Page 38 of Insatiable Hunger

Thirty-Seven

CAIN

Asurge of absolute power and adrenaline raged through every inch of my body, seeping into my muscles and flowing through my blood. I felt unstoppable, thriving in the unnatural high John’s magic granted me. It was addicting. I didn’t care if it bubbled beneath my brain and clawed at my consciousness, slowly draining me of life. The deadly cost was worth it.

My legs swung, moving faster than ever before as I sprinted through the dark woods. Despite lingering branches and vines scraping across my bare chest and arms, I felt nothing. The only discomfort I experienced was John’s chaos gnawing at my existence, my fate a ticking bomb.

I continued to run, my hands ignited in green fire as they swayed. The rain has lightened, the threatening storm dissolving into the night, leaving only a simple downpour. It was the perfect setting for our hunt.Do you smell that?John questioned as I halted.

My chest raised as I inhaled the cold night, noting a faint trail of smoke. “Fire.” I exhaled, my hot breath fogging the air that hung around the skull mask.

Where there is fire, there is life. We must find it.

I did as I was told, tracking the scent as it casually grew, thickening every few feet. “It must be close,” I whispered, observing as the night had become hazy from the smoke. “I can taste it.”

John glanced around the forest, pondering our next move.The trees. Climb high into the trees and search the sky for the smoke trail. It will lead us to them.

I grunted, tucking my blade into the back of my jeans as I gripped a hanging branch from the tree next to me. I began to pull myself up, scaling the wooden limbs and leaves, John’s power allowing me to quickly ascend with grace. The scent of the fire solidified as I neared the sky, breaking through the overhanging canopy of partially dead leaves.

The night sky was a deep blue, streaks of onyx and sapphire painted across the endless cloudy atmosphere. The wavering storm clouds hovered above, hiding the stars as the rain fell to the earth below. A cold breeze whisked through the air, shaking my hair as the heavy smell of smoke filled my nostrils. I inhaled once more. “The fire is near.”

John and I both searched the partially dead forest below, barely spotting the blackened trail of smoke.There. I tilted my head, unsure of where exactly the smoke was coming from.

“We need to get closer.” I scanned the horizon, seeing a potential path through the trees. “It’ll be easier to hunt when we can see our prey.”

Indeed. But we must hurry. Time is fleeting, dear Cain.

Understanding his words, I gracefully slithered from the tree where I was perched, vigilantly moving to the next, carefully planning my steps, repeating the action until the haziness of the smoke was close enough to touch. Crouching, I stared through the scattered layer of leaves, spotting a burning tree below. It looked as though it had been struck by lightning, falling onto themain path that led from the cemetery towards the cabin. The fire had died down, leaving the charred tree to be consumed by faint, orange embers.

“They must’ve broken from the trail and wandered into the woods.” A sinister smile curled my lips, my cheeks rubbing against John’s skull. “Which means they must be lost.”

There. John whipped my head, forcing it down as I noticed a large disturbance in the cakey mud near the fallen tree.Our game is afoot. Follow their trail.Grunting, I continued to move through the woods, growing excited at the idea of finally torturing my ‘friends’. It was finally my time.

The heelof my boot wobbled as my weight swayed, unbalanced. I swung my arm and clung to the nearest branch, nearly missing. “Shit!” Green fire poured from my fingers, strengthening my grasp, allowing me the flexibility to perch myself with stability.

Careful, Cain. We are a long way off the ground. It would be a shame to make such a foolish mistake, resulting in your early death.I scoffed, ignoring his words, seating myself on the tree limb. I moved my lips, silently mocking him, when a low grumble vibrated through the woods, distracting my focus. The sound was immediately followed by the foulest odor. “What the f—”

Do not speak!My head ached as John tugged at my voice. It pulsated, a stabbing sensation curling behind my eyes, like an ice pick that was jabbing my brain, causing me to wince.We are not alone.He paused, listening to the sounds of the woodsbelow. Crunched leaves and snapping twigs could be heard not far from where we were perched.Let me handle this.John released my consciousness, taking full control of my body while my existence helplessly huddled in the shadows of my skull.

The eerie sound repeated, louder than before, shifting into a high-pitched screech. It was unnatural and eerie, something you’d expect from a horror movie. The ground trembled, the trees behind me shuddering as something large stalked near in the woods below. I could feel John’s muscles flexing, tensing with anxiety. The strange presence lurked closer, the revolting odor gripping our senses.What is that?I asked. John clung to the branch, bracing himself as the mysterious thing sidled through the foliage, partially revealing itself. Together, John and I watched what appeared to be a starved looking bear-like animal crawling below.That’s not a bear.The darkness and rain made it difficult to identify the animal. I wasn’t sure what it was but, regardless, it wasn’t a bear and seemed to be wearing a large deer skull with a broken antler.Strange. The odd beast peeked through the shrubs as if sneaking around the woods.What is it doing?I asked John.

John squinted his eyes, peering closely as the animal huffed, its spine protruding from its fur-covered back, slouching as it stood poorly on its back feet.It seems to be searching for something, dear Cain. It was difficult to fully see the beast’s features through the dense smoke and rain, but enough of the animal was visible as we continued to watch. The strange looking creature lingered, sniffing the air, seemingly following an invisible trail.

What is that thing?I asked John.

He watched the animal closely, curiously enticed by its odd behavior. He observed it as it stepped forward through the trees, following the scent of something. The creature chittered, crouching as it lowered to all fours, and began to franticallysearch the wet ground.Unfortunately, I am at a loss, dear Cain, but I am intrigued. What is our friend here searching for?

The starved animal began to scuttle along the mud, madly trying to locate something. It traveled a few feet, scraping the skull it wore through the dirt when its head suddenly rose, releasing another screech. The high-pitched sound was followed by a low octave chitter, somewhat resembling the laughter of a hyena tainted with a deep snarl. The nose of the deer skull dipped into what appeared to be a shallow puddle.What is it doing?I asked, still unable to comprehend what the creature even was.

A loud whistle pierced from the opposite direction, quickly followed by a second further inside the woods. The animal’s head shot high, dark red dripping from the skull atop its face. It tilted its head, listening to the sounds of nature before turning and facing the direction of the whistles. It was enamored by the sound, curious.

Interesting. John leaned down, gripping the branch.Absolutely intriguing.He searched the scattered trees, looking for something, listening as a third whistle pitched.Aha,there you are.

Who?I asked.

John pointed in the opposition direction of the beast, motioning to one of the many identical trees that poked through the canopy of foliage.There.

I struggled to see what he saw, confused by it all.I don’t see anything.A flicker of light glinted in the area he pointed out, revealing a tall, faint figure of a person. It was crouched, much like John, holding something.Why is there a person in the trees?A fourth whistle carried in the air, and the animal below snorted, standing on its hind legs, its breath fogging the air around its face as it grunted.

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