused on his boots and I gasped in surprise. They had to have been from another century and I also wondered who shot arrows, on horseback?

“Don’t be so surprised, as a hunter I enjoy the thrill of the chase.” Chase, did he think he was playing a game? I thought angrily, my nostrils flaring. I turned my hate glare upwards and had to bite my lip hard enough to draw blood, to stop from gasping again.

An amused smiled on his full lips. They looked surprisingly soft and I wondered what it would be like to touch them with my own. His eyes were a dark green, suiting perfectly in the greenery of the trees in the forest. His hair was dark and laid around his handsome face. He was beautiful. Then I shook myself.

Hello? He wants to kill you! He thinks you’re prey! My internal voice shrieked at me. I leapt up, surprising him and dusted my skirt. I glanced once at his clothes that seemed as ancient as his boots and then I returned my glare to his face.

“You’re sick!” I screamed and I glimpsed a few birds flying wildly from the trees away from me. I hoped he was as scared of me as them but it was only a feeble hope. His amused expression flickered a bit into what looked like confusion .

“ I am perfectly healthy, actually.” He smiled and I gaped at him.

“No, I mean mentally ill.” My words weren’t as nearly empowering the second time and I cursed him silently for ruining the effect.

“And what gives you that impression?” he asked, his face smoothing into a cold mask.

“You tried to kill me! No, wait, hunt me! I’m a human being, not an amimal and-“

“Exactly.” My blood ran cold at his interruption and I took a wary step back. He smiled resembling a starving cat spying a mouse. He really did think I was prey.

“You're- you're a cannibal!” I stammered. His dark eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“ Well, I always thought so but still Mother did teach him to never play with his food.” said a voice close behind me and I instinctively fled behind the man. The voice was feminine and slow, soft like a cat's purr. Surprisingly, he stood in front of me protectively.

A woman stepped out behind the gloomy trees, a cruel smile playing on her blood red lips. She resembled the man and was every bit as beautiful. She clucked her tongue disapprovingly upon seeing him in front of me and a soft chuckle whispered up her throat. I shook at the sound.

“Are you killing her or kissing her, James?” she purred and I had a mental image of a graceful tiger stalking her quivering prey. James took a step closer to her, a step away from me. I took a slow step back, risking a wary glance at the creature behind me.

“Greetings, sister.” he whispered and I detected intense dislike in his smooth voice.

“ Brother, I'm sure we can catch up later but for now, your catch looks as if she's about to flee.” Both their eyes flickered to me and I swallowed loudly. My heart thundered in my chest and my knees shook. His sister also carried a bow and a gleaming knife sat on her thigh.

“She's mine, Cissa, there are many other's for you to torture and eventually kill.” There was viscious disgust in his voice. Tears began to fall. I hated crying but it seemed as if the two sibling's madness triggered them.

James swept his eyes back to her and she also refocused back on him. The two were eyeing each other, as if squaring off for a fight. I could feel the hatred rolling off them. It made my head spin and I had to take deep, slow breaths to avoid fainting.

Cissa chuckled, her wild black curls flying in the sudden gust of wind from the darkness. I winced at the sound. My tears seemed to stop in fright. All warmth was empty of the sound. It was just cold and dark.

“But you should kill her in front of me, I was always told to follow your excellent examples.” I saw James' arm's tense at her bitter tone. My whole body tensed at her words. I felt as if the whole world were waiting somewhere in the dark, waiting for me to die.

I turned and ran. The instant I did I regretted it almost immediately as I heard James utter a frustrated curse. I'd forgotten about the horse.

“ Horse always beats human.” I hissed to myself. I felt gloom settle on my body and I ran faster trying to outrun it's shadows. But it still managed to touch me, my body and mind. Firstly I was outnumbered though I only heard one set of feet hot in pursuit, secondly they had weapons strapped all over their body and thirdly they had a beautiful horse that could almost certainly outrun me.

Dried leaves crunched furiously beneath my flying feet. Trees seemed to rush into my desperate path out of the dark, trying to push me back to my death. The wind flew with me, snatching my hair away from my face. Then I felt a fierce burst of air pass my left ear and I knew I'd almost been shot.

Hearing the horse's far away grunt gave me a tiny trickle of hope, it hadn't let him board it. I swore as I felt a stitch developing in my side and slowed trying to draw air into my lungs,though I kept running.

Then I felt it. It dug into my left arm after breaking through my skin. The arrow had met its target. A scream of pain left my lips. I felt as if someone had hurled a blade into my arm. I stumbled and fell, blacking out before my head even hit the ground.